Woodbury Grammar Celebrates A Year Of Success

Each day, Woodbury Grammar School students start their morning by reciting their school mission statement:  Working to learn, Growing as citizens, Succeeding together in a safe environment.

This belief is transferred into all areas of the school.  Faculty and staff work hard each day to make sure that all students are successful.  By having a positive outlook and establishing high standards for all, it is the belief that our students will be ready for the future.  

Many changes have taken place at WGS this year. Our new principal, Mrs. Bonnie Patterson began the year by challenging our student body to come up with service projects to help our school, community, and the world.  Projects have included gathering food for Christmas baskets, writing letters to our troops, playground clean-up, landscaping the front of the school, making cards for the nursing home, and students working as peer tutors. WGS is also currently assisting Cannon County’s Relay for Life to help with cancer research. These service projects will be spotlighted in an end of the year ceremony.

Throughout the year, WGS has had numerous Family and Community Engagement activities. Activities have included breakfast with our grandparents, family reading nights, a Harvest Festival, reading night with Santa, a personal finance class, a Get Fit night to promote physical fitness, and many others!   We love having the community come to our school and provide opportunities to learn together in a fun environment.

WGS is thrilled to become involved with the P- 20 Mobilization Project in association with the Tennessee Board of Regents.  The entire staff will have the opportunity to visit the Renaissance Center where they can see the latest in technology and then will be able to pilot this technology in the classrooms. In April, two teachers will have the opportunity to attend the P-20 Faculty Mobile Showcase with Apple and three major publishers regarding mobile devices and educational applications. They will return with a wealth of “apps” for teaching and learning to share with their students. Currently, our school is having WIFI installed throughout the building.  Cameras are also being placed for added security.

We have had many student and faculty success stories this year. Our Special Olympics Flag Football placed 1st in the state tournament while the basketball team placed 3rd.  Taylor DeArmond placed 2nd in the State Tar Wars competition.  Abigail Ferrell and Mackenzie Trail placed 3rd in the Regional Science Fair, while Jessica Elmy and Charlie Karteron placed 1st.

Mrs. Pam Forrest and Mrs. Candace Abdul-Wahid were chosen as Teachers of the Year for Cannon County. Mrs. Lou Nave secured a grant that will bring a touch of vocational studies to our students; additionally, her Pre-K class will plant an orchard on the WGS campus. K-2 celebrated Dr. Seuss’s birthday by having classroom rotations with each room focusing on a different book. As the students visited each room they listened to a story and completed a project.  Mr. Todd’s classes are using iPads to study the novel White Fang and are using internet message boards for class discussion of the novel.  

Our students have currently been in a TCAP “boot camp.” Each day Mrs. Patterson encourages the students to work hard and prepare for the upcoming tests. She has promised to spend the night on the roof of the school if our scores increase. Students are highly motivated! Summer goals for WGS include data analysis to determine the needs of individual students and to ensure that all lessons are tied to the state standards.

These are just a few of the exciting things that are happening at WGS. We at Woodbury Grammar School truly believe in our mission statement: Working to learn, Growing as citizens, Succeeding together in a safe environment. Because of this, great things will continue to happen at WGS!  
      
Submitted by Bonnie Patterson, principal of WGS