Fifty years of teaching and learning. Greenfield Elementary recently marked a huge milestone. The school celebrated its 50th anniversary with a big celebration. Current and former administrators, teachers, students, district leaders and community members came together for the event on the campus located near Greenfield and Elliot Roads.
“I look back and Greenfield, for me, was a warm and inviting place to learn, play and grow,” said Jason Martin, the assistant superintendent of Elementary Education for the district.
Martin attended the school as a student during the 80s and returned in the early 2000s as a fourth grade teacher. Built in the early 1970s, Greenfield became the second elementary school in the district. The Town of Gilbert was experiencing growth and the additional school would support the needs of new families as they moved into the community. The original location was surrounded by fields. Crop dusting planes would fly over the school’s playground.
“It shook me to my toes,” said Robert Rimer, the first principal of Greenfield Elementary.
At the anniversary celebration, Rimer joked that he used binoculars to read the phone number on the side of the plane. He called the company in charge, and the plane, shortly thereafter, stopped flying over the playground. Rimer served as principal of the school for 36 years before retiring in 2008.
“I can look out into the audience and at people that I met in the library, and it brings back a lot of memories. At my age, that’s about all that’s left is memories, so thank you very much,” Rimer said.
Over the past five decades, there have been a total of four principals at Greenfield Elementary. The current principal, Julie Oster, started working with the district this year. Colin Kelly and Mary Longnion are now principals at other GPS schools. Many teachers and support staff have also passed through Greenfield’s doors.
“Buildings are not a campus. It’s the people who occupy those classrooms. The faculty of this school has always been dedicated to providing the best possible education to the students and families they serve on this campus,” Rimer said.
In addition to the special guest speakers, the celebration included a live band, food trucks, cake, face painting, games and much more. Staff alumni also got an opportunity to take a tour inside the school building.
Today, Greenfield Elementary serves 941 PreK-6th grade families. It is considered a highly-performing school by the Arizona Department of Education, and it offers excellent academic programs and extracurricular activities for students. Greenfield Elementary students go on to attend Greenfield Junior High, which is located right across the road from the campus.
