August 10, 2026, was the first day of school for our students at Westwood Christian School. Teachers and staff were thrilled to see new and familiar faces arrive early that morning for a bright, shiny day ahead. Mrs. Shiver commented, “ I was very happy to see all the new students that I haven't seen over the summer, and can’t wait to see what this year will bring.” As the day went by, students were introduced to the new setup for this school year, including multiple changes to the typical schedule. One of these changes is that every morning, all classes at Westwood stand for the Pledge of Allegiance as Mrs. Lowe leads it over the intercom at 8:10 AM. This is a change because it is no longer before classes start while everyone is gathered in the same room. This change is incredibly beneficial for the school's unity and patriotism. Second, Chapel will be approximately one hour on Wednesdays. This schedule change is due to Chapel overrunning its time slot in previous years. As a result, Chapel will be shorter, and only one class will perform a song or share a Bible verse each Wednesday. Third, Chick-fil-A chicken sandwiches will now be served as a hot choice on Tuesdays for students who buy lunches. This is a great switch for students who really like Chick-fil-A and are ready for a change in the menu. All of these changes at WCS benefit the students. They also help students flourish in their education and learn about God’s word and what he has done for these students and for our school. Go Warriors!
Back to school
By: Trinity Harvey
Elly Greene: Yearbook Editor
By: Rebecca DaCosta
This year, our yearbook editor is Elly Greene. Elly is sixteen, and her favorite subject is history. After high school, she plans to become a real estate agent. Elly has two pets, her dog Charlie and her cat Nola. If she had the choice to get rid of any music genre, she wouldn’t, because she likes a variety of music, including artists such as The Beach Boys, ACDC, and Journey. Her favorite songs are "Fantasy" by Mariah Carey and "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone. Elly’s hobbies are reading, playing volleyball, playing Clash of Clans, and painting. She loves spaghetti, especially from Olive Garden, and her favorite drink is Coke Icee. Elly’s favorite book is Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber, and her favorite movies are Dirty Dancing and Norbit. When Elly gets older, her dream vacation is to Switzerland to see the landscape. Elly’s favorite Bible verse is Isaiah 66:13, which says, “God is with you even on your hardest days.” When asked how she would describe herself, she said words such as helpful, kind, and funny. The best advice she’s ever been given is “How did you know you could do it? I don’t know, I just never thought I couldn’t.” by Lightning McQueen in the movie Cars. Small acts of kindness, her friends and family, and beautiful days truly bring her joy, and she always works to share that happiness with others.
Carson Alford: Newspaper Editor
By: Noah Gonzalez
Carson Alford is a junior at Westwood Christian School. She is 16 years old and has been attending Westwood since preschool. Her favorite thing to do at school and outside of it is volleyball during the school and travel season. This year, she made the Gainesville Juniors volleyball team, and she is so excited to play there. Her jersey number is #30, which is also her favorite number. She is also really good at the sport and works hard to be better even though she is only 5’2. Carson also loves to drive and read in her free time. She has a little brother named Caden and a Labrador named Bella. A couple of other things Carson loves are the color purple, Lululemon clothes, and Nike shoes. Carson’s favorite type of food is Italian, but her favorite restaurant is Cheesecake Factory. Her favorite type of drink is energy drinks, specifically Monster and peach-flavored Red Bull. Carson enjoys watching Gilmore Girls and reading The Giver, which is an amazing science fiction book. Her favorite quote is “Books are easily destroyed. But words will live as long as people can remember them.” This quote was written by her favorite writer, Tahereh Mafi. Carson commented during an interview that she joined journalism because she “has always been interested in writing and originally wanted a career in journalism. Although my career plans have changed, I truly enjoy helping others write something that they are proud of, which is my main goal in Journalism.”
Gatlyn Davis: Photo & Ad Editor
By: Nora Jonas
Gatlyn Davis is a sophomore at Westwood Christian School and is one of the journalism editors. She plays a key role in journalism by overseeing the photo and advertising responsibilities in both the yearbook and the newspaper. She wanted to be an editor because it gives her the opportunity to grow in something she loves to do. Her favorite part of being in journalism and an editor is finally being able to see all of the work come together, and taking pictures around the school for the yearbook. Also, one of her favorite memories of journalism was seeing the complete look of the 2025-2026 yearbook.
Some facts about Gatlyn are that she plays on the Westwood Warrior Volleyball team, and she loves hanging out with her friends and family. Her favorite show is Percy Jackson, and is looking forward to season 3 releasing in November 2026. Not only does Gatlyn enjoy playing volleyball outside of school, but making happy memories with her friends as well. Three words that Gatlyn would describe herself as are driven, dependable, and caring. Gatlyn is also very passionate about sports and her dream of going into sports management. When asked who has influenced her the most, she replied with Avery Music, a former student at Westwood Christian School. Avery has helped her with problems Gatlyn had in school, volleyball, and anything in between. Gatlyn is very devoted to Journalism and has a goal of finishing her sophomore year with a 4.0 GPA and becoming part of the Quill and Scroll Society.
WCS is a member of the Quill & Scroll Society.
Quill and Scroll is an international high school journalism honor society that recognizes and encourages both individual and group achievements in scholastic journalism. According to the Quill and Scroll website, over 14,104 high schools in all 50 U.S. states and 44 countries have established local chapters. The organization was founded on April 10, 1926, and is based out of the University of Iowa.
To be eligible for a charter, a high school must publish a magazine, newspaper, yearbook, literary magazine, broadcast program, or website; or, the school must have students who are under the supervision of a local news bureau, radio or television station, or publication. Charters are granted for the lifetime of the school's existence, and there are no dues.
When a charter is granted, the publication adviser or advisers automatically become a member. Only chartered schools may submit student names for nomination, as Quill and Scroll members and several activities are limited to chartered schools only.
To be eligible for induction into Quill and Scroll, students must meet the following five requirements:
- They must be of junior or senior classification. Second semester sophomores may be initiated during the last grading period of their sophomore year. Their membership will become effective at the beginning of their junior year.
- They must be in the upper third of their class in general scholastic standing, either for the year of their election or for the cumulative total of all high school work.
- They must have done superior work in some phase of journalism or school publications work. They may be staffers of a magazine, newspaper, yearbook, news bureau or radio/television station.
- They must be recommended by the supervisor or by the committee governing publications.
- They must be approved by the Society's Executive Director.
Quill and Scroll have no requirements for local chapters' activities; each chapter is encouraged to engage in activities that best serve its school's journalism and publications program.
Quill and Scroll | Honor Society - Official Honor Society® Website