H. D. Staples Elementary School is the oldest school in Joshua. The campus was once the site of Willie Denton College, the second school in Joshua. In the 1890s Dr. John Ball donated 2 acres of land on which to build a school and Mr. Denton agreed to provide lumber and materials. Out of appreciation, the school was named for his wife, Willie. According to the Joshua Area Chamber of Commerce website (www.joshuachamber.org), Willie Denton College was founded in 1899. Students would come from across the state to receive their education in Joshua. In 1909 Willie Denton College gave the land over to the Joshua Independent School District. It is intriguing to know that 108 years ago students were arriving at our location to attend school.
Joshua ISD has a long and proud history and Staples Elementary loves carrying on the Owl Pride tradition. Staples Elementary is a conglomeration of school buildings for various age groups crafted together into a unique campus. For example, the 400 hall once housed Joshua High School and our playground, Owl's Meadow, once hosted rival football teams for Friday night games. The old timers say school would let out at noon on the day of home games so that students could go to Owl's Meadow and pick stickers off the field. Before this, coaches had a hard time finding anyone who wanted to carry the ball for fear of being tackled in the stickers.
H. D. Staples is named for H. D. "Doc" Staples, longtime principal of Joshua Elementary. Doc Staples was honored in 2006 with an honorary doctorate by former students. The ceremony took place in the cafeteria of Staples Elementary with a number of his students in attendance. Prior to his death in 2008, Doc had fun visiting campus for special occasions. His last visit was to view the science fair and the new stage in the cafeteria.
Staples is a TEA Recognized campus and has never failed to make Adequate Yearly Progress under the federal No Child Left Behind guidelines. Despite the outstanding academics Staples cares about the whole child. The mind, the character, the arts, the body, and the soul are all important. The faculty, staff, students, parents, and community members of Staples Elementary make it a warm, inviting place where students find it truly is a great place to learn. We are a dedicated group of educators who strive to never forget that children are our business, our greatest asset, and our greatest responsibility. We seek out the best and brightest young teachers who complement the experience and sagacity of our seasoned staff to yield the best faculty for which any student or parent could wish.
You are invited to visit Staples Elementary where the smiles are genuine, the hugs are warm, the tea is sweet, and all of us are excited about learning. Come join us as we instill Owl Pride: Exemplary Success through Commended Performance in the next generation.