Agenda Item
b. Renaming of the Mascot at the New Middle & High School at the Sequoyah Site
Summary: Presented by: Mr. Andrew B. Ziffer, Board Member, District 1
Request: It is requested that the Board of Education approve the renaming of the mascot at the New Middle & High Schools at the Sequoyah Site to the Wolves. The middle school and high school mascot colors will be green and silver.
Why: The stakeholders requested that the mascot at the New School at Sequoyah be renamed to the Wolves.
Details: The committee, led by Board member Mr. Ziffer, was composed of the required Board members and District and School leaders. Then, parents, a student, and a community member were added to make a total of 13 members.
The committee met on the following dates:
March 24. 2025
April 28, 2025*
May 13, 2025
June 10, 2025
*Public input meeting was April 28, 2025
Financial impact: Areas impacted by the mascot renaming included, but not limited to athletics, band uniforms, murals, and miscellaneous will be reflected in the construction of Sequoyah Middle and High School. Items such as letterhead and stationery are estimated be a small cost that could be absorbed by the local school budget.
Contact: Mr. Andrew B. Ziffer, Board Member, District 1, 678-676-0722
Dr. Thomas Glanton, Area Superintendent for High Schools, Division of Schools & Leadership, 678-676-1079
Effective: Upon Board Approval, the High School Area Superintendent will work with appropriate divisions for the renaming of the mascot.
Status: Upon Board Approval
Sequoyah Renaming Process
Meeting Note
June 10, 2025
5:30 PM
Committee Members in Attendance
1. Andrew Ziffer- DCSD Board Member
2. Whitney McGinniss – DCSD Board Member
3. Thomas Glanton – High School Area Superintendent
4. Marchell Boston - Middle School Area Executive Administrator
5. Sedrick Anthony (Sequoyah MS Former Principal) – Performance Coach
6. Tiffany Sims – Sequoyah MS Interim Principal
7. Angelica Rosso – DCSD FACE (Interpreter)
8. Blanca Ramirez – Parent
9. Beth Rhodes – Community Member
Notes:
• A quorum was established and the meeting was called to order
• The purpose of the meeting was established to review the survey results to make a recommendation
to the DCSD Board of Education
• Renaming Process scheduled was reviewed emphasizing that this was the final step in the process
• Committee reviewed the second survey results
• The survey results revealed that 317 stakeholders responded to the survey
• The Alumni submitted the majority of the votes
• The results showed the following results
o School Name - Sequoyah Middle and High Schools
o Mascot – Wolves
o Colors- Silver and Green
• The committee discussed results and were given the opportunity to ask questions and address
concerns
o The point was made that when discussing school matters, differentiation will need to be
made when referring to middle or high school
o Questions were asked why both schools had the same mascot.
▪ The same mascot is practical, promotes community, and makes it easier to share
resources when the mascot is imprinted on the resource
o Do school levels have the option to adjust mascot variations i.e. middle school may use
Wolverines and high school use Wolves?
▪ Schools may be given latitude to use variations of mascot
• The committee stated they liked the choices made for the new schools
• The committee voted unanimously to present the recommendations to the DCSD Board of Education
during the July meeting.
• There were no opposing votes
• The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 PM