The 2025-26 school year is off to a strong and exciting start at Greenwood Elementary, where we are proud to serve 484 students. Building meaningful relationships with our families remains one of our highest priorities, and we are intentional about creating opportunities to strengthen those connections throughout the year.
This quarter, we were thrilled to host our 3rd Annual Back to School Block Party on August 26. The event was a huge success, with more than 300 students and family members in attendance. It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces enjoying games, food, and fellowship with our staff, community businesses, and local churches. Events like this remind us how important it is to start the school year by building a sense of belonging for all students and families.
Looking ahead, our second quarter family engagement event will be Camp Learn S’more on Wednesday, November 6, from 5:30–7:00 p.m. This literacy-focused night is designed to give parents and guardians tools they can use to help their children become stronger, more confident readers. Each grade level will host a literacy station featuring fun games for students, while parents will learn strategies to support reading at home. In addition, several community organizations will have booths set up, making the evening a true partnership between school, home, and community.
The Boys & Girls Club (BGC) Program at Greenwood has been in full swing since the very first day of school, and as always it is an essential part of the student experience. Out of our 484 students, nearly 300 are enrolled in BGC, which provides two hours of educational support, enrichment activities, and a hot supper meal each afternoon.
The first hour, known as Power Hour, emphasizes academic growth and support. Using the BGC program Project Learn, students develop academic, behavioral, and social skills through homework completion, high yield learning activities, and small group tutoring.
The second hour focuses on enrichment, offering a wide variety of engaging clubs and activities such as Art, Board Games, Cherokee Language Culture Club, Cherokee Challenge Bowl, Cup Stacking, Outdoor Games, Robotics, and STEM.
We are especially proud to share that Greenwood, along with Heritage ES, was recently awarded the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) Grant. This incredible opportunity will allow us to expand enrichment offerings even further to include Chess Club, Crochet Club, Life Skills, Running Club, and many other activities that help students explore new interests and develop lifelong skills.
Our Music Program has hit the ground running this year, providing students with opportunities to explore creativity and develop skills in performance and musicianship.
Kindergarten and 1st Grade students are already experiencing the joy of music through singing, rhythm games, and movement activities.2nd and 4th Grade students are developing their voices while also learning the foundational skills necessary to read music and play instruments.
3rd Grade students are hard at work preparing for their Veteran’s Day Program, “This is America,” which will take place on Tuesday, November 4, at 6:00 p.m. This patriotic performance will include the National Anthem, the Preamble to the Constitution, and other classic Americana songs. We extend a special invitation to all Greenwood family members who are veterans or current members of the Armed Forces to attend, as we honor both you and our country through this meaningful program.
5th Grade students are kicking off the year with a lively, spooky, and original production titled “The Day the Zombies Took Over Greenwood.” This Halloween-themed show will be performed on Tuesday, October 28, at 6:00 p.m. and promises to be a fun-filled event for the entire community.
Music is truly alive and well at Greenwood, and we are excited to see our students’ skills and confidence grow as they share their love of music with families and the community throughout the year.
It is ALWAYS a great day to be a TIGER!
Written By: Ronda Reed, Greenwood Principal