Eagles Newsletter
The article below was written by Meg Gutzwiller and recently featured in 279Insider
Woodland Elementary School had nearly 30 special visitors on Feb. 12 as they hosted community members, parents and district staff to share experiences and advice with scholars on National African American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID).
The event began with a musical performance from the school’s fifth grade scholars, which featured several cultural pieces in celebration of NAAPID and Black History Month. Afterwards, speakers rotated through classrooms throughout the school day, sharing a book, explaining their career or life journey, and talking to students about what has inspired them in their lives. Principal Terri Jackson said the event aims to help students gain insight into the everyday lives of the adults in their community and how they impact the community.
Some of the special guests included Superintendent Dr. Kim Hiel, the district’s first African American superintendent; Jena Holliday, a local children’s book author and creator; Jessica Theis, a recruiter at Target Corp; two principals from other school districts; and several other Woodland parents and a variety of employees from Osseo Area Schools, including Roddy Russel, a Woodland ESP who shared his stories and lessons in life with the theme of perseverance and grit.
