September 1st, 2010
Warm Woodland Greetings to All of Our New and Returning Friends!!
It is a tremendous pleasure, and honor, to welcome you to a new and exciting year at the Woodland Heights School.
We have several new staff members for you to meet, and new initiatives to unveil that will continue our progress as an outstanding 21st Century Learning Community.
First off, I’d like to introduce you to our new staff members.
Beginning this year, Woodland Heights will be hosting the Laconia School District’s preschool program. Joining Mrs. Matteson as a preschool teacher at WHS will be Miss Catherine Pelletier, and several preschool staff members joining us from Laconia’s Elm Street School (Mrs. Karen Snow, speech pathologist, and assistants Ms. Regina Arnst, Ms. Jadi Seiz, and Ms. Carolyn Hunt). Also supporting our preschool program, and all other students needing occupational therapy services, will be our school’s new occupational therapist, Ms. Deborah Burrell.
The Woodland Heights administrative offices will have a whole new look, welcoming a handful of new members to its staff. Mrs. Nicole Rogers will be the new Attendance Coordinator for the Laconia Elementary Schools, Miss Mollie Babcock will be our new School Counselor, Mrs. Jessica Ganchi will be our new School Nurse, Mr. Jerome Kramer will be our new Behavior Specialist, and I’ll be your new School Principal. In addition, Mr. Ryan March will be assuming a new role in our school. Beginning this year, Mr. Marsh will serve as the WHS Coordinator of Students Services, assuring the very highest quality of services for all of our young learners.
Over the coming year we will look to integrate new students and staff, and focus on a number of exciting and powerful initiatives – some new, and some continuing. Central to all of our initiatives, and most everything else we do, is our primary goal for the coming year: Partnering with Parents and the Community. In this effort, our school improvement rests largely with you, and collaboratively we can improve your child’s experience in our school. This positive elementary school experience will lay the foundation for future academic achievement and career success, as well as happiness and fulfillment in life.
There are piles of research which prove, and common sense would indicate, that your commitment to your child’s education bears an enormous influence on your child’s success and happiness in school. At Woodland Heights, partnering with you to improve our school and your child’s educational experience are primary goals. We’ll continue to do our best here at WHS and improve our level of access and service to you and your family. Here’s what you can do to partner with us and support your child and your school.
A. Stay in Touch! Please make us a part of your life, as we make your child(ren) part of ours. Check our school website (http://www.laconiaschools.org/whs) and class webpages frequently to stay informed about the happenings of our school. Also, (and this is really important!) when in doubt, contact your teacher, principal, or school secretary. Whenever you become concerned with something related to the school, or something that your child communicates to you about his/her school experience, contact us IMMEDIATELY and allow us an opportunity to work toward a solution with you. As little problems can easily fester into much larger problems, we’d like to nip things in the bud whenever possible. You can contact your child’s teacher or any school staff member by calling the school (524-8733), leaving a voice message, or writing an email (first initial, last name, @laconia.k12.nh.us, i.e., ddobe@laconia.k12.nh.us).
B. Keep us informed of changes in residence and/or contact information. It is not uncommon that families in our community change email addresses, phone or cell numbers, workplace numbers, or residences. It is critical that we have up to date contact information for you always. Please take the time to keep us in the loop!
C. Be mindful of communication style. At WHS we strive to be a respectful and supportive community, and we need you be a cooperative and contributing member! In a respectful community, members speak to each other in an adult manner, calmly and respectfully. Together, we can get through just about anything. We are on your side, and that of your children. Please make certain to treat our staff as you would wish to be treated.
D. Follow the Rules of the School. Yes, as you have always been told, there are reasons for rules. In school, those rules are mostly about assuring safety and maintaining an orderly and productive learning environment. Help us to help your children (and those of other families) by learning and following the rules of our school, especially those regarding drop-off and pick-up procedures. There are many people and vehicles that descend upon our school during arrival and dismissal, and if we are not patient, cooperative, and respectful of traffic and safety procedures, some little person is likely to be hurt. We can’t have that.
E. Remember, your children will follow your lead. What you model, you will get. What you do, they will do. What they hear, they will say. Your attitudes about school, will be their attitudes about school. Children deserve to feel good about their school and their teachers. Please help to convey a positive attitude about your child’s schooling whenever possible.
F. Assure plenty of rest, good nutrition, and good exercise for your child. Your child can’t be at his or her best without them! Please help us do our best work for your child by sending her/him to school ready to learn – feeling well, energetic, alert, and with a good attitude!
G. Maintain Stability. This can surely be a challenge in these times of great economic instability, but to the best of your ability, maintaining a safe, healthy, and predictable home environment is critical to developing your child’s core emotional and psychological strength. It is the support and love that children feel from their family unit and caregivers, that will help them to face challenges at school and maximize their schooling experience.
H. Don’t Give Up! Your child is worth the very best that you can offer, and deserves the very best that we can offer. Kids can be exhausting, but everything that we put into them will pay dividends in the time ahead. Let’s remember that the race is long, and that by working together we can bring all of our students along to greater levels of success in academics, citizenship, and friendships.
As was stated at the outset of this letter, your friends at Woodland Heights School are extremely excited to begin our new year with you and your child(ren). We have great hopes and dreams for the coming year. We are envisioning a Woodland Heights School (whs2.0) that will be a true model of exceptional teaching and learning for the 21st Century. We are poised and determined to take WHS ‘to the next level’. Please engage with us and join us in our quest to make Woodland Heights everything that it can be for all of its students. Together, I know that we can make it great!
Warmly, sincerely, and respectfully,
Dennis W. Dobe, Principal
