3 minute read
Meet Our School Principal, Edee Wood: Serving with Generosity and Gratitude
About 16 years ago, Edee Wood was asked to begin a beautiful journey, and she opened her heart to it in a generous way.
“I had just finished my first year of teaching, and I had a wonderful principal that I worked with named Chuck Suarez, who was actually the former principal of Mount St. Mary’s,” she says. “One day he came to me and said that he saw great potential in me. He advised me to go back to school and become a principal. I felt so honored and humbled that he saw those qualities in me. He really inspired me, and this is how I began to feel a sort of calling to become a principal.”
Advertisement
One faithful step led to another, and after a time of dedicated study and preparation, Mrs. Wood became the principal of our parish school about 13 years ago.
“Mount St. Mary’s is a very special place,” she says. “It was definitely a calling for me to come here. I love being around the children, and working with them every day. Our school community is a place where they can really grow in their faith. It is a good environment for them while they are on the journey to heaven. The school has a great working relationship with Fr. Estrella, our parish pastor, which has been very beneficial.”
During her time as principal, she has enriched our school in amazing ways, such as by tripling our student enrollment numbers while maintaining a tight budget. She is especially dedicated to making the school’s mission come alive before our eyes, not to mention our hearts.
“Our school was founded by the Sisters of Mercy, and in honor of that, we strive to focus on promoting good values, morals, and discipline,” Mrs. Wood says. “We teach our children to do the right thing. We provide an atmosphere where the children understand the importance of serving others and giving back to their community. We believe in developing the whole child — not just focusing on helping them develop their academic skills, but also to grow in their faith. We feel that this is our responsibility, and it is something that appeals to our families.”
For Mrs. Wood, providing a strong, faith-rooted education is a family matter — she and her husband, Martin, have two daughters, Macy and Ellie, who both attended Mount St. Mary’s in the past and were active in our parish.
Mrs. Wood has also devoted her time and talent to preserving the history of our parish school in a meaningful way.
“Mount St. Mary’s is the oldest operating school west of the Mississippi River,” Mrs. Wood says. “It has such a rich history. It was originally founded because there was a need to give support to the families and children in Grass Valley. I believe that this is an important history that needs to be continued, and that our responsibility as Catholics and people of faith is to continue the work of those who came before us.”
Furthermore, thanks to the support of generous volunteers from all walks of life, our school has been able to add several extracurricular activities in the last few years.
“It is so important to build up our community, as well as the culture of our school,” Mrs. Wood says. “People are looking to be part of a family-like community, especially in this day and age. We have several parent, community, and staff volunteers who have greatly enriched our school by providing excellent opportunities such as the Garden Club, the Cooking Club, and the Robotics Club.”
For Edee Wood, providing a strong, faith-rooted education is a family matter — she and her husband, Martin, have two daughters, Macy and Ellie, who both attended Mount St. Mary’s in the past and were active in our parish.
For Edee Wood and her family, Mount St. Mary's is a very special place.
