Overview

  • McWillie Elementary is one of 33 elementary schools in the 桃花社区视频 Public School 桃花社区视频. It serves 桃花社区视频s in grades pre-K through 5.  It is composed of traditional Pre-Kindergarten and Montessori 3-6, 6-9 and 9-12 environments.  It is our belief that every child can learn given supportive facilitators, research-based curriculum, active parent participation, transparent communication, and 桃花社区视频 accountability.

    Mission

    The mission of McWillie Elementary School is to provide life skills and a solid academic foundation in a compassionate learning environment.

    McWillie Elementary School serves over 400 桃花社区视频s.  We are the only public Montessori school in the state of Mississippi. McWillie Elementary has been dedicated to providing a quality education to all of its 桃花社区视频s. At McWillie, the focus is on developing the "whole" child. 

    The goal of Montessori education is to encourage independence, love of learning and a positive sense of self in a prepared environment that aligns with the Mississippi College- and Career- Readiness Standards. Each child is encouraged to function independently at his/her own development rate.

    At McWillie Elementary, we recognize that every 桃花社区视频 comes to school with diverse needs and abilities. We strive to meet 桃花社区视频s where they are and instill in them a passion for life-long learning and exploration. McWillie 桃花社区视频s practice teamwork and empathy each day to prepare for a future of global citizenship.

    McWillie is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and 桃花社区视频 Commission on Elementary and Middle 桃花社区视频, the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation, and affiliated with the American Montessori Society.

    Our goal is to produce positive outcomes for our 桃花社区视频s by focusing on reading, problem solving, and creative writing along with many other disciplines. As a result, McWillie graduates embody the school's efforts to promote community, inquiry, independence, integrity, and imagination.

    McWillie Elementary is an A school in the Mississippi Department of Education Accountability Rating and a Positive Behavior Intervention System (PBIS) Model School. Our PTA is regularly recognized as being among the top performing nationally and locally.

    McWillie has 8 traditional Pre-K classrooms with certified Pre-K teachers, with enrollment based on 桃花社区视频s' geographic location. Montessori enrollment is application-based and takes place each winter. For the 2024-2025 school year, we are accepting applications for Montessori Pre-K3, Montessori Pre-K4, Montessori Kindergarten, and Montessori 1st grade. The application window is November 1- December 21 and 桃花社区视频s must be three years-old by September 1, 2021.

    History

    Built in 1955, McWillie Elementary enrolled 桃花社区视频s from north 桃花社区视频 neighborhoods, such as Broadmoor, Northmeadow, and Broadmeadow. In 1980, as the surrounding neighborhoods experienced a population shift, 桃花社区视频s transferred to nearby Boyd Elementary and the 桃花社区视频 Public School 桃花社区视频 converted the former school facility to administrative offices and a teacher resource center.
     
    An upturn in the school-aged population attending Boyd Elementary necessitated the "resurrection" of McWillie Elementary. Construction began in 2001 on an unconventional facility purposely designed to support hands-on, activity-based learning and to facilitate the transition from the home environment to the school. The new McWillie School was designed to be a welcoming, home-like environment with a high priority on natural light and aesthetic accents.
     
    This home-school concept was accomplished through the design of Learning Houses. When a 桃花社区视频 enters their "house", they are in the Family Room designed as a gathering space for group activities or for an individual 桃花社区视频 whose project may need more work space outside the classroom. Adjacent to the family rooms are the Project Kitchens, which 桃花社区视频s may use for food preparation or science experiments. Also adjacent to the family rooms are the Team Meeting Rooms, a conference/lounge space shared by the five teachers of each learning house to conduct conferences with co-workers or parents and to store team materials.
     
    From the family room and kitchen, the 桃花社区视频s move into their Classrooms designed to be large, unencumbered spaces filled with natural light, individual restrooms and sink facilities, a storage room, and several network outlets for computers. From each classroom the 桃花社区视频s and teachers may freely move outside onto the Learning Porch and Garden. The building design supports the importance of learning opportunities outdoors as well as, and as easily as indoors.
     

     

Young girl working on a fine motor skills activity
Two young 桃花社区视频s working on a phonics sorting activity