Cedar Ridge Elementary School
| Type | Elementary School |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 1978 |
| Principal | Diana Demoss |
| Address | 1100 S. Roseta Avenue |
| Phone Number | 573-214-3510 |
| Website | N/A |
| Student Capacity | 183 |
| Students Enrolled | 174 |
| Number of Teachers | N/A |
| Number of Trailers | N/A |
| Enrolled in Lunch Program | 85 |
| White Population | 111 |
| Black Population | 60 |
| Hispanic Population | 8 |
| Asian Population | 42 |
| American Indian Population | N/A |
| MAP Score Math | N/A |
| MAP Score Communication Arts | N/A |
By AMBER MURPHY
news@columbiamissourian.com
As the smallest elementary school in Columbia, Cedar Ridge Elementary School offers its students several benefits. “Because (the school) is so small, we are very community oriented,” said Diana DeMoss, the school’s principal.
One program Cedar Ridge offers that brings the community and the school together is Cardinal Coaching, which provides tutoring to students who are having trouble in school. Each week, adult volunteers from New Horizons United Methodist Church, which is just down the street, spend an hour helping students with homework assignments.
“The students really like the one-on-one guidance,” DeMoss said. “They rotate between different tutors and so sometimes get different perspectives.”
The school’s true claim to fame, however, is a program called Cedar Ridge Live. The elementary school was selected as one of 10 “showcase schools” in the country to partner with Mediacom to broadcast information through an in-house video network. Fourth and fifth-graders are given jobs such as copy editor, onscreen reporter, camera, flag and stage manager to bring news to Cedar Ridge classrooms every morning.
“The program teaches the kids responsibility,” DeMoss said. “For example, when it is their turn to do the broadcast, they have to come to school early.”
In the end, DeMoss just hopes students learn to be well-rounded.
“We look out for the best interests of kids, just like any school,” she said. “And you want them to have an education and feel safe and supported in that environment.”
