District Newsletter

Kindergarten screening dates for FY2009-10 Willard Central/Willard North: May 4 & 5 Willard East/Willard South: May 7 & 8

Parents should call the school the student will attend for an appointment after Spring Break. Children who will be attending Orchard Hills will be screened at Willard South and Willard Central. Mrs. Rhonda Bishop, Orchard Hills Principal, will be attending screenings at Willard South and Willard Central, to greet her new students. Please bring the following items with you to the screening: immunization records, proof of residency, social security card, birth certificate. All kindergartners are required to have an eye exam before entering kindergarten.

Willard Central: 831-4440 Willard East: 742-4639 Willard North: 742-2597 Willard South: 862-6308

Make-up days will be scheduled as follows: March 23 First Day of Spring Break April 13 Monday after Easter

If we miss one more day, we will make it up on Tuesday, March 24. Any additional days will be made up the last week of May.

District Office

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), signed into law last week, provides for more than $100 billion nationwide for elementary, secondary and postsecondary education. There are MANY questions that currently have no answers. We are awaiting direction from DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) . It is expected that the U.S. Department of Education will soon provide states with specific program guidance, allowing DESE to share the impact of additional education funding with Missouri public schools. Governor Nixon has established the Transform Missouri Initiative to identify state programs and projects that could benefit from recovery act funds and to develop a coordinated plan to maximize the benefit of the act's resources. DESE is working with the Transform Missouri Initiative to provide information to the Governor's Office regarding education-related issues.

Federal stimulus dollars designated for education include: * $53.6 billion for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, including $39.5 billion to local school districts using existing funding formulas, which can be used for preventing cutbacks, preventing layoffs, school modernization, or other purposes. * $5 billion to states as bonus grants for meeting key performance measures in education; and $8.8 billion to states for high priority needs such as public safety and other critical services, which may include education and for modernization, renovation and repairs of public school facilities and institutions of higher education facilities. * $13 billion for Title 1 to help close the achievement gap and enable disadvantaged students to reach their academic potential. * $12.2 billion for Special Education/IDEA to improve educational outcomes for disabled children. This level of funding will increase the Federal share of special education services to its highest level ever. * $15.6 billion to increase the maximum Pell Grant by $500. This aid will help 7 million students pursue postsecondary education. * $3.95 billion for job training including State formula grants for adult, dislocated worker, and youth programs. This includes $1.2 billion to create up to one million summer jobs for youth. Currently we have not received specific information to know the exact amounts which will be allocated to the State of Missouri and then to the Willard district. We must be very careful as we craft the budget for 2009-2010 to not consider this money permanent and at the same time know that the purpose of these funds is to reinvest money into the economy through benefits to schools. The Board of Education and Administration will work through this together to utilize these funds to create the greatest opportunities for our staff and students.

Have a great weekend!

Kent

Dr. Kent E. Medlin Superintendent of Schools

Director of Activities Mother Nature is such a tease! It's been in the 70's for the past two days and now they are calling for snow on Saturday! Of course it is time to start spring sports!

All spring sports will be starting on Monday and everyone is excited. Baseball, track, girl's soccer, and boy's golf will all be in the spotlight at the high school. The middle school will be breaking new ground as the inaugural year of middle school softball gets underway under the direction of first year coach Season James. Good luck to all spring sport participants and coaches.

Winter sports has officially come to an end for our Tigers but Willard continues to put it's best foot forward by hosting the Class 5, District 12 championship games tonight. The girls will start things of with a 6:00 tip-off between #1 seed Neosho and the #2 seed Central. This will be followed by the boys championship game at 7:45 between #1 seed Central and the # 2 seed Hillcrest. We will also be hosting the Class 2 Sectional games on Wednesday, March 11. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the coaches, athletes, workers, volunteers, and parents who helped make this season special.

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

Special Services This past week Willard East Elementary (particularly Principal Melinda Miller) demonstrated just how truly amazing technology can be. A meeting was scheduled with the school and a family to discuss information pertaining to their child. Hundreds of meetings, such as this, are scheduled through out the district each year, but this one meeting will forever stand out in our memories. One of the childs parents is serving over seas with the United States Services. Instead of the other parent attending the meeting and then trying to later relay the information to the overseas parent by phone or e-mail, Principal Melinda Miller set up communication through Skype. Skype is software that allows users to make telephone calls over the Internet. The team was able to coordinate the schedules (and time differences) of the school and the parent overseas so that everyone could take part, give input, and come to a conclusion. It was such an eye opener to think outside of the box when bringing the child's team together. The most touching part of all was after the meeting was complete the student was brought into the room for a surprise phone call from their parent. Way to go Willard East and Principal Melinda Miller! And a sincere thank you for the family's participation and dedication to serving our country. We are grateful. Shannon Roberts, Process Coordinator

Willard High School This week, the high school has participated in a building-wide focus to reduce tardies. Students and staff have done a great job in the program and we anxiously await the final results of the data. The "Tardy Sweep Week" began as an initiative to reduce the total student tardy numbers for second semester. It has been a great week, and, as always, our students have risen to the challenge.

Although Mr. Staley will talk about hosting the district basketball tournament, I wanted to take a moment and say thank you to the parents and community members who partner with the school to make large events possible. I am always amazed at the support "team" of patrons who volunteer, contribute, and work to make our functions work seamlessly. It was a fantastic opportunity for our district to showcase the wonderful facilities provided by our patrons. Stewart Pratt, Principal

Willard Middle School Greetings from the Willard Middle School. As we prepare to turn the calendar to March, the spring activities are upon us, and opportunities to get involved or simply enjoy watching others will come in many forms. The musical "Willy Wanka" began last night (Thurs) and will conclude tonight. The middle school students got a sneak preview Thursday morning, and by all accounts, it was a great success. Tryouts for the play "The Trial of the Big Bad Wolf" conclude today as well, and we look forward to seeing what these talented kids will do with this story later this spring. Softball and Track seasons begin on Monday, and the band is preparing for contest in Marshfield on the 14th of March. Also coming up is the annual trip to Washington D.C. , which will involve a large number of our students, teachers, and parents. Finally, the big news of the week. March the 13th is officially known as Pi day, which is a big day in the math department, and will involve a competition to see who can go to the furthest digit past the customary 3.14........... The winner of this contest will have a rare treat indeed. Rumar has it that the winner will be able to throw a "Pi"e in the face of our beloved principal Mrs.Sims. We are all thankful to have a leader who is sooooo willing to do whatever it takes to motivate kids to learn. And I think the adults might enjoy Pi day just a little as well. Thanks for checking with us, and have a great week. Tom Merriott Asst. Principal

Willard Intermediate School It seems that our early spring weather has come to an abrupt end. It was great while it lasted! WIS has been suffering through our first real bout of illness this year. We have had many students and teachers absent due to illness. We encourage everyone to practice good hand washing and to get plenty of rest.

Coach Highfill has our students pumped up about the Hoops for Hearts competition. This is a great program that benefits the American Heart Association. Be looking for your student to bring home information.

Our building spelling bee competition continues this week as we look to crown our building champion that will represent WIS in the KY3 bee next month. Some of the team and grade level competitions have been brutal with the students exhausting over 100 words before finding a winner. Good luck to everyone!

Upcoming events: PTO meeting 3/5 at 6 PM 3/9 3rd quarter ends 3/12 grade cards go home

Tom Davis, Principal

Willard Central Elementary Providing Unique Student Help is the mission of the PUSH Program that started this week at WC. During PUSH, teachers work with 3rd and 4th grade students after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays for 6 weeks before MAP testing. The goal of this program is to provide students with individualized instruction in Communication Arts and Mathematics as they prepare for the upcoming MAP test. Students work through sample reading and writing activities that are similar to the items they will see on the MAP test. Students then receive individualized feedback on their answers to show how they would have scored. Teachers celebrate the strong parts of the student's responses and work with them to provide specific input on how to strengthen their work. In math, the students work through online tutorials in the computer lab or technology rooms that are based on their individual learning needs. Through this process, students gain confidence in their preparation for MAP while receiving personalized assistance from teachers.

As a principal, I feel blessed to have teachers from all grade levels and special areas give so much of their "personal time" to help our students succeed. The staff and I also appreciate the time and energy of our students and their families as they participate in the after school PUSH Program. This is just another example of how Willard Central is Wild About Learning! ~Shane Medlin, Principal

Willard East Elementary WILLARD EAST READ-A-THON IS UNDERWAY!!! Students are reading and raising money this week to see if they can really get Principal Miller to sit on the roof and read for one full day! Our goal is $4,000. We know how big a challenge this is going to be in these economic times but ask and you shall receive. Our community has asked that we do a more learning center fundraiser for years. Hopefully this will be a huge success and we can continue for years to come. The kids are really excited! The challenge is based on the book Miss Malarky Leaves No Reader Behind. This week I read this book to each class. I won't be surprised if we meet our goal and then some!!!

Virtual Learning Experience - Last weekend 10 Willard teachers participated in an online learning experience at the Library Station. Some colleagues of mine in Colorado were hosting a technology conference that anyone in the world could attend "virtually" over the internet. After working through some normal technology glitches they were off and running. Participants could see into the classroom and type into a chatroom and virtually interact with teachers, administrators, and technology directors in Colorado. Every day there are free online learning events for teachers. Since last Saturday there have been 15 opportunities to participate in a online learning experience for FREE. Can you imagine what will someday be out there for our children? Thank you to the teachers who participated and I look forward to hosting another event. Melinda Miller, Principal

Willard North Elementary Willard North students kicked off a busy week with Jump Rope for Heart. Each grade level took a day and jumped to raise money for the American Heart Association. Students did a great job, and we are all exhausted!

We also had our Super Tiger Celebration on Wednesday. We honored many student achievements from Paw on the Wall Awards to Graduation from Speech. Congratulations to all the 4th grades that made Honor Roll!! That is quite an accomplishment.

Upcoming Events: Come join us on Tuesday, March 3rd from 4:00 to 8:00 for McTeacher Night. Teachers will be slinging fries and making shakes that night. All proceeds will go towards MAP incentive for the students who are gearing up to take the MAP test this April.

Our "Wild West" Carnival Fundraiser will be Friday, March 13th. (Carnival will NOT be on the 6th, please mark you calendars for the 13th instead.) This year our "Wild West" theme has roped in some cowboys and outlaws as well. There will be great food at the Chuck Wagon and Fantastic Games. Don't forget to buy your wristband so that you can play all night. Fun starts at Sundown from 6:00pm to 9:00p.m.

Have a restful weekend! Principals Rhonda Bishop and Angela Stevens

Willard South Elementary Last night was our Science Night here at Willard South. Students enjoyed dry ice experiments, making Goop, and learning about magnets and electricity. Students also had the opportunity to use our new rock wall that was purchased by Conco. We had an amazing crowd of over 150 people! A BIG thank you to our Math and Science Cadre and the Mad Scientists for all of their hard work and wonderful experiments.

UPCOMING EVENTS: 2/28-4th Grade Honor Choir will be performing at SBU 3/2-Read Across America celebration; Dr. Seuss' B-Day and all school read from 8:45-9:00 3/3-School pictures; Wear Stripes; McTeacher's Night on West Chestnut Expressway from 4-8 3/4-Hat Day 3/5-WHS Theater Performance 10:10-10:40 3/6-Guest Readers in the library 9:00-11:30

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 (417)742-2262 <http://www.cityofwillard.org>www.cityofwillard.org

Willard Parks and Recreation

Kevin McDonald: Director Courtney Wendel: Sports Coordinator Sherry Bowen: Front Desk Programmer

Letter from the Director: I wish to thank everyone who participants in any of our programs, sports or events. We currently have a lot of activities going on and the participation is great! We have a lot of exciting upcoming activities and I want to encourage everyone to participate in all that we have going on. This year, we will be offering many new and exciting family friendly events. Please check out the activities below and call us if you have any questions. Our number is 417-742-2262. Also let me encourage you to visit us on the web at <http://www.willardparks.com>www.willardparks.com. While you are at the website please take part in our online poll. 2009 is going to be a great year for Willard Parks and Recreation!!

Project Playground: Willard Parks & Recreation is under taking a project for 2009. The project is entitled Project Playground. The goal of this project is to raise $12,000. The raised money will be used to purchase and install a new playground at the Highline Soccer Park (home of the Willard Soccer & Flag Football league). Events will be planned throughout 2009 to raise funds.

1st Event: Silent Auction Information: Willard Parks and Recreation will be hosting a Silent Auction on Saturday February 28th, 2009 to raise funds for Project Playground. The Silent Auction will be held in the community room at the Willard Recreation Center from 1:00pm 7:00pm. We encourage everyone to come and support Project Playground.

Auction Items Include:

4 tickets for a St. Louis Billikens Mens Soccer Game

One night hotel stays for two at Bally's Saloon & Gambling Hall in Robinsonville, MS

4 Passes to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City

2 Passes to Ripley's Believe It or Not in Branson, MO

4 Passes to the Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, MO

2 One Day Passes to Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO

4 Passes to the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield

2 Passes to the TN Shindig in Pigeon Forge, TN

2 Tickets to a St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Concert

4 Passes to Powell Gardens in Kingsville, MO

2 Passes for a Ozark Sightseeing Cruise on Lake Taneycomo

4 Passes to IMAX in Branson, MO

$100 Gift Certificate to the Worlds Largest Putt-Putt Family Park in Memphis, TN

4 Passes for general admission to the Science Museum of Oklahoma

4 Passes for the St. Louis Missouri Botanical Garden

2 Tickets to the Grand Country Music Hall in Branson

Duke University Fan Pack including a shirt, beads, bumper sticker and an XBOX NCAA College Hoops 2K7 game

One Night Hotel Stay at Fitz Hotel and Casino in Tunica, MS

2 Passes to Titanic in Branson

2 Passes to Six Flag St. Louis

2 Passes to Six Flags in Gurnee, IL

Autographed DVD Movie (RUDY) by the real Rudy Ruetiger

8 X 10 Autographed Picture of Peyton Manning

Springfield Cardinals Autographed Hat

4 Passes to the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, IN

Autographed Mini Football Helmet by St. Louis Rams Player Mark Setterstorm

Autographed Chicago Bulls Basketball Official Yearbook

Autographed Puck from the Detroit Redwings Professional Hockey Team

4 Passes to the Tulsa Zoo

$15 Gift Certificate to Scandals Day Spa in St. Louis, MO

Autographed full size basketball by the University of Wake Forest Mens Basketball Team

AND MUCH MUCH MORE!!

Please attend and help us reach our goal of $12,000!!

Tot Time: Willard Parks and Recreation is offering Tot-Time for toilet trained youths ages 3-5. Sessions will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00am 11:00am at the Recreation Center. The fee is $55 per month. Tuition dues are at the beginning of each month. Registration forms are available at the Recreation Center.

Missouri State Bears: Willard Parks & Recreation presents The Missouri State Bears Mens Basketball Team and Coaches on Saturday April 25th from 10:00am 12:00pm. Come meet, take pictures and get autographs from the players and coaches. The event is free to attend and will be held at the Willard Recreation Center in the Murray Community Room. Dont miss this great opportunity to meet collegiate athletes in person. For more information please contact (417)742-2262.

St. Patricks Day Dance: Willard Parks and Recreation will be hosting a St. Patrick's Day Dance at the Willard Recreation Center on Friday March 13th from 8:00pm 10:00pm. All That Music DJ Service will be DJing the event. Admission to attend is $1 to benefit Project Playground or a canned good item to benefit the Willard Food Pantry. All ages are welcome to attend. Concessions will be available and you can enjoy punch and cake courtesy of the Willard Parks Department. Don't miss this exciting event as Willard Parks and Recreation presents the first ever Willard St. Patrick's Day Dance. For more information call 742-2262 or visit <http://www.willardparks.com>www.willardparks.com.

Willard's First Triathlon: Willard Parks and Recreation in conjunction with Ridge Runner Sports will be hosting our first Triathlon on Saturday June 20th beginning at the Community Building. The Triathlon entitled the Frisco Runaway Triathlon is $40 to participate. The race includes running, swimming and biking through and around Willard. Registration forms are available at the Recreation Center.

Spring Break Camp: Willard Parks and Recreation will be hosting a Spring Break Camp for grade K - 6th from March 24th thru March 27th at the Recreation Center. The fee to attend is $17.00 per day or $68 for the entire week. Camp hours are 7:00am 6:00pm. Registration forms are available online at <http://www.willardparks.com>www.willardparks.com and are available at the Recreation Center.

Freedom Fest: Preparation has begun for Freedom Fest 2009. This 4th of July Celebration will be held Saturday July 4th. Visit <http://www.willardparks.com>www.willardparks.com in the coming months for details.

New Willard Aquatic Center: Construction continues on the new Willard Aquatic Center. Drive by Jackson St. Park to check out the progress. The pool is expected to be completed in May/June.

The Willard Park Board and the Willard Board of Mayor & Alderman have officially voted and approved the following for the new Willard Aquatic Center.

Admission Prices: Daily: Ages 3 12: $3 Ages 13 & Older: $4 Senior Citizens: $3

Season Passes: Depending on Official Open Date May 23rd - September 7th June 8th - September 7th Ages 3-12: $75 Ages 3-12: $70

Ages 13 & Older: $90 Ages 13 & Older: $85

Senior Citizens: $75 Senior Citizens: $70

KenKarJu-Ryu 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.

Session 1: 1/5 2/26 Session 2: 3/2 4/30 Session 3: 6/1 7/23 Session 4: 8/3 9/28 Session 5: 10/5 11/23

Childrens Dance Classes: Register now for Childrens Dance. Hurry, spots are limited. Creative Dance: Ages 3-5: Classes on Tuesday Afternoons Ballet and Tap: Ages 5 & up: Classes on Tuesdays & Thursdays Jazz: Ages 9 & up: Classes on Tuesdays

Classes are 8 weeks. The fee is $50 - $65. Registration forms are availability at the Recreation Center. For more information please call Ms. Patrice at 818-3659 or 833-8631

Beginner Belly Dancing: Willard Parks and Recreation will be offering Belly Dancing Classes. All adults are eligible to attend. The cost is $40 per participant. This program is a 5 week session and will be held on Wednesdays from 7:00pm to 8:00pm. Spots are limited. Registration forms are available at the Recreation Center.

Session 1: 1/14 - 2/11 Session 2: 2/18 - 3/18 Session 3: 4/1 - 4/29 Session 4: 5/6 - 6/3

Upcoming Sports Registrations:

Spring Soccer Registration: March 2nd - March 31st Spring Soccer is for grades pre-k 6th. The fee to participate is $35. Games: April 25th - May 30th (Saturday games)

Flag Football Registration: March 2nd - 31st Flag Football is for grades 1st - 6th. The fee to participate is $35. Games: April 25th - May 30th (Saturday games)

Spring Volleyball Registration: March 2nd - 31st Spring Volleyball Registration is for grades 1st - 6th. The fee to participate is $35. Games: April 28th May 26th (Friday games)

Competitive Baseball Registration: March 2nd - March 31st Competitive Baseball Registration is for 3rd - 6th grade. The fee to participate is $200 for in town teams and $225 for out of town teams.

Competitive Soccer Registration: March 2nd - 31st Competitive Soccer Registration is for U8 U15. The fee to participate is $200 for in town teams and $225 for out of town teams.

Adult Basketball Session 2: Willard Parks and Recreation will be offering session 2 of adult basketball from March 14th - April 11th at the Recreation Center. The deadline to register is February 28th, 2009. Fees are $250 per team. All teams will play 7 games. Registration forms are available now at the Recreation Center.

Adult Volleyball: Willard Parks and Recreation is offering an adult volleyball league from March 5th - April 16th at the Recreation Center. The deadline to register is February 28th, 2009. Fees are $175 per team. Games will be played on Thursday and Friday nights. All teams will play 7 games. Registration forms are available now at the Recreation Center.

3 v 3 Basketball League: Willard Parks and Recreation is offering a 3 v 3 basketball league for all high school grades. Games will be held on Monday afternoons from March 2nd - March 23rd. The deadline to register is February 21st, 2009. All teams will play 6 games plus a tournament. Fees are $50 per team. Registration forms are available now.

April Sports Camps: In April, Willard Parks and Recreation will be hosting 3 sports camps instructed by the Willard High School Athletic Department.

Camp: Soccer Location: Highline Soccer Park Day/Date: Saturday April 18th Times: K thru 2nd grade 9:00am - 12:00pm & 3rd thru 6th grade 1:00pm - 4:00pm

Camp: Volleyball Location: Willard Recreation Center Day/Date: Saturday April 18th Times: K thru 2nd grade 9:00am - 12:00pm & 3rd thru 6th grade 1:00pm - 4:00pm

Camp: Flag Football Location: Highline Soccer Park Day/Date: Sunday April 19th Times: 1st thru 6th Grade 1:00pm - 4:00pm

If you have any questions please contact the Recreation Center at (417)742-2262.

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

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