Dear Woodside Families,
Welcome to the start of the 2024/25 school year! I am honored and excited to be the principal of Woodside Elementary School. If you are new to Woodside like I am, WELCOME! If you are a returning family, WELCOME BACK! Since I am new to all of you, I thought I would provide a little information about myself both professionally and personally.
I am kicking off my 18th year in education, with 7 of those in administration. I began my teaching career as a middle school English teacher in Reno, Nevada, after earning a Master's in Elementary Education. I also worked as an academic interventionist for middle and high school students and went back to school to earn a Master's in Teaching English as a Second Language to better support our multilingual learners. Upon moving to Washington State, I transitioned to an elementary instructional coach in the Kent School District, and later began my principal internship as a dean of students, completing a Master's of Science in Educational Leadership. Shortly after, I was appointed as assistant principal of Sunrise Elementary, still within Kent. I continued with Kent for twelve total years, with my latest role being an elementary principal since the 2021-2022 school year. In May of last year, I was named Principal Employee of the Year. It was an honor earned by the entire school, as leadership is not about me, but about the team I support - staff, students, and families.
During some recent life changes, my children and I moved north and are excited to call Snohomish home. Everett Public Schools and the Strategic Plan aligned perfectly with my own values and goals. It has been a wonderful transition so far and I could not be more impressed by the systems and talent in place in Everett. It has been a pleasure meeting lots of families so far and I am looking forward to meeting more soon!
When I am not working in the school, I love spending with my boy/girl twins who just turned ten! They have a habit of participating in activities and sports that makes my mom heart panic. Climbing, hiking, downhill mountain biking, you name it. I am usually right alongside them as they may get their thrill-seeking from me. I played collegiate softball during my Bachelor's Degree and continue to play recreationally as an adult. Honestly, I love all sports. You may even see us at an AquaSox or Silvertips game! We are new residents to Snohomish and still exploring all the wonderful spots.
Students and families are welcome to call me Principal DeJong (de-Yung), Principal DeDe, Ms. DeJong, or Ms. DeDe, as some options. I love to be visible in all areas - classrooms, the cafeteria, and playground - and for students to be excited to see their principal taking part in the activities they are playing.
After restful summer break, Woodside teachers are ready to put learning at the forefront. Grade level teams are already working on ways to enhance learning opportunities that increases student achievement for each child. I look forward to partnering with families to support your child’s/children's learning journey.
I am so honored to continue my leadership journey learning alongside the talented staff here at Woodside. Together our Toucans will SOAR to new heights.
See you at Woodside!
Kindest Regards,
Danielle DeJong
Woodside Principal
“Great teachers have high expectations for their students, but higher expectations for themselves.”
Hello Woodside families,
My name is Ally Nichol (pronounced like the coin, nickel) and I am thrilled to be joining Woodside as the new assistant principal. Throughout the summer, it has been a joy to work in partnership with Danielle DeJong (Principal) and our incredible office staff, Salli and Nili, to get to know Woodside - though there is always more to learn! This will be my 17th year in education, and I bring a wide range of experiences with me. I joined Everett Public Schools in 2018 after my family moved north. I completed my principal internship in Everett at Silver Firs Elementary where I have also worked as an instructional coach for the past three years. Before this, I was a classroom teacher for three years at Forest View Elementary, also here in Everett. Prior to coming to Everett, I was a classroom teacher, math interventionist, and instructional coach in the Bellevue School District for 10 years. I also worked as an educational consultant, traveling across the US teaching districts about using data to support student growth. I earned my bachelor's degree in education with a major in social studies and a minor in English from Western Washington University, my Master of Science in curriculum and instruction from Western Governor’s University (focus on math and social-emotional learning), and my principal certification from City University. Like Mr. Rodriguez’s role last year, I will split my time between two schools – Woodside and Jefferson. The current plan is to be at Woodside on Mondays, Tuesdays, and the first, second, and fifth (when applicable) Friday of each month. Last year’s Assistant Principal, Mr. Catarino Rodriguez has begun working at Silver Lake Elementary and is continuing his work at Monroe Elementary, both in Everett. As a Woodside community, we are grateful for his service last year at Woodside, including his work with so many of our students and families.
My why: My why has remained the same from my first day in the classroom to now, just the scale has grown. It is about the people. I love helping to grow a culture of belonging, build self-efficacy, and ignite a desire to learn; all of these will keep academic knowledge growing for years to come! I am here to support each and every student and staff, and I look forward to partnering with you to support our wonderful Woodside students. As the sign in my office says, “we grow together!”
Who is she: On a personal note, my husband and I have one child, a wonderful daughter entering middle school this year. She amazes me each day with her kindness, creativity, humor, and she keeps me on my toes when I am not at school. It is incredible to watch her grow and explore who she wants to be as she gets older. We also have an energetic aussie-doodle who lives up to his name, Bungee. My creative outlet is cake decorating, within Harry Potter I would be sorted into Ravenclaw, and I collect all things owls, though I may have to switch that to the beautiful toucan!
Please feel free to reach out or say hello, as I look forward to meeting you all and being a part of the beautiful community that is Woodside!
In partnership,
Ally Nichol
Curriculum Night provides an overview of the grade-level learning program, routines, and procedures, home-school communications, and behavioral expectations. I look forward to seeing you there.
One of the important things we focus on at the beginning of the year is school-wide behavior expectations. Woodside teaches SOAR expectations for all areas of our school. SOAR is part of our school's Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support Program (PBIS). When you are at the school, you will see the SOAR acronym posted throughout the school campus.
Attendance is vitally important to success in school. All students must be in school unless they are excused for a medical appointment or illness. We ask you to call our 24-hour attendance line, (425) 385-7805, or e-mail Woodside Attendance at WoodsideAttendance@everettsd.org to report your child’s absence. Please call or e-mail the morning of the absence (or before). You may also send in a note excusing the absence on their first day back. If we have not heard from you, you will receive a computer-generated message reminding you to call the school. Woodside runs attendance reports at the end of every month. Notes will go home with students who have two or more unexcused absences or five or more excused OR unexcused tardies. Washington State has a mandatory school attendance law. Continued unexcused absences may result in filing a truancy petition. Please make every effort to get your student to school each day on time. Your efforts are appreciated by our staff and your child’s classroom teacher.
PARENT SQUARE
We have launched ParentSquare, a new communication platform to keep our district, schools, and families connected. Please check your email for an invitation sent on August 22 to activate your account and update your contact information. If you didn't receive it, check your spam folder or click the headline for assistance and app details. Don’t forget to scroll down to our FAQs for more information, including what unregistered users can see and do in ParentSquare.
VERSATRAN STOP APP
We’re excited to announce that our Versatrans My Stop App is now available and here to make your life easier. Real-time bus tracking and estimated arrival times for your child’s school bus. Get started today! Click the headline for more information and to sign up for the My Stop App!
