SEALING’ Leavelle McCampbell’s History with A New Mark
Since 1921, the stately academy on Canal Street has been an integral part of the fabric of the Graniteville area and our educational community.
Preserving the history of the school is of great importance to our District and Leavelle McCampbell’s students, alumni, families and the community at large. To that end, the District has developed a plan to “seal” and preserve that proud history in the move to a brand new campus for the 2017-18 school year.
Architectural designs for the new school have included spacing for a simple, yet stately, seal or crest to be installed as an inlaid stone focal point set into the flooring located at the school’s entrance. This opportunity prompted the need for the creation of Leavelle McCampbell’s first-ever school seal/crest. The new seal will be an additional mark that may be utilized to visually represent the school, though it will not replace “The Rocks” as Leavelle’s long-time mascot.
Professional designs for the new seal depict the beauty and simplicity of the original three-story brick building and include the school’s original date of establishment. The selection of the school’s new seal, however, is certainly not a decision to be made without the welcomed involvement of our students, teachers, faculty, staff, parents, alumni and community.
With that in mind, the greater Graniteville community is invited to join our students and teachers in selecting the seal for the school this Thursday, September 29, by casting their ballot in voting booths that will be located at the current Leavelle McCampbell campus on Canal Street.
Voting will be held at the school from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
Voters who are unable to attend in person may vote by “absentee ballot” through the use of a virtual link that will be available on Leavelle McCampbell’s webpage. The link will be active from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Thursday.
In preparation for Thursday’s voting event, Leavelle McCampbell’s social studies teachers have utilized the opportunity to educate their students on voting rights, the women’s suffrage movement of the early 20th Century and the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution, which allowed American women to vote for the first time in 1920. Teachers will also capitalize on the selection of a school seal by drawing attention to our nation’s election process and current events (debates and campaigns) related to the upcoming presidential election this fall.
“It really made sense for us to connect our need for community input with the personal act of voting,” Michelle Padgett, the school’s Principal commented. “We’re utilizing Thursday’s event not just for feedback, but also as an opportunity to educate our students by studying the age and historic time period in which our original campus was built, while also connecting that knowledge to current events and trends through a study of our election system and upcoming voting as we draw nearer to another presidential election this fall. “
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ACPSD Communications Department