As was published in the Falls News Press, October 18, 2015:
I’m writing as a mom and educator in support of Woodridge Local School District’s bond issue on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Taking care of possessions so as to extend their lifetime has always been second nature to my family of six. Yet as our cars approach 100K and 200K miles, we know that if a costly repair becomes required, we might have to purchase another or risk throwing good hard-earned money after bad.
Expensive repairs cross my mind as I get another desk for my class from the boiler room area and can see water leaking from a very rusty, well-past its prime, boiler. It’s not if, but when, this system will need to be replaced. Last year, we paid $40,000 to temporarily patch the school’s roof (I teach fourth grade at Woodridge Intermediate).
This desk will join the 27 others I have for what is now 28 students in a room designed for 18-19. Desks are arranged in straight rows as there’s no room for the collaborative design called for by the tenets of 21st century learning. The same room where, in a cinder block structure miles from the central hub, it’s extremely difficult to maintain online connectivity. While proctoring online standardized tests last spring with computers freezing frequently, I had to ask students to reboot once, twice, sometimes three times in order to be able to continue taking a very high stakes test.
Whether we have children, school children, grown children — we all have a horse in this race. Problem-solving, critical-thinking Woodridge Bulldog kids are the future of this community, country and world. Please support the levy Nov. 3 so that Woodridge kids have the environment that’s most conducive to their maximal growth and success.
Mrs. George (Dina) Voinovich
Hudson