Paragon Mills Elementary School is a diverse school in more ways than one. Many of the school’s 606 students in pre-kindergarten through fourth grade are bilingual, and families speak more than 20 different languages, bringing a rich diversity of cultural experiences to the school community. 
Social and emotional learning (SEL) and wraparound supports are an important part of the school day at Paragon Mills. It is one of only two schools in the district to have an SEL teacher on site. SEL classes are included in the related arts rotation, so students can practice skills like making friends, regulating their emotions and dealing with conflict as well as mindfulness techniques that will serve students well beyond elementary school.
Students have interesting learning experiences that foster a lifelong love of learning available to them, including tech-forward coding classes in grades K to 4, a Southern Word residency program for fourth-graders, and Disney’s theater production program, which is preparing third- and fourth-grade students for producing and acting in Disney’s “The Lion King” at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center later this spring.
The teachers and staff are committed to Every Student Known in many ways, including:
- Using the Sown to Grow program to check in with students.
- Weekly meetings with the school’s student support team to review individual student attendance, behavior, academic and social-emotional (SEL) information and identify additional resources to share with students and their families .
- Students use data notebooks to track their progress toward academic and SEL goals and bi-weekly meetings with their teachers to discuss their progress .
“I am honored to serve as the very proud principal of PMES,” says Executive Principal Shawnna Peirce. “I am committed to maintaining a positive school climate, implementing structures and process for collaboration and growth, and ensuring transparent communication by encouraging dialogue and input from all stakeholders. I promise to build and foster a culture of shared leadership and will relentlessly strive to monitor and adjust school programs to always meet the needs of our scholars.”
Facts about Paragon Mills
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Paragon Mills is a Communities In Schools location, which links students and families to more enrichment opportunities and other community resources.
- Through the YWCA, Paragon Mills has a small group of boys participating in the AMEND curriculum and a small group of girls participating in the Girls Inc. curriculum.
- The school celebrates and honors diversity with the annual Heritage Festival, where the community is invited to share their culture and its history with each other.
- Paragon Mills’ mascot is the Panther, and the school colors are red and navy.
- The school’s mission statement is “Together we grow and support each other to become communicators, problem-solvers and life-long learners.”
- The school’s vision is “Pursuing our dreams to change our world!”
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