Dear Parents and Friends,

Welcome to the Dogwood Hill School website. As good as technology has gotten, this is still only a virtual tour of what our school is about. If you have an interest in Dogwood Hill School, have a child here, are thinking of moving to our section of Oakland, or have applied for a job with our district, then I invite you to look through these pages. Beyond that, however, I also invite you to visit Dogwood Hill School in person.

Dogwood Hill School has a remarkable combination of what it takes to be a leader in elementary education. That combination begins with a staff that is dedicated, professional and industrious, with the concern of the entire child's development their focus throughout the year. The teachers, therapists, child study team members, along with the secretaries, paraprofessionals, custodians and aides are all centered on the students of Dogwood Hill School. Through careful planning, meticulous preparation and enthusiastic delivery of the lessons, the teaching staff, year after year, offers the very best elementary education to the children.

Parents play a vital role in the education of children. At Dogwood Hill School, we are pleased to have concerned and involved parents assisting with the development of their children. We enjoy the full participation of parents through a variety of activities through the year. Parents are seen on field trips, present at cultural arts assemblies, assisting with field days, sharing in classroom celebrations and participating in classroom events. This very active level of involvement, however, is only the surface of the parent support enjoyed by the students and staff at Dogwood Hill School. Parents are there every evening to assist their children, or are there during the week to touch base with the teacher, or in some other way to let their children know that education is so very important.

The students make up the third gems in the crown of Dogwood Hill School. Over the years, many visitors have commented on the kind and supportive nature of our students. Whether they are seen serving as safety patrol for the littler youngsters, or raising the flag, or helping one another with class work or through the sportsmanship on the playing field, the children of Dogwood Hill School or not only our most precious resource, they are our most valuable commodity.

This combination makes Dogwood Hill School an exceptional place to work, learn and grow. The academics are superb, thanks to the teachers and paraprofessionals in our school. Children are recognized as individuals, with unique abilities and learning styles. Teachers will offer a differentiation of instruction, that is, a variety of strategies and techniques, to meet the needs and challenge the strengths of every student. It is rare that a classroom of twenty students will all learn the same way, so teachers are prepared to present materials for the auditory learner or the visual learner or the kinesthetic learner. The objectives are the same for all pupils, however, the way our students learn and the way our students are assessed reflects an appreciation of individual children.

Technology continues to play an important role in the education of the students at Dogwood Hill School. Our school has three mobile carts, so children on either floor can have enough laptop computers brought into the classrooms so that each and every student can have one with which to work. Whether it is word processing, researching or preparing presentations, at Dogwood Hill School, we recognize that technology is nothing to fear; indeed technology allows us to be more human. Through technology we can more easily share our thoughts and feelings. Through technology we learn of other peoples and come to a greater understanding an appreciation of communities and societies other than our own. Through technology, we can touch the hearts and minds of our neighbors, even if those neighbors are halfway around the world.

Beyond the academics, Dogwood Hill School recognizes certain Core Values that we believe are important and reflected in our school community, the larger community of Oakland and throughout our society. The essential Core Values are Trustworthiness, Respect, Fairness, Citizenship, Responsibility, and Caring. Through the newly revised Character Education Initiative for the elementary schools in Oakland, the staff, the parents and the community at large will be able to join in the recognition and reinforcement of the Core Values for the students.

Again, we look forward to your visit. Dogwood Hill School, as our motto says, truly is, “…a nice place to grow.”

Warmest Regards,
Glenn R. Clark
Principal