Big Canoe Loves Tate Elementary School
Exterior of Tate Elementary School
Local school systems are an important factor when choosing where to purchase a home. I have a strong education background and worked for Gwinnett County Public Schools for almost 10 years prior to starting IBA Mountain Homes here in the Big Canoe Community. When we moved to Big Canoe about 5 years ago the kids were only 2 and 3 years old so we had some time to choose where they would go to to school. Big Canoe is in two different counties, Pickens and Dawson. If you live in Dawson County you may choose between Pickens or Dawson Schools. If you are in Pickens, you may only attend Pickens schools. After consulting with several public school parents in Big Canoe the general consensus was Pickens. So off we went to Tate Elementary School, and what a wonderful choice we made!
Leading this school is our Principal, Dr. Deb Longshore. The thing that impresses me most about Dr. Longshore is that she knows every child that attends Tate ES, and more often than not she greets parents and children during the morning drop-off. Deb Longshore’s professional career includes 20+ years of teaching experience as a regular education teacher and as a gifted program teacher. She served as assistant principal at Tate before being named principal in January 2005. Leveraging her education and experience, Dr. Longshore has specialized in collaborating with the faculty and staff of Tate to implement organizational change and to maximize learning opportunities for every student. She holds both a Bachelor of Science and Master’s degree in early childhood education from North Georgia College, a Specialist’s degree in early childhood education from Georgia College, and a Doctoral degree from the University of Georgia in educational leadership.
Tate Elementary School est. 1915 was constructed from the local marble that put Pickens County, Georgia on the map. It is currently the only operational public school constructed of marble. The same marble was used for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. With only 325 students and class sizes ranging from 13-26 students I felt a million miles away from the metro schools. Over 70% of the staff hold advanced degrees in education. A strong sense of community involvement through organized events such as the Tate Fall Festival brings families together in a safe and friendly environment.
As a parent, I want my children to be well-educated, but I also want them to learn the value and importance of being part of a community. Last week, I was walking down the halls of the school with my son, and many of the teachers and children called out to say hello. I didn’t know all their names, but my son did, and he waved back and said hello. It dawned on me that I was feeling a little nostalgic. The wood floors have been polished from the feet of generations of children. There are no mobile classrooms. Teachers know the children and the parents by name and many of those same teachers attended Tate Elementary School when they were youngsters.
Tate Elementary School has positively affected all my senses from the impressive structure that makes you stand up straight with pride upon entering, to the wafting potpourri of glue, paint, sharpened pencils, and the crumbly stuff the janitors throw down when someone gets sick. The school resounds with educational productivity to the point where I think you can even hear brain cells dividing. Many large windows not only let in the light but also open the minds of children that just need a few moments to take what I like to call a mental vacation to expand their creativity. In my final words I can honestly say I am very proud of where my children go to school and highly suggest it to all my clients.
See the brochure for Tate Elementary below (in PDF):
Page 1 of Tate Elementary Brochure
Page 2 of Tate Elementary Brochure
March 19th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
With all the bad press that public schools are getting today, it’s good to hear something positive. Way to go Tate. Matt
March 19th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
TES Rocks!!!
March 19th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
I absolutely agree with Karin. Tate makes me feel like I’m back in my old school. Keep up the good work Tate.
March 19th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
Karin…AWESOME article! How thankful we are to be part of the Tate “family” this year! After three years of private school, we are FINALLY in the right place! We have been incredibly impressed with every aspect of the school and absolutely LOVE how our sweet daughter is known by name by most of the staff! And what a loving and kind staff they are! As a previous 1st and 3rd grade teacher, my heart is so very happy and extremely appreciative that my children will get their elementary education experience at Tate Elementary School!
March 19th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
What can you say but Tate is great
March 19th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Angie,
Thank you so much for the kind words! I also love this school and look forward to my children having fond/nostalgic memories of it. I love my old ES in Park Ridge, NJ and it has hardly changed a bit to this day. Finding Tate ES was a true miracle for me! I’m so happy you guys are there too!
~Karin
March 19th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
I love Tate Elementary. My husband and I moved to Pickens county two years ago from Forsyth county. I was nervous about sending my then 4 year old daughter to Forsyth County schools, they are very large and over crowded. I dont want my kids to be just a number.
Tate Elementary’s principal Dr. Lonshore is AMAZING. From the first week of school she has known my daughters name, she even gets out and does the carpool line with the Asst. Principal and other teachers!
I love my daughters Kindergarten teacher as well, she has been at the school for 10 + years and is the best!!! We are sooo pleased with everything about the school.
All of the staff is extremely loving and gets to know your child from the office staff, to the librarians to the kitchen staff. It is definitly like a home away from home.
Thank you to all of the Tate Elementary staff!!!!
March 19th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Thanks Brenden,
It truly is a very cool school. Wish I went there as a kid!
March 19th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
We visited several schools and there was no question that our children were going to Tate Elementary. The student teacher ratios are incredible (2 teacher/ 13 students in our son’s class) It is so nice to be greeted by Dr. Longshore and the staff each time we enter the school. Oh yeah – I even got to have lunch with my son in the school cafeteria today. It means so much to the children for the parents to be able to have lunch with their child during the school day. Thank you TES!!!
March 19th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
We are SO happy to be there also! And I sure love catching up with you and other friends in the parking lot! You know you are at the right school when your child is incredibly happy and begs to go to school even when she is sick! There are not any more bad mornings for us like we had in previous years! Kenedy is so excited to get to school! Dr. Deb has been incredibly approachable and I feel so free to call her whenever I have a question or concern! So not only is Kenedy happy, but so are we:)
March 19th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Chip…Ryan and I love going to lunch with Kenedy too! Don’t you think they make the best Sweet Tea around? I was pretty impressed that they make it for the staff and parents! And I also love how they are incorporating whole grains into their menu. Tomorrow is pizza with WHEAT crust! Pretty impressive!
March 19th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Sending your first child off to kindergarten is difficult for every family. I cannot imagine a place more loving and supportive for my daughter than Tate. It truly is an extension of our family and she cannot wait to get to school every day. To see the excitement in her eyes when she tells me about all the new things she is learning is priceless. She adores her teacher, her classmates and all of the wonderful staff. We could not ask for a better environment for our children and feel blessed to be part of the Tate ES family.
March 19th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
@Chip- I know what a health nut you and Tina are so I’m impressed that you wrote about the lunch at TES. I really liked it every time I ate there. They (TES) need to do a workshop for the caf-staff in Northern NJ!
@Angie-I look at Kenedy now and see her as a very confident and happy girly-Girl! Maddie really looks up to her and thinks she’s cool!
@Alicia-Thanks for the kind words. Kindergarten can be such a make or break year. The TES teachers really make the kids feel like family!
@Lynne-Megan is sooo in the ZONE at Tate. Every time I see her there she is smiling and busy!
March 20th, 2009 at 8:10 am
This is Max’s 4th year at Tate, and he has had a great elementary school experience ever year. He has always liked school (at least the social part!). He has had great teachers every year, and that is saying somethin.! The teachers truly CARE about their students, and take the time to make sure the parent-student-teacher link is strong. Not just the teachers, but all the staff, from Dr. Longshore and Ms. Chastain to Nurse Donna to the Media Center to the office staff. I communicate weekly with Max’s teachers and lots of staff at the school, and everyone is open and wants communication with parents. I always feel welcome at Tate, and that my suggestions are considered. The school has a strong PTO which raises thousands of dollars each year that are put back into student programs. I recommend getting involved with PTO as it is a great way to have a positive impact on the school and your child’s education. If you can, it is also great to work at the school with your child’s class and teacher, as this is a great way to get to know your child’s teacher better, your child’s friends, and what is really going on with them at school. I have found that all teachers welcome this help! I also like it that several Big Canoe friends are teachers at Tate.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:06 am
Our son Holden started Tate Elementary in 2nd grade, he is now in the 5th and getting ready to move on Middle School. I’ve thought a lot this year about how we will miss Tate. I do like the fact that Holden has gone to a smaller school and just about everyone know everyone, kinda like a family. In all of the years, Holden’s teachers have been great. All of the teachers have been responsive to my e:mails and calls in trying to keep up with Holden and make sure he is accepting his responsibilities. None of them made me feel like I was a bother. I appreciate the staff and all of their efforts in providing a safe and educational enviroment for Holden to learn. I know that Holden will have fond memories of Tate Elementary all of his life. Tate is Great!
March 20th, 2009 at 10:55 am
We moved here 2 1/2 years ago from East Cobb, and I have to admit I was very concerned about the schools. We couldn’t be happier with TES! My children have flourished here. It is so nice to really know how everyone there cares for my children. Moving here and having the kids at TES has been one of the best decisions we have ever made. Thank you TES! I’m sad that we are moving on to Middle school this year (although I must say that PCMS is also excellent), but we will be back in a couple of years!
March 20th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Hi Karin,
Kudos to you for highlighting our school in your blog! Thanks for your
wonderful words of support and praise for all of us (students, parents, mentors/tutors, and staff) who work so hard to make TES the warm, nurturing place of learning that it is.
Take care,
Deb
March 21st, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Such warm stories of the elementary school and parents that could not be prouder. Our concern continues to be the middle and high schools. Whether through the local paper or other parents we have met playing golf and tennis, there seems to be a big dropoff after elementary school.
With continued budget cuts in the school system, we are concerned before we start our summer house hunting. Student teacher ratios are much higher at the public elementary school than someone stated in the blog comments (at least according to the school board) and I am told they are going up, too. We may sacrifice to a smaller home in order to afford at least a private high school.
To the other parents, what are your thoughts as to the high school education (middle school is a concern too)? Good colleges are so competitive to get into and I can’t ignore that fact. I understand that the private school outside the gates of Big Canoe is planning an expansion to the 12th grade.
I know the author of the blog sends her children to the public schools, but do any parents from the private school read this blog? Thank you in advance!!!
I also heard that Big Canoe stopped adding flouride to the water and didn’t telling the residents for almost a year (we subscribe to the paper)…that is a big concern especially since the water company didn’t at least feel a moral obligation to notify the users (I know the number of families with small children are dwarfed by the elderly population so maybe that is the reason?)
Keep up the blogging…
March 21st, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Carmella,
Regarding the water fluoridation, I’ve probably read the same stories in the Smoke Signals as you have – http://bigcanoenews.com/content/view/1699/27/. I don’t think anyone other than Big Canoe Water officials know the reason for stopping the treatment, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they re-added it. There seems to be a fair amount of pressure from the Big Canoe public to have it put back in place.
March 21st, 2009 at 11:26 pm
@ Stacy, Trish, and Levada- Happy children in a nourishing environment will grow beautiful minds and memories.
@Deb, I wish I could have mentioned every single teacher, staff member and volunteer at TES in this post. They have all made such a difference in our transition to the mountains.
@Carmella, You sound like a great mom! I am finding more and more young families are moving in this direction. Perhaps it’s for the same reason we did; more elbow room and a small town environment. There is a break-up of home schoolers, private schoolers, and public schoolers in Big Canoe. The kids and the parents all mix and mingle pretty nicely at soccer, the pool, and the local events. I’ve been happy so far with the public schools, but I understand your concerns regarding middle and high school. My rule of thumb is to always keep an open mind and have a “plan B”. As a Mom, I have personally learned never to say never. We plan to go to PCMS and PCHS but if we find that it’s not a good fit we will investigate other options.
-Karin
March 22nd, 2009 at 11:18 am
Carmella – Sorry for the confusion on the student teacher ratios. We were stating the actual student teacher ratio for our sons class, which is 2 teachers/13 students for his Kindergarten class.
Thanks,
Chip
March 22nd, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Your school sounds excellent. Great article and nice website.
March 24th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
I love TES. I attended Tate as a child and am very proud that my son is able to go there as well. I have many fond memories of my time there. The staff and teachers are extremely nice and caring.
April 1st, 2009 at 11:13 pm
@ Corinne, Hope you guys can come visit someday and see this area in person.
@Addie-That must ba an amazing feeling to see 2 generations go through Tate, especially in such a transient world. I have met more familes that have been here as long as the marble, and that sense of stability impresses me!