As a proud member of the Triangle community, we, at West & Woodall Real Estate, are deeply invested in the future of our neighborhoods and, in particular, our local schools. At the company level, through our owners, and through our agents, we are committed to contributing to the academic success of our area’s students and to the overall vibrancy of the school communities. Here’s a look at just some of the ways that we are involved.
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Lyons Farm Elementary School
West & Woodall is a Southern Magnolia Sponsor for The Lyons Farmers school garden at Lyons Farm Elementary School, which is located in Durham. Just in its first full year, the garden serves as an outdoor learning hub designed to support various curriculum areas while promoting gardening, creativity, and environmental awareness. Its goal is to provide an enriched learning environment that connects students with the world of plants.
The garden also gives students the chance to learn about sustainable food, organic gardening techniques, biodiversity, and leading healthy lifestyles. It is a literal hands-on classroom where students get their hands dirty and their minds filled with knowledge while offering a safe, natural, and inspiring environment for sharing, learning, and growing together.
“As the parent of a student at Lyons Farm Elementary School, I’m excited that our company could be part of helping to get the garden started,” said Bert Woodall, Co-Owner of West & Woodall Real Estate. “I know for a fact that my daughter has enjoyed literally seeing the garden rise from the ground, and I think it provides a wonderful learning opportunity for all of the students that many of them wouldn’t have otherwise.”
While students are responsible for many aspects of garden maintenance, including planting, weeding, watering, mulching, and even harvesting, there are still plenty of opportunities for other businesses to get involved.
"The Lyons Farm Elementary School is so grateful to West & Woodall for sponsoring our garden project,” said Bridget Foster with the Lyons Farms Elementary School Garden Committee. “Public school budgets are limited, which is why help from local businesses is critical to creating such a valuable outdoor learning environment for our students. Partnering with a local business not only provides financial support, but it also encourages a sense of shared responsibility for education, strengthening community ties and fostering a positive relationship between schools and local residents."
To find out how you can support The Lyons Farmers School Garden, email lyonsfarmers@gmail.com.
Northern High School
At Northern High School in Durham, West & Woodall is involved with the athletics program in multiple ways. The company is a platinum corporate sponsor of the booster club, which raises money to help the teams and the coaches pay for the various needs that they have. This ranges from uniforms to balls to reconditioning helmets to sometimes feeding the athletes before games.
In addition, Co-Owner Kirk West serves as the President of the Booster Club and helps to oversee all of the fundraising efforts. In addition to corporate sponsorships, the club operates concession stands at home games, hosts a car show, and sells T-shirts and other apparel throughout the year. The Booster Club also organizes the athletic teams in working concessions at Duke University’s football games.
“I think it’s important to be involved in the schools for a number of reasons,” said Kirk. “This is the point that I make to my kids all the time when they say, ‘Why do you do this? Why are we doing this?’ My answer is that ‘someone has to.’ The schools cannot do all of this on their own, so it takes money from the school and business communities, and it takes manpower from volunteers. As a result, we’re able to help make participating in athletics an enjoyable and memorable part of many students’ high school experience.”
To find out more about athletics at Northern High School, visit NorthernAthleticZone.com.
Mangum Elementary School
Mangum Elementary School in Bahama also receives funding support from West & Woodall. Kirk West says that contribution goes towards staff incentives and materials as well as student incentives and materials. For students, it is part of the Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) framework. That model “establishes a social culture and the behavior supports needed to improve social, emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes for all students.”
Kirk believes that helping to foster that type of positive culture in schools is not only a good thing for businesses to do, but it’s also a responsibility. “Even if businesses can’t give money, they can still support the schools in other ways. This is especially true with encouraging employees to volunteer and then giving them the time they need to do that. At West & Woodall, we’ve always encouraged our agents to be involved in the schools and to let us know if they have kids in school, what we can do as a company to support them.”
To find out more about Mangum Elementary School, visit DPSNC.net/Mangum.
Orange High School
Brogden Middle School
While agent Jeanette Hussey no longer has children in school, she is supporting the Band Boosters at Brogden Middle School in Durham this year. “The President of the Band Boosters is a past client and her daughter is a member of the band. She reached out to me asking for support and to discuss some fundraising ideas. Since I was a majorette with the band at Northern HIgh School many years ago, this conversation reminded me of my time there and how important it is that we give back.”
The Band Boosters use the funds they raise for such things as cleaning the instruments, printing programs for concerts, and providing transportation for students to go to band competitions. “I am sure that bands don't have the budget that sports get, and I feel the Musical Arts in schools are an important part of a student’s education. These types of programs are dependent on parents and fundraising to be successful.”
To find out more about the Band Boosters at Brogden Middle School, visit BrogdenMSBands.weebly.com.
Green Level High School
If you ask agent Angela Burkall why she volunteers as the football team parent, a.k.a. manager, for Green Level High School in Cary, the answer is fairly straightforward. “It’s one thing that I can do to help make sure that the players get the most out of their four years in high school.”
In her role, Angela not only serves as the liaison between parents and coaches, but she also coordinates concessions and field and film volunteers for game nights. Another activity that she oversees is the game day meals for 100 players. While Angela admits that it can be a lot, she says that it’s definitely important because “Coaches already have so much that they have to handle between practices, games, and everything else that they do. My purpose is to help take the load off of them, to be the point of contact for parents, and to help support the team.”
To find out more about athletics at Green Level High School, visit GreenLevelAthleticZone.com.