A Note from the Woods...

The name of our newsletter, The Acorn, seems perfect for not only this season of the year, but also for this time in the academic cycle of a private independent school. Acorns are the fruits of the oak tree, scattered about our campus for the squirrels to munch and the children to crunch as they walk amongst the falling leaves, the colors of autumn, and approaching winter.

Acorns often represent our youngest students as they arrive on campus each school year only to blossom into resilient confident young learners just a few short months later. An acorn also holds the future within its shell as Ralph Waldo Emerson so succinctly put it, “The creation of a thousand forests is within one acorn”. So, too, does Wood Acres hold the future within each student who matriculates on its campus and in its classrooms. We really are a school for all seasons and all the right reasons!

In the academic cycle of private schools, the waning months of each year, November and December, as well as the fresh new months of January and February of the next, signal the time for re-enrollment of legacy families and the admissions process for families interested in The Wood Acres School. The metaphor of the acorn works well here as it reminds us of the potential for growth, new families, and eager students who can help Wood Acres realize its dreams into the next decade of teaching and learning. But as with all seeds, acorns must be well planted, nurtured, and nourished if they are to grow and bloom vigorously.

The Wood Acres Admissions team will see to those needs and welcome all to our campus at school’s beginning each August. The cycle of the acorn and the oak tree reminds us of this admissions process each and every one of our 40+ years of education @ the Woods

Head of School

Wood Acres Curriculum

Wood Acres curriculum in each program and grade is highlighted in our school literature and commended by professionals. The curriculum for each core academic area has been chosen specifically for it’s rigor, quality and relevance in helping students understand content areas. Additionally, our curriculum is aligned with national standards so that our students will have the agility and adaptability for success as 21st century citizens.

Not only is the Wood Acres curriculum outstanding from early school through middle school, but it is also carefully aligned vertically as well. Effective vertical alignment allows teachers to quickly assess what students mastered in the preceding grade. Instead of reviewing areas that have been mastered, teachers can preserve valuable instructional time particularly at the beginning of the school year.

Wood Acres faculty members have at their fingertips the entire curriculum, including all specials classes, aligned horizontally within the grade (scope and sequence) and aligned vertically between grades. The curriculum maps are also aligned to national standards in each subject area. These maps are evaluated and updated frequently to reflect astute teacher observation and additional content ideas.

But it doesn’t even stop there! The Upper School curriculum at Wood Acres has been analyzed by faculty members to provide our graduating eighth graders a smooth and successful transition into the high school program of their choosing. This careful analysis demonstrates that Wood Acres curriculum not only meets but easily exceeds both national standards and requirements of area public, private, magnet and charter high schools. This gives new meaning to being a Wood Acres Navigator and is just another example of why teaching and learning at the Woods is one-of-a-kind!

Wood Acres Accreditation with quality

The Wood Acres School received an “Accredited with Quality” accreditation for Kindergarten through Eighth Grade.

This is the highest distinction given by the Georgia Accrediting Commission (GAC). The commission reviews curriculum scope and sequence, curriculum alignment and educational practices of the schools that it accredits. The mission of the GAC is to establish standards promoting quality instruction for children in Georgia and to encourage schools to meet the established standards.

The commission accredits over 100 private schools in the state. Providing an accreditation process which upholds standards, strengthens the quality of education in each school, and ensures standards are related to best educational practices, the GAC promotes excellence in education. Wood Acres is proud to be recognized for educational excellence and will continue our best practices to make an outstanding educational home for our students.