Nestled in a serene, woodsy landscape, the Grenada Elementary School is surrounded by thirty acres. Nature trails lead from the rear of campus to an open-air pavillion that can be used as an outdoor classroom or picnic area. The school, however, is easily accessible by a four-lane highway on the perimeter of the campus. Passage in and around the school is convenient, safe, and efficient.

A group of teachers, parents, and administrators collaborated to meet the specific needs and learning styles of the younger students, resulting in the design of the 130,000 square foot Grenada Elementary School. There are 83 classrooms, a fully carpeted play gymnasium, a modern kitchen and cafetorium, two electronic music rooms, three art rooms, a computer lab, media center, and a library. The library contains 15,400 titles including fiction, non-fiction and reference material. The library also houses professional materials, teaching units, read-a-long vhs/dvd titles, and audio visual equipment.

In addition, there is the “The Kidzeum,” the first school-based children’s museum in the US. The Kidzeum enables students first-hand experience in authentic settings of a grocery store, a bank, a kitchen, and various exhibits. It uses childrens’ natural curiosity to promote exploration of interesting subjects and materials and encourages them to pose questions, search for answers, and work out solutions. The Kidzeum has received numerous awards including: National School Board Association‘s MAGNA AWARDS, Governor’s Award for Outstanding School-Community Partnerships, American Association of School Administrators Leadership for Learning Award, and the Top Rural Program in America from Business Week Magazine. The Kidzeum has also presented at the International Symposium of Partners in Education (Houston), the National School Boards Association (Orlando), and the National Science Teachers Association (Birmingham).

The Media Center is a spacious state-of-the-art facility that accommodates every facet of student learning. Among the many resources offered is an Accelerated Reading program that accommodates over 1,200 participants who read and test on over 57,000 books selected by their teachers. There are three classroom placement options: The Computer Lab includes 25 student work-stations, one teacher station, and a Smartboard presentation system, affording specialized instruction and participation in projects that stimulate critical thinking, problem solving, and writing skills. Basic keyboarding and safe internet navigation are emphasized to integrate technology literacy within the curriculum. Internet based and classroom instructional programs are designed to meet the benchmarks of the Mississippi Curriculum Test. The Grenada District strives to educate students to achieve success in each area of study.

Single-Age is the traditional class setting where students move from one grade level to the next. Each year they are instructed by a different teacher.
**Multi-age groupings are divided into two categories: K-1 and 2-3. Reporting is on a nine-week basis with examples of student work and an accompanying progress report assessing grade-level skills. Reading is taught with literature-based thematic units complete with paperback books and manuals that have comprehension questions and language/ grammar activities. The Saxon program provides 2-year math instruction; no determination of pass or retention is made until the child has completed the program. However, assessment of grade level skills is ongoing.
**Looping allows students to advance from one grade level to the next while keeping the same teacher, eliminating adjustments at the beginning of the second year, providing stability and building a sense of community. It is a nine-week graded curriculum based on the skills of the Mississippi Department of Education’s Benchmarks.
**Parents who want to enroll their child in Multi-age or Looping must make a request at time of registration.