Strategic Plan In Action

INSPIRED VOICE: MEANINGFUL IMPACT

Throughout the five years of our Strategic Plan, specific examples of how the plan is being implemented are shared below for each division, as well as overall updates from the Director of Teaching, Learning, and Professional Growth.

Early Childhood

September 21, 2023

Over the first four weeks of the school year, the ECE team has taken a closer look at the four specialized learning pathways of the strategic plan (leaderships, equity and justice, community engagement, and environmental sustainability) as a guiding tool in our observations of the children and curriculum planning in the classroom.

Currently, we are looking at goal 1, Learning Through Action, and taking a deep dive into the pathway of leadership. When examining leadership at an early childhood level, we begin with the understanding that preschool children are capable, competent, and resourceful humans. They are born with an intrinsic drive to learn and are more competent than most adults give them credit for. In early childhood, learning through action begins with finding strength in voice in our classroom spaces and expanding it into the idea that each one of us is uniquely qualified to contribute as a part of a classroom community. During the beginning of the school year, this looks like students learning to care for their environment, themselves, and each other. They learn that they can contribute as an individual and a part of a large unit.

In recent observations, we have experienced our students sharing material, demonstrating how to use them, sharing ideas, and beginning to understand that our actions have a ripple effect. Through play with each other they are mimicking real world scenarios to make sense of the world, and in turn are practicing those skills. One example of this is in their imaginative play. Language surrounding imaginative play is a rich tapestry of exploration into both real and imaginative scenarios where they are helpers, leaders, negotiators, antagonists, and peacemakers. Recently, one of our youngest learners presented a photo to his peers of him and his family celebrating the holiday, Ganesh Jayanti. The student presenter was provided the opportunity to develop confidence as he voiced his joy of the holiday to his peers. The audience practiced leadership in listening and supporting a teammate.

October 19, 2023

Last month’s update on Woodlands Strategic Plan highlighted the specialized pathway of leadership and how that shows up in ECE. This month, our focus shifted to the pathway of equity and justice. Although equity and justice can feel like a huge concept for our youngest learners to grasp, in reality this is the perfect time for young children to begin to understand the importance of an equitable community. In ECE, teachers scaffold learning by providing various opportunities for children to express themselves and work through conflict in efforts to better understand the concept of fairness.

Recently, the ECE teachers observed some profound examples of our youngest learners engaging in thoughtful problem solving. When engaging in a serious game of superhero play outdoors, a group of friends categorized the kind of superhero they were based on the colors of scarves they wore. Noticing that two friends had the same color scarf, frustration and confusion emerged. Another friend came along and suggested they could both be the same superhero, but with different powers making them “the same and different.” As the play continued children began to switch scarves with one another “changing powers” so they can all “save the mission.”

In another classroom, three students discussed the use of blocks; who gets to use which block and what are they going to build. The children expressed big feelings, listened to one another, and negotiated to find an equitable solution.

Last, one morning as I entered a classroom starting their day, children had the opportunity to vote for the book they wanted to read as a class providing them the opportunity to voice what they wanted. This experience provided an opportunity to talk as a class about making decisions as a group. If the book they wanted didn’t get chosen that day, it was kept as an option for voting on the next day. These scenarios demonstrate that creating a caring and equitable community of engaging learners not only begins to develop in a child’s earliest years, but are vital in building the skill and knowledge necessary to becoming strong, independent, and caring humans who will carry these attributes with them as they progress through Woodland and beyond.

November 16, 2023

This month’s strategic plan spotlight is cultivating connection and community. In Goal 1: Initiative 2, one of the specialized learning pathways for students to build their skills and knowledge in critical areas is through community engagement. In the early childhood division, our youngest learners begin their journey on this pathway through various hand-on experiences that involve connections with peers outside of ECE, sharings from our parent community and opportunities to explore beyond the Woodland walls. For example, ECE students and the third grade classrooms are growing their connection by getting to know each other through the development of questions and answers. ECE students also participated as audience members for third grade buddies who shared their personal “published story.”

During Diwali, members of our parent community joined us to teach some meaningful traditions of Diwali through storytelling and engaging activities making dias and lanterns. Later, ECE children ventured to the amphitheater where they viewed beautiful rangolis designed by lower and middle school students. After close study of the artwork, the children added their own designs to the display.

This year, each ECE classroom has added a “wildcat pet” to their classroom community. Each week, a child has the honor and responsibility to care for their wildcat (Nala in Room 0, Winter in Room 1 and Winston in Room 2) and take their wildcat on adventures beyond the classroom. Families document the adventures by adding notes and photos to the class book. During sharing time, the child in charge of the pet has the opportunity to share their wildcat adventure to the class. The wildcat pets have already visited the dentist, supermarket, temple, gymnastics and more! Our new class pet tradition has proven to be an engaging way to find commonalities in the way our families engage in the world around them!

December 21, 2023

On this last Thursday before the winter break, I want to share how the fourth pathway in Woodland's strategic plan, environmental sustainability, is represented in the early childhood program. This year, we are taking a closer look at two of our favorite learning spaces- the creation station and our garden. In the creation station, the children use natural and found materials in varied ways to bring awareness about where materials come from, how they are cared for, and how we can creatively reuse common items, and reduce waste. By offering recycled and repurposed materials we are also introducing the idea of intentionality and ingenuity. Our children are learning to stretch ideas and experiment with materials creatively.

One of our happiest places in our outdoor classroom is the garden area. This year in the ECE garden, the children are deepening their understanding of how to care for the earth. They are learning that nutrients in the soil produce healthy foods for not only humans but for the other living creatures that inhabit our garden. For example, in October when pumpkins entered our environment for the purpose of play exploration, the children quickly discovered that the wildlife in our Woodland space enjoys nibbling on the tasty treat. This led to further discussion on what animals eat and what to do with the open pumpkins. The result of these conversations led to the creation of our decomposing pumpkin patch. Children now spend time mixing the pumpkins and their seeds into the soil. Ms Bertha brought in coffee grounds donated by a coffee shop to add further nutrients to the soil. We expanded our garden by planting garlic, green onion, and peppers. When we involve children in gardening we are implicitly introducing them to all aspects of sustainability. Gardening not only gives the children hands-on access to the natural world, but allows them to connect with peers, builds confidence and helps them begin to understand their place in the world.

In January, we are excited to partner with one of our amazing Woodland families to begin researching our next big step in gardening- worm composting! This will be a new experience for children, teachers, and families and we are looking forward to discovering it together.

January 25, 2024

In the beginning of the school year, I started sharing with you our observations of how each of the four developmental pathways in the strategic plan (leadership, equity and justice, community engagement, and environmental sustainability)were visible in our youngest learners. Since then, teachers have been scaffolding learning to build a foundation in these areas that students will carry with them throughout their educational journey at Woodland.

Each of these pathways represent Woodland’s mission for all students to develop a “strong, confident, and supportive voice in a rapidly changing world.” As we move through the second half of the school year, the early learning team is reflecting on our approach to teaching and learning in connection to the strategic plan and are proud of the growth and development our youngest learners have accomplished thus far. Below are examples of each area.

Leadership: In September, students were just beginning to grasp an understanding of their place within the school environment, which included sharing and using language to express themselves. At that time, our pre-k students were in the beginning phase of what it means to be a mentor to new friends in the classroom and our youngest students were learning how routines of the day help build their confidence as leaders of the classroom. Currently, we are observing an immense increase in self-confidence and verbal language as the children navigate conflict resolution, negotiation, and care for one another. At this point in the school year, the children are beginning to seek the support of a peer before asking a teacher when they need help. For example, one student helped another with learning how to tie their sweater around their waist so it would not impede their play. This action occurred without the assistance or direction of an adult.

Equity and Justice: The increase in confidence is not only showing up in how we view leadership, but in the way the children are beginning to learn to understand the concept of equity and justice. In September, the children were in the beginning stages of developing an understanding of how their actions affect others and the concept of fairness. What started out as a learning experience that required primarily teacher facilitation, has evolved to children navigating some conflict resolution and problem solving moments more independently. For example, recently, during a water play experience, I observed two friends in deep conversation discussing a plan for collecting rain water coming from the drain. The passionate conversation could appear as a “problem” to some adults, however, the conversation demonstrated the growth and capability these two friends displayed as they figured out what felt “fair” to each of them in the game.

Community Engagement: This particular pathway of learning is visible in many facets of our early childhood program. In September, the children were embarking on a new partnership with their third grade buddies and learning about the celebrations and traditions of others shared by parent presenters. Currently, the partnership between our young saplings and their third grade buddies has blossomed into a beautiful collaboration of learning. The spread of community kindness through projects such as friends' bracelets and our kindness rock garden. To build upon our understanding of kindness and community, the early childhood program will hold its Inaugural Kindness Lantern Walk. This walk is an ECE community event to share the light of kindness with the rest of our Woodland family. In addition, we continue to learn from our parent community as they share the upcoming celebration of Lunar New Year.

Environmental Sustainability: Last but not least, the pathway of environmental sustainability has grown into a passion of the ECE program. In September, the children began exploring the elements of the garden starting with the foundation of soil and building a connection to nature. In addition, they were introduced to the idea of repurposing materials by using them in different ways at the creation station. At this point in the year, our wildcats have developed a deeper love for all things that live in our garden. With this understanding, the ECE program is taking the next steps in introducing the concept of sustainability and our role in caring for the environment. We are looking forward to this learning journey and welcome all woodland community members to share their knowledge as well.

February 29, 2024

Goal 1 , Initiative 2 of Woodland's 2023-28 Strategic Plan states: "Create specialized learning pathways through which students build skills and knowledge in critical areas." Over the past few weeks, the ECE children have been taking a deeper dive into the pathway of environmental sustainability, learning all about how to care for the environment through hands-on recycling and composting experiences. The week before Presidents' Week break, we welcomed our friends from Recology, Jennifer and Zoe. They taught us all about recycling and food composting at home.

This week, we welcomed gardening expert Mrs. Coffee who taught us all about worm composting. Mrs. Coffee walked us through the process of worm composting; what it means, how it works, what the worms can and cannot eat. The children had an opportunity to handle a worm, give it a name, and place it into its new home in the composting bin. After the worms were placed in the bin, the children gave them food and ripped newspaper into pieces to create a damp soft bed above the worms to keep away the fruit flies. We learned so much! Before Mrs. Coffee ended her time with us, the children joined her in our garden to plant lettuces and snap peas. Finally she taught the children how to send a “garden hug” to one another and gave everyone a seed to plant at home, if they choose. What a wonderful day in the garden!

March 21, 2024

Strategic Plan update, Goal 1, Initiative 3, “establish a wide range of learning opportunities for students to gain strength of voice and amplify the voice of others.” Recently, an increased interest in superhero and power dynamic play has developed among some of our ECE children. It is not uncommon for preschool children to use role play or fantasy play as they attempt to grapple with the task of making sense of the world around them. Superheroes are larger than life, courageous and powerful. Through this play children can feel brave, fearless and in control of their world. Still, when in the heat of a game of power play, the play may become too intense for some children physically or emotionally. As educators, we understand the importance of power play for young children to cope with emotions, communicate their feelings, encourage group play, and understand abstract concepts such as good/bad and right/wrong.

To navigate this imaginative play towards a positive direction for all individuals, Ms. Savannah and myself gathered a group of our youngest learners to discuss recent play observations and curate a list of agreements designed to hold the voice of all children. We began the conversation asking the question What do superheroes do? Responses flowed from children- they use their power, are kind, help people, and fight bad guys. After defining the role of a superhero, it was important to define what kind of words and language do superheroes use- what are safe words and what are unsafe words? Teachers shared their observations of positive play and some not so friendly play. Together, the children voiced their feelings, thoughts, and opinions of powerful “safe” words and phrases to use in play and others that are considered “unsafe” causing hurt feelings or fear. The conversation resulted in a beautifully curated list of Agreements the children understood as their own. These agreements now guide the children’s power play and are considered in all interactions with peers.

April 25, 2024

We continue to implement and observe opportunities for our youngest students to practice their negotiation and problem skills. Goal 1, Initiative 3 of the Woodland Strategic Plan emphasizes the importance of building “strength of voice and amplifying the voice of others” for students across all divisions and at various developmental levels. This week, now that the rain is hopefully behind us, the trikes were introduced in the outdoor classroom. Ms. Danielle led a large group discussion on trike safety. The children shared their ideas and experiences on bike safety. This discussion culminated in a list of agreements. While some children were drivers, others were crossing guards. This cooperative play challenged our youngest learners to assert themselves through negotiation and problem solving as they worked together to make decisions on who took on the different roles and responsibilities. If a driver got stuck, they called out for help from the safety patrol to come and rescue them. We are excited to finally have this large body experience available for the remainder of the school year.

May 23, 2024

Wednesday was a particularly meaningful day as all our Woodland Wildcats participated in our first House-sponsored service activity. This was Goal 2 Initiative 3, "Cultivate external partnerships to expand Woodland's opportunities for connection, learning, and impact" in action. Together, we assembled bag lunches to donate to Samaritan House. Our Saplings took charge of the condiments and cards, and through this experience, we were able to engage in important conversations about food scarcity, community service, and the connection to growing food in our own garden. These discussions are invaluable in nurturing empathy and social responsibility in our youngest learners.

October 31, 2024

This week, we had the pleasure of highlighting Goal 2: Cultivating Connection and Community from the Woodland Strategic Plan. Our events were designed to strengthen relationships among Woodland’s students, families, and faculty, and we certainly succeeded!

We kicked off the week with a delightful meet and greet between our youngest learners and their third grade buddies. It was wonderful to hear questions like “What’s your favorite color?” and “Do you have any pets?” filling the outdoor classroom as they crafted special bracelets together. These cross-division interactions are invaluable for developing social-emotional skills such as communication, cooperation, and empathy, while also fostering confidence in our early childhood learners.

On Wednesday, a few of our young Wildcats in Room 0 shared their family stories and experiences celebrating Diwali. It was a joy to watch them present pictures from home and teach us the songs they sing. We followed their presentation with painting Diyas and creating beautiful Rangolis in the outdoor classroom, truly embracing the spirit of the festival.

Today, the Woodland community came together once again to celebrate Halloween! A heartfelt thank you to all the ECE families for your contributions to our “Trick or Treat” Parade and Pumpkin Patch. The costumes and decorative pumpkins were truly amazing, and it was wonderful to see everyone having such a fantastic time.

December 12, 2024

As we enter the second week of our new unit of study, Structures & Systems, I’d like to take a moment to highlight how our work in early childhood is directly connected to the goals of the Woodland’s Strategic Plan, particularly through hands-on learning experiences.

Goal 1: Learning Through Action is reflected in the current activities happening in our classrooms, and specifically in these key initiatives:

Initiative 1: Expanding the use of authentic, applied learning experiences that enable students to make a meaningful impact beyond Woodland School.
Initiative 3: Creating opportunities for students to gain ‘strength of voice’ and amplify the voices of others.
Initiative 4: Adapting the academic program to appropriately challenge each student and maximize their learning potential.

This week, one of our classrooms took a closer look at a common system in our everyday school routine—school lunch delivery. This system, which students usually take for granted, became an exciting point of curiosity when introduced as a “system.” The children’s questions were abundant and thought-provoking. Some of their inquiries included:

“How do you know who has which lunch?”
“Did you make the lunch?”
“How did it get here?”

To investigate these questions, we engaged in hands-on research, exploring the ChoiceLunch ordering site, looking at pictures of the delivery truck, and examining the cart and bucket system we use to organize lunches for each classroom. This exploration is just the beginning, and we’re eager to see where the students' curiosity takes us next.

Through this type of learning process, our youngest learners are able to connect their classroom experiences to real-world systems, gaining a deeper understanding of how things work. Children’s voices are heard and valued as they ask questions, make predictions, and hypothesize. Teachers, in turn, are able to scaffold learning, adapting the curriculum to meet each child’s individual needs and challenges, all based on the authentic questions and interests of the students.

We are excited to continue this journey of exploration with our students, and we look forward to the discoveries ahead.

January 30, 2025

I’m thrilled to share some exciting updates about the continuous growth of our ECE program, aligned with Woodland’s 2023-25 Strategic Plan. Beginning last year, as part of Goal 1: Learning Through Action, we set out with Initiative 1 to “expand the use of authentic, applied learning experiences, allowing students to make a meaningful impact beyond Woodland.”

One of the ways we’ve brought this vision to life is through our sustainability focus, which kicked off with the introduction of a worm composting bin. Our little worm composters have been hard at work, munching through banana peels, apple cores, and other food scraps from the children’s snacks and lunches. What’s even more exciting is the bond the children have formed with these hardworking worms. They’ve taken on responsibility by feeding them, handling them gently, and mixing the rich compost back into our garden beds.

This week, we’ve moved to the next phase: transferring the compost into our decomposing pumpkin garden. Over the past few weeks, the children have been enthusiastically breaking down pumpkins and incorporating them into the soil. To give them a closer look at the process, teachers brought out some of the worms and compost for the children to observe up close. Next week, we’ll be adding more soil and fresh compost from our worm friends, in hopes of growing pumpkins for next fall’s harvest!

Through hands-on projects like this, our youngest Wildcat learners are gaining real-world experiences and making a positive environmental impact—just one example of how we’re empowering them to take action and make a difference in their world.

February 27, 2025

As part of Woodland’s School strategic plan, Goal 2, Intuitive 3, we aim to "cultivate external partnerships to expand Woodland’s opportunities for connection, learning, and impact." On Wednesday, our youngest Wildcats participated in a school-wide community service activity, preparing bagged lunches for Samaritan House. The early childhood children helped by adding condiments and special kindness notes, created by their lower and middle school peers, to each lunch bag. This activity sparked meaningful discussions in the classrooms about the importance of community—what it means to be a part of one and how to be a caring member.

March 27, 2025

Parent-Teacher Conferences are a valuable opportunity for us to come together and discuss your child’s growth and development. At Woodland, we view these meetings as an essential part of our commitment to Goal 2 of our strategic plan. Specifically, in Initiative 2, we aim to "create opportunities for our parents, faculty, staff, and alumni to deepen relationships and feel a sense of belonging." We sincerely value the time spent with families, where we can connect, share stories, and discuss the progress of your children.

At this stage in the year, we are seeing remarkable growth in our youngest learners. They have made great strides in areas such as independence, self-regulation, problem-solving, cognitive skills, and much more. It is truly a joy to witness their development and to share in their journey.

As I walked through the halls of Woodland recently, I was reminded of our commitment to fostering the qualities outlined in the Woodland Portrait of a Learner, which directly supports Goal 1, Initiative 1 of our strategic plan: "Expand the use of authentic, applied learning experiences so that students can have a meaningful impact beyond Woodland." These key attributes are part of how we work to meet that standard and are evident in the ways our youngest learners engage with their world.

Inclusive Leaders: Our children are developing skills in listening, accepting the ideas of others, and offering support in recognizing and understanding their own feelings. A great example of this was seen during shared time, when children presented fun family experiences to the class, showcasing their ability to articulate their thoughts and respect others' perspectives.
Global Advocates: The children are embracing the concepts of sustainability and environmental care. A recent example was during a large group activity where they played a game on how to properly recycle and take care of the earth.
Active Investigators: Curiosity is naturally thriving among our young learners, as they practice asking thoughtful questions to deepen their understanding. Recently, children worked together to resolve a friendly debate: "Are crabs big or small" and “How much rain fell from the sky today?”
Dynamic Communicators: As early learners, the children are mastering the art of communication with peers and teachers, expressing their needs, wants, feelings, and curiosities.

We are proud of the progress they have made in these foundational areas and look forward to their continued growth throughout the year.

April 24, 2025

This week the ECE teaching team returned from spring break to participate in an engaging, collaborative workshop on how to support neurodivergence and regulation through classroom design. Presenter and occupational therapist, Lindsay Astor Grant, inspired the team to reflect on our current practices and on how we might add some new strategies to our environments. This professional development opportunities is another example of Woodland’s Strategic Plan in action. Goal 1: Learning Through Action and Initiative 1: expanding the use of authentic, applied learning experiences, not only applies to our student communities but our teaching community, too. Professional development opportunities provide our teachers with tools to maintain knowledge of current research and best practices that, in turn, better support the growth and development of Woodland's students. This continued support and push for excellence is an important value of our entire teaching team.

September 25, 2025

Thank you to all who joined us for last week’s ECE Curriculum Night. It’s always a meaningful time when we can come together as a community of adults to reflect on and celebrate the growth and learning of Woodland’s youngest learners.

During the evening, our classroom teams introduced families to an important framework that guides our approach to teaching and learning: Woodland’s Portrait of a Learner. This Portrait outlines four core competencies we aim to cultivate in all learners from early childhood through eighth grade; Inclusive Leader, Dynamic Communicator, Active Investigator, and Global Advocate.

Now, in the third year of implementing our Strategic Plan, we are deepening our focus on how these competencies develop in early childhood. Currently, we’re highlighting what it means for young children to grow as Dynamic Communicators and the steps they take toward developing a strong, expressive voice.

In classrooms this week, I had the pleasure to observe powerful examples of this work in action. Teachers engaged students in thoughtful conversations about the importance of voice, how to use it, when to use it, and why it matters. Here are a few messages I heard from our educators:

“Our voices are our strongest tools.” – Ms. Emonni
“Listening is our superpower.” – Ms. Bertha “
Is this a glitch (a fixable problem) or an unsafe problem where we need help?” – Ms. Danielle

These messages guided children to recognize that using their voice is the first step in solving problems, expressing needs, and advocating for themselves. Through these daily experiences, our young learners are becoming more confident and capable, learning that their voice matters and that it’s a tool they can grow and trust.

As parents, we know it can be difficult to watch your child struggle. Often, it feels easier to step in and fix things. But when we do, we may unintentionally send the message that they are not capable on their own. Allowing space for your child to try, especially with small, everyday challenges, builds resilience and reinforces their sense of agency.

By nurturing their voices now, we are helping children develop the foundation to become not only Dynamic Communicators but also empowered, empathetic, and self-assured individuals.

October 16, 2025

This past Tuesday, while children were away from campus, our Early Childhood team spent the day deeply engaged in professional development aligned with our school's Strategic Plan, specifically, Goal 1: Learning Through Action. We focused on two key initiatives that support the growth and development of your children in meaningful, lasting ways. As part of Initiative 1.1: Expand the use of authentic, applied learning experiences, our team is actively working toward becoming a certified Outdoor Classroom. We believe deeply in the power of outdoor experiences and their role in nurturing young children’s development; fostering curiosity, independence, and a lasting connection to the natural world.

In connection with Initiative 1.3: Establish a wide range of learning opportunities for students to gain 'strength of voice' and amplify the voice of others, our team also explored how student voice is embedded in our curriculum. We reflected on how our practices align with Woodland’s Portrait of a Learner, which emphasizes key traits we strive to cultivate in all learners.

In a spirited, hands-on activity inspired by the cooking show, Chopped, teachers teamed up to design learning provocations using a basket of “mystery” materials. The challenge was to create an engaging experience that not only made use of everyday and unconventional items but also supported the Portrait of a Learner attributes. This playful exercise sparked creativity, collaboration, and thoughtful conversation about how we can continue to center children’s voices in everything we do.

We are excited about the meaningful steps we’re taking toward Woodland’s shared vision and look forward to sharing more with you as the year progresses

November 6, 2025

This past weekend, I had the privilege of joining several of my Woodland colleagues for our school’s inaugural People of Color Conference (PoCC). Together, we engaged in meaningful conversations, sharing our stories, exploring our heritages, and reflected on our journeys to Woodland. We also deepened our understanding of our DEIJ teaching and learning practices, both as individuals and as a community.

It was an inspiring two days filled with learning, connection, and collaboration across divisions. Experiences like these exemplify how the Woodland community continues to bring our Strategic Plan Goal 2: Cultivating Connection and Community to life. Through Initiative 2, we are creating intentional opportunities for parents, faculty, staff, and alumni to strengthen relationships and foster a true sense of belonging.

As we look ahead, I am grateful for the opportunity to continue building on this meaningful work, deepening our shared understanding of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice, and nurturing a community where every member feels seen, valued, and connected.

Lower School

September 21, 2023

In goal 1, Initiative 4: Learning through Action, Kindergarten-4th Grade writing teachers have designed and implemented a new unit of writing aimed at increasing voice, engagement, and choice for learners. This unit also supports building strong acting and thinking routines to enhance the community during the writing workshop. We are looking forward to continuing our collective learning and aligning instructional practices at our inservice on Friday, September 29 where we will focus in the afternoon on writing instructional practices.

Additionally in goal 1, Initiative 4: Learning through Action, we are nearing the completion of beginning of the year assessments in Lower School. The process of beginning of the year assessments allows for teachers to understand what each child knows and is able to do in content areas and then allows for teachers to plan for individual, small-group, and whole class instruction. With the added expertise of a math specialist, we are enthusiastic about how we can enhance how we curate learning experiences for children.

The final area I would like to highlight is how we have prioritized Goal 2: Cultivating Connection and Community, Initiative 2 within the professional community of the Lower School. All educators who interact with learners in the Lower School have taken the Clifton Strengthsfinder assessment as a strategy for educators to learn more about themselves so that they can then connect on a deeper level with colleagues, especially colleagues with whom they are responsible for collaborating with frequently. Teachers will leverage this shared language to deepen our relationships with each other and our collective sense of belonging.

October 19, 2023

In this edition of This Week in Lower School, I am excited to share ways we have been bringing life to the strategic plan. “Goal 2: Cultivating Connection and Community: Initiative 2: Create opportunities for our parents, faculty, staff, and alumni to deepen relationships and feel a sense of belonging.” Since our last update I hosted our fourth grade families to discuss developmental changes that are occurring for children and offer strategies that will support parents as the cohort matures. I was impressed by the willingness to grow intentionally closer as a support network for children by this community of parents. For children, at yesterday's Community Gathering children were in their buddy groupings playing, "Find Someone Who BINGO" as a way to get to know children and employees on deeper levels. Tomorrow, we look forward to our first House Cup Games of the school year!

“Goal 1: Learning Through Action: Initiative 4: Adapt the academic program to maximize learning by appropriately challenging each student.” I am so impressed and proud of the work our kindergarten through fourth grade teaching teams have done to make data-informed instructional decisions specifically in the area of literacy. In every grade level, teachers are looking at grade level data and flexibly grouping children according to their instructional next steps. Teachers are partnering with our Learning Specialist, Ms. Ehsan to better understand learning outcomes and monitor children’s progress. The planning and collaboration that this requires is tremendous. Thank you, Ms. Heidi, Ms. Schenelle, Mrs. Hansen, Ms. Windy, Ms. Tyler, Ms. Moua, Mrs. White, Mrs. Lin-Martore, Ms. Rao, Ms. Hahn, and Ms. Ehsan… your impact on student learning is powerful!

November 16, 2023

Woodland is a special place. One reason Woodland is so unique is the place for gratitude as a core virtue; cultivating and recognizing this disposition and action in ourselves and others.

Goal 1: Initiative 4: Adapt the Academic Program to maximize learning for every student.

During the formal evaluation process with two teachers, two educators connected one-on-one with children to teach their next step. Both educators are innovating and taking risks with the curriculum and their instruction. This is not isolated to these two teachers.

Goal 2: Initiative 1: Build and strengthen structures and practices that support diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice across school systems

The Lower School Leadership Team contributes and influences division-level decisions. This week, the team took on our division meeting.

Goal 3: Initiative 2: Provide enhanced support to increase access and inclusion to a broader range of current and prospective families

This week Woodland announced that outside Speech Language Specialists will come to Woodland to perform speech screenings with children.

December 21, 2023

We continue to bring our strategic plan to life… here’s what has happened in the past month:

Goal 1: Initiative 3: Establish a wide range of learning opportunities for students to gain ‘strength of voice’ and amplify the voice of others.

Teachers collaborated to plan the upcoming writing unit and designed authentic opportunities for children to express themselves in writing… we are excited to begin in January and share this learning with you!

Goal 1: Initiative 4: Adapt the learning program to maximize learning by appropriately challenging each student.

Ongoing collaboration between classroom teachers, specialists, and our learning specialist continues to allow for refinements to instruction, structures, and specific feedback opportunities for learners. This work takes place using artifacts of learning for progress monitoring and weekly meetings.

Goal 3: Initiative 2: Provide enhanced support to increase access and inclusion to a broader range of current and prospective families.

Since our last update, the speech screenings have been conducted. We are awaiting the results and will communicate with parents when we receive these - likely mid-January.

January 25, 2024

We have been fully engaged this month, in support of the strategic plan initiative: Adapt the academic program to maximize learning by appropriately challenging each student. Our kindergarten and first grade learners engaged with an assessment tool that allows us to monitor progress in foundational literacy skills and some of our K-4 learners are engaging with an assessment tool to help guide instruction in mathematical number sense - both tools are new to Woodland this year. Additionally, teachers engage in assessment cycles in the classroom including observation, work analysis, and, every once and while, a unit assessment or on-demand writing piece. The information gleaned from these assessment tools informs future action and instructional decision-making including celebrations, goal-setting, and determining supportive groupings within each grade level.

February 29, 2024

This week, I am excited to share how we continue to live and grow through our strategic plan. For the past few months these updates have highlighted teachers' actions to engage to challenge each learner. Well, this month I am excited to highlight the learning that has been occurring and will intensify for our teachers of writing in the lower school!

Next week, lower school teachers will have their first interaction with Matt Glover, an international writing consultant and author of books to enhance educators’ skills for teaching. Matt will then be joining the Woodland community Monday, April 1 through April 5, providing on-site, personalized professional learning for teachers.

This visit highlights the school’s commitment to: Goal 3: Initiative 1: Distinguish Woodland as a destination workplace where diverse, highly effective faculty and staff thrive. Professional learning opportunities like this are part of what attracts and retains strong educators.

I am overjoyed that my colleagues have demonstrated engagement in the preparation for and excitement about this opportunity. If you have been hearing about your child making a newspaper, blog, or feature article recently this is a result of drawing inspiration from Matt’s work.

March 21, 2024

Goal 1, Initiative 3, of Woodland's Strategic Plan states, “establish a wide range of learning opportunities for students to gain strength of voice and amplify the voice of others." Yesterday, our first grade students engaged in the sincerest form of recognition by presenting their Hero speeches! Similar to the diversity of our first grade class, their hero selections were diverse. We are so proud of the learning that they engaged in to be so prepared for this big milestone in their Woodland experience.

In fourth grade, our students will be recognizing humans who have made a difference in California during the Fourth Grade Living Museum! Our fourth grade students are deeply engaged in preparation their big day. They have researched a human with ties to California, wrote and memorized their script, and practiced their speech alone and in front of peers. Fourth grade will present to parents, employees, younger and older students during the Living Museum.

April 25, 2024

Goal 1 Initiative 3 of the Strategic Plan, "Establish a wide range of learning opportunities for students to gain 'strength of voice' and amplify the voice of others" was visible throughout this week. Students participated in SCI-CON, displaying their of understanding, creativity, and joy for science and innovation. Observing students share what they have learned and watching them teach their peers was inspiring. A huge shout-out of appreciation for all the thought, organization, and love that was put into this event. In other spaces and places in Lower School, our first grade students demonstrated leadership and environmental appreciation by sharing how they celebrated Earth Day during our K-8 Community Gathering on Wednesday. Student voice is present all around us.

October 31, 2024

This community of ours is special. Two years ago we engaged in the process of community visioning and the ways our community has evolved since then is truly impressive.

Goal 1: Initiative 4: Adapt the academic program to maximize learning by appropriately challenging each student: students in kindergarten through second grade are engaging in small group instruction led by educators who recently were trained in Orton-Gillingham approaches. Teachers monitor progress and group children in precise ways to tailor instruction for each child. We have increased the number of adults who support learners across the Lower School. We have used ‘universal screeners’ by interviewing students to establish baseline information for number sense and early literacy skills.
Goal 1: Initiative 1: Expand the use of authentic, applied learning experiences so that students can have a meaningful impact beyond Woodland and Goal 1: Initiative 5: Increase and diversify Woodland’s use of place-based learning, in particular, through off-campus experiences. Through the innovation of Woodland educators, Lower School students are engaging in different learning experiences which have influenced different field trips this fall.
Goal 1: Initiative 3: Establish a wide range of learning opportunities for students to gain ‘Strength of Voice’ and amplify the voice of others. In science and engineering in fourth grade, learners are analyzing the impact of Climate Change and learning about leaders and innovators who are taking action. Throughout the fourth grade experience, they will continue to consider connections between their learning in science and social justice.
Goal 1: Initiative 3: Establish a wide range of learning opportunities for students to gain ‘Strength of Voice’ and amplify the voice of others. With Trimester 2 on the horizon, teachers will begin to plan for Student-Led Conferences in first through fourth grades which is a new opportunity for children to use their voice to share about their learning process and progress.
Goal 3: Initiative 2: Provide enhanced support to increase access and inclusion to a broader range of current and prospective families. We currently have more services (Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Math Small Groups) available to children during Extended Day. Beginning in January, we will also be hosting social groups.

December 12, 2024

This week was full of fun and celebrating kids in our community with our Core Virtue assembly on Tuesday and again tomorrow! We just love expressing how special our young Wildcat learners are and how they continue to learn and grow.

In our strategic plan, Goal 1: Initiative 3: Establish a wide range of learning opportunities for students to gain ‘strength of voice’ and amplify the voice of others is currently top of mind. Not only are we re-thinking about how we use assemblies, I am also working with Lower School students who have stepped into leadership roles as a result of the Wildcat President. We have children who will be supporting the launch of lunch clubs, Respect and Resilience leaders, and a Stewardship Nature Club. I am excited to see how these young leaders will influence our community and expand their voice as well as the voice of others!

January 30, 2025

“Goal 1: Initiative 3: Establish a wide range of learning opportunities for students to develop 'strength of voice' and amplify the voice of others.” ~ Woodland Strategic Plan 2023-2028

Lunch Clubs
Through our election process in the fall, students utilized a suggestion box which identified Play Equity as an area where we needed to expand options for children. Beginning on Monday, we will launch our Lunch Clubs. The Lunch Club Student Leaders worked with me to identify lunch clubs that students were interested in having. Teachers expressed interest in clubs that they would facilitate. Lunch Club Student Leaders made a video, shared with students today, to advertise the clubs. Students will indicate the clubs they are interested in joining. Should we have more children interested than spots available in the club, we will randomly select attendees. The lunch clubs will last five weeks. There will be two more, five-week sessions which will take us through the remainder of the school year. Our first set of lunch clubs include:

Taylor Swift and Friendship Bracelet Club
Origami Club
Dance Club
Building Club
Blanket Fort Club

Student-Led Conferences
Teachers have begun the development process of a new approach to communicating student learning… having children lead the conversation. As a teaching community, we have identified what is known, our hopes, and what we want and need from these conferences. Teachers then engaged in a process to support student self-evaluation in SEL to support students engagement in reflection and metacognition.

We are certainly trying something new and look forward to seeing how children (and parents) respond.

“Goal 1: Initiative 4: Adapt the academic program to maximize learning by appropriately challenging every student.” ~ Woodland Strategic Plan 2023-2028

To monitor the progress our students are making, we utilize a universal screener for early reading foundational skills (Dibels). This allows us another data point to analyze how our readers are progressing. Teachers gave a mid-year screener to all students in kindergarten and first grade, as well as some students in second and third grade. This week, we began analyzing the data as well as making adjustments to our assessment and instructional plans. This process allows for both recalibration and celebration as we see how children are learning.

February 27, 2025

This week in Lower School, teachers solidified our new approach and plan for the remainder of our assembly schedule for the year. This new approach offers diversified opportunities for children to develop their voice by gathering in smaller, more intimate clubs.

While assembly remains a very important and treasured aspect of our community, we are differentiating experiences for children as an extension of our strategic plan:

Goal 1: Initiative 1: Expand the use of authentic, applied learning experiences so students can have a meaningful impact beyond Woodland.
Goal 1: Initiative 2: Create specialized learning pathways through which students build skills and knowledge in critical areas (leadership, equity and justice, community engagement, and environmental sustainability).
Goal 1: Initiative 3: Establish a wide range of learning opportunities for students to gain ‘strength of voice’ and amplify the voice of others.

Beginning on Tuesday, March 11 - Your Voice, Your Choice Clubs will meet each Tuesday in place of our Lower School assembly. The 10 clubs are: Book Club (3rd and 4th Grades), Theatre, Stewardship, Storytelling, Photography, Art, Board Games, Card Making, Wildcat Start-Up, and Wildcat News. On Fridays, we will have a LS Assembly in the Lodge, and clubs will share how they are developing their voice with the Lower School community.

March 27, 2025

This week’s Student-Led conferences in Lower School, were a tremendous step forward in our Strategic Plan initiative of "Establishing a range of learning opportunities for students to gain 'strength of voice' and amplify the voice of others." Moving to this type of conference, where children communicate their reflection on progress and performance closely tied to teacher feedback and input, empowers our students to take ownership of their learning and increases their capacity for understanding the role of daily instruction and practice as a means for reaching their goals. Including our Profile of a Learner and Woodland Core Values helped make visible these essential dispositions and skills that increase in complexity across grade levels. In preparing for conferences, teachers leveraged feedback cycles with students to influence the goal-setting process. Individual meetings were differentiated to appropriately challenge every student and maximize their learning.

Having children present allows for both teachers and parents to witness the strong relationships and interactions that occur for students. One parent shared, “We loved seeing our teacher’s interactions with our child in a 1-on-1 setting.” Teachers also shared that it is meaningful to see how parents communicate and interact with children during these conferences.

Maybe most importantly, children felt confident and proud of their growth this year, the goals they have set, and the ways in which they plan to reach new milestones. It was inspiring to see them empowered in these ways!

April 24, 2025

On Monday, we engaged in professional learning that continues to advance our strategic plan initiatives. All Lower School teachers worked with consultant, Lisa Emborsky, to use a Backwards Planning method to design units for learning. In addition, Lower School teachers of writing interacted with assessment tools that will advance the feedback that our students receive to improve their writing. Some of the Lower School Specialists attended a session with ECE teachers to understand how the classroom environment impacts student experience. These experiences support Goal 1: Initiatives 3 and 4 of our Strategic Plan.

September 25, 2025

This week I’d like to connect the core value of curiosity to the way we are advancing our strategic plan. For the past three weeks, teachers have been using tools to support our curiosity about each child’s next instructional steps. This interaction between students, teachers, and data supports Goal 1, Initiative 4: Responsive, targeted instruction based on data. Families will gain access to the results of this data at their child(ren)’s Parent-Teacher Conference on October 3.

The purpose of using standardized assessments is to see how children are progressing against a normed set of data that spans far beyond Woodland.
We have collected data using the following tools:

DIBELS (all children in Kindergarten, 1st grade, new-to-Woodland students, and some children we have been monitoring their progress in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades).
A number sense screener that allows us to understand a child’s overall foundation for understanding how numbers ‘work.’
Assessments that help us to ‘match’ children to texts - ensuring that we are teaching children skills to support their ability to read more complex texts.
Additionally, our Bridges math curriculum has beginning-of-unit screeners that help us to understand each child’s entry point for the upcoming math unit.

Assessment also takes place in small moments when a child asks a question or when a teacher is conferring with each child. This type of assessment is as critical to supporting each child because it takes into account the whole child and the close relationship teachers foster that yields greater risk-taking.

October 23, 2025

As we near the end of October, I am delighted to share how we continue to bring our strategic plan to life. Goal 3: Initiative 2: Provide enhanced support to increase access and inclusion to a broader range of current and prospective families. To do so, we utilize various universal screening methods to identify areas where a child may benefit from additional skill building.

In November, we will be hosting professionals to do vision, hearing, and speech screenings. These screenings are designated for specific grade levels and can be arranged for children outside of these grade levels where the parent(s) or teachers have concerns. The consent form for Kindergarten Speech Screenings will be sent home this week and is due back to the school November 4, 2025.

Another support service that we are so excited to offer the Woodland community is Social Lab! Knowing that social interactions and sustaining relationships is a cornerstone of our Woodland experience, children can benefit from more explicit instruction for social problem-solving, give-and-take, and negotiating play with others. These structured play groups will occur after school as an enrichment class that is led by Dr. Josh Ireland. The goals and outcomes for each group will be curated to the individuals in the group after the parent intake session.

At Woodland we are committed to deepening the ways we challenge every learner. It is my hope that by increasing both our internal capacity and connections with the wider community we can broaden the range of skill-building opportunities that strengthen kids’ overall development.

Middle School

September 21, 2023

Goal 1, Learning Through Action: Coming up in just a few weeks is Outdoor Education. The middle school teachers have been busy planning for this trip, which is held Tuesday, October 3 through Friday, October 6. This year, we have expanded Outdoor Education to include an individualized trip experience for each grade level, each located at a different site. The fifth grade trip starts off with the most scaffolding and an introduction to the camping experience, while the eighth grade trip is the most physically demanding in alignment with teenagers’ development. Our students attend Outdoor Education and learn through action when they participate in outdoor activities and explore the natural world around them. As beautiful as Woodland is, visiting other locations around the Bay Area provides a different kind of learning experience.

Goal 2, Cultivating Connection and Community: Last year was a slow start to students starting clubs, possibly because it was a new idea to our middle school students. This year, it has been a completely different experience as students have asked adults on campus for support with starting clubs. The list keeps on growing! Our students clearly want to build relationships with each other, and in turn, it enhances relationships between teachers and students who can put a pause on academics while learning more about their interests. You may have also noticed Profe Maria’s announcement about Conversations in Spanish, in which the Woodland community (parents, too!) are invited to speak the language with others in a casual environment. We hope we will see some of you on campus once Conversations in Spanish starts in October!

October 19, 2023

For this month’s strategic plan focus, I am writing about Goal 1, Learning through Action. In particular, giving students the opportunity to gain their strength of voice and amplify the voice of others. A group of students who will be instrumental in amplifying the voices of others is our newly elected ASB Cabinet. Perhaps you attended last week’s assembly in which students shared speeches about why they should be elected to ASB. On Friday afternoon, we revealed our ten new ASB Cabinet members who are the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Media Master, Lower School Liaison and four grade level representatives. At today’s assembly, students shared about who they are and why they are excited to be in ASB. Our Sixth Grade Representative said, “I am excited to be the ‘megaphone’ for sixth grade and present all their ideas to Dr. Bustamante.” I couldn’t have said it better myself!

To further encourage strength of voice, I was a guest reader in Ms. Windy’s first grade class today, which was such an honor! I read a book to the students called Say Something. When I asked if anyone knew what the word “justice” means, a student raised his hand and said, “for the greater good.” I was beyond impressed that a first grade student understood this concept. The students in the class are future middle school students who will continue to speak up and make a difference in the world!

November 30, 2023

Associated Student Body (ASB) is on the move! In goal one of the Strategic Plan, initiative three outlines that students will have learning opportunities to gain strength of voice and amplify the voice of others. The elective class this trimester is one avenue that provides ASB these opportunities. Currently, ASB has a large task ahead of them, which is planning for the first middle school dance and social of the school year. Part of ASB’s responsibilities include reaching out to their peers to hear their ideas for enhancing the middle school experience. The middle school students’ voices were necessary for picking the theme for the dance. After tallying the results of the survey, the students have chosen a theme of Snowy Soirée.

December 21, 2023

One of the things that makes Woodland so special is that we value community and connection, which is Goal 2 of the Strategic Plan. Specifically, initiative 2 is about creating new opportunities for parents, faculty, staff, and alumni to deepen relationships and feel a sense of belonging. This was quite apparent yesterday through the wellness options offered to all Woodland employees during our regular Wednesday meeting time. All of the employees engaged in activities, ranging from art to cooking. Two Woodland alumni, who are now college freshmen, happened to stop by, and joined us in one of the wellness options, decorating for Santa Lucia. We were so appreciative for their help. On top of that, a couple of teachers, who also coach soccer, held a soccer party/game that featured students playing against parents. What a sight it was to see some of our fourth grade and middle school students laughing in friendly competition against Woodland parents. At one point, a group of middle school students cheered, “Keep going! Parents, we want you to win! Gooooo, parents!” It was quite a joy to witness!

January 25, 2024

Having authentic, applied learning experiences so that students can have a meaningful impact beyond Woodland is Goal 1, Initiative 1 of the Strategic Plan. As the 8th grade students are preparing for their upcoming Costa Rica trip, they are increasing their use of Spanish so that they can communicate with the community. This week during my classroom visits, I had an especially fun time in the 8th grade Spanish class as students learned vocabulary about la comida (food). Profe explained about a popular dish eaten in Costa Rica, and the students worked in groups to identify different types of food and interact using dialogue. To ensure students will be able to communicate with residents in Costa Rica, Profe only spoke to the students in Spanish. This is a great example of Goal 1, Initiative 1 living in action.

February 29, 2024

Deepening connections is Goal 2, Initiative 1 of the Strategic Plan, and a perfect example of this in action continues to be the Spanish Conversation Club. One Friday, I was able to stop by and the energy was great! Seeing different Woodland employees communicating in Spanish with parents and students of various ages was enriching. Oftentimes, speaking a different language can be intimidating when it is not a person’s native language, but the freedom to take risks and learn more about Spanish is evident in this club. Parents interact with their children in a different setting, and Woodland employees learn more about parents and students whom they may not have previously known well. Spanish Conversation Club has been a welcome addition to the Woodland community! If you’re interested in attending, please stop by on March 8 for intermediate/advanced speakers, or March 15 for beginners. Both sessions begin at 2:30 p.m. in room 26. !Muy fantastico!

March 28, 2024

Goal 2, Initiative 2 of the Strategic Plan is to create new opportunities for our parents, faculty, staff, and alumni to deepen relationships and feel a sense of belonging. This can certainly be seen through the Girls’ Mentor Program at Woodland. Last Saturday, the Girls’ Mentor Program featured an empowerment panel of women in the Woodland community and beyond who spoke about their career journeys. We’d like to thank our experts who spoke about their experiences at Mojave Energy Systems, Genentech, and Google. After the panel, Jyoti Srivastava, Technology Services Coordinator at Woodland, shared about her father who is principal of an all-girls school in India and how he continually empowered her as she grew up. Not only that, but mentors (Woodland teachers and parents) were able to dive into deep discussions with the mentees (5th, 6th, and 7th grade girls). All of these connection points create opportunities for girls to see adults through a different kind of lens, and also strengthen the relationships the adults have with each other.

April 25, 2024

Last Thursday, Woodland held the New Family Welcome Dinner for incoming students. While at the table with our current fifth grade families and incoming sixth grade families, I noticed that conversations flowed and a welcoming environment was present. At one point, a Woodland fifth grade student asked an incoming sixth grader if she liked Harry Potter. The new student shyly replied yes, to which the Woodland student excitedly asked, “Which house are you in?” I was confused for just a second because I instinctively thought she was referring to our Woodland House system before I understood the question. The girls delightedly bonded over Harry Potter, and started the beginnings of a new friendship. The night was lovely, and highlighted Goal 2, Initiative 2 of our Strategic Plan, creating new opportunities to foster a sense of belonging. At Woodland, all are welcome!

October 31, 2024

We are grateful to all of the parents who have provided transportation for field trips this fall. Middle school students have started going on various field trips, with many more planned for the future. We could not take these field trips without the support of parents who volunteer their time to drive students to the off-campus experiences. Goal 1, Initiative 5 of our Strategic Plan is to increase and diversify the use of place-based learning, particularly through off-campus experiences. Because of our amazing parents, we can see this element of the Strategic Plan coming to life. Thank you!

December 12, 2024

Progress with our Strategic Plan is moving along nicely. Goal 1, Initiative 3 of the Strategic Plan focuses on strengthening student voice. We can see that evident in various aspects of our school, including a new feature we will have in This Week in Middle School called “Student Corner.” Every month, we will provide students a chance to share some of their writing, amplifying their voices even more. This month, we are featuring our first student submission, which you can read below.

STUDENT CORNER
You are the one!
By AY

How does one decide who they like more than others? Whether you are choosing someone to sit next to you on a school bus trip, or planning to go on a vacation with someone, or choosing your best friend or lunch buddy or your class representative or the President of a country - how do you make those decisions?

Now, until recently, it really didn’t matter to me. Being included was enough. But, this year I ran for 6th grade class representative. This gave me firsthand experience of what it means to be out there for everyone to vote for you over others. Similar conversations were happening at home about Presidential elections. So, I wonder - what makes someone get chosen? Is it their popularity - who makes them popular? Is it how large the group is that supports you because you are more like them? Does timing matter? Is it the actions you take in recent times - like the speech you gave versus how you always behave? Or is it random … do people really care to think it through? I have more questions than answers.

But, I can tell one thing for sure - being included is definitely more important and satisfying than being the chosen one.

January 30, 2025

It’s the time of year that middle school students have been waiting for… snack cart is almost here! On Tuesday, February 4, the Associated Student Body (ASB) will start running snack cart until mid-May. Students are encouraged to bring money ($1, $5, $10 or quarters) to purchase snacks from the cart. Aligning with Goal 1, Initiative 3 of Strategic Plan, we find ways to amplify student voice, and snack cart is one of them. We polled middle school students this week to find out where they would like funds from snack cart to be donated, and they overwhelmingly voted to donate funds for Southern California fire relief. Our students are so thoughtful and caring!

February 27, 2025

As beautiful as Woodland’s campus is, we also want students to experience learning off campus as well. Part of Goal 1, Initiative 5 is increasing place based learning for students. In comparison to last school year, the middle school division has offered a greater number of off-campus experiences for students through subject area classes, electives, and other programs. Our students are thoughtful and curious, lending well to the new insights they gain from attending various field trips. I’m looking forward to the upcoming Empower Her field trip to the Google campus in Mountain View where participants will hear stories from the perspective of professional women. On top of that, our eighth grade students will be leaving for Costa Rica in a little over a month where they will immerse themselves in learning more about Costa Rican culture and customs while using their Spanish skills. There is an abundance of powerful learning happening at Woodland and beyond!

March 27, 2025

We really appreciate your time to attend your child’s student-led conference. Our middle school students were proud to showcase their learning goals and inform parents about their progress. Advisors spent weeks guiding and encouraging students to think deeply about their learning as they prepared for the conferences.

Capstone season is here, and our 8th grade students have been working hard on their action pieces. You may have seen some of the blurbs in previous newsletters informing parents and students about various opportunities to support the 8th grade class. The work the students are completing connects well with Goal 1, Initiative 1 of the Strategic Plan, expanding the use of authentic, applied learning experiences so that students can have a meaningful impact beyond Woodland. When students recognize that they have the ability to make tangible connections to their community and beyond, they feel empowered and inspired. Many thanks in advance for your support, either for your own child’s Capstone action piece, or for other students’.

April 24, 2025

Tomorrow, our middle school will honor the annual Day of Silence. This event, led by our Student Woodland Activist Group under the guidance of Ms. Reman, is held each year to bring awareness to the harassment and silencing of LGBTQIA+ students across the country. The National Day of Silence is an event that was started by two University of Virginia students in April of 1996. Students do not have to be LGBTQIA+ to participate, but can be allies showing support to the community. Students who choose to participate in the Day of Silence are given white boards to communicate with their teachers to ensure no disruption to the school day. Students will break their silence during the lunchtime rally when they will also write letters to local or state representatives. The Day of Silence is putting Goal 1, Initiatives 1 and 3 of our Strategic Plan into action with students amplifying the voices of others and making an impact beyond Woodland.

September 25, 2025

Goal 1, Initiative 5 of our Strategic Plan focuses on increasing Woodland’s use of place-based learning, particularly through off campus experiences. Outdoor Ed is a great example of these types of experiences. If you haven’t heard already, Outdoor Ed was a success! Based on the surveys we sent out to students, they had a wonderful time being immersed in nature and connected with both teachers and peers. As always, it’s our pleasure to chaperone your children and spend time with them in the great outdoors!

October 23, 2025

This morning, candidates for ASB gave speeches during middle school assembly. I find the speeches so entertaining because the students bring out their personality and flair. The slogans students create are the best, both humorous and memorable. ASB speeches perfectly amplify student voice, which is Goal 1, Initiative 3 in our Strategic Plan. By the end of day tomorrow, we’ll know who the members of the ASB Cabinet will be. Kudos to all of the students who ran for ASB!

All School

January 24, 2024

In my role as Director of Teaching, Learning, and Professional Growth, I have the pleasure of working with teachers to advance Woodland’s academic program and deepen learning opportunities for our students. These efforts come in many forms, from our formalized professional-development program to casual conversations in the hallways, but they always hold students and our personal relationships with them at the center. With the implementation of Woodland’s Strategic Plan, teachers have found even more creative and powerful ways to elevate the student experience, and I am grateful for their diligent and thoughtful support of our Wildcats.

In this mid-year progress report on the Strategic Plan, I focus on the areas of hands-on and place-based learning (Initiatives 1.1 and 1.5 respectively), two core elements of Woodland’s inquiry-based approach that continue to find support among education researchers. Among many positive steps in advancing Woodland’s academic program a few highlights come to mind:

The finalizing of a Portrait of a Learner and a connected skills progression that will serve as a north star for our academic program going forward; both of these tools, which will be rolled out formally this spring, explicitly emphasize the application of knowledge and expertise from ECE through 8th grade;

Woodland faculty have dedicated inservice days and additional gatherings to crafting a set of four school-wide competencies that make up our ‘Portrait of a Learner’. Here we see some of their early brainstorming and reflections.

Each of the core competencies that make up Woodland’s ‘Portrait of a Learner’, has been mapped to skills advanced in our courses and classes, from ECE to 8th grade. This screenshot displays the mapping for ‘dynamic communicator’, one of our competency areas.

A remapping of the science curriculum to make space for focused explorations into ecology and environmental sustainability (climate change, food systems, energy consumption, and more); these curricular shifts will eventually serve as a foundation for articulated academic pathways for students (as called for in Strategic Plan initiative 1.2);

Science teachers are exploring the use of aggregation tools that use live data, such as CoCoRaHS, in their climate-change curriculum. Using these tools gives students the chance to act and think like climate scientists.

Our Physical Education team’s participation in professional development related to physical health and wellness, which has inspired new health units in every division of the school beginning this year;
An updated sustainability curriculum in ECE this spring that will include the use of worm composting – exactly the type of yucky, delightful, hands-on experience that engages students and sets learning patterns deep into their future;
Inspired by George Couros’s The Innovator’s Mindset, the introduction of a student-driven, high-choice research unit in Middle School Humanities in which students will explore questions of personal interest and apply the analytic, communication, and cooperation skills needed for their later-life endeavors, both academic and professional.
A slate of new field trips and outdoor experiences, including an exploration of the Civil Rights movement in the East Bay, a design sprint at Google Headquarters (image above), a hands-on, creative experience at the San Jose Museum of Art, a physics-focused visit to SLAC, an immersive Spanish-speaking engagement with the local Redwood City community, and more.

Students' work at Google was focused on designing new ways to expand and utilize Woodland’s House system – a callout from our new Strategic Plan.

Reassuringly, none of this work has felt forced or divergent from Woodland’s existing culture and mission. The vibe has been confident, and the faculty’s energy and enthusiasm remain high. In a recent planning meeting, one teacher stated it directly: “I just love this stuff.”

With your continued support, we will keep the Strategic Plan moving forward and will have even more progress to report in the months ahead.

Dan Cristiani, Ph.D.
Director of Teaching, Learning, and Professional Growth

May 31, 2024

In this end-of-year update on the Strategic Plan, I’d like to highlight recent and ongoing efforts inspired by two seemingly unrelated elements of Woodland’s Strategic Plan – Initiative 1.4. "Adapt the learning program to appropriately challenge each student" and Initiative 2.1, "Build and strengthen structures and practices that support diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice across school systems." Both of these initiatives have moved forward through our improved collection, analysis, and use of learning data, and we are hopeful that future data work will enable us to serve our students even better in the years ahead.

To be sure, we hold firm that the most important information we have about students comes from our everyday moments with them in our classrooms – a teacher’s observation, a student’s body language, or a joyful comment during a lesson. We know our students well, and we see them as much more than a collection of scores. And yet, we’ve also come to recognize the value of data to help us meet the learning needs of these students we care for so much. We’ll never let data overshadow the personal, human side of the Woodland experience, but inspired by our Strategic Plan, we have started to incorporate its usage into our learning programs over this last year.

Examples of our progress include:

Comprehensive Data Compilation: We've gathered and organized all academic data from the 2022-23 school year, with a plan to include data from other years this summer. These data include trimester grades, ERB scores, reading assessment scores, and more.
Understanding Our Community: By analyzing these academic data alongside student characteristics, we're getting a clearer picture of how we're serving all parts of our community. This helps us ensure that every student gets the support they need.

There’s a large and growing literature on how to use learning data responsibly to ensure all student groups are equitably supported and given the opportunity to flourish. Coupled with the recently-completed DEIJ audit, the first major step in initiative 2.1, our data analysis will enable us to understand better how we’re serving our students.
Exploring Data-Driven Questions: We're starting to ask important questions that our data can help answer, such as why there are variations in grades or how performance in different subjects might be connected. These insights are helping us better understand and meet our students' diverse needs.

Although this particular chart shows a rather uninteresting statistical relationship (the correlation between MS science and math grades), it is an example of the types of analysis we can do with our integrated dataset.
Although this particular chart shows a rather uninteresting statistical relationship (the correlation between MS science and math grades), it is an example of the types of analysis we can do with our integrated dataset.
New Assessments in Action: We've introduced new assessments, such as the DIBELS reading assessments, the Qualitative Reading Inventory (QRI), a Universal Screener for Number Sense (USNS), and others. In our Lower School, we've brought much of this information together into a single learning-data solution called “Forefront.” This tool helps us see and understand the growth of individual students and whole classes.

The Forefront data-management system allows us to see quickly and clearly where students strengths and growth areas lie.
The Forefront data-management system allows us to see quickly and clearly where students strengths and growth areas lie.

By embracing both numbers and narratives, we're aiming for a balanced approach that makes learning richer and more meaningful for our students. Our dedication to understanding and using data is just one of the many ways we're advancing Woodland’s academic program and creating deeper learning opportunities for our Wildcats.

Dan Cristiani, Ph.D.
Director of Teaching, Learning, and Professional Growth

February 13, 2025

In my role I have the privilege of collaborating with teachers to advance Woodland’s academic program, ensuring that our students engage in meaningful, applied learning experiences while being appropriately challenged at every level. As we continue implementing Woodland’s Strategic Plan, initiatives 1.1 ("expanding the use of authentic, applied learning experiences") and 1.4 ("adapting the academic program to appropriately challenge each student") remain at the heart of our instructional efforts. The past few months have been particularly exciting as we have made significant strides in these areas.

One of the most notable developments in our Lower School is our preparation for the full adoption of Bridges Math, 3rd edition in the upcoming school year. This updated version includes more challenge problems and differentiation options, allowing us to better meet students where they are, while ensuring they stretch their mathematical thinking. For example, 2nd grade students who have mastered a 2’s chart might be asked by the new edition of Bridges to extend their learning by comparing charts with different heights and widths – a prelude to the multiplicative thinking they do in future lines of study. Having piloted Bridges 3rd edition in select classrooms, we are now ready for full implementation, confident in its ability to support our students’ diverse learning needs.

In Middle School, we have revisited the work of both Sandra Kaplan and Norman Webb, with a renewed emphasis on the application of learning through higher-order thinking tasks. Teachers have been integrating these frameworks into their courses, ensuring that students not only master content but also apply their knowledge in real-world contexts. For instance, Humanities teachers have expanded the use of primary sources that ask students to make inferences and draw patterns out of real-world “data”, whether visual, artistic, historical, or literary in form. This approach strengthens our commitment to inquiry-based learning and helps students make meaningful connections between disciplines.

Eighth grade students read to early childhood students

As a way of deepening their skills in mathematical communication, Woodland middle school students recently visited and read to ECE classrooms books related to numbers and patterns.

Beyond traditional academics, we have expanded opportunities for visual and performing arts students to engage with artists and practitioners, allowing them to experience the creative process firsthand. An upcoming Lower School field trip will have students meeting with a ceramicist and trying out some of the techniques she suggests. By connecting with professionals, students gain insight into the artistic world—not just as observers but as active participants in creative production. Similarly, we are preparing an exciting real-world learning experience for our students this spring, where they will explore an environmentally friendly home construction project in our local community. We hope to partner with the home builders to learn more about how they think about sustainability in their project designs. This initiative ties directly to our mission of fostering hands-on, applied learning that connects students to the world around them.

In Lower School, we have developed a new geography unit for 3rd grade students that moves beyond static maps and rote memorization to emphasize human geography, encouraging students to think dynamically about how people interact with their environments. Meanwhile, our 7th grade civics and community engagement projects are providing students with practical experiences in civic responsibility and leadership, laying the groundwork for the 8th grade capstone project’s action component. 7th grade students have proposed new elective experiences, mentorship initiatives to interact more with Lower School students, and even structural changes to our school site. These projects are designed to cultivate responsible, engaged citizens who see themselves as active contributors to their communities.

seventh grade graph why they choose their topic

7th grade students’ pitches for their civics projects, all of which target improvements in their Woodland community, included survey data and other forms of quantitative evidence.

Our youngest learners have also been engaging in deep inquiry through an ECE emergent curriculum unit on food systems, including an exploration of Woodland’s own Choice Lunch program. The curiosity of our early childhood students has sparked rich discussions and hands-on investigations into where our food comes from, how it is prepared, and the broader implications of food sustainability.

An early childhod student sketches hot lunch room drop off

An ECE student sketches Woodland’s food-delivery system and numbered each classroom that receives food.

Finally, we are excited to announce that Woodland will compete in a regional gathering of the World Scholar’s Cup this April – a first for the school. This initiative will connect Woodland students with peers from other schools and regions, encouraging them to engage in global problem-solving and intercultural collaboration. This competition is just one example of how we continue to expand the ways in which our students apply their learning beyond the classroom walls.

As we continue moving forward with Woodland’s Strategic Plan, I remain inspired by the creativity, dedication, and passion of our faculty in designing meaningful, challenging, and applied learning experiences. With their expertise and enthusiasm, we are shaping an academic program that not only deepens students’ understanding but also prepares them to thrive in an ever-changing world.

In partnership,
Dan Cristiani, Ph.D.
Director of Teaching and Learning