Welcome to Booker T. Washington Elementary School Champaign, Illinois
BTW Home BTW PTA Special Features School Climate Enrichment Opportunities Awards & Recognition Mentoring Tutoring Support Programs Technology	School Choice Theme Visual and performing arts, along with a very strong emphasis on foreign language acquisition, are important parts of the school's curriculum. Designed to provide students with an opportunity to study the visual arts as an academic discipline, this program focuses upon four content areas: Art Making, Art Appreciation, Art Heritage, and Art Criticism. Art projects are integrated as often as possible with the core academic curriculum and literary goals. In addition, at Booker T. Washington, all students are exposed to the three areas of the Performing Arts: Drama, Creative Movement (Dance), and Music. Further, all students receive Spanish or French instruction.

As the site for the English as a Second Language (ESL) Program, Booker T. Washington has a history of involvement with students from throughout the world. International students comprise slightly more than one-third of our enrollment and provide a rich resource for learning more about world cultures.
Booker T. Washington Elementary houses the Bi-Lingual Spanish Language Program, as well as two self-contained gifted classrooms. School-wide enrichment is also offered in the areas of academics, creativity, and leadership.

Special Features

Spanish Instruction for all Students!
Visual Arts
Performing Arts (Music, Creative Movement, Drama)
Gifted Program
Integrated Technology Program
Large International Student Enrollment
English as a Second Language (ESL) Program
Enrichment Program
Environmental/Recycling Club
Student Task Force (student government)
Peer Mediation
Mentoring Program
Before and After School Child Care
Title I Services
Academic Extended Day Program (for eligible students)
Literacy Support
Parental Involvement Encouraged!

School Climate

Our school climate promotes a safe, positive, and orderly learning environment. To this end, we practice a system of "Rights and Responsibilities", believing that the development and exercise of both are important in developing citizens who contribute positively to the growth of our community and world. Further, we believe it is important to empower students, teaching them that in many situations they have the power of choice. We teach, support, and encourage responsible and positive decision-making. We view parents as "partners", needing their involvement and support to help children maximize their potential. Parents are always welcome, encouraged to come to school, visit the classroom, volunteer to assist, have lunch with their child. We view our school community (students, parents, and staff) as "family".

Mentoring

Our mentoring program is coordinated by our school social worker. Students with specific needs are paired with University of Illinois students and community volunteers.

Tutoring

Tutoring is available from the America Reads Program, Extended Day Program, Douglas Center (adjacent to our school), Vis-A-Vis volunteers (University of Illinois), and parent volunteers.

Technology

Technology is integrated into the regular curriculum to support, enhance, and extend learning. Skills are developed in an interdisciplinary elementary education program that provides for the needs of the individual student.

Support Programs

Social Work
Psychologist
Building Support Team
Learning Disabilities Services
Cross Categorical Services
Reading Recovery Services
Behavior Disorders Program
Speech Therapist
Physical/ Occupational Therapy
Title I Program
Literacy Support
English as a Second Language (ESL) Program

Enrichment Opportunities

Reading incentive programs
Technologically enhanced units of study
Field trips to enhance units of study
Daily interactions with students from around the world
Foreign language (Spanish) with student performances
Performing Arts (Music, Creative Movement, Drama) with student performances
Prairie Plot
Assemblies, i.e. Haydn Quartet, Astronaut Tanner, local choral groups, noted storytellers
Student participation is essay and poster contests, geography and history "bowls"

Awards & Recognition

National Education Goals Panel: Our parent involvement program received a second place award in this national recognition competition
Illinois State Board of Education State Council on Business-Education Partnership Recognition Program: Honorable Mention
University of Illinois Natural Resources Bowl: Certificate of Recognition
Our students have received numerous awards from the Foreign Language in the Elementary Schools Program for art work and essays
Members of our staff have received grants to enrich their teaching from: Illinois Power, C-U Foundation, Scholastic-Apple-National Education Goals Panel, Foreign Language in the Elementary Schools, and the Tepper Association