Woodside School is offering middle school students the opportunity to broaden their horizons with seven new elective options.
James Haddon, middle school physical education teacher, is the instructor for four of the new electives: self defense, strength and conditioning, yoga and wrestling.
“The goal of these electives is to give students more options and opportunities to learn new ways to be healthy and safe (and to) improve physical, mental and emotional health through sport,” he said.
Before these courses were offered, none of the school’s electives provided physical exercise for students. Now, students will have many opportunities to take part in and learn about the importance of different forms of exercise.
Sharon Lacrosse, Woodside School’s librarian, is teaching the new “modern readers” elective, designed to help students grow as readers.
“Students will learn about new authors, titles and new ways to share what they’re reading,” Ms. Lacrosse said. In this elective, students will be able to share their thoughts on websites such as Goodreads, which allows people to connect with friends through reading. Students will also have the opportunity to communicate with authors via Apple’s Facetime app.
A new blogging elective will enable students to write a blog about a topic of their choosing. It will be taught by Leanne Otten, the English language arts teacher for sixth- and seventh-graders.
Website design is a new elective taught by Harlin Hansen, the technology and coding teacher at Woodside School who works with students at every grade level.
The blogging and website design electives will be opportunities for students to write and work with technology at the same time.
Woodside Elementary School District
• Enrollment:410, down 42 from 2013-14 and up one from 2016-17.
• New programs: None.
• New courses: Self defense, wrestling and yoga.
• New staff (including teachers): Four new teachers; new transitional kindergarten to fifth grade principal Lauren Petrea; new student services coordinator Marta Battle; and new psychologist Allison Bruner.
• New facilities: None.
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