Principal's Welcome Message

Northeast Tacoma Wolfpack Families ~

Welcome back to another wonderful year of learning, laughter and love at Northeast Tacoma Elementary School. Last school year brought many celebrations for our school that I am so proud to share with you. We were honored as 1 of 406 schools across Washington to be awarded the Washington School Recognition Program for our work in closing opportunity gaps and supporting students' growth and academic achievement during the 2023-24 school year. 16% of schools in Washington received this distinction. Northeast Tacoma earned our award in Growth: “Schools recognized for growth have at least one student group that has shown some of the state’s largest annual gains across multiple measures, such as attendance, assessment scores, English Learner progress, graduation rates, or the percentage of ninth graders who successfully earned all their attempted credits.” 

I am tremendously proud of the work that our school has done over the past 2 school years. In Fall of 2024, our i-Ready reading scores were 26% at or above grade level. In Spring 2025 our scores in reading were 69% at or above grade level in reading. That is a total growth of 43% in reading scores. In Fall of 2024, our i-Ready Math scores were 17% at or above grade level. In Spring 2025 our i-Ready Math scores were 66%. That is a total of 49% growth in Math. These scores, growth and awards don’t happen overnight, and they don’t happen by chance. This is the progress through dedicated staff, students and families working together for one goal— STUDENT SUCCESS! 

I share these two data points and celebrations with you, not to boast about our kids and staff, but to offer two clear examples of what I mean each time I say, “I am the very proud principal of Northeast Tacoma Elementary School.” And I am! Our community is key to our success. Our community is strong, vibrant, diverse, resilient and powerful. We are the picture of our city, Tacoma. We are an example of what hard work, dedication, grit, tenacity and comradery looks like. Our kids are successful, because we are united!  

I moved 19 schools before I graduated high school. I often joke that the reason I went into education, is because no matter how many schools I attended, they all offered some level of consistency. All schools run roughly the same way, schedules, announcements, assigned seats, etc. Schools are predictable in some way. Of all the schools I have attended, worked at or led, I can say Northeast Tacoma is unpredictable in the best ways! No one would predict that our scores would be leading the district. No one would predict that we would be living our motto of diversity and inclusion. No one would predict that our kids, with the many situations, struggles, or challenges they face, would not only shine in the face of adversity, but smile while they shine! To say that I am proud, is an understatement. I am humbled. I am honored. I am blessed to serve the children, the families, the staff and the community of Northeast Tacoma Elementary School as your principal, colleague, Princessipal and student. I am not only the proud leader of this building, but I am also the proud parent of a student at NET. I am a proud member of the pack! 

Warmly,

Mrs. K. Devenuti

Proud Principal, NET