Dear Woodland Community, at Woodland Joint Unified School District, we know that every school day matters for student success, and your support and partnership are a big part of that.

When students come to school on a consistent basis, they unlock opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. This knowledge is at the heart of our District’s “Every Day Counts” attendance campaign, and I’m proud to share some exciting highlights with you.

We launched Every Day Counts in January 2023 as a Districtwide effort to improve student attendance and highlight the importance of attending school every day. Since then, the campaign has grown into a vital part of our community’s commitment to student success.

Each month, we would recognize schools that showed improved attendance and celebrate students, staff, and families for their dedication. Last year, we expanded the campaign by introducing our Every Day Counts poster contest, inviting students to creatively share the importance of daily attendance through their original artwork.

On Feb. 20, our Board of Trustees recognized 16 amazing student artists from across our District who were selected as winners of this year’s Every Day Counts poster contest. These talented students created posters that reminded us about the importance of showing up every day. Their creativity is now showcased in a special District calendar that features all their winning posters.

Let’s celebrate this year’s winners:

Mia Mora Chavez, Beamer Elementary School

Mia Sarai Cortez, Dingle Elementary School

Alanna Villanueva, Freeman Elementary School

Alexis Mohnike, Gibson Elementary School

Hezel Sandu, Maxwell Elementary School

Everly Haffner, Plainfield Elementary School

Maimuna Mustafa, Prairie Elementary School

Destiny Torres-Thompson, Prairie Elementary School

Madeline Villasenor, Sci-Tech Academy

Hawi Muleta, Spring Lake Elementary School

Felipe Nolan, Tafoya Elementary School

Marbella Pineda Brambila, Whitehead Elementary School

Layla Sunderland, Zamora Elementary School

Kashf Kuram, Douglass Middle School

Savannah Quam, Lee Middle School

Arnulfo Amaya Lopez, Cache Creek High School

But Every Day Counts is about more than recognition. It’s about our community coming together to ensure that all young people in Woodland have the opportunity to thrive.

Together, we are building a stronger, more successful future for all students.

Thank you for being an essential part of our WJUSD community.

Here’s what else is happening:

Professional Learning Communities: Teachers across our District are working in teams called Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). These teams review student work, look at achievement data, and plan lessons to support student success. PLCs typically include teachers from the same grade level or subject area and may also include specialists, like English Learner support staff. Working together in this way helps teachers learn from each other and improve instruction. At WJUSD, our teachers are making great progress in building strong, collaborative teams to support students.

WJUSD students and City help reduce waste: Students across WJUSD are promoting sustainability through a new composting and recycling program developed in partnership with the City of Woodland. The “Woodland School Waste Reduction Project” helps students learn about the importance of reducing waste, protecting our environment, and creating a healthier community.

Partnering with WPD to keep families informed: Our District collaborated with Woodland Police Chief Ryan Kinnan on a video message to address questions and concerns about immigration enforcement in our schools and community. Our video was also highlighted by Telemundo! You can find the video on both of our Facebook pages.

Creating Cool Schools: As we prepare for our next group of schools to receive Measure Y safety upgrades this summer, we are also partnering with the Texas Tree Foundation’s award-winning Cool Schools Program to improve our schools’ outdoor learning spaces. The Cool Schools Program aims to connect students and teachers to nature through tree planting and creating fun outdoor learning areas so that students can play and learn outside, even during the hot season. Join us at Whitehead Elementary School on March 22, 10 a.m. — noon, to check out the designs of what the projects will look like!

Elodia Ortega-Lampkin is the proud Superintendent of Woodland Joint Unified School District