Charles W. Woodward High School has its new mascot ahead of the school’s return in fall 2027. Principal Bob Sinclair introduced the Woodward Wolves on Monday, revealing the identity selected by the community as the school prepares to reopen for the first time in 40 years.
More than 110 mascot ideas were submitted before the field was narrowed to six finalists. More than 900 community members then voted, with the Wolves ultimately selected.“Wolves look for a pack, look out for one another, and are strongest because every member is different,” Sinclair said. “That’s the school we’re building.”
The school’s colors will be purple, white and gold. Purple and white were Woodward’s original colors and were often accompanied by yellow or gold.
Woodward originally opened in 1966 and operated as a comprehensive high school for 21 years. The school was known as the Wildcats before closing in 1987, when it merged with Walter Johnson High School. The Wildcats name was adopted by Walter Johnson as part of an effort to unite the two school communities.
The building later served as swing space during Springbrook High School’s renovation and, beginning in 1991, became the home of Tilden Middle School for nearly 30 years. After Tilden moved to its renovated campus in 2020, the former Woodward building was demolished to make way for an entirely new facility.
Northwood High School students have been attending classes at the newly constructed Woodward facility at 11211 Old Georgetown Rd since fall 2024 while the Northwood campus is rebuilt. Northwood will continue using Woodward as its holding school through the end of the 2026-2027 school year. Charles W. Woodward High School is scheduled to officially reopen in fall 2027, 40 years after its original closure.
The school is named for Judge Charles W. Woodward, who served on the Montgomery County Circuit Court and presided over the landmark 1937 Gibbs v. Broome case. A young Thurgood Marshall represented William B. Gibbs Jr. in challenging the significant pay disparity between Black and white MCPS teachers. The case resulted in an agreement to equalize teacher salaries and became a model for similar equal-pay challenges elsewhere.
Judge Woodward also established the original school’s guiding principles of “Rights, Respect, and Responsibility,” a variation on the traditional “three Rs.” Sinclair unveiled the new mascot through a video featuring mascots from around Montgomery County Public Schools passing a ball from school to school before it eventually reached Woodward and the Wolves were revealed.
Introducing… the Woodward Wolves! 🐺💜💛
The ball made its way around MCPS, and it finally landed with us. Thank you to our fellow MCPS mascots for passing it along! 🏈 pic.twitter.com/T65QZi8vpB
— Bob Sinclair (@WoodwardPrin) October 26, 2026
