Teacher Tuesday: Beverly Edwards

Greensboro Day School will feature one of our teachers as part of Teacher Tuesday and share a look into what it's like to teach at GDS.

Name and current position: 
Beverly Edwards, 3rd grade

How long have you worked at GDS?

This year is my 29^th year at GDS.  I came in August of 1986 which was the same year Ralph Davison came to be the new headmaster.  I taught in the North Carolina public schools for 11 years before moving to GDS. 

What is the best part about teaching at GDS?  

I have enjoyed teaching children from the same families.  Once I “join” a family as the teacher of their child, I really like knowing that same family over a period of years as I teach the siblings.  After one or two of the kids have come my way, we become friends.  Secondly, I tell everyone that asks me about teaching at GDS that we are a great big family.  I am invited to confirmations, weddings, wedding parties, baby showers, recitals, athletic events, plays, college graduations, and dinners with the families.  I have even vacationed with GDS families.  I know my students well into their adult years.  It is marvelous when a former student stops by my classroom to visit, especially when they bring their own children to meet me. 

What is something I enjoy teaching year after year?   

Third grade is a fabulous year, and I am totally invested in what we teach.  GDS sponsored several trips to the Native American lands in the desert south west.  I can speak to my students about my own first hand experiences with the Hopi or Navaho people.  Because I received the Brooks Sabbatical grant and traveled to Kenya and Tanzania, I can describe in vivid detail the sights and sounds of the African savannah.  I can make these ancient cultures come alive for my students with the objects and pictures I share each year. 

What is something no one knows about you? 

I am totally addicted to the Angry Birds games as well as the sweet world of Candy Crush. Another interesting bit of personal history is that I slept in a grave yard for an entire night while backpacking in Europe during the summer of 1975.  It’s a great story!

How Prowler Spends his Summer...

While some people think of this time of year as the “Dog Days” of summer, I like to think of them as “Bengal Days!” So no lazy days at GDS for me – I’m kicking up my paws and making you proud as the best (and busiest) mascot EVER!!! Check out how I’m spending some of my time…

Prowler stays in shape all summer long! 

7:00 AM: Birds chirp. That’s my cue… Growl, scratch, yawn. Time to get up.

7:15 AM: A healthy breakfast gets me ready to tackle the day. My meal of choice: Wesleyan Trojan Turnovers!

8:00 AM: Arrive at Greensboro Day School.

8:10 AM: Hit the gym for regular cat-isthenics. A Bengal needs to stay in shape if he wants to keep up with GDS students all year!

9:00 AM: Gotta keep a Tiger in my tank – no better place to get a healthy snack than do a little grazing in the Lower School garden. Is that Thai Basil or TIGER Basil?

9:30 AM:Stop by the admin building to give high-fives to the staff who work hard all summer long! While I’m there, help our receptionist, Laura Murray, answer some important calls.

Prowler lends a hand in the Admin building. 

10:00 AM: Team up with the maintenance crew to help them get the campus ready for fall. (My favorite job is driving the Gator – I’ve heard it’s a Cat Magnet!)

11:00 AM: Oh look! The slide is free!! Time to unleash my inner kitten and take a quick run through the playground!

12:00 PM: Lunchtime! Yum, one of my favorites – Ravenscroft Ravens Ravioli!

12:30 PM: Pay a visit to soccer camp and Taekwondo camp, both a part of Greensboro Day School’s Summer Camps.

1:30 PM: Take a quick cat nap under a tree.


2:30 PM: Wander down to Harris Field to run through the sprinklers and beat the summer heat. Shhh! Don’t tell our groundskeeper Todd!

3:00 PM: Chase chipmunks!

Prowler makes a surprise appearance in Taekwondo camp. 

4:00 PM: Chase ice cream truck!

4:30 PM: Time for a quick rally on our new tennis courts. If only those judges would quick calling “tail faults” on me when I serve.

5:30 PM: Dinnertime! My meal of choice: a heaping serving of HP Christian Cougar Catnip!

7:00 PM: Put on an oldie but goodie, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” to watch with my good friends, the Wesleyan Trojan and HP Christian Cougar.

9:00 PM: Brush teeth, wash paws, and hit the Bengal Den after a long day. Can’t wait for tomorrow!

See you all in August!

Phew! It's another busy summer day. Time for a catnap! 

Tips for Senior Parents on "Letting Go"

The time has arrived… your little ‘baby’ is graduating from high school. It seems like just yesterday you were changing his diaper, watching her wobble on her own two feet, and celebrating the loss of his first tooth.

Letting go can be emotional. Below are a few tips to help you adjust to these next few months before your big girl or grown up boy heads off to college.

The emotional roller coaster Recognize that this is a time of ambivalence for all parents. The excitement and joy about opportunities awaiting your child are mixed with waves of nostalgia and a sense of loss. Seek out support from other parents who are going through the same thing. Some parents have held “Letting Go” parties, sharing photos and stories and intense emotions from the present.

The summer before Be prepared to see less of your child this summer. The closer it gets to departure time, the less you can expect to see of him or her. Rising freshmen will likely be spending every waking hour with friends. Allow them this special time together.

Communication: Keep in touch Talk to your child about how you’ll keep in touch. Consider purchasing a “call home card” as a graduation gift, allowing your child to charge directly to you all calls made to home. Review cell phone contracts. Talk about how many hours are reasonable. Of course, e-mail is quick and easy, and most students use it all hours of the day and night. Parents need to be careful not to be a “hovering” e-mailer. Johnny or Suzie will become weary of your contacts if they are too frequent. Plan in advance regarding times for telephone calls. Sometimes voice contact is reassuring.

Send tangible items E-mail and texting are great for informal communication, but students still may love an occasional old-fashioned letter that they can actually touch, feel and re-read. Of course cards, care packages, newspaper clippings, jokes/chuckles . . . all such tangibles are usually appreciated.

Above all else, celebrate your accomplishments as a parent. He graduated from high school. He did it! Which means, YOU DID IT!

Jackie Upton, Director of College Counseling at Greensboro Day School