Anita Jorney-Gifford announces move to Boys Village
After five years as Wooster High School principal, and after her 29th year within the Wooster City School system, Anita Jorney-Gifford will be relocating to be the principal of Boys Village school.
Jorney-Gifford started her career in the Wooster City School system as a math and physical education teacher.
After 20 years of teaching, she moved to the assistant principal position at Edgewood Middle School.
One year later, she became the principal at Edgewood and held that position for three years.
In 2009, she made the move to the high school as principal. Jorney-Gifford was the first teacher to go from a teaching position to an administrative position in the Wooster City School District in 34 years.
“To say that you have spent your entire career from teacher to administrator in one school district is very unusual, and I thank Wooster and the community of Wooster for being willing to support me and give me opportunities to work with their children and hopefully I’ve made an impact in the students that I’ve touched,” Jorney-Gifford said.
Jorney-Gifford has been very involved in the lives of her students during her 29 years of work within the district. “In the 20 years that I coached, I coached four years of track, 18 years of volleyball, 20 years of basketball and six years of softball. So in total, I coached 54 seasons in 20 years,” Jorney-Gifford said.
Even after she retired from coaching, Jorney-Gifford did not stop supporting the athletics and other endeavors of Wooster students. Jorney-Gifford has always made it a priority to support her students, as she views them as her own children.
“To see our different activities be successful, from band, to Speech and Debate, to athletics is great. I think everyone is important, and that’s why I try to get to every activity and support everyone,” Jorney-Gifford said. Although she will miss WHS, Jorney-Gifford is optimistic about the new position.
“I think it’s another one of the those transitions that gives me an opportunity to look at another side of education, and that’s the alternative education side,” Jorney-Gifford said.
Superintendent Dr. Michael Tefs is equally as optimistic about the transition. “Mrs. Jorney-Gifford in an incredibly special person. She is not only a professional, but she is an amazing advocate for students.
She has a terrific relationship with the staff, and a wonderful knowledge of our school improvement model. We are feeling really good about this opportunity,” Tefs said.
Even though Jorney-Gifford will not be at the high school next year, she is reassured by the fact that she will still be in the Wooster area, and will just be a phone call away.
She thinks the next principal will be well prepared and she has high hopes for whomever follows in her footsteps. “I hope that the next principal understands the importance of the strong students and continues to support a great population that Wooster is fortunate to have,” Jorney-Gifford said.
Jorney-Gifford she said she is unsure of where in the school system she will be in the next five years. But, she is sure of one thing: that her famous “Go Woo!” is here to stay.