Shades Cahaba Elementary School: Difference between revisions

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[[Image:Shades Cahaba School.jpg|right|thumb|275px|Shades Cahaba School in April 2009]]
[[Image:Shades Cahaba School.jpg|right|thumb|375px|Shades Cahaba School in April 2009]]
'''Shades Cahaba Elementary School''', located at 3001 [[Independence Drive]] on the intersection with [[Hollywood Boulevard]], is one of three elementary schools in [[Homewood City Schools]] serving grades kindergarten through fifth.  It was built as '''Shades Cahaba High School''' in [[1920]] and became an elementary school in [[1949]].  It primarily serves households in the eastern portion of [[Homewood]], including the neighborhoods of [[Hollywood]] and [[Rosedale]].  The school mascot is an owl and the school colors are dark green and white.  Enrollment in 2005 was approximately 500 students.  The principal is [[Sue Grogan]].
'''Shades Cahaba Elementary School''', located at 3001 [[Independence Drive]] on the southeast corner of the intersection with [[Hollywood Boulevard]], is one of three elementary schools in [[Homewood City Schools]] serving grades kindergarten through fifth.  It primarily serves households in the eastern portion of [[Homewood]], including the neighborhoods of [[Hollywood]] and [[Rosedale]].  The school mascot is an owl and the school colors are dark green and white.  Enrollment in 2016 was 578 students.  The principal is [[John Lowry]].


== History ==
== History ==
===Shades Cahaba High School===
The Shades Cahaba building originally opened as [[Shades Cahaba High School]] in [[1920]].  When the school opened, elementary school students from nearby [[Union Hill Methodist Episcopal School]] moved into a wooden, two-room building on the high school's property, just east of it.  Numerous improvements and some additions were made to the main building over the following years, which eventually allowed the 3rd through 6th grade students to be moved to the main building.  In [[1928]], the two schools were placed under the same administration and both were known by the Shades Cahaba name, although it was grades 7th through 12th that were considered the high school.
Around [[1916]], [[Will Franke]] and [[William Acton]] led a successful campaign convincing the [[Jefferson County Board of Education]] that a high school was needed south of [[Birmingham]].  With the board's permission, the [[Shades Valley School District]] was formed and the residents passed a three-mill tax in 1916 to build a new high school.  County school officials selected ten acres costing $3,000 at the intersection of [[Montgomery Highway]] and the juncture of [[Oxmoor Road|Oxmoor]] and [[Montevallo Road|Old Montevallo]] Roads as the site for the school.  Construction of the three-wing, brick building began in [[1919]] and cost $52,000.


School officials sponsored a naming contest for the school.  Although the submitter's name has been lost, the winning entry was Shades Cahaba High School.  The school, [[Jefferson County]]'s first consolidated high school, opened to 156 students on [[September 19]], [[1920]] with four grades and five teachers.  As the new high school opened, elementary school students from nearby [[Union Hill Methodist Episcopal School]] moved into a wooden, two-room building on the high school's property, just east of it.  By the late 1920s, both schools were called Shades Cahaba.
While improvements were made to the existing facility over the years, the student population topped 1,000 by the mid-forties and the citizens of Homewood began demanding a new school to handle the overcrowding.  The county school board eventually agreed.  However, they declared the new school would be named [[Shades Valley High School]] and it opened in [[1949]].  At that point, Shades Cahaba became strictly an elementary school.


The school's first principal, [[James M. Ward]], oversaw the school's growth for its first 23 years.  He was assisted by the [[Shades Cahaba School Improvement Association]], which formed in October 1920 and later became the school's Parent-Teacher Association (PTA).  Electricity was not run to the school until its second year.  In [[1922]], an unfinished, unpainted, wood-frame building was built behind the school to serve as both lunchroom and wood shop.  The first class graduated in [[1923]].  The first addition, to help relieve overcrowding, was made in the summer of [[1926]] and a second, including a new lunchroom, was made in the summer of [[1927]].  The additions also allowed the 3rd through 6th grade students to be moved to the main building.  In [[1928]], the two schools were placed under the same administration, although it was grades 7th through 12th that were considered the high school.  By [[1932]], the school had expanded to 22 teachers, plus an associate principal.
The school's mascot was a 900-pound, cast-concrete owl was perched atop the middle gable of the building, above the northern entrance facing Hollywood Boulevard.  With the school's conversion, the concrete owl was removed in 1949 for unknown reasons.  After spending several years in county storage, it was sold to a private party and wound up in a vacant lot.  After its rediscovery, it was eventually restored to its original perch in the late 1970s.


Shades Cahaba had an active sports program featuring boys' and girls' basketball teams and boys' football and baseball teams, all known as the Mountaineers, or "Mounties" for short. Shades Cahaba was the first [[Alabama]] high school to have an athletic field featuring lighting, speakers, and an electronic scoreboard. The yearbook was the ''Shades-Cahaba Owl'' and the school newspaper, known as "The Owlet," was published as part of the ''[[Shades Valley Times]]''.  The yearbook and newspaper were both named for a 900-pound, cast-concrete owl perched atop the middle gable of the building, above the northern entrance facing Hollywood Boulevard.
Shortly after the school's conversion, the county and city both provided a total of $67,000 for a new auditorium and gymnasium. In the early 1950s, when Montgomery Highway was widened, a pedestrian tunnel was built out of concern for students' safety. [[Hill Food Stores]] received $20,000 for the portion of its parking lot required for the western entry. The tunnel was used to film one of the scenes of the [[1988]] film, ''[[The Verne Miller Story]]''.


In [[1936]], because of the [[Great Depression]], [[Jefferson County Schools]] decided to close their schools early.  [[Homewood]] provided funds to keep Shades Cahaba, [[Edgewood Elementary School|Edgewood Elementary]], and [[Rosedale School]]s open nine months a year.  Shades Cahaba was the only high school in Alabama to keep its Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools accreditation throughout the Depression.
In the 1960s, Shades Cahaba was the only public school in the area offering special education classes.  In [[1970]], when Homewood finally broke away from the county school system, Shades Cahaba became one of [[Homewood City Schools]]' three elementary schools.


After the neglect of the Depression, the school was completely repaired and repainted in the 1940s.  A central heating system and fluorescent lights were also installed.  Funds for the overhaul came from both the county and Homewood with additional assistance from local civic groups.  While improvements were made to the existing facility, the student population topped 1,000 by the mid-forties and the citizens of Homewood began demanding a new school to handle the overcrowding.  The county school board, with the promise of financial assistance from Homewood and newly incorporated [[Mountain Brook]], finally agreed.  However, they declared the name of the new school would be [[Shades Valley High School]].  Many students and graduates of Shades Cahaba objected to not carrying the name of the existing school to the new one.  The [[Homewood City Council]] and several civic groups also passed resolutions requesting the name be continued, but the county refused.  Shades Valley did, however, continue the team name of the Mountaineers when it opened in 1949.  At that point, Shades Cahaba became strictly and elementary school.
Another building renovation in the early 1990's moved the main entrance from the side facing Hollywood Boulevard to what had been a back corner, facing southwest to Independence Drive at about a 45 degree angle.
 
===Shades Cahaba Elementary School===
With the school's conversion, the concrete owl was removed in 1949 for unknown reasons.  After spending several years in county storage, it was sold to a private party and wound up in a vacant lot.  After its rediscovery, it was eventually restored to its original perch in the late 1970s.
 
Shortly after the school's conversion, the county and city both provided a total of $67,000 for a new auditorium and gymnasium.  In the early 1950s, a pedestrian tunnel underneath Independence Drive was built to allow students access to the school from the west without having to cross multiple lanes of traffic.  This tunnel was used to film one of the scenes of the [[1988]] film, ''[[The Verne Miller Story]]''.
 
In the 1960s, Shades Cahaba was the only public school in the area offering special education classes.  Another building renovation in the early 1990's moved the main entrance from the side facing Hollywood Boulevard to what had been a back corner, facing southwest to Independence Drive at about a 45 degree angle.


== Principals ==
== Principals ==
===Shades Cahaba High School===
* [[R. B. Nichols]], [[1949]]–1951 (previously principal of Shades Cahaba High School)
* [[James M. Ward]], [[1920]]–[[1943]]
* [[Lelton Cobb]], 1951–c. 1965
 
* [[Margaret Vines]], c. 1965–[[1970]]
===Shades Cahaba Elementary School===
* [[Louis LeVaughn]], [[1970]]–[[1981]]
* [[Lelton Cobb]]
* [[Mike Miller]], [[1981]]–[[1989]]
* [[Margaret Vines]], c. 1965
* [[Karen DeLano]], <!-- Dr. Karen Teague DeLano, daughter of [[Wayne Teague]] --> [[1989]]–[[2000]]
* [[Louis LeVaughn]], [[1970]]&ndash;[[1981]]
* [[Sue Grogan]], [[2000]]–[[2013]]
* [[Mike Miller]], [[1981]]&ndash;?
* [[John Lowry]], [[2013]]–present
* [[Sue Grogan]], ?&ndash;present


==Accomplishments==
==Accomplishments==
*United States Department of Education "Blue Ribbon School"; [[1993]]-94.
* United States Department of Education "Blue Ribbon School", [[1993]]–[[1994|94]]
* United States Department of Education "Blue Ribbon School", [[2015]]–[[2016|16]]


== References ==
== References ==
* "[http://www.birminghamrewound.com/features/MontgHwy2(3-52).JPG Proposal to widen Montgomery Highway is being kicked around]" (March 1952) ''Birmingham News'' - via [[Birmingham Rewound]]
*{{Summe-2001}}
*{{Summe-2001}}
* Rodriguez, Ana (April 23, 2013).  "[http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2013/04/hall-kent_shades_cahaba_elemen.html Hall-Kent, Shades Cahaba elementary school principals announce retirement]." {{BN}}.
* Wright, Shawn (October 14, 2019). "[https://shadescahabahistory.com/shawn-wright-was-wrong-principals/ Shawn Wright Was Wrong! – Principals]." Shades Cahaba Oral History Project.


==External Links==
==External links==
*[http://www.homewood.k12.al.us/sces/ Shades Cahaba Elementary School]
* [http://sces.homewood.k12.al.us/?ac=1 Shades Cahaba Elementary School] website
* [https://shadescahabahistory.com/ Shades Cahaba Oral History Project]


[[Category:1920 establishments]]
[[Category:1920 buildings]]
[[Category:1920 buildings]]
[[Category:Independence Drive]]
[[Category:Independence Drive]]
[[Category:Homewood schools]]
[[Category:Homewood schools]]
[[Category:Elementary schools]]
[[Category:Elementary schools]]
[[Category:Former high schools]]
[[Category:Blue Ribbon schools]]

Latest revision as of 17:02, 21 September 2021

Shades Cahaba School in April 2009

Shades Cahaba Elementary School, located at 3001 Independence Drive on the southeast corner of the intersection with Hollywood Boulevard, is one of three elementary schools in Homewood City Schools serving grades kindergarten through fifth. It primarily serves households in the eastern portion of Homewood, including the neighborhoods of Hollywood and Rosedale. The school mascot is an owl and the school colors are dark green and white. Enrollment in 2016 was 578 students. The principal is John Lowry.

History

The Shades Cahaba building originally opened as Shades Cahaba High School in 1920. When the school opened, elementary school students from nearby Union Hill Methodist Episcopal School moved into a wooden, two-room building on the high school's property, just east of it. Numerous improvements and some additions were made to the main building over the following years, which eventually allowed the 3rd through 6th grade students to be moved to the main building. In 1928, the two schools were placed under the same administration and both were known by the Shades Cahaba name, although it was grades 7th through 12th that were considered the high school.

While improvements were made to the existing facility over the years, the student population topped 1,000 by the mid-forties and the citizens of Homewood began demanding a new school to handle the overcrowding. The county school board eventually agreed. However, they declared the new school would be named Shades Valley High School and it opened in 1949. At that point, Shades Cahaba became strictly an elementary school.

The school's mascot was a 900-pound, cast-concrete owl was perched atop the middle gable of the building, above the northern entrance facing Hollywood Boulevard. With the school's conversion, the concrete owl was removed in 1949 for unknown reasons. After spending several years in county storage, it was sold to a private party and wound up in a vacant lot. After its rediscovery, it was eventually restored to its original perch in the late 1970s.

Shortly after the school's conversion, the county and city both provided a total of $67,000 for a new auditorium and gymnasium. In the early 1950s, when Montgomery Highway was widened, a pedestrian tunnel was built out of concern for students' safety. Hill Food Stores received $20,000 for the portion of its parking lot required for the western entry. The tunnel was used to film one of the scenes of the 1988 film, The Verne Miller Story.

In the 1960s, Shades Cahaba was the only public school in the area offering special education classes. In 1970, when Homewood finally broke away from the county school system, Shades Cahaba became one of Homewood City Schools' three elementary schools.

Another building renovation in the early 1990's moved the main entrance from the side facing Hollywood Boulevard to what had been a back corner, facing southwest to Independence Drive at about a 45 degree angle.

Principals

Accomplishments

  • United States Department of Education "Blue Ribbon School", 1993–94
  • United States Department of Education "Blue Ribbon School", 2015–16

References

External links

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