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THE LATEST NEWS FROM
WEDJ PCS FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
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From the Director's Chair
 When we welcome new and returning students back to school on August 27, we are also excited to welcome two new members of our leadership team. Our new principal, Dr. Barbara Smith, and our new chief operating officer, John Manahan, have already been hard at work getting WEDJ ready for the 2012-2013 school year, which we all know will be our best yet.
Dr. Smith is a veteran teacher, administrator, curriculum developer, researcher, and author who understands how creativity and innovation can transform a classroom and a school. She comes to us most recently from the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy in Detroit. Before that she led effective educational efforts throughout her native Canada and as far away as Belgium. Dr. Smith is eager to get to know all of our WEDJ students and families and find engaging ways to work together with you to make WEDJ an exceptional community of learning and leadership.
Mr. Manahan comes to us with diverse experience that demonstrates he can run a tight ship. In fact, he used to be a submarine officer and nuclear engineer in the United States Navy. He also served in the Obama administration as special assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Education, where he was an advisor on a wide array of strategic issues including science, technology, math and engineering education; military families; and performance management. Mr. Manahan is also a musician and fan of the arts.
I am confident that our new leadership team will bring ideas and innovations to WEDJ to help us continue in our goal to become a world-class educational institution. We all look forward to seeing you on the first day of school. Sincerely, John Goldman Acting Executive Director William E. Doar Public Charter School for the Performing Arts |
A Message from the Principal
I am delighted to join the WEDJ community. As a former trumpet player, dancer, and gymnast, I understand what it's like to work hard, make sacrifices, and be committed to excellence. I have been fortunate to work with educators worldwide, but I have to say in the past two weeks, I have met some of the most passionate educators on the continent. I have no doubt you will feel the energy of this impressive talent pool. As we approach the 2012-2013 school year, there are some things you can do to pave the road for school success. In each newsletter message, I will focus on three points of light I call, NOW, NEXT, and FUTURE. I hope you will find something to respond to so we can begin our conversations and build strong relationships!
Read more about Dr. Smith's NOW, NEXT, and FUTURE ideas.
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Backstage Pass
 With the new school year comes several exciting new programs that all students and families will need to know about. Here's a sneak preview. How does playing chess improve your math skills? Prepare to make your next move with the new WEDJ Chess Program. |
News from our PTA
Hello WEDJ Family! I hope everyone has had a great summer. The PTA is gearing up to have another event filled and productive year. School starts on August 27. The PTA has already met with the new principal--Dr. Barbara Smith--and Dean Carter and is looking forward to having a successful and exciting partnership with them. The PTA would like to remind parents to start getting your children back into the school routine. Some ways you can start preparing your children for school are:
- Have your child read for 30 minutes a day
- Have your child practice writing and math
- Make sure your child is getting at least 8 hours of sleep
If you start acclimating them now to the school routine it will make for a more enjoyable experience for the students and staff. The PTA has exciting initiatives planned for the year and will be sharing a few of their ideas at parent orientation. Please plan to be at one of the three orientations. The date and times are: 8/16 6:30-8:30pm 8/18 10am to noon 8/21 6:30-8:30pm
We look forward to meeting new parents and greeting returning parents at our monthly meetings. Our first meeting is September 11 at 5pm. Check our web page and our Facebook and Twitter pages for updates. Please contact PTA President Jeanette Staton at jeanettes715@gmail.com to get involved! |
Teacher Feature
Lakeisha Bradshaw, English Language Arts Teacher
Every month our Teacher Feature highlights one of our outstanding teachers.  I'm a strong advocate of reading. It's completely fundamental. Reading opens the door to so much more. I'm always reading to the students. I'm modeling what they should be doing. We have book challenges where I bring in a book I read at home and they do too and we share what we're reading. I tell them if they can outread me, I'll buy lunch for the class. This motivates them because they like to eat.
» Read more about how Ms.Bradshaw inspires a love of reading and writing why she makes herself available to students and families.
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