About GES

Overview

Gateway Elementary School is the heart of the city of Travelers Rest. In 1982, out of the need for a more modern facility that would accommodate the projected growth in the area, Gateway Elementary School was built, replacing “Travelers Rest Elementary School”. The school’s name, Gateway, originated from the city’s campaign to promote the area as “The Gateway to the Blue Ridge Mountains.” When the new facility opened, our student population was approximately 500. As the Travelers Rest community continued to grow, our student enrollment has fluctuated to its present enrollment of 728 students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Gateway’s student population is reflective of the diversity of the community. We have a varied population of children from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. The majority of our students come from a rural setting. Students are transported to school by car or on four regular education buses and two special needs buses. In addition to our on-site extended day program, several local daycare facilities transport students to aftercare facilities. Many of our students live in families parented by grandparents or other relatives, single parents, and by the traditional mother/father-parenting structure.

Currently, Gateway has 34 homeroom classes which include the following: two pre-kindergarten, five kindergarten, six first grades, six second grades, five third grades, four fourth grades, four fifth grades, and two self-contained classrooms. In addition, our students receive one period a week in each related arts class. These related Gateway Elementary School arts classes include art, music, physical education, technology lab, STEAM lab , and media center. In addition to these enrichment programs within our school, we also extend educational learning opportunities beyond our classroom walls. Gateway Elementary School houses a 33 acre nature trail and adjoining outdoor classroom which is located behind our school campus. An endangered plant, the Bunched Arrowhead, exists in this area, which is one of the few places the plant is found in North America.

Values and beliefs are the core of who we are, what we do, and how we think and feel. Values and beliefs reflect what is important to us; they describe what we think about school and how we think school should operate.

We believe…

• We believe all students and staff should be valued and treated with respect and dignity.
• We believe a safe environment is essential to the learning process.
• We believe all children and adults should be challenged to view life from different perspectives.
• We believe self-respect, discipline, and social skills should be modeled and reinforced at school.
• We believe family and community engagement in the learning process is an essential component for student success.
• We believe instruction should meet the needs of all students.
• We believe students should communicate ideas, collaborate productively, solve problems, think critically and creatively while consistently reflecting on their own thinking and learning.
• We believe that an effective learning community empowers all educators to make informed decisions and provides experiences through data driven planning to ensure the success of each student.
• We believe each member of our school community can be a successful, global citizen and 21st century lifelong learner.

Purpose

The purpose of Gateway Elementary School is to educate, prepare, and empower our students to become tomorrow’s leaders. We, as the Gateway community, will lead and educate to the best of our ability and seek opportunities for personal and professional growth in our mission for continuous improvement. Our students will become effective communicators, developing appropriate social and decision-making skills by collaborating with others.

Mission

The mission of Gateway Elementary School is to provide a diverse and individualized educational environment along with experiences that develop, guide, empower and mentor students to be confident, creative, collaborative problem solvers and responsible lifelong learners. We strive to provide our students with an atmosphere that models and teaches empathy, respect, and strategies for productive problem solving and developing a growth mindset. Our dedication to this mission will foster active, productive members of society and career ready leaders of tomorrow.

Shared Vision

The focus for our vision at Gateway Elementary School emphasizes the ability to recognize strengths within ourselves and in others. We provide meaningful experiences that empower students to analyze data, track their learning progress and utilize critical thinking and technology as tools for learning.

Character Education

Gateway Elementary School embraces a growth mindset in every aspect of our school identity. Our inspiring Character Education program uses a school-wide Ron Clark House Initiative as its foundation, and each grade level enhances this philosophy with additional grade level specific initiatives. Every staff member and student is assigned to a “House”. Each house was named to highlight a specific character trait and are assigned a specific house color. The Green House of Peace, Purple House of Perseverance, Yellow House of Integrity and Orange House of Leadership were created by our staff to encourage a sense of community across all grade levels. The guiding principles and school-wide “rules” were revised at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year to closely align to our house system. Our faculty and staff created a list of 21 essential qualities for student success. The “Gateway Essential 21” list incorporates soft skills that are needed at every stage of life. We challenge students to model these skills and embed them into home, school and community behavior. During morning announcements, quotes and examples of using a growth mindset along with “Gateway’s Essential 21” are shared with the school. Throughout the school building, decorations and encouraging quotes inspired by 7 Habits of Happy Kids, Growth Mindset, and Ron Clark Initiative are on display.