Gatewood Schools

Big congratulations to Cayden Burner, Kilynn Stanford and Michael Moss for being selected to participate in the HOBY Georgia Leadership Seminar at Georgia Southern University!

This leadership program recognizes students who demonstrate strong leadership potential and encourages them to grow as leaders in their schools and communities. Great job, Gators! 🐊

Meow! the musical summer camp was a great week with a fantastic performance on Friday evening for a full house by our youngest thespians. Campers made cat crafts and cat snacks, played drama games and got everything ready for the show including painting the set and setting up the theatre. Thanks to Mrs. Mappes and her camp helpers Caylin, Maddie and Lily and tech crew Davis and Mr. Scott.

Congratulations to two of our Gatewood teacher/coaches for placing in the Annual Brer Terrapin Trot 10K! 🏃‍♂️🐊

Coach Scott Dennard placed 1st in his age group, and Coach Tyler VanDusen placed 3rd in his age group. Great job, coaches! 👏

We are also proud of all of our students who participated as well! 💚💛

We had a great day at the 2026 Dairy Festival! 💚💛🐊

Thank you to everyone who helped with the float and made today so much fun!

Today we are excited to spotlight Dena Stancil, who is transitioning from teaching 8th and 9th Grade Algebra into her new role as our High School Science Teacher while continuing to serve as Head Varsity Softball Coach!

Mrs. Stancil has been part of the Gatewood family for eight years and loves building relationships with students both in the classroom and on the field. She shared that one of the best parts of teaching is watching students succeed long after graduation.

She attended Georgia College & State University and earned her degree in Health and Physical Education, along with certifications in Middle School Math and P–12 Science.

Outside of school, she enjoys traveling with her family, weekend getaways, softball, basketball, and time at the beach. Her favorite vacation spot is St. Simons Island!

Mrs. Stancil and her husband, Phillip, have three daughters Caylin, Suzi, and Ally, who are all part of the Gatewood family.

One fun classroom tradition students may remember is celebrating Pi Day with pie-in-the-face fun during math class! She’s also looking forward to more hands-on learning opportunities in science this year.

We are thankful for the leadership, encouragement, and care Mrs. Stancil brings to Gatewood each day! 💚💛🐊

Today we are excited to spotlight Cory Olson, our Business teacher at Gatewood!

Mr. Olson has been part of the Gatewood family for six years and teaches Economics, Statistics, and Marketing. He loves helping juniors and seniors prepare for life after graduation by teaching them about the “blind spots” they may encounter in college or the business world.

Mr. Olson attended both the University of Georgia and Georgia State University, earning his degree in Economics.

Outside of school, he enjoys golfing, hunting, fishing, trivia, and cheering on the Braves and UGA football.

He and his wife, Erin, have three children Ashley, Chase, and Connor, who graduated from Gatewood in 2020.

One fun fact about Mr. Olson is that he has scuba dived on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia!

When asked what he loves most about Gatewood, he shared that it’s the family atmosphere and how students become “like your kids for a short period of time.”

One memorable classroom moment he shared involved the Class of 2026 boys throwing a sandwich in class which quickly turned into parking lot sprints! He says he never had another object thrown in class again after that.

We are thankful for the wisdom, humor, and real-world knowledge Mr. Olson brings to Gatewood each day! 💚💛🐊

Lower School Football Camp wrapped up today! 🏈💚💛

A huge thank you to Coach Ratliff, Coach Ringer, and Coach Vandusen for leading such a great camp and making it a fun week for all of our future football Gators. We appreciate the time, energy, and encouragement you poured into these young athletes! 🐊

Today we are excited to spotlight Courtney Jackson, who is beginning a new chapter at Gatewood as our Media Specialist for the 2026–2027 school year!

Mrs. Jackson has been part of the Gatewood family for five years and is transitioning from teaching 5th grade into her new role in the Media Center. She loves watching students grow in confidence and character while discovering the gifts God has given them.

Mrs. Jackson earned her Bachelor of Science in Graphic Communications with a minor in Business from Clemson University and later received her Master of Education in Elementary Education from Grand Canyon University.

Outside of school, she enjoys reading on the back patio, running, yoga, pilates, bike rides, spending time outdoors with her family, and relaxing on the lake. She’s also a big Clemson Tigers fan!

Mrs. Jackson and her husband, Chris, have been married for 13 years and have two children, CJ and Cami. One of her favorite memories from teaching 5th grade was taking the class to Tybee Island a trip made even more special because her daughter was one of her students that year.

When asked what she loves most about Gatewood, she shared that she loves the close community and the traditions that make Gatewood so special. One of her favorite traditions is Senior Buddies.

We are so thankful for the heart, encouragement, and enthusiasm Mrs. Jackson brings to Gatewood each day, and we cannot wait to see all the amazing things happening in the media center this year! 💚💛🐊

👑 Princess Camp wrapped up today, and the girls had such a fun week!

Thank you to Mrs. Brooke and her helper Abby for all the hard work they put into making camp so special for everyone. 💚💛

This week, we’re excited to spotlight Molly Weeks, our wonderful 2nd Grade teacher! 🍎🐊

Mrs. Weeks brings energy, creativity, and fun into the classroom each day while helping her students grow and succeed. She believes “second grade is where all the magic happens,” and her students are encouraged to work hard, stay engaged, and enjoy learning along the way!

Originally from Atlanta, Molly and her family made the move to our community two years ago and she says they are so happy they did! She loves spending time with her husband, Landon, and daughters, Anna and Sophie, especially cheering them on at soccer games and enjoying time on the lake.

A fan of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, the Atlanta Braves, and of course the Gatewood Gators, Mrs. Weeks also loves visiting the mountains whenever she gets the chance.

Her favorite part about Gatewood?
“Working where my girls go to school.”

And if you ask her students how they would describe her, they’d probably say:
“Calm, yet fun! She makes us work hard and lets us play hard too!”

We are so thankful to have Mrs. Weeks as part of the Gatewood family! 🐊