Rock Springs Elementary School

Rock Springs Elementary School is located in the Historic Rock Springs area on Rock Springs Road. During the year 1820, Mr. John Meed purchased 250 acres of property in the Rock Springs area for $18. In 1836, 202 acres of the Rock Springs farm land was traded to Mr. John Elijah Teague for his horse. During the Civil War in 1866, area residents formed a Methodist Church. They called it “Rock Springs United Methodist Church” because of a spring that flows through the property to Ivy Creek, and the word “rock” because of the numerous references to rock in the Bible as a firm foundation. As a result of the church’s presence in the community, the area became known as Rock Springs. Rock Springs was chosen for the school name to keep with the history and heritage of the community.

Rock Springs Elementary School opened August 16, 1999. This opening also coincided with the opening of The Mall of Georgia. The school was built to relieve overcrowding at Walnut Grove Elementary. The school’s official dedication ceremony took place February 6, 2000, and featured a teacher whose great-grandfather had built the original Rock Springs Methodist Church.

During its charter year, students chose the Raptors as the school mascot, and they chose Royal Blue, Kelly Green, and White as the school colors. (Those were later changed to align with the colors and mascot of the Collins Hill Cluster.) Within three years of opening, enrollment had grown and the school had 11 portable classrooms. An addition to the school was added in 2005. The addition included a twostory addition, a renovated and enlarged media center, and an enlarged cafeteria.

Rock Springs Elementary has a longstanding tradition of excellence in academics and service to its community. Rock Springs is proud of its high achievement tradition and its focus on building strong partnerships with parents and community businesses. The school has enjoyed strong support from an active and involved PTA. An emphasis on leadership, wellness, and service have rounded out the school’s academic success. Rock Springs Elementary students and staff have achieved many honors through the years such as: School of Excellence; Governor’s Office of Student Achievement Award for Highest Percentage Meeting and Exceeding Standards; An Accredited School honored by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement; Multiple time winner of Green and Healthy Schools Achievement Award; Multiple time winner of All Star Team Award for Relay for Life for raising over $10,000; Multiple time winner of Mosaic Projects through PTA; two Gwinnett County Teacher of the Year honorees (2003 and 2017); 2015 School Bell Award winner from Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals/Georgia Association of Educational Leaders; STEM Partner with The Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center; 2015 Governor’s Innovative Practice in Education Teacher Winner; and a finalist for Georgia Teacher of the Year.

Rock Springs Elementary continues to maintain a focus on excellence in teaching and learning. The school values the strong relationships and sense of community that have been cultivated among the staff and parents within the Collins Hill Cluster. The staff at Rock Springs Elementary is committed to challenging all students to reach their full potential. Collaboration and communication among the staff, and strong parent partnerships, is at the heart of success for the students at Rock Springs Elementary School. We are committed to moving our educational legacy forward and supporting our students in our collaborative mission of pursuing excellence in academic knowledge, skills, and behavior for each student.