About Our School

About Annie Purl Elementary

Annie Purl Elementary a part of the Georgetown Independent School District SYSTEM of schools, located in Georgetown, Texas-the heart of the Texas Hill Country,  celebrates a long and rich history of a positive, motivating, and all-inclusive climate and environment.  We pride ourselves in our highly diverse student body, and thriving parent and community collaboration. We are very excited to share that our campus is a Texas Education Agency Recognized School for our third year.  Annie Purl Elementary School collaborates with many of the colleges and universities in the Georgetown area as a Professional Learning Community, focusing on family partnerships, teacher training, and best-practice classrooms.

Over the years, Annie Purl Elementary School has developed a culture in which children, parents and staff are encouraged to learn about, embrace and celebrate each other and to respond sensitively to each other's needs and differences. Many parents comment on how considerate older Annie Purl and Williams’ students are to younger students in the hallways, cafeteria and playground.

The feeling of community has grown beyond the perimeters of Annie Purl Elementary School’s walls and hours. Some parents and staff members tutor children who either are having academic difficulties or show exceptional talent. Some parents mentor other parents and/or their children, giving them access to opportunities their own parents may not have had. Parents get together to share skills that may make things easier at home, work, or school. This all occurs informally, inside and outside Annie Purl’s instructional channels of family involvement.

Our school has excellent resources from our library to our classroom computers, to our incredible highly qualified staff, our very active and energetic PTA, and especially our phenomenal parents and supportive community!  Annie Purl Elementary School has the best students because of the incredible investment made by our staff, parents, community and business partners!  Our students’ successes would not happen without the incredible partnership established at Annie Purl Elementary School. 

Annie Purl Elementary School prides itself in the passion and belief that ALL children can learn and it is OUR responsibility to make it happen.  We are responsible for preparing our students for their future, not our past.  With this in mind, we collectively work hard to create an atmosphere that all students feel safe and are eager to take risks.  We are committed to taking each individual child on their own personal educational journey.  We are focused on the goal of all students not only completing public education, but preparing our students to pursue post public school education.  Data is our driving force!  Children are our passion and success for all is our mission!  We know we have been successful when children are laughing and learning simultaneously and their experiences at Annie Purl become life long guidelines and memories that create a foundation for their educational, moral, and emotional growth.  Our students are our future.  “…from these halls explode our future!”

We are very excited to partner with our sister school, Williams Elementary, for third-fifth grades.  Our students will experience a pretty seamless transition between Purl 2^nd grade and Williams 3^rd grade due to a rich tradition of collaboration and co-planning between the two campuses.  Our goal is to prepare all students for a smooth and successful transition.  In order to do this, we must consistently work and collaborate to prepare our students for this monumental transition to Williams Elementary.  We are very excited and honored to partner with Williams Elementary school and celebrate alongside them with their rich tradition of successes!

Annie Purl Elementary is the largest elementary school in the Georgetown Independent School District.   We serve approximately 500 students in pre-kindergarten through second grade. 

Students attend our sister school, Williams Elementary, for third-fifth grades.

Mission Statement

The mission of Annie Purl Elementary is to provide a quality education in all areas that enables all students to acquire the knowledge and skills to be successful, responsible, and independent citizens.

At Annie Purl Elementary, we believe that every child deserves the opportunity to learn in a positive, safe, and caring atmosphere where students, teachers, administrators, and parents work cooperatively to ensure that every child will be successful.

·         As role models and facilitators, teachers will use a variety of teaching methods to address the learning styles of all students.

·         As active learners, students will develop self-discipline, responsibility, and respect for human diversity.

·         Parents will be equal partners in the education of their children by providing supportive learning environment at home

Performance Ratings

Annie Purl Elementary was rated as Recognized by the Texas Education Agency based on our 2008 TAKS scores.   Since TAKS testing begins in the 3rd grade, Purl and Williams both share the same rating.  In 2008, on all portions of the TAKS test, Purl and Williams scored Recognized or Exemplary level scores (Reading, Math, Writing, and Science)!  We are very excited and committed to excellence for all students!  Exemplary for all students on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills is our goal and we are working very hard to prepare our students to experience success with these exams.  For more information, please view our School Report Card or TEA Accountability Report.  Our Campus Improvement Plan outlines the strategies and goals we have for improving student performance.

Attending Our School

Purl students reside in neighborhoods in central and southeast Georgetown.  For more information about enrolling in our school, please visit the Attendance Zones page or the Registration & Enrollment page on the district web site. 

New student registration is held in August, and pre-K and Kindergarten Round-up is held in May.  If you are enrolling after the start of school, you may make an appointment with the campus registrar.

Student Policies

In order to maintain a productive learning environment, students are expected to follow all school policies outlined in the Elementary Student Handbook and the GISD Student Code of Conduct.  Please review this information with your child.

Map & Directions

Purl is located at 1700 Laurel Street in Georgetown, Texas, south of downtown.

 
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Annie Lee Purl

December 13, 1877 - January 31, 1961
Annie Purl Elementary was named in honor of Miss Annie Lee Purl, a member of the first graduating class of Georgetown High School on May 21, 1892. There were three graduates in the class and she was the Valedictorian. She then went on to further her education at Southwestern University, where she graduated with honors. She began her teaching career at the age of 19. Her career in teaching spanned more than half a century. From 1901 - 1950 she taught and was the Supervising Principal in the Georgetown Grammar School. During all these years of service, she never needed a substitute.

Annie Purl was born in Georgetown on December 13, 1877. She was one of three daughters of the Williamson County Sheriff and Mrs. Henry C. Purl.

"Miss Annie" stated that: "We must find something each child can do well for his own sake. You cannot predict by any stated scale that a child will be a failure. Some children simply need time to grow. We must find where each child needs help and nurture that child."

In 1902 "Miss Annie" helped to start a "Mothers’ Club", for the purpose of petitioning the city to prohibit the driving of cattle across the school grounds, to start a school library, and to purchase supplementary readers for students. In 1924, when the Parent Teacher Association was formed with similar goals and principles, the Mother’s Club affiliated itself with the Texas Branch and became the local Parent Teacher Association.

In 1947 a Magnolia tree was planted on the Grammar school grounds in recognition of her 47 years of love and service. In 1948, the Grammar school was named Annie Purl Elementary School. In 1949, her portrait was hung in the room where she had taught for so many years. In 1950, she retired only to start her own private Kindergarten and First Grade. She taught until she passed away on January 31, 1961.

In 1947, after she had been honored by the town and the faculty, she placed an article in the Williamson County Sun thanking her friends and co-workers for the tribute. This poem was part of the article:

The air blows sweet with grass new-mown,
And the children bend to their task;
Hearts to open and minds to lead -
What more could a teacher ask?
The room is large, and the light is good,
And there’s chalk dust over the floor;
But future citizens come and go
Each day through my open door;
There’s a glimpse from our Magnolia tree,
And a glint of the sprinkler that’s blue -
Oh, Maker of money and Lover of Ease,
I wouldn’t exchange with you.
There are piles of papers to check tonight,
There are problems to numb the brain.
But what is defeat when each shining dawn
Brings the will to begin again?
Our flag floats high from the school yard pole,
And - maybe I’m a fool
But of all the positions the world could give
I’m glad that I’m teaching school.

Annie Purl, Grammar School Supervising Principal and Teacher