In 2007, the Guilford Gators celebrated their 40th anniversary with the theme "where smiles never end."

"We have a high attendance rate, the kids love to come to school -- they are very happy. The teachers are very dedicated here, very child-centered, and those things together are an accomplishment," Principal David Stewart said.

Built in 1966, the building underwent a major renovation in 2002 and a new gym and several classrooms were added, Stewart said.

Teachers at Guilford embrace technology and encourage their students to use different media creatively. Visiting the school's Web page, one will find links to the "Guilford News Network," which is a series of student podcasts. They include interviews with the school custodian, the DARE officer and other adults from around the school. Topics range from energy to Thanksgiving.

Students have access to four computers in each classroom as well as a lab with 28 computers.

The school improvement plan from 2006-2007 indicates that 79.2 percent of students passed all SOL they took during the 2005-2006 school year. The district-wide goal for Loudoun County Public Schools was a 90 percent pass rate. The complete school improvement plan is available here.

Every Friday at 9 a.m., parents are invited to the school for a coffee hour intended to give parents the opportunity to meet and interact with one another as well as learn about events going on at the school. The school also keeps parents informed with a monthly newsletter from the principal, newsletters from the teacher and through the Web site.

Information also is posted on the sign out front and bulletins are posted in the lobby for parents to read when they pick up their kids, Stewart said.

"We post the bulletins in several languages," he said.

Most of the students at Guilford Elementary walk or their parents drive them to school, so it is an effective way to communicate, he said.

Students who are learning English as a second language learn through the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocols, or SIOP program. Stewart said the staff took part in development to help them learn Spanish so they can better communicate with those students.

"We're always trying to find new ways to reach our second language learners and maximize the school day every single minute," Stewart said.