Our School

Smokey Mountain Elementary is a PreK-8 school nestled in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina.  We are located in Whittier near Sylva, Bryson City, and Cherokee.  We serve a diverse population of students, and we consider our staff, students, and school community to be family... the Tarheel family. 

We promote a school climate that is supportive, inclusive, and celebrates diversity.  Our Positive Behavior Intervention and Support program (PBIS) equips students to build sustaining relationships with one another while developing their own best self.

We believe our students are future musicians, artists, athletes, coaches, teachers, doctors, electricians, mechanics, and more.  They are individuals with unique interests who make our local and global communities better places to live! 

We offer many opportunities for students to engage and be involved including athletic teams, STEM, Battle of the Books, National Beta Club, New Century Scholars, music groups, and more

The community of parents, extended family, and community sponsors join our students throughout the school year at events such as Lunch and Learns, Fall Festival, STEM Night, Cherokee Culture Day, Indian Education Parent Committee, and Open House events.

We are building up our POT at Smokey Mountain Elementary. All parents are encouraged to join and are welcome to attend any and all meetings. This is a great way to learn more about our school and connect with other Tarheel parents.

Through the years our students have come and gone, but we have a saying that "Once a Tarheel, Always a Tarheel!"  We truly mean this with our whole hearts.