In 1954, Joyner Elementary school opened its doors to the community for the first time. We are nestled into a neighborhood in Raleigh. Our story is a part of our community’s story. Where we once welcomed children from around our building, we now welcome children from all over Wake County through our magnet program. We have built a family through the years. We have grandchildren of former teachers. We have students whose parents were students in these same hallways. We visit our neighborhood Senior Adult Center and enjoy the stories they share of their times sending their children to Joyner.

Today, our students and staff will celebrate these 60 years as a family. We will have a family style picnic. Our 5th graders will lead the younger students in games. The classes will share the books they have written about Joyner and who we are. These last few weeks, I have enjoyed listening to classes discuss and debate how they define and capture the heart of our school in words. These books that are published are powerful documents to what our school continues to mean to the children in this building.

Here are just a few things our children have written about Joyner and why children love it:

“Joyner is a school with lots of nice teachers. The classrooms have good positive learning environments. Joyner school colors are yellow and blue and blue is my favorite color. We get lots of times to read by ourselves or with a friend. We have many students so we’re never alone.”

These books go on and on. But I believe it is the spirit of family that makes this place so special. Families have their ups and downs and can be very honest. But families also come together and care for each other. They lift each other up. They work together. As we tell our 5th graders as they prepare to move forward in life away from Joyner, they are always welcome because they are always part of the Joyner Family.

Happy 60 years Joyner Elementary School!