District Newsletter

Willard R-II Central Office

Next week Dr. Royal and I will begin hosting community meetings to help gather input from the community. The purpose of the meetings is two fold. First, we would like to gather input from parents and patrons in regard to elementary boundaries. Second, we will communicate our efforts up to this point as well as 2-3 parameters that we have established. Willard's philosophy of neighborhood schools is driving this effort with the construction of our fifth elementary school. We will communicate our thoughts in regard to student safety, transportation efforts, and facility usage. Other than the single parameter based upon I-44 becoming a logical line of division we have not made any other decisions which divide school boundaries. We must make the most of this effort to redefine elementary district boundaries. We have created the following target populations for each school to help in boundary decisions.

School              2008-2009 enr      Target 2009-2010 enr

Orchard Hills         xxx                         300-330

South                     402                         300-330

Central                   415                         330-370

North                     397                         330-350

East                        375                         330-370

The plan is to recommend all elementary students south of I-44 to attend either Willard South or Orchard Hills. Currently we have 591 elementary students enrolled who live South of I-44. This decision is based upon safety as well as transportation of students. This area demonstrates the districts highest growth. This area also has the most active and planned subdivisions which will produce future growth. Therefore, we have allowed for a target enrollment at South and Orchard Hills which will accommodate this growth.

The community meetings are listed below, please attend and help us with your thoughts and ideas. The final plan will be in place by April 2009. If you have questions please ask any elementary principal or feel free to e-mail Janell or I at the district office. Our goal for this process is open communication!

East Elementary: November 6th 7:30 p.m.

Central: November 10th 7:00 p.m.

North: November 10th 6:00 p.m.

South: November 11th 7:00 p.m.

Have a great weekend!

Kent

Dr. Kent E. Medlin Superintendent of Schools

Director of Operations

There are certain times that I find myself at a loss for words to describe a series of events. Last night was one of those times. Unless you were at the football game or at the volleyball game, I am not going to do what happened last night justice. But I will do my best!

Congratulations to the football Tigers on their victory over Hillcrest last night 23-20. It would take 3 paragraphs to describe the final quarter of the game so I'll just say that the Tigers won a VERY exciting game. They will travel to Union, MO. on Wednesday to take on the undefeated Union High School team in the regional playoffs. Game time is at 7:00. I will have directions to the stadium on our website by Monday morning.

Congratulations to the volleytigers on their district championship! In their first year competing in Class 4, the girls defeated Joplin, Webb City, and Kickapoo to advance to Sectional play this Saturday against Camdenton. The sectionals will be held in Waynesville and the girls will play at 4:30. By the time most of you read this we will know the results and hopefully making plans for the Final Four!

Congratulations to Kacy Hession and Ryne Cook on qualifying for sectionals in Cross Country. The sectional race will be held in Camdenton this Saturday with the top 30 in each division moving on to state. A special congratulations to Kacy as she set a new school record during the district race!

Soccer gets to have their turn to create their own district excitement as they will host the district tournament next week. The tigers enter the tournament as the 3rd seed and will play Central on Monday. Semifinals will be on Wednesday with the finals on Thursday. Good luck soccer tigers!

Good luck to the Cutting Edge as they end their marching season this Saturday in Columbia! Prelims start at 5:00 with the finals to follow!

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

Director of Special Services

Through a special budget allocation made possible by Mr. Pratt, the high school special services department is in the process of creating a library for special services students. With input from staff, and help from the high school librarian, Jill Wooldridge, a collection of high interest books at various reading levels is being prepared for checkout. As a result of input, assistance, and student feedback, it was determined that the collection should include books on the Missouri School Librarians Gateway list which features what is considered the best current titles for adolescent readers. In addition, research into motivating struggling adolescent readers indicated that high interest, low level books like the Bluford series contain topics that are appealing to these readers written at levels that are accessible to most with reading disabilities. The collection features a variety of genres including suspense, mystery, romance, and historical fiction, and students are already showing a great deal of interest in browsing and reading books from the library. The department wishes to thank Mr. Pratt for making available the funds to begin this new venture. Kelli Akers , Process Coordinator

Willard High School

The first quarter has ended, and this week we hosted Parent - Teacher Conferences on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons from 4:00pm - 7:00pm. We know family schedules are very hectic; and if you were unable to attend the conferences, do not hesitate to call and schedule another time to visit with your child's teachers. "Parent Link", is our parent portal which allows web based access to your student's school information. This is a great tool to keep up with student performance and school information. If you would like to sign up for "Parent Link", please call the High School 742-3524.

Last week we reported about a FBLA fundraiser called "Stop The Bop". It was a March of Dimes drive by our students. Music was between classes on the intercom system, and the only way to turn the music off was to donate enough money to "Stop The Bop". The FBLA team reported total donations of $907.00 for March of Dimes. A great job to the FBLA team and our students for their charitable donations.

Lastly, our new Vocational Building is very close to student use. We have moved a few large shop items to a staging area, and furniture is on its way as the final items are being addressed within the new building. Our Vocational students will have a fantastic facility a short walk from the High School.

Stewart Pratt, Principal

Willard Middle School

Things were hopping once again around the Willard Middle School this week, and we packed a weeks worth of fun and learning into just four days. The short week was to allow us to invite parents, grandparents, and maybe even a few concerned siblings, into our school to see what has been going on during first quarter. Visitors were welcomed in on both Tuesday and Thursday afternoon and evening, and student progress was on display all around the building. We had good turnouts on both nights, and thank all of those who took the time to come, as our teachers as well as the students appreciate the support. Boys and girls basketball , as well as the wrestling team all got started this week. The number of kids trying out for the teams was great, and we wish them a successful season this winter. The puzzle club is meeting next week, and seating is limited, so contact Mr. Germann if you would like to be a part of this. Team Europe will be selling soda to raise money for the Willard Food Pantry to be donated before Thanksgiving, so bring you $1 to help out if possible. The Social Studies classes will be holding mock elections on Nov. 4th, and we encourage everyone who can to set a good example and be sure to vote next Tuesday. Finally, we remind everyone that our special Veteran's Assembly is coming up soon, and hope you can attend, as it is always an impressive presentation at WMS. Thanks for checking in with us, and have a great week. Tom Merriott, Asst. Principal

Willard Intermediate School

A busy short week at WIS! It was great to see so many parents make it out this week for our parent/teacher conferences and book fair. We appreciate all the hard work our teachers have put into making this such a positive time for our students and parents. The dinner provided to our teachers by our PTO was great! As we move into the second quarter of the school year we want to encourage students to keep up the hard work on their studies in order to either improve low grades or maintain good ones.

The building was buzzing today with excitement about our classroom fall parties. A special thanks to our parents that volunteered their time and money to make these possible.

A reminder that the WIS PTO meeting will be Thursday November 6th at 6pm in our library and our first DARE gradation of the year that same night at 6:30 in the main gym.

Enjoy the three day weekend! Tom Davis, Principal

Willard Central Elementary

Student-led conferences are a wonderful way to celebrate student learning for the 1st quarter. Unlike typical parent-teacher conferences, with student-led conferences, the students take the parents through the room working on activities they have done through the 1st quarter to show parents what learning is taking place in the classroom. This allows students to share what they know and demonstrate how they are progressing first-hand. It is a wonderful way for parents and students to connect around their learning and is a positive experience for the student.

WC is happy to announce that we are starting our 2nd Family Book Club with Bill Wallaces, A Dog Called Kitty. Every WC student's family and each WC staff member will receive a copy of the book to read with their family. We will have activities to support the book in the classroom and at Community Time culminated with our Family Reading Night in December. We greatly enjoyed our Family Book Club last year with The Tale of Desperaux and we are looking forward to sharing another wonderful book together this year. Thanks for your support in making reading fun and meaningful with your child!

Have a wonderful 3-day weekend while staying safe Trick-or-Treating.

Shane Medlin, Principal

Willard East Elementary

Announcing "Hats on for Community Service" - Willard East is often approached by community organizations and/or individuals to raise money for different causes. We have decided that the 1st Friday of the month students will be able to wear a hat to school for a small donation of $.25. Our monthly goal will be $100. Students/families are welcome to donate more if they choose. What a great way to promote community service and helping others. We have not designated a cause for each month yet. November 7th donations will be used for our Veteran's Day celebration. December 5th donations will go towards our Student Council holiday food/gift drive.

P/T Conferences Wrap-up - First, thank you for scheduling and attending your parent / teacher conference this week. I'm a big believer that parent conferences should not just happen during an announced week in October, but should happen all of the time. Teachers and parents should continue to meet, communicate and update each other on academic progress. Please be proactive and arrange any follow-up meetings you feel that are necessary.

Student Elections - Willard East Votes!!! On Nov. 4th Willard East student will have the opportunity to vote in a mock presidential election. Polls will be open until 2:00 and our "President-elect" will be announced at the end of the day. Mock "presidential" elections will be happening at schools all across the country this year due to the extraordinary amount of attention that has been placed on this process. This is a process I hope our students remember to participate in when they can legally vote! Please remember to take advantage of your right to vote. Melinda Miller, Principal

Willard North Elementary

Parent Teacher Conferences have kept us really busy this week! Thanks to all the parents that help us make our goal of meeting with each parent! Thanks to the Willard North PTO for providing us with a great meal Tuesday Night! We are definitely spoiled and appreciated.

I also want to brag on the District Tiger Tales and Paws program. Karen Bench, our new director is doing an excellent job. Approximately 25-30% of our students in grades K-6 utilize this program. I am proud of the reviews I am hearing from all the sites and the wonderful care our children are receiving. I know Karen has been visiting a lot and we are trying to implement a lot new ideas. Give your site directors a pat on the back! We are fortunate to live in a school district where the children come first!

Have a wonderful weekend! Rhonda Bishop, Principal

Willard South Elementary

What a busy week! We had a great crowd for parent teacher conferences and fall parties. I want to personally thank each and every parent for attending parent teacher conferences this week. It is great to see you taking an active role in your child's education. We appreciate your dedication and commitment to our district. I also want to congratulate all of the fourth grade students who scored advanced on the MAP test last spring. They were recognized during our Tiger Pride Assembly last week and enjoyed a pizza party and dodge ball game on Monday. I would also like to recognize all of the students who received Most Valuable Tiger. They enjoyed lunch and a book from the book fair on Tuesday. CONGRATULATIONS and keep up the GREAT work! Don't forget that school will not be in session on Friday, October 31st. Have a wonderful three day weekend! Kara Crighton-Smith, Principal

Upcoming Events: November 4th-Don't forget to VOTE! November 6th-Elementary Attendance Boundary Meeting at Willard East 7:30 November 7th-Fourth Grade Field Trip to Jefferson City & PTO Chili Supper 6:00-8:00

Kara Crighton-Smith, Principal

Willard City Park News

I wish to thank everyone who participated in our first ever Movie in the Park event that was held on Saturday, October 18th at 7:00pm at the Jackson Street Park. Over 400 people attended. We watched Monster House and E.T. Thank you also to everyone who participated in our fall soccer and volleyball league. Currently basketball practices have begun for our Recreational Basketball League. Games for the season begin November 1st. I wish to especially thank all of our coaches for basketball, soccer and volleyball. Our sports leagues would not be possible without you.

Please review the listed activities below and I want to encourage everyone to get involved.

Kevin McDonald Parks and Recreation Director City of Willard

NEW WILLARD PARKS AND RECREATION WEBSITE: Willard Parks and Recreation is in the process of creating a new website. Work has begun on it and the new site will launch December 1st, 2008. The new site will be updated daily and will make registration easier.

Willard Swimming Pool: Willard's new swimming pool is currently under construction. The new pool will be completed in June 2008. Stop by Jackson Street Park to check out the progress.

Willard Cardinals Night: Go ahead and mark your calendars now. The City of Willard will be hosting a community wide outing to the Springfield Cardinals game on June 4th, 2009. The entire public is invited to attend. Tickets will go on sale in May 2009.

Music in the Park: Willard Parks and Recreation will be hosting Music in the Park events in 2009. Willard's Music in the Park will be held at the Jackson Street Park in the summer of next year. Currently we are looking for sponsors for the 2009 Willard Music in the Park series. The series will be three Saturday nights. The City of Willard is looking for three sponsors to sponsor $300 for one of the performances. Included in the sponsorship will be your name in all of the advertising and special thanks the night of the event. For example we would call the events City of Willard, along with your name, present Music the Park 2009. If you are interested in sponsoring this please contact me at your earliest convenience. We want to have the sponsors in place by December 1st, 2008 so we can begin planning and so we can put the sponsors in the 2009 Parks Department Calendar of Events that will be distributed throughout all of next Year. Please join with Willard Parks and Recreation to bring Music in the Park to our community.

New Willard Horseshoe Pits: Willard Parks and Recreation has added a new horseshoe pit at the Willard Recreation Center. The new pit is located behind the Recreation Center by the baseball fields. Horseshoes are available for checkout everyday inside the Rec. Center for free. The horseshoe pit will be open everyday that the Recreation Center is open. For more information please contact (417)742-2262.

Christmas at the Willard Recreation Center: On Saturday December 13th at 6:30pm, come to the Willard Recreation Center. We will be watching a Christmas movie in the gym and you can come and get your picture taken with Santa. Also we will be hosting a Silent Auction (items include sports memorabilia and gift certificates from local businesses). All proceeds from the night will benefit the Willard Baseball Program. Dont miss the first annual Christmas in Willard at the Recreation Center.

Winter Camp Registration: Are you looking for a place for your child to go during the Winter Break? Sign them up for the Willard Parks and Recreation Winter Camp. Registration will be held November 17th through December 12th. The camp days are December 22, 23, 26, 29, 30, 2008 & January 2, 2009. Ages accepted will be K - 6th grade and the fee is $17.50 per day.

Fall Competitive Basketball Registration: Sign up is going on now for Willard's 2008 Fall Competitive Basketball League. The league is for grades 3rd-4th and 5th-6th boys and girls. Fees are $200 for in town teams and $225 for out of town teams. All games will be held at the Willard Recreation Center. The deadline to register is November 2nd. Registration forms are available at the Recreation Center. For more information call 742-2262.

Thank you so much!

Kevin McDonald Director of Willard Parks and Recreation 133 N State Hwy Z P.O. Box 187 Willard, MO 65781 (417) 742-2262 fax - (417) 742-6868