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-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools
Big changes are underway at JF Webb High School. New staff, newly renovated facilities, and a new instructional focus are all on the way. These updates, new ideas and student-focused changes will bring exciting new opportunities for the community. But something folks may notice first is the school’s new look…
A school’s mascot can mean a lot, and not just to current students and past alumnae, but to the community at large. A high school mascot often embodies the spirit and personality of a school, depicting a real sense of what a school is about.
For more than 50 years at JF Webb High School, the mascot of the “Warrior” has come to signify courage, strength and overcoming adversity. Being a warrior means being tough and triumphant. While this meaning has stayed true, the actual artwork or logo that represents the warrior has seen some changes over time.
J.F. Webb High School graduates prior to 2004 know that the Warrior mascot was a Native American Warrior. If you ask the most recent 2019 Webb graduates to describe what their Warrior looks like, the majority would be unable to do so. They would likely tell you their school’s logo is simply the letters “JFW.”
Most are unfamiliar with “Wally” the futuristic Warrior that replaced the Native American Warrior around 2004 when most schools in the state of North Carolina, in an effort to be more culturally sensitive, redesigned their Native American Warrior mascots. Over the years, “Wally” has faded into the background and Webb’s logo became its initials.
When the school board voted to merge J.F. Webb and J.F. Webb School of Health and Life Science in 2020-21, a redesign committee consisting of administrators, teachers, students and parents was created. One of the first suggestions that the redesign committee made was to design and select a new Warrior mascot/log design.
Mrs. Amy Rice, Principal of J.F. Webb shared, “I believe it was important to the committee, especially the students, to move forward with a new mascot design that embodies the pride that we want all students and our community to have in J.F. Webb. We wanted a mascot and logo that students and athletes would proudly wear and promote.”
After reviewing a variety of possible ideas, Webb narrowed down its mascot and shield logo ideas with help from a graphic design company that has experience working for school districts on similar projects.
With the help of 1988 JFW alumni Grey Blackwell, some final touches were added to provide the finished product that everyone on the committee was pleased with.
While the school campus is receiving extensive physical upgrades, including a new HVAC system, fresh paint, new furniture and security upgrades, big changes are underway on the academic side as well. All of the current Biomedical Science courses offered through JFW HLS will continue, with plans for expanded offerings in Career and Technical courses, as well as college level courses offered through VGCC.
As part of the overall redesign of the school, Principal Rice looks forward to rolling out the new Warrior look, explaining, “I’m a proud graduate of J.F. Webb, and I hope that our new mascot and logo will help all of our students hold dear to the phrase ‘Warrior Pride.’ JF Webb High School is on the move! If you haven’t stopped by recently, come give us a visit and I will be happy to give you a personal tour of the NEW and IMPROVED Warrior Country.”
