Campus Spotlight: San Jacinto Elementary, Where Legacy Drives Innovation

Campus Spotlight: San Jacinto Elementary, Where Legacy Drives Innovation

One of the oldest Elementary schools in San Angelo, the iconic entrance to San Jacinto Elementary is still reminiscent of its rich history and provides a legacy which shapes the campus's future. In this week’s San Angelo ISD Campus Spotlight, we invite you to walk through the years of San Jacinto Elementary and how this campus's history has propelled them into the campus they are today. 

Serving San Angelo students for over 112 year, San Jacinto Elementary is more than a staple in its neighborhood but in many ways a legacy. While staff, students and community are proud of this legacy, Principal Kimberly Spurgers and her team are looking forward toward the future to ensure students leave San Jacinto with the skills and mindset to drive them toward success. One of the ways they are doing this is by implementing after school programming and clubs students can elect to participate in to develop their individual hopes and dreams. The clubs include Advanced Academic Club, games, STEM, cooking, yoga, and little olympics. The clubs are an opportunity for students to delve into an area they are passionate about and engage in a customizable learning experience. Through the clubs, students are empowered to explore options for their futures. 

“At the core of who we are as a staff, what drives us, what makes us want to be better and do better are the most amazing kids on the planet! The students at San Jacinto are kind, eager to learn, smart, genuine, and full of gratitude,” said Principal Spurgers. “Each year the students of San Jacinto become etched on the hearts and memories of the staff of San Jacinto. As we teach them to read, solve problems and think critically, we get to watch them grow as children and develop as learners. The joy of working with the students of San Jacinto is hard to describe but is deeply understood by the staff of San Jacinto. Our students inspire us to be excellent at what we do, encourage us when the work is hard, and challenge us to be even better. We know we are part of a long legacy in this neighborhood and in our city. We look forward to the many years ahead as we continue the legacy of serving the students of San Jacinto.” 

In addition to the after school clubs, on a journey of discovery at San Jacinto, you also notice a welcoming culture that emanates from the students and staff alike, who work to honor anyone that walks through their doors. From the moment you walk through the doors, the students and staff will make every effort to ensure you feel welcome, seen and heard. The students and staff focus on building and modeling safe, respectful, and responsible behavior and acknowledges students who exemplify these characteristics on classroom “Brag Boards”. Students know the staff at San Jacinto are there to support them on their educational journey including through social emotional lessons and identifying individual student needs. 

San Jacinto Elementary is also home to three Functional Academics Classrooms which are self-contained Special Education classrooms. While these students have a variety of needs, the San Jacinto team works to grow their skills, meet their needs, and build and maintain relationships which last far beyond their time in the classroom at San Jacinto. 

Mrs. Spurgers and team express sincere gratitude to community partners who consistently support the school in a multitude of ways including Southland Baptist Church who support the campus through volunteering, helping with events such as after school clubs, sponsoring students and families during the holiday season, being lunch buddies mentor program for students, and contributing to the campus clothing closet. Mrs. Spurgers reflected on Southland Baptist’s support of San Jacinto where they assisted during a prior Fall Festival in which they donated funds in order to ensure all students and their families could attend and spend time together at school. 

We hope you enjoyed this SAISD Campus Spotlight on San Jacinto Elementary. We wish our San Jacinto Warriors, Mrs. Spurgers, and her San Jacinto team a wonderful 2021-2022 school year, and the fulfillment of, and progress toward, growing hopes and dreams!  

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