Trip Elementary School

Trip Elementary School opened its doors for the first time in August of 2008. The school’s name emanates from the rich and storied past of the Grayson community.

In 1879, Rev. James Patterson McConnell established a township in southeast Gwinnett County that came to be known as Grayson. At that time, Rev. McConnell and his wife, Susan, purchased land in an area known then as the Bay Creek District (a Georgia Militia district), located at what is now the intersection of Highway 20/ Loganville Highway and Highway 84/Grayson Parkway. A store built on the land became home to a post office on April 5, 1881, with Rev. McConnell serving as the community’s first postmaster. A local merchant suggested the name “Trip” for the post office because it was a “trip” from the county seat of Lawrenceville to the new post office. For a number of years, the community was called Trip as well, until formally incorporating as a town in 1901 and eventually taking the name of Grayson. As the Trip community grew in the early 1880s, so did the need for formal education for the children of the area. In 1881, Trip Academy was constructed to replace the Evergreen School, a small log cabin with a “stick and mud chimney” that had served as the community’s first recorded school.

The opening of Trip Academy in 1881 marked the beginning of a long history of dedication to quality education in Grayson… a dedication that was renewed in 2008 with the opening of this new school that carries the “Trip” name, Trip Elementary School. The new school opened on August 11, 2008, serving 740 students. Marci Resnick Sledge was the first principal of the school, leading the charter staff which included 86 teachers and support staff. The school held an official dedication ceremony on November 16, 2008.

In 2013, Mrs. Sledge transferred to the principal post at Pinckneyville Middle. Dr. Rukina Walker was named as the new leader of Trip Elementary.

High expectations are an integral part of the culture at Trip Elementary. The faculty and staff remain focused on the district’s mission and vision of being a system of world-class schools known for academic excellence. While Trip exemplifies all the attributes of a world-class school, its staff members consistently embrace its need for ongoing professional development in order to enhance their skills as quality-plus teachers and leaders. Trip Elementary continues to grow as a professional learning community and is passionate about providing students with the academic knowledge, skills, and character they will need to compete and excel in a global society.

That commitment shines through in the opportunities provided students. In 2014–15 Trip welcomed its first class of kindergarten students in its French Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Program. A group of 58 students began their educational careers in August, spending 50% of their day immersed in the French language for math and science and half the day in English for language arts and social studies. Trip was one of only three pilot schools for this program and the only one to offer French.

In addition to the DLI program, Trip also has focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) opportunities for students. Enrichment opportunities for students also include Rockin’ Rams Chorus, Art Club, Critter Care Club, Robotics, Jr. Beta Club, Reading Club, and Science Olympiad. Trip’s Science Olympiad team, has won numerous medals at the county level, placing in the top three, and has competed twice at the state level.

Ironically, the school that gained its title from a community named “trip” because of the long distance it took to be reached, has adopted a slogan that focuses on the idea of a journey. Trip Elementary School... Where Learning is a Lifelong Journey.