All About Kopachuck Middle School
JUMP TO
A Growth Mindset
The Kopachuck Family
School Stats
Neighborhoods Within School Boundary
As a real estate agent and your local neighborhood expert, I want to help you learn all there is to know about life in Gig Harbor, Washington. I am also a mom of three, which means I understand that knowing about the schools in the area can be a big factor for families as they consider where to buy a house. Because of this I am personally going to all 17 schools in the Peninsula School District to interview teachers, students, and parents, giving you a feel for what it’s like at each school.
Join me today as we take a look at Kopachuck Middle School, located right across from Kopachuck State Park.
Welcome To Kopachuck Middle School
Kelsey Parke, Principal
I’m the principal of Kopachuck Middle School, and Kopachuck Middle School serves our sixth- through eighth-grade students on the west side of Gig Harbor. We are located right across from Kopachuck State Park and our feeder schools are Voyager, Pioneer, and Artondale, and students primarily come to us from the southwest area of Gig Harbor as well as Fox Island. Kopachuck Coyotes also feed up to Gig Harbor High School. It’s really important for me that our middle schoolers have a real middle school experience defined by engaging in things like dances and being social and being positive with their peers, and having authentic teacher-student relationships.
A Growth Mindset
Alex Koerger, Teacher
The kids call me Mr. K and I have been here at Kopachuck for I think this is my fourth or fifth year, and I teach sixth- and seventh-grade mathematics. I know that middle school is a turning point for a lot of kids, especially young women, and especially in math, as they start to see themselves as not good. I really emphasize with all of my students that, yeah, you may not be good—yet. We focus on growth mindset and that’s really something that we push here at Kopachuck, is that idea that you don’t have to be good now, but let’s aim for that.
Lola E., Student
They support their students emotionally; they always make sure their students are feeling good. But they also support those students academically and always are making sure that they’re on top of what they’re doing and always offer help no matter what.
Stephanie Somers, Parent
I have a sixth grader here at Kopachuck. The community around Kopachuck is really supportive of the school. I know construction’s been kind of a big deal—it seems like they’re working through it really well and the students are all really excited to see it when it’s all done, as well as I know everybody that works here probably is. It’s a really positive school. My daughter has really flourished and enjoyed coming here, and I was a little nervous about that because school’s sometimes rough, but it’s neat to see how much she’s grown and I’m sure how much other kids can grow here as well. It’s a really, really positive environment.
The Kopachuck Family
Leilani Blackburn, Teacher
I teach Social Studies and Advanced Language Arts for grade eight, and I’ve been here three years. What is really unique about Kopachuck Middle School is that we’re all really a family. I think that’s what stands out to me. It’s the sixth school I’ve taught at in 18 years and it has just this huge family feel among the staff and between the staff and students, and everybody looks out for everybody else and it’s just a really big sense of community and family.
Cooper G., Student
I love all my teachers equally. If you are one of my teachers, you’re my favorite teacher in the world, don’t worry.
Manny P., Student
I like everyone here. Everyone’s really welcoming and nice, and I think that I could really talk to anyone if I needed any help.
Lola E., Student
I would say that you can make some wonderful friends here. Everyone here is welcoming and you’ll learn a lot while having fun.
Alex Koerger, Teacher
I really did choose to work here. I’ve never regretted it. The staff here truly believes in the potential of every kid and I really love that about the faculty here.
Kelsey Parke, Principal
Meeting all of the families and parents and staff from Kopachuck through the interview process [when I first came here] was unique for me because it was so warm and engaging and really drew me out into this community. And I want to give them all credit because they have gone through multiple years of construction and I’m so excited to be a part of rebuilding this community in our building and in our school as Coyotes. I talk a lot about that pack that welcomed me in, that whole community engagement and involvement that you feel here at Kopachuck. That’s kind of the long-standing tradition that I learned from Kopachuck, is that it’s not an item, it’s not an event, it’s not a thing as much as it is this feeling and this culture of belonging that we’re really trying to get back to and really help thrive here at Kopachuck.
Kopachuck Middle School Stats
Peninsula School District Profile
Feeder Schools:
Feeds Into:
Henderson Bay High School (school of choice)
Neighborhoods Within School Boundary
Some neighborhoods include:
Artondale
Artondale Country Estates
Artondale Woods
Black Bear
Brentwood Manor
Canta Rana Estates
Ford Hill
Hidden Ridge
Madrona
Madrona Vale
Meadow Park
Pine Crest
Swanson
West Bay Ridge
West Park Estates
Cromwell
Bridlewood
Countryside
Cromwell Pointe Estates
Eagle Crest
Fox Crest
Inwood
Point Ryan Estates
Sea-Fox Estates
Shawnee Hills
The Hill at Sunny Bay
Horsehead Bay
Forest Beach
Moorelands
Kopachuck
Hai Yatch
Kopachuck Heights Estates
Kopachuck Place
Kopachuck Ridge Estates
Rosedale
Braewood
Louise Park
Olympic View
Ray Nash Country Estates
Rosedale Estates
Rosedale Sunset
Shorecrest
Steeplechase
The Dawn
Sehmel
Bayridge Estates
Cherry Point
Wollochet
Bay-view Terrace
Cedar Haven Homes
Galbraith Waterfront Tracts
Tall Timber
Wollochet Bay Estates
Wollochet Creek Estates
Wollochet Yacht Harbor
Fox Island
Raft Island
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.