All About Harbor Heights Elementary School
JUMP TO:
Community
Preparing for the Future
Thoughts From Parents & Students
School Stats
Neighborhoods Within School Boundary
When my family and I moved up here, we made sure to check out the schools in the area before we decided what part of Gig Harbor we wanted to settle in. I know this is a big factor for other families as well, so as your neighborhood expert I decided to visit each of the 17 schools in the Peninsula School District in order to hear from students, parents, and teachers what they like best about their school.
In today’s post we are taking a look around Harbor Heights Elementary School. Read on to get a feel for what this school is all about.
Productive Citizens & Lifelong Learners
Allison Shepard, Principal
I’m the proud principal here at Harbor Heights Elementary School. We are in Gig Harbor South nearest to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Our school feeds into Goodman Middle School and then Gig Harbor High School.
Harbor Heights is a great place to learn. At Harbor Heights, we follow “The Orca Way,” which is: be respectful, be responsible, and be resourceful. Every day our students are learning about how to be productive citizens and lifelong learners. The values of respect and responsibility and resourcefulness are demonstrated in all kinds of ways through our school day, and whether that’s student helpers or solving problems on the playground, or just doing their very best in class, we embed “The Orca Way” into all things we do every day at Harbor Heights.
Lilliana, Student
I’ve attended Harbor Heights Elementary School for two years. What’s really great about being here is how diverse it is. I love how all of the students are really nice and I feel like I’m learning very useful things.
Jack, Student
I’ve been in Harbor Heights through kindergarten all the way through third grade now. My favorite specialist is probably PE. I like doing exercises and getting healthy.
A Welcoming Community
Justine Malek, Options SPED Teacher
I like teaching at Harbor Heights because the community is so welcoming. As a special education teacher, seeing how everybody invites students with different abilities, different limitations and challenges, and really embraces them and includes them, is so heartwarming to see.
Dave Rucci, Physical Education Teacher
I’ve been here for 24 years, been teaching for 26. I get to see these kids grow from kindergarten all the way through sixth grade because of what I teach. We accept everybody. We include everybody. We cheer for everybody.
It doesn’t matter whether they just need help with how to hit a ball or whether it’s a child in a wheelchair who needs a little push here or there. No one ever feels left out here at Harbor Heights because we work really hard on that.
Falynn Auston, Parent and VPO Board
I have three children here. I have a kindergartner this year, which is super exciting, and I have twin third graders. I’m connected with the VPO also here at Harbor Heights and part of the board. The VPO is a super exciting program and any parent is welcome to join. We do charities to raise money for the kids, and then we just give all the money back to the school and we’re doing different events in the different classrooms and all the kids and parents and everyone’s welcome to come and join all the fun.
I feel like my children are completely safe here at the Peninsula School District, but specifically here at Harbor Heights. For our family, they need a little bit of extra emotional support and they have the counselors here that they’ve been able to talk to and it’s been great with communication with the office. I know I can send a quick message and get responses quickly.
Juanita Beard, Parent
I am a parent of two children here at Harbor Heights. Here at Harbor Heights, the culture is very welcoming. We moved to this community two years ago and we’ve just felt like everyone’s greeted us with open arms, from the bus driver to the principal to our teachers, para educators–we’ve just felt really welcome and safe here and that I can communicate my concerns or cares and that we’re really heard.
Allison Shepard, Principal
I’ve been both a teacher and an administrator here at Harbor Heights. There’s just a community feeling–when you are here, you feel the support from the parent community, the business community, the local community. We just have a lot of long-standing traditions that really value the whole child and support of our school community.
Preparing For the Future
Cora-Mae, Student
When I grow up, I’m going to be a police officer. I love my teacher.
Allison Shepard, Principal
Some of the amazing things happening here in Peninsula School District are really surrounded around all the multiple ways students can become 21st-century productive citizens. So, for example, we have STEM curriculum, we have reading curriculum, math curriculum, and those curriculums are meant to broaden children’s horizons for developing their passion, their skills, and hopefully launching them into future careers that we haven’t even thought of yet, but helping them to be innovative in their own thinking by giving them the basic skills to then go on and be successful at the next level of their educational journey.
Additional Thoughts From Parents & Students
What Parents Love About Harbor Heights
“Excellent communication from administration to families. We seem to have teachers who truly care!”
What They Wish Could Be Better
“I’d like to see some improvements in the facility itself. Older portables are less than desirable.”
What Their Children Love About Harbor Heights
“Both my children enjoy going to school. They love their teachers and have learned so much.”
What Would They Tell A New Family At Harbor Heights?
“Try to get involved as much as you can! Volunteer as room parent or join VPO. Great way to connect with the school and parents and give back to the kiddos!”
Harbor Heights Elementary Stats
Neighborhoods Within School Boundary
Some neighborhoods include:
Midway
Briarwood Hollow
Brittany Place
Edgewood Manor
Fairwood
Harbor Park
Huckleberry Hill
Midway Estates
Norwood
Pennridge Estates
Plum Tree
Quail Run Estates
Ravens Roost
The Trace at Fox Run
Village Grove
Woodlane
Point Evans
Point Evans Estates
Point Evans on the Narrows
Point Evans Ridge
Point Fosdick
Bridgewood Estates
Discovery Point
Fairway Estates
Quail Park
Quail Run
Reid Road
Bridge West Estates
Colvos View Estates
Hidden Glen
Long Acres
Matthew Court
Melanie Ridge
Reid Drive
Rushmore
Sandy Court
Southport
Soundview
Islandview Terrace
Shore Acres
Wollochet
Dunbar Cove
East Bay Estates
Highridge View Estates
Magnolia Heights
Wollochet Heights
Wollochet Shores
And that’s a wrap for Harbor Heights Elementary School. If you want to learn more about our wonderful community here be sure to check out my blog, or for more information on buying and selling in Gig Harbor and the surrounding area go to askpaigeschulte.com.