Principal Thomas Webster with Drayton Mills Dalmatians!
A Great Day for the Drayton Mills Dalmatians
It's official! On Thursday, October 25 the students and staff at Drayton Mills Elementary School welcomed members of the community into their brand new facility for a celebratory dedication of the state-of-the-art building. With a flourish of confetti, a few ballons and the snip of a ribbon, Superintendent Dr. Russell Booker and Principal Thomas Webster thanked local residents and District partners for making the project a reality and pointed to a number of key distinctions that make the school unique. "Drayton Mills Elementary is the first Green Globe certified school in District 7," said Dr. Booker, "and that means we’ve taken tremendous care to be good stewards of our resources. To conserve energy, to reduce water consumption and to promote sustainable design wherever possible. There's so much about this school that's exciting. From the abundance of natural light at every turn, to the innovative and flexible learning spaces you’ll see throughout the building, this is an optimal environment for teaching and learning."
Principal Thomas Webster noted that the school's curriculum will be rooted in project-based learning and said students got a jump start on that approach in their research to select a mascot for the school. "We can thank our children," said Webster, "for all their hard work in determining what colors would be best for Drayton Mills Elementary and the type of mascot that would symbolize the spirit of our school." Webster went on to explain that the children chose a Dalmatian to be their mascot for its attributes of love and loyalty. Drayton Mills Elementary was designed by the architecture firm of McMillan Pazdan Smith and built by Harper Construction. The land where the school sits was donated to the District by Pacolet Milliken Enterprises.