Dear Woodland Hill Community,
Last month, we were fortunate to have Nishant Mehta of Mehta Cognition visit us at Woodland Hill. Nishant has been engaged by the school to support our continued commitment to creating a just, diverse, and equitable learning environment for each of our students and their families.
Over the course of two days, Nishant was able to hear from members of our community, connect with students and teachers, and experience our school culture firsthand. Through the many conversations and interactions with Nishant, I am confident that we have wisely chosen a partner for this foundational work. The listening sessions and observations were an important step in the process of understanding our needs and identifying opportunities around justice, equity, diversity, and belonging.
In the coming days, Nishant will be sharing the findings from his visit with Tamara Gatchell, president of the Board of Trustees, and me. Once we have consulted with Nishant, we will be able to share our next steps. We look forward to learning more about our community through this process and incorporating the findings into the fabric of how we move forward.
Sincerely,
Michelle Edwards
Head of School
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Lower El students have been busy researching and creating poster boards and displays for their cultural projects. The students were tasked with learning about a culture, whether it was the birthplace of their ancestors, a country that they had traveled to, or a destination that they would like to visit.
The students presented their projects to their class this week, then placed them on display in the hallway. Lower and Upper El students visited the displays this morning.
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This year, the WHMS Fund: Supporting Equity & Hope has provided assistance with operational expenditures related to JEDI education including faculty workshops and ABAR training; parent education programs; library, classroom, and curriculum materials; guest speakers; and program work associated with our JEDI consultant, Nishant Mehta.
To date, we have raised 60% of our goal!
Thank you to all of the parents, grandparents, and community members who have donated. Your support demonstrates your belief in our shared values and your commitment to a better, more sustainable world.
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Nicole and Callie's class formed a rainbow on St. Patrick's Day. |
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The WHMS Volleyball team played on March 24. |
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On Monday, March 21, the WHMS faculty played a volleyball game against Middle School and Lower El students. |
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The sixth graders in Melinda and Julio's class made "geometry art" that included the various ways in which a circle and another circle or a circle and a line can relate. |
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A Lower El student in Sara and Hannah's class shared his presentation of explorer Matthew Henson with his class. |
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Cassandre and Kristen's class measured the length of a blue whale and walked the length of it. Males can grow up to 90 feet long and females grow to 110 feet. |
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The Voyage of Discovery took place in person on March 12 for the first time in over two years. Primary teachers Cassandre and Jessa, Lower El teachers Sandy and Olga, Upper El teachers Andrew and Vinita, and Middle School teacher Alisa taught ELA lessons to the parents as if they were the Montessori studnets. |
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The Toddlers enjoy reading together. |
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The Middle School Coffee House |
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A great crowd of parents, students, teachers, and grandparents turned out for the in-person Middle School Coffee House open to parents on Wednesday, March 23. The students sold donuts, croissants, egg sandwiches, coffee, juice, and hot chocolate. They also offered ski waxing services for the first time.
The Middle School microbusinesses raise money for their annual class trip, which is to Boston and Cape Cod this May.
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Student-Led Anti-Racism Workgroup Book Recommendations |
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Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke
Anna Hibiscus lives in Nigeria, Africa. She is always surrounded by her vibrant and lively family. Anna Hibiscus learns from her wise grandparents, her hardworking aunts and uncles, and her playful cousins. This story is a delightful account of childhood wonders. It is inspired by the author’s own childhood memories in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
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The Adventures of Team Pom: Squid Happens by Isabel Roxas
The Adventures of Team Pom is a hilarious graphic novel set in New York City. Ruby, genius and philosopher, Agnes, pigeon lover and keeper, and Roberta, “little boss,” bond over snacks and their common experience of being “other.” On their journey to win a synchronized swimming competition, they find a squid with a mysterious past. Will they unravel the mystery in time to save their new squid friend?
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As Brave as You by Jason Reynolds
In As Brave as You, two brothers from Brooklyn, Genie and Ernie, spend the summer with their grandparents in Virginia. Things are very different at Grandma and Grandpop’s house. Genie and Ernie pick peas with Grandma and sell them at the local flea market. They make bottle caps into earrings with their grandparents' neighbor, Tess. The house is full of history, and bygone events refuse to stay in the past. Genie just wants to do the right thing, but it is sometimes hard to know what the right thing to do is.
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