February 2025 Newsletter
The Art & Science of Learning at WHPS

🌞 Camp Woodland Hills: Summer 2025

For Children Entering TK-6th Grade

Get ready for an unforgettable summer filled with exciting events, field trips, and activities!

Important Dates & Information

• 📩 Mid-February: Registration form & brochure emailed to families & available at campwoodlandhills.com.
  📅 March 16 & April 6: Camp Open House – Join us to learn more!
  🔗 April 11: Registration deadline.

• 🚀 First come, first served! Register early to avoid the waitlist & secure your preferred schedule!

🌞 Preschool Summer 2025

Flexible Summer Tuition Available!

Families must submit a Summer Registration Form by March 14 to confirm their summer schedule.

Important Dates & Information

• 📩 Mid-February: Summer Registration Form sent home.

• 🔗 March 14: Summer Registration Form due.

• ❗Reminder: Summer registration does not affect Fall 2025 enrollment.

This month, discover how WHPS’s unique approach to learning transforms curiosity into leadership.

• 📚 Special Edition: The Transformative Power of Stories

• 🗣️ Elementary News: The Art of Thoughtful Communication

• 🌱 Preschool News: Surprising Benefits of Nature-Based Learning

• 🐮 Barnyard News: Big Discoveries

• 📅 Calendar of Events: Full WHPS Calendar

A powerful story doesn’t just teach—it transforms. It can turn apathy into empathy and indifference into compassion. Yet too often, history and complex issues are reduced to dry summaries, stripping away the human experience. One of the most powerful—and underused—ways to teach is through the eyes of children.

When young learners engage with history, identity, and justice through real human stories, abstract concepts become personal, and real learning begins.

“The most important stuff I’ve learned, I think I’ve learned from novels. It has to do with empathy. It has to do with being comfortable with the notion that the world is complicated and full of grays.”
— President Barack Obama

At WHPS, we don’t just teach history and literature—we bring them to life through storytelling, helping students wrestle with ideas, engage in meaningful conversations, and develop critical thinking skills that shape how they see the world.

📚 How do stories equip future leaders with the insight, courage, and empathy to shape a better world?

[Read more →]

Elementary News

Melanie Henson, Principal | Cynthia Baroudi, Dean of Students

One of the most remarkable aspects of education is how quickly a classroom becomes a microcosm of the larger world. In a single day, an elementary student might wrestle with fairness, justice, identity, or kindness—concepts that even adults find complex. At WHPS, we don’t leave these skills to chance. We intentionally teach and practice them every day.

Through Accountable Talk (also known as “Talk Moves”), WHPS students learn to think critically, express ideas with confidence, and listen with empathy. These skills are seamlessly woven into daily lessons, empowering students to engage meaningfully in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world.

🗣️ Discover how WHPS equips students with the communication tools to thrive—both in and beyond the classroom.

[Read more →]

Preschool News

Robin Gee & Kat Alvarado | Collins Campus Directors
Christine Chiché-Lopez & Roxana Mackey | Oxnard Campus Directors

In a city like Los Angeles, where daily connections to nature can be limited—especially for those who don’t have large backyards (or perhaps no backyard at all)—WHPS offers something extraordinary: a campus where nature isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a teacher. From our 500-year-old oak tree and Forest & Veggie Garden to our Teaching Zoo, children learn, play, and grow in outdoor environments that spark curiosity, creativity, and essential life skills.

Why does it matter? Here are some surprising benefits of nature-based learning:

✅ Boosts focus & self-regulation – Helps children manage attention and can even reduce ADHD symptoms.
✅ Protects vision – Reduces eye strain and strengthens long-term eye health.
✅ Develops creative problem-solving – Teaches children to navigate challenges with flexible thinking.
✅ Builds resilience & adaptability – Prepares children to thrive in more structured learning environments as they transition into our elementary program.

🌳 Discover how WHPS uses nature to nurture curious, confident learners.

[Read more →]

Science & Nature Center News

Cameron Foots, Animal & Nature Specialist | Mary Ida Williams, Animal Keeper

🐾 What’s Happening This Month

Our students are exploring the fascinating connections between animal science, ecology, and physiology—all while examining how recent wildfires impact our animal friends and even processes like evolution.

• 🧬 4th & 5th Grade: Students are wrapping up their study of population bottlenecks and genetic diversity, uncovering how ecosystems thrive—or struggle—based on genetic variation. Next, they’ll explore circulatory systems, comparing heart function across species.

• 🦜 2nd & 3rd Grade: Through advanced animal care techniques, students are refining their husbandry skills while diving into comparative anatomy and ornithology—exploring birds of prey and their adaptations to changing environments.

• 🩺 1st Grade: Young scientists are stepping into the role of veterinary caretakers, learning to recognize signs of illness in animals. They’ll also explore photosynthesis and its role in sustaining life.

• 🌱 Kindergarten: Kindergarteners will experiment with different substrates (materials used in animal habitats) to study their impact on health, moisture retention, and ecological balance—an essential part of habitat design.

• 🐾 Preschool & TK: Our youngest scientists will focus on animal classification, exploring how air quality, temperature, and environmental changes affect different species.

[Science & Nature Center on Instagram →]

📅 Important February Dates

See the Full WHPS Calendar

Both Campuses

• 17: President’s Day – NO SCHOOL

Oxnard Campus

• 5: PAWS Meeting on Zoom at 6:30 PM

• 6: Reggae Performance at 10 AM

• 11: Rhythm Child Program, Sponsored by PAWS

• 12: Picture Make-Up Day

• 12: Culture & Belonging Meeting on Zoom at 12 PM

• 14: Val-E-Grams, Sponsored by PAWS

• 19-21: 4th & 5th Grade Overnight Trip to Astrocamp

• 21 & 24: Elementary Student-Led Conferences – NO ELEMENTARY CLASSES

• 25: 4th & 5th Grade SLC Make-Up Day

• 25: Restaurant Night at Fresh Brothers Calabasas

Collins Campus

• 4: Lunar New Year Celebration, Sponsored by PAG at 9:30 AM

• 4: PAG Meeting on Zoom at 7:30 PM

• 5: Rooms 5 & 6 Science & Nature Center Visit at 9:30 AM

• 12: Rhythm Child Program, Sponsored by PAG

• 26: Dentist Visit from Starry Skies