Mission Statement

Inclusive Education

Academic Excellence

The Bates School is committed to providing inclusive practices to every student, and we strive to capitalize on the benefits of inclusion for all members of our community. At the Bates, inclusion means more than serving students with special needs. We work to build a community that celebrates all facets of our students’ identities and find meaningful ways to weave their experiences and cultures into our learning everyday. Inclusion means everyone, and we work diligently to build a school community where every child feels valued for everything he/she/they bring to their classroom.

We believe that every child has a right to rigorous instructional opportunities that lead to growth. Our teachers are highly-qualified. They work in teams to co-plan and co-teach so that all of our students, regardless of their current academic standing, are able to access grade-level appropriate material and make substantial academic gains. In grades 3-6, our team is dedicated to our Excellence for All program, which provides both rigorous academic opportunities and access to 21st Century learning experiences including STEM, Robotics, and Spanish language instruction. Our students also develop skills in the arts including Visual Arts K-6, dance in K-6.

Social-emotional Wellness

Family and Community Partnerships

To support the social-emotional wellness of our students, teachers have adopted the use of Social Thinking curriculum, which develops students’ social-cognitive and communicative skills. We also use Zones of Regulation to provide students with vocabulary to understand and express their feelings. Our school has a new sensory room equipped with mats, trampolines and a rock climbing wall. This space is utilized by students who require occupational therapy as well as students who would benefit from movement breaks. Physical Education is offered one to two times a week and students also benefit from a teacher- monitored movement break on top of their regularly scheduled recess. Additionally, we are fortunate enough to have the support of our Inclusion Specialist and a full-time counselor, both of whom are Board Certified Behavior Analysts.

As a community, we recognize the importance and impact of forming true partnerships between families, staff and community members. The Bates School has a strong and active parent council. We plan monthly engagement events for families including our Culture Night, Art Night, FoxFest, and Movie Nights. Our Principal and staff regularly update families with the use of newsletters, personalized updates, and conferences. In partnership with Tech Goes Home, families get classes about technology and are able to purchase technology at a discounted rate. Our bilingual principal also leads meetings in Spanish and provides translators for other languages as needed. We offer food and childcare for all parent councils and workshops.