Welcome to Garland R. Quarles Elementary School, home of the Chameleons,  a Thriving Literacy Community in a STEM School!   The school is located in downtown historic Winchester, Virginia in the heart of the beautiful Shenandoah Valley and serves children from Pre-Kindergarten through 4th grade. 

Garland R. Quarles Elementary School is infusing writing and movement with STEM!  As a STEM school, Garland R. Quarles Elementary School integrates science, technology, engineering and mathematics to foster innovative thinkers and dreamers for the 21st Century.  Through STEM, all students have opportunities to enhance creative and critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and citizenship.  Further, Garland R. Quarles Elementary School fosters engagement in writing across the curriculum coupled with daily opportunities for physical activity to grow sensational minds and healthy bodies in a thriving community.   

Garland R. Quarles Elementary School opened in 1955.  The original building consisted of 12 classrooms, and in 1958 five additional classrooms were added.  There was another addition and re-dedication on October 12, 1997.  

The school is named for Dr. Garland R. Quarles, who began his teaching career at JHHS in 1923.  In 1928 he became principal at Handley and assumed the superintendency of Winchester Public Schools in 1930.  He was the principal and superintendent until he retired in 1965.

At Garland R. Quarles Elementary School, we are delighted to partner with Shenandoah University.  A benefit of our partnership can be seen in the following videos: Camp Read-A-Lot, The Eye of the Whale, and Project-Based Learning.  Click the photos below to find out more.

         

Striving for excellence and continuous improvement is a hallmark of Winchester Public Schools.  WPS’s motto of Learning For All is a cornerstone of effective schools research.  Dr. Lawrence W. Lezotte’s Research on Correlates of Effective Schools includes:

• Instructional Leadership
• Clear and Focused Mission
• Safe and Orderly Environment
• Climate of High Expectations
• Frequent Monitoring of Student Progress
• Positive Home-School Relations
• Opportunity to Learn and Time on Task

To insure a safe and orderly environment, GQES has an effective positive behavior intervention school wide system as its discipline program called CHAMELEONS SOAR! CHAMELEONS SOAR stands for SAFE, ORGANIZED, ACCCOUNTABLE, and RESPECTFUL.   Each day of the week, we discuss how to be safe, organized, accountable, respectful as well as being kind.   Our positive behavior intervention system is built on teaching and reteaching Chameleons SOAR principles as well as recognizing students with specific praise daily.   We hold school-wide CHAMELEONS SOAR CELEBRATIONS monthly.