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