About Us
Established
Dogwood (formerly Binford) Middle School was established in 1915.
Slogan
Theme
Turnaround Arts partner school
Mascot
Wolves
Colors
Blue, Yellow, and Gray
Virginia School Quality Profiles
Virginia’s School Quality Profiles provide information about student achievement, college and career readiness, program completion, school safety, teacher quality and other topics of interest to parents and the general public. Report cards are available for schools, school divisions and for the commonwealth.
Vision
To affirm and prepare students to be their authentic selves through The Arts.
Mission
At Dogwood Middle School we believe that students can learn rigorously through an inspired love of learning through the arts, while pursuing personal, academic and social goals. Ultimately, we believe that the job of our staff is to illuminate pathways for students to claim their powers, so they can become confident and courageous enough to think independently when problem-solving, and be globally aware citizens
Awards & Distinctions
"Vanguard" middle school status from the State Department of Education in recognition of its innovative approaches to program design and instruction in 1989.
Spring of 2016 Binford is selected to participate in Turnaround Arts: Richmond, a program of Richmond Public Schools, in partnership with the Kennedy Center and The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
History
The James H. Binford Junior High School opened its doors to students in the fall of 1915. Binford was the fifth junior high to be opened in the United States, reflecting the growing nationwide interest in the junior high movement. The new junior high school was named for James H. Binford, the first superintendent of Richmond Public Schools from 1870-1876.
Joseph Sanders, the first principal, initiated the educational program with a staff of approximately 35 teachers and an enrollment of 500 students. The reorganization of Binford as a middle school began in 1970 and was completed in 1975. Since its inception, Binford has endeavored to develop and execute the finest educational program to meet the changing needs of its students and staff.
During the 2015-2016 school year the Binford school community celebrated its Centennial anniversary. Students, teachers and community members worked together to curate a wide variety of artifacts that inspired student work. Students worked to create original works of art, dance and slam poetry to share during the celebration.
We continue to affirm students to be their authentic selves under the new name of Dogwood Middle school, starting August 2023.