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Dear Woodland Hill Community,
Our first week of school in 2021 has been wonderful. One might imagine it is hard to get children back into the swing of things after a break, but what we see in our classrooms presents a different reality. The children are happy to be reunited with their friends and teachers, eager to dive into the new work prepared for them, and settled by the familiar rhythms of the classroom. We all feel refreshed after a break but there is always something special about returning to the welcoming comfort of our classroom community “home.”
While being grateful for all of the positive things happening within the walls of our school, we are also very cognizant of the horrifying events that took place in our nation’s capital on Wednesday. It saddens me that our children are witness to what were once unthinkable events; actions that threaten the very existence of our democracy. I hope that the storming of the Capitol will prove to be a tipping point: the beginning of a new era of peace and civility.
As our teachers welcomed the students to school on Thursday, they were prepared, as they are each day, to receive the students with whatever angst, fear, or confusion they may be carrying in response to the events of Wednesday evening. As Montessorians, we meet the child where they are each day, as a whole person, concerned with every aspect of their development and well-being. Even our youngest students may absorb the feelings of outrage and concern their parents are feeling. At the Toddler and Primary levels, we hold a space for each child to be in the moment and experience the release of tension that comes with engagement in meaningful work. The Lower Elementary teachers pause to listen and answer questions. The Upper Elementary classes host guided conversations and practice listening to different perspectives. The Middle Schoolers participate in a roundtable discussion where peers can ask questions of each other, looking at the situation from a lens of how to bring peace and justice.
Our children naturally walk toward the light of respecting humanity.
For tips on how to talk with your children about the unrest at the Capitol, you may find the following links to be helpful:
Wishing you and your family a healthy and happy start to the new year! We are thankful for your trust.
In partnership,
Michelle
Michelle Edwards
Head of School
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As we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Maria Montessori's birth this year, we also want to highlight our own Montessorians. Throughout the school year, we will highlight a WHMS teacher in each Messenger with five facts about them, totaling 150 facts throughout the year.
This week's facts are from Primary teacher Cassandre Rowe.
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Cassandre Rowe
1. Family is important to me. I love family game nights, singing with Izzy, Marley, and Cooper, and extended family vacations.
2. I am drawn to large flocks of birds. I am mesmerized listening to the beat of their wings as they lift in unison and I love to watch what always looks like a haphazard path until they land in a tree, like feathered leaves.
3. One of my favorite adventures was paragliding 4,000 feet in the Swiss Alps.
4. My strength is organization and my weakness is stress eating. I can eat a box of nut-filled chocolates in seconds!
5. I think this quote sums up both children and the Montessori method - “Montessori is about a kid with a stick, digging a hole in the mud - hands dirty, engaged, fascinated, uninterrupted.” -Trevor Eissler
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The Upper El held a toy drive in December. Representatives from the Salvation Army came on December 14 to pick up the donations. They reported that more families than ever were looking for help this Christmas and they were so appreciative of the items from our students and families. Thank you to UE teacher Vinita Shekhar for coordinating with the Salvation Army and helping to load their van. |
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Cassandre's Primary class celebrated St. Lucia's Day, a Swedish festive of lights during the darkest time of the year. The children celebrate the day by dressing up, singing songs, and eating traditional Swedish sweets. Girls mark the event by wearing white dresses with red sashes and a crown of candles (ours were made of paper). The boys made cone-shaped hats. You can see their performance in the Primary Winter Celebration below. |
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Because the new library is being used as extra space for Sandy’s Lower El class, WHMS librarian Sarah Colwill has been setting up books weekly in the front lobby and the Primary students have been coming by in small groups to pick out books.
As part of the ABAR (Anti-Bias and Anti-Racism) education committee, Sarah has compiled a list of 50 books on an Amazon wish list for families to purchase for the WHMS library. The anti-bias and anti-racism books are across levels, genres, and scope.
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In mid-December, WHMS began weekly testing for all in-person adults and children for COVID-19. The samples are collected each Tuesday as students, faculty, and staff enter the building.
To date, we have had 792 samples tested, with three positive cases detected. This allows us to identify those cases which are non-symptomatic to keep them from spreading.
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We hoped to spend our last school day of 2020 on campus, but we were all remote on December 18 due to the snowstorm. Nevertheless, the day was a joyful celebration.
The classes gathered remotely to have some holiday fun. Stories were shared, songs were sung, and crafts were made.
Primary teacher Naomi Wimberley-Hartman highlighted the Primary level festivities in the Primary classrooms with this video.
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Primary Winter Celebration |
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The day ended with a wonderful Winter Showcase, a collection of artwork, music, dance, poetry, claymation creations, and so much more, highlighting our incredibly talented student body. Thank you to the Specials Teachers and Nicholle Gregor for creating this special show. |
News from the Middle School |
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Thank you to the families who participated in the take-out dinner form MORE Perreca's on Friday, December 18. The Middle School students will be offering another one in February. The MS was grateful to our community for the support of a locally-owned restaurant. |
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The Middle School store, The Shop, is open for students on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. They sell pre-packaged snacks and seltzers in the front lobby. |
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Acting like penguins in physical education classes |
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PE teacher Ben Kelts has been teaching the Primary students about Antarctica. Today they showed off their penguin slides, then gathered by a fire. |
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Upcoming Events
Sunday, January 10
Helping Parents Practice, 6:30 p.m.
Monday, January 11
Gala planning committee meeting, 9:30 a.m.
Wednesday, January 13
Diversity committee meeting, 5 p.m.
Monday, January 18
Martin Luther King Jr Day
No school
No Enrichment
Monday, January 25
WHMS Board meeting, 6 p.m.
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This school year, we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Dr. Maria Montessori’s birth.
We ask you to consider a donation to The WHMS Fund: 150 for Montessori in celebration of Maria Montessori and her lasting influence. Your commitment and generosity will provide assistance with ongoing expenditures related to the pandemic, such as PPE and disinfecting and purifying equipment; reimagined learning spaces to accommodate social distancing; new Chromebooks for our students; enhanced internet speeds to ensure live streaming of daily activities, and supplemental financial aid for those enduring hardship due to COVID-19. Your gift ensures a safe and nurturing environment for all our children.
Thank you to everybody who has donated so far. We have raised over $46,500!
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Helping Parents Practice, 6:30 p.m.
Time for a Q&A will be included.
Please add "SACD" to your screen name and do not share the Zoom link.
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