Telling Our Story – Woodland Elementary

Hicksville NY

10 May, 2021

1:49 PM

Description

Press release from Hicksville Public Schools: May 10, 2021 "Looking through all of these old albums and scrapbooks was like finding a buriedtreasure," explained Beth Swanson, Principal of Woodland Elementary School, asshe explored boxes of information previously in storage about the history of herschool. "You study the faces of all these individuals that attended or worked atWoodland over 60 years ago, and once sat in the very same classrooms and walkedthe same hallways that exist today and you can't help but feel some kind ofconnection to them, while not having known them at all. It's like finding pictures ofold relatives that you've never met but wish you could." Mrs. Swanson experienced a potent sense of nostalgia spilling into the present asshe turned the pages of each scrapbook documenting her school's past. There wereclippings from the local papers, programs from concerts and events, letters, andphotos, lots of photos. Principal Swanson grew up in adjacent Syosset, and still visits the same parks andstores with her own children as she did growing up so very close to the school thatshe now leads. In fact, she points out that Syosset borders parts of Ketcham Road,the street where Woodland is located. It's a landscape she can see every day as sheglances up from her desk. With the exception of Willet Avenue, now leased by BOCES, Woodland is thedistrict's "newest" elementary school. Opened in September of 1953, the schoolserves the northeast corner of Hicksville and is located on 10 acres of property. Theschool was expanded with a first and second floor addition constructed from 2006-2008 to accommodate an increasing student population. Currently during the pandemic, Woodland serves 273 K-5 students – 212 in-schooland 61 fully remote. Mrs. Swanson, teachers and staff have worked diligently toaccommodate as many students as possible safely within the building. Masks areworn by all, social distancing is practiced, hand-washing is a regular activity, anddeep cleaning is done daily by the custodial staff. Through it all, it is important to Principal Swanson to maintain a family feeling inher school. "I want Woodland to be a place that all students love to be and think ofas home," explained Mrs. Swanson. Mrs. Swanson received her B.S. in Elementary Education and Early ChildhoodEducation from SUNY Oneonta, and her M.S. and Administrative Certification fromQueens College. She taught sixth grade in Queens for three years before moving toConnetquot CSD where she taught for 12 years. Mrs. Swanson accepted a specialassignment while serving in Connetquot - helping with the roll-out of the CommonCore as Assistant to the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction. Feeling ready to move into school administration, Mrs. Swanson accepted anAssistant Principal position in Levittown Public Schools and served there for five-and-a-half years, split between two buildings. In 2018, she accepted the Principal'sposition at Woodland Elementary. She has two elementary-level children of herown, and lives close by in a home her husband built for the family. Principal Swanson has brought several new initiatives to Woodland including aCharacter Education Committee, Family Game Night, and a "Deck the Halls" HolidayOpen House, to name a few. Mrs. Swanson regularly posts photos on Woodland'sInstagram account. "I often take pictures of students engaged in their learning."Principal Swanson was recently recognized for her dedication to the schoolcommunity by being named a 2021 PTA Founder's Day Honoree. "I was shocked toreceive this honor." Like at many of the schools in Hicksville, teachers at Woodland share Mrs.Swanson's feelings of deep dedication and commitment to the community. Manyteachers have served at Woodland for decades. Lisa Dawber and Beth Garner aretwo such individuals. Mrs. Lisa Dawber actually grew up Hicksville and attended Woodland as a child. "It'sa wonderful school," shared Mrs. Dawber. "When I was a student there, I wanted tobe a teacher because of the teachers I had at Woodland. All of my memories are onebetter than the next. There is longevity in Hicksville. People stay, and that says a lot."Mrs. Dawber has served the district for 34 years and actually taught third grade inthe same classroom where she once was a third grade student. "I started inHicksville as a kindergartner and will retire from there!" Music teacher Beth Garner has served 33 years in the school district. "This school isunique; everyone pulls together," shared Mrs. Garner as she prepared for a remoteclass. "They're like my second family here. The teachers go above-and-beyond. It's agreat place." One thing is for sure – Woodland is a school filled with hope and joy. It is the embodiment of its motto: The only thing better than our past is our future. To learn more about the history of each of the schools in Hicksville School District, please visit the "Telling Our Story" web page on the district website under Departments, Public Information: Hicksville Public Schools - "Telling Our Story" This press release was produced by Hicksville Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author's own.