It was a long awaited and cherished moment! The new gymnasium and auditorium at Woodville-Tompkins projects were begun before the global pandemic, and though school life may have been disrupted a little, construction did not stop. The project - an ESPLOST funded venture - converted the old gym into a state of the art auditorium and built a new, regulation size, competition style gym.
"We are so pleased to be able to provide these buildings for our students and staff at Woodville-Tompkins," said Vanessa Miller-Kaigler, Deputy Superintendent. "For many years, the school and community expressed their desire for new buildings to give our students the appropriate venues for ahtletics and performance. We are proud to say this project came in on budget and without any accidents!"
The new auditorium is a state-of-the-art performance hall with seating for 600. This addition provides tremendous opportunities for our students in the performing arts. Moreover, it gives us a place to engage with our community through the arts. The former gymnasium was converted into this beautiful hall which will come alive through the talents of our students. The audio-visual components are cutting edge and allow us to present any performance with a high level of professionalism.
Athletics play an important role in the daily Wolverine experience. Our girls’ volleyball team has advanced to the State Elite Eight for 6 consecutive years! The boys basketball team reached the Final Four last year and were named Best Team by WSAV. Our girls basketball team has reached the State playoffs for six consecutive years. This new building will showcase the exceptional athletic prowess of our students for years to come.
Both the auditorium and the gymnasium afford our students world class facilities to display their talents and skills. These ESPLOST supported projects demonstrate a clear commitment to success of all students.
The Wolverine Nation turned out to celebrate the cutting of the ribbon and to pay homage to the man for whom the gym is named. In March 2022, the Board of Education voted to name the gymnasium in honor of Coach Joseph Turner, a beloved football coach and leader. In 1960, Turner was named head coach of the Woodville Wolverines. He coached until 1980, leading the team to five region championships and three state championships. He was named Georgia High School “Coach of the Year” seven times in a career that featured a win-loss record of 204-101-4 in the high school records.
See more photos from today's event
here.
