The following letter was recently received, and I thought it would be good to share the perespective of this Woodbury graduate after returning to the school for a recent reunion:
David & Denise Winter
Sarasota, Florida
Mrs. Denise Dunham, Principal
Woodbury Junior Senior High School
25 North Broad St.
Woodbury, NJ 08096
Dear Mrs. Dunham,
On Saturday, October 2, Woodbury High School hosted a tour for my class (1965) at “my old school”. Having not been back in 45 years and heard previous stories about the decline of small town America reflected in Woodbury, the decline of the downtown area and the reduction in size of the student body due to the building of an additional high school in the area, we really expected to be disappointed in the school.
That expectation could not have been further from the truth. As a 15 year principal of a Chicago elementary magnet public school married to a 15 year athletic director at a suburban high school with combined 68 years of experience in public education, the two of us know what it takes to run and maintain a public high school. The cleanliness of your building, the total absence of any sign of graffiti and obvious pride of your support staff is clearly reflected in your facility. We especially liked the educational resumes of teachers reflected on each room door as a model to which students can aspire. The condition of the auditorium is just one area where we noted the pride of the school reflected in the facilities offered to the students of Woodbury.
As much as the school building and facilities reflected well on the community, our tour was even better. Run by Athletic Director Grant Shivers, he could not be more positive and supportive of the school and community. He exudes pride in the entire school, not just the athletic program. His reflecting on academic achievement, performance of the fine arts programs and special education programs indicate on-going emphasis on the total education of the total child.
Please share our impressions with your staff, both educational and support. We are surely aware of the many challenges with which you are confronted. You need to know that the face you are presenting to the public makes me proud to be an alumnus of Woodbury High School as well as a veteran educator. Thank you for the good work you are doing.
Sincerely,
Denise Frick Winter (Class of 1965)
Sarasota, Florida
Mrs. Denise Dunham, Principal
Woodbury Junior Senior High School
25 North Broad St.
Woodbury, NJ 08096
Dear Mrs. Dunham,
On Saturday, October 2, Woodbury High School hosted a tour for my class (1965) at “my old school”. Having not been back in 45 years and heard previous stories about the decline of small town America reflected in Woodbury, the decline of the downtown area and the reduction in size of the student body due to the building of an additional high school in the area, we really expected to be disappointed in the school.
That expectation could not have been further from the truth. As a 15 year principal of a Chicago elementary magnet public school married to a 15 year athletic director at a suburban high school with combined 68 years of experience in public education, the two of us know what it takes to run and maintain a public high school. The cleanliness of your building, the total absence of any sign of graffiti and obvious pride of your support staff is clearly reflected in your facility. We especially liked the educational resumes of teachers reflected on each room door as a model to which students can aspire. The condition of the auditorium is just one area where we noted the pride of the school reflected in the facilities offered to the students of Woodbury.
As much as the school building and facilities reflected well on the community, our tour was even better. Run by Athletic Director Grant Shivers, he could not be more positive and supportive of the school and community. He exudes pride in the entire school, not just the athletic program. His reflecting on academic achievement, performance of the fine arts programs and special education programs indicate on-going emphasis on the total education of the total child.
Please share our impressions with your staff, both educational and support. We are surely aware of the many challenges with which you are confronted. You need to know that the face you are presenting to the public makes me proud to be an alumnus of Woodbury High School as well as a veteran educator. Thank you for the good work you are doing.
Sincerely,
Denise Frick Winter (Class of 1965)
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