Lowndes Co.’s Pine Grove Elementary receives the Military Flagship School Award

VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - Military families experience many hardships when having to relocate to different states and sometimes different countries.

That’s why Georgia’s State Superintendent Richard Wood awards schools that make these transitions smoother for children.

Every public school in Georgia is allowed to submit an application to be chosen to receive the Military Flagship School Award. And Pine Grove Elementary in Lowndes County happened to be one of 2023′s eight schools to come out on top.

“It’s huge to me that my kids are in a school and a community that appreciates my service and takes care of them,” Ian Westfall, a father of three and member of the Air Force, said. “I was actually recently deployed to Africa, and I knew that my kids were being taken care of. Not only on the homefront by my wife but also by all of the teachers and all of the staff. It just makes it that much easier, and that much better to do what I do. And if I have to leave knowing they’re taken care of.”

Woods, who also grew up a military child, visited Pine Grove Elementary on Monday to present them with the award. While he was there, he was able to share thoughts with other military students and teachers.

“Other schools don’t really support or do anything fun for military week,” Briel Deters, a fifth grader at Pine Grove who is also a military child, said. “As of here, we do dress-up days. We do breakfast clubs. We do a bunch of different stuff. I’ve loved Pine Grove since from day one. They’ve welcomed me with open arms with me being a military child.”

Pine Grove Elementary has over 600 students, and over 200 of those are military children.

“We service the highest number of military children in our district,” Al Swilley, principal of Pine Grove Elementary, said. “Their parents are doing a great job serving our country. So, we want to take time to really serve those students, and make sure their transitions are as seamless as possible, and that their needs are met academically and emotionally.”

Lowndes High School and Pine Grove Middle School have received this award in previous years. Swilley said it’s an honor to receive this award at their elementary school also.

April is celebrated nationwide as the Month of the Military Child.

“I appreciate all of our schools, especially the one here at Pine Grove who has stepped up to the plate and gone above and beyond,” Richard Woods, Georgia State Superintendent, said. “What they have done to make their kids feel very welcome and very secure, lets parents know that, ‘hey this is a school that I can count on.’ That they put focus on our military children.”

Pine Grove Elementary leaders say their school has a strong, collaborative relationship with Moody Air Force Base. Something parents say makes them worry less.

“It makes me not want to leave to be honest. I would love for all three of my kids to finish their time here at Pine Grove Elementary. I’m sad to see my daughter go to middle school, but I know that she’ll be taken care of over there as well,” Westfall said.

Pine Grove leaders say it’s an honor to know their hard work is paying off.

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