by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

“Kids took breaks during the school year. During fall break they would pick cotton. They didn’t really get a break, because they kept working so hard. Thankfully we don’t have to do that now,” observed Sewanee Elementary School fifth-grader Kaisen Dietz teaching history to Sewanee Civic Association members and guests at the March 2 dinner meeting. Kaisen was among the troupe of student researchers who investigated SES’s history in conjunction with SES librarian Kathryn Bruce’s turning the school’s upcoming birthday into a learning game. With the opening of classes, this fall SES turns 100.

“The Sewanee Civic Association is the reason the little school across the street even exists,” Bruce said. “Sewanee Elementary School was built by the community for the community.” Students have spent the past two years researching the school’s history. “We want to help our students connect the past to the future. This year’s theme has been building the future. These are the students that are going to eventually be in your chairs making the decisions that benefit the community.”

Principal Allison Dietz introduced the student presenters: Suzy Camp, grade five; Bella Barnes, grade four; Kaisen Dietz, grade five; Mia Casey, grade four; and Charlotte Fischer, grade four. In addition to conducting oral history interviews, after being tutored by mentors from the Roberson Project on Race and Reconciliation, the students studied photos and University archives documents.

“We saw a letter from 1877 that showed the people of the community wanted to build a school even before the Sewanee Civic Association,” said Suzy Camp. “It cost only one dollar per year to rent the lot. This first school is the Billy Goat Hill School.”

Mia Casey cited notes from the 1922 Sewanee Civitan Club meeting, the forerunners of the SCA. “They decided they wanted to build a public school. So the town started raising money. They set a goal of $10,000. The University gave money. The French class at the University held a play that brought in $43. A fancy ball raised $74. Community members donating money raised $3,200.”

Kaisen Dietz put the 1922 finances into perspective, pointing out, “$10,000 equals $192,000 now. And that is what the town raised to get our school going.”

Suzy Camp illustrated her remarks about the school’s initial design counting the classrooms shown on the original blueprints. “One, two, three, four. These four classrooms still exist and are still in use. The auditorium, back there,” Suzy pointed to the diagram, “is now the principal’s office and the auditorium. The classrooms had mixed grades, with only four rooms and eight grades. Now we have classrooms for every grade.”

Bruce acknowledged “piecing together” information about the principals and staff by relying on “voices from the community.” Ralph Black served as the first principal, followed by Theron Myers. “We’re trying to figure out when he stopped being principal. Unfortunately, the Franklin County records only go back to 1980.”

“The school must have had a successful first year,” Bruce speculated, displaying the commencement program from 1927. The event featured a “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” operetta. “Clearly from the get go the arts were important at SES,” Bruce insisted.

She emphasized the community’s commitment to the school and how during construction, people donated labor, working after their day jobs. A citizen’s letter read, “This school stands as an enduring witness to the ability of this community to do big things when everybody lends a helping hand.”

“That’s what we’re trying to portray to our students,” Bruce stressed. She also highlighted the important connection with St. Mark & St. Paul Parish Church which helped with feeding students and providing overflow classroom space when needed.

That connection continues to this day. Bella Barnes told the SCA about a recent project with the church-sponsored Community Action Committee. “Our school collected cereal boxes for the CAC. We had a competition between classes. We set a goal for 250 boxes. We collected 536 boxes, more than double our goal.”

SES hopes to have a float celebrating the 100th anniversary in the July 4th parade. The school will host a birthday celebration on May 8 with an open house. Fourth grader Charlotte Fischer offered a preview of the plans. “The students will represent the different decades of our school and the ways the school has expanded. We will be dressed in decade attire and sharing information about that decade. Also, a mom of a kindergartener has made wooden ornaments depicting the school that will be available, and the Civic Association will have a booth to receive the donations.”

Other SES birthday-history projects Bruce initiated include a Facebook page and July 4 booth last year, to name just a few. She closed with a shout out to the SCA for their ongoing support and presented President Kiki Beavers with a giant thank you card signed by the entire SES student body, faculty, and staff. The SES-SCA partnership and SES’s projects and activities throughout the past two years shine as witness to how to build the future from the past, a future led by community minded citizens. With Bruce’s commitment and compassion as the driving force, SES is making that goal a reality.

During the business portion of the meeting, Beavers announced the slate of officers for 2026-2027: Ben Trahan, president; Sarah Edmonds, secretary; Ben Austin, treasurer; Kate Reed and Laura Sonderman, members-at-large.

The membership will vote on the slate and 2025-2026 budget at the May 4 annual membership meeting and awards ceremony. Community Service Award nominations can be made through March 13 by email at <sewaneecommunitychest@gmail.com> or by postal mail at SCA, P.O. Box 99, Sewanee, TN 37375.

The Community Chest fund drive is just $6,800 from reaching its $118,500 goal. Mail donations to SCC, P.O. Box 99, Sewanee, TN 37375 or donate online at <https://sewaneecivic.org;. This year’s budget earmarks $25,000 for the Sewanee Elementary School SPO.