Woodward Academy - Phoenix Yearbook (College Park, GA)

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Relationships! RELATIONSHIPS 13

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I The people of W.A. share a unique sense of closeness, of belong- ing to a family composed of Wood- ward ' s administratiors, teachers, counselors, and students. In this fam- ily, relationships exist between ail sectors of the Woodward communi- ty. At the Academy, students see ad- ministrators, teachers, and counsel- ors as truly interested people, not just as persons with authority. Many of the relationships at W.A. naturally involved the students who make up the majority of the commu- nity. A unique relationship exists be- tween Woodward students and ad- ministrators because students are en- couraged to go to them with ideas and problems: administrators do not live behind closed doors out of the student ' s reach. The teacher-student relationships aie very specied also be- cause Woodwcird teachers put forth an extra effort to help the student achieve his goals. The tutorial period probably exemplifies this effort best because during this time, teachers give students one-to-one instruction, going beyond their classroom duties to help the student succeed. Another of the unique relation- ships at Woodward Academy, is the student-counselor relationship. The counselors act not only as advisors, helping students plan schedules, make college amd career choices, but are friends listening to students ' problems and trying to help them. Probably the most important as- pect of Woodward ' s many unique re- lationships is the fact that Woodward students see teachers as real peo- ple . Teachers at the Academy inter- act with students as coaches and club advisors, cis chaperones for interest- ing field trips and dorm parents for resident students. Through participa- tion, the faculty show the students that teachers do other things , too. Administrators, also, involve them- selves in all aspects of school life, giving wholehecirted support to the many eind diverse activities which contribute to the unique quality that distinguishes Woodward Academy. 12 RELATIONSHIPS

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iWOODWARDi T he Front Gate is perhaps the most recognized structure of the Academy. Over the years it has symbol- ized the stability and honor associated with the history of our institution. Interestingly, the Front Gate has not always existed in the same form it docs today. Photo- graphs in early yearbooks indicate that a simple iron fence connecting two brick pillars was the first predeces- sor of the Front Gate. The Senior Class of 1929-30 honored the Academy with the second Front Gate which closely resembles the structure of today. In 1935, the Senior Class presented the Academy with a cast eagle which had a seven foot wingspread and weighed over eight hundred pounds. The gift was a memorial to facul- ty member Sergeant A.T.Johnson who has suddenly died in October of 1934. The eagle was erected on top of the archway over the entrance to the campus, but because of the great weight of the eagle, it was neces- sary to raze the second Front Gate and construct a third gate similar in appearance to the present structure. The only real change between the 1935 edition and the current gate is that, in the late sixties, the entrance and exit ways were moved from under the arch to either side of it, and the passage way under the archway was per- manently blocked with an iron fence. - f inm Sfm tti In the late 1800 ' s, College Park, then called Manchester, was just being laid out. Citizens of the town felt the need for a strong academic program for young men; a military school seemed the best option. Some influencial townspeople located a large tract of land, bought it, and built Founder ' s Hall to house Southern Military Academy. The school operated for about three years until a se- vere small-pox epidemic caused the school to close. Founder ' s Hall remained unused for several years. Colonel John Charles Woodward was then Superintendent of Schools at Newnan, Georgia. In 1900, eight influencial citizens contacted Wood- ward about moving to College Park to re-establish a school. After considerable thought, Woodward decided to make the move. Later that year, he founded Georgia Military Academy on the first school ' s grounds. Today, Woodward Academy continues to per- petuate those principles established by its founders: opportunity for each student, a stuc- I tured, disciplined atmosphere, the pursuit of aca- I demic excellence, a regard for moral rightness and I integrity, and the love of country. 14 WOODWARD TRIVIA