Our School

Discovering Through Nature The Enchantment of Learning... 

Munford Elementary School is nestled in the Talladega National Forest at the foot of Cheaha Mountain, Alabama's highest point.  Approximately 680 students attend Kindergarten through fifth grade in a one-of-a-kind facility which opened in August of 2001.  "Smokey Bear Welcomes You", proclaims the Forestry Service's famous furry icon on the sign at the entrance of the school. 

The building depicts and promotes aspects of the great outdoors in every nook and cranny.  Children enter the building through a realistic looking cave, complete with stalactites.  A stone path runs the length of the entrance hallway, while natural looking trees "grow" from the walls.  The trees are scientifically accurate enough so that children can learn to identify the trees. "The Enchanted Forest" wing for Kindergarten and first grade students focuses on plants and trees.  Second and third graders learn about animals and wildlife in the wing called "Where the Wild Things Are", and water issues become clear to fourth and fifth grade students in "The Main Stream" hallway.

Each of these wings features exhibits that continue the school's overall theme:  "Discovering Through Nature The Enchantment of Learning." In the cafeteria, students step into a complete nature scene where they are surrounded by murals that depict local landscapes. Students also gaze at native fish swimming in a 250-gallon aquarium. 

Many of the students will eventually work and own land in the Talladega County area, and it is important to teach them how to manage land responsibly. Munford Elementary wants to produce students who understand the complex interaction of the environment and the need to keep it clean and healthy, while at the same time using products responsibly. We hope to help students understand the value of the forest as a natural resource - that natural resources, our health, and environmental health are interrelated. 

Munford Elementary is a model school where teachers truly care about the students and want what is best for them emotionally, socially, and academically.