History

Peeples Elementary opened its doors in August of 1998…

… in the refurbished building that originally housed Fayette County High School. During a weekend in September of that year, our parents helped us make the move to our brand new, beautiful building. Since 1998, our enrollment has increased significantly. We started the year in 1998 with 401 students, and we currently have approximately 750 students. We have a staff of 100, including administrators, teachers, secretaries, paraprofessionals, cafeteria workers, custodians, and other support personnel.

We are located in picturesque south Fayette County, Georgia, on the campus with Rising Starr Middle School and Starr’s Mill High School. Our school is named for the Peeples family who owned the land now occupied by the three schools. Peeples Elementary is home of the Rockets – where Rockets Rule! – and our school colors are blue, green, and silver. Our school's mission statement is “Rockets...We learn. We lead. We succeed.”

Our students are our number one priority. We have a variety of programs for our students, and we try to make every decision within the school based on what is “best for kids.” Meeting individual needs is a focus through our differentiation of instruction and our philosophy of inclusion, and we work hard to provide students with what they need intellectually, physically, emotionally, and behaviorally. Our students have traditionally done well on state and national assessments, and our scores are among the highest in our county. We have high expectations for our students and our students meet or exceed our expectations. Fortunately, our students come to school ready to learn, and their parents have communicated to them the value and importance of education.

Our exemplary school has an outstanding staff. The faculty and staff at Peeples Elementary are highly qualified, highly motivated, and enthusiastic professionals who seek to provide meaningful learning opportunities for their students each and every day. Most of our teachers have Master’s or Specialist’s degrees, and many teachers are qualified to teach a variety of subjects, grade levels, and/or special programs. Several teachers selected as Teacher of the Year (TOTY) at Peeples have gone on to become finalists in the county. Four of our teachers were selected as Fayette County TOTY, and other staff members have received various awards and honors over the years. Our staff members continually participate in professional learning and are committed to improving student achievement. They spend long hours planning instruction to meet the needs of all of their students, and they give 100% effort each day at school.

Parental and community support for Peeples is essential to our success. Parents are always welcome in our building, and many volunteer in the classrooms, media center, art room, and work area on a regular basis. Parents often visit their children for lunch, classroom activities, and our variety of school-wide activities, such as Open House, holiday lunch feasts, concerts, the Spring Fling and our student talent show. Our families generously support our school fundraisers and our charity fundraising efforts. Our exceptional support from the parents and the community is evident as they devote their time, effort, money, and other resources to our school and our school’s civic concerns.

Peeples Elementary is fortunate to have eager and bright students, a committed and talented staff, supportive parents, and a fine facility. The challenge is to continue to reflect, analyze, visualize and “dream” of ways to make Peeples better and better. We must continue to examine our students’ needs, our instruction, our curriculum, and our programs to ensure that all students attain their highest potential. We will accomplish this at Peeples Elementary, where “Rockets Rule” and everyone can be a leader.

School Principals

Sandra Watson:  1998 - 2006

Erin Roberson:  2006 - 2015

Buffy Blodgett:  2015 - present