About
Frantz Coe Elementary School
Our Mission & Vision
Each student at Coe Elementary School receives a world-class education, grows a love of learning, and acquires responsibility for their school, community, and world. We nurture curious, thoughtful, responsible, and resilient learners who feel a sense of belonging in their community.
We are a community focused on empowering every student to reach fullest potential.
Our motto:
Be safe.
Be kind.
Be Coe (responsible & respectful).
Coe Cougars are:
- Welcome
- Important
- Respected
- Encouraged
- Loved
Our Commitment to Academic Excellence, Family Engagement, and Community
Coe Elementary School takes pride in long-standing academic excellence, strong family engagement, and dedication to community and service. We strive to cultivate a safe, welcoming, and inclusive school environment focused on quality learning experiences where every student has a path to achieve their highest potential and every family feels authentically connected.
Our staff is committed to creating a learning environment where students are safe, supported, and ready to learn. We achieve this by focusing on well-being, setting high expectations matched with high levels of support, and providing rigorous and responsive instruction. We value the power of positive relationships and want all students to feel welcome, important, respected, encouraged, and loved.
We believe students are most successful when educators and families work in collaborative, student-centered partnership.
Our History
Frantz H. Coe Elementary is named after Frantz H. Coe, M.D. (1856-1904). Dr. Coe began his career as principal of Phoenix, Michigan public schools at the age of 23. In 1884 he attended medical school, and four years later traveled west to Seattle, to begin his medical career.
Though a prominent physician, Dr. Coe never forgot his early days as an educator. He served on the Seattle School Board from 1901-1904. A progressive thinker he was instrumental in hiring the first women as principal.
He wrote in his journal, “I am absolutely satisfied women make better principals than men and wish to open up a new era in Seattle schools”. Three years after Dr. Coe’s death, the school board honored his memory in the naming of our school. We are proud to continue his progressive heritage.
Coe Elementary School has been an important learning institution since it opened in two temporary wooden structures on its present site in 1905. The school was initially an annex to the Queen Anne School (later the West Queen Anne School). Those structures were replaced in 1907 by an eight-room, two-story building designed by James Stephen.
The building was built in the classic Ionic Colonial style. The surrounding community grew and in 1914 an eight-room addition was added to the north side of the building, housing 575 students.
It is the memories that the historically landmarked building holds, that made the fire on January 21, 2001 so tragic. Coe School was halfway through a renovation that would have added additional space and modernized the building, while respecting its historic features. At the time Coe School was temporarily housed in the Magnolia School.
In the aftermath of the fire, the school community has pledged that the spirit of Coe and its history will carry on. A new building that is evocative of the historical character of Coe School was completed in December 2002. A six-classroom addition to the building opened during the 2021-22 school year.
Our Staff
Total Staff: 49
Average years of teaching experience: 12
Our Students
Total Students: 460
Grade level configurations are based on current enrollment and district staffing allocations.
Our Leadership
Lindsey Backstrom, Principal
Academics
Learn more about curriculum at Coe.
Sample Schedules
Sample Kindergarten Schedule
Regular hand hygiene is scheduled throughout the day, especially before and after meals and when entering and leaving classrooms.
7:55 – School begins
7:55- 8:20 Social Emotional Learning/Class Meeting
8:20 – 9:10 Handwriting & Fine Motor Development
9:10 – 9:25 Kindergarten Morning Recess
9:30 – 10:45 Literacy & Small Group Time
10:45 – 11:05 Lunch
11:05 – 11:25 Lunch Recess
11:25 – 12:00 Science
12:00 – 12:40 Specialists (Performing Arts, Health & Fitness, Visual Arts, Library, Social Emotional)
12:40 – 1:25 Mathematics & Small Group Time
1:25 – 1:50 Kindergarten Afternoon Recess
1:50 – 2:25 Student Choice Time/Imagination Stations
2:25 – School Day Ends
Sample Third Grade Schedule
Regular hand hygiene is scheduled throughout the day, especially before and after meals and when entering and leaving classrooms.
7:55 – School begins
7:55 – 8:20 Social Emotional Learning / Class Meeting
8:20 – 9:40 Mathematics
9:50 – 10:05 Third Grade Morning Recess
10:05 – 10:45 Specialists (Performing Arts, Health & Fitness, Visual Arts, Library, Social Emotional)
10:45 – 11:35 Writing
11:35 – 11:55 Lunch
11:55 – 12:15 Lunch Recess
12:15 – 1:10 Reading
1:10 – 1:20 Third Grade Afternoon Recess
1:20 – 2:25 Science, Social Studies
2:25 – School Day Ends
Social Emotional Learning
Learn more about our approach to supporting positive behavior and social emotional learning.
Student Support Programs
Multidisciplinary Studies
- Performing Arts
- Library
- Visual Arts
- Health & Fitness
Parent Engagement
Kindergarten
Preparing for Kindergarten
- Beginning in January – Enroll your child now
- Spring (May-Early June)- New families receive welcome communication
- Mid-August– Kindergarten families receive communication regarding kindergarten transition activities. Note: Seattle Public Schools will not fund Jump Start for the 2023-24 school year.
- Late August – Your child’s kindergarten teacher will reach out to you to schedule connection meetings
- Late August – All Coe families receive welcome letter with important start of school details
- September 4, 5, 6 – Family Connection Meetings
- September 9 – First day of Kindergarten
Helping Your Child Prepare for Kindergarten
Enrollment
Help us plan for fall by enrolling early
