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Wildwood is a growing, achieving, and producing organization of teaching and learning. Wildwood's enrollment in The PreSchool at Wildwood
and in grades K through 9th grade honors is approximately 100. Each grade has separate classes. The enrollment for the majority of grade levels ranges from
half-full to full capacity; the Upper School of 6th through 9th grades has the
largest enrollment in Wildwood’s young history.
Accreditation
Wildwood is fully accredited by
 and
 and a member of
 .
Curriculum and Faculty
Wildwood’s core curriculum courses of math, science, language arts and social
studies are taught using lectures, projects and field trip experiences.
Wildwood’s Head of School and its Curriculum Director review text books on a
consistent basis suggest additional teaching aids the faculty thorough
web site recommendations, educational articles, project experiences, continuing education presentations and field trip recommendations. Wildwood’s faculty remains one of the
strongest and most qualified in North Georgia. Many of Wildwood’s faculty
members have advanced degrees and have over 25 years in teaching experience.
This excellence is reflected in Wildwood’s national test results on the ITBS.
Growth and Enrichment
Having quadrupled in student enrollment since Wildwood received its
accreditation in 2005, Wildwood’s need for classroom and activity space has also
grown. Wildwood now occupies over 18,000 square feet of classroom space and
proudly provides a fully staffed library and media center, a technology center,
Chapel, dining hall and fully equipped kitchen, outdoor activity fields, and
nature trail. Wildwood offers enrichment programs in art, Spanish, drama, music,
physical education, Biblical Studies, Discovery, technology and computer
training, as well as after school programs in golf, tennis, intramurals,
swimming, yearbook, study hall and Odyssey of the Mind. In 2008, Wildwood
entered, for the first time, the world arena of Odyssey of the Mind, became the
State of Georgia champion and finished 16th in the world. Wildwood repeated as
State champion in 2009 and 2011 and finished 14th in 2009, then 16th, 4th and 2nd in 2011 in the world competition.
Future Growth
Wildwood is close to capacity in its current facilities. While it is difficult
to speculate on future growth over the next few years due to current and
projected economic conditions in this state and county, Wildwood expects to
increase the number of classes per grade level in the near future. Growth
remains on course based upon Wildwood’s original strategic plan. Wildwood is
beginning a capital campaign for the construction of a gymnasium and flex
building. In addition, Wildwood is experiencing growth from being a “designated school” under the Georgia GOAL Scholarship Program and State of
Georgia Qualified Educational Expense Credit Program.
Christian Environment
The Christian environment in which Wildwood provides academic excellence has changed little since the inception of Wildwood. Wildwood students participate in daily devotionals with the students, blessings
before meals, and weekly Chapel programs presented by Wildwood students and
visiting clergy. In addition, Wildwood offers its Upper School students an
excellent Biblical Studies program. Although Wildwood does not indoctrinate
students in religion or Christianity, it offers daily teachings in Christian
beliefs and values, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Students read and study Bible
verses, and Biblical history. On Wednesdays, students attend the Chapel program
which not only provides spiritual time with our visiting clergy and spiritual
leaders, but also allows students to make presentations, in the form of plays and
musical productions to the student body, guests and parents.
Campus Development
Wildwood is currently negotiating with the developers
of Big Canoe, a residential community which adjoins the school, to expand the
land occupation with additional acreage. This will allow for future development
of facilities and student growth. Financially, Wildwood continues to demonstrate
improved stability and growth.
Community Relations
Over the past five years, Wildwood has worked diligently to achieve its goals of
educating the local community on the need and benefit of private education,
including demonstrating to the community that private school is not just “for
rich kids.” Working with local and community organizations, governments, civic
and business groups, the Wildwood students have demonstrated true community
service and civic responsibility. Through food drives, Red Cross assistance,
thrift store duties, career days, visitation to community hospitals, nursing
homes and retirement centers, the students, parents, and faculty offer
friendship, love and material items that would not ordinarily be available. For
example, each December, the students, parents, faculty and administration
present the only known Live Nativity in this area as Wildwood’s Christmas gift
to the surrounding communities. Students also participate in the “Knots for
Love” program whereby the Upper School students make blankets for the Joy House,
located in the immediate community. In addition, during the month of February,
Wildwood students engage in the Day of the Heart. This is both a special day and
a remarkable event. Students spend the day giving back to the community. For
example, in February of 2010, Wildwood students made 100 Valentines Day cards
for the Atlanta Urban Mission, 180 Valentines Day cards for the local nursing
home residents, 100 scarves for the Big Canoe Animal Shelter, boxes of fudge and
care packages for service men and women in Iraq, activity bags for children
visiting the Good Samaritan Health Care Center (a medical center for the
indigent) and, finally, created and filled 180 supply baskets with crayons,
pencils, and other classroom needs for the local Head Start program.
Wildwood also makes its facilities available to local community groups and
organizations such as the Boy Scouts, Business Women of Big Canoe, and local
governmental groups. In addition, our relations with the local newspapers,
government leaders and civic groups remain strong, friendly and supportive.
Today, Wildwood is a vibrant community asset and is well-respected throughout
North Georgia.
Communication
As with all private schools today, there are many challenges and adversities
that are created due to ineffective communication. At Wildwood it is believed
that communicating with each of Wildwood’s stakeholders is vital to growth,
maintaining respectability and minimizing most adversarial challenges. Wildwood
has instituted several mentoring programs for its faculty and parents. For
example, Wildwood has a mentoring program in place for new faculty members.
Returning faculty members are assigned to help answer questions, explain
policies and assist new faculty members with any questions that they might have.
The Head of School is also available to aid in the transition for new faculty
members. This program has helped foster communication and the feeling that each
faculty member is an important part of the team at Wildwood.
Families new to Wildwood are also assigned a mentor family to initially meet
them at school social events and serve as a resource for school questions or
identifying school personnel to contact with questions. This program helps new families experience an immediate welcome and promotes family involvement in the many activities
supported by Wildwood’s Parents Action Council.
In addition, families new to Wildwood are invited to a summer orientation and picnic for
the purpose of explaining the expectations inherent in a private school
education. The Co-Founders, Head of School and Parents Action Council President
present a program to address how parents are expected to support the school, in
partnering their time, as well as their financial resources. In addition to
detailing what tuition revenues cover for each child’s educational experience,
the significance of the Annual Fund and GOAL Scholarship program are discussed.
Where We’ve Been, Where We Are and Where We’re Going is the title of this
orientation, and as the name implies, it provides an overview of how Wildwood
began, where we find ourselves today and the plans for Wildwood’s future. Being
intentional in relaying information at the beginning of a family’s experience at
Wildwood has resulted in a clearer understanding of expectations and increased
involvement.
Through the establishment of Wildwood’s Parent Action Council (PAC), members,
who are the parents, are encouraged to communicate with the PAC Board and at
member meetings about any subjects that the members feel affect the school,
their children’s education, administrative matters, and so on. Board members
then communicate these matters to the appropriate administrative personnel such
as the Head of School, the Director of Non-Academic Affairs, the Chairman of the
Board of Trustees or directly to the Board of Trustees. This communication keeps
all stakeholders informed.
As a final example, Upper School families are invited to an Upper School
Orientation each school year, before academic classes begin. The purpose of this
orientation, which is led by the Upper School faculty members, is to explain the
Upper School policies, curriculum and schedule. How parents can best be involved
in the learning process for their children, as well as a discussion about
adolescence, and all that entails, is also included in the presentation. Upper
School parents have expressed their appreciation for this program, which
clarifies how they can be supportive and also makes the transition into Upper
School a smooth one for the students and their parents.
Student Support Team
Wildwood has developed a Student Support Team to help optimize the education and
development of individual students who present circumstances requiring unique
attention.
The Student Support Team is composed of an interdisciplinary core of early
childhood specialists. The members of the team have training in reading,
learning disabilities, gifted education, elementary counseling, and
administration. Parents are an integral part of the work of the Student Support
Team, as are all of the student’s teachers.
Any Wildwood student may be referred to the Student Support Team for any concern
by his/her parents or teachers. Referral focus may include academic progress,
intellectual style, understanding of processing strengths and weaknesses,
classroom behavior, adjustment concerns, and/or social/behavioral growth.
Students who are referred to the Student Support Team have access to a process
designed to target specific goals for the student and move the student toward
achievement of those goals. Procedures may include a thorough study of the
child’s record since beginning school, the design and implementation of
research-based strategies to meet the student’s needs, and continuing evaluation
of progress. At times, academic assessments, observations and behavior analysis
techniques may be conducted to more fully understand a student’s needs.
If outside support is needed, the Student Support Team will refer parents to
community resources for specialty services. Wildwood maintains a referral guide
which lists licensed psychologists and counselors, who provide psychological and
psycho-educational expertise.
The goal of the Student Support Team is to maximize student success and
development through careful study, targeted interventions and strategies, strong
parent-teacher communication, and monitoring of progress.
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