The Gainesville City School System released updated guidelines for branding at Tuesday night's work session.
The branding includes the correct design and use of the classic block "G" logo with the Red Elephant emerging from the inner part of the G; varying color, font and typography, sizing, and position guidelines; the guidelines for the "Athletic Elephant" (also called the "Angry Elephant") and the "Stomp" logo; and the introduction of new logos - and upcoming name changes - for the elementary school level.
"Our elementary schools presented a unique challenge, we certainly wanted all of them to be represented, all with their charter curriculum," said Director of Marketing, Communications and Public Relations Joy Griffin. "So in order to do that, we've given them all what we call the Elementary Elephant... each school will have the same elephant but what changes within each school is what's represented on the flag and what's represented in the crest behind the elephant."
The baby elephant is cheerfully stomping in the logo, holding a pennant flag in its trunk, in front of a semi-circle and above the school's name. Each semi-circle and each flag contains elements unique to the individual school.
In the logos, Mundy Mill Learning Academy and New Holland Knowledge Academy now have names that better reflect their charter learning distinctions.
"Mundy Mill and New Holland is a little different in name than what we've known the past number of years," said Superintendent Jeremy Williams. "Both Ms. [Bertha] Shields and Dr. [Crystal] Brown at their respective schools a little over a year ago worked with their governance councils and school leadership as well to review 'what does a Knowledge Academy mean?' 'What does a Learning Academy mean?'"
Williams continued that from an identity standpoint, the schools decided to make their charter focus more specific, with Mundy Mill to become Mundy Mill Arts Academy and New Holland to become New Holland Leadership Academy.
"These brand guidelines are coming out now, so when we start to relay communication for next school year and school of choice, it will go in line with the new names," Williams said. "This is kind of kicking off what we see changing in the next year."
Also of note, the Fair Street International Academy elephant is holding a pennant featuring the tiger logo from the former E.E. Butler High School to reflect the historic connection between the two schools.
The branding guidelines were presented as an item of information to the Gainesville City School Board, who also received new business cards and updated letterhead reflecting the design refresh.
You can read the full branding plan here.
