Title I Grant Funds Comprehensive Professional Development at WHS

At Woodland Heights School, we are fortunate to receive a large amount of funding from the federal government to support our work meeting the learning needs of struggling students, many of whom suffer from low socioeconomic status.

Much of this support is dedicated to funding professional staff positions to support the development of fundamental literacy and mathematics skills in students who need extra support to catch up and be successful learning in the regular education environment. Some of the funding is dedicated to the purchase of materials to support this instruction (intervention program materials, general teaching materials and manipulatives, as well as student text material and 'trade books').

A significant facet of our work to which this funding must be dedicated is the professional development of our teachers and tutors. At WHS, we are very good at what we do. In fact, I'd say we are great -- but we can always do better! Hence, this year, some of our Title One Professional Development funding will be dedicated to further training that will develop 'Professional Learning Community' (PLC) leadership ability amongst our staff members, training in analyzing data from our AIMSweb and NWEA assessments to inform our instructional decision-making, training to further develop our 'Response to Intervention' and 'Differentiated instruction' techniques, further refinement of our mathematics instruction through continued training with mathematics professor Dr. Mahesh Sharma, taking a Laconia-based Plymouth State University writing instruction course, and conducting book study groups associated with our district-wide initiative to 'Teach Like a Champion'.

At WHS, we are a true community of learners, and for our educators, the learning never stops. Thanks to the support of our federal government, we have opportunities to learn and become even better educators, better meeting the learning needs of ALL learners who comprise our diverse student population. Title I funding helps us be all that we can be for all of our students -- students who will grow to inherit our nation. Title I grants have been a sound investment in our children, our nation, and its future. Call or stop by WHS to learn more about how our school improvement initiatives are supported through federal and state grant funding. Without their support, we would be totally on our own, and so would Laconia children.

Getting School Climate Right at Woodland Heights

Understanding that exemplary schools enjoy exemplary school climate, the Woodland Heights School Community has embarked on a comprehensive program of self-inquiry, reflection, discussion, and commitment in an effort to clarify our intentions and promote a school climate at WHS that every student and every staff member deserves. We have conducted surveys of students, staff, and families, and continue our discussions with, and presentations to the same. We are attempting to make certain that we are get 'School Climate' right at Woodland, and have established this goal as one of our most significant priorities this year.

Here is a sampling of some recent activity associated with our school climate initiative: developing a comprehensive schematic of our school climate improvement initiative which serves as a blueprint and roadmap for our staff as we move toward project completion; presenting to our WHS-PTO on our School Climate Improvment Initiative; conducting an ongoing series of 'work session' meetings for staff to continue making progress on our plan; conducting surveys of students, staff, and families with regard to expressions/markings of school spirit (colors, mascot logo, and mascot name). Look for information coming out soon regarding opportunities to purchase Woodland Heights apparel, schwag, and bling. We have also held many discussions at our WHS Staff Meetings on the initiative and have recently arrived at consensus regarding affirmations of our school mission and vision, and a new belief statement that embodies all that we hope for our work on this initiative: "Woodland Heights School: a caring community of responsible, respectful, and reflective learners." At the upcoming Student Recognition / School Spirit Assembly (February 3rd), we will be rolling our new belief statement and begin our instruction regarding what it means, and what it looks and sounds like to be caring, responsible, respectful, and reflective in our school community.

In the time ahead we will be formalizing student behavior expectations, in accordance with this belief/values statement, for different areas of our building to include our classrooms, cafeteria, on the playground and buses, in our halls, and during our assemblies. After determining how we will teach, encourage, and reward these behaviors, we will develop systems to support students who encounter challenges meeting our school community behavioral expectations.

It is important to note that establishing 'improving school climate' as a major initiative at WHS this year is not to suggest that our school climate is not very good. It is -- but it could be even better, and it is important to recognize that improving school climate will translate into better student character development, and better student achievement will result. At WHS, we endeavor to grow children smart, and good. What pursuit in public schools could be more appropriate or more noble than that? If you'd like to learn more about our school climate improvement initiative, please contact your child's teacher or any of your friends in the WHS Main Office. As always, we are here for your children, and for you!