February 2024 Falcon Wings

FWCD’s Parent Faculty Association awarded Second Grade Teacher Sarah Brockway and Tammy Wolford, Head Librarian, 2022 Perry and Nancy Lee Bass Chair for Distinguished Teaching Chair in Lower School and Lower School Librarian, with the Falcon Wings honor. Falcon Wings recognize PFA volunteers, FWCD teachers or staff who soar above and beyond the call of duty to enhance PFA programs or events, or have improved the greater FWCD community through their dedication and enthusiasm. A book is donated to the library in their honor. 

Mary Carolyn Gatzke ’93 shared the announcement at the PFA Meeting on February 25: 

Second Grade Teacher Sarah Brockway is beautifully attuned to her students and has such a loving and trusting bond with them. She goes above and beyond with her care, compassion and concern. She has brought out the absolute best version of her students. Sarah is so communicative and works endlessly to ensure her students are growing and thriving. She is the epitome of what being a fantastic educator is all about. It is so obvious that she teaches with her heart and soul and how much it means to her. Her sense of what a student needs and her motivation to determine how to best support them are unparalleled. As a parent to a senior Falcon and the wife of an FWCD teacher and coach, Sarah is also a wonderful supporter of school events. She and her family are loyal and impactful members of the School community, and she channels that pride and spirit in her classroom. 

Briana Settle nominated Sarah. A hardback copy of the Magic Tree House Deluxe Edition: Dinosaurs Before Dark, by Mary Pope Osborne, was donated to the Moncrief Library in her honor.

Tammy Wolford is FWCD’s Head Librarian, 2022 Perry and Nancy Lee Bass Chair for Distinguished Teaching Chair in Lower School, and a 13-year faculty member at FWCD. As Head Librarian, she works with the Librarians in each division and is a member of the Curriculum Committee. She implements robust Lower School library programming annually. Examples are the fourth grade Tournament of Books and the Escape from the Lower School Library event for rising fifth graders.  

A summer reading program in all divisions has long been a tradition at FWCD. Tammy executes the student AND faculty summer reading programs. Those Lower School Blackout Bingo Summer Reading cards we are all familiar with are her annual creations. Together with teachers and the Librarians,  Tammy works toward these goals by choosing books with literary value that are also popular with readers. Keeping our community, students and faculty alike, reading over the summer, and fostering a love of reading is her passion. 

Tammy also oversees FWCD’s annual Book Fair. This involves coordinating many volunteers and partnering with another school to help share FWCD’s love of reading with this school. This year, FWCD sponsored the Edward J. Briscoe Elementary School in Fort Worth ISD. Over 99% of their students are classified as economically disadvantaged. The goal was for FWCD to give a book to each student at Briscoe Elementary. There were 300 students, and 425 books were donated by FWCD families! 

During COVID protocols, when library availability was slim, Tammy helped her friend and colleague, Kim Gardner, pull off FWCD’s mobile Little Free Library.  Kim said, “I have known Tammy for almost 20 years. There is no one more committed to excellence than she is. She strives for excellence in every part of her life, and it is to the benefit of everyone around her.”

Remember when the Lower School library, which had been in one place for decades, was vacated not too long ago? Unbeknownst to many, Tammy worked until 6 p.m. most evenings organizing, packing and making lists so she never missed a class during the school day. She spent her days in the library holding classes as usual, and the students had no idea all that she had going on as she faced each day with a smile and a determination to make things move as smoothly as a normal day. She asked the teachers to share their lessons for the remainder of the year so that she could pull books, check them out, and pack them in boxes ready for each teacher to grab when needed over the next year. Holly Cimo submittedTammy’s  nomination: “Her work ethic is awe-inspiring, and she deserves this recognition and more for her incredible dedication to FWCD.” 

Sara Blan added, “She is conscientious in all she does. Always organized and thinking ahead to what is coming next.”

A book will be dedicated in her honor, but Tammy is the one who selects, orders and implements the Falcon Wings award books. She will choose her book soon.

Congratulations, Tammy Wolford and Sarah Brockway!