DAPHNE — Daphne Elementary School officials hope to collect memorabilia from the community in order to preserve the school’s history, Assistant Principal Pam Jones said Monday.

“We want to build the history of our school so our students will be able to see the long history we’ve had,” Jones said.

Renovations and additions to the school that are underway — including a new cafeteria and gymnasium, as well as central heating, air conditioning and double-paned windows for older classrooms — inspired the quest to delve into the past, Jones said.

The school, built in 1939, actually began as Daphne’s high school; it later served as Daphne Junior High School, Jones said.

From there until the mid-’70s, the school served first-graders through ninth-graders, according to Jones.

Later that decade, the schools split into Daphne Elementary and Daphne Intermediate, Jones said.

Then, the school held first- through fifth-grades.

Within the last 10 years, it changed to its current status, housing kindergarten through third-grade students.

Currently, pictures, yearbooks and an old clock from the original building makes up the collection, Jones said.

“If someone has an old basketball that we could put under glass, or an old textbook, that would be great,” Jones said.

Collecting began at the beginning of the school year and is ongoing, according to Jones.

Jones said she is looking to having a room dedicated to the collection

“Any pictures that people might have of any activities, or classmates would help,” Jones said.

Jones is looking into storing and archiving the items and putting them under glass, she said.

For more information, call Pam Jones at 626-2424.