The South Shelby Elementary Community Open House was held on Thursday, September 23rd.
South Shelby Elementary Open House 2021
Welcome to South Shelby Elementary! On Monday, August 10th, 2020 numerous staff, students, and community members were a part of "Moving Day." Items from the Clarence and Shelbina Elementary buildings were simultaneously moved into the new South Shelby Elementary in a matter of hours. Patrons, students and staff could be seen working side by side to take on the massive move that took place from both sites. Students were welcomed into the new building 14 days later on August 24, 2020. Approximately 300 students in preschool through 5th grade learn and grow at South Shelby Elementary every day.
What started as a plan and a hope became a reality with the support of our communities, staff and patrons. The new elementary brings past traditions together under a new roof. We continue the age old traditions of Open House as a kick off to our school year along with special events like Track and Field Day, a Veteran’s Day assembly, and Leadership Day. Our students are greeted at the door each day and gather in the gymnasium to attend a Morning Gathering of all students and staff, which is a blend of the traditions of CAT time at Clarence and the Morning Gathering time at Shelbina.
Combining the shared resources under one roof has allowed us to create new opportunities for our students and families. One exciting addition has been the all day Preschool program. New traditions will continue to be explored and built here at South Shelby Elementary. South Shelby Elementary is a Leader In Me school that prides itself on empowering students to take ownership of their school and their learning. All staff members serve on one of six action teams to help make plans and decisions for our school. Several students serve on the Student Lighthouse Team to provide input to adults on planning and decision making, helping us gain the student perspective. The genius of the Student Lighthouse Team was used last year to plan the entire Leadership Day. Students take part in various school jobs, planning the special events mentioned above and setting goals and tracking their own progress towards achieving those goals. There are a variety of clubs for the students to join including Honor Choir, Science Club, Girls on the Run, Yearbook Club and Art Club. Shuttle buses for afterschool activities are run each evening Monday-Thursday with drop off locations in both towns.
We are blessed to have an active PTO and many community partners that contribute to our students' educational experiences regularly. Being on the same campus with all of our students PreK-12 has proven to be beneficial for all students. Teachers lose no instructional time traveling. Our middle and high school organizations are able to showcase their events with our students, and partnerships such as recycling with the high school and elementary are taking place. A+ Mentors from the high school are in our hallways and classrooms daily. Football players can be found in classrooms reading to students. National Honor Society high schoolers join students for lunch, sitting with them and engaging in conversation. FCCLA has partnered with our PAT program to create a project for STARR events. The FFA included us in FFA week with their tractor parade last year. These organizations are just a few that are investing time and experiences in our students’ lives.
We would like to take this time to extend a sincere thank you to the community and patrons for their outpouring of support throughout the process of opening the new elementary school. Thank you to the past and present Board of Education that have worked to make South Shelby Elementary possible. Thank you to the administration who has worked to listen to all patrons and carry out the dream of one united elementary. Thank you to our communities, patrons, staff and Board of Education for investing in our students and keeping students at the forefront of who we are as Cardinals. We love our communities and are so proud to partner with them to provide the best education possible for our students.
Please enjoy the following video highlighting South Shelby Elementary!
https://drive.google.com/file/...
