Jason Wood Ready To Lead Regents School Of Oxford

In late 2016, Jason Wood accepted the role of Head of School at the Regents School Of Oxford. As the Summer begins, Wood has made his way to Oxford and is ready to get started at his new job. With the first week of school, closer than any students want to think, Wood is already encouraged by what he has seen at the school. 
“I’m really excited that the teaching staff is so strong. I’ve been impressed. Their dedication for academic rigor and their love for children is incredible. Having those two qualities is unique because they really know each student individually.”
Regent’s is home to just over 200 students in PreK-12, and based on the trivium system of education, each level focuses on a different theme. The elementary students learn on a grammar and fact based curriculum. Middle school students learn a logic based curriculum, while high school students are rhetoric based. Each grade level is unique and important in their own ways, but Wood’s favorite is the logic based middle school teachings. 
“It’s when kids are starting to argue anyway, so we teach them how to do it correctly. Rather than telling them to be quiet, we encourage the dialogue because it teaches them how to reason correctly. It also helps them engage in a public discourse with winsome demeanor and with some eloquence as well,” Wood said. 
At his previous school in St. Louis, Wood implanted an athletic program. While Regent’s already has athletics, he hopes to expand it in order for it to thrive and allow the students to gain as much as possible from it. 
“We want to build a stronger athletic program,” Wood said. “They have a good base here; it just needs to grow. When you do athletics you’re talking character development for young people. While it does grow the school, the main focus is the fact that it’s a co-curricular experience where they get one-on-one mentorship from a coach.”
New in town, Wood has already recognized the amount of friendly faces in Oxford and hopes to continue to reach out to families before the school year begins in August. 
“My goal is to meet with each teacher and each family individually. I want to begin building positive relationships with everyone before the year begins and that way it will allow for easier conversations once the year begins,” Wood said. 
While acknowledging the Oxford School District for its achievements and prominence, Wood hopes that Regent’s is known as a place where students can thrive. 
“People may not know who we are at Regents, but we hope that we offer a unique fit for families and students,” Wood said. “We can give students who may not feel comfortable in larger settings a place where they can be given the proper attention. We strive to give our students the best experience through smaller class sizes and hands-on learning.”

Steven Gagliano is the managing editor of HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at steven.gagliano@hottytoddy.com. 
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