About The School
Mission Statement
The mission of St. Elmo Elementary is to provide students with a quality education in a safe and nurturing environment. Students will be successful learners who will graduate from high school and become responsible, productive citizens through self-discipline and guidance from parents, school, and community.
Cougar Cub Beliefs
- All students deserve to be educated in a safe and nurturing environment
- All students deserve a quality education.
- All students can be successful.
- Student success is dependent upon student responsibility and guidance from parents, school, and community.
- All students can become responsible productive citizens.
About the School
A School of Tradition and Innovation
A school existed in the St. Elmo area as early as 1880; however, it was not in continuous operation until 1917. The school operated in several different locations until the present property was secured and an 8,000 square foot masonry/wood building was constructed facing Boe Road. This building opened in 1928 serving students in grades one through seven. In 1952, the school became a high school, and a 12,070 square foot building was added. The remaining facilities were constructed in 1954. In 1969, St. Elmo High School was consolidated with other area high schools, and the facility became a middle school. When the Theodore High School opened, the middle school moved to their old facility and St. Elmo was closed.
The facility was completely closed for two years, becoming partially occupied by Head Start in 1986. St. Elmo reopened as an elementary school on September 9,1987. The buildings were completely renovated in 2014 and brought up to the same standards as new schools.
The professional educators at St. Elmo Elementary are highly-qualified and well trained to meet the needs of our Twenty-First Century learners. The philosophy of St. Elmo Elementary is, “Each child is living the only life he or she has – the only one he or she will ever have.” Therefore, the faculty and staff strive to meet the individual needs of our children.
St. Elmo has been awarded Torchbearer status on five different occasions. Alabama Torchbearer Schools are recognized for high levels of student achievement in schools with an 80% free and reduced lunch rate. Torchbearer schools must score in the top 20% band of students across the state in reading and math on state tests and score above the state average for Level IV on reading and math tests.
St. Elmo is an Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) and Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI). ARI emphasizes instruction which is driven by individual student needs. AMSTI provides our children with exciting hands-on, inquiry-based lessons in math and science with an emphasis on conceptual learning and math discourse. In addition, our teachers have been trained to use strategies developed by the Ongoing Assessment Project (OGAP) to formatively assess students using additive, multiplicative, and fractional reasoning. Our students also participate in the Reading Renaissance program which develops individual reading strengths through emphasizing student reading at appropriate levels.
The physical health of our children is another essential component of our educational approach. Students are provided fruit and vegetables on Tuesdays and Thursdays through a USDA Grant. Through the efforts of our cafeteria staff and the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Grant, St. Elmo was awarded with the nationally recognized Bronze Award for meeting the criteria for the Healthier US School Challenge.
An emphasis is also placed on social responsibility and philanthropic participation. Students participate in fund raisers with several non-profit organizations which include: Volunteers of America, Bay Area Food Bank, and the American Heart Association.
A holistic program focused on individual student needs, innovative instructional practices, social responsibility, character development, and an improved awareness of health provides each of our students with a learning environment where children build confidence with a vision of possibilities for the future.
A school existed in the St. Elmo area as early as 1880; however, it was not in continuous operation until 1917. The school operated in several different locations until the present property was secured and an 8,000 square foot masonry/wood building was constructed facing Boe Road. This building opened in 1928 serving students in grades one through seven. In 1952, the school became a high school, and a 12,070 square foot building was added. The remaining facilities were constructed in 1954. In 1969, St. Elmo High School was consolidated with other area high schools, and the facility became a middle school. When the Theodore High School opened, the middle school moved to their old facility and St. Elmo was closed.
The facility was completely closed for two years, becoming partially occupied by Head Start in 1986. St. Elmo reopened as an elementary school on September 9,1987. The buildings were completely renovated in 2014 and brought up to the same standards as new schools.
The professional educators at St. Elmo Elementary are highly-qualified and well trained to meet the needs of our Twenty-First Century learners. The philosophy of St. Elmo Elementary is, “Each child is living the only life he or she has – the only one he or she will ever have.” Therefore, the faculty and staff strive to meet the individual needs of our children.
St. Elmo has been awarded Torchbearer status on five different occasions. Alabama Torchbearer Schools are recognized for high levels of student achievement in schools with an 80% free and reduced lunch rate. Torchbearer schools must score in the top 20% band of students across the state in reading and math on state tests and score above the state average for Level IV on reading and math tests.
St. Elmo is an Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) and Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI). ARI emphasizes instruction which is driven by individual student needs. AMSTI provides our children with exciting hands-on, inquiry-based lessons in math and science with an emphasis on conceptual learning and math discourse. In addition, our teachers have been trained to use strategies developed by the Ongoing Assessment Project (OGAP) to formatively assess students using additive, multiplicative, and fractional reasoning. Our students also participate in the Reading Renaissance program which develops individual reading strengths through emphasizing student reading at appropriate levels.
The physical health of our children is another essential component of our educational approach. Students are provided fruit and vegetables on Tuesdays and Thursdays through a USDA Grant. Through the efforts of our cafeteria staff and the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Grant, St. Elmo was awarded with the nationally recognized Bronze Award for meeting the criteria for the Healthier US School Challenge.
An emphasis is also placed on social responsibility and philanthropic participation. Students participate in fund raisers with several non-profit organizations which include: Volunteers of America, Bay Area Food Bank, and the American Heart Association.
A holistic program focused on individual student needs, innovative instructional practices, social responsibility, character development, and an improved awareness of health provides each of our students with a learning environment where children build confidence with a vision of possibilities for the future.