Our School

The mission of Tallwood Elementary School, in cooperation with the family and community, is to prepare children to function responsibly and successfully in a changing and global society by promoting life-long learning through a variety of teaching methods based on learning styles and individual needs.

The staff of Tallwood Elementary School is committed to the highest standards of excellence in providing superior education for all of our students. We are dedicated to promoting respect for individual differences and recognizing the diverse cultural backgrounds of our students.

The purposes of Tallwood Elementary School faculty are to provide educational opportunities and to ensure that our students develop basic skills and processes necessary for continued acquisition and use of knowledge. Our changing world requires that all students possess a common body of knowledge. A challenging program will enable children to explore and express their individual creativity and realize their fullest potential to become contributing members of society. To accomplish this, it is essential that the school, students, home, and community share responsibility.

The Nathaniel Nicholas House (Tallwood) currently stands at 1676 Kempsville Road in Virginia Beach, Virginia. William Nicholas came to Kempsville in 1643. His grandson, Nathaniel Nicholas, inherited the family plantation south of Kempsville in 1746, on which he had already built the "Tallwood" house in 1740. He added 530 acres to those he had inherited, and it is said he planted one of every tree native to Virginia on his property.

The house is clapboard with both ends of brick 14 inches thick. A center hall divides two large rooms downstairs. The flooring and stairway are all original pine.

Tallwood Elementary School received its name from this house and opened its doors to students on September 5, 1989. Many, if not all, of the homes of the students at Tallwood Elementary School now stand on land that once was the "Tallwood" Plantation.