Valwood School

Valwood School is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory segregation academy located four miles (6.4 km) outside of Valdosta, Georgia, United States. It offers programs from pre-kindergarten through high school. There were 511 students enrolled in the 2015–2016 school year.[1]

Valwood School
Address
4380 Old U.S. Highway 41

Hahira
,
Georgia
31632
Coordinates30.896°N 83.326°W / 30.896; -83.326
Information
Motto"Academics, Character, Service"
Established1969
HeadmasterJohn Davis
Enrollment511[1]
Campus size45 acres (18 ha)
Color(s)Orange and blue   
Athletics conference3-AAA
MascotValiant
Websitewww.valwood.org

History

Valwood School was founded by local white people in response to the federally mandated racial desegregation of public schools.[2][3][4] Valwood's first classes were inaugurated in September 1969, in the old Central Elementary School building in Valdosta. Classes were offered to white students for grades 1-10, with kindergarten and eleventh grade programs being added in 1970. The first full graduation exercise was held in June, 1972, and the school moved to Gornto Road in the fall of that year. A preschool program was added in 1982. Various improvements to the physical plant were completed over the years, including a gymnasium/cafeteria complex in 1973 and an athletic field in 1989. In 2000 the school received a gift of 45 acres (18 ha) of pecan grove from the Howard Dasher Company as a relocation site. The school opened its new campus at the location, two miles (3 km) north of Valdosta on Old US Hwy 41, on August 26, 2002.[5]

Accreditation and memberships
  • The National Association of Independent Schools
  • The Southern Association of Independent Schools
  • The National Association for College Admission Counseling
  • The Southern Association for College Admission Counseling
  • The Georgia Independent School Association
  • Quality by the Georgia Accrediting Commission Member

Libraries

The students and faculty at Valwood are served by two libraries. The Corker Giles Library, which is located in the Crane Hall administration building serves the school's Middle and Upper School students in a variety of capacities: as a library, a classroom, a meeting space, and a computer lab, With over forty state of the art computers as well as the latest in presentation equipment, the Corker Giles Library serves as the educational hub of our Middle and Upper School divisions. College recruiters and guest speakers use the Corker Giles library when visiting the school, and guest authors use Skype to share their books with the students.Corker Giles library underwent a massive reconfiguration under the guidance of Dr. Darren Pascavage, who had a vision of a Learning Commons for the school.

The Turner Library, located in Foy Anderson Hall, serves the school's Lower School population, which encompasses Pre-K through Fifth grade. This small, quaint space is loved by students of all ages because of its themed decor,which is changed each year by the librarian. Comfy cushions, a Reading Depot for the students, STEM activities, and a wonderful collection of fiction and non-fiction books make Turner Library a favorite place for the students to hang out.Library curriculum includes GALILEO research, Keyboarding, Google apps as well as themed based literature units.The Lower School students participate in the Georgia Book Award program each year, as well as an activity filled Read Across America Week each March. Turner Library is also used as a meeting space for groups such as Odyssey of the Mind, as well as individual tutoring.

Athletics

Valwood is a member of the Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) and currently competes in region 3-AAA.[6]

The Valiants football team were the GISA Class A Champions in 1985, 1986, 1999, GISA Class AA Champions in 2012, and GISA Class AAA Champions in 2015 and 2017. The men's tennis team has won four GISA titles: 1992, 2000, 2001, and 2002. The women's tennis team has won four GISA titles: 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2014.

References
  1. "Private School Universe Survey". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  2. Equal educational opportunity: Hearings before the Select Committee on Equal Educational Opportunity, Ninety-first Congress, second session-92nd Congress, first session. 1970. p. 2034. hdl:2027/umn.31951d017860197.
  3. Valdosta Daily Times, October 29 Letter to the Editor
  4. Valdosta Daily Times, Consolidation: A history of two systems, November 15, 2009
  5. http://www.valwood.org/page/about_valwood/school_history
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-03-15. Retrieved 2012-09-06.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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