Volume 3 | October 16, 2020
From the Head of School
Dear Woodland Hill Community,

As we were finishing our sixth week of school this past Friday, I took a walk around the building, as I typically do, and I could sense that we are reaching a new stage in our adjustment to this school year. Maria Montessori would refer to this as normalization.

In a normalized classroom, you will see focus, concentration, and independence of the children, by their own choice. Children are internalizing classroom expectations, feeling empowered to make choices about their learning, finding the right work to fully engage, and experiencing the joy of meaningful work. 

Normalization is a process and progress is not always linear. Each child has their own path and this journey is carefully guided by the trained and experienced Montessori teacher. Through observation, the teacher is able to choose the right lessons to give and work to be provided. Through consistent expectations and clear communication, the child learns how to exercise their freedom within limits. Lessons in grace and courtesy foster a peaceful and collaborative classroom culture. At the end of the day, children feel satisfied and eager to return the next morning.

As a school, we are all on our own journey toward normalization this year. The new pandemic protocol is slowly becoming more natural to us. The teachers are fully engaged in their work with the children, and we are all experiencing the joy of meaningful work. For this, we are truly grateful.

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead,
Michelle
Michelle Edwards, Head of School
Hello WHMS family! I’m very honored to be your new Director Of Auxiliary Services. I believe that here at Woodland Hill the passion for education is evident. I hope to bring that same passion to our various programs and create fulfilling experiences for our community that will further aide in our children’s development.

In the words of Dr. Maria Montessori, "Let us leave the life free to develop within the limits of the good, and let us observe this inner life developing. This is the whole of our mission."

I look forward to getting to know you all and thank you for welcoming me into your amazing community.
WHMS Welcomes New Staff Member
Eraena Fraites joined the WHMS staff on Tuesday, October 13. She takes over as the Director of Auxiliary Services from Meghan Johnson, who recently left after serving in the position for five years. Eraena will lead our aftercare, enrichment, extracurricular, and summer programs.

Eraena previously worked in New York City as a school counselor, middle school Language Arts teacher, and substitute teacher for students in preschool through grade 12. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Temple University and a master’s degree in school counseling from Alfred University.

Upper El and MS Elective Highlights
Upper El and Middle School art electives take place on Wednesday afternoons. The format is slightly different this year. Each class is rotating through the eight offerings. The first four-week session ended this week and we wanted to share some of the work that was produced.

Art teacher Megan Stasi is teaching The Art of Claymation. Upper El student Mahika created the rose video and UE student Amina created the Starbucks one. Megan will compile all of the work into one video at the end of the school year.

Nicholle Gregor is teaching Basics in Layout Design. Students learned how to use the yearbook design program. The yearbook cover samples were made by 7th graders Nathan (far right) and David (middle). The Middle School students will continue helping on the yearbook beyond this elective session. Nicholle Gregor will run a yearbook club over Zoom one afternoon a week from December through March.

The students also created their own fonts (Isla's in on the far left).
Library News from Sarah Colwill
To keep the children healthy and provide classroom space, our library will not be available for students to visit this year.

Your children can still borrow books. To do so, they can:

1) Email me with a title or subject of interest, scolwill@woodlandhill.org



4) Use the library site to find other options to find books.
WHMS Happenings
Awnings were installed outside the Primary and Toddler classrooms this week to provide protection from the sun and rain.
Ben Kelts has been teaching the students survival skills during PE classes. Lighting a fire in the rain has been challenging for some students, but they are all enjoying the outdoor classes.
Biology work in the Upper El.
Upper El's 3D Animal Cell projects which reflected careful attention to detail.
WHMS Book Fair
Once again this year we're partnering with The Open Door Bookstore for the WHMS Book Fair. This year, however, the Fair is completely online!
 

Ordering
Once you’re ready to purchase, the Book Fair page links directly to Open Door’s website where you can put together your cart.
  • Please note we do have to charge sales tax.
  • Please write "Part of the WHMS Book Fair" in the Order Comments section before check out. This allows us to track your order and ensure it is delivered to school.
  • Please ignore the Pick-Up Options section. They WILL NOT CHARGE FOR DELIVERY. Books will be delivered to school for disbursement to families.
 
Please note that due to the pandemic we cannot guarantee delivery before the holidays. We’re doing everything we can, including holding the Book Fair early, to give you the best chance at a quick order turn around.
 
The Book Fair runs through Friday, October 23.