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Home of the Rookies

Welcome to Sarah E. Raymond School of Early Education!

1402 W. Olive St. Bloomington, IL

About Sarah Raymond

As the youngest students in District 87, Raymond Rookies have a lot to learn, but their teachers are willing to step up to the plate.
Sarah E. Raymond School of Early Education is committed to serving the educational needs of 3-5 year old students, where they learn in two programs.
The Pre-Kindergarten Program serves children who may be at-risk for academic difficulty. The Early Childhood Special Education Program provides educational and related services for children with special needs.
Students attend a half-day program Monday-Friday, either in the morning or afternoon. The morning session meets from 8:45-11:15, and the afternoon session meets from 12:45-3:15.

Students learn:

Pre-readiness skills in a research based curriculum

Structured play

Language development

Social skills

Nutrition (daily snack provided for students)

Personal hygiene

Qualifying students also receive speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. Parent involvement is a big piece of the positive culture at Raymond. Parents are encouraged to volunteer and attend workshops.
Baseball is a recurring theme for the school environment and curriculum. A baseball field in each classroom represents student behavior. If the class is safe, kind and responsible each week, their player moves around the bases, ending with a treat for reaching home base!

School Mission
The Raymond Rookie Song
Who was Sarah Raymond?

After graduating from Illinois State Normal University, Sarah E. Raymond began teaching in 1868 at a Bloomington school deemed “the old barn.” She later served as principal of that school, a second elementary (now Sheridan), and at the high school.
In 1874, she was asked to accept the position of district superintendent. She became the first female superintendent in Illinois and one of the first in the country. Raymond was an advocate for equal pay for women, racial integration, and cohesive curriculum.
In 1892, Raymond left Bloomington and moved to Boston where she married William Fitzwilliam. She died in 1918 in Chicago.
Stevensville School, built in 1888, was later renamed Raymond School in her honor. The building was replaced in 1931. For a time, the school educated students with special needs from ages 3-21, until it was converted to early childhood education in 1990.

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