District Newsletter

Willard R-II Central Office

Almost at the Goal

Almost only counts in Horseshoes and Hand Grenades!

"The Challenge" to all faculty and staff for the 2008-2009 school year was for all employees to give $2 per month to the WCCF. (Willard Children's Charitable Foundation) We are now at 90% of that goal. Willard currently has 611 full and part time employees and we are currently contributing $1108 per month to WCCF. I am the kind of person that does not like to come up 10% short! Many employees have given much greater than $2 per month and I appreciate your gift. However there are also many that have not risen to the challenge of the humble gift of $2 per month. Today is payday and I would once again ask those employees that have not chosen to be a part of this worthy organization to analyze your increase in salary and ask yourself if you can commit to the challenge!!!! All employees have until next Friday to change their level of donation. Please contact Coleen Bradley at the District office if you would like to change your level of donation. Be a part of something bigger than yourself!!

Have a great weekend!

Kent

Dr. Kent E. Medlin Superintendent of Schools

Director of Operations

I realize that I tend to be a little biased when it comes to Willard kids. But I do not apologize for this because Willard kids are THE best kids in the state! Every week I am amazed at how they conduct themselves in competition. A week does not go by during which I receive multiple compliments about how our students conduct themselves and compete. The winning that we have become spoiled with is just icing on the cake!

In case you haven't noticed, the soccer Tigers are in uncharted territory. After defeating Ozark on Tuesday (yeah, that's right, Ozark!) the Tigers moved their COC record to 2-0. They then proceeded to defeat Monett last night (who was state ranked) to move their overall record to an unblemished 5-0 (4 of the wins have been shutouts)! The Monett win was in the first round of the Monett Tournament. The tournament will continue tonight and Saturday. They will then travel back to Monett next Monday, are at Catholic on Tuesday, and will host Carl Junction next Thursday. Game times are at 4:30.

A huge congratulations to the softball Tigers on their win over Neosho last night. This was a big COC victory and Coach Brown hopes that this will carry over into the Branson Tournament this Saturday. The girls will then travel to Buffalo on Monday, are at Webb City on Tuesday, and will host Carthage on Thursday.

Congratulations to Coach Hancock and the volleytigers on their 3rd place finish in the Lori Endicott Invitational last Saturday. The girls finished 1st in pool play before losing to Kickapoo in the semi-finals. The responded by defeated a tough Savannah squad to take home the 3rd place trophy. The championship went to Jeff City Helias. The girls then responded with an exciting 3-game victory over Fair Grove last night. They will be competing in the Kickapoo Classic this Saturday before going to Kickapoo next Tuesday and to Rogersville on Thursday. Game times are at 5:00.

The football tigers will be hosting the 2nd ranked team in Missouri, Carthage, tonight with kickoff starting at 7:00pm. It should be a great contest as Coach Wickwar and his squad continue to prepare for the district playoffs.

Girl's golf will be hosting the Willard/Greene Hills Invitational today and Coach Stone has ordered up some beautiful weather for the tournament. Good luck girls!

Congratulations to the cross country running tigers as the girl's squad, led by K. Hession's 3rd place individual finish, took 2nd place! Ms. Hession then took 10th place in the Monett meet. The tigers will run at Nixa next Tuesday.

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

Special Services

Monday evening 15 students from Willard R-II Schools participated in the first evening of therapeutic riding through Horses for Hope at SAC River Stables. It was truly amazing to see the significant group of volunteers that served as side walkers or handlers for the horses, sizing kids for helmets, and checking in students as they arrived. Some students wore the biggest smile and squealed with giggles while they rode and it was apparent that this was one of the best days of their life. Other students displayed anxiety as they approached the horses and climbed onand then began to relax, settle in to the saddle, and eventually even smiled. More than one attendee admitted to being teary eyed at some point of the evening as they watched lives being touched. Once again, a huge thank you goes out to high school student Stephanie Sechler, who had a dream of this and spurred the fundraising to financially begin this program. Thank you, as well, to those who assisted in the development of this program and have dedicated your valuable time to make it happen. Shannon Roberts, Process Coordinator

Willard High School

On Tuesday, September 16th we host "Meet the Teacher" night. It was an opportunity for parents and family members to connect with their student's teachers. Many parents also took the opportunity to schedule a time slot for parent-teacher conferences on October 28th and 29th. If you were unable to attend "Meet the Teacher" night, and have questions do not hesitate to communicate with your student's teachers.

We were excited this week as we added more lab stations for our science department. The science department has been working on adding lab stations to room 260 which allows more "hands on" lab type activities. On Wednesday the final adjustments were made and the lab stations are now ready for use. We are so proud of the building our community has provided!

Our first grade reporting period is now complete ( mid quarter class progress for the 1st quarter ). Teachers have completed their calculations and entered them into reporting system ( SIS ). I encourage you to communicate with your student about their grades and study habits. Many parents login to the "parent link" on our website and examine their students grades to look for deficiencies or area's of weakness ( homework completion, low test scores, missing work ). Our staff is stressing to our students to "Begin Strong and End Strong". We are all a team, students , parents, and teachers, all working toward the goal of life preparation. Thank you for the support. Stewart Pratt, Principal

Willard Middle School

This week was busy as always at the Willard Middle School. The volleyball, football, and cross country teams have all started their seasons, and the cheerleaders are in mid-season form as well. We have a great group of kids participating in the fall activities, and they are working hard to be successful on and off of the field. The focus as always remains in the classroom, and this week saw many unique activities, including "the great tomato (ketchup) race" in science class, and the FACS classes making biscuits and cinnamon apples in class, which a few adults dropped in and sampled as well. (They were fantastic!) Next week we will hold a book fair in the library, and the students will have an opportunity to purchase several items that will hopefully help them get excited about reading. Operation Hometown Hero Supporters club will hold a meeting this Wed. (9/24) to finalize their support the troops rally , which will be on Sept.30th. There will be a meet and greet gathering on 9/23 for any young lady who would like to participate in 7th and 8th grade basketball this year, and Team Asia is planning and ICE CREAM social this Tuesday, 9/23 as well. If your son or daughter is on this team, be sure to ask for details so you get your share of the ice cream. Our big event on the horizon however, has got to be Growl Nite 08, which will be Saturday, 9/27. There will be live music, lots of activities, food, fellowship and fun for all. We invite you to come and enjoy a great day, and help raise funds for an important community project that we all can be proud of. Thanks for checking in on us, and have a great and safe week. Tom Merriott Assistant Principal

Willard Intermediate School

On Monday the 22nd students will be receiving their mid-quarter reports. Parents should be on the lookout for these important grade updates. Keep in mind that the purpose of these reports is to give parents an update as to how their child is progressing for the first 4 weeks of school. These grades are not set in stone in any way and four more weeks of school are yet to happen before they become permanent. Parents are encouraged to discuss with their child how they feel they are progressing and any concerns or questions should be promptly discussed with the teacher. Everyone wants their child to be successful and we view mid-quarter reports as a tool to help make this happen.

Our Tiger Savings Card fund raiser has been a huge success (again!). Our goal of 1000 cards has been doubled! We want to express our appreciation to all those that have supported WIS in this effort and to the local businesses that volunteered to offer the discounts. We are now well on our way in purchasing new playground equipment and technology for our building. Tom Davis, Principal

Willard Central Elementary

Willard Central had a wonderful week of learning. A special thank you goes out to Mrs. Gray's 4th grade class for presenting at Community Time for Constitution Day on Wednesday. They reminded us of how blessed we are to live in a country where our rights and freedoms are preserved!

Here is what we are looking forward to next week:

Monday 22nd Health Screenings

Tuesday 23rd Picture Day

Friday 26th No School Teacher Workday

Have a great weekend and remember that Willard Central is Wild About Learning! Shane Medlin, Principal

Willard East Elementary

Busy! Busy! Busy! Willard East just gets busier every week. Our 2nd grade students have enjoyed a week of Community speakers and information. They have traveled to the Post Office and Library. Police and Firemen have visited our school this week. It is Book Fair time! If you are looking for a good book or a gift for a student please be sure to stop by our Book Fair this week. Librarian Mrs. Miller will be available for Book Fair purchases until Thursday. You will be receiving your child's midterm report on Monday. We hope you join us for Open House Tuesday evening! Have a great weekend!!! Melinda Miller, Principal

Willard North Elementary

This has been a great week at Willard North! We have enjoyed the fall weather with cool mornings and warm afternoons. First Grade and Kindergarten had great turn-outs to their events this week. We also started Mighty-Mites. We have several players in school and they had a great time playing Ash Grove last night. Don't forget we are out of school next Friday, September 26th! Have a wonderful week and GO TIGERS!!! Rhonda Bishop, Principal

Willard South Elementary

I'm back!!! This is my first week back from maternity leave and it has been a busy one to say the least. It is great to see all of the students, parents and teachers. I really enjoyed my time at home with my family. However, I really missed seeing my second family here at Willard South also. I have enjoyed LOTS of special hugs, cards and great big smiles from students and teachers alike. I want to thank EVERYONE for holding down the fort during my leave. A special thank you to Mrs. Angela Stevens and Mr. Dennis Twitchel for fulfilling all of my administrative duties. I am truly blessed to have such a supportive team of individuals here in the Willard School District. Have a wonderful weekend! Kara Crighton-Smith, Principal

Upcoming Events: Friday, Sept. 19th-Pinwheels for Peace Day Celebration on the front lawn at 3:00 <http://www.pinwheelsforpeace.com/>http://www.pinwheelsforpe ace.com Monday, Sept. 22nd-Mid Quarter Reports go home Friday, Sept. 26th-NO SCHOOL for students