WS Chronicle

The gymnasium at Ashley Academy for Cultural and Global Studies was filled with excitement last Friday evening as hundreds of parents, students, teachers, and faculty members came together for the 5th Annual Global Celebration.

Designed to help students learn about different cultures and parts of the world, each year the celebration has something different for the students and parents to enjoy. This year’s celebration included free food, several performances from students, and a special guest performance from Gamelan Giri Murti,Wake Forest University’s Balinese percussion and dance ensemble. The celebration also served as a reunion of some sorts, as former principals and teachers returned to Ashley to mark the 20th anniversary of the school opening as an elementary school.

Ashley reopened as a elementary school in 1999; prior to that the school operated as a middle school up until the late 70s when the school was closed. Ashley officially became a magnet school in 2006 and in 2015 the school changed its name to Ashley Academy for Cultural and Global Studies. Scarlett Linville, who has been the principal at Ashley since 2016, said she was proud to be a part of a school with such a rich history in the community.

“I’m honored to be a part of such a rich education institution and we felt it was important to honor everyone who had a part in our school,” Linville said.