Denali Elementary Named 2022-23 ESEA Distinguished School by Principal Becky Zaverl

“Our building is warm & full of love, kindness and respect. And reading, lots and lots of reading.”

We have trained our tutors in the same methods, so every student receives the instruction they need, and we know it’s uniform throughout the building. This could not happen without extraordinary collaboration of our staff. We have weekly PLC meetings and quarterly data team meetings to talk about student progress and possible movement between groups. Our decisions are data driven. Our staff is deeply committed to increasing literacy for our students. We know that reading is a foundational skill necessary for virtually everything we do. It opens possibilities for all children to succeed—to learn and grow, to explore and imagine, to investigate and verify, and to lead fulfilling lives. Reading well instills confidence and helps reduce inequities. That’s what happens at Denali Elementary. Our temperatures may get down to 50 below zero, but our building is warm & full of love, kindness and respect. And reading, lots and lots of reading.