Elmer Elson Elementary School, part of the Northern Gateway Public Schools, is located in Mayerthorpe, Alberta. Mayerthorpe is a modest, welcoming community which totes the title of 'Everybody’s Community'. Here at Elmer Elson, we like to think of ourselves as 'Everybody’s School'.
Our school is built on the members of our community. As a result, we are so much more than a school, we have grown like a family. Many of our staff members came to Elmer Elson to begin their teaching careers and have stayed to build their lives with us. The longevity of our staff speaks for itself. Many have worked here for over 20 years and several of our staff were here to open the doors in 1984, either as staff members or students.
In addition to being spacious, clean and well equipped, Elmer Elson offers our students a warm, welcoming and safe school environment. This provides our students with an ideal school setting to promote and encourage personal growth and academic, emotional and social development.
Our school consists of Kindergarten through Grade Six with an enrolment of approximately 285 students. Two-thirds of our students are bussed from the large agricultural areas surrounding the town of Mayerthorpe. Students are offered extra-curricular programs such as House Leagues, Students’ Council, Meal of the Month, Milk Program, Snack Shop, Choral Speech, Choir, Mini Handball, Outdoor Education and Student Leadership Groups, just to list a few.
Elmer Elson also has a strong student leadership program designed around The Leader In Me by Stephen Covey. This philosophy helps equip students with the self-confidence and skills they need to thrive in today’s global community. The goal of the program is to fill our school with students who are responsible, who show initiative, who are creative, who know how to set and meet goals, who get along with people of all backgrounds and cultures, and who can resolve conflicts and solve problems.
Even the way we conduct Parent-Teacher Conferences has evolved. Hosting the conferences prior to report cards being issued has allowed the focus to be on the child, rather than a mark on a report card. This is another example of our continued commitment to a child-focused approach.
Another unique feature of our school is the Options Program offered to Grades 4 through 6 students. Teachers, community members, and parents teach five one-hour sessions where students can learn new competencies, such as cooking, handbells, drama, digital photography, handball, cooperative games, native beading, French, Chess, Rocks and Rings, card making and Jr. Tigers Hockey are just a few examples of the skills that students have learned in our Options Program.
Our school is the central hub of activity for the children in our small community and our newly designed Elmer Elson logo beautifully represents that. The bands of colours reaching out of the logo represent our school’s connection to our community and the support that the community offers to our school in return.
Elmer Elson Elementary “Engaged learners, Ethical citizens, and Empowered youth.”