Friday, June 13, 2014

Celebrating this year's Crowning Achievement: The Grade 5 Class of 2014

Here is the presentation that I shared with our Grade 5 students and their families during our 'WHS Grade 5 Celebration' held on Wednesday evening, June 11th.

Good Evening, Ladies and Gentlemen, and thank you for joining us tonight for this most special event in our school year, the one in which we express pride in our mutual accomplishments, the one in which we honor our 5th Grade class.

Speaking of honor, it is both an honor and a pleasure to be with you tonight to celebrate our eldest students, the culminating product of our energies and our efforts over as many as six years at Woodland Heights School.  The young people that you see on the risers beside me are our masterpiece, our crowning achievement, and in so many ways they serve as the ‘top of the food chain’ within our student society.  They are our final exam, our diploma, and although we often wish that our time together would never end, if today is any indication, they are ready to move on to Laconia Middle School.  In ways large and small, our 5th Graders set the tone for the school, and lead by example, every moment of every day.  This year at WHS, we have had the honor of being led by a truly outstanding 5th Grade class – they were ‘bench worthy’ from the opening bell this year, as we knew they would be.  I have had the good fortune to serve as your principal here at Woodland Heights School for the past four years, and in the field of education for more than 25 years.  I have known a lot of great kids and worked with many outstanding 5th Grade classes.  However, I don’t believe that I have ever worked with a better group of 5th Graders than I have this year, and I suspect that I may never be associated with a better one.  Yes, this 5th Grade class is that good.  Thank you, 5th Graders for what you have done for our school this year, for its staff, for its students, and for me, personally.  By your example of kindness, respect, and empathy, others have learned what it means to be a Woodland Heights Wildcat, and that is hugely powerful.  Don’t ever forget what a powerful and positive teacher you can be for younger kids.  With that power of teaching comes responsibility.  You have worn that responsibility well here at WHS, and I would encourage to maintain that responsibility to younger people for the balance of your lives. 

To show you my appreciation for all that you have done for all of us, I am going to give you the gift of wisdom – or at least I will try.  I am going to share with you the best of what I have learned working in schools and living a successful, contented, and happy life.  In my mind, here are the keys to health, happiness, and true fulfillment.  If you embrace these qualities and make them standards for your life, you will be ready for anything and everything that comes your way in the time ahead.  However, for as sure as I am that you are destined for great things, I know that some bad things will happen for you in the future as well.  The extent to which you can overcome these challenges is directly related to how well you have learned and embodied these five traits which demonstrate what being a Woodland Wildcat is all about.

First ….. When the going gets tough, you will need Perseverance to overcome challenges, no matter what they are.  You will need to stick with it, and never give up.  You will need the strength and discipline to see yourself through tough times, and work toward getting yourself to the good times – because they are out there, you have to just keep working toward them.  Perseverance: never give up!

Second ….. When you get knocked down, you will need Resilience to get back up.  Bend, but don’t break.  You will get knocked down and tripped up somewhere along the line, but don’t ever let anyone keep you there.  You will need to rise up, and get yourself back on track.  You are worth it.  Never let go of your dreams, despite the setbacks that are inevitable in life.  Resilience:  bend, but don’t break.

Next ……  Speaking of dreams, you will need Confidence in order to dream big dreams, think big thoughts, and turn them into reality.  You will never accomplish great things if you do not believe that you can.  The biggest difference between the people who do great things and those that don’t, is confidence.  Successful people believe that they can be successful.  They have a vision of success, they believe in themselves, they get after it, and they make it happen.  Successful people have the confidence they need to make the catch, clear the hurdle, nail the landing, or hit the note.  They are confident and they are strong.  Confidence:  make it happen.

Probably the biggest key in working well with people, at home, school, and work, is Empathy.  If you have empathy, you can always see someone else’s point of view, appreciate it, and respect it.  You can put yourself in their shoes.  Empathy will give you the power to truly help others.  Thinking about others, and caring for others is one of the most important qualities in being successful on any team, family, or in any workplace.  Empathy: to understand and help others.

And at the end of the day, it is all about Character – how truly good you are as a human being.  Good intentions lead to good things.  Just like you can’t do great things without confidence, you also can’t do great things without good intentions.  You must always think about how you can make things better, help people out, do the right thing.  If you develop that habit of thinking, good things will surely happen for you throughout your schooling, and throughout your lives.  Character:  do the right thing.

5th Graders, as if you weren’t smart enough, there you have it.  You now have wisdom: knowing what it takes to succeed.

Grade 5 Friends, it has truly been a pleasure to spend the last four years in your presence, watching you grow, seeing your tremendous work in our school.  What an honor it has been to serve as your school’s principal.  To watch you develop into the young people that you are has been an enormous gift for me.  Thank you for inviting me to your special class celebration, and thank you for being who you are.  Now go show the Laconia Middle School who you are, and from where you have come: YOU are Woodland Heights, and you always will be.  Thank you, once again, everyone, and good night.

Navigating the Waters of Difficult Economic Times


There is a lot of misinformation out in the community right now about our arts and technology program for next year. I am reaching out to you at this time to share important information with you about this matter. 
 
It is true that there are some unfortunate reductions anticipated next year for WHS as a result of some budgetary problems that we find ourselves in. Thankfully, we have managed to avoid budget problems for many years in the Laconia School District, but next year we anticipate being in a very tight place -- requiring some difficult decisions on the part of school and district administration, as well as your elected school board.  For some time at WHS, we have enjoyed the benefit of full-time art, music, P.E, and computer teachers. These teachers met with each class for at least one class a week. Due to the number of classes at WHS, and the number of available teaching opportunities for each WHS Specialist teacher, we were able to offer enrichment and extension programs, beyond what was offered at ESS & PSS.  These programs were of high-quality and extremely beneficial for our students. However, when confronted with our current budgetary climate and the need to make substantial cuts to our district budget, it was ultimately determined that the 'extra' portion of the WHS Specialists schedule could be cut to meet necessary budget reduction goals.
Other schools needed to sacrifice far more to meet the budget goals that we did at WHS. 
 
Please know that the arts and technology education are an extremely important part of our student experience at WHS, and that will not change. However, we will not be able to offer the 'extra' opportunities for enrichment and extension that we had in the past.  Be assured that our school district administration will make certain that we offer high-quality arts education opportunities at WHS and across our district, no matter what -- the arts and technology are critical to our district vision, goals and strategic plan. Unfortunately, though, at this point in time (hopefully, just temporarily) we do need to cut back our arts offerings a bit in order to meet necessary budget challenges (however, students will still have art, music, and P.E once a week, as usual).
 
Although the budget reductions will include scaling back our technology education program significantly, between classroom teachers, our library/media assistant, and Mrs. Plourde's ongoing involvement in our school (although in a new, district-level role), we are confident that students at WHS will continue to enjoy important 21st Century learning experiences, as we have prided ourselves in over recent years. 
 
As always, please feel free to contact me in the WHS Main Office at 524-8733, or by email (ddobe@laconiaschools.org), if you have any questions or concerns about our school.  Thank you, and have a great summer!

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Another Great Week at Woodland Heights!

Here are a few notes and highlights from the past week at YOUR Woodland Heights School:


Principal Johnson Visit > On Monday Principal Eric Johnson visited WHS, met with parents, toured our building, spent time in classrooms and connected with students.  Mr. Johnson was impressed with what he saw and Woodland Heights, and is eager to begin his work with you this summer.


Spring Assessments > Spring assessments (AIMSweb for students in Grades K-2, and NWEA for students in Grades 3-5) got underway this week, and NECAP-Science (a statewide science test) will be administered next week for Grade 4 students.  So far, so good!  The kids seem to be working hard, and taking these tests seriously.  Individual student reports will go home with students next month.


Staff Appreciation > WHS-PTO kindness and generosity cannot be overstated!  WHS staff members were treated (spoiled?) by the WHS-PTO all week long to refreshments, gifts, and many expressions of thanks for what our staff members do for the children of WHS every day.  Thank you WHS Staff, and Thank You, WHS-PTO!


End Of Year Calendar Filling In > We have a number of great activities and year-end traditions scheduled for our learning community over the remaining weeks of school.   Please note the list of dates to the right of this article and mark your calendars accordingly.  You won’t want to miss any of the action, or have your children unprepared for class or school activities.  We also have this information posted on our school website and electronic family calendar (also found on our school website).   Please check these information resources regularly!


Thank You, and Join Us For a Family BBQ > WHS would like to thank parents for their support and partnership throughout the year.  Please join us, and be our guest, at the WHS Family BBQ on May 3oth.  More information about this celebration will come out soon, but we can tell you that the barbeque and Read-In will be a great family activity, — and lunch will be free for our parent guests!  Come out, have a great time with your friends at WHS, and celebrate a wonderful year together at Woodland Heights School!  We hope to see you there.


Friday, April 25, 2014

The Last Weeks of the School Year Are Coming Into View: Mark Your Calendars, Everyone!


With the end of the 2013-2014 School Year coming clearer into view, we now have a number of important dates to share with you, with additional year-end scheduling information soon to be on the way!


Please mark your calendars .....


Kindergarten Registration >  April 28 - May 30
Principal Eric Johnson Visitation Day >  May 5
Spring Assessment Window > May 5 - May 23
School Closed in Observance of the Memorial Day Holiday > May 26
WHS Community Spring Barbeque > May 30
Kindergarten Screening > June 3 - June 4
Move-Up Day > June 10
Grade 5 'Step-Up Dance' at LMS > June 10
Grade 5 Celebration > June 11
Last Day of School > June 13
Staff Work Days > June 16 - June 20




Check out the updated list of upcoming activities below! 

5/13/2014
WHS PTO @ 6:30pm
5/16/2014
No Project Extra
5/20/2014
5th Grade Field Trip
5/21/2014
Kevin Skarupa Visits 1st Grade
5/22/2014
1st Grade Field Trip
5/23/2014
4th Grade Field Trip
5/26/2014
NO SCHOOL: Memorial Day
5/28/2014
1st Grade Field Trip
5/28/2014
Family Fun Night “Fitness Fest” @ LHS @ 5:30
5/28/2014
WHS Band Concert at 6:30pm
5/30/2014
WHS BBQ and Read-in
6/2/2014
WHS Chorus Concert 6:30pm
6/4/2014
Grade 5 Track Meet
6/4/2014
3rd Grade Field Trip
6/6/2014
K.A.R.E.S. Program for Grade 3
6/9/2014
Talent Show @ 6:00PM
6/10/2014
Step Up Day & 5th Grade Dance
6/10/2014
4th Grade Mad Science Presentation
6/11/2014
5th Grade Recognition Ceremony
6/13/2014
LAST DAY of School for Students

 




Your Next WHS Principal, Eric Johnson, to Visit Woodland Heights on Monday, May 5th

Regrettably, Principal Johnson's visit to WHS on April 14th needed to be postponed.  We are pleased to announce that Eric Johnson will spend the day with us at WHS on Monday, May 5th.  We anticipate that we will develop a schedule very similar to the one we intended for April 14th (including a 'Meet & Greet' event for WHS parents from 8:30-9:00am.).


Please mark your calendars, and plan to join us on the morning of Monday, May 5th, to meet and enjoy the company of your school's next principal:  Eric Johnson.  This will be a great opportunity for you to share with Mr, Johnson some of the things that you have enjoyed most about your family's experience at WHS in recent years, and also share some of your hopes for our school in the coming years.  Schools are always changing and evolving, don't miss this opportunity to help shape the Woodland Heights of tomorrow!

WHS Spring Break Offers Time for Reflection and Preparation

At the end of each April we look forward to Spring Break as an opportunity to catch our breath and take stock of our work since Winter Break at the end of February.  At WHS, we continue to push forward in the areas of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and community building.  Over the past seven weeks we held a number of staff meetings, faculty leadership team meetings, job-embedded professional development meetings, district council meetings, and grade level PLC meetings.  Each meeting involved groups of school and/or district leaders working to bring our organization 'to the next level'.  It is in these meetings that people come together, reflect on our progress toward established goals, evaluate our practices, and make refinements to plans that will make our work even more effective.  During the weeks between late February and late April, a great deal of 'heavy lifting' occurs that we hope will manifest in our spring and year-end assessments which occur in the final weeks of the school year.


As our Spring Break comes to a close, our teachers have recharged their batteries, re-energized, and are fully ready to make the final push of the school year before our long Summer Break.  The next handful of weeks will be very active, fast-paced, and productive.  The weeks of May and June will move quickly, and before you know it, we'll be parting ways for the 10 weeks of Summer Break - 2014.  Hold on, everyone, it is time for the final stretch of what we hope will be one of our most successful school years in recent history.


Thank you for your support thus far, and we look forward to making the last segment of the school year truly wonderful for you and your children!  More news about our final weeks will be posted soon.  Ready to go, Woodland Heights?  Let's roll!!



Saturday, April 12, 2014

“Many Hands Make Light Work”


I first heard this expression when I was a high school student working as a stock boy for a local market in Suncook, NH.  This wisdom was handed down from the patriarch of the ‘B-Wise Market’ family.  At the time, my friends and I were undertaking a major project at the store, one that would have taken me all day to complete alone.  With the help of my friends, we got the job done in what seemed like no time at all.  Here at Woodland Heights, ‘Many Hands Make Light Work’ every day — we work together in order to complete our mission.  I am always impressed with how our staff members and parent volunteers step up to make wonderful things happen for your children at WHS.  Every moment of every day, adults who care for your children make decisions that go far ‘above and beyond’ their job description to make your child’s day all that it can be in OUR school.   Thank you for what you do to support us, as we work to support educational opportunity for your children here at Woodland Heights School.  Have a great weekend, everyone!