Back to School: Woodside School District Back to School: Woodside School District (September 01, 2004)

New superintendent/principal starts new chapter

By Marjorie Mader
Almanac Staff Writer

Woodside School's new Superintendent/Principal Dan Vinson had a running start on the school year.

He started work at the grade K-8 school as a consultant in June after being selected last March as the school board's first choice for its new leader. This extra time gave him an opportunity to shadow former Superintendent John Harter before he retired and to become acquainted with the school, people and programs before the official July 1 starting date.

Mr. Vinson's real introduction to the community was when he and his wife watched Woodside's traditional May Day Parade and joined in the festivities at school afterward. The Vinsons also returned to watch the eighth-grade operetta, "Oliver," performed in the school's renovated Sellman Auditorium.

"I'm excited about being here and able to wear two hats" as superintendent/principal, said Mr. Vinson. "My favorite job in my career was as a principal and being in the classrooms," he said. He sees his challenge as balancing the two roles.

Fortunately, he says, he's lucky to have strong support. Tim Hanretty, former business manager for both the Portola and Woodside districts, was named assistant superintendent in both districts. Bob Sherman was promoted from dean of students to assistant principal.

Mr. Vinson came to Woodside from a similar K-8 district, the Rancho Santa Fe School District near San Diego, with a K-5 school and middle school in separate buildings on the same campus. Previously, he spent 23 years in the Mountain View district as a principal, director of special education and assistant superintendent. The Vinsons live in Saratoga.

Already, Mr. Vinson has taken a look at Woodside's middle school program and made some changes. He said he believes the sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders should have their own identity as middle-school students, but he wants to keep the "uniqueness" of a K-8 school. Most of the upper-grade classes are geographically located in the middle-school courtyard, the newest part of the school.

He's revised the schedule to a five-day schedule (as opposed to alternating A and B days) with upper-grade students rotating through eight periods a day. Sixth-graders will have a three-period core block daily with the same teacher for writing, reading, language arts and social studies. For seventh- and eighth-graders, it will be a two-period core block for language arts and literature. Specialists will teach math, science, Spanish and PE. Electives are offered.

Teachers will be working throughout the year on curriculum, especially writing and language arts, at all grades, said Mr. Vinson. He said he looks ahead to more grade-level collaboration and wants to be sure that there's a strong integrated curriculum in place. He said he and the staff would continue to explore new ways to teach the curriculum and address Woodside's adopted curriculum standards.

Mr. Vinson is interested in reviewing the master plan for the school and looking at ways to replace the aging16 relocatable classrooms.

When students return to school on Wednesday, September 1, Superintendent/Principal Vinson and his staff promise to be ready. "Our teachers and support staff are the envy of any district," he said. "The support and loyalty of our parents and community are a dream for any administrator."

Following is the report on Woodside School, where classes start Wednesday, September 1, with a half-day session.

Woodside School
3195 Woodside Road Woodside
Phone: 851-1571
Dan Vinson, superintendent/principal
Grades: K-8
Enrollment. about 450
Class sizes. Classes are small, ranging from 14 students in the third grades to around 20 as a maximum.

New teachers. Woodside School welcomes seven new teachers, three of whom have worked as long-term substitutes or as a former teacher in the district. They are: Tara Anderson, kindergarten; Cyndi Holcombe, second grade; Sharon Ryan La Crosse, librarian; Stacey McNamara, kindergarten; Hiroko Otsuka, eighth grade; Marilynn Welsh, Spanish in seventh and eighth grades; Carrie Zaracotas, fourth grade.

Fond farewell. Christine Royer, a fourth-grade teacher, and Emily Tornabene, a middle-school Spanish teacher, will not return, and have moved out of the area.

Electives. Eighth-graders will have one elective the final period of the day. Their choices include yearbook, voice, art, band, math design and, for the last part of the year, operetta and study hall. All sixth- and seventh-graders will take "Skills for Success" and have a choice of an elective.

Back-to school nights. Parents of kindergartners through fifth-graders will return to school Thursday, September 9, at 7 p.m. to meet teachers and learn about the program. For parents of sixth- through eighth- graders, the date is Tuesday, September 14, at 7 p.m.

Back-to school barbecue. This annual get-together for parents, kids, teachers, neighbors and alumni starts at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, September 10. Woodside T-shirts, sweatshirts and a waterproof blanket will be on sale. Tickets will be on sale at school.

Preschool. A fee-based preschool is offered on the school campus and is open to children, ages 2 years, 9 months and up. Classes are for two days, three days and five days. For information, call Cathy Stienstra at 851-1571, ext. 194.

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