Campus
Safety
Programs
Parental/Community Involvement
Communication
Enrollment
Bolivar Elementary was built in 1962 on a
twenty-one acre tract of land on Nuckolls
Road. The
60,000 square foot building was the second of its kind in the southeast with a
thermal environment.In 1972, a new building, affectionately referred
to as the ABC Building, was constructed on the west
side of the original structure to house kindergarten and grades one and two. In 1979, eight
additional classrooms were added to the northwest wing and the Comprehensive
Development Center (CDC) was added to the southwest wing. Eight additional classrooms were built on the
north end of the ABC
Building that year. In 1999, a new wing consisting of fifteen classrooms, a
guidance office, and an administrator’s office was added to the original
building, and four classrooms were added to the north end of the
ABC Building.
In 2005, a gymnasium was added to the facilities.
The building includes nurses’ stations, a
multipurpose room, and a basketball court with six goals.
There is also a stage area located at the
north end of the basketball court.
The
gymnasium was attached to the building housing grades four and five; however,
it is easily accessible for all other grades as well.
One of
the highest priorities of Bolivar Elementary is safety for students. To attain a safe environment, all visitors
must check in at the office before entering the halls of the school. Each entrance is visible from the office
area. Also, cameras have been placed in
the halls, which can be viewed from the administrators’ offices. Outside doors are locked during the day to
assure all visitors enter through the visible entrances. Inside each classroom, there is a map of the
building indicating the exit to take during an evacuation. Fire and storm drills are practiced on a
regular basis within the classroom and school wide. Because of the number of students riding
buses, careful consideration is given to the loading and unloading of the
buses. For example, the buses are
divided into waves and are loaded intermittently. This prevents a traffic jam of students
trying to load the buses and also allows for better supervision. Walking students are not allowed to leave
campus until the first wave of buses has departed. This protects students from getting caught in
the blind spot of a bus driver. For
added safety, each car rider is issued a number that is attached to his/her
backpack. The person picking that child
up from school must have the matching number on his/her vehicle. If there is not a matching number, the
student is not allowed to leave until he/she is checked out through the office.
Only persons on the approved parent/guardian list will be allowed to sign out a
student.
Bolivar Elementary provides a variety of teaching
strategies, incentive programs, and auxiliary classes to insure each student
has an opportunity for success.
The
school is in its eleventh year as a Title I school improvement project school.
The school has also been fully accredited by
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools since 1983.
Students are
rewarded each six weeks for achieving honor roll or exemplifying good behavior
with a Principal’s Party.
For students
leaving fourth grade and maintaining honor roll status, there is an opportunity
to join the Junior Beta Club during their fifth grade year.
Students in fifth grade are also given the
opportunity to join the Science Club where they are offered afternoons of exploring
the science principles they have discussed in the classroom.
The school takes pride in being a
NASA Explorer
School, which benefits
students in all grades.
The teachers
have access to science information and NASA scientists.
The Science Fair is an annual event that
allows students to demonstrate their knowledge of the scientific process.
All students in grades 1-5 have a
minimum of 30 minutes per week to practice reading skills/objectives in the
Reading Lab. Accelerated Reading is also highly encouraged throughout the
school.
Students are rewarded within the
classroom.
The principal rewards those
with the highest number of points in each grade at the end of the year. Each
grade recognizes those students who excel in spelling with a spelling bee.
Special Education programs focus on the needs
of the exceptional child from pre-school through fifth grade.
These services include resource classes,
speech/language therapy, academically gifted, emotionally disturbed, occupational
therapy, physical therapy, and comprehensive development classes.
For those students in grades three, four, and
five needing extra help to achieve in the regular classroom, there is an after
school tutoring program.
The Agriculture
Extension Office provides 4-H Club for grades four and five. At this point,
Bolivar Elementary has not experienced drug, alcohol, or tobacco related
incidents in the school.
English as a
Second Language (
ESL) instruction
is provided in grades K-5 for English Limited Learners (ELL).
The Foster Grandparent Program is a program
for students in
kindergarten and
first grade.
Grandmothers come into the
classroom and assist the teacher with students needing individualized
instruction.
During the summer, classes
are offered to students entering
kindergarten
in the fall.
These classes are taught by
Bolivar Elementary teachers and are designed to help the student enter school
with skills to foster success.
Each
spring, Headstart pre-school students who will enter
kindergarten
in the fall visit Bolivar Elementary
kindergarten
classes.
The students, along with
parents, are given a tour through each class getting to meet each teacher and
observe kindergartners in action.
Parents are given information explaining to them what documentation they
must have to enroll their child, a school supply list and a checklist to help
parents know if their child is ready for
kindergarten.
Lunch is enjoyed by all before they leave.
Bolivar
Elementary School has
made great strides in parental/community involvement. Parents can be seen
throughout the school reading to students, helping students pick out items in
the Book Fair, manning a station at Family Fun Science Night, or just eating
lunch with their child and friends.
Some
parents have helped teachers during Field Day by providing refreshments for the
students or being an extra set of hands for the teachers.
Others come in to tutor students in reading
and math.
The parents who are unable to
give of their time during the day support the school by selling tickets for
Pancake Day, a highly anticipated event, or by providing materials for the
classrooms. The school is supported by an active parent organization (P.I.E.) which
meets the second Monday of each month.
This organization helps make plans for events that take place during the
school year.
It also serves to help keep
parents informed about things that are taking place in their child’s
education.
They plan ways to raise money
for our school.
P.I.E. helps purchase
treats for the Principal’s Parties, incentives for good test takers, supplies
for students entering Kindergarten, among other things.
The community recognizes a strong school is
needed for the city to experience economic growth.
The Hardeman County Arts Council works with
the school to provide cultural diversity.
Students are given the opportunity to participate and perform in the
plays presented.
Every year our students
participate in the following community sponsored arts shows:
Fur, Fin, and Feathers, Hardeman County Fair,
Forest Festival, and Bird Dog Museum.
The Hardeman County Regional Library is an asset to
Bolivar Elementary School.
It collaborates with the school to shelve
books listed on the Accelerated Reader list.
A weekly pre-school reading program is maintained during the school
year, and a summer reading program is provided for school aged children during
the summer months.
Two Head Start
Programs work cooperatively with Bolivar Elementary
kindergarten
teachers.
The teachers establish skills
that should be taught to make sure each student enters
kindergarten
ready to learn.
The Hardeman County
Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring Junior Achievement in our school.
Volunteers receive training and come into the
classrooms to teach students such topics as city government, city
planning/zoning, good citizenship, and business/economics.
Carl Perkins Child Abuse and
Prevention Center provides a tutoring program
called Super Friends.
Various groups may
refer participants.
In March, we
celebrate with Dr. Seuss Read Across America.
Approximately sixty community volunteers come into the school and read
in every classroom.
Farmers and
Merchants Bank gives monetary rewards for fifth grade readers based on the
points they earn in the Accelerated Reading Program. The Boys and Girls Club
provides after-school tutoring and physical education activities.
The city of
Bolivar
helps promote the physical education of
Bolivar Elementary School’s
students by sponsoring tee-ball teams, coach pitch teams, and softball/baseball
teams.
They also have four tennis
courts, three divisions of soccer, a swimming pool, and several basketball
teams.
A group of parents began a youth
football program for interested individuals.
One church sponsors Upward Basketball for youth in the county, while
some of the other churches offer after school tutoring.
The faculty and staff of
Bolivar Elementary recognize the importance communication plays inthe success of our students.
Faculty meetings, grade level meetings,
and common planningperiods are utilized for
faculty and staff to communicate with each other. During these timesconcerns are expressed,
problems are solved, and
ideas are shared. Communication betweenteachers and parents is another
vital element in helping our students succeed.
The administration furnishes daily planners for
each student in
grades 2-5. The planner has a place for students to write down assignments for each day, and allows for written communication between teachers and
parents. The monthly newsletter keeps parents abreast
of upcoming events, skills eachgrade will be covering, and the school menu. Parents also know to look
for
weekly newsletters, weekly signed papers, and
mid-six week progress reports. Many times during the school year parents will receive a flier announcing something
exciting happening at school. These
fliers are run on bright colorful
paper so as to capture the attention of students and parents. At the beginning of the year, the
parents have a
special night to come to school and meet their child’s teacher. Meet the Teacher night is instrumental for communicating
with parents what will be
happening during the school year and a time to
explain procedures. Parents in return
cancommunicate to the teacher
concerns for their child. Parent/Teacher
conferences are held four times during the school year
for teachers and parents to meet and discuss the students’ academic achievement. To keep the community
aware of the wonderful
things happening at Bolivar Elementary, announcements are
placed in the county newspaper and occasionally read on the local radio stations.
There are 945 students presently enrolled
at Bolivar Elementary.There are currently 80 students enrolled in our
Pre-Kindergarten classes and 14 students enrolled in our Pre-School
classes.Grades K-3 average 17 students per teacher while grades 4-5 average 19 students per teacher. Three
administrators, 69 teachers, 2 nurses, 30 teacher assistants, and 3
office staff members make up the faculty/staff. In addition to
regular classroom instruction, students receive thirty minutes per week
in each of the following: Art, Music, Library, Guidance, A+ Math and A+
Reading.
