District Newsletter

The Pride

 

 

The Pride exists to update, celebrate, and inform, the community concerning weekly events at Willard R-II

 

February 5, 2010

 

District Office

The News-Leader headline this morning reads "SNEA wins local union battle". In my opinion, this could be a sad day for education. Please don't get me wrong: I highly support teacher organizations! I believe that professionals should be part of organizations that provide support, advice, and especially liability coverage. These aspects of teacher organizations are pure and help teachers to grow in their skills, as well as protect them from ungrounded legal suits. However, in many parts of the country there is another uglier side to this issue. Illinois, our neighboring state, is highly teacher unionized. Contracts are set with agreements so specific that it limits how long teachers must remain in a building, how many students in a class, how long they have to stay after  school for staff meetings, how many conferences they must have on parent nights, etc... Ultimately, in this type of environment, the relationship between teachers and administrators become tainted. Disagreement becomes adversarial and in the end, this is harmful to students. Ransom Ellis is the Springfield School District attorney and a friend of mine. He was quoted in the paper below:

"Ellis said he doesn't know how different budget discussions may be this year, with the selection of a union. But once SNEA is certified, he said, they will want to sit down to talk about teacher contracts. "At that point you are entering into a business arrangement as opposed to having a  collegial discussion, etc. Not that negotiations aren't collegial, but it's a different kind of process," said Ellis. Since this will be the first contract to go through such a process, Ellis said he would expect the process to take some time. Smith said his organization will be getting a bargaining team together. The members will need to get some training."

I hope for the best in this new relationship in Springfield. I truly hope that their experience remains positive and does not slide down a slope to negative union style negotiations. Once again, I am thankful to be in Willard. The relationship that exists between teachers and administrators is positive and built upon trust and shared goals. I respect the teaching staff greatly. As a whole they are committed to continued improvement and the success of every child.

Have a great weekend.
Kent

 

Activities Director

 

The Pride - Activities

Obviously, I'm not a scientist or meteorologist but I'm confused on how this whole "global warming" thing is suppose to work.  It won't stop snowing!  Anyway, back to the Tigers.

 

Congratulations to the basketball tigers on their 3rd place finish in the Nixa Invitational.  They defeated Harrisonville and Mt. Vernon (pay back!).  The boys had a heartbreaker against Rogersville on Tuesday but look to get back on track tonight vs. Carthage for Courtwarming.  JV starts at 6:00 with Courtwarming festivities being held between games.  The boys will then host Neosho next Tuesday before traveling to Republic next Friday.

 

The lady tigers had a big win this Monday over Bolivar before falling to Webb City last night.  The girls travel to McDonald County tomorrow for a 1:00 game and will travel to Branson on Monday and Neosho next Thursday as they resume COC play.

 

Our wrestlers have some time off as they prepare for the district tournament a week from this Saturday.  More details in next weeks Pride.

 

A special congratulations to Steven Anderson, Rick Samples, and the late Jim Staley on being inducted to the Willard Activities Hall of Fame.  Induction ceremonies will take place during the Feb. 9th boys basketball game vs. Neosho.  A reception for friends and family will follow.

 

Another special congratulations to our own Mark Lawley on being invited to be a guest conductor at Carnegie Hall (yes, THAT Carnegie Hall!).  This is just another example of how lucky we are to have teachers like Mr. Lawley working with Willard kids.

Last, but not least, a big THANK YOU to all custodial and maintenance staff for helping keep the parking lots and sidewalks clear and safe for children and staff!

It's Good To Be A Tiger!

Jeff Staley - Director of Operations

 

Special Services

 

Special Services serves a wide range of students that might require help with vocations, housing, Social Security information, or independent life skills. We will be hosting  a Transition Fair on Thursday, March 11, 2010 from 2:00-6:00 in the High School Commons. Over 20 outside agencies will set up booths to introduce people to services available in  and around our  community. These agencies will be available, not only to students, but anyone that has a question or need. Please come and visit with these agencies and learn  what they have to offer to our students and patrons in need.
 
HS special services teachers express thanks to "Willard administration and school board for the new technology we have in our classrooms.  Projectors are used in many of the classes to reinforce objectives through videos, alternative lessons, and hands-on activities. Smartboards have brought the entire world into the classroom with interactive lesson plans that teach concepts in a way that students have come to expect.  Document cameras are helping visually impaired students and stretching budget dollars by removing the need for every student to have a text. It is often a struggle for teachers to be as technologically savvy as their students, but with the training and support Willard RII offers we are making great strides".

 

High School

As the month of January ended, the Missouri Alliance for Arts Education was making an impact on Legislators throughout the state.    Willard students who have a passion for the importance of the Arts in public schools joined forces with other area school students.   Willard students made a presentation at the Show-Me Arts Summit.  Representative Shane Schoeller and Sen. Norma Champion were both in attendance.  After Saturday's Arts Summit, Willard Senior Christine West joined with area students to speak with the Senate Education Committee in Jefferson City.  Christine's passion was clearly heard about the importance of Fine Arts Education to Missouri students.  Missouri Association for Art Education Director Deborah Fisher is hopeful that additional Willard students will be invited to speak to the House of Representatives in the near future.  This is another example of the positive representation our students provide for our school and community.

This week is Courtwarming Week which concludes tonight with our Boys Basketball competing against Carthage. Between the games will be our Courtwarming Ceremonies and after the game our SGA Courtwarming Dance.  WHS students have been dressed in some very "spiritful" and "unique" clothing each day to show school spirit and support.   We have had a great week of fun and looking forward to a great game tonight.

Have a great weekend.

Stewart Pratt, HS Principal

Middle School

 

Greetings from Willard Middle School. We have turned the calendar to February, and enjoying a few nice days along with the snow and frost. If it is true that "variety is the spice of life," then the weather in Missouri should keep us all happy. We are all gearing up for Super Bowl weekend, and in appreciation for the work our teachers do here at WMS, we are having our own little "soup-er bowl" lunch. This is of course due to the "soup-er" job they do each day, and we hope they know how much they are appreciated. We are also having the Valentines dance this evening (Friday 2/5/10), and look to have a great evening of music, food, and fun. Next week, the National Junior Honor Society members will be going on a skating trip on Tuesday evening. We applaud these kids for all of their hard work and accomplishments, and hope they continue to see the value in education and success. Spring sports will begin with their opening meetings in the coming weeks, and we hope to see a large number of students taking advantage of both our Track and Softball programs. By the time they get into full swing, the sun will be out and being outside will be a good thing (we hope). Thanks for checking on us, and have a great weekend.  Tom Merriott WMS Asst. Principal

  

 

Willard Central Elementary

 

Willard Central has been busy with the business of learning.  We enjoyed hosting teachers from Warsaw and Marshfield to see all of the wonderful literacy instruction being provided for students in the Willard District.  As we look ahead to the coming weeks, please mark your calendars for these events in February:

Monday 8^th – PTO Meeting at 6:00

Wednesday 10^th – McDonald’s Cookie Sales begin

Friday 12^th – Valentine’s Day Parties at 2:45

Monday 15^th – Snow Make Up Day

Tuesday 16^th – PUSH Program begins for 3^rd and 4^th grade after school.

 

Have a warm, safe weekend!   Shane Medlin, Principal

 

 

Willard North Elementary

 

Where has the time gone?  We are already past our first week of February.  This month we are selling candy grams in order to raise money and donate to Haiti.  So far fourth grade students have sold over 550 candy grams within the first week.  That is over $200.00 so far.  We have one more week of selling before giving our donation to Convey for Hope. 

Starting on February 8^th, Mad Science will be offering a science workshop after school on Mondays.  Students may choose to participate in the program to foster their interest in science.

Honor Choir will be performing the National Anthem tonight at the High School court warming basketball game at 6:45.  Please come out and support our Willard players and our Willard North student honor choir.

Angela Stevens, Willard North Principal

 

Willard Orchard Hills Elementary

 

It has been a Rocking Week at Willard Orchard Hills Elementary!  On Monday evening we hosted our first PTO meeting. Thanks to all the parents that came and showed support for our school. We are planning activities including Valentine Candy Grams for February 12th! 

 

On Wednesday, we held our February Tiger Pride. We recognized Perfect Attendance for the 2nd semester , 4th grade Honor Roll, and our monthly "apple" awards. The students were THRILLED when the Willard Tiger Basketball Team showed up! Coach K. taught the students a couple of cheers and he challenged the students to try and beat the teachers during the TIG-ERS cheer!  Of course the students hung on every word Coach K said and they beat the staff!  We then initiated our gymnasium "Tiger Style" Here is a link to pictures of the demonstration the Willard Tigers gave the kids. We will be reconnecting with the Tiger Basketball team on February 19th at WOHE night at the ballgame. Thanks Coach K and the team for taking time to be a part of our assembly! 

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43515229@N04/sets /72157623233741959/

 

WOHE cheers the basketball teams on this week along with the wrestling Tiger JV team at Nixa.  GO TIGERS!

--
Rhonda Bishop

 

 

Willard South Elementary

FREE TAX PREPARATION

Willard South Elementary

4151 West Division Street

February 11th 4:00pm-8:00pm

Call 862-6308 ext 57 for more information

 

Walk-in NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY!  This is open to the public!

 

People should come prepared with the following items:

·       Valid driverÂ’s license or photo identification (self & spouse, if applicable)

·       Dates of birth and social security cards for all persons listed on the return

·       All income statements: Forms W-2, 1099, Social Security, Unemployment, or other benefits statements, self-employment records and any documents showing taxes withheld

·       Child care providerÂ’s information: PayeeÂ’s name address, and SSN or TIN; total paid for child care

·       Proof of account at financial institution for direct debit or deposit (i.e. cancelled/voided check or bank statement)

·       Prior year tax return (if available)

·       Other relevant information about income and expenses

With the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), you could get up to $5,600 extra back from the IRS. Imagine how that could help you make ends meet. Single or married, with or without children, you may qualify if you:

·       Worked part or all of 2009

·       File a 2009 federal tax return

·       Make less than $50,000 

***Brought to you by: Atlas Financial Services, Community Partnership, United Way, and Bank of America

--
Kara Crighton-Smith, Principal

 

 

For information on the Willard ChildrenÂ’s Charitable Foundation, please contact Judy Craig at 742-2506 or Dr. Kent Medlin at 742-2584.

 

Willard Parks and Recreation Weekly Update

Kevin McDonald: Director

Shawn Trent: Interim Sports Coordinator 

Brandon Eckhardt: Recreation/Aquatics Specialist

Britney Carpenter: Child Care Coordinator

 

Mission Statement:

To provide the City of Willard the highest quality of leisure opportunities and programs to people of all ages in the following ways:

-To provide a Parks and Recreation system that is responsible and directed by the needs of the people of Willard

-To preserve, protect and enhance the cityÂ’s park lands as a way to improve the physical and mental health of the people of Willard

-To invite and encourage individuals, families, schools, businesses and other community groups to become partners in our efforts to invigorate and sustain the cityÂ’s natural and  leisure resources

-To provide safe and fun sports programs, camps, senior activities, classes, courses and outings in a organized and positive manner

Visit us on the web at www.willardparks.com

 

Spring Soccer / Volleyball Registration 2010: Register now thru February 19^th

This season features 7 games. The fee to participate is $40 and admission to all games is $1. For more information please call Shawn at 742-2262.

 

Featured:

Willard Parks and Recreation is featured in the winter 2010 Missouri Recreation and Parks Association Magazine. This is a statewide magazine mailed out all over the state. To view, follow the instructions below.

 

Copy and paste the following link:

http://www.mopark.org/displaynewsletter.cfm

Then use the drop down tab and click on winter 2010 magazine. Our article is on page 16 entitled “Busy Time in Willard”.

 

Valentine DayÂ’s Dance: Saturday February 13^th

Don’t miss the 2010 Willard Parks and Recreation Valentine’s Dance from 7pm – 9pm at the Willard Recreation Center. This dance is free to attend and is open for all ages. Come and dance to great music, get your picture taken and enjoy cake and punch!

 

Health Fair: Saturday February 20^th

10am – 1:00pm at the Willard Recreation Center. People of all ages can come and participate in the many health activities that we will have available.

 

WillardÂ’s Biggest Loser:

The Willard Biggest Loser weigh in for Saturday January 30^th was cancelled due to the weather. Weigh ins will continue on Saturday February 6^th. If you have any questions please call (417) 742-2262.

 

New Sponsors:

Willard Parks and Recreation wishes to thank its newest sponsors, HoodÂ’s, Smart Start Day Care, and Century 21. These businesses have purchased signs in the gymnasium at the Recreation Center.

 

Willard Parks and Recreation's 2010 Food Drive: Willard Parks and Recreation is having a food drive to benefit the Willard Food Pantry now thru 2/6/10. All non-perishable food items will be accepted. Donations can be dropped off at the Willard Recreation Center (133 North State Hwy. Z). Time is running out to donate and we need your help!!

 

Scrap Tire Grant:

Willard Parks and Recreation is in the process on applying for a Missouri Department of Natural Resources Scrap Tire Playground Surfacing Grant for the youth playground at Jackson St. Park. The Scrap Tire Material is one of the safest materials for playground surfacing. If you are interested in helping us obtain this grant by writing a letter to be included in the grant application please call Brandon at 742-2262.

 

Aquatic Center Rentals:

The Willard Parks Department is currently accepting rental applications for the 2010 summer. If you are interesting in renting the aquatic center for a party or an event in 2010 please call Brandon at (417) 742-2262.

 

Out of School Camps: 2010

Willard Parks and Recreation offers various out of school camps throughout the entire year. All camps will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

 

Willard Parks and Recreation will be offering camps each day school is not in session. These camps are for ages 5 -12.

 

Spring Break Camp: March 22^nd – March 26^th

$80 for the entire week or 17.50 per day. 7:00am – 6:00pm

 

Summer Camp Session 2010: Registration forms are available at the Rec. Center

 

Willard Play Group: 

COME OUT & PLAY with Willard's Playgroup! Come play every Wednesday from 9am - 11am at the Willard Recreation Center. This is a new opportunity for parents and kids to play, socialize and just have fun. Moms and Dads are invited to bring their infant through Pre-K aged children for FREE PLAY, STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES & MONTHLY WORKSHOPS.  This playgroup is free and open to the community.

 

Diabetes Support Group:

If you are interested in the newly formed Diabetes Support Group please call Darrell Biellier at 742-2377 for meeting dates and times or if you have questions about the meetings.

 

Breast Cancer Awareness Group:

If you are interested in participating in a new Breast Cancer Awareness Group please call the Recreation Center at (417) 742-2262.

 

Children's Dance Classes: Let your child grow through dance and experience its magic.  These children dance classes offer an excellent way to keep fit, learn coordination, rhythm, social skills, confidence, and itÂ’s FUN!  The winter eight-week dance session will begin January 5^th thru February 25th.  Creative Dance is offered on Tuesday afternoons for ages 3-5; Ballet & Tap classes are available and offered on Tuesday or Thursday depending on age and/or level for ages 5 & up, fee is $50. Combination classes of Ballet, Tap, and Jazz for children ages 9 & up with prior dance experience will be taught on Tuesday evenings, fee is $65.  Limited spaces are available so call Ms. Patrice today for class availability and registration information at 818-3659. 

 ChildrenÂ’s Dance Classes

Winter Session:  January 5^th-February 25^th

Spring Session:   March 9^th—May 4^th

“Dance Revue”—Tuesday, May 4^th 6:30 pm

Creative Dance:  Ages 3-5—Classes on Tuesday Afternoons

Ballet and Tap:   Ages 5 & up—Classes on Tuesdays & Thursdays

Ballet, Tap & Jazz:  Ages 9 & up—students with prior dance experience--Tuesdays

Classes are 8 weeks.  The fee is $50-$65.  Contact Ms. Patrice at 818-3659 for additional information and class availability.

 

Willard Child Care at the Recreation Center:

Willard Parks and Recreation has begun child care at the Willard Recreation Center. This child care service is sponsored by the City of Willard and CoxHealth Fitness Centers. The child care takes place in the small classroom at the Recreation Center. Fees are $4 per child for up to two hours or an ALL ACCESS PASS for $24 for 12 times (up to 24 child care hours). This child care service may be used for any activity held at the Recreation Center including the Cox Fitness Center, Sports activities, etc. The parent or guardian must remain on the property while their child is in child care. The child care is only available for 18 months to 10 years old.

 

The hours for the child care at

Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 5pm – 9pm

Tuesday & Thursday: 3pm – 9pm

 

Senior Activities:

Willard Parks and Recreation is doing its best to try and offer senior activities and programs to the senior citizens in the community.

 

Willard Recreation Center Senior Activities:

Senior Luncheons:

Every Wednesday from 11am – 1pm at the Willard Community Building. All seniors are invited to attend.

Game Days:

Every Tuesday and Thursday from 1:00pm – 3:00pm seniors can come to the Willard Recreation Center to play games such as bingo, dominos, cards and much more.

 

Exercise Classes:

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: PACE CLASS 10:00am – 11:00am

Tuesday & Thursday: SILVER SNEAKERS 9:00am – 10:00am

 

Movie in the Park:

Come to the Movie in the Park Series on the dates listed below. Bring your entire family for a night of fun and movies. We will be selling hot-dogs and hamburgers.

May 29^th – 9pm – Movie: Indiana Jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull

June 26^th – 9pm – Movie: The Incredible Hulk

 

Easter Egg Hunt: Saturday March 27^th

9am at the Willard Recreation Center. Bring the kids for this fun, FREE Easter Party that features hunting for eggs, pictures with the Easter Bunny and fun games!

 

Willard 2^nd Annual Triathlon: June 19^th

7:30am at Jackson St. Park. Events include swimming 300 yards, biking 12 miles and a 5K run. The deadline to register is June 12^th. Start training now! The cost to participate is $50.

 

Harlem Legends Shot for the Stars Basketball Camp: July 12^th – 16^th at the Recreation Center from 9:00am – 1:00pm.

Freedom Fest 2010: Saturday July 3^rd

2010 January – June Program Guides: These guides will be mailed out this week!!

The 2010 January – June Willard Parks and Recreation Program Guide is in production.. Willard Parks wishes to thank the 2010 Program Guide Sponsors:

-CoxHealth Fitness Centers

-Sac River Stables

-Top Hat Package

-CaseyÂ’s General Stores

-New Beginnings Community Church

-Pizza Hut Willard

Thanks,

Kevin McDonald

Parks and Recreation Director

City of Willard

 

District Office
Last month, our Librarians offered their annual report. This report to the Board of Education outlines the current status of the district media centers. Each building offered individual reports and one item was strikingly evident. Willard Students read lots of books! The HS media center reported over 42,108 items checked out. Intermediate school student data shows 16,509 items checked out. These are only two examples which indicate that students are motivated to read. I became hooked on reading at a young age and continue to love to read science-fiction, as well as books on educational leadership and motivation. Administrators regularly have book studies to learn, share, and collaborate about school improvement. Administrators will begin a new study next week using a book by James Hunter titled: The World's most Powerful Leadership Principle. My intent is for this to helps us build ourselves into even more powerful leadership "Prinicipals". If kids don't enjoy reading, they have simply not found the right book! Take a break from the TV this weekend and pull out that book you have wanted to reread. It will be a great weekend for a book, recliner, wood stove, and some quiet time!

Have a great weekend! Kent

Activities Director

What a beautiful Friday in the Ozarks! As of the time I'm typing this, all games are on as scheduled. If there are any changes, I will send them out as I get them. Congratulations to the wrestling Tigers on their outstanding performance at the COC tournament last week. Caleb Shook and Garrett Fletchall took 4th place in their weight class, Christian Adams finished 2nd, Taylor Ball and Joel Wyman were COC champions! The boys will travel to Warrensburg this Saturday for another tournament. The Lady Tigers have had an up and down week. After losing to Joplin, they rebounded with an impressive win over Monett only to lose a heartbreaker to Catholic last night. The girls resume play next week, as they host Bolivar on Monday and nationally ranked Webb City on Thursday. Good luck ladies! The Tigers have also been on a roller coaster ride, as they defeated Marshfield last week before dropping one at Bolivar. But, the boys responded in a big way, winning the first round game in the Nixa Tournament last night over Harrisonville! They will play O'Hara tonight at 9:00 in the semifinals. Third place game will be Saturday at 5:00 and the championship game at 6:30. On a separate note, the School Board has declared 8 weight racks and 7 benches as surplus material. Several of the racks and benches will be used at the middle school. The remainder of the surplus will be up for bid. Bids should be turned in to Jeff Staley at Central Office no later than Friday, Feb. 5th at 4:00pm. You may bid per piece or on the entire lot. Please contact me if you would like to see the equipment. It's Good To Be A Tiger! Jeff Staley - Activities Director

High School

We had an energetic finish to the week as the weather ( snow & the predictions ) got everyone excited. Predicting the weather is never easy, and we appreciate your assistance in getting students to and from school during these times. Last week we talked about Partners in Health Drive by the Science Department. By the end of Thursday, students and teachers had raised a little over $500 for Haiti relief. The final day Friday there was a surge of donations to raise the total amount to $917.00. It was a fantastic effort by the Science team to help medical needs in Haiti. Wednesday February 3rd, is the mid quarter grade report. If you are connected to "Parent-Link" our online student status connection, you can view student grades, attendance, and discipline. WHS Counselors have been visiting with the 8th grade class preparing for next year's transition to the HS. The week of February 8th - 12th the counseling team will begin scheduling current 9th - 11th grade students for the 2010-11 school year. Scheduling is being done online through SIS and "Parent-Link". We believe it will streamline the scheduling process and allow more visibility for parents in student class choices. Wednesday February 10th we will be hosting College Fair. This is an opportunity for our Junior and Senior students to talk to representatives from 50+ college and universities. The "College Fair" will begin at 11:30am (so students can visit with representatives during lunch ) and continue until 3:30pm. Stewart Pratt, HS Principal

Middle School

Greetings from Willard Middle School. We are wrapping up the last week of January, and mid-term for 3rd quarter is already here. This seems to be the time that many students struggle, coming off of break, cold weather, shorter days......ect. Please check with your son or daughter and encourage them to remain motivated to do their best, and keep their grades where they should be. Putting forth consistent effort will become a habit, and one that will be beneficial later in life. The winter sports seasons have come to a close, and we congratulate each team for the hard work and success they have achieved. We especially note the efforts of the 8th grade boys basketball team, which finished with only one loss this season, (by 2 points) and a 2nd place finish in the COC Tourney. The thing about this group that I appreciate the most is that their coach had nothing but praise for them after their only loss, and spoke glowingly about how they had each grown this year as people as well as players. I love to win games as much as anyone, but the quality of the person is far more important than the quality of the player, and I believe we are very well represented in this area with all of our teams. Finally, don't forget the Valentine's Dance next Friday evening, as it should be fun for everyone. Have a great weekend, and thanks for checking on us. Tom Merriott Asst. Principal Willard Middle School

Willard North Elementary

At this month’s Super Tiger, we celebrated all of our outstanding fourth grade students who made the Honor Roll. In February, we will be selling “Love Pops” and all proceeds will be sent to Haiti along with the money raised from “Helping Hats Day”. Have a save and restful weekend. Willard

Orchard Hills Elementary

We made it through the week without a snow day and through the first 100 days of school! The teachers have been to Missouri Reading Initiative Training and had our MRI Coach, Becky Garst in the classrooms for modeling. Our teachers and students have shown Miss Becky some really good lessons.

Today we did Hats on for Haiti at WOHE. Our students and staff donated $194.00 which will be given to Convoy of Hope to help the relief effort in Haiti.

Another one of our WOHE babies has arrived! We welcome Cadence Fayth Johnson to our WOHE family. She was born yesterday. Mrs. Johnson, who teachers 2nd grade at WOHE is doing great! Have a wonderful weekend and we will see you next week in FEBRUARY!

Rhonda Bishop For information on the Willard ChildrenÂ’s Charitable Foundation, please contact Judy Craig at 742-2506 or Dr. Kent Medlin at 742-2584.

Willard Parks and Recreation Weekly Update

• Kevin McDonald: Director
  
• Shawn Trent: Interim Sports Coordinator
  
• Brandon Eckhardt: Recreation/Aquatics Specialist
  
• Britney Carpenter: Child Care Coordinator
  

Mission Statement: To provide the City of Willard the highest quality of leisure opportunities and programs to people of all ages in the following ways: -To provide a Parks and Recreation system that is responsible and directed by the needs of the people of Willard -To preserve, protect and enhance the cityÂ’s park lands as a way to improve the physical and mental health of the people of Willard -To invite and encourage individuals, families, schools, businesses and other community groups to become partners in our efforts to invigorate and sustain the cityÂ’s natural and leisure resources -To provide safe and fun sports programs, camps, senior activities, classes, courses and outings in a organized and positive manner

Visit us on the web at www.willardparks.com

WillardÂ’s Biggest Loser: The 2010 Willard Biggest Loser Challenge Sponsored by CoxHealth continued this past Saturday at the Recreation Center. Here are the results thus far. 18-34 Male Division: 1st Place: Has Lost 3.8% Body Fat 2nd Place: Has Lost 2.7% Body Fat 18-34 Female Division: 1st Place: Has Lost 2.7% Body Fat 2nd Place: Has Lost 2.1% Body Fat 35 Plus Male Division: 1st Place Has Lost 4.3% Body Fat 2nd Place Has Lost 3% Body Fat 35 Plus Female Division: 1st Place Has Last 2.5% Body Fat 2nd Place has Lost 2.1% Body Fat Only three more Saturdays remain in the challenge.

2010 Basketball: Thank you to everyone who is participating in the 2010 Willard Parks and Recreation Youth or Adult Basketball League. Games began this past week and went extremely well. Games for the season continue this week.

Willard Parks and Recreation's 2010 Food Drive: Willard Parks and Recreation is having a food drive to benefit the Willard Food Pantry now thru 2/6/10. All non-perishable food items will be accepted. Donations can be dropped off at the Willard Recreation Center (133 North State Hwy. Z).

Scrap Tire Grant: Willard Parks and Recreation is in the process on applying for a Missouri Department of Natural Resources Scrap Tire Playground Surfacing Grant for the youth playground at Jackson St. Park. The Scrap Tire Material is one of the safest materials for playground surfacing. If you are interested in helping us obtain this grant by writing a letter to be included in the grant application please call Brandon at 742-2262.

Wal-Mart Foundation Grant: Willard Parks and Recreation has been awarded a $600 grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation. The grant will benefit the Willard Parks Department for the 2010 Year.

Aquatic Center Rentals: The Willard Parks Department is currently accepting rental applications for the 2010 summer. If you are interesting in renting the aquatic center for a party or an event in 2010 please call Brandon at (417) 742-2262.

Valentine Day’s Dance: Saturday February 13th Don’t miss the 2010 Willard Parks and Recreation Valentine’s Dance from 7pm – 9pm at the Willard Recreation Center. This dance is free to attend and is open for all ages. Come and dance to great music, get your picture taken and enjoy cake and punch!

Out of School Camps: 2010 Willard Parks and Recreation offers various out of school camps throughout the entire year. All camps will be held at the Willard Recreation Center. Willard Parks and Recreation will be offering camps each day school is not in session. These camps are for ages 5 -12. Spring Break Camp: March 22nd – March 26th $80 for the entire week or 17.50 per day. 7:00am – 6:00pm Summer Camp Session 1: May 25th – June 25th $85 per week or $17.50 per day. 7:00am – 6:00pm

Willard Play Group: COME OUT & PLAY with Willard's Playgroup! Come play every Wednesday from 9am - 11am at the

Willard Recreation Center. This is a new opportunity for parents and kids to play, socialize and just have fun. Moms and Dads are invited to bring their infant through Pre-K aged children for FREE PLAY, STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES & MONTHLY WORKSHOPS. This playgroup is free and open to the community.

Diabetes Support Group: If you are interested in the newly formed Diabetes Support Group please call Darrell Biellier at 742-2377 for meeting dates and times or if you have questions about the meetings. Breast Cancer Awareness Group: If you are interested in participating in a new Breast Cancer Awareness Group please call the Recreation Center at (417) 742-2262.

Children's Dance Classes: Let your child grow through dance and experience its magic. These children dance classes offer an excellent way to keep fit, learn coordination, rhythm, social skills, confidence, and it’s FUN! The winter eight-week dance session will begin January 5th thru February 25th. Creative Dance is offered on Tuesday afternoons for ages 3-5; Ballet & Tap classes are available and offered on Tuesday or Thursday depending on age and/or level for ages 5 & up, fee is $50. Combination classes of Ballet, Tap, and Jazz for children ages 9 & up with prior dance experience will be taught on Tuesday evenings, fee is $65. Limited spaces are available so call Ms. Patrice today for class availability and registration information at 818-3659. Children’s Dance Classes Winter Session: January 5th-February 25th Spring Session: March 9th—May 4th “Dance Revue”—Tuesday, May 4th 6:30 pm Creative Dance: Ages 3-5—Classes on Tuesday Afternoons Ballet and Tap: Ages 5 & up—Classes on Tuesdays & Thursdays Ballet, Tap & Jazz: Ages 9 & up—students with prior dance experience--Tuesdays Classes are 8 weeks. The fee is $50-$65. Contact Ms. Patrice at 818-3659 for additional information and class availability.

New Sponsors: Willard Parks and Recreation wishes to thank its newest sponsors, Willard Tax Station, HoodÂ’s & EZ Resale and Mini Storage. These businesses have purchased signs in the gymnasium at the Recreation Center.

Willard Child Care at the Recreation Center: Willard Parks and Recreation has begun child care at the Willard Recreation Center. This child care service is sponsored by the City of Willard and CoxHealth Fitness Centers. The child care takes place in the small classroom at the Recreation Center. Fees are $4 per child for up to two hours or an ALL ACCESS PASS for $24 for 12 times (up to 24 child care hours). This child care service may be used for any activity held at the Recreation Center including the Cox Fitness Center, Sports activities, etc. The parent or guardian must remain on the property while their child is in child care. The child care is only available for 18 months to 10 years old. The hours for the child care at Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 5pm – 9pm Tuesday & Thursday: 3pm – 9pm Senior Activities: Willard Parks and Recreation is doing its best to try and offer senior activities and programs to the senior citizens in the community.

Willard Recreation Center Senior Activities: Senior Luncheons: Every Wednesday from 11am – 1pm at the Willard Community Building. All seniors are invited to attend. Game Days: Every Tuesday and Thursday from 1:00pm – 3:00pm seniors can come to the Willard Recreation Center to play games such as bingo, dominos, cards and much more.

Exercise Classes: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: PACE CLASS 10:00am – 11:00am Tuesday & Thursday: SILVER SNEAKERS 9:00am – 10:00am

Movie in the Park: Come to the Movie in the Park Series on the dates listed below. Bring your entire family for a night of fun and movies. We will be selling hot-dogs and hamburgers. May 29th – 9pm – Movie: Indiana Jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull June 26th – 9pm – Movie: The Incredible Hulk

Easter Egg Hunt: Saturday March 27th 9am at the Willard Recreation Center. Bring the kids for this fun, FREE Easter Party that features hunting for eggs, pictures with the Easter Bunny and fun games!

Willard 2nd Annual Triathlon: June 19th 7:30am at Jackson St. Park. Events include swimming 300 yards, biking 12 miles and a 5K run. The deadline to register is June 12th. Start training now! The cost to participate is $50.

Harlem Legends Shot for the Stars Basketball Camp: July 12th – 16th at the Recreation Center from 9:00am – 1:00pm. The Harlem Legends Celebrity Basketball Game will be held Friday July 16th at Willard High School at 6:00pm. Freedom Fest 2010: Saturday July 3rd 2010 January – June

Program Guides: The 2010 January – June Willard Parks and Recreation Program Guide is in production. The guide should be ready shortly.

Willard Parks wishes to thank the 2010 Program Guide Sponsors: -CoxHealth Fitness Centers -Sac River Stables -Top Hat Package -CaseyÂ’s General Stores -New Beginnings Community Church -Pizza Hut Willard Kevin McDonald City of Willard Parks and Recreation Director

District Office

January 28th to February 1st, is recognized as School Board Recognition week. During the years that I have served as Superintendent at Willard, I have never had the same Board of Education two years in a row. This fact brings challenges as well as benefits. Board member service is not easy work. During the past seven years, Willard has never been without a building project. Upon completion of recent projects, the district has expended almost 40 million dollars in capital projects during these seven years. These efforts have required great amounts of vision, time, energy, planning, communication and teamwork in order to be successful. During this time, our district has passed two major Bond Issues and one Levy to support students. Our current board is comprised of both veteran as well as newly elected board members. Experience helps to ground our efforts and understand traditions of excellence. New eyes help us to remain fresh and well connected to the community. As a whole, they work together to support the goals and the mission of the district. These seven individuals don't always have the same idea on issues, but there is one that each of them shares with great fervor. This commitment is: The Willard District will make decisions based on what is best for children. The current members of the board of education include:

• Caroline Puckett
• Jeff Baker
• Kip Baker
• Ron Crighton
• Mike Graves
• Dr. John Lilly
• Jennifer Fickbohm

Join me this week in a collective pat on the back to our fellow colleagues on the Board of Education. Job well done!

Have a great weekend! Kent

Activities Director

Having trouble staying warm during the winter months? Then come watch our Tigers because they have been on fire!

Congratulations to the wrestling tigers on their 2nd place finish in the Republic Tournament last Saturday. The boys then defeated Buffalo and Bolivar last night in preparation for the COC tournament this Saturday in Nixa. Wrestling will start around 9:00 and will continue throughout the day.

The lady tigers will look to continue their outstanding play tonight as they travel to Joplin. The girls are 10-4 on the season. They will travel to Monett on Monday before hosting Catholic next Thursday. The Catholic game will only have 2 quarters of JV action so the varsity game will start a little earlier than normal.

The tigers hit a little speed bump this past Tuesday as they fell to Mt. Vernon at home. However, they rebounded nicely as they thrashed Marshfield last night 81-56! They conclude their busy week tonight as they travel to Bolivar. Next week the boys will be in the Nixa Invitational. Their first game will be on Thursday at 7:30 against Harrisonville.

It's Good To Be A Tiger! Jeff Staley - Director of Operations

Special Services

Special Services Spring Events

Our department is gearing up for a very exciting Spring Semester and there are many opportunities that our staff and students will have the opportunity to participate in. We would like to extend an invitation to all of you to join in the fun. Mark your calendars for the following events and contact our office if you’d like to participate.

Transition Fair Thursday, 3/11/10, 2pm-6pm, High School Commons area- 20+ outside agencies will set up booths to introduce people to services available in our community. All are welcome to come see what the Willard/Springfield community agencies have to offer our patrons in need.

Sporting Chance Track Meets - the local track meet is Saturday, 4/17/10, at JFK Stadium in Springfield. The state meet is Saturday, 5/15/10 at Branson Junior High. Contact our office if you are interested in helping with track practices as we prepare our athletes, or if you want to help us cheer on our athletes at either of the meets.

3rd Annual Partners in Strength Rally - Monday, 4/19/10 at Willard High School - WHS weight lifting students will partner up with students with disabilities to compete in this “Strong Man” type rally. Last year we had 60+ athletes competing together. It’s an incredible event to witness and participate in. Come out and support our student athletes. Contact the Special Services Office at 742-0930 if you want to help in planning the details of this event or if you would like to assist with donations.

High School

The tragic events in Haiti have been weighing on the minds of our staff and student body. Our interdisciplinary unit on "Poverty" has been a focus in many classrooms, and the events of the past week have connected to the unit. One of the connections surrounds the Science department staff and students. They became involved in "Partners in Health", which is an organization who sends medical supplies and medicine to people in need throughout the world. Currently, WHS students and staff have raised $500+ dollars which will go to the "Partners in Health" organization to focus on the needs in Haiti. The Science team of students and staff are participating in a book study linked to poverty. The book, "Mountains beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder, focuses on the life of Paul Farmer whose quest is to bring lifesaving tools to people who need it most. The book challenges each of us to examine the "have's and the have not's" in our world. We are very proud of the Science department's and our students focus on "Partners in Health", and the needs of others in our world. Have a great weekend Stewart Pratt

Middle School

Greetings from Willard Middle School. Another busy week has come to an end, and it was good to see the sunshine and warm temperatures. Hopefully they will return again soon. There are several events coming up next week at the middle school. The OHHS club will be meeting after school from 2:30 - 4:00 on Wednesday (1/27). FCA will meet on Thursday morning in the upper gym at 7:00 am, and they often have donuts! The Drama Club is scheduled to meet from 2:30-3:30 on Thursday afternoon, and there will be Team Assemblies on Friday, beginning at 1:50. This is a time when students are recognized for positive things they have done, and several will walk away with chocolate bars, some with special prizes inside. Don't forget the phone book drive in Mr. Gemann's class, as this will end on Friday. Friday will also be the date for the Valentine Dance, which will go from 7-9pm. Finally, the boys basketball teams will both be competing in the COC Tournament next week, with the 7th grade traveling to Webb City, and the 8th grade team going to Ozark. This will wrap up the winter sports season, so this will be your last chance to get out and support our teams. On a very positive note, I am very proud to say that we have had an extremely low number of office referrals since Christmas (yes, I am knocking on wood right now) and the students have been great since returning from break. The added bonus to this is the fact that Mrs. Sims and I have a had more time to get out and visit the classrooms and see what the students and teachers are working on. We have been very please to find some fantastic activities, and amazing work on display. Last week we saw a "Living History" presentation, where students created and used backgrounds and costumes and acted out segments of history, and invited other classes to come and visit. The halls are filled with student projects from Social Studies, Math, and Science, and there are of course great new projects all of the time from the Art Department. We saw rockets being made, microscopes being used, exciting archery classes, students discussing how the U. S. Constitution works, and on and on. We are proud of our students and staff, and hope you are as well. Thanks for checking on us, and have a great week. Tom Merriott WMS Asst. Principal

Willard Central Elementary

It has been a Terrific Tiger Week long celebration at the Willard Central Legion of Superheroes. This week we recognized students for A/B honor roll and perfect attendance for the second quarter. We also surprised and recognized Mr. Matthew Young as our WC Everyday Hero. Mr. Young works in the district technology department and spends many late nights and early mornings keeping our computers, internet and other technology needs up and running. We concluded our celebration with our Mr. Z's PTO fundraiser celebration. Students selling more than 20 items were able to duct tape the principal to the wall. You can enjoy viewing pictures of the festivities on the WC Blog at http://willardcentralparents.wordpress.com/  You will also see some staff members who got involved and enjoyed the chance to get the principal while he was defenseless. As a grand finale, kindergarten student, Levi C., won the family 4-pack to the Castle Rock Water Park in our grand prize drawing. His family will enjoy an overnight stay and a wet get away to the indoor water park!

The WC school community also shared its heart of service and caring by raising $567.25 (and counting) for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Students and staff members were encouraged to wear Hats for Haiti and donate a quarter to help families in need who have been devastated by this natural disaster. Heroes rise in time of need and our students have lived up to our school's theme this year. Their generosity to help others in an hour of need is a life lesson that goes beyond the classroom!!

Shane Medlin, Principal Willard Central Legion of Superheroes ~ Dare to be Heroic

Willard East Elementary

As of 10AM this morning we have collected $280 for Hat's on for Haiti. We have not counted coins yet so we

hope to raise over $300. Thank you for your generosity. As I have said before, no one deserved such devastation less than the people of Haiti.

Next week happens to be a big week of learning for the teachers. Sometimes we forget that our teachers are

learning too. Our Teaching Specialist Mrs. Azeez will be coaching our teachers on the new reading and writing strategies they have learned this year. The conversations and reflections that teachers have are very powerful.

Willard North Elementary

This week our students brought in over 75 blankets that will be delivered to the Salvation Army in Springfield. They also raised over $88.00 to donate to the Salvation Army during this winter season. Many students have expressed to me the need in Haiti and wanting to help. The fact that students are looking and caring about people and situations outside of their own community is immense. This past Thursday was also our School Board appreciate. Students from all grade levels made cards and banners to thank the board for all their hard work and service to the parents, patrons, and students of Willard School District. Thank you Willard School Board. Angela Stevens, Willard North Principal

Willard Orchard Hills Elementary

Willard Orchard Hills has completed TWO full weeks of instruction in the month of January! The weather has been very cooperative and it has been great for our students to get outside during the day. Our students have been studying Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and we have many samples of the student work filling our halls. The fourth grade students have been working on persuasive writing. Mrs. Gray's class took on the topic of school uniforms and Ms. Pyles class wrote to me about the pro's and con's of more playground equipment. The papers were amazing and the details the students generated were fantastic.

Next week, our students will be raising funds to help support Convoy of Hope in the Haiti relief effort. Next Friday, we will "borrow" the Hats of to Haiti idea from our other elementary schools to do our part to help.

Rhonda Bishop Just a reminder, we have rescheduled our snow days for February 15th and April 5th.

Have a wonderful week!

Willard South Elementary

This week we celebrated with a FIGHT FREE semester party for students. Hundreds of students earned this reward by keeping their classroom flag up for the entire semester. The FIGHT FEE program is designed to reduce and eliminate the number of fights between students. The program reinforces positive behaviors and teaches students ways to resolve disagreements in more constructive ways other than physical aggression. The motto of the program is "KHFAAOOTY" which stands for Keep Hands Feet And All Other Objects To Yourself. Students are taught that if an aggressive act is directed at them, they do not have to fight back. If a student breaks the KHFAAOOTY rule, he/she is required to take down their class fight free flag. CONGRATULATIONS to all of the students who worked hard this semester and demonstrated great character by following our KHFAAOOTY rule! Kara Crighton-Smith, Principal

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For information on the Willard Children’s Charitable Foundation, please contact Judy Craig at 742-2506 or Dr. Kent Medlin at 742-2584.

Willard Parks and Recreation Weekly Update

• Kevin McDonald: Director
• Shawn Trent: Interim Sports Coordinator
• Brandon Eckhardt: Recreation/Aquatics Specialist
• Britney Carpenter: Child Care Coordinator

Mission Statement: To provide the City of Willard the highest quality of leisure opportunities and programs to people of all ages in the following ways: -To provide a Parks and Recreation system that is responsible and directed by the needs of the people of Willard -To preserve, protect and enhance the city’s park lands as a way to improve the physical and mental health of the people of Willard -To invite and encourage individuals, families, schools, businesses and other community groups to become partners in our efforts to invigorate and sustain the city’s natural and leisure resources -To provide safe and fun sports programs, camps, senior activities, classes,courses and outings in a organized and positive manner Visit us on the web at http://www.willardparks.com

Adult Basketball: Willard’s 2010 Adult Basketball League is underway. This season a total of 12 teams are participating (5 Recreational and 7 Competitive). Games are played on Tuesday and Wednesday nights at the Recreation Center. For information on the Adult Basketball League please call Shawn at 742-2262.

Re-Energized Basketball: Willard’s 2010 Youth Basketball practices have begun at

the Recreation Center. Games for the season begin Saturday 1/23/10. This season looks to be very exciting. For more information on the Youth Basketball League please call Shawn at 742-2262.

Scrap Tire Grant: Willard Parks and Recreation is in the process on applying for a Missouri Department of Natural Resources Scrap Tire Playground Surfacing Grant for the youth playground at Jackson St. Park. The Scrap Tire Material is one of the safest materials for playground surfacing. If you are interested in helping us obtain this grant by writing a letter to be included in the grant application please call Brandon at 742-2262.

WillardÂ’s Biggest Loser: The 2010 Willard Biggest Loser Competition continued on Saturday at the Recreation Center. Weigh ins continue for 4 more Saturdays. For more information log onto www.willardparks.com.

Wal-Mart Foundation Grant: Willard Parks and Recreation has been awarded a $600 grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation. The grant will benefit the Willard Parks Department for the 2010 Year.

Aquatic Center Rentals: The Willard Parks Department is currently accepting rental applications for the 2010 summer. If you are interesting in renting the aquatic center for a party or an event in 2010 please call Brandon at (417) 742-2262.

Valentine Day’s Dance: Saturday February 13th Don’t miss the 2010 Willard Parks and Recreation Valentine’s Dance from 7pm – 9pm at the Willard Recreation Center. This dance is free to attend and is open for all ages. Come and dance to great music, get your picture taken and enjoy cake and punch!

Out of School Camps: 2010 Willard Parks and Recreation offers various out of school camps throughout the entire year. All camps will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

Willard Parks and Recreation will be offering camps each day school is not in session. These camps are for ages 5 -12.

Spring Break Camp: March 22nd – March 26th $80 for the entire week or 17.50 per day. 7:00am – 6:00pm

SummerCamp Session 1: May 25th – June 25th $85 per week or $17.50 per day. 7:00am – 6:00pm

Willard Play Group: COME OUT & PLAY with Willard's Playgroup! Come play every Wednesday from 9am - 11am at the Willard Recreation Center. This is a new opportunity for parents and kids to play, socialize and just have fun. Moms and Dads are invited to bring their infant through Pre-K aged children for FREE PLAY, STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES & MONTHLY WORKSHOPS. This playgroup is free and open to the community.

Diabetes Support Group: If you are interested in the newly formed Diabetes Support Group please call Darrell Biellier at 742-2377 for meeting dates and times or if you have questions about the meetings.

Breast Cancer Awareness Group: If you are interested in participating in a new Breast Cancer Awareness Group please call the Recreation Center at (417) 742-2262.

Children's Dance Classes: Let your child grow through dance and experience its magic. These children dance classes offer an excellent way to keep fit, learn coordination, rhythm, social skills, confidence, and it’s FUN! The winter eight-week dance session will begin January 5th thru February 25th. Creative Dance is offered on Tuesday afternoons for ages 3-5; Ballet & Tap classes are available and offered on Tuesday or Thursday depending on age and/or level for ages 5 & up, fee is $50. Combination classes of Ballet, Tap, and Jazz for children ages 9 & up with prior dance experience will be taught on Tuesday evenings, fee is $65. Limited spaces are available so call Ms. Patrice today for class availability and registration information at 818-3659. Children’s Dance Classes Winter Session: January 5th-February 25th Spring Session: March 9th—May 4th “Dance Revue”—Tuesday, May 4th 6:30 pm Creative Dance: Ages 3-5—Classes on Tuesday Afternoons Ballet and Tap: Ages 5 & up—Classes on Tuesdays & Thursdays Ballet, Tap & Jazz: Ages 9 & up—students with prior dance experience--Tuesdays Classes are 8 weeks. The fee is $50-$65. Contact Ms. Patrice at 818-3659 for additional information and class availability. New Sponsors: Willard Parks and Recreation wishes to thank its newest sponsors, Willard Tax Station & EZ Resale and Mini Storage. These businesses have purchased signs in the gymnasium at the Recreation Center.

Willard Child Care at the Recreation Center: Willard Parks and Recreation has begun child care at the Willard Recreation Center. This child care service is sponsored by the City of Willard and CoxHealth Fitness Centers. The child care takes place in the small classroom at the Recreation Center. Fees are $4 per child for up to two hours or an ALL ACCESS PASS for $24 for 12 times (up to 24 child care hours). This child care service may be used for any activity held at the Recreation Center including the Cox Fitness Center, Sports activities, etc. The parent or guardian must remain on the property while their child is in child care. The child care is only available for 18 months to 10 years old.

The hours for the child care at Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 5pm – 9pm Tuesday & Thursday: 3pm – 9pm

Senior Activities: Willard Parks and Recreation is doing its best to try and offer senior activities and programs to the senior citizens in the community.

Willard Recreation Center Senior Activities:

Senior Luncheons: Every Wednesday from 11am – 1pm at the Willard Community Building. All seniors are invited to attend.

Game Days: Every Tuesday and Thursday from 1:00pm – 3:00pm seniors

can come to the WillardRecreation Center to play games such as bingo, dominos, cards and much more.

Exercise Classes: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: PACE CLASS 10:00am – 11:00am Tuesday & Thursday: SILVER SNEAKERS 9:00am – 10:00am

Movie in the Park: Come to the Movie in the Park Series on the dates listed below. Bring your entire family for a night of fun and movies. We will be selling hot-dogs and hamburgers. May 29th – 9pm – Movie: Indiana Jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull June 26th – 9pm – Movie: The Incredible Hulk

Easter Egg Hunt: Saturday March 27th 9am at the Willard Recreation Center. Bring the kids for this fun, FREE Easter Party that features hunting for eggs, pictures with the Easter Bunny and fun games!

Willard 2nd Annual Triathlon: June 19th 7:30am at Jackson St. Park. Events include swimming 300 yards, biking 12 miles and a 5K run. The deadline to register is June 12th. Start training now! The cost to participate is $50.

Harlem Legends Shot for the Stars Basketball Camp: July 12th – 16th at the Recreation Center from 9:00am – 1:00pm. The Harlem Legends Celebrity Basketball Game will be held Friday July 16th at Willard High School at 6:00pm. Freedom Fest 2010: Saturday July 3rd 2010 January – June Program Guides: The 2010 January – June Willard Parks and Recreation Program Guide is in production. The guide should be ready shortly. Willard Parks wishes to thank the 2010 Program Guide Sponsors: -CoxHealth Fitness Centers -Sac River Stables -Top Hat Package -CaseyÂ’s General Stores -New Beginnings Community Church -Pizza Hut Willard

Kevin McDonald Parks and Recreation Director City of Willard

District Office

It is nice to see the Sunshine!!!! It was wonderful to have Christmas Break and I have had lots of comments that it was a "battery recharge" for many people. I did not quite intend to include an extra three snow days in the first week back from break. The following days have been identified as make up days:

• January 18th
• February 15th
• April 5th

I hear lots of comments when we have a snow day. Some of those are:

1. I am glad I don't have to make that decision!
2. Do you ever get it right?
3. Do we have a policy on wind chill?
4. Who makes the decision?
5. Do we always close if Springfield closes?
6. Why did they fill my parking place with a mountain of snow from the parking lot. (This was from my daughter who drove to school to find her assigned space filled with 6 feet of snow!)

Here is just a short rundown of how it works. I crawl out of my nice warm bed at about 3:45a.m. on days we might have problems. At 4:00, I enter into a conference call with about 10 other schools, the National Weather Service, Missouri Department of Transportation, Greene County Roads, and we hear the latest information about road conditions, temperature, and if there will be additional accumulation. The district representatives will visit and share if they plan to call off but most of us head out to our car to evaluate the roads. In Willard, I also force Dr. Royal to get out of her nice warm bed to help. She lives around Fantastic Caverns and this can be some of the hardest roads to navigate in the district. Forrest Owen the Director of Transportation is also up and driving roads. Our goal is to make a decision by 5:30a.m. Most employees have not left for work at this time and we can catch them before they leave. Immediately upon making the decision Dr. Royal call the local TV school cancellation hotline and Bob Andrus immediately begins our automated calling service. The district can call all employees in about 20 minutes. Dr. Royal and I both call individuals at the top of building phone trees and everyone gets a call. Ultimately the process works pretty well for about 600 employees. Needless to say this is not one of my favorite parts of my job! to try and answer the above questions: 2. No 3. No 4. I do 5. No 6. Sorry dear, just be happy snow melts!

Have a great weekend!

Kent

Dr. Kent E. Medlin Superintendent of Schools

Activities Director

Well it has been awhile since I have written a Pride article so forgive me if I miss something.

Congratulations to the girl's basketball team on their victories over Carthage and Lebanon this week running their record to an impressive 10-4 on the season. The girls have a little break before returning to action next Friday at Joplin. A special "welcome back" to Coach Kendra Lotter (who is 2-0 since her return!) and a special "thank you" to Coach Paulsell, Coach Curry, and Coach Blair on doing a fantastic job while she was away!

The boy's basketball team had a rocky end to the 2009 year but they have started 2010 with a bang! After a victory over Ava in the first round of the Blue and Gold, the boys suffered a close loss to Nixa in the second round. They have since come back to beat Branson and Webb City to get off to a 2-0 start in the COC. They will be at Buffalo tonight and next week will host Mt. Vernon on Tuesday before traveling to Marshfield on Thursday and to Bolivar next Friday.

Our wrestlers had a great tournament last weekend in Monett taking home a 3rd place finish in the team standings! The tigers were led by senior Joel Wyman's first place finish. They will compete in the Republic Tournament this Saturday and are preparing for the COC tournament next Saturday in Nixa.

It's Good To Be A Tiger!

Jeff Staley - Director of Operations

High School

The 2nd semester started with a stutter as "old man winter" gave us a few snow days. This week we were able to get all five days of school accomplished as students and teachers re-established school routines.

WHS hosted the REACH conference, which is composed of 40 school librarians collaborating to maintain DESE standards for Southwest Missouri School Libraries. WHS Library staff Jill Wooldridge and Chris Kapper organized and hosted the regional event.

Each year WHS teachers collaborate together for an interdisciplinary unit to impact students. This year, our unit focus is on poverty. Faculty members manipulated curriculum to weave poverty lessons into content areas within the building. Literary works, artistic displays and productions, classroom dialogue surrounding poverty in the United States and throughout the world, along with economic factors of poverty. The interdisciplinary unit will finish up with a dramatic production in the theater on January 22nd from 8:30am - 10:30am. Each year this multi-content focus has provided enriched learning for our students. We are really proud of the effort and focus of our students and staff toward understanding poverty.

Coming up on January 26th, we will host Freshman Preview Night. The night is centered around current 8th grade students and parents coming to the High School and examining the activities, sports, clubs and organizations available for new High School students. Freshman Preview Night begins at 5:30pm and ends at 7:30pm.

Stewart Pratt, WHS Principal

Middle School

Greetings from Willard Middle School. After an "extended" Christmas break due to all the snow and cold weather, it is good to be back in school, and get back to the routines and business of learning. Once again we as educators, as well as the students, have the opportunity to begin a new semester and get a fresh start on things. (Hopefully build on the positives we have already established.) As we get back in the swing of things, there seems to be some type of activity almost every night. Both the boys and girls basketball teams are having end of the season tournaments, as their seasons begin to wind down. We encourage you to get

out and support these students if you haven't had the chance to do so already. There will be a fundraiser next Friday (Jan. 23) for the students going on the Washington D. C. trip. It will begin at 3 pm and will be held in the upper gym at the Middle School. Also, start making plans now for the Valentines Dance, which will take place on Feb. 5th, from 5-7pm. The first half of the school year is behind us, and we look forward to even better things in the second half. As always, thanks for checking in on us, and remember that Monday is now a makeup day, so we DO get to come to school! See you there.

Tom Merriott Asst. Principal WMS

Intermediate School

It felt a little odd to complete a whole week of school! WIS students and teachers found themselves getting back into the routine and now have the 2nd semester up and running. The upcoming week looks to be a busy one:

Monday - School will be in session as our first snow make-up day.

Tuesday - Hot cocoa cafe after school

Wednesday - Technology club and Running club after school

Thursday - Student council meeting and Science club after school

Friday - Friday Choir before school

WIS PTO is planning a new spring fund-raiser. Be looking for information to go out soon. The 2 remaining snow make-up days will be Monday Feb. 15th and Monday April 5th. Let's hope we do not need any to schedule any more. Bring on the warm weather!

Tom Davis

Principal - Willard Intermediate School

Willard Central Elementary

The snow days extended the holiday season giving parents and students alike a desire to get back in to the routine of school. We are back in the swing of things with students starting new units of instruction and going deeper in their learning for the 3rd quarter. Next week, we will celebrate the efforts of students from the first semester with our Terrific Tiger Week. During Community Time, we will be recognizing students and classes with perfect attendance, honor roll, and special area awards. On Friday, we will be honoring the hard work of students from our PTO fundraiser by duck taping the principal to the wall and holding our drawing for the Castle Rock Water Park and Resort in Branson. It looks to be a fun week of celebrating our dedicated students. ~ Shane Medlin, Principal

Willard East Elementary

Yesterday Willard East hosted Missouri Reading Initiative training for area principals. Approximately 40 principals participated in a morning of workshops followed by an afternoon of classroom observations. It was nice to show off our Willard teachers' expertise in teaching reading. Our students and our school received many compliments and requests to return and observe more classrooms.

Today we celebrate our December/January Tiger Pride assembly and recognize 4th grade Honor Roll students. 30 4th graders

will be recognized for their effort to maintain and A/B average. Attendance is also an important part of learning. If you are not here you can't learn so we will be recognizing students who have perfect attendance for 1st semester.

Hat's On for Haiti - Since we were out of school on our January Hat's on for Community Service we would like to reschedule that for next week and have all the proceeds to toward relief efforts in Haiti. The media is advertising that money is the best donation at this time so this will be a perfect cause for our money!

• Jan. 22nd - Hat's on for Haiti
• Feb. 5th - Hat's on for Willard Schools clothing and food bank

Willard North Elementary

We all survived the cold temperatures and are very happy to be back in school after our extended winter break. Students at North are rallying together this month to collect blankets for the Salvation Army. There is a need in the Ozarks for warm blankets for those who do not have adequate shelter. The blankets we collect will be delivered on the 20th along with our Helping Hatsdonation from the students. Willard North students this year have raised money for worthy causes across the Ozarks. Last month students collected over $140.00 to help support the troops who are away for the holidays. The money went to purchase calling cards for our troops so they would be able to talk to their loved ones. Thank you to all the students and parents for supporting all these worthy causes. We are very proud of the students at Willard North.

Angela Stevens, Willard North Principal

Willard Orchard Hills Elementary

Well the weather allowed us to make it for a full week! We are back in our regular routines after our extended holiday vacation. This week teachers have been working on common assessments with their grade levels across the district. We are collecting data for our assessment wall and showing student progress for the first semester.

Don't forget Monday, January 18th is a MAKE UP snow day! We will be in session all week long. The other two days we have missed will be made up on February 15th and April 5th. Mark your calendars with these changes.

Have a great week enjoy the warmer (above zero) weather!

Rhonda Bishop

Willard South Elementary

Welcome back from Christmas break! I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday season and their extended days off from school. It was great to be at home relaxing and spending time with family. It was also good to get back in a routine and see all of the students at school this week. It is always exciting to hear about their adventures during the holidays! Today we held our second quarter Tiger Pride Assembly. This is a wonderful event that showcases student achievements and highlights a special person or community member. It was my honor to recognize our school social worker Chrysta Forrest. She does an amazing job at working will all of our families across the district. This holiday season she helped coordinate holiday baskets and gifts for 108 families, 242 children and collected more than $23,000 from area businesses and individuals. Her generosity, commitment and support is truly appreciated by everyone. Kara Crighton-Smith, Principal

**School will be in session on January 18th, February 15th and April 5th.

Kara Crighton-Smith, Principal

Willard Parks and Recreation

Weekly Update

• Kevin McDonald: Director
• Shawn Trent: Interim Sports Coordinator
• Brandon Eckhardt: Recreation/Aquatics Specialist
• Britney Carpenter: Child Care Coordinator

Mission Statement:

To provide the City of Willard the highest quality of leisure opportunities and programs to people of all ages in the following ways:

-To provide a Parks and Recreation system that is responsible and directed by the needs of the people of Willard

-To preserve, protect and enhance the citys park lands as a way to improve the physical and mental health of the people of Willard

-To invite and encourage individuals, families, schools, businesses and other community groups to become partners in our efforts to invigorate and sustain the citys natural and leisure resources

-To provide safe and fun sports programs, camps , senior activities, classes, courses and outings in a organized and positive manner

Visit us on the web

News Story: KSPR came to Willard on Sunday to do a story on the Willard Biggest Loser Competition. Logo on to http://www.kspr.com/news/local/80518407.html to check out the story. Information on the Competition is below.

Biggest Loser Challenge: Willard Parks and Recreation & CoxHealth Fitness Centers Presents the Six Week Fitness Challenge from January 9th February 13th. Registration forms are available at the Recreation Center.

How the Challenge Works: Fee to participate is $20 per person ($15 for winners and $5 administrative fee)

Every Saturday during the challenge, participants will come to the Willard Recreation Center from 9am 11am to weigh in

The deadline to register is January 8th

All participants will receive a Free Trail Week with CoxHealth Fitness in Willard

The person who losses the most body fat percentage at the end of the challenge on February 13th will win

1st Place Winner in each division will receive 60% of registration proceeds. 2nd Place Winner in each division will receive 40% of registration proceeds.

Divisions are: 1. 18-34 Male 2. 18-34 Female 3. 35 Plus Male 4. 35 Plus Female For more information log onto http://www.willardparks.com

Winter Camp 2009: Thank you to everyone who attended the 2009 Willard Parks and Recreation Winter Camp. The camp this year was a huge success! The camp was held at the Recreation Center through the out of school days.

New Sponsors: Willard Parks and Recreation wishes to thank its newest sponsors, Willard Tax Station & EZ Resale and Mini Storage. These businesses have purchased signs in the gymnasium at the Recreation Center.

Valentine Days Dance: Saturday February 13th Dont miss the 2010 Willard Parks and Recreation Valentines Dance from 7pm 9pm at the Willard Recreation Center. This dance is free to attend and is open for all ages. Come and dance to great music, get your picture taken and enjoy cake and punch!

Health Fair: Saturday February 20th 10am 1:00pm at the Willard Recreation Center. People of all ages can come and participate in the many health activities that we will have available.

Out of School Camps: 2010 Willard Parks and Recreation offers various out of school camps throughout the entire year. All camps will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

Willard Parks and Recreation will be offering camps each day school is not in session. These camps are for ages 5 -12.

• Out of School Camp: January 18th $17.50 from 7:00am 6:00pm
• Out of School Camp: February 15th $17.50 from 7:00am 6:00pm
• Spring Break Camp: March 22nd March 26th $80 for the entire week or 17.50 per day. 7:00am 6:00pm
• Summer Camp Session 1: May 25th June 25th $85 per week or $17.50 per day. 7:00am 6:00pm

New Trees: A few months back, Empire Electric needed to remove some trees from Jackson St. Park because they were interfering with the utility poles. Due to removing these trees, Empire replaced the trees with NEW trees at Jackson St. Park. Stop by and check out the new trees.

Community Thank You: Toy Drive: Willard Parks and Recreation donated two full boxes of donated toys to deserving area kids. These toys were donated to the Willard Recreation Center during Safe Halloween 2009. Thank you to everyone who donated toys!

Food Drive: Throughout Session 1 Basketball, we have been collecting can goods at the Willard Recreation Center to donate to the Willard Food Pantry. On Thursday December 10th, Willard Parks took the donated items to the Willard Food Pantry. Around 40 can goods were donated and will go to deserving families. Thank you to everyone who donated.

2010 January June Program Guides: The 2010 January June Willard Parks and Recreation Program Guide is in production. The guide should be ready shortly. Willard Parks wishes to thank the 2010 Program Guide Sponsors:

-CoxHealth Fitness Centers -Sac River Stables -Top Hat Package -Caseys General Stores -New Beginnings Community Church

Featured Article: Willard Parks and Recreation will again be featured in a Missouri Recreation and Parks Association Magazine. The magazine article will be out in January. The article will feature special events that took place in Willard in 2009.

Willard Play Group: COME OUT & PLAY with Willard's Playgroup! Come play every Wednesday from 9am - 11am at the Willard Recreation Center. This is a new opportunity for parents and kids to play, socialize and just have fun. Moms and Dads are invited to bring their infant through Pre-K aged children for FREE PLAY , STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES & MONTHLY WORKSHOPS. This playgroup is free and open to the community.

Diabetes Support Group: If you are interested in the newly formed Diabetes Support Group please call Darrell Biellier at 742-2377 for meeting dates and times or if you have questions about the meetings.

Breast Cancer Awareness Group: If you are interested in participating in a new Breast Cancer Awareness Group please call the Recreation Center at (417) 742-2262.

Hula Hoop Classes: The Willard Parks & Recreation Department will offer Hula Hoop Classes. All adults and children ages 12 and older are eligible to attend. Costs for the lessons are $40 per participant. Please make all checks payable to Willard Parks and Recreation. This program will be a 5-week session and will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm 8:00pm. Limited spots available. Classes will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

Beginner Belly Dancing: The Willard Parks & Recreation Department will offer Belly Dancing Classes. All adults are eligible to attend. Costs for the lessons are $40 per participant. Please make all checks payable to Willard Parks and Recreation. This program will be a 5-week session and will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm 8:00pm. Limited spots available. Classes will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

YOGA: 8 week sessions at the Willard Recreation Center. Classes are every Monday night at 6pm. Fees are $25 for Cox Members and $65 for non Cox members.

Children's Dance Classes: Let your child grow through dance and experience its magic. These children dance classes offer an excellent way to keep fit, learn coordination, rhythm, social skills, confidence, and its FUN! The winter eight-week dance session will begin January 5th thru February 25th. Creative Dance is offered on Tuesday afternoons for ages 3-5; Ballet & Tap classes are available and offered on Tuesday or Thursday depending on age and/or level for ages 5 & up, fee is $50. Combination classes of Ballet, Tap, and Jazz for children ages 9 & up with prior dance experience will be taught on Tuesday evenings, fee is $65. Limited spaces are available so call Ms. Patrice today for class availability and registration information at 818-3659.

Childrens Dance Classes

Winter Session: January 5th-February 25th Spring Session: March 9thMay 4th Dance RevueTuesday, May 4th 6:30 pm Creative Dance: Ages 3-5Classes on Tuesday Afternoons Ballet and Tap: Ages 5 & upClasses on Tuesdays & Thursdays Ballet, Tap & Jazz: Ages 9 & upstudents with prior dance experience--Tuesdays Classes are 8 weeks. The fee is $50-$65. Contact Ms. Patrice at 818-3659 for additional information and class availability.

Land O Frost: Willard Parks and Recreation is entering into an agreement with Land O Frost again in 2010. Land O Frost will be giving $9500 to the Parks Department for uniforms for the 2010 sports teams.

Willard Child Care at the Recreation Center: Willard Parks and Recreation has begun child care at the Willard Recreation Center. This child care service is sponsored by the City of Willard and CoxHealth Fitness Centers. The child care takes place in the small classroom at the Recreation Center. Fees are $4 per child for up to two hours or an ALL ACCESS PASS for $24 for 12 times (up to 24 child care hours). This child care service may be used for any activity held at the Recreation Center including the Cox Fitness Center, Sports activities, etc. The parent or guardian must remain on the property while their child is in child care. The child care is only available for 18 months to 10 years old.

The hours for the child care at Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 5pm 9pm Tuesday & Thursday: 3pm 9pm

Senior Activities: Willard Parks and Recreation is doing its best to try and offer senior activities and programs to the senior citizens in the community.

Willard Recreation Center Senior Activities:

Senior Luncheons: Every Wednesday from 11am 1pm at the Willard Community Building. All seniors are invited to attend.

Game Days: Every Tuesday and Thursday from 1:00pm 3:00pm seniors can come to the Willard Recreation Center to play games such as bingo, dominos, cards and much more.

Exercise Classes: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: PACE CLASS 10:00am 11:00am Tuesday & Thursday: SILVER SNEAKERS 9:00am 10:00am

Movie in the Park: Come to the Movie in the Park Series on the dates listed below. Bring your entire family for a night of fun and movies. We will be selling hot-dogs and hamburgers.

May 29th 9pm Movie: Indiana Jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull June 26th 9pm Movie: The Incredible Hulk

Easter Egg Hunt: Saturday March 27th 9am at the Willard Recreation Center. Bring the kids for this fun, FREE Easter Party that features hunting for eggs, pictures with the Easter Bunny and fun games!

Willard 2nd Annual Triathlon: June 19th 7:30am at Jackson St. Park. Events include swimming 300 yards, biking 12 miles and a 5K run. The deadline to register is June 12th. Start training now! The cost to participate is $50.

Kevin McDonald Parks and Recreation Director City of Willard (417) 742-2262

District Office This week I had two opportunities to be a part of a discussion about student teachers. (Student teaching was 24 years ago for me; however, I remember it like yesterday!!!) The first opportunity was a meeting with one of our Principals and the Supervising Instructors for the student teaching program at Missouri State University. In that meeting, it was communicated that MSU is utilizing only specific school districts for inclusion in their student teaching program. Other districts are utilized only in special situations. Willard is the only school district north of Springfield that is utilized for the MSU student teacher academy. The other discussion opportunity was with Mark Lawley, high school choir director. I attended the yearly Christmas concert this week and was blown away as usual. During 2-3 of the choral numbers Joel Schilb, a student teacher, conducted the choir. This young student teacher led the choir with experienced mastery similar to Mark Lawley and Candace French. After the conclusion of the concert, I spoke with Mark and in our discussion he said simply "If you can't be successful student teaching at Willard, you can't be successful". I have processed on this statement all week. After much thought, I think I have gotten my head around the wisdom that Mark communicated. Basically, because of the talent, collaboration, motivation, and high expectations of many grade levels of professional instructors, students understand and embrace excellence. Therefore, a high quality student teaching experience is available but the young instructor better bring their "A" game because that is what our students believe is "normal". There is no doubt that "normal" is relative to your circumstances. I believe that in many classrooms in Willard "normal = excellence".

There is no doubt our kids are blessed to be in Willard!!

Have a great weekend!

Kent

Dr. Kent E. Medlin Superintendent of Schools

Director of Activities Winter Sports are under way and the Tigers are off to a great start.

Congratulations to the Lady Tigers on their undefeated Four State Championship last week and to the Tigers on their 2-1 2nd place finish. A special congratulations to Tim Huskisson, Skyler Frazier, Brook Duncan and Sammie Gathercole for being named to the All Tournament Team. I would also like to thank the countless number of workers and volunteers who helped make this year's tournament a success. Staying with the Lady Tigers - congratulations on their victory over North County Tech High School in St. Louis last night -- running their record to an undefeated 4-0 start. They will take on Eskridge High School tonight at 4:30 before hosting Marshfield next Monday (JV game starting at 6:00 pm) and Central on Thursday. Good luck to the Tigers as they host Lebanon tonight in a 3 game night with the freshman game starting at 5:00 pm. They travel to Camdenton this coming Tuesday night with the JV game starting at 6:00 pm.

Congratulations to the Wrestling Tigers on their 6th place finish in Neosho last Saturday. Joel Wyman won the 215 lb division. The Tigers defeated Camdenton last night and a special congratulations goes to Caleb Shuck, Steeler Seaburn, Sawyer Vincent, Dylann Bishop, Codey White, Louis Castro, Joel Wyman, Taylor Ball and Christian Adams on their individual wins. Their next wrestling match will be this coming Tuesday at home - hosting the Nixa Eagles.

It's good to be a Tiger! Jeff Staley, Director of Operations

Willard High School Willard HS is gearing up for the close of the 1st Semester. Students are involved in many charity drives such as SGA Food Drive, FBLA Candy Canes for Camp Hope, NHS Christmas Wrapping. Next week we will have final exams on Wednesday , Thursday, and Friday. We ask parents to ensure students are present, rested, and prepared for their testing.

We appreciate the nursing staff for assisting with the H1N1 flu vaccinations today ( Friday Dec 11th ). The organization of the heath care professionals made the process smooth and painless.

Have a great weekend. Stewart Pratt, HS Principal

Willard Middle School Greetings from the Willard Middle School. With only one week left before Christmas break, and the end of 1st semester, we are all running around here trying to finish last minute projects and final exams, and wishing we had just a few more days to get it all done. (Well, maybe not the kids, or even the teachers wish that, but I do. Really.) Anyway,we are also set to enjoy several exciting events in the next week. Tonight (Friday) and Saturday night, "The Jungle Book" will be presented by our drama dept. in the Black Box Theater. There will be a band concert on Sunday afternoon, and the choir will be giving a concert on Tuesday evening. We even have an art show on Tuesday afternoon, and will conclude the week with a talent show at the end of the school day on Friday the 18th. All of these events will provide an opportunity for our students to show off what they can do, and we invite you to come be a part of each of them. You will be amazed at the talent, and be entertained as well. Good luck with all the last minute Christmas details, and remember to enjoy this time of year, and the reason we celebrate. Thanks for checking on us, and have a great week. Tom Merriott WMS Asst. Principal

Willard Central Elementary WC celebrated the completion of reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane last night with our Family Reading Night. It was a wonderful event with 154 students in attendance. With family members and siblings, we had around 450 people the book with us. Thank you to all of the families who participated and for sharing in the love of reading with your students! At Community Time this morning , gift certificates to Barnes and Noble and several books were given away to students who earned red tickets for attending our Family Night and answering questions about the story. Visit the WC Blog at <http://willard.k12.mo.us/scripts/webmail.exe?cmd=url&xdata= ~2-eb4523ff85a2de4e1526cc2bf6769aabc18a6cb39cdce391ddd4ae989 7372e302e302e3100&url=http!3A!2F!2Fwillardcentralparents.wor dpress.com!2F>http://willardcentralparents.wordpress.com/ to see pictures of the event.

Mark your calendars for the following December activities: Monday 14th PTO Meeting at 6:00

Tuesday 15th 4th Grade Concert at 7:00

Friday 18th Holiday Parties at 2:45

Monday 21st January 1st Christmas Break

Enjoy the break with your family and friends and have a Blessed Christmas and New Year. Shane Medlin, Principal

Willard East Elementary It is a season of giving and our Willard East community has come through for us! Our Christmas tree is almost fully decorated with hats, mittens, scarves, and gloves. Our classrooms are collecting food and hygiene items for our families in need. During these tough economic times it warms our hearts to see such generosity. THANK YOU!!!

Hat's on for Community Service last week raised over $150 for the Victory Mission. So far this year we has surpassed our $80 goal every month!

PTO News - At our 4th Grade program next week we will be asking our families to approve the purchase of a new laminator. Originally we were going to use our fundraiser money to purchase SmartBoards for Kindergarten classrooms. Dr. Medlin has assured us that next year he is going to fund our additional technology needs. Right now we would not have enough to purchase all 3 Smartboards. We will be needing to look into other ways of spending our money. We also hope to raise additional funds during our Read-A-Thon and end of the year Extravaganza.

Tune in next week for Winter Party reviews! Melinda Miller, Principal

Willard Orchard Hills Elementary Last Monday night, the children of WOHE stood in the spotlight as they presented to their families and friends a school-wide Christmas program! The "house" was packed, the songs were great, and the stars of the show looked fabulous! After each set of songs, families were invited to join their students in the gym for the ornament and art show. Each family took home their child's ornament and holiday pictures.

To pull off such an event takes many hands working together.I would like to thank our traveling teachers who made this night special. Mrs. Michelle Chatman, Mrs. Erin Kuchta, and Mrs. Sharon Reed did a fantastic job with the music. Mrs. Krista Mello, Mrs. Michelle Mathers, and Mrs. Teresa Palmer helped the students create beautiful pieces of artwork. Each classroom teacher helped the students with their ornaments and the trees were magical. All the work cannot be done without a Jingle Bell Crew of parents who literally "swooped" down on the gym and transformed it into a child's art gallery. We are blessed with great parent support at WOHE. All the teachers and staff helped after school to put the final finishing touches on the building. I would also like to thank Mrs. Cyndi Clutter and Mr. Eric Roberts, who used their singing talents during the program transitions to bless the crowd. It is one to remember!!

Tuesday night will be our 2nd WOHE Barnes and Noble night. Students will be performing and hopefully all of you will be there buying books! Be sure to see some one about a WOHE ticket so we get credit for the sale! Next Friday we will be hosting our school-wide pajama day and Polar Express activities! Don't come to our building unless you are dressed appropriately! Have a great weekend! Rhonda Bishop , Principal

For information on the Willard Children's Charitable Foundation, please contact Judy Craig at 742-2506 or Dr. Kent Medlin at 742-2584.

Willard Parks and Recreation Weekly Update Kevin McDonald: Director Shawn Trent: Interim Sports Coordinator Brandon Eckhardt: Recreation/Aquatics Specialist Britney Carpenter: Child Care Coordinator

Visit us on the web at <http://www.willardparks.com>www.willardparks.com

Christmas in Willard: Willard Parks and Recreations Second Annual Christmas in Willard Celebration will be held on Saturday December 12th at the Willard Recreation Center at 6:00pm. This years activities include a Christmas Movie and pictures with Santa. We will also be opening the concessions and having a bake sale from donated items. Go to <http://www.willardparks.com>www.willardparks.com for more information and to view the official movie preview.

Biggest Loser Challenge: Willard Parks and Recreation & CoxHealth Fitness Centers Presents the Biggest Loser Six Week Fitness Challenge from January 9th February 13th. Registration forms are available at the Recreation Center.

How the Challenge Works: Fee to participate is $20 per person ($15 for winners and $5 administrative fee)

Every Saturday during the challenge, participants will come to the Willard Recreation Center from 9am - 11am to weigh in

The deadline to register is January 8th

All participants will receive a Free Trail Week with CoxHealth Fitness in Willard

The person who losses the most body fat percentage at the end of the challenge on February 13th will win

1st Place Winner in each division will receive 60% of registration proceeds. 2nd Place Winner in each division will receive 40% of registration proceeds.

Divisions are:

1. 18-34 Male 2. 18-34 Female 3. 35 Plus Male 4. 35 Plus Female

For more information log onto <http://www.willardparks.com>www.willardparks.com.

Reenergized Basketball 2010: Registration Ends December 16th ONE Location Smaller Teams Better Uniforms More Games New Coaches Training New Rules More Experienced Referees LOG ONTO <http://WWW.WILLARDPARKS.COM>WWW.WILLARDPARKS.COM FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION

Land OFrost: Willard Parks and Recreation is entering into an agreement with Land OFrost again in 2010. Land OFrost will be giving $9500 to the Parks Department for uniforms for the 2010 sports teams.

Willard Child Care at the Recreation Center: Willard Parks and Recreation has begun child care at the Willard Recreation Center. This child care service is sponsored by the City of Willard and CoxHealth Fitness Centers. The child care takes place in the small classroom at the Recreation Center. Fees are $4 per child for up to two hours or an ALL ACCESS PASS for $24 for 12 times (up to 24 child care hours). This child care service may be used for any activity held at the Recreation Center including the Cox Fitness Center, Sports activities, etc. The parent or guardian must remain on the property while their child is in child care. The child care is only available for 18 months to 10 years old.

The hours for the child care at Monday, Wednesday & Friday: 8am - 10am Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 5pm - 9pm Tuesday & Thursday: 3pm - 9pm

FACILITY RENTALS: Willard Parks and Recreation Facility Rentals: Holding Fee: $25, Refundable Deposit: $75 (excluding the Pavilion). Rental Areas: Willard Community Building: $15 hour / kitchen $25 flat fee, Large Gym at the Recreation Center: $25 hour, Small Gym at the Recreation Center: $20, Murray Community Room/Patio/Kitchen: $15 hour, Classroom/Conference Room: $12 hour, Jackson St Park Pavilion: $7.50 hour. For more information contact Tina at (417) 742-2262.

CAMPS: Out of School Camps: Willard Parks and Recreation offers various camps throughout the entire year. All camps will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

Holiday Camp: 12/21/09, 12/22/09, 12/23/09, 12/28/09, 12/29/09, 12/30/09, Camp is for grades K 6th. The fee to attend is $17.50 per day. A snack lunch must be brought to the camp. Camp hours are 7:00am 6:00pm.

Session 1 Basketball: Thank you to everyone who is playing basketball for Willard Parks for the Session 1 Season. This season would not be possible without you!

Grants Update: Willard Parks is still awaiting word if we were approved for the 2010 US Soccer Foundation Grant. Winners should be announced in the coming months. Willard Parks also visited with Wal-Mart representatives (Kansas Exp.) about a $5000 business donation/grant. We will know if we are awarded in February 2010. Willard Parks has been awarded an Equipment Grant from USA Football. This grant brings thousands of dollars of new equipment to Willard!

Willard Play Group: COME OUT & PLAY with Willard's Playgroup! Come play every Wednesday from 9am - 11am at the Willard Recreation Center. This is a new opportunity for parents and kids to play, socialize and just have fun. Moms and Dads are invited to bring their infant through Pre-K aged children for FREE PLAY , STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES & MONTHLY WORKSHOPS. This playgroup is free and open to the community.

Diabetes Support Group: If you are interested in the newly formed Diabetes Support Group please call Darrell Biellier at 742-2377 for meeting dates and times or if you have questions about the meetings.

Breast Cancer Awareness Group: If you are interested in participating in a new Breast Cancer Awareness Group please call the Recreation Center at (417) 742-2262.

Park Benches: Willard Parks & Recreation is in need of more benches and picnic tables in our parks. The Park Board would like to get the community involved in this process; therefore, we are starting a new table/bench program. In the coming months sponsorship pricing and forms will be available for the community. This is an exciting way for the community to get involved. Feel free to stop by the Jackson Street Park and see the current table and bench donations.

Hula Hoop Classes: The Willard Parks & Recreation Department will offer Hula Hoop Classes. All adults and children ages 12 and older are eligible to attend. Costs for the lessons are $40 per participant. Please make all checks payable to Willard Parks and Recreation. This program will be a 5-week session and will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm 8:00pm. Limited spots available. Classes will run September 9th October 7th. Classes will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

Beginner Belly Dancing: The Willard Parks & Recreation Department will offer Belly Dancing Classes. All adults are eligible to attend. Costs for the lessons are $40 per participant. Please make all checks payable to Willard Parks and Recreation. This program will be a 5-week session and will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm 8:00pm. Limited spots available. Classes will run October 21st November 18th. Classes will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

KenKarJu-Ruy 2009: Register now for KenKarJu-Ryu martial arts. This family oriented art focuses on courtesy, respect , self-discipline, self-defense, self-improvement, physical fitness and FUN! Classes are offered on Mondays and Thursdays from 6:30pm 7:30pm at the Willard Community Building for anyone ages 7 and up. The fee is $50 for the entire eight week session. Registration forms are available at the Recreation Center.

YOGA: 8 week sessions at the Willard Recreation Center. Classes are every Monday night at 6pm. Fees are $25 for Cox Members and $65 for non Cox members.

Children's Dance Classes: Let your child grow through dance and experience its magic. These children dance classes offer an excellent way to keep fit, learn coordination, rhythm, social skills, confidence, and its FUN! The winter eight-week dance session will begin January 5th thru February 25th. Creative Dance is offered on Tuesday afternoons for ages 3-5; Ballet & Tap classes are available and offered on Tuesday or Thursday depending on age and/or level for ages 5 & up, fee is $50. Combination classes of Ballet, Tap, and Jazz for children ages 9 & up with prior dance experience will be taught on Tuesday evenings, fee is $65. Limited spaces are available so call Ms. Patrice today for class availability and registration information at 818-3659.

Childrens Dance Classes Winter Session: January 5th-February 25th Spring Session: March 9thMay 4th Dance RevueTuesday, May 4th 6:30 pm Creative Dance: Ages 3-5Classes on Tuesday Afternoons Ballet and Tap: Ages 5 & upClasses on Tuesdays & Thursdays Ballet, Tap & Jazz: Ages 9 & upstudents with prior dance experience--Tuesdays Classes are 8 weeks. The fee is $50-$65. Contact Ms. Patrice at 818-3659 for additional information and class availability.

2010 Family Friendly Information: Start planning now and mark your calendars Movie in the Park: Come to the Movie in the Park Series on the dates listed below. Bring your entire family for a night of fun and movies. We will be selling hot-dogs and hamburgers.

April 24th 8pm Movie: Wall-E May 29th 9pm Movie: Indiana Jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull June 26th 9pm Movie: The Incredible Hulk

Music in the Park: Come enjoy nights at the Park listening to great music. These events are FREE to attend and are held at Jackson St. Park. Concessions will be sold. Bring you lawn chairs and blankets!

2010 Music in the Park Dates: May 22nd 6pm June 19th 6pm

Easter Egg Hunt: Saturday March 27th 9am at the Willard Recreation Center. Bring the kids for this fun, FREE Easter Party that features hunting for eggs, pictures with the Easter Bunny and fun games!

Willard 2nd Annual Triathlon: June 19th 7:30am at Jackson St. Park. Events include swimming 300 yards, biking 12 miles and a 5K run. The deadline to register is June 12th. Start training now! The cost to participate is $50.

Advertising: It is that time again. Willard Parks and Recreation is currently putting together our 2010 January June Program Guide for the Community. This guide will feature events, sports, family friendly activities, park features, and everything that the Willard Parks Department will offer from January June of 2010. As you know the Willard Parks and Recreation Department is offering more events now then ever before.

These guides get mailed out to all of the City of Willard residents and all participants of the Willard Parks Department will receive one.

If your business is interested in advertising in the 2010 Willard Parks and Recreation January June Program Guide please see the rates below.

- Half Page $125 - Full Page $200 - Front Inside Cover $300

All of the ads are in black and white print. If your business is interested in advertising please email me at <mailto:parkdir@cityofwillard.org>parkdir@cityofwillard.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call me at (417) 742-2262.

Kevin McDonald Parks and Recreation Director City of Willard

District Office 14 out of 14!!! Some might think this is how many games the New Orleans Saints or Indianapolis Colts will win at some point this year or how many regular season Basketball games Willard won a couple years ago, or even the number of times Jeff Staley has beaten me playing golf. (Jeff don't get the big head!) Today it stands for the perfect APR report that the Willard School District received for 2008-2009 school year. This comprehensive report examines public schools in areas including:

· MAP Scores for Communication Arts and Mathematics at grades 3-4 · End of Course Exams for Algebra 1 and Communication Arts II · ACT · Advanced Courses · Career Education Courses · College Placement · Career Education Placement · Graduation Rate · Attendance Rate · Subgroup Achievement · Bonus Points: MAP Science Scores grades 3-8, Biology 1

Each of these educational areas requires specific scores to be achieved in order to be judged as passing. Willard School District scored a perfect 14 out of 14 for the fourth year in a row. This success is shared by many stakeholders in our district: Teachers, Administrators, Non-Certified employees, Board Members, Volunteers, Parents , and especially our kids!!! It is comforting to know that plans, training, and hard work have paid off.

Congratulations to all the stakeholders!

Job well done!

Kent

p.s. Maybe with a little training and hard work on the golf course I will finally beat Jeff Staley??? (Probably not.)

Dr. Kent E. Medlin Superintendent of Schools

Director of Activities The Willard Four-State Basketball Tournament is currently taking place at Willard High School. Please join us for the beginning of the Ladies and Mens Basketball Seasons. It looks to be an exciting year!

Also, good luck to the Wrestling Tigers as they open their season at the Neosho Tournament this weekend.

It's good to be a Tiger! Jeff Staley, Director of Activities

Director of Special Services WHS Special Services would like to thank Murfin's Market in Willard for again allowing students in Mrs Poulson's Transition Class come and learn on-site job skills. Nine students were placed in four different areas: produce, stocking, frozen foods, and bagging. Students learned to spot spoiled fruits and vegetables, read bar codes in order to place items on the shelves, check for out-dated product and bag items correctly. The students enjoyed working with the employees and many friendships developed. Thank you Murfins for dedicating your time to help students learn work skills to help them succeed. Sandy Gold, Director of Special Services

Willard High School The High School came back from the Thanksgiving break in full swing. Activities, Athletics, and school day events are going strong until December 18th ( End of the Semester ).

A reminder to parents and students about 1st Semester Finals , which are scheduled for December 16th, 17th, and 18th. It is crucial that students be present for their final exams. We use our semester final exams as indicators of student learning, and an avenue to prepare students for State Level Testing (End of Course Exams).

The Vocational Ag students and sponsors were awarded a $1,500.00 grant. The Vo-Ag program will be using the grant resources to improve classroom curriculum and programming aimed toward outdoor habitats and natural resources.

Many thanks to the community for their support of the Fine Arts programs at WHS. Fantastic audiences at "Children of Eden" ( wow...what a show), support of the WHS Choir ( Pancake Breakfasts ) and performances, and of course all the tickets purchased and support for the Band at St. Louis Rams game. A big thank you to parents and community!

Have a great weekend! Stewart Pratt, HS Principal

Willard Middle School Greetings from Willard Middle School. It is amazing that we only have two weeks left in the first semester, as this year has gone by so quickly. The message we want to send the students and parents alike is that although we are almost there, we do still have those two weeks to get a little more done around here. Please encourage your kids to keep up the good work, and finish the semester strong. It is very easy to let down when the finish line is near, and end up with grades that do not reflect the good work you have put forth over the past months. We all are excited for the break, but we hope to ensure that we are all proud of what has been accomplished once we get there.

In the coming weeks, we are looking forward to several exciting events to wrap up 2009. On Dec. 9th, the Cook and Create Club will be meeting in the FACS lab, from 2:30 - 4:30. There will of course be cooking going on, but more importantly, there will be eating as well! Next Friday and Saturday, we look forward to the presentation of "The Jungle Book" in Black Box Theater. The start time will be 7 pm each night, and the cost is only $5, which is a small price to pay for what is always a great display of talent and effort by our kids and Ms. Graves and staff.

On the 15th we will be holding an art show from 3:30 - 6:30. The Choir Christmas Concert will be that same night at 7 pm. And finally, we are looking forward to our very own WMS Talent Show, which will be after lunch on the 18th. I have seen some of the talent that will be on display, and I can only say that we have been blessed with some amazing singers and a variety of other talents for that show. Parents are welcome, and if you can make it I assure you that you will leave impressed with these kids. Thanks for checking with us, and have a great weekend.

Tom Merriott Asst. Principal WMS

Willard Intermediate School It seems that the weather has finally caught up with the calendar. It is cold outside! Today WIS celebrated having 20 days in a row fight free. As a result everyone got to watch Mr. Davis eat several live insects in our afternoon assembly. It was quite a show. We are proud of our students and look forward to reaching our next fight-free goal!

Our student council sponsored our second "Hat day" of the year. WIS came through in a big way and raised over $200 that will benefit the Jim Staley Scholarship fund. Thanks to everyone that participated.

Have a great weekend! Tom Davis, Principal

Willard Central Elementary December has brought the cold air to the Ozarks. It is perfect weather for snuggling up and reading a great book! The Willard Central All-School Book Club will finish reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and celebrate the book together with our Family Literacy Night on Thursday, December 10th at 6:00. Enjoy reading this book or another great book with your students and pass on the gift of reading together this holiday season!

Mark your calendars for the following December activities: Monday 14th PTO Meeting at 6:00 Tuesday 15th 4th Grade Concert at 7:00 Friday 18th Holiday Parties at 2:45 Monday 21st January 1st Christmas Break

Stay warm and enjoy all of the festive activities planned in the coming weeks. Shane Medlin, Principal

Willard East Elementary Today is Hat's on for Community service. Students are wearing hats and donating at least $.25 to Victory Mission. We are on a streak of collecting at least $100 a month and hope to continue that streak today! We are also collecting hats, mittens, scarves, gloves and socks to decorate our Christmas tree in the front hallway. You are welcome to stop by and donate any of these items. 'Tis the season of giving and thinking of others. Our East students have shown their giving spirit all year and we are very proud of them.

Holiday festivities at Willard East - Winter parties and our school-wide pajama day will be Friday Dec. 18. Please check with your child's teacher for more details about your party. Melinda Miller, Principal

Willard North Elementary Our first week of December has been very high paced. Winter Break is quickly approaching and students have been excited about the tiny snowflakes we saw falling from the sky the other day. In music, our 1st graders put on a spectacular music program on the 23rd of November. It was the perfect performance to start our Thanksgiving break. Many thanks to Mrs. Reed and Coach Bills. This month on the 17th, the 4th graders will be performing at the high school in their music program.

Next week is our Santa Workshop hosted by our PTO. Students will be allowed to come in and shop independently for gifts for their families. It is a very exciting time, and the students love it.

We will also be hosting our monthly Helping Hatday on December 9th. Proceeds for this month will go to families who have special needs for the holidays.

Have a safe and fun weekend! Angela Stevens, Willard North Principal

Willard Orchard Hills Elementary WOHE has enjoyed our week back after our Thanksgiving Break! We are gearing up for our schoolwide Christmas program Monday night beginning at 6:30 p.m. Preschool through 4th grade will be spreading holiday cheer! We will also host an art and ornament show. Everyone is welcome to attend! Here is a list of upcomng events!

December 7th: Schoolwide Christmas Program December 15th: WOHE night at Barnes and Noble 5-7 p.m. December 18th: Holiday parties, Polar Express, and schoolwide pajama day!

Have a wonderful week! Rhonda Bishop, Principal

Willard South Elementary I always love this time of year at school. You can see and hear the excitement in the hallways. Students and teachers alike join in on the holiday activities. Our FACT cadre held their annual Make-It Take-It Night on Thursday evening. Everyone enjoyed decorating sugar cookies, creating a special ornament, bell musical performance from our 4th grade After School Actors, and a special appearance from a cheery someone wearing a red suit! A BIG THANK you to everyone who helped with this wonderful event. We had a great crowd and everyone enjoyed to holiday festivities.

Next week we are looking forward to "Jingle All the Way" performed by our very talented second graders. They will be performing on Thursday, December 10th at 3:00 and 7:00. We hope you are able to attend this holiday performance. Kara Crighton-Smith, Principal

For information on the Willard Children's Charitable Foundation, please contact Judy Craig at 742-2506 or Dr. Kent Medlin at 742-2584.

Willard Parks and Recreation Weekly Update Kevin McDonald: Director Shawn Trent: Interim Sports Coordinator Brandon Eckhardt: Recreation/Aquatics Specialist Tina Christiansen: Front Desk Programmer Britney Carpenter: Child Care Coordinator

Willard Parks and Recreation Presents the 2010 Get Willard Fit Competition: Information will be available soon!

Christmas in Willard: Willard Parks and Recreations Second Annual Christmas in Willard Celebration will be held on Saturday December 12th at the Willard Recreation Center at 6:00pm. This years activities include a Christmas Movie and pictures with Santa. We will also be opening the concessions and having a bake sale from donated items. Go to <http://www.willardparks.com>www.willardparks.com for more information and to view the official movie preview.

Reenergized Basketball 2010: Registration Ends December 16th ONE Location Smaller Teams Better Uniforms More Games New Coaches Training New Rules More Experienced Referees

LOG ONTO <http://WWW.WILLARDPARKS.COM>WWW.WILLARDPARKS.COM FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION

Christmas on the Frisco: Thank you to everyone who attended the Christmas on the Frisco events on Saturday, November 21st. We had a great turnout for the 5K, City-wide parade, and the Lighting of the Trail. Thank you!

Session 1 Basketball: Thank you to everyone who is playing basketball for Willard Parks for the Session 1 Season. This season would not be possible without you!

Grants Update: Willard Parks is still awaiting word if we were approved for the 2010 US Soccer Foundation Grant. Winners should be announced in the coming months.

Willard Parks also visited with Wal-Mart representatives (Kansas Exp.) about a $5000 business donation/grant. We will know if we are awarded in February 2010.

Willard Parks has been awarded an Equipment Grant from USA Football. This grant brings new equipment to Willard!

Land OFrost: Willard Parks and Recreation is entering into an agreement with Land OFrost again in 2010. Land OFrost will be giving $9500 to the Parks Department for uniforms for the 2010 sports teams.

Willard Park Board Openings: Are you interested in serving on the Willard Park Board? If so call Kate Gould at 742-5300 for more information.

Willard Child Care at the Recreation Center: Willard Parks and Recreation has begun child care at the Willard Recreation Center. This child care service is sponsored by the City of Willard and CoxHealth Fitness Centers. The child care takes place in the small classroom at the Recreation Center. Fees are $4 per child for up to two hours or an ALL ACCESS PASS for $24 for 12 times (up to 24 child care hours). This child care service may be used for any activity held at the Recreation Center including the Cox Fitness Center, Sports activities, etc. The parent or guardian must remain on the property while their child is in child care. The child care is only available for 18 months to 10 years old.

The hours for the child care at Monday, Wednesday & Friday: 8am - 10am Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 5pm - 9pm Tuesday & Thursday: 3pm - 9pm

FACILITY RENTALS: Willard Parks and Recreation Facility Rentals: Holding Fee: $25, Refundable Deposit: $75 (excluding the Pavilion). Rental Areas: Willard Community Building: $15 hour / kitchen $25 flat fee, Large Gym at the Recreation Center: $25 hour, Small Gym at the Recreation Center: $20, Murray Community Room/Patio/Kitchen: $15 hour, Classroom/Conference Room: $12 hour, Jackson St Park Pavilion: $7.50 hour. For more information contact Tina at (417) 742-2262.

CAMPS: Out of School Camps: Willard Parks and Recreation offers various camps throughout the entire year. All camps will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

Holiday Camp: 12/21/09, 12/22/09, 12/23/09, 12/28/09, 12/29/09, 12/30/09,

Camp is for grades K - 6th. The fee to attend is $17.50 per day. A snack lunch must be brought to the camp. Camp hours are 7:00am - 6:00pm.

Willard Play Group: COME OUT & PLAY with Willard's Playgroup! Come play every Wednesday from 9am - 11am at the Willard Recreation Center. This is a new opportunity for parents and kids to play, socialize and just have fun. Moms and Dads are invited to bring their infant through Pre-K aged children for FREE PLAY , STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES & MONTHLY WORKSHOPS. This playgroup is free and open to the community.

Advertising: It is that time again. Willard Parks and Recreation is currently putting together our 2010 January June Program Guide for the Community. This guide will feature events, sports, family friendly activities, park features, and everything that the Willard Parks Department will offer from January June of 2010. As you know the Willard Parks and Recreation Department is offering more events now then ever before.

These guides get mailed out to all of the City of Willard residents and all participants of the Willard Parks Department will receive one.

If your business is interested in advertising in the 2010 Willard Parks and Recreation January June Program Guide please see the rates below.

- Half Page $125 - Full Page $200 - Front Inside Cover $300

All of the ads are in black and white print. If your business is interested in advertising please email me at <mailto:parkdir@cityofwillard.org>parkdir@cityofwillard.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call me at (417) 742-2262.

Diabetes Support Group: If you are interested in the newly formed Diabetes Support Group please call Darrell Biellier at 742-2377 for meeting dates and times or if you have questions about the meetings.

Breast Cancer Awareness Group: If you are interested in participating in a new Breast Cancer Awareness Group please call at Recreation Center at (417) 742-2262.

Park Benches: Willard Parks & Recreation is in need of more benches and picnic tables in our parks. The Park Board would like to get the community involved in this process; therefore, we are starting a new table/bench program. In the coming months sponsorship pricing and forms will be available for the community. This is an exciting way for the community to get involved. Feel free to stop by the Jackson Street Park and see the current table and bench donations.

Hula Hoop Classes: The Willard Parks & Recreation Department will offer Hula Hoop Classes. All adults and children ages 12 and older are eligible to attend. Costs for the lessons are $40 per participant. Please make all checks payable to Willard Parks and Recreation. This program will be a 5-week session and will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm 8:00pm. Limited spots available. Classes will run September 9th October 7th. Classes will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

Beginner Belly Dancing: The Willard Parks & Recreation Department will offer Belly Dancing Classes. All adults are eligible to attend. Costs for the lessons are $40 per participant. Please make all checks payable to Willard Parks and Recreation. This program will be a 5-week session and will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm 8:00pm. Limited spots available. Classes will run October 21st November 18th. Classes will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

KenKarJu-Ruy 2009: Register now for KenKarJu-Ryu martial arts. This family oriented art focuses on courtesy, respect , self-discipline, self-defense, self-improvement, physical fitness and FUN! Classes are offered on Mondays and Thursdays from 6:30pm 7:30pm at the Willard Community Building for anyone ages 7 and up. The fee is $50 for the entire eight week session. Registration forms are available at the Recreation Center.

YOGA: 8 week sessions at the Willard Recreation Center. Classes are every Monday night at 6pm. Fees are $25 for Cox Members and $65 for non Cox members.

Children's Dance Classes: Let your child grow through dance and experience its magic. These children dance classes offer an excellent way to keep fit, learn coordination, rhythm, social skills, confidence, and its FUN! The winter eight-week dance session will begin January 5th thru February 25th. Creative Dance is offered on Tuesday afternoons for ages 3-5; Ballet & Tap classes are available and offered on Tuesday or Thursday depending on age and/or level for ages 5 & up, fee is $50. Combination classes of Ballet, Tap, and Jazz for children ages 9 & up with prior dance experience will be taught on Tuesday evenings, fee is $65. Limited spaces are available so call Ms. Patrice today for class availability and registration information at 818-3659.

Childrens Dance Classes Winter Session: January 5th-February 25th Spring Session: March 9thMay 4th Dance RevueTuesday, May 4th 6:30 pm Creative Dance: Ages 3-5Classes on Tuesday Afternoons Ballet and Tap: Ages 5 & upClasses on Tuesdays & Thursdays Ballet, Tap & Jazz: Ages 9 & upstudents with prior dance experience--Tuesdays Classes are 8 weeks. The fee is $50-$65. Contact Ms. Patrice at 818-3659 for additional information and class availability.

2010 Family Friendly Information: Start planning now and mark your calendars Movie in the Park:

Come to the Movie in the Park Series on the dates listed below. Bring your entire family for a night of fun and movies. We will be selling hot-dogs and hamburgers.

April 24th 8pm Movie: Wall-E

May 29th 9pm Movie: Indiana Jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull

June 26th 9pm Movie: The Incredible Hulk

Music in the Park: Come enjoy nights at the Park listening to great music. These events are FREE to attend and are held at Jackson St. Park. Concessions will be sold. Bring you lawn chairs and blankets!

2010 Music in the Park Dates:

May 22nd 6pm June 19th 6pm

Easter Egg Hunt: Saturday, March 27th 9am at the Willard Recreation Center. Bring the kids for this fun, FREE Easter Party that features hunting for eggs, pictures with the Easter Bunny and fun games!

Willard 2nd Annual Triathlon: June 19th 7:30am at Jackson St. Park. Events include swimming 300 yards, biking 12 miles and a 5K run. The deadline to register is June 12th. Start training now! The cost to participate is $50.

Kevin McDonald Parks and Recreation Director City of Willard

District Office

OH MY GOSH!!!!

To say that Kendra Chappell has a gift is like saying King Kong was a movie about a chimp!!!!! My family and I attended Children of Eden this weekend. I am not well versed in the intricacies of drama, however, I was moved by this student presentation. I have been a man of faith for many years and often tried to mentally fill in "pictures" of how stories may have unfolded from the Old Testament. Children of Eden offered one authors "pictures" to two of these stories. The student actors were absolutely amazing!!! There was so much going on throughout the stage that it was hard to take it all in. I found myself watching one actor then out of the corner of my eye would see something special from another actor and think "darn I should have been looking over there". Some teachers look at teaching as a career. Kendra Chappell approaches teaching with a passion that few can match. She communicates that passion and skill set to her kids and helps them to grow and fashion their personal talent into something very special. The acting was simply taken to an even higher level by the music and the voices. All I can say is that this old guy was truly impressed by a group of Willard kids that helped me to "see" a new picture that I had know for 40+ years. I was greatly impressed!

Have a great week! Kent

Dr. Kent E. Medlin Superintendent of Schools

Director of Special Services

Tomorrow is the big day for "Breakfast with Santa" being held in the Middle School cafeteria from 7-11 a.m. The breakfast will support Willard's participation in "A Sporting Chance" bowling and track meet competitions and our own "Partners in Strength" events. Price is $5.00 for pancakes, drink and a 5 x 7 photo with Santa. We appreciate those joining us for pancakes, photos and fun!

Special Services jump-started the Holiday season with a Country Kickoff held this past Monday evening. Over 100 staff and family enjoyed an evening of fried chicken and biscuits, live bluegrass music, SPED Idol competition, and lots of conversation and laughter. The evening began with a beautiful song presented by Eric Roberts (Shannon's husband) who is blessed with an incredible talent. The evening was a tribute to all our special services staff who work hard throughout the year providing services and support to our students. Sandy Gold, Director of Special Services

Willard High School

WHS student body is getting ready for the upcoming Thanksgiving break with some "giving:" of their own. FBLA is having "Penny" war raising money for the Willard Food Pantry. Students donate money ( loose change ) in containers representing a HS employee ( Mr. Nax, Mr. Latham, Mr. Lawley, Mr. Pratt, and Mrs. Welsh ). The faculty member with the most money collected will be struck with a "pie in the face". The race is tight between the men, and all in good fun and for a good cause.

WHS DECA is gearing up for their drive for Cystic Fibrosis. DECA will be selling "Power Packs" for finals week to HS students. Power Packs are nutritious food packages to help students who need a snack to stay energized for final exams. All "Power Pack" sales proceeds will be donated to Cystic Fibrosis organization.

WHS Band is leaving Saturday to prepare for their trip to St. Louis to perform during the Rams game. Over 1,100 students, parents, and friends of Willard will be there to support the "Cutting Edge" Should be a great day of music and fun.

If you have not had the opportunity to watch "Children of Eden" by WHS Theater. It is a "must see" event. The performances so far have been outstanding. Friday ( tonight ) is almost sold out and performances on Saturday have some availability. Get your tickets and watch an amazing show.

As we close in on Thanksgiving next week, I wanted to represent the HS staff and say thank you to the parents and patrons of our district for supporting the school so well. We have been provided fantastic resources to educate and prepare Willard students for the future.

Thank you and have a great weekend. Stewart Pratt, HS Principal

Willard Middle School

Greetings from Willard Middle School. Well, after some very nice days of sunshine and warm weather, we got a reminder that winter is not far away, though it looks like this weekend is shaping up as very nice. If you are like me, it will give you another chance to get those leaves all put in their place before it gets too cold. The colder weather also reminds us that the holidays are right around the corner, and Thanksgiving break will begin for our students as of 2:32 next Tuesday afternoon. (Not that anyone is counting down.) I just wanted to mention a pretty special situation that I have been watching take place here at WMS, and how really proud I am of our kids. We talk of how much we should be thankful for at this time of year, but it soon turns to what we "want" for Christmas, and all the things we think we need, but do not have. How easy it is to forget how fortunate we really are. With our economy in a pretty rough shape, and many people really hurting, we began a food drive a few weeks ago, to try to help others in our area who need it. With two more days next week available to donate items, we are closing in on 750 food items being donated so far, with a goal of 1000 or more. The efforts and results have been amazing, and the kids are so proud that they can help others. We hope to reach the original goal, but even if we fall short, it has been a huge success. Far to often, we think only of ourselves, and what might be in it for us. A chance to really think of others, and put them first, is another great learning experience for our kids. If this lesson is learned, and hopefully passed on to others, what a wonderful Thanksgiving it will be for us all. Have a great weekend, and thanks for checking on us. Tom Merriott Asst. Principal WMS

Willard Intermediate School

Can you believe it is already the 20th of the month? In looking at the calendar we only have school three more days before December and the Christmas rush is upon us. I am sure our students are not bothered by this! This week saw WIS involved in several service and learning activities. Our annual Student Council Thanksgiving food drive saw a huge response to the needs of our community. WIS collected over 1200 food items and will provide food baskets to 21 families. Thank you to everyone that gave to this cause and to our student council for organizing it!

WIS kicked off a brand new club on Thursday. PE club will meet once a month and provide an opportunity for our students to enjoy some physical activity and improve their athletic skills. Contact Coach Highfill if your student is interested in joining. Thursday also saw our Science club members building mousetrap launch vehicles. It was amazing to see the creativity at work and their end products. Thanks to Mr. Hayes for sponsoring this great club.

Don't forget that school will not be in session Nov. 25-27. Enjoy the holiday break and best of luck to our 26 runners in the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day! Tom Davis, Principal

Willard Central Elementary

Caring is the character education word of the month for November. The students and staff at Willard Central have fully embraced showing how they care for others this month. Last Friday, was Hats on for Community Service (an idea shared from Willard East). Each student and staff member could wear a hat for the donation of a quarter or more. All donations where to help our very Miss Heather Abney and her son Stephen with related expenditures from his cancer treatments. Together, we raised $300 to bless their family.

WC also showed they cared through our student council holiday food drive. Dried and canned foods, toiletry items and cleaning supplies were donated by students and collected by student council for the Willard Food Pantry. About $1000 in items were donated in our 4 day drive. It is wonderful to be part of such a generous and caring school community and to see our students embracing helping others in need.

Enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with your family and loved ones. May we live out caring this holiday season as our students have modeled it for us. Shane Medlin, Principal

Willard North Elementary

This was a very busy week. Our 1st grade program will be on Monday, November 23rd. Program will start at 7:00 p.m. at the high school theaters. Our little performers are ready and will knock your socks off.

Our Willard North 4th graders went to Jefferson City this week. They had a lot of fun and were able to see many parts of government in action as they were wrapping up their government unit. We are currently working on making brochures to share with friends and family about our trip. We had a great turn our for our H1N1 flu clinic this Friday. We were able to give close to 200 shots to students and faculty to help prepare them for the upcoming winter.

Have a wonderful and safe weekend! Remember we have a two day week next week! Angela Stevens, Willard North Principal

Willard Orchard Hills Elementary

Willard Orchard Hills Elementary has been "in the money" this week! We hosted a penny drive to help with Holiday Baskets for our families. The penny drive had a little twist to it. Students brought pennies which counted toward their totals. However, silver such as nickels, dimes, and quarters and paper money counted AGAINST the pennies. There is a very strong competitive streak in our students, the teachers, and staff! Students really liked putting silver in other class's jars to decrease their penny points! All in all, our students and staff raised over $1000.00 for the cause! Our goal was a VERY small portion of that total and we will be able to do so much! Thanks to all who helped us! Rhonda Bishop, Principal

Willard South Elementary

On Tuesday evening our fourth grade girls walked the runway with our annual Flip Flop Fashion show! This is a seven week program developed and implemented by our school social worker Chrysta Forrest. This extra activity focuses on friendship, self-esteem, grooming, health and fitness, peer pressure and careers. A big thank you goes out to The Plaid Door, Social Worker Intern Becky Foshee, The System Hair Salon, fourth grade girls for participating and numerous staff members for making this such a special event.

I would also like to invite everyone to Barnes and Noble on Saturday, November 28th for our Willard South library fundraiser. Get an early start on your holiday shopping. A book is the perfect gift! We will also have special activities from 1:00-3:00. Come and check out our After School Actors, Good News Club, second grade skits, and cup stacking. We hope you are able to stop by and help support the Willard South library.

I want to wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! Kara Crighton-Smith, Principal

For information on the Willard Children's Charitable Foundation, please contact Judy Craig at 742-2506 or Dr. Kent Medlin at 742-2584.

Willard Parks and Recreation Weekly Update

Kevin McDonald: Director Shawn Trent: Interim Sports Coordinator Brandon Eckhardt: Recreation/Aquatics Specialist Tina Christiansen: Front Desk Programmer Britney Carpenter: Child Care Coordinator

Want to Get Re-Energized? Log onto <http://www.willardparks.com>www.willardparks.com and click on Re-Energized for an exciting new league for 2010.

Flag Football Equipment Grant: Willard Parks and Recreation has been awarded a Flag Football Equipment Grant from USA Football for the 2009 Spring Season. This grant provides new equipment for the upcoming season.

New Park Board Member: Willard Parks and Recreation wants to welcome Tricia Taylor to the Park Board! Tricia joined the Park Board at the October monthly Park Board Meeting.

Childrens Playground at Jackson St. Park: As you might have noticed during the construction of the New Willard Aquatic Center, we took down one of the playgrounds at Jackson St. Park. I bet your wondering why this playground hasn't been put back in yet. The City of Willard is currently applying for grants and trying to obtain a sponsorship for the surface mulch for the playground. We believe the safest surfacing for the playground is recycled scrap tire material. The material prevents head injuries. As soon as the money is secured for this surfacing, the playground will be reinstalled at Jackson St. Park. If you have any questions or would like to make a donation please call 742-2262.

Park Benches: Willard Parks & Recreation is in need of more benches and picnic tables in our parks. The Park Board would like to get the community involved in this process; therefore, we are starting a new table/bench program. In the coming months sponsorship pricing and forms will be available for the community. This is an exciting way for the community to get involved. Feel free to stop by the Jackson Street Park and see the current table and bench donations.

Grants Update: Willard Parks and Recreation has applied for grants from the US Soccer Foundation and the Wal-Mart Foundation. Award winners will be announced in early 2010.

Willard Park Board Openings: Are you interested in serving on the Willard Park Board? If so call Kate Gould at 742-5300 for more information.

Trees at Jackson St. Park: As you may have noticed, Empire Electric has cut down trees at Jackson St. Park. Empire Electric is offering a tree replacement program. At the next Park Board Meeting we will be selecting trees to plant at Jackson St. Park for replacements.

Willard Child Care at the Recreation Center: Willard Parks and Recreation has begun child care at the Willard Recreation Center. This child care service is sponsored by the City of Willard and CoxHealth Fitness Centers. The child care takes place in the small classroom at the Recreation Center. Fees are $4 per child for up to two hours or an ALL ACCESS PASS for $24 for 12 times (up to 24 child care hours). This child care service may be used for any activity held at the Recreation Center including the Cox Fitness Center, Sports activities, etc. The parent or guardian must remain on the property while their child is in child care. The child care is only available for 18 months to 10 years old.

The hours for the child care at Monday, Wednesday & Friday: 8am - 10am Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 5pm - 9pm Tuesday & Thursday: 3pm - 9pm

Ongoing and Upcoming Classes: Hula Hoop Classes: The Willard Parks & Recreation Department will offer Hula Hoop Classes. All adults and children ages 12 and older are eligible to attend. Costs for the lessons are $40 per participant. Please make all checks payable to Willard Parks and Recreation. This program will be a 5-week session and will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm 8:00pm. Limited spots available. Classes will run September 9th October 7th. Classes will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

Beginner Belly Dancing: The Willard Parks & Recreation Department will offer Belly Dancing Classes. All adults are eligible to attend. Costs for the lessons are $40 per participant. Please make all checks payable to Willard Parks and Recreation. This program will be a 5-week session and will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm 8:00pm. Limited spots available. Classes will run October 21st - November 18th. Classes will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

KenKarJu-Ruy 2009: Register now for KenKarJu-Ryu martial arts. This family oriented art focuses on courtesy, respect , self-discipline, self-defense, self-improvement, physical fitness and FUN! Classes are offered on Mondays and Thursdays from 6:30pm 7:30pm at the Willard Community Building for anyone ages 7 and up. The fee is $50 for the entire eight week session. Registration forms are available at the Recreation Center.

YOGA: 8 week sessions at the Willard Recreation Center. Classes are every Monday night at 6pm. Fees are $25 for Cox Members and $65 for non Cox members.

Childrens Dance Classes: Let your child grow through dance and experience its magic. These children dance classes offer an excellent way to keep fit, learn coordination, rhythm, social skills, confidence, and its FUN! The fall eight-week dance session will begin October 13th thru December 10th. Creative Dance is offered on Tuesday afternoons for ages 3-5; Ballet & Tap classes are available and offered on Tuesday or Thursday depending on age and/or level for ages 5 & up, fee is $50. Combination classes of Ballet, Tap, and Jazz for children ages 9 & up with prior dance experience will be taught on Tuesday evenings, fee is $65. Limited spaces are available so call Ms. Patrice today for class availability and registration information at 818-3659.

FACILITY RENTALS: Willard Parks and Recreation Facility Rentals: Holding Fee: $25, Refundable Deposit: $75 (excluding the Pavilion). Rental Areas: Willard Community Building: $15 hour / kitchen $25 flat fee, Large Gym at the Recreation Center: $25 hour, Small Gym at the Recreation Center: $20, Murray Community Room/Patio/Kitchen: $15 hour, Classroom/Conference Room: $12 hour, Jackson St Park Pavilion: $7.50 hour. For more information contact Tina at (417) 742-2262.

CAMPS: Out of School Camps: Willard Parks and Recreation offers various camps throughout the entire year. All camps will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

Holiday Camp: 12/21/09, 12/22/09, 12/23/09, 12/28/09, 12/29/09, 12/30/09,

Camp is for grades K - 6th. The fee to attend is $17.50 per day. A snack lunch must be brought to the camp. Camp hours are 7:00am - 6:00pm

UPCOMING EVENTS: Christmas in Willard: Willard Parks and Recreations Annual Christmas in Willard Celebration will be held on Saturday December 12th at the Willard Recreation Center. This years activities include a silent auction, a Christmas Movie and pictures with Santa. Log onto <http://www.willardparks.com/>www.willardparks.com for more information.

Willard Play Group: COME OUT & PLAY with Willard's Playgroup! Come play every Wednesday from 9am - 11am at the Willard Recreation Center. This is a new opportunity for parents and kids to play, socialize and just have fun. Moms and Dads are invited to bring their infant through Pre-K aged children for FREE PLAY, STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES & MONTHLY WORKSHOPS. This playgroup is free and open to the community.

Advertising: It is that time again. Willard Parks and Recreation is currently putting together our 2010 January June Program Guide for the Community. This guide will feature events, sports, family friendly activities, park features, and everything that the Willard Parks Department will offer from January June of 2010. As you know the Willard Parks and Recreation Department is offering more events now then ever before.

These guides get mailed out to all of the City of Willard residents and all participants of the Willard Parks Department will receive one.

If your business is interested in advertising in the 2010 Willard Parks and Recreation January - June Program Guide please see the rates below.

- Half Page $125 - Full Page $200 - Front Inside Cover $300

All of the ads are in black and white print. If your business is interested in advertising please email me at <mailto:parkdir@cityofwillard.org>parkdir@cityofwillard.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call me at (417) 742-2262.

Diabetes Support Group: If you are interested in the newly formed Diabetes Support Group please call Darrell Biellier at 742-2377 for meeting dates and times or if you have questions about the meetings.

Breast Cancer Awareness Group: If you are interested in participating in a new Breast Cancer Awareness Group please call at Recreation Center at (417) 742-2262.

Christmas on the Frisco: THIS SATURDAY Schedule of Events: 8am 5K Fun Run The run begins at the Willard Community Building, 222 W. Jackson Street. The entry fee is $15 or $20 the day of the race. Registrants will get a a T-shirt. This is sponsored by the Willard Parks Department & the Willard Chamber of Commerce.

9am-4pm Craft Show Come do some Christmas Shopping at the Willard Middle Schoo, 205 Miller Road. The entry fee is one canned or non-pershible food item for the Willard Food Pantry. Contact Debbie Olson at 742-2588 for booth information.

4pm Christmas Parade along Jackson Street There are sure to be plenty of great floats and lots of Christmas candy for the kids! Click <http://www.cityofwillard.org/images/stories/pdf/parade%20ap plication%202009.pdf>here for an entry form, or contact Kate at 742-5305.

6pm Award Trophies Awards will be given out for the best parade entries and best residential lighting display at the Chamber of Commerce Building, 101 E. Jackson Street. The lighting display contest is sponsored by Rep. Shane Schoeller.

6:30pm Lighting of Christmas Displays Come enjoy music, food and fun at the Frisco Highline Trailhead. Thank you to area businesses for sponsoring the displays!

Kevin McDonald Parks and Recreation Director City of Willard (417) 742-2262

District Office This week several Willard Schools honored our country's veterans. Sometimes when we need to discuss serious issues with students I simply think they "don't get it". However, in regard to Veterans Day, kids "get it" very well. It is special to experience the quiet honor offered by students at assemblies on this special day. Respectful students listen with thoughtful ears as veterans of current and past wars share details of their experience in the military. Kids understand that these individuals were willing to fight and die for the true freedom that all of us enjoy. I have seen men well up with tears as high school students shake their hands and offer a "Thank you for your service." Captain Burnett, and Chief White represent many faculty members that have served in the military by continuing to lead our NJROTC program. Both men continue to represent the best in our military by teaching young people. They are only two of many employees that have served our country in the military. I would like to use this Pride article to say "Thank You" to them, as well as any other employee that has served. We truly live in the greatest country on Earth.

Have a great weekend! Kent

Dr. Kent E. Medlin Superintendent of Schools

Director of Activities Congratulations to Bailey Hession on being voted First Team All-District in Cross Country. There were 8 runners in our district that earned this honor and Bailey is just a freshman!

Winter sports is in full practice mode as basketball, wrestling, ROTC drill team, and Color Guard are all preparing for successful seasons!

Good luck to the Varsity Cheerleaders as they head to Columbia this Saturday for State! Witnessed their run through last night and I'm confident that these girls will bring home some hardware!

It's Good To Be A Tiger! Jeff Staley - Director of Operations

Director of Special Services Special Services "Breakfast with Santa" will be November 21st from 7-11 a.m. in the Middle School cafeteria. This breakfast will support Willard's "A Sporting Chance" and "Partners in Strength" events. Price is $5.00 for pancakes , drink and a 5 x 7 photo with Santa. Holiday calendars are filling up quickly so plans are being there to support our students with special needs!

Several students will be competing in "A Sporting Chance" bowling tournament tomorrow at Enterprise Park Lanes in Springfield. The fun begins at noon; come cheer on our students as they bowl and compete with peers from across the area. Sandy Gold, Director of Special Services

Willard High School WHS Theater is all set for next week's performances of "Children of Eden". Tickets are on sale for performances Tues. 11/ 17th, Thurs 11/19th, Fri. 11/20, and Saturday 11/21. We encourage you to get your tickets purchased early. It will be a great performance!

WHS National Honor Society will be participating with other schools, churches and civic organizations in the Springfield "Sleep Out" on the campus of MSU at Plaster Stadium. The focus of the "Sleep Out" is to raise awareness to homelessness in the Ozarks. Approximately 10 - 12 Willard HS students will participate in sleeping in makeshift tents and homeless shelters at Plaster Stadium tonight ( Friday 11/13 ) to experience what homeless individuals face daily. The money raised by NHS will go towards "The Rare Breed" homeless shelter for teens. Although the shelter does not provide overnight stay, "The Rare Breed" shelter provides safety and food for homeless teenagers each day.

WHS Veteran's Day assembly was held Wednesday November 11th at 1:30pm. We were honored with a distinguished group of veteran's and Maj. Keith "Ghost" Butler was our guest speaker. Maj. Butler is an active duty B-2 Bomber pilot for the U.S. Air Force, and is stationed at Whiteman AFB in Knob Knoster MO. We are so appreciative of our Veterans and the sacrifice they have made for us in the past and present.

WHS Band is preparing for November 22nd when they perform at halftime of the St. Louis Rams game. The Band program has sold over 1,100 tickets for the event. It will awesome to see the "Cutting Edge" perform at a professional football game.

Have a great weekend. Stewart Pratt, HS Principal

Willard Middle School Greetings from Willard Middle School. As usual, the week has flown by, and though it has seemed very hectic at times, it has once again proven to be a great week to be at WMS. The big event of the week was the annual Veteran's Day Assembly , which was held on Wednesday. We were honored to have a large number of guests from the community, many of whom were extra special, as they were past or current members of the armed services. It was a time for all of us to reflect on the sacrifices that have been made that allow us our freedoms of today, and thank those who have made that possible. The neatest thing for us as educators is to see the level of respect that most of the students display on such an occasion, and how they interact with veterans who they may or may not even know. Patriotism is sometimes lost in the shuffle in our day to day life, but I believe it is safe to say that days like this one help us to get back in touch with the feeling of pride and gratitude that we sometimes forget. Thanks again to all who put this event together, and made it such a great day.

Other things going on include the first games for our basketball and wrestling teams next week, and a pancake breakfast/craft show next Saturday at the Middle School. Good food, good fun, good fellowship. What more could you ask for? I also wanted to mention that I once again was able to see some of the talents of our kids on display this week , as a Social Studies class wrote and acted out skits to reflect feelings of the colonists before the revolution, and a group of very talented students came over from the high school to share their singing skills with us on Thursday. What a fantastic show!

Finally, I wanted to share something that really made me feel good on my way to work this morning. On a Springfield radio station, 95.5, the disc jockeys were discussing area events and began talking about a benefit chili supper for a young man from Willard, and the different things that would be going on there, such as a silent auction, 1/2 a hog give away, cook book sales, and other things. What made this special was not just the fact that this event was going to be held, but that the two guys on the radio then went into an extended conversation about how neat of a place Willard was, and how great the people here are. They were so impressed that people would come out and donate their time and money to help someone in need, and went on and on about how great it would be to live in Willard. My dad always said he didn't like to brag on his kids, he just did all he could so that others would brag on them instead. I think that is what we do as well, and it is nice to hear when people notice. Have a great day, and be careful in the woods if you go out looking for that big deer this weekend. Tom Merriott Asst. Principal WMS

Willard East Elementary Wednesday this past week we hosted a wonderful Veteran's Day breakfast and assembly. We had approximately 50 Veteran's attend with their Willard East student. Our 3rd grade students sang, other students read poems, and each Veteran introduced himself/herself and shared with the students how they served our country. It was a small token of our appreciation for Veteran's. This has become an annual event at Willard East and we look forward to this next year.

Today we have over 150 students signed up for the H1N1 vaccine clinic. We are glad that we can provide this service for our students due to the amount of flu that has been going around recently. I want to thank the district nursing team and parent volunteers who are going to help with this clinic.

3rd Grade Music Program Thursday November 19 @ 2:30 and 7:00PM. Melinda Miller, Principal

Willard Orchard Hills Elementary Today we hosted a H1N1 flu clinic for our students. It has went really smoothly and I want to thank Nurse Melody for getting our site ready and all the nurses and volunteers who have helped us get it done.

I am so excited about the technology in our classrooms! I have seen teachers using their projectors and online resources to help students learn. In third and fourth grades, The Smart Boards are being used with interactive materials in all subject areas. I appreciate all the work teachers are doing to incorporate technology into their lessons and how much they are trying to learn new techniques. I would also like to thank our Technology Specialist, Rachel Tennison for supporting our teachers through this process. She has brought many resources to the teachers and helped them incorporate it into their lesson plans. It is awesome!

I want to congratulate one of our 4th grade students for his artwork being chosen to be shown at the Area Art Teacher's Conference! Justin A. did a great job!

Have a wonderful weekend! Rhonda Bishop, Principal

Willard South Elementary We celebrated Veteran's Day on Friday, November 6th with a special breakfast and assembly for over one hundred guests. It is always a pleasure to honor these individuals. Our assembly included a flag presentation by Boy Scout Troop 52 , the national anthem by Mrs. Rachel Reynolds and Zachary G., God Bless America and America the Beautiful by fourth graders from Mrs. Brown's class, and a special visit from Mr. Thomas Sutterfield. A BIG THANK you goes out to everyone who helped make this such a memorable event!

I would also like to thank all of the volunteers and staff member for helping with our Flu Clinic last week. We had around 100 students who received the vaccine. The clinic was a success due to the hard work and preparation from our dedicated workers. THANKS!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT WILLARD SOUTH T 11/17-Mid Quarter; Flip Flop Girls Fashion Show 6:00-7:00; After School Actors W 11/18-3rd Grade Radical Reading and Writing Club 3:45-5:00 Th 11/19-3rd Grade Radical Reading and Writing Club 3:45-5:00; After School Artists; Mid Quarter Reports go Home; School Board Meeting at WMS 7:00

Kara Crighton-Smith, Principal

For information on the Willard Children's Charitable Foundation, please contact Judy Craig at 742-2506 or Dr. Kent Medlin at 742-2584.

Willard Parks and Recreation

Kevin McDonald: Director Shawn Trent: Interim Sports Coordinator Brandon Eckhardt: Recreation/Aquatics Specialist Tina Christiansen: Front Desk Programmer

Willard's Month of Fun: The Willard Parks and Recreation Departments Month of Fun is complete. Thank you to everyone who supported the events. Below is a recap and overview of the Month of Fun Events.

Harlem Legends Game: Thank you to everyone who attended the Harlem Legends Basketball Game at Willard High School on Monday November 2nd. Around 500 people attended the event. Money proceeds benefited Willard's Project Playground. Thank you also to CoxHealth Fitness Centers for sponsoring the event! The Harlem Legends will be returning again in 2010.

Meet the Legends: Thank you to everyone who attended the Meet the Legends Basketball night at the Recreation Center on Monday October 26th from 5pm - 5:45pm. Over 70 people attended the event. Michael Douglas was at the Center doing tricks and signing autographs for the people who attended.

Safe Halloween: Thank you to everyone who attended the Safe Halloween Night at the Willard Recreation Center on Saturday October 24th. Over 700 people attended the event. Thank you to all of the businesses that helped make the event possible.

Kelly Miller Circus: Thank you to everyone who attended the Kelly Miller Circus on Tuesday October 20th at Jackson St. Park. The circus showed two shows, one at 4:00pm and one at 7:30pm. Between the two shows over 400 people attended the events. Thank you to everyone who helped make the circus a successful event for the first year.

NEWS: Childrens Playground at Jackson St. Park: As you might have noticed during the construction of the New Willard Aquatic Center, we took down one of the playgrounds at Jackson St. Park. I bet your wondering why this playground hasn't been put back in yet. The City of Willard is currently applying for grants and trying to obtain a sponsorship for the surface mulch for the playground. We believe the safest surfacing for the playground is recycled scrap tire material. The material prevents head injuries. As soon as the money is secured for this surfacing, the playground will be reinstalled at Jackson St. Park. If you have any questions or would like to make a donation please call 742-2262.

Park Benches: Willard Parks & Recreation is in need of more benches and picnic tables in our parks. The Park Board would like to get the community involved in this process; therefore, we are starting a new table/bench program. In the coming months sponsorship pricing and forms will be available for the community. This is an exciting way for the community to get involved. Feel free to stop by the Jackson Street Park and see the current table and bench donations.

Grants Update: Willard Parks and Recreation has applied for grants from the US Soccer Foundation and USA Flag Football. Grants from these organizations will help purchase new sports equipment for the upcoming seasons.

Willard Park Board Openings: Are you interested in serving on the Willard Park Board? If so call Kate Gould at 742-5300 for more information.

Trees at Jackson St. Park: As you may have noticed, Empire Electric has cut down trees at Jackson St. Park. Empire Electric is offering a tree replacement program. At the next Park Board Meeting we will be selecting trees to plant at Jackson St. Park for replacements.

Willard Child Care at the Recreation Center: Willard Parks and Recreation has begun child care at the Willard Recreation Center. This child care service is sponsored by the City of Willard and CoxHealth Fitness Centers. The child care takes place in the small classroom at the Recreation Center. Fees are $4 per child for up to two hours or an ALL ACCESS PASS for $24 for 12 times (up to 24 child care hours). This child care service may be used for any activity held at the Recreation Center including the Cox Fitness Center, Sports activities, etc. The parent or guardian must remain on the property while their child is in child care. The child care is only available for 18 months to 10 years old.

The hours for the child care at Monday, Wednesday & Friday: 8am 10am Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 5pm 9pm Tuesday & Thursday: 3pm 9pm

Parks and Recreation Website: Log onto <http://www.willardparks.com>www.willardparks.com to keep up with everything going on in the Willard Parks and Recreation Department.

SPORTS: Recreational Basketball Session 2: Registration November 16th - December 16th Willard Parks and Recreation will be offering Recreational Session 2 Basketball for ages 3 -14. All games will be played at the Willard Recreation Center. Fees are $35 per person. Games will be played on Saturdays beginning January 9th.

Recreational Cheerleading Session 2: Registration November 16th - December 16th Willard Parks and Recreation will be offering Recreational Session 2 Cheerleading for grade K 8th. All games will be played at the Willard Recreation Center. Fees are $35 per person. Games will be played on Saturday beginning January 9th.

Ongoing and Upcoming Classes: Hula Hoop Classes: The Willard Parks & Recreation Department will offer Hula Hoop Classes. All adults and children ages 12 and older are eligible to attend. Costs for the lessons are $40 per participant. Please make all checks payable to Willard Parks and Recreation. This program will be a 5-week session and will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm - 8:00pm. Limited spots available. Classes will run September 9th - October 7th. Classes will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

Beginner Belly Dancing: The Willard Parks & Recreation Department will offer Belly Dancing Classes. All adults are eligible to attend. Costs for the lessons are $40 per participant. Please make all checks payable to Willard Parks and Recreation. This program will be a 5-week session and will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm - 8:00pm. Limited spots available. Classes will run October 21st - November 18th. Classes will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

KenKarJu-Ruy 2009: Register now for KenKarJu-Ryu martial arts. This family oriented art focuses on courtesy, respect , self-discipline, self-defense, self-improvement, physical fitness and FUN! Classes are offered on Mondays and Thursdays from 6:30pm 7:30pm at the Willard Community Building for anyone ages 7 and up. The fee is $50 for the entire eight week session. Registration forms are available at the Recreation Center.

YOGA: 8 week sessions at the Willard Recreation Center. Classes are every Monday night at 6pm. Fees are $25 for Cox Members and $65 for non Cox members.

Childrens Dance Classes: Let your child grow through dance and experience its magic. These children dance classes offer an excellent way to keep fit, learn coordination, rhythm, social skills, confidence, and its FUN! The fall eight-week dance session will begin October 13th thru December 10th. Creative Dance is offered on Tuesday afternoons for ages 3-5; Ballet & Tap classes are available and offered on Tuesday or Thursday depending on age and/or level for ages 5 & up, fee is $50. Combination classes of Ballet, Tap, and Jazz for children ages 9 & up with prior dance experience will be taught on Tuesday evenings, fee is $65. Limited spaces are available so call Ms. Patrice today for class availability and registration information at 818-3659.

FACILITY RENTALS: Willard Parks and Recreation Facility Rentals: Holding Fee: $25, Refundable Deposit: $75 (excluding the Pavilion). Rental Areas: Willard Community Building: $15 hour / kitchen $25 flat fee, Large Gym at the Recreation Center: $25 hour, Small Gym at the Recreation Center: $20, Murray Community Room/Patio/Kitchen: $15 hour, Classroom/Conference Room: $12 hour, Jackson St Park Pavilion: $7.50 hour. For more information contact Tina at (417) 742-2262.

CAMPS: Out of School Camps: Willard Parks and Recreation offers various camps throughout the entire year. All camps will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

Holiday Camp: 12/21/09, 12/22/09, 12/23/09, 12/28/09, 12/29/09, 12/30/09, Camp is for grades K - 6th. The fee to attend is $17.50 per day. A snack lunch must be brought to the camp. Camp hours are 7:00am - 6:00pm

UPCOMING EVENTS: Fun 5K Run: Saturday 8am 11/21/09 at the Willard Community Building. The Race will be held on the Frisco Trail. The fee to participate is $15 for those who pre-register. Registration forms are at the Recreation Center.

Christmas in Willard: Willard Parks and Recreations Annual Christmas in Willard Celebration will be held on Saturday December 12th at the Willard Recreation Center. This years activities include a silent auction, a Christmas Movie and pictures with Santa. Log onto <http://www.willardparks.com>www.willardparks.com for more information.

Willard Play Group: COME OUT & PLAY with Willard's Playgroup! Come play every Wednesday from 9am - 11am at the Willard Recreation Center. This is a new opportunity for parents and kids to play, socialize and just have fun. Moms and Dads are invited to bring their infant through Pre-K aged children for FREE PLAY, STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES & MONTHLY WORKSHOPS. This playgroup is free and open to the community.

Advertising: It is that time again. Willard Parks and Recreation is currently putting together our 2010 January June Program Guide for the Community. This guide will feature events, sports, family friendly activities, park features, and everything that the Willard Parks Department will offer from January June of 2010. As you know the Willard Parks and Recreation Department is offering more events now then ever before.

These guides get mailed out to all of the City of Willard residents and all participants of the Willard Parks Department will receive one.

If your business is interested in advertising in the 2010 Willard Parks and Recreation January June Program Guide please see the rates below.

- Half Page $125 - Full Page $200 - Front Inside Cover $300

All of the ads are in black and white print. If your business is interested in advertising please email me at <mailto:parkdir@cityofwillard.org>parkdir@cityofwillard.org or call me at (417) 742-2262.

Kevin McDonald Parks and Recreation Director City of Willard (417) 742-2262

_________________________ Bob Andrus, Technology Director Willard R-II School District

District Office

Tomorrow evening my family and I will be attending a fun event that benefits many children in the Willard Community. The Willard Children's Charitable Foundation will be hosting their annual Fall Harvest Festival at the High School Commons. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with FREE hamburgers and hotdogs at 6:00 p.m. and the Pie and Cake Auction beginning around 7:00 p.m. Let me tell you, these items are homemade, WONDERFUL and last year some auctioned off for up to $130.00 EACH! We have some awesome cooks donating their baked goods to help children. What a great night of fun and proceeds benefit children in the Willard Community.

Come join us for fun, a free dinner AND enjoy some great desserts!

Kent

Dr. Kent E. Medlin Superintendent of Schools

Director of Activities

Have you ever gotten so wet during a rain storm that you gave up trying to keep dry and just stood there and took it? Well, for those who braved the down pour last Thursday , you know what I'm talking about!

The fall season has come to an end (except for Bailey Hession who is running at State this Saturday!) and winter sports has started preparing for their long season. As usual, the Tigers have high expectations and are working hard under the direction of two new head coaches, Dusty Killingsworth for the boys and Kendra Lotter for the girls. The Four-State begins on Dec. 3rd for the boys and girls basketball teams and wrestling will have their first tournament on Dec. 5th in Neosho.

It's time to start a rumor...this year's musical, "Children of Eden", is going to be pretty special. Wait a second, the theatre's production is special every year! Tickets have gone on sale so get yours soon.

It's Good To Be A Tiger! Jeff Staley - Director of Operations

Willard High School

The HS was struck with the flu bug the last few weeks. We have worked hard to clean, disinfect, and communicate good hygiene behaviors to students to keep the flu away. Our attendance dipped into the 87-89 % range last week, but has slowly gained back into the 94% this week ( this same period last year we run 95%-97% attendance ). We appreciate all the parental assistance in monitoring students and making good decisions about coming to school.

WHS drama will be performing "Children of Eden". Dates of the performances are November 17th - November 21st. Students and staff have been working hard to complete the set and "polish" their individual performance pieces. It will be a great event for all in attendance. Please get your tickets early.

Willard FFA had a great time at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis Indiana. They were joined by 20,000 other delegates. Willard's own Scott Larsen who competed at the national level at the convention with a wood gasification project. Scott finished as a finalist Silver Medalist in Engineering I competition. Willard FFA will be competing next week at MSU for district level competitions. Great Job to the FFA program and Scott for their successes.

Next Wednesday ( November 11th ), we will be having our Veteran's Day Assembly. We will begin around 1:30pm and our ceremony includes NJROTC performances, Pledge of Allegiance by Willard East student Della Flores (Kindergarten), National Anthem by senior Brooke Lawley, a video presentation recognizing veteran's of our students and staff, and guest speaker Maj. Keith "Ghost" Butler of the 393rd Bomber Squadron. Maj. Butler is a B2 Bomber Pilot stationed out of Whiteman AFB in Knob Noster, MO. It should be a great experience for our students, staff, and most of all, for our Veteran Guests.

Next Friday, we will also be having an assembly focusing on positive choices. "Real Encounter" is an assembly of world class action sports person who demonstrate amazing motorcycle stunts along with a message of goal setting and positive decision making. The "Real Encounter" assembly will begin at 1:30pm on Friday November 13th.

WHS SGA ( Student Government Association ) has been in the local news media lately with their drive to bring attention to HWY 160. Our students wanted to use their energies to make a difference for future generations of students, parents, and patrons from Willard, Walnut Grove, Ash Grove, Everton, and Dadeville by bringing attention to HWY 160 road improvements. The SGA has formed a petition drive to gain signature of WHS students and staff, and hoping to gain parent and surrounding community support to place some pressure on the OTO and MoDot to bring HWY 160 to four lanes of divided highway. If you would like to read and see what SGA students are doing, here are links from the news media outlets:

News-Leader

KSPR 33< /A >

KSPR

Have a great weekend!

Stewart Pratt, HS Principal

Willard Middle School

Greetings from Willard Middle School. We are now well into the second quarter of school, and heading toward Thanksgiving. I am happy to say that we have made it through the week after Halloween, even though the sugar intake for the week was probably a bit higher than normal, and the energy level was a challenge at times for everyone. (Way too much for some, not nearly enough for others!) We are wrapping up this week with our first dance of the year, called the "Jungle Dance." It will be from 7-9pm, and we ask that parents try to be on time for picking up their kids so we can let everyone get home and start enjoying the weekend.

Next week we will be holding our Veteran's Day Assembly, which will be on Wednesday the 11th, starting at 8am. The community is invited, especially any veterans, and we encourage everyone to make an effort to be here. This event is always one of the favorites during the course of the year , and there is usually a great feeling of pride, appreciation, and thankfulness, along with a few tears as well. This is a great country that we are fortunate enough to call home, and this is one of the days that we recognize some of those who helped to make it that way for all of us.

The sports teams are busy practicing, and getting ready for their first games coming up a just a few weeks. The Archery Club is also meeting after school, and anyone interested should contact Coach Miller or coach Francka. There neat things happening all around the school, and as I got the opportunity to get into classrooms for observations this week, I noticed one common thing in all of the different settings: teachers are working hard to teach, and kids are working hard to learn. That is what it is all about, and we appreciate everyone who helps to make that possible. Thanks for checking on us, and have a great week. Tom Merriott, WMS Assistant Principal

Willard Intermediate School

What a beautiful week of weather we have had! I can't remember the last time we have had a full week of outside recess. Congratulations the green team on being our first D.A.R.E. graduating class of the year. It was great to see all the proud students and parents last night. A special thanks to Chief McLain for making this program available to our 5th grade students. Yesterday was also our first iChoose field trip of the year. 11 of our students earned this privilege by exemplifying the positive behaviors and attitudes we want all WIS students to have. We look forward to offering these field trips each quarter.

Next week we will be hosting our annual Veterans Day assembly on Wednesday the 11th. I know that our students and teachers are honored to be able to recognize the service and sacrifice of family and friends that have served in all branches of the military. We hope you can join us for this event!

Enjoy the warm weekend! Tom Davis, Principal

Willard Central Elementary

The Willard Central Legion of Superheroes conquered a busy week full of Red Ribbon Week activities, Book Fair, and Student-Led Conferences last week. A heart-felt thank you to Mrs. Gromer and Mrs. Roth for all of their extra work organizing the festivities last week and to our PTO for providing a wonderful dinner for our staff during conferences. All of these everyday heroes working together make Willard Central a truly special place for kids.

Friday morning WC kicked off our all-school book club. Teachers introduced our story, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo, at Community Time with pictures and passages from this wonderful story. Every family and staff member will receive a copy of this chapter book to read and share together. We will be keeping track of our own Edward Tulaneas he goes on a miraculous journey around Willard Central as well. We will celebrate this book together at our Family Reading Night on December 10th. Happy reading and enjoy this story together with you families.

Here are the school events for November:

Monday 9th - PTO Meeting 6:00 Tuesday 10th - 2nd Grade Concert 7:00 Thursday 12th - Mr. Zs PTO Fundraiser Pickup 3:30-6:00 Friday 13th - Hats ON for Community Service Make a donation to wear your favorite hat to support our Heather and Stephen! Friday 20th - WC Student Flu Shot Clinic 12:00-3:00 Wednesday 25th - Friday 27th NO SCHOOL! Happy Thanksgiving!

Enjoy this beautiful November weather! Shane Medlin, Principal

Willard East Elementary

Veteran's Day Assembly Wednesday November 11! Please join us for breakfast and a recognition assembly starting at 8:30. This event has become a tradition for Willard East and we expect a large turn out. If you would like to help with the setup for breakfast please contact our office. We always appreciate volunteers!

Character word for November is CARING - to be interested and concerned about others, and to treat them with understanding and compassion. November is also the month that we celebrate Thanksgiving. As you been to plan for your Thanksgiving meals and holiday events please remember our families in need this year. Be on the lookout for information from our school counselor regarding our annual food and toy drive for our less fortunate families. Melinda Miller, Principal

Willard North Elementary

With Parent/Teacher Conferences behind us, this past week has moved at warp speed. We had many fun activities for Red Ribbon Week last week. The drama club from the high school came and performed. Students wore their red ribbons to remind them to make good choices. Michael Douglas from the Harlem Legends joined us for our Super Tiger Celebration. He shared an inspirational message and showed off his basketball skills.

Next week we will be celebrating Veterans Day with an assembly which is also our Super Tiger Celebration for the month of November. Also, our Helping Hats donation for the month of November will go to Operation Uplink. This is an organization that will help purchase calling cards for local soldiers so they will be able to talk to their families during the holidays. Don't forget Friday, November 12th, we will be having picture retakes. Have a wonderful and safe weekend! Angela Stevens, Principal

Willard Orchard Hills Elementary

WOHE is still putting finishing touches on the building. This week, our name went on the outside of the building, digital clocks are being installed in the hallways, and beautiful apple trees were painted on our walls. Thank you Julia Barger for sharing your painting talent with us!

We had our second WOHE Tiger PRIDE assembly last Wednesday. The students enjoyed watching me become a pizza! We also began our student recognition program where students earn apples for academics, character, improvement, and teamwork. We have many apples already adorning our new trees. Conferences went great last week and we appreciate our parents taking time to participate in conferences with their students! Have a great weekend! Rhonda Bishop, Principal

For information on the Willard Children's Charitable Foundation, please contact Judy Craig at 742-2506 or Dr. Kent Medlin at 742-2584.

The WCCF Fall Harvest Festival will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2009 at the High School Commons Area. Join us for free hamburgers and hotdogs, a dessert auction and loads of fun for the entire family. Live music by The Old Wire Road!

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Dinner at 6:00 p.m. Homemade Ice Cream Auction at 6:30 p.m. Pie and Cake Auction at 7:00 p.m.

Proceeds from the auction benefit the Willard Children's Charitable Foundation. (Special auction items to benefit the Clint Anderson Medical Fund.) We hope to see you there!

Willard Parks and Recreation

Kevin McDonald: Director Shawn Trent: Interim Sports Coordinator Brandon Eckhardt: Recreation/Aquatics Specialist Tina Christiansen: Front Desk Programmer

Harlem Legends Basketball: Thank you to everyone who attended the Harlem Legends Game on Monday November 2nd at Willard High School.

Thank you to all of the Harlem Legends Sponsors: -CoxHealth Fitness Centers -The Sandwich Shoppe -Downtown Bar-B-Que -Legends Restaurant -Junction Cafe

Session 1 Basketball Season: Thank you to everyone who registered to play basketball in Willards Session 1 Basketball Season. This season looks to be very exciting.

Childrens Playground at Jackson St. Park As you might have noticed during the construction of the New Willard Aquatic Center, we took down one of the playgrounds at Jackson St. Park. I bet your wondering why this playground hasnt been put back in yet. The City of Willard is currently applying for grants and trying to obtain a sponsorship for the surface mulch for the playground. We believe the safest surfacing for the playground is recycled scrap tire material. The material prevents head injuries. As soon as the money is secured for this surfacing, the playground will be reinstalled at Jackson St. Park. If you have any questions or would like to make a donation, please call 742-2262.

Meet the Legends: Thank you to everyone who attended the Meet the Legends Basketball night at the Recreation Center on Monday October 26th from 5pm - 5:45pm. Over 70 people attended the event. Michael Douglas was at the Center doing tricks and signing autographs for the people who attended.

Park Benches: Willard Parks & Recreation is in need of more benches and picnic tables in our parks. The Park Board would like to get the community involved in this process; therefore, we are starting a new table/bench program. In the coming months sponsorship pricing and forms will be available for the community. This is an exciting way for the community to get involved. Feel free to stop by the Jackson Street Park and see the current table and bench donations.

Kelly Miller Circus: Thank you to everyone who attended the Kelly Miller Circus on Tuesday, October 20th at Jackson St. Park. The circus showed two shows, one at 4:00pm and one at 7:30pm. Between the two shows over 400 people attended the events. Thank you to everyone who helped make the circus a successful event for the first year.

Grants Update: Willard Parks and Recreation has applied for grants from the US Soccer Foundation and USA Flag Football. Grants from these organizations will help purchase new sports equipment for the upcoming seasons.

Willard Park Board Openings: Are you interested in serving on the Willard Park Board? If so call Kate Gould at 742-5300 for more information.

Trees at Jackson St. Park: As you may have noticed, Empire Electric has cut down trees at Jackson St. Park. Empire Electric is offering a tree replacement program. At the next Park Board Meeting we will be selecting trees to plant at Jackson St. Park for replacements.

Parks and Recreation Website: Log onto <http://www.willardparks.com>www.willardparks.com to keep up with everything going on in the Willard Parks and Recreation Department.

Willard Child Care at the Recreation Center: Willard Parks and Recreation has begun child care at the Willard Recreation Center. This child care service is sponsored by the City of Willard and CoxHealth Fitness Centers. The child care takes place in the small classroom at the Recreation Center. Fees are $4 per child for up to two hours or an ALL ACCESS PASS for $24 for 12 times (up to 24 child care hours). This child care service may be used for any activity held at the Recreation Center including the Cox Fitness Center, Sports activities, etc. The parent or guardian must remain on the property while their child is in child care. The child care is only available for 18 months to 10 years old.

The hours for the child care at Monday, Wednesday & Friday: 8am - 10am Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 5pm - 9pm Tuesday & Thursday: 3pm - 9pm

Fun 5K Run: Saturday, 8am on 11/21/09 at the Willard Community Building. The Race will be held on the Frisco Trail. The fee to participate is $15 for those who pre-register. Registration forms are at the Recreation Center.

Willard Parks and Recreation Facility Rentals: Holding Fee: $25, Refundable Deposit: $75 (excluding the Pavilion). Rental Areas: Willard Community Building: $15 hour / kitchen $25 flat fee, Large Gym at the Recreation Center: $25 hour, Small Gym at the Recreation Center: $20, Murray Community Room/Patio/Kitchen: $15 hour, Classroom/Conference Room: $12 hour, Jackson St Park Pavilion: $7.50 hour. For more information contact Tina at (417) 742-2262

Camps: Out of School Camps: Willard Parks and Recreation offers various camps throughout the entire year. All camps will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

School Holiday Camp: October 30th Camp is for grades K 6th. The fee to attend is $17.50. A snack lunch must be brought to the camp. Camp hours are 7:00am 6:00pm.

Holiday Camp: 12/21/09, 12/22/09, 12/23/09, 12/28/09, 12/29/09, 12/30/09, Camp is for grades K 6th. The fee to attend is $17.50 per day. A snack lunch must be brought to the camp. Camp hours are 7:00am 6:00pm

Willard Play Group: COME OUT & PLAY with Willard's Playgroup! Come play every Wednesday from 9am - 11am at the Willard Recreation Center. This is a new opportunity for parents and kids to play, socialize and just have fun. Moms and Dads are invited to bring their infant through Pre-K aged children for FREE PLAY , STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES & MONTHLY WORKSHOPS. This playgroup is free and open to the community.

Christmas in Willard: Willard Parks and Recreations Annual Christmas in Willard Celebration will be held on Saturday, December 12th at the Willard Recreation Center. This years activities include a silent auction, a Christmas Movie and pictures with Santa. Log onto <http://www.willardparks.com>www.willardparks.com for more information.

Ongoing and Upcoming Classes: Hula Hoop Classes: The Willard Parks & Recreation Department will offer Hula Hoop Classes. All adults and children ages 12 and older are eligible to attend. Costs for the lessons are $40 per participant. Please make all checks payable to Willard Parks and Recreation. This program will be a 5-week session and will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm 8:00pm. Limited spots available. Classes will run September 9th October 7th. Classes will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

Beginner Belly Dancing: The Willard Parks & Recreation Department will offer Belly Dancing Classes. All adults are eligible to attend. Costs for the lessons are $40 per participant. Please make all checks payable to Willard Parks and Recreation. This program will be a 5-week session and will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm 8:00pm. Limited spots available. Classes will run October 21st November 18th. Classes will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

KenKarJu-Ruy 2009: Register now for KenKarJu-Ryu martial arts. This family oriented art focuses on courtesy, respect , self-discipline, self-defense, self-improvement, physical fitness and FUN! Classes are offered on Mondays and Thursdays from 6:30pm 7:30pm at the Willard Community Building for anyone ages 7 and up. The fee is $50 for the entire eight week session. Registration forms are available at the Recreation Center.

YOGA: 8 week sessions at the Willard Recreation Center. Classes are every Monday night at 6pm. Fees are $25 for Cox Members and $65 for non Cox members.

Childrens Dance Classes: Let your child grow through dance and experience its magic. These children dance classes offer an excellent way to keep fit, learn coordination, rhythm, social skills, confidence, and its FUN! The fall eight-week dance session will begin October 13th thru December 10th. Creative Dance is offered on Tuesday afternoons for ages 3-5; Ballet & Tap classes are available and offered on Tuesday or Thursday depending on age and/or level for ages 5 & up, fee is $50. Combination classes of Ballet, Tap, and Jazz for children ages 9 & up with prior dance experience will be taught on Tuesday evenings, fee is $65. Limited spaces are available so call Ms. Patrice today for class availability and registration information at 818-3659.

Upcoming Sports: Recreational Basketball Session 2: Registration November 16th - December 16th

Willard Parks and Recreation will be offering Recreational Session 2 Basketball for ages 3 -14. All games will be played at the Willard Recreation Center. Fees are $35 per person. Games will be played on Saturdays beginning January 9th.

Recreational Cheerleading Session 2: Registration November 16th December 16th Willard Parks and Recreation will be offering Recreational Session 2 Cheerleading for grade K 8th. All games will be played at the Willard Recreation Center. Fees are $35 per person. Games will be played on Saturday beginning January 9th.

Click here for WCCF Fall Harvest Festival Information

District Office

Wash your hands, gargle with salt water, drink lots of water , etc..... I would guess local Doctors are tired of giving out this advice!

The last few days all Willard Schools have reported higher than normal absence due to illness. I thought that I would put out a few facts to help rumors not to spread wild.

1. Attendance in the district has remained strong. Willard schools maintain a yearly average attendance of 94+%. The worst daily attendance in any building has been 80%. The entire district average has remained over 90%.

2. There are NO confirmed cases of H1N1, however I am sure that many of students represent unconfirmed cases. Dr.'s are simply guessing if a student has the correct symptoms then they are most likely suffering from H1N1.

3. Administration has instructed nurses to work closely with parents to encourage students to stay at home until they have been fever free for at least 24 hours.

4. Much of the sickness is not the flu but upper respiratory infections, which has also added to the absentee list.

5. The district will not consider shutting down unless a building is affected to a much higher level. We will consult with Greene County Health Department before making any decisions regarding school closings. Some recommendations that I have received from the State are as high as 30% absence before considering closing school. I certainly hope we do not reach that level.

6. The district is bringing in sub-custodians to help with extra cleaning. I have asked all principals to enlist the help of teachers and students to wipe down desks and chairs at the end of each day.

7. The district has been identified as a site for H1N1 vaccine distribution. We currently do not have hard dates, times, or quantities which will be available. When we receive that information we will get it out ASAP! At this time we have not been assured that all staff will be eligible.

Once again, this is a time to utilize good health practices, hand washing, etc... I have quit shaking hands and giving hugs for a few days. (Sorry Nurse Charlotte! She is one of my favorite people in the district to get a smile and a hug. However, I have avoided the hug and only accepted the smile for a few days!) I would encourage all of us not to get caught up in the rumor mill. If you have questions please speak with your school nurse or administrator to get the facts!!

I hope this helps to bring some facts to our current status! Kent

Dr. Kent E. Medlin Superintendent of Schools

Director of Activities

While the season has ended for softball and girls golf, the other fall sports are just starting their district play. Football, soccer, volleyball, and cross country will all find out if they get to advance to state competition over the next week and I wouldn't bet against our Tigers!

Football will host their final home game of the season tonight as they take on Marshfield in district play. They will finish their regular season next Thursday at Hillcrest. If the boys can win both of those games they will be in the playoffs! Good luck Tigers!

Willard will be the host site of the volleyball district tournament which will begin at 4:00 on Monday. Our volleytigers will open play at 8:30 that night against Parkview. The girls earned the 3rd seed behind Kickapoo and Webb City. The tournament will conclude on Tuesday with the semifinals and finals beginning at 5:00. Also, congratulations to the volleytigers on last nights victory over Marshfield.

Cross country will run in their district meet this Saturday at Nixa. The girl's race will begin at 11:00 and the boy's race at 11:30. Those who qualify will run next week in the sectional meet at Camdenton.

The soccer Tigers are having a hard time finding someplace to play that isn't flooded! But they still managed to squeak in a win vs. Rogersville last week before losing a heart-breaker to Neosho. The boys will be at Greenwood next Monday before hosting Hillcrest on Thursday. Districts will begin on Oct. 31st in Joplin.

The "Cutting Edge" will not be performing this Saturday in Warrensburg due to illness circulating in the band. Mr. Church is hoping to get them healthy in time to compete at Mizzou next Saturday. By the way, they pretty much brought home all the bacon last Saturday at the Ozarko Marching Festival at MSU. Great job Cutting Edge!

For those of you who like to eat...and eat...and eat...choir is having an all-you-can-eat pancake feed at the southside Applebee's tomorrow morning from 8:00am - 10:00am. I personally challenge anyone to beat my record (I won't disclose the number because I don't want to embarrass my wife).

It's Good To Be A Tiger! Jeff Staley - Director of Operations

Director of Special Services

"A Sporting Chance" bowling season has begun and practice is underway for 27 Willard Special Services students. All buildings are represented with students who will be practicing October 24th and November 7th at Sunshine Lanes.

Special Services "Breakfast with Santa" will be November 21st from 7-11 a.m. to support Willard's "A Sporting Chance" and Partners in Strength. Price will be $5.00 for pancakes, drink and a 5x7 photo with Santa. Holiday calendars are filling up quickly so pencil in this event to support our students with special needs! Sandy Gold, Director of Special Services

Willard High School

The HS has been busy with activities and winding down the Fall season. Saturday, October 17th, WHS hosted the annual WHS Speech & Debate Tournament. The tournament brought students from southwest Missouri to compete in a variety of categories. Mrs. Spangler (WHS Speech / Debate Sponsor) and her team of students worked hard and did a great job setting up rooms and organizing the events.

WHS DECA chapter joined with other DECA District 11 chapters and traveled to Dallas Texas on October 13th through 15th. While in Dallas, the students examined different aspects of marketing strategies and visited businesses located in the metropolitan area. In their spare time, students visited Cowboy Stadium, Texas School Depository and President Kennedy's parade route. It was a great experience to collaborate with other DECA chapters while learning business strategies and tools.

WHS FFA / Ag students are currently in Indianapolis Indiana, for the National FFA Convention. At the convention, FFA members will have an opportunity to hear nationally recognized speakers and participate in breakout sessions with FFA leaders from other states. Willard will be represented by Scott Larson, who will be competing in Engineering Division I. Scott's project involves wood gasification ( Scott calculated the energy output produced by different wood types when charred ). We are very proud of Scott and his project.

WHS Theater is working hard in preparation of their "Red Ribbon Tours". The performance groups will provide skits and small one-act plays to promote making positive choices to other buildings within the district.

WHS FCCLA hosted their fall Blood drive on Friday, October 16th in the Auxiliary gym. FCCLA students set a goal for 2009-2010 of 135 units. Students, Parents, and Community members joined forces and "Crushed" the goal by collecting 152 units of blood!!!! Willard once again comes through in a big way towards saving lives.

A reminder about Parent / Teacher Conferences which will be held Tuesday, October 27th from 5:30pm - 8:00pm and Wednesday, October 28th from 5:30pm - 8:00pm. Please give us a call and set up an appointment to meet with your student's teachers ( HS 417-742-3524 ). Stewart Pratt, HS Principal

Willard Middle School

Greetings from Willard Middle School. The weather has been somewhat dreary once again, but we did have one nice day of sunshine in the middle of the week, and still managed to get a great deal accomplished at WMS. Fall sports wrapped up, and winter sports are on the way. Boys basketball tryouts will be on Wednesday, Oct. 28th, from 2:45-5:00. Wrestling and Girls Basketball are also gearing up, and if you have any questions, please check with the coaches of each of these sports. By the way, make sure you have those physicals up to date if you want to play.

The science department played host to the Starlab this week, and it was a new and improved version with digital displays that the kids really enjoyed. Technology can really open doors that were previously unavailable to us, and we appreciate the fact that we are able to bring such things to the students of WMS. Next week will be our parent-teacher conferences, which will be on Tuesday and Thursday. Please make plans to come by and visit with the teachers, and see what our students have been up to so far. Putting out the effort to show your kids that their education is important to you makes it far more likely that it will become important to them as well.

Finally, we want to send out a big thank you to all of those in the district that helped to provide a special day for a special lady in our school. As many of you know, Tammy Woody is in the process of defeating cancer, and we all are looking for ways to help her in her efforts. This Thursday, while she was receiving treatments, hundreds of people wore a special T-shirt that displayed the message that we were in the battle with her, until she wins it once and for all. The show of unity and concern was awesome, and it meant a great deal to Tammy. The shirts are still available if you would like to be a part of this, and we thank each of you for your help and prayers along the way. Thanks for checking on us, and have a great weekend. (Remember, no school on Friday, 10/30!) Tom Merriott WMS Asst. Principal

Willard Central Elementary

WC celebrated students hard work from the first quarter at Community Time this week. We recognized students with perfect attendance and awarded the coveted Special Area Superhero Capes to the classes that best demonstrated our character education words. We also honored Ms. Joe Venzlauf and Mrs. Tina Laturno for their countless hours of service in volunteering at WC as our 1st quarter Everyday Heroes.

Our 3rd grade had a busy week performing their musical concert On the Radio. This wonderful program shared songs throughout the decades starting back in the Great Depression. A very special thank you to Mrs. Chatman and the 3rd grade students for such an amazing evening. The 3rd grade students then geared up the next day to head to Diamond, MO to visit the George Washington Carver State Park and Museum. It was an excellent educational trip and the students represented our school and community very well.

We will be packing a full week of activities into next week: Oct. 27/29 Student Led Conferences Oct. 26-29 WC Book Fair and Red Ribbon Week Oct. 30 No School

Stay dry and healthy! Shane Medlin, Principal

Willard East Elementary

Welcome to cold and flu season! This week Willard East has had a record number of absences due to illness. We have seen everything from the flu, to Strep Throat, to upper respiratory illness, etc. You name it and we may have seen it here at Willard East. We hope we have reached our peak of illness and that everyone will recover over the weekend. Please continue to refer to the Willard East website for news and information.

We need to be healthy because we have lots of exciting things coming up next week! * Parent/Teacher conferences will be held Tuesday and Thursday evening. * The Book Fair opened today! * Principal Miller will be "slimed" at Tiger Pride on Friday! For the most current Willard East information and updates please tune in to our building website at: http://willardeastelementary.edublogs.org

Melinda Miller, Principal

Willard North Elementary

We had wonderful weather for our fall carnival this past Saturday. There was a great turn out of students, parents, and teachers for rides and games. Thank you to all the parent, teacher, and high school student volunteers that helped with the carnival. Also, many thanks to our PTO for putting on such a wonderful time for our students and families.

We are looking at a very busy week next week!

10/27 and 10/29 Parent/Teacher Conferences 10/26 Our Book Fair Starts 10/26 Red Ribbon Week 10/28 Super Tiger Celebration

Have a wonderful and safe weekend! Angela Stevens, Principal

Willard South Elementary

Today we celebrated our first Tiger Pride Assembly of the year. CONGRATULATIONS to all of the students who received awards this quarter! Next week we are looking forward to Red Ribbon week, Parent/Teacher Conferences, Fall parties and NO SCHOOL on Friday. Kara Crighton-Smith, Principal

For information on the Willard Children's Charitable Foundation, please contact Judy Craig at 742-2506 or Dr. Kent Medlin at 742-2584.

The WCCF Fall Harvest Festival will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2009 at the High School Commons Area. Join us for free hamburgers and hotdogs, a dessert auction and loads of fun for the entire family. Live music by The Old Wire Road!

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Dinner at 6:00 p.m. Homemade Ice Cream Auction at 6:30 p.m. Pie and Cake Auction at 7:00 p.m.

Proceeds from the auction benefit the Willard Children's Charitable Foundation. (Special auction items to benefit the Clint Anderson Medical Fund.) We hope to see you there!

Willard Parks and Recreation

Kevin McDonald: Director Shawn Trent: Interim Sports Coordinator Brandon Eckhardt: Recreation/Aquatics Specialist Tina Christiansen: Front Desk Programmer

Thank you to everyone who registered for the 2009 Session 1 Basketball and Cheerleading Season for Recreational and Competitive Leagues. Practices will begin soon.

Willard's Fall Sports Leagues continue games. Thank you to everyone who is participating in the Fall Soccer and Volleyball League.

Safe Halloween 2009: Saturday 10/24/09 Saturday October 24th at 5:30pm at the Willard Recreation Center. This year we will be collecting new and used toys for deserving area children. This event is FREE to attend. Wear your costume and trick or treat from local businesses, play games, and walk through the Willard Haunted House. For more information call 742-2262.

HARLEM LEGENDS: Meet the Legends: Come to the Willard Recreation Center and meet Harlem Legends Founder Michael Douglas on Monday October 26th from 5:00pm 5:45pm in the Big Gym. This event is FREE to attend. Come, listen and watch tricks from the Legends. You will also get a chance to get autographs and take pictures with the players. This event is meant to prepare the community for the Harlem Legends Game on Monday November 2nd at Willard High School.

Harlem Legends Celebrity Basketball Show: TICKETS ON SALE NOW!! Willard Parks and Recreation and CoxHealth Fitness Centers present the Harlem Legends vs. the Willard All-Stars on Monday November 2nd at Willard High School at 6pm. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students in advance at the Willard Recreation Center. The Harlem Legends are a group of professional athletes, former players from the Harlem Globetrotters, NBA, NFL, past USA Olympians, and other professionals. Legends include, Michael Douglas, Tyrone Hollywood Brown, Larry Shorty Coleman, Brandon McDonald, Woody Carter, Gator Rivers, Mike Glenn, Jimmy Bolden, L.T. Trahan, Wayne Arnold and Somer Easterwood. For more information call (417) 742-2262.

Grants Update: Willard Parks and Recreation has applied for grants from the US Soccer Foundation and USA Flag Football. Grants from these organizations will help purchase new sports equipment for the upcoming seasons.

Willard Park Board Openings: Are you interested in serving on the Willard Park Board? If so call Kate Gould at 742-5300 for more information.

Trees at Jackson St. Park: As you may have noticed, Empire Electric has cut down trees at Jackson St. Park. Empire Electric is offering a tree replacement program. At the next Park Board Meeting we will be selecting trees to plant at Jackson St. Park for replacements.

Parks and Recreation Website: Log onto http://www.willardparks.com to keep up with everything going on in the Willard Parks and Recreation Department.

Willard Child Care at the Recreation Center: Willard Parks and Recreation has begun child care at the Willard Recreation Center. This child care service is sponsored by the City of Willard and CoxHealth Fitness Centers. The child care takes place in the small classroom at the Recreation Center. Fees are $4 per child for up to two hours or an ALL ACCESS PASS for $24 for 12 times (up to 24 child care hours). This child care service may be used for any activity held at the Recreation Center including the Cox Fitness Center, Sports activities, etc. The parent or guardian must remain on the property while their child is in child care. The child care is only available for 18 months to 10 years old.

The hours for the child care at Monday, Wednesday & Friday: 8am 10am Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 5pm 9pm Tuesday & Thursday: 3pm 9pm

Fun 5K Run: Saturday 8am 11/21/09 at the Willard Community Building. The Race will be held on the Frisco Trail. The fee to participate is $15 for those who pre-register. Registration forms are at the Recreation Center.

Willard Parks and Recreation Facility Rentals: Holding Fee: $25, Refundable Deposit: $75 (excluding the Pavilion). Rental Areas: Willard Community Building: $15 hour / kitchen $25 flat fee, Large Gym at the Recreation Center: $25 hour, Small Gym at the Recreation Center: $20, Murray Community Room/Patio/Kitchen: $15 hour, Classroom/Conference Room: $12 hour, Jackson St Park Pavilion: $7.50 hour. For more information contact Tina at (417) 742-2262

Camps: Out of School Camps: Willard Parks and Recreation offers various camps throughout the entire year. All camps will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

School Holiday Camp: October 30th Camp is for grades K 6th. The fee to attend is $17.50. A snack lunch must be brought to the camp. Camp hours are 7:00am 6:00pm.

Holiday Camp: 12/21/09, 12/22/09, 12/23/09, 12/28/09, 12/29/09, 12/30/09, Camp is for grades K 6th. The fee to attend is $17.50 per day. A snack lunch must be brought to the camp. Camp hours are 7:00am 6:00pm

Willard Play Group: COME OUT & PLAY with Willard's Playgroup! Come play every Wednesday from 9am - 11am at the Willard Recreation Center. This is a new opportunity for parents and kids to play, socialize and just have fun. Moms and Dads are invited to bring their infant through Pre-K aged children for FREE PLAY , STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES & MONTHLY WORKSHOPS. This playgroup is free and open to the community.

Christmas in Willard: Willard Parks and Recreations Annual Christmas in Willard Celebration will be held on Saturday December 12th at the Willard Recreation Center. This years activities include a silent auction, a Christmas Movie and pictures with Santa. Log onto <http://www.willardparks.com>www.willardparks.com for more information.

Ongoing and Upcoming Classes: Hula Hoop Classes: The Willard Parks & Recreation Department will offer Hula Hoop Classes. All adults and children ages 12 and older are eligible to attend. Costs for the lessons are $40 per participant. Please make all checks payable to Willard Parks and Recreation. This program will be a 5-week session and will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm 8:00pm. Limited spots available. Classes will run September 9th October 7th. Classes will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

Beginner Belly Dancing: The Willard Parks & Recreation Department will offer Belly Dancing Classes. All adults are eligible to attend. Costs for the lessons are $40 per participant. Please make all checks payable to Willard Parks and Recreation. This program will be a 5-week session and will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm 8:00pm. Limited spots available. Classes will run October 21st November 18th. Classes will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

KenKarJu-Ruy 2009: Register now for KenKarJu-Ryu martial arts. This family oriented art focuses on courtesy, respect , self-discipline, self-defense, self-improvement, physical fitness and FUN! Classes are offered on Mondays and Thursdays from 6:30pm 7:30pm at the Willard Community Building for anyone ages 7 and up. The fee is $50 for the entire eight week session. Registration forms are available at the Recreation Center.

YOGA: 8 week sessions at the Willard Recreation Center. Classes are every Monday night at 6pm. Fees are $25 for Cox Members and $65 for non Cox members.

Childrens Dance Classes: Let your child grow through dance and experience its magic. These children dance classes offer an excellent way to keep fit, learn coordination, rhythm, social skills, confidence, and its FUN! The fall eight-week dance session will begin October 13th thru December 10th. Creative Dance is offered on Tuesday afternoons for ages 3-5; Ballet & Tap classes are available and offered on Tuesday or Thursday depending on age and/or level for ages 5 & up, fee is $50. Combination classes of Ballet, Tap, and Jazz for children ages 9 & up with prior dance experience will be taught on Tuesday evenings, fee is $65. Limited spaces are available so call Ms. Patrice today for class availability and registration information at 818-3659.

Kevin McDonald Parks and Recreation Director City of Willard