William S. James Elementary is the center of a dynamic, growing community of Box Hill North, in Abindon, Maryland. We thrive on the strength of the growing diversity of our community, which unites families from a variety of backgrounds and ethnicities. This year, the school will continue to embark on further understanding and appreciating different cultures of diversity, through our cultural arts assemblies. In 2005, our Destination Imagination (Improving Along) team won in the Regional and State competitions. In May, 2005 the team went on to compete in the Global DI competition, which was held in Tennessee. The team placed twenty fourth out of thirty six teams!

Our School Improvement Plan continues to target student achievement and closing the gap that we've identified. Professional Learning Communities or PLCs have been established in order for teachers to learn and grow in our commitment to increase achievement for all students.

The school's mascot is the jaguar. It characterizes the strength, persistence, and adaptability that our students and staff bring to school. Our motto is "We learn and grow together." The students and staff at William S. James Elementary live up to this statement every day.