AnnualFund:TheWoodsAnnualFundprovidesimmediate,flexibleresourcesto helpfundtheschool’shighestpriorities academics,immersionlearning experiences,arts/technology/athletics,professionaldevelopment,andfaculty andstaffsalaryandbenefits
Auction:Eachyear,TheWoodshostsanauctiontobringtogethertheparent communityinafunandcelebratorysetting.Thereisafundraisingarmofthe auctiontohelpraisemoneyforcertainareasneededfortheschool
Carpool:Carpoolisawell oiledmachineatTheWoods.Morningcarpoolisfrom 8am 8:20am(8:30amforMontessoristudents)andafternooncarpoolis staggeredwith2:45pmforMontessori,3pmforLowerSchool,and3:15pmfor UpperSchool Youngerstudentswitholdersiblingswillleaveattheoldersibling’s time NotethathalfdayMontessori3 year oldshaveafternooncarpoolat 11:30am MorningcarpoolforMontessoriandLowerSchoolstudentshappensatthe frontofschool.UpperSchoolmorningcarpoolisinthebackoftheschool. Forafternooncarpool,allstudentsarepickedupinthefront.Carslineup startinginthebackoftheschoolandaredirectedbythefacilitiesteamat TWA
C
TheWoodsAnnualFundgivesustheabilityto handletheunexpected,andmeetoperationalneedsastheyarise Aswithall independentschools,tuitiondoesnotcovertheentirecostofaWoods education.ClickheretofindoutmoreabouttheAnnualFund.
AZ GUIDE A
B
BookFair:TheScholasticBookFairisabighitforthestudentsatourschool The bookfairischairedbyaparentvolunteerandissetupintheMPRforafewdays inthewinterseason.Teacherssendhomeinformationaroundthebookfair, availablebooks,andhowthefairwilloperatethatyear.Parentstypicallysendin moneywiththeirstudentsandtheyareabletoshopforbookswiththehelpof theirteacherandparentvolunteers Parentsareencouragedtovolunteer throughouttheweektohelp!
ChristmasFund:TheChristmasFundhasbecomeatraditionthatwasstartedin anefforttorelievethestressofthegiftseason.WAPTOcollectsfundsfrom families(thisis100%voluntaryontheparentsbehalf)andthenevenlydistributes themamongallfacultyandstaff.Thisgivesnotonlyourdedicatedhomeroom teachersagift,butalsothespecialsteachers,administrativestaff,facilities team,andextendedcarestaffwhotakesuchgreatcareofourchildren Acheck ispresentedtoeachstaffmemberasagiftfromWoodsfamilies,collectively
We hope this guide helps our parents understand all the terminology we use at The Woods Academy!
Divisions:Ourschoolisdividedintothreedivisions
Montessori(Mont)forage 3 Kindergarten,LowerSchool(LS)for1st 4thgrade,andUpperSchool(US)for 5th 8thgrade.
DivisionDirector:Eachdivisionhasaleadpersonwhohelpscoordinatetheday todayoperationsateachlevel
EighthGradeLeadershipTeam:Our8thGradeLeadershipTeamisagroupof studentsin8thGradewhoserveasrolemodelsandleadersofthestudentbody. Theyhelptoorganizefundraisers,cleanuptheschoolcampus,andcoordinate otherstudent focusedinitiativesthroughouttheyear
Findoutmoreaboutthedress uniforminourUniformGuide
ExtendedCare:MontessoristudentswhoneedtostayatTheWoodslongerthan thetypicalschoolday(normally,M3endsat11:30amandM4/Kendsat 2:45pm)cansignupforextendedcare
E E-Folder:OurweeklynewsletteriscalledtheE Folder It’ssenttoparents,faculty, andstaffeveryWednesdayat3pm Thenewsletterincludesupcomingevents andimportantinformationforthefollowingweek
Extendedcarehappensinaseparate classroomfromtheMontessoriclassroomsandisstaffedbytrainedandloving teachers!
EndofSchoolYearFund:
Everyoneisencouragedto readtheE Foldereveryweek.
Thedivisiondirectorisalwaysextremely responsiveandhelpful,andisagreatcontactifyouhaveanyquestionsabout curriculum,schedules,fieldtrips,activities,orthelike
DressUniform:TheWoodshasadressuniformwhichincludesanavyblazerwith aschoolpatch.ThismoreformaluniformiswornbyUpperSchoolstudentsevery MondayforChapel;andbyLowerandUpperSchoolstudentswhenwehave MassandonotherspecialoccasionsliketheAnnualChristmasConcert, GrandparentsDay,andSchoolPictureDay
D
SimilartotheChristmasFund,WAPTOorganizesanend ofschoolyearfundforfacultyandstaff.WAPTOcollectsfundsfromfamilies (thisis100%voluntaryontheparentsbehalf)andthenevenlydistributesthem amongallfacultyandstaffattheendoftheschoolyear.
F
G
FoundersDay:FoundersDayisacelebrationeachyearinJanuarywhenthe communitycomestogetherforMasstocelebratethefoundingofourschool Did youknowTheWoodsAcademywasfoundedin1975?Agroupofdedicated parentsworkedtore establishtheclosingUrsulineAcademyasOurLadyofthe WoodsAcademyandsubsequentlyTheWoodsAcademy. GreenTeam:TheMontessoridivisionuseschild friendlytermstodistinguish amongthevariousagegroupswithinthemulti ageclassrooms.TheGreen TeamstudentsarethesecondlevelMontessoristudents,typically4yearolds.
M
Weofferhotlunchfromathirdpartyvendorforstudents ingrades1 8 ThemenuandorderformaresenttoparentseverySundayso thattheycanordertheirchild’slunchfortheweek
H
L
Namecard:Everyfamilyreceivesanamecardfortheircaratthestartofthe schoolyear Thisneedstobedisplayedonyourcar’sdashboardformorning andafternooncarpool. Owlcove:TheOwlcoveisourschoolstore,whichsellsthegymuniform, sweatshirts,andotheritems Wedonotsellthedailyuniform,however Thatcan bepurchasedatFlynn&O’HaraorLandsEnd Didyouhearorreadsomethingthat'snotinthisguide?Letusknow! EmailDirectorofCommunicationsCaitlinChalkeatcchalke@woodsacademyorg
O
Lunchers:MontessoristudentsinKindergartenaresometimesreferredtoasthe “Lunchers.”Thistermdatesbackmany,manyyearstowhenourKindergarten studentsweretheonlyMontessoristudentswhostayedatschoolforlunch.
Besuretocheckthee folder fortheinformation! LowerSchool:TheLowerSchoolatTheWoodsincludesgrades1 4 These studentsareoftenreferredtoas“graders”
Montessori:WecallourearlychildhooddivisionMontessori.Thisdivisionforages 3 6(includingKindergarten)iscomprisedofthreemulti ageclassroomsthat followtheMontessoriphilosophy
Montessoriisachild focusedapproachto educationthatDr MariaMontessori,anItalianphysician,developedfor educatingchildrenaroundtheglobe LearnmoreaboutMontessoriinour“What isMontessori”e book. MontessoriGraduation:AllMontessoristudents(ages3 6)andtheirfamilies areinvitedtoattendtheannualMontessoriGraduationandProgram.Thisevent givesouryoungeststudentstheopportunitytoperformsongsandpoemsfor theirfamilies Duringtheprogram,theMontessoriLunchers/Kindergarten studentsalsoreceivetheirMontessoridiploma MLKDayofService:TheWoodsputstogetheraserviceinitiativeonMLKDayfor thosewhoareinterested.It’sagreatwaytobuildcommunityandgivebackto thosemostinneed. MPR:TheMPRisthemultipurposeroomatTheWoods Thislarge,dynamicspace nearthefrontentranceoftheschoolbuildingisusedforeatinglunch,morning parentcoffees,chapeltime,andmore
N
Thankyou!
Holidays:SeeChristmasFund,ThanksgivingPies,andSantaWorkshopamong manyotherfunactivities. Hot(Catered)Lunch:
Intellectuallycuriousandaself awarestudent
Stronggraspoffoundationalskills
S Santa’sWorkshop:FortwodaysinDecember,theMPRistransformedintoa winterwonderlandforstudentsingrades1 4foralltheirChristmasshopping needs Studentsareabletobuyaffordablegiftsfortheirspecialpeople(and pets) Grades6 8areabletojoinattheendofthedayforashoppingbonus whensupplyallows! Snow(intheforecast!):Whenthereissnowonthegroundorweexpectsome lightsnow,sendyourkidsinwithsnowboots,hats,andglovessotheycanenjoy thesnowduringrecess!Noboots,nosnowplaying.PleasenotethatTheWoods AcademyfollowsMCPSasitrelatestosnowdaysunlessotherwisenotedbythe school StudyHall:StudyHallisanafterschoolprogramopentostudentsingrades1 8 StudyHallgoesuntil6pmandstudentsgettoplayoutside,bewithfriends,and getsomehomeworkdoneaswell.
TheRISEScholarsexperienceisfocusedonaself directedresearchproject whichincludesawrittencomponentandaction basedprojectwhileworking withamentorteacher
P
ParentAmbassador:AParentAmbassador(formerlyknownastheRoom Parent)willenhanceourinvolvementwithnewparentsandtheWoods communitythroughoutreachdesignedtosupportWoodsandWAPTOsocial activities,events,andserviceprojectsthroughouttheyear.Ourgoalistocreate apositionwhereparentambassadorscanwelcomenewparentsandshare theirknowledgeandknow howofTheWoods,whilebolsteringgreater participationfromallWoodsfamilies
RedTeam:TheMontessoridivisionuseschild friendlytermstodistinguish amongthevariousagegroupswithinthemulti ageclassrooms.TheRedTeam studentsarethefirstlevelMontessoristudents,typically3yearolds. RISEScholars:RISEScholarsisaselectiveprogramforseventhandeighthgrade studentswhoare: Readyforahigherlevelofacademicchallenge
Expressaninteresttodomoreandmakeanimpact(application based)
ProgressReports:Montessori:Montessoriparentswillreceiveanannualprogress reportjustbeforethespringParentTeacherConferences.Thisreportindicates howthechildisdevelopinginavarietyofpre determinedskillsets.
PEUniform:OurPEuniformisagreenshirtwithourschoollogoandblackshorts withourlogoalongwithsneakers
R
ProgressReports:UpperSchool:Midwaythrougheachtrimester,UpperSchool parentswillreceiveaprogressreportfortheirchildgivingasnapshotoftheir achievementatthatpointintime
Thisprocessspansoverstudents’7thand8thgrade yearsanditculminateswithapresentationtotheschoolcommunity
FindoutmoreinfoonthePEuniformhere It’s wornonPEdaysforstudents.UpperSchoolstudentswillchangeintotheirPE uniformsatschool(theymustpacktheuniformandtheirsneakers)whileLower SchoolstudentscanweartheirPEuniformtoschoolontheirPEday.
WAPTOtypicallyorganizessomethingspecialeach monthtoshowappreciationforourfacultyandstaff.Thismayincludecoffeein themorningwithabarista,aflowerarrangement,delicioustreats,etc.WAPTO willshareinformationaroundtheseeventsforparentstohelpastheycan TeamLeader:FacultyatTheWoodsareorganizedintothefollowingteams: Grades1 2,3 4,5 6,7 8,Arts,WorldLanguage,Athletics TeamLeadersare facultymembers,selectedbytheAssistantHead,thatareresponsiblefor facilitatingparentandteachermeetingsaswellassupportingthe administrationwithandcommunicatingaboutscheduling,discipline,andother programmaticissuesrelatedtostudents
WoodsThisWeek:WoodsThisWeekisourSundayweeklyemailthatreminds parents,faculty,andstaffoftheupcomingcalendarevents
Thisemailissenton Sundaysat10am WoodsNet:WoodsNetisouronlineparentportal.Allparentsaregivenaccessto thisportalandareencouragedtovisititoften.WoodsNethastheschool calendar,parentdirectory,andhelpfullinks.Herearetheinstructionsonhowto accessWoodsNet RemembertoalwayscheckWoodsNetforanyinformation youneed Weliketosay“Whenindoubt,checkWoodsNet!”
W WAPTO:TheWoodsAcademyParentTeacherOrganizationisreferredtoas WAPTO.AllparentsaremembersofWAPTO. ReadmoreaboutWAPTOandtheir eventshere What’sNewwithWAPTO!:AmonthlynewsletterfromWAPTOaboutupcoming eventsandthingstokeepinmind
schoolcalendarandthereareremindersinthee folderespeciallywhenthe dayshaveaspecialtheme
TeacherAppreciation:
Uniform:Ouruniformisworneverydaybystudentsunlessnotedotherwise.You canfindthefulldetailsofouruniforminourUniformGuide
Onlystudentsin grades1 8weartheuniform Montessoristudentsdonothaveauniform
T TagDay:TagdaysareTheWoods’nouniformdays Tagdaysarelistedonthe
Theemailcontainsreminders aboutgames,practices,tryouts,andmore ItissentonSundaysat10amand includesinformationfortheupcomingweek
UpperSchool:TheUpperSchoolatTheWoodsincludesgrades5 8
U
ThanksgivingPies:Eachyear,WAPTOgivesthankstoourteachersaround Thanksgivingwithourannualpiegift Eachfacultyandstaffmemberwillreceive adeliciouspiefromWAPTOtoenjoywithfamilyandfriendsoverThanksgiving break. ThisWeekinSports:ThisWeekinSportsisourweeklyathleticemailthatis distributedtoparentsofUpperSchoolstudents
Trimester:TheWoodsAcademy’sschoolyearisdividedintothreeapproximately 11weekperiods.LS&USstudentsreceiveareportcardattheendofeach trimester.Allafterschoolactivitiesincludingbeforeandaftercareandstudyhall requireregistrationeachtrimester
WindowonTheWoods:WindowonTheWoodsreferstoourmonthlyemailthat issenttoourcommunitywitharticlesofcampushappeningsandothernews. Youcanalsofindthesestoriesandmoreonourwebsite.