Redwood Celebrates 50th Birthday This Weekend

It’s birthday week for Redwood Elementary School.

Redwood is celebrating its 50^th Birthday the weekend of April 26-April 28 that will include a Fun Run and formal presentation. Guests and alumni are welcome to celebrate the school's opening in 1963.

On Friday, April 26, students will have a school-wide birthday party which will include singing, pictures and cake.

Students and staff will don their 50^th T-shirts or Redwood School wear and at 2 p.m. gather in front of the school for a "birthday count-off" with different grades counting up to 50 before singing "happy birthday" as a group.

On Sunday, April 28 starting at 9:30 a.m., Redwood will host a Fun Run around the Redwood neighborhood. There will be an afternoon celebration from 12:30 p.m. -3:30 p.m., with a formal presentation starting at 1 p.m. It will include Mayor Greg Zilka and other special guests. Afterwards guests can tour the school, visit with retired and current Redwood staff and meet with Redwood alumni.

Redwood Principal T.J. Ebert said the school remains successful after 50 years.

“A few weeks ago Channel 5 came in and did a story about our performance index – we finished 25^th in the state out of over 3,500 schools,” Ebert said. (See attached video from our partner, WEWS.)

“ While interviewing various people, I think (fourth-grader) Rob Mattey said it best: ‘Avon Lake is a community that values learning.  With the parent support, hard work of the staff, and the good kids that we have. You put all those components together and it equals success.’”

WEWS said the school has been delivering winners for decades.

"With a banner on the front of its one-story, red brick facade proclaiming its history, the 'Happy 50th Redwood' sign seems to invite five decades of grand-parents, parents and students back through Redwood Elementary School's doors," the article said. "And with good reason: The school has delivered winners in the shape of solid citizens since 1963.

"The latest winners are the third and fourth graders at Redwood who scored 25th out of almost 3,500 Ohio schools on the state’s performance index."

Ebert said all guests are welcome to attend, and asked the event be shared with other friends of Redwood Elementary.

Additional information can be found on the school’s Facebook page.  [Editor's note: Check the Facebook page for plenty of class pictures from the past.]

Sunday's events

8 a.m. – The building will open

9:30 a.m. – The Fun – Run begins around Redwood area streets – There is a map located on the PTA board

11 a.m.– The fun-Run should end – prizes given to top boy and girl at each grade level.

12:30 p.m. – Doors open for Redwood Open House

1 p.m. – Formal Celebration in the gym

1:45 –3:30 p.m. Open house around the school. Visitors can go around the school in and out of classrooms and refreshments will be served in the cafeteria.