School Histories

Vicenza ES History

Opened: 1956
OPEN

The original Vicenza school complex was located on the Caserma Ederle near Vicenza, Italy. The complex was shared by the elementary and the high school. In 1959, the principal was Robert Gray. There were seven classes for first grade, five second grade classes, four classes for third through five grades plus a three-four combination class, and three six grades as well as specialists which included three Italian host nation teachers. Each class had approximately thirty students.

The current Vicenza Elementary School, located on the Caserma Ederle, Villaggio Housing Area, in Vicenza, Italy, provides students with many unique opportunities in the surrounding region. The base is just over 100 miles from Milan and 40 miles from Venice, two of Italy’s most famous cultural centers. This location offers a complete complement of educational, social, commercial, and recreational venues that are available for use by civilian and military personnel, as well as their dependents.

For the 1981-82 school year, the elementary staff consisted of twenty-five classroom teachers, a library specialist, reading improvement specialist, guidance counselor, art specialist, physical education specialist, two learning development specialists, and a speech therapist. The health educator/school nurse was shared with the high school. The school complex housed a developmental center consisting of two preschool handicapped specialists and a school psychologist. Two additional classrooms were needed for the 1987-88 school year for an enrollment of 730 students.

There were 575 students enrolled for the 1993-94 school year.

For the 1996-97 school year through the 1998-99 school year the administration was Dr. Robert Allen, principal, and Essie Grant, assistant principal. From ’97 to ’99 the school’s enrollment grew from just over 500 students to 635 students. A Pre-School Child Development class and Sure Start classes were added to school. Student activities included band, chorus, student council, the Geography Bee, Math Olympiads, Odyssey of the Mind, yearbook, newspaper, and clubs for Young Astronauts, computers, and nature. The school also had school spirit days.

Administrators from 1999 to 2024 were:

Students were able to participate in the same students’ activities in the new millennium and added new programs such as an annual Talent Show, Carnevale, and Celebrity Readers. During the 2003-04 school year, the school was visited by Ms. Lynne Cheney, the wife of Vice President Dick Cheney. For the 2005-06 school year, Vicenza had an annex school at Ghedi Base with two teachers serving eleven students. Students who met their reading goals were treated with Pizza with the Principal. There was an increased emphasis on technology with new Smartboards, laptops, and keyboarding programs. The school continued its Italian Immersion classes with a class at grade one through four. The school’s enrollment at the beginning of the 2000s was 625. It dropped to 570 for the 2003-04 school year and reached a high for the decade with 680 students for the 2005-06 school year.

The new school in Villaggio was opened for the 2010-11 school year and the sixth grade was moved to the middle school. The enrollment for the 2010s began with 650 students in grades PreK through 6, peaked with 900 students in grades PreK through five for the 2014-15 school year, and ended the decade with 670 students.

New programs for students included STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) and Buddy Not Bully. Guitar and steel drums were added to the music program.

The school mascot is the Cougar Cub, and the school colors are black and yellow.

The school enrollment for the 2021-22 school year for grades Sure Start through five was almost 600 students and had dropped to 550 students for the 2023-24 school year.

Information from school yearbooks, website and DoDDS school information guides