Even January is a Busy Month at WHS!

Hello!

All of your friends here at WHS wish that you and your loved ones enjoyed a happy and safe holiday season. With the onset of a new year, we often reflect on the year that was, and begin to dream about the year that will be. Welcome to 2011!!

At WHS, we'll be starting our new year in much the same fashion as we ended 2010 -- with a high degree of activity during the school day for our students and staff, and in the evenings with our WHS parents and families.

Here is a podcast that provides an overview of our activities here at WHS during the month of January. (Unfortunately, it will sometimes take a little while for podcasts to load, so please be patient -- and thanks for listening!)

When the kids come back to school beginning on January 3rd, don't forget that they should bring all of their 'winter gear' (coat, snowpants, boots, hat, gloves/mittens) every day, regardless of the weather forecast. We want to keep the kids happy and healthy over the winter months, and a big part of that is getting them outside for vigorous physical exercise during recess time. If students don't bring appropriate winter clothing, they cannot go outside, and this is disappointing for everyone involved. Thanks for your help with this!

Until next time,

Dennis

'WHS Family Night in the Commons' Series Soon to Begin!

Now that the new WHS Commons Computer Cluster is up and running, and we've worked out a few bugs, we are ready to open it to our families in the evenings for child and adult learning, as well as for personal and business use. We are very proud of our 'Commons' and are eager to share it with you and your family. Click on this link for a video tour of our fantastic new learning facility, the WHS Commons. You might want to go to 'full screen' image (button found to the lower right of the main viewing frame) while you view the video to avoid the list of video 'suggestions' to the right of the main frame -- though many of them are pretty interesting and worth your perusal at some point.

The first installment of 'WHS Family Night in the Commons' will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6-8pm. throughout the months of January and February, 2011. If these events are well-attended, there is a possibility that we'll be able to offer a second session during the months of March and April, 2011.

In addition to high-speed internet access, our WHSCCC machines boast fast and powerful processing, headset/microphone units, DVD players/burners, and multiple USB ports. We have a quality printer available for a 'reasonable' amount of participant document/image printing. Also, we have an interactive whiteboard and a document camera for use in making presentations or performing instruction -- bring a group, hold a meeting, develop and practice a presentation, etc.

Perhaps best of all, the WHS Family Technology Nights will be staffed by WHS personnel qualified to offer you not only technology support while you visit, but also some valuable training on programs and skills so important for student and adult learning, business, and 21st Century electronic communications, as well as electronic media creation, use, and storage. We'll provide more information shortly on the schedule of training programs that we plan offer over the course of the program. Learn, grow, and have fun with your family in the process -- a winning formula for sure! If that isn't enought for you, we will be able to share our school's entire library print collection (books & magazines) during our 'Family Night in the Commons' Series -- you'll even be able to sign-out and borrow our print materials for use and enjoyment at home with your families!

The 21st Century is here, and your Woodland Heights School is poised to support the development of your family's skills and abilities in accessing and making productive use of the power and potential of the internet and 21st Century tools for learning and communication.

At WHS we are excited to be your public learning community and invite you to join us we continue our growth toward true excellence in learning experiences for both our students, our families, and our community. Join us, partner with us, and help us to be all that we can for you and your entire family.

RtI and Differentiated Instruction are Major Focal Areas at WHS!

Throughout this school year, the staff of WHS have committed to a continuous improvement model for our primary initiatives here at WHS (see our 'School Goals' tab on the banner to the right).

Perhaps the most critical of which, Response to Intervention (RtI), may be the least well understood. Here is a video that provides a nice overview of RtI. Although the video describes a general overview of RtI, each school community engages in a process of fashioning its RtI model to best meet the needs of their individual school context.

It is this evolving process of review and refinement of our WHS RtI model that is a major emphasis of our staff development and staff meeting time this year. In addition to a couple of well-attended trainings on RtI this year, we had a number of teachers attending a conference on the subject today (focusing on interventions related to mathematics instruction).

A very closely related concept/initiative that we also continue to work on is called 'Differentiated Instruction'. Here is a link to more information on Differentiation. In this approach to instruction and learning, teachers are mindful of student readiness, background, and interests to develop personalized instruction to meet the needs of our students as individuals. We are all different, and through Differentiation, we aim to develop academic programs, activites, and experiences that are tailored to meet each child's unique learning needs.

In both cases, RtI and Differentiation are about challenging ourselves to do our very best to meet the individual and unique learning need of each and every WHS student. Needless to say, this is no small feat. Only the best and most dedicated teachers can differentiate instruction effectively. Thankfully, that is what you have here at WHS -- an evolving learning community of excellence.

This is a very dynamic and exciting time in our school. Many thanks for your efforts to support your child's education. There is little doubt that our partnership will bring an enormously positive outcome for your child and her/his future. In fact, the proof of this is all around us at WHS every day! [The large and energetic Kindergarten parent volunteer crew who were on hand for our annual gingerbread house theme day activities this morning was absolutely amazing!!]

For more information on RtI and Differentiated Instruction at WHS, don't hesitate to call, stop by, or email Student Services Director Ryan Marsh at rmarsh@laconia.k12.nh.us or me at ddobe@laconia.k12.nh.us. As always, many thanks for your support!

WHS Commons Computer Cluster Opens!

On Monday, December 6th, WHS will proudly open a new computer cluster for student, staff, and family use.

The new computer cluster features 24 networked, internet-accessible machines that are both fast and powerful. These will be 'state of the art' machines for our school and will be used extensively throughout the school day by whole classes, small groups, and even individual students as they work on projects related to their regular classroom program. In some cases, students will be using the new computers to shore up mastery of fundamental math or reading skills. In other cases, the cluster will be used for learning enrichment or extension activities.

The new computers have large monitors and headset/microphone units to further expand their utility. In addition, for our teachers there will be an interactive whiteboard and document camera on the premises which will offer them opportunities to use some of the most cutting-edge educational technology available.

We will be very excited to open our new cluster to our families a couple of nights a week beginning in January. The WHS Commons will be staffed by an experienced member of our faculty to help students and families use our computers to promote learning or other personal business needs. Families can also enjoy and sign out books or magazines from our school library collection during these evenings. Essentially, we want to invite you into our school to explore learning with quality books and computers, making the powerful resource of the WHS Commons available to you and your families.

Stop by sometime for a tour of our new computer cluster and see us in action as we continue to expand our capabilities as 21st Century learners at WHS!

At WHS, So Much To Be Thankful For

What am I thankful for at WHS? So very much.

I am thankful for our supportive and engaged parents who have actively participated in and/or enthusiastically attended our many events so far this year (Open House, Parent Conferences, Halloween Party, Thanksgiving Dinner, and DARE Graduation, as well as our many class parties, presentations, and fairs). I am grateful for our corps of dedicated, generous, and tireless parent volunteers who organize and staff our social events, and support our school program during the school day. I am thankful for our parents who have diligently followed our ‘Rules of School’ with regards to our traffic pattern and safety procedures. I am also thankful for our parents who have shown great patience and trust as we continue to evolve as a school community into the high achieving learning community of excellence that you want, and our students deserve. WHS Parents have ‘stepped-up’ to support a quality educational experience for their children, helping at home to prepare their children for success. Thanks and keep up the great work – it is making a difference at Woodland Heights School!

I am thankful for our selfless and dedicated staff who keep the needs and interests of children at the forefront of their minds; first, last, and always. The group of educators we are fortunate to call our own at WHS is nothing short of spectacular. What a team! This group works harder than you could know, continuously makes personal sacrifices for the betterment of the school and their students beyond what you could imagine, and (yes) loves your children (in many cases) as if they were their own. You should see them in action. They are truly amazing, and we should all be thankful for the gift of themselves that they give to our kids every moment of every school day.

I am thankful for our students who work hard and bring a bright smile, positive attitude, and good nature to our school every day. I am thankful for the joy, the humor, and the smiles that they bring into the lives of the adults who work at WHS. I am thankful for the kindness they show their classmates, and the respect their show for their teachers and bus drivers. I am thankful for their curiosity, their eagerness to learn and to please, and their desire to do the right thing at school -- because it is the right thing to do!

I am thankful for the opportunity to be your principal; the proud principal of Woodland Heights School -- a school that has been so excellent for so long, and one that has achieved so much yet still has so much untapped potential. It is a great privilege to be here with you at WHS. A great many ‘thanks!’ for your warm welcome into the WHS Community. It has been a challenge at times but, more so, it has been a true joy. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to serve as your school principal.

I am certain that, together, we will accomplish great things at Woodland Heights School in the months ahead. I am sincerely thankful for that prospect.

‘Happy Thanksgiving’ to you and your wonderful family.

Warmly and sincerely,

Dennis Dobe

WHS Parents Stepping Up!!

Wow, two weeks since my last post. Bad idea, I'll try to keep updates coming more regularly moving forward. There is way too much going on at WHS all the time to keep up otherwise.

So what's been going on?? A G-R-E-A-T deal! Almost too much to list really, but I do want to spend a bit of ink telling you about how impressed I have been with the manner in which WHS Parents have been 'Stepping Up'. Huge!

Since my last letter to parents: WHAVE has sponsored a Halloween Party which was very well attended and a great time for all (parent and student volunteers made enormous contributions, without such, the event never could have happened), and WHAVE organized a number of activities and fundraisers in conjunction with our Fall Parent Conference Day on November 1oth. Speaking of Parent Conference Day, the event was fantastically well-attended with excited students and proud parents filling our hallways and classrooms until after 8pm. The highlight of Parent Conference Day for the kids had to be the WHS Scholastic Book Fair evening hours which allowed many kids a chance to stock up on some great reads at reasonable prices -- thanks for supporting your child's desire to read and learn! WHS parent volunteers came up huge for us in both of these events -- we are SO fortunate for the contributions of our parent volunteers!

What's coming up for WHS parents and families? On Thursday, WHS will host its annual Thanksgiving Dinner. This huge event offers families an opportunity to come togther here at WHS to enjoy a fabulous Thanksgiving meal with family, friends, classmates and teachers. Like the tone and feel of our Parent Conference evening, the Thanksgiving Dinner will provide a lot of 'good vibes' and positive energy for those in attendance as we continue to build our sense of 'Community' here at WHS.

O.K., what's next? WHAVE will sponsor another major event on the evening of Friday, December 3rd beginning at 6pm: WHS Polar Express Night! You can find more information about this WHAVE event on our school website and the fabulous WHAVE newsletter that just went out to you.

As with the events outlined above, the many field trips that WHS parents chaperoned this fall, all of the encouragement and support they offer their children, and the manner in which they communicate and partner with our teachers; we at WHS are extremely grateful for the support and collaboration of our school's parents. Where would we be without you??

WHS parents, many thanks for all that you do for all of us.

Dennis

WHS Bus Safety Week, October 25-29

The quality of a student's experience on their way to school or home can have a large effect on her or his day at school, as well as the child's general comfort with his or her overall schooling experience.

The experience of the child's morning at home and trip to school sets the tone for the new school day. The experience of the child's return trip to home in the afternoon has much to do with how the student perceives the school day. If a student's ride to school is poor, s/he arrives to school agitated and off balance. The rest of the day can be an uphill climb. If the ride home is poor, it can eclipse all the good work the that student and teachers had done that day. This is why it is so important that we assure a quality experience for our bus riders every day at Woodland Heights.

After meeting with bus company managers last week to begin our cooperative work toward improving our busing situation for both students and drivers, this week we will be celebrating 'WHS Bus Safety Week'. During the week I'll be hosting a meeting for our school's bus drivers to discuss and 'tweak' our school's busing system, and support the further development of their student management skills. I'll also be visiting classes at WHS to make presentations that remind students of bus safety and behavior guidelines, and the importance of their following the guidelines without exception. We will likely begin an assigned seating system on our buses whereby students will be seated with their grade level and school peers (i.e., WHS kids with WHS kids, 1st Graders with 1st Graders).

In addition, we are investigating the possibility of implementing the common practice of installing video cameras on our buses to assist in maintaining a safe and appropriate riding climate for our students and drivers. In other school districts that I have been fortunate to serve, a video camera system has done much to encourage better conduct by everyone on the bus, has been helpful in the accurate and efficient investigation of bus disciplinary infractions, and has actually exonerated students wrongly accused of bus infractions. Placing video cameras on our buses would be an enormous benefit to everyone involved in the bus riding experience at WHS.

Stay turned for more details! As always, don't hesitate to contact me at school, or by email (ddobe@laconia.k12.nh.us) if I can answer any of your questions of be of service to you in any way.

Have a great week!

WHS Parent Forum on School Improvement Announced

Wow, another great week at WHS! Despite a soggy Friday, we enjoyed a lot of outstanding fall weather while at recesses earlier in the week. A highlight at the end of last week was the opportunity for some of our 1st Graders to plant two new apple trees on our campus (thank you Mrs. Levesque, Mr. Caruso, and Petal Pushers Farm!). Our students and staff worked hard in their classrooms this week, and our 3rd & 4th Graders took their NECAP assessment this week -- we were busy!

Speaking of NECAP, there have been some questions raised by parents about the tests and what the results tell us about our school. I would like to invite all WHS parents into the school on Thursday evening, October 21st, from 7-8pm. in our school library to discuss our most recent NECAP school results and our School in Need of Improvement (SINI) designation. Coffee and light refreshments will be served!

The WHS Staff is continually involved in personal professional development, and are actively and productively engaged in many school improvement initiatives as well. On the 19th, I'd like to share: an overview of the NECAP assessment program at WHS, our school's performance on that assessment over recent years, our SINI status and what that means, our school goals for this year, and an update on our school improvement intitiatives.

The night should be both informative and highly interactive. During the meeting, we hope to address your concerns and answer your questions about our school and our course for ongoing school improvement. We hope that you will be able to join us!

Lots of Hard Work and Testing Lead Up to Long Weekend

For the weeks prior to our fist long weekend since Labor Day, students and staff have been very busily attending to their program of study and participating in two important assessments: the NWEA Measures of Academic Progress and the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP). All of ur Grade 3-5 students have completed their fall NWEA testing (results due back shortly), and Grade 5 students have completed their NECAP testing (Grade 3 & 4 will take their NECAP tests this coming week).

Also recently, a number of classes have enjoyed their annual fall field trips that have been extremely educational and enjoyable for all in attendance. Our intrepid third graders even braved cool, blustery, and wet weather for their annual City of Laconia walking field trip.

Back to academics and testing. A couple of weeks ago, you received a letter authored by our school superintendent, Mr. Robert Champlin, notifying you of our 'School in Need of Improvement' status for the coming year. This is nothing new for our school district or for most school districts across our state. In fact, with the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) 'passing' bar raised significantly over the past year, many schools who have long enjoyed a reputation for academic excellence have now found themselves on the 'School in Need of Improvement' list -- in fact very few schools in the state have escaped the designation to this point. With the cut-off for a shool's passing grade at above 90% of their entire student population (and every subgroup as well -- i.e., special education, socioeconomic status, students with limited english proficiency, etc.) needing to achieve a score of 'Proficient' (a rigorous mark to meet for any student), many great schools are now being informed that they are a school in need of improvement.

A number of WHS parents have expressed an interest in learning more about the 'No Child Left Behind' law, the NECAP testing process (the results of this test determine our school's NCLB status), and our school's plan to adress our School in Need of Improvement designation. Fabulous! Even better: a few parents have offered to become part of the solution at WHS and join our School in Need of Improvement (SINI) Team!

I am looking to set a date in the next week or two to meet with parents to discuss these matters. Hopefully, we'll be able to conduct a webinar for those who can't attend our meeting, or at least record the meeting for a podcast to post on this blog. If you are interested in attending, please email me (ddobe@laconia.k12.nh.us) and share what upcoming days would be best for a 7:00-8:00pm. meeting (or which days should be avoided), and we will publicize the meeting as soon as the date is set.

In the interim, you can begin to review our school's recent NECAP results at : http://reporting.measuredprogress.org/nhprofile/reports.aspx. Results for this year's NECAP test administration will not be available until mid-winter.

Many thanks for your interest and involvement, everyone. At WHS, we are a very good school with a determination to become a GREAT school!! With your support, we are sure to get there.

Have a great week!!

Dennis

WHS Open House a Rousing Success!

Our Open House 'event' was very well attended this evening with students, parents, and staff seeming to have a wonderful time together. I'd like to thank our many families for turning out this evening with such enthusiasm. I'd also like to thank the staff of WHS for being such wonderful hosts -- they showed us all a fantastic time!

While I'm thanking people, one goes out to all of the parents who took our technology usage survey and all of our staff who helped to administer it. The preliminary results are very interesting, and encouraging. Final results of the survey will be posted over the weekend.

Additionally, I'd like to share how amazing it was to see the students and staff demonstrating so much pride in their school. Many people have invested a great deal of time and energy over many years to make WHS the fabulous school that it is today, and the school that it will be tomorrow. It was a pleasure to see so many kids and adults beaming over the school and our many accomplishments so far over the few short weeks of this new school year.

Closing out the evening, I was extremely pleased to have the opportunity to speak to our families about the school year start-up, and about one of our initiatives that is generating a great deal of interest and enthusiasm at WHS this year: 21st Century Learning! Below you will find a link to a podcast we made of the presentation (in case you couldn't make it to Open House, or had to leave the event early) -- be patient, it takes a moment to load. As always, many thanks for your support!!

http://principaldobe.podomatic.com/entry/2010-09-30T17_45_44-07_00

WHS Open House: A Night of Excitement & Wonder.

On this coming Thursday evening, September 30th, the students and staff of Woodland Heights will be inviting families and guests into our school. We look forward to showing you all of the work that we have done, and the classroom communities that we have created since our opening day on September 1st. There will be a general 'Open House' from 6-7pm., during which you'll be invited to visit classrooms and many other areas around the school building. Please try to come early enough to see the entire school. This way you'll get a great sense of what we are doing as an entire school and in our various departments, as well as this year's focus areas for individual classrooms and grade-level teams. The themes and qualities that I'd expect you will observe most readily are: Community, Student Support, Educational Technology, Enthusiasm, and Pride!

From 7:00-7:30pm. I'll have the honor of speaking with any and all visitors 'still standing'. I could talk for hours (literally) about all that we are endeavoring to accomplish this year at Woodland Heights, and how very proud I am to be associated with your school, staff, and community -- which are absolutely FABULOUS!! However, with only 30-minutes available, I'll have to pick just one theme to address: "21st Century Learning at Woodland Heights School". Of the many important topics that could be shared, it is our recent initiative regarding the use of educational technology (as a tool to facilitate 21st Century Learning), that is probably the least understood.

I'd love to meet with you for this presentation in the warm and comfortable WHS Library (which I like to refer to as the WHS 'Commons'), but we may be too large a group for that area. Please stay tuned for more details on WHS Open House. They will be relayed to you through our various classroom and/or office wikis or blogs. I hope that you and your family have a fantastic start to your week, and that we'll see you on Thursday evening for one of our biggest nights of the year!

Warmly,

Dennis Dobe

WHS Hosts PSU Practicum Students!

At WHS we are extremely proud to have the opportunity to host education students from Plymouth State University, as they finish their work preparing to be tomorrow's teachers. This fall we are hosting four PSU students, and wish to thank Mrs. Reed, Ms. Mull, Mrs. McCulloch, and Mrs. Reynolds for serving as 'Cooperating Teachers' for these college interns.

I had a moment to spend with our PSU interns this morning, and took an opportunity to interview them for our website (i.e., creating a 'podcast'). The students were happy to oblige, and we made the experience part of their training to become '21st Century Teachers'. Just click on the link below to hear what they had to say. We hope that you enjoy the program, and have a wonderful weekend!

http://principaldobe.podomatic.com/player/web/2010-09-24T05_58_15-07_00

All Systems Go!

Walk Around. At the close of last week, long after our students left on Friday afternoon, I had a chance to make my rounds of the WHS building and reflect with many teachers on the week that was: our first full week of the new school year.

The themes that were echoed again and again were of exhaustion, and elation.

Exhaustion. It had been a long week, one of NWEA testing for Grade 3-5 students (thank you Mrs. Bergman and Mrs. Plourde), more Project Adventure experiences with Mr, Kramer and Miss Babcock, the beginning of the DARE program with LPD Officer Michelle Cardinal, a fire drill with special visitors from the Laconia Fire Department, indoor recesses, extra classroom and duty coverages, fledgling teacher practicum students from Plymouth State University, the beginning of Project Extra, Ward 5 voting at WHS (with bag lunches in the classrooms), the first WHAVE meeting of the year, the first common cold wave, and so much more.

There is more activity, and more work done by more people at your child's elementary school than you could ever imagine. Your teachers expend more physical and emotional energy in a day, than many professionals do in a week. The talent and drive necessary to skillfully lead a diverse group of children to a happy and successful week, maintaining the physical and emotional safety of all every second of the day, attaining high academic standards, and continuously meeting the demanding expectations of parents and supervisors, are nothing short of remarkable.

WHS teachers are very good at what they do. Often they are better than they need to be, because they care so much about their students. It has not been at all uncommon to have a teacher forego a break, step up to fill a coverage, design a unique activity, cover a needed duty, or develop and share a better way of doing something at our school. In short: seize an opportunity to make the day better for our students, and make the school better for everyone.

By the way, when I write about 'teachers', I am not just talking about classroom teachers, I am speaking collectively about all of our amazing staff (custodians, kitchen staff, paraprofessionals, interventionists, specialists, secretaries, volunteers, foster grandparents, etc., etc.) -- everyone on the WHS Team. These people are always stepping up to do things that they don't have to do. They step up, even when no one is watching. They step up because they know that when they do, the school is better, and that is good for kids. I have only been in your school for a few weeks, but I can tell you without hesitation, that you are fortunate to have your child attend Woodland Heights School; a school that is very good now, and is only going to get better in the time ahead.

As has been said a number of times already in my correspondence to parents, we hope that you will partner with us and get on the WHS improvement train. As with all of the the staff members I had alluded to earlier, your contributions to the school and the quality of your child's education can be enormous in our school's ongoing improvement intiative -- your focused effort and sustained commitment will undoubtedly make a world of difference for your child and her/his future. Your child has only one childhood, as we did. Why wouldn't you make it the very best it could be? Material things are cheap, and diminish in value over time. However, your quality time, and personal investment in your child: priceless!

Elation. Did I mention it was Friday afternoon??

Seriously, the feeling of pride and accomplishment among the people I visited that afternoon was unmistakable. Not only had they done some pretty fine work which challenged them in many ways, but they also may have realized (I think) that the many new WHS students and staff members were going to work out just fine. Everything was going to be O.K. What a relief!


Wrap-Up. That should do it for now. I'd like to thank everyone for their ongoing support and contributions which have made our school start-up go so very well so far this year. I'd like to especially thank all of the parents who have been patient and safety-minded as they come to the school at either end of the school day. We really notice and appreciate our parents who have come to understand how important it is to 'follow the rules of school' and do all that they can to have arrival and dismissal run smoothly and (most of all) safely for our students and staff.

So long for now. I hope that you and your family have a fabulous week!

Warmly,

Dennis Dobe

New School Year Gets Underway at WHS!!

After months of preparation, Woodland Heights School opened its doors to teachers, students and families on August 30th.

Teachers started the day by hosting a special breakfast to thank the WHS custodial crew for their outstanding effort over the summer months. During the hot and dry months of July and August, our custodians worked tirelessly to clean our building from top to bottom. By the time that school opened on August 30th, our building absolutely sparkled. On behalf of the entire WHS Community, I'd like to extend a heartfelt 'Thank You!' to Corey, Scott, Bill, Ben, and summer helpers Garrett and Zachary. You guys are amazing!

For the balance of the day on the 30th, the teachers were involved in whole staff and team meetings in preparation for the upcoming school year. Many staff members also made finishing touches to their classrooms before the evening, during which they invited students and families into the school for our annual 'Warm Woodland Welcome'.

The evening event drew a large and enthusiastic crowd. Everyone in attendance seemed to be very excited to be back in the building together again. Our Warm Woodland Welcome set a warm, comfortable, and joyous tone for a fabulous school opening day on September 1st.

On Tuesday, August 31st, the entire Laconia School District Staff got together at the Laconia Middle School for a series of meetings and workshops to bring everyone up to speed on district initiatives and projects for the coming year. School Board Chairman Scott Vachon and School Superintendent Bob Champlin gave inspirational, technologically rich presentations that got us all 'fired-up' to start school, and continue the district's strive for academic excellence.

Our first day of school on September 1st was largely uneventful, with all school systems operating like clockwork. Some people commented that it was like the students, staff and families had never left for the summer: everyone was already in rhythm! What a relief!!

A smooth-running school right from the start is quite a achievement given how many new students, families, and staff members we have in the building this year. To name a few big changes (that you might already be aware of), the following staff members have been welcomed into the WHS Community this fall: Jessica Ganchi (School Nurse), Deborah Burrell (Occupational Therapist), Catherine Pelletier (Preschool Tacher), Nicole Rogers (Attendance Coordinator), Jerome Kramer (Behavioral Specialist), Mollie Babcock (School Counselor), and Dennis Dobe (School Principal). That is a lot of new talent in your school!

Major developments over the past few days include: getting our school computer system up and running after major disassembly over the summer for cleaning, organizing our student support teams and coordinating student service times, conducting our first series of emergency preparedness drills, and scheduling NWEA testing for the coming two weeks -- NECAP testing will follow in early to mid-October.

It definitely feels like the school year is underway now, and everything is looking good for the time ahead. It has been absolutely wonderful getting to know the talented staff, wonderful students, and supportive families of WHS. I think it is going to be a fabulous year!

Welcome to the WHS Principal's Blog!

In this blog you will find current information and commentary about Woodland Heights School in Laconia, NH. We are quickly becoming a 21st Century Learning Community, and I hope that you will enjoy watching us GROW as our initative unfolds over the coming year. Please do not hesitate to call, email, or drop by if we can be of assistance to you in any way, or if you would like to learn more about how we conduct our mission of preparing our students for success in and out of school, now and for their future. Thanks for checking us out!