WHPS Blog

Last Night's Tragedy

Written by Seth Pozzi, Head of School on 08 November 2018.

WHPS community,

No doubt you woke to the news broadcasts and Facebook posts about last night’s nightclub shooting in Thousand Oaks. Our deepest sympathy and hearts go out to all of those affected by this tragedy. When events like this happen, it can strike a chord in us that goes deeper than just knowing there’s not any credible threat to our school community. These are raw and valid feelings that parents, children and teachers may be experiencing.

While violence and death are incredibly sensitive topics that each family will ultimately decide to address in their own way, we wanted to share a couple resources that we utilize as educators in deciding how to talk to children when they have questions.

WHPS article from earlier this year: TALKING TO CHILDREN ABOUT SCHOOL SAFETY

National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) article: TALKING TO CHILDREN ABOUT VIOLENCE

Moment of Silence: In the Elementary Division, we also held a brief moment of silence at Morning Assembly today to acknowledge the impact on the community.

Morning Meeting: During Morning Meeting, we also allowed older children to share what they have heard and ask questions. Throughout the day and week, if elementary students ask questions, we will continue to answer them honestly, following the guidelines outlined above.

Parents, if you are grappling with your own concerns, we are here to talk with you. Please do not hesitate to drop in.

WHPS Admin Team

Seth Pozzi, Head of School	Robin Gee, Preschool Director
Jacey Dexter, Elementary Principal	Ailin Sacks, Preschool Co-Director
Dr. Tracy Ewing, Preschool Director	Christine Chiche, Preschool Co-Director

The November Election!

Written by Seth Pozzi, Head of School on 06 November 2018.

This year, our school decided to participate in Election Day in a new and special way. Elementary students voted on this year’s yearbook theme from the options: Obscura, Smiley and Wrigley.

We presented the children with a choice that is, in some ways, similar to the one parents faced today when going to the polls. We asked students to think about which theme best represents our school community’s values and what matters most to each individual student. We framed their choices in the following way.

THE CANDIDATES

Smiley: Represents bucket filling

We asked the students if bucket filling and kindness represents the most important value in our community. If so, they might decide to vote for Smiley.

Wrigley: Represents nature and the environment

We asked the students if our beautiful campus and the environment represent the most important values in our community. If so, they might decide to vote for Wrigley.

Obscura: Represents any other issue they find personally important

We asked the students if there is some other issue (besides bucket filling or the environment) that represents the most important value in our community. If so, they might decide to vote for Obscura.

The time is now 3:47PM on November 6, 2018. All Ballots have been counted by our WHPS poll workers. But, you will have to stay tuned for Morning Assembly on November 7 for the results. We can say, there was a landslide victory to the winner. Was it Obscura, Wrigley or Smiley? Find out tomorrow!