Recognizing and Celebrating Alumni

Windsor High and Smithfield High both celebrated Homecoming during October.  The tradition has been around for decades and it originated as a way to welcome "home" the football team after several weeks of road games.  While that may not be the case anymore, it is still a time when alumni will make the trek back to their high school to see their alma mater and reconnect with their classmates and community.


Both SHS and WHS took time recently to recognize some of their alumni for outstanding accomplishments.  On Friday night, October 25, the Dukes introduced the Class of 2019-2020 Windsor High/Georgie D. Tyler High Alumni Hall of Fame.  The purpose of the award is to honor graduates from both of the Windsor schools, who have made their Alma Mater proud through career, community, military, and or/philanthropic accomplishments. 

The inductees included Carla Duck, and Mr. and Mrs. Drake.  Carla is a 1983 graduate of Windsor High School.  Carla was an employee of Isle of Wight County Public in the technology department, at Central Office, and as an ISS coordinator at WHS.  She is a member of Chapel Grove Faith Community Church. She spends much of her time serving others through meal preparation for those in need in the local community and visiting those that are house bound.  Linda and Jerry Drake are 1971 graduates of Windsor High School. Mr. Drake retired from Union Camp and Mrs. Drake currently serves as a school bus driver for Isle of Wight County Schools. They are faithful supporters of every program at Windsor High School and have served as ticket takers at WHS events for the last 25 years. The Drakes serve as the unofficial hospitality committee:  sharing a story and a smile with all members of the Dukes family on multiple nights a week.  

That same night, Smithfield High recognized members of the 1969 undefeated football team, along with members from earlier undefeated Westside High football teams.  In 1969, Isle of Wight County Schools integrated and students from the all-black Westside High moved to SHS.  There were vocal groups throughout Smithfield who worried about the impact of desegregation.  The young men who played on the football team that year rallied the community as they continued winning game after game, finishing their season a perfect 10-0.  The members of that team helped to ease concerns and brought people together as they sat with each other in the stands and rooted for the Packers. 

Both Windsor High and Smithfield High have a rich history within the county, but we must also remember the other high schools that were part of this county that live on in the names of some of our current schools--Westside High School and Georgie D. Tyler High School.  One of the things I have seen from our emphasis on deeper learning and authentic experiences has been more connections with the community.  The recent recognitions at both high schools are excellent examples of making those connections and honoring those who are forever a Duke or a Packer.

Smithfield High/Westside High Football Team

WHS Hall of Fame Honorees (photo courtesy of Stephen Cowles, Windsor Weekly)

Celebrating the Grand Opening of the Barn and Classroom Building at the Land Lab

December 5 was a memorable day. Not just because of the snow we saw in Isle of Wight County, but because we hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new barn and classroom building at the Land Lab.  I was unfortunately under the weather and on doctor's orders for bed rest.  It was incredibly difficult to not be there, but I'm extremely proud of everyone involved for putting together an outstanding event.

The ceremony took place inside of the barn, complete with stalls of goats and piglets, and even some boxes of rabbits.  The event included remarks from our School Board Chairman, Vicky Hulick, and the Vice-Chairman for the Board of Supervisors, William McCarty.  Gracie Owney, a senior from Smithfield High and a student in the Agriculture program, also spoke to the guests about what the program means to her. Mike Lombardo, our Assistant Superintendent, shared the following on my behalf:

Three years ago the division embarked on an ambitious journey to redesign the CTE program to better meet the needs of our students.  The Agriculture program has been a part of the IWCS curriculum for decades, but we knew it needed to be updated.  In the 2016-2018 school year, we established a working farm (Land Lab) to expand the existing agricultural program. The land lab was constructed on existing division property behind Windsor Elementary School.   We hired a full-time farm manager for the Land Lab.  The farm manager and agriculture teacher collaborate to provide authentic real-world learning in the areas of agricultural business management and mechanization, along with plant, animal, and soil science.  Since opening in September of 2017, the students have transformed the Land Lab from six acres of uncut grass, to four fenced pastures, a vegetable garden, and housing for chickens, rabbits, goats, and, as of yesterday, pigs. Students receive real world experiences through the Land Lab, such as participation in “farm to table” marketing from the sale of farm products to the public and to the division’s culinary arts program.  The lab has welcomed groups of elementary students as teachers introduce science standards in their classes.  The working farm has made agriculture come to life for students throughout the division.  And now we have these two beautiful buildings to further enhance learning opportunities for our students.

The strides we have made with this program, many of our CTE programs, would not have been possible without the support and involvement of several key people and groups. The Isle of Wight County School Board had the courage and foresight to see the need for a redesign our CTE program. The Board of Supervisors listened to our proposal and publicly supported our vision for our schools with 7.9 million dollar investment.  Our Farm Manager, Daniel Judkins, and Agriculture teacher, Jason Brittle, and the leadership at our two high schools, Principal Laura Sullivan from Windsor High and Zachary Haney from Smithfield High.  We emphasize the importance of collaboration with our students.  The success of our new CTE model would not have been possible without this collaboration and I wanted to acknowledge their contributions this morning.

All of the speakers, along with Jason Brittle, Daniel Judkins, Zachary Haney and Laura Sullivan, joined together to cut the blue ribbon, officially opening the barn and classroom building for use.  As guests toured the facilities, they were able to enjoy refreshments provided by the IWCS Culinary Arts students and instructor Kyle Cousins.

This was really a milestone for our CTE program.  We are redesigning our courses to provide students with authentic learning experiences.  In order to meet that goal, we have to include facilities that realistically simulate those work environments.  These new buildings at the Land Lab do just that and continue to support our vision of ensuring students are college, career and life ready.

I encourage you to click on the link below to watch a video of pictures from the event.

Building for the Future--New Facilities at SHS and WHS Prepare Students for Success

"Whatever good things we build end up building us."--Jim Rohn
I saw this quote and realized how appropriate it would be for my blog.  On October 4 we held a ribbon cutting ceremony for our new JROTC Fieldhouse at Smithfield High School.  The building will serve as the first dedicated facility specifically for the JROTC program.  The previous location for the program was cramped and supplies were stored in various areas throughout the school.  In addition, cadets were practicing formations and drills outside in a parking area, or in hallways during bad weather.  The battalion now has a beautiful facility with space for classrooms, storage and drill practice.  The new structure was made possible by the Smithfield Foods Legacy Project, a $3 million donation to Isle of Wight County Schools announced in 2017 to fund an innovative and multifaceted educational program.

In the spring of 2018, we opened a brand new facility at Windsor High School to house the Building Trades program.  The previous space did not have sufficient room to work on larger-scale projects.  The new space allows students to gain the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in careers related to building construction.

A few weeks ago, we opened a new athletic fieldhouse at Smithfield High School, near Packer Stadium.  The building is equipped with team locker rooms and a weight room.  It also has public restrooms for use during sporting events.  The facility is a welcome addition to the athletic program at SHS.

The journey to these finished projects wasn't without bumps along the way, which is not uncommon with new construction.  Delays due to weather, changes that arose during the project, and inconveniences faced by students, parents and staff have been the painful part of the process.  The end result represents a commitment to our students to provide them with opportunities, and spaces, to discover their unique gifts and talents--a dedicated space for the JROTC program, a fieldhouse for student athletes, and an up-to-date classroom for building trades.  It is exciting to see the progress we are making and to think about the benefit these facilities will have for our students.   There are still more to come with new spaces for Culinary Arts, Nursing and Manufacturing.  Stay tuned for highlights about those spaces in a future blog. Please scroll down to see pictures of the JROTC building, the Building Trades lab and the Athletic Fieldhouse.


JROTC Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Building Trades Lab

 

Athletic Fieldhouse