Welcome to Woods Learning Center! We're glad you are here!
Our mission is to instill a love of learning and foster responsible citizens.
Our mission is to instill a love of learning and foster responsible citizens.
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Woods Learning Center is an elementary and middle school program in a small school community where everyone knows and works with each other. We believe school should be a personalized and meaningful experience for all of our students, where they become motivated and empowered to pursue their own goals and dreams.
Parent involvement is fundamental to our program. Parents are not only welcome members of our school community but they are encouraged to participate and volunteer with us.
We also believe that student voice and choice are crucial to our mission as a Teacher-Powered School. Our students have frequent opportunities to contribute their interests and opinions in a constructive manner. Their curiosity and inquiry help drive our instruction. They graduate from eighth grade not only well prepared for high school but with the skills and abilities to be successful in whatever they choose to do. Without a transition to a large middle school, our students remain focused on their goals, are leaders in our community, and graduate from our program confident in their own identity.
Our school is renowned for its innovative Pod system that fosters collaborative learning experiences across all grades. The unique Pod setup ensures that students in Kindergarten and 1st grade, 2nd and 3rd grade, 4th and 5th grade, as well as our Middle School, work closely together within their designated Pods throughout the day. The Primary Pod, Intermediate Pod, and Upper-Intermediate Pod provide a structured yet engaging environment for students to thrive academically.
At Woods Learning Center, we place a strong emphasis on Project-Based Learning, with all students actively participating in projects twice a year. These projects culminate in a spectacular project night, where students have the opportunity to showcase their hard work and creativity to parents, teachers, and the wider community.
Moreover, our school promotes cross-grade interaction through our "Circle Groups" sessions held weekly. This special time allows students of varying ages to collaborate, learn from each other, and build lasting friendships.
Join us at Woods Learning Center, where learning is not only enriching but also filled with fun and collaborative experiences that inspire students to reach their full potential.
Teacher-Powered Schools
Teacher-Powered Schools
Woods Learning Center has secured autonomy to design and run their school and make decisions influencing school success and student learning.
Our school is led by a collaborative team of teachers and staff rather than a principal. All core academic standards are taught in an environment that emphasizes the skills of the 21st century: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity.
We acknowledge the importance of information, media, and technology skills and how they must be incorporated into the skill-set of any modern citizen. We also continually emphasize personal and social skills, because we believe that character and independence are crucial to success and happiness in life.
Woods Learning Center has joined the Teacher-Powered Schools movement to learn and grow professionally alongside schools with similar philosophies. Several staff members have attended the semi-annual Teacher-Powered Schools Conference and gained valuable insight and strategies that will be gradually implemented into the WLC culture. If you have any questions, please contact Deyonne Jackson; she is an ambassador for the Teacher-Powered Schools Network.
Go to teacherpoweredschools.org for more information.
More about Woods Learning Center
More about Woods Learning Center
History
In the fall of 1990, five district educators approached Dr. Chip Zullinger, superintendent of Natrona County School District, with the idea of beginning a new, innovative school. Dr. Zullinger was intrigued with the idea and invited them to make a presentation to a group of community business leaders interested in supporting school change. These business leaders approached the Board of Trustees and requested permission to oversee a request for a proposal process encouraging the creation of innovative school projects. Thirty-nine proposals were submitted. WLC was one of the three selected for implementation in the fall of 1991.
The staff and parent volunteers worked long and hard to develop this program and to transition an older district building for our use. Seventh and eighth grades were added to the program in 1995 and 1996. Our program has continued to grow and develop with new staff, new research, new ideas, and new requirements, but always remains grounded in the dream our founders had of a school created by and for the love of learning.
Please enjoy a short video about Woods Learning Center
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