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 day is scheduled as follows: April 13 Monday after Easter

District Office

Tuesday, April 7th, we will all be given an awesome opportunity and responsibility; the privilege of voting. The U.S. constitution delegates the authority over public education to the individual states. The State of Missouri has supported the stance of local control of education for decades. This stance establishes local school districts which are to be governed with the oversight of elected community officials. These elected officials assume delegated duties, power, and authority from the state of Missouri. All states have differing rules and statutes. Some states elect the Superintendent along with the members of the Board of Education. Some states believe in county schools with one Board and Superintendent serving over several communities. The State of Hawaii is one giant school district. Some states allow for the mayor of the city in which the school district exists to have authority over the school. Once again I am glad to live in Southwest Missouri. The system that is utilized in Missouri is in my opinion a very common sense approach to the governing of public education. However, the whole system breaks down if patrons do not exercise their right to vote. I attended the "Meet the Candidate" forum for potential school board members last night at Central Elementary. I would like to thank Cindy Miles, Tiffany Houghtaling and MSTA for hosting the event. All potential board members present were passionate and articulate in their comments. A general pride and appreciation for our district was communicated by all. The candidates for school board are listed below.

Candidates for 3 Year Term:

• John Lilly
• Mike Graves
• Bobby Gene Hampton, III
• Jack McConnell

Candidates for 1 Year Term:

• Bill Lingenfelser
• Kip Baker

Jennifer Fickbohm is running unopposed for a 2 Year Term and will automatically be elected to the position.

Please mark your calendar to vote on Tuesday!

Have a great weekend!

Kent

Dr. Kent E. Medlin Superintendent of Schools

Director of Activities

Well, we are back from Spring Break and, as usual, Mother Nature can't seem to make up her mind on what kind of weather to give to the Ozarks. 70 degrees one day and then 45 and rainy the next! Oh well, time to focus on the things that are warm.

Baseball is off to a hot start after defeating Aurora, Joplin (first time in over 30 years!), and Waynesville for a 3-1 start to the season. The tigers will continue in the Willard Lead-Off Tournament tonight as they take on Ash Grove at 4:30. That game will be followed by Mansfield vs. Strafford at 7:00. The tournament will conclude on Saturday with games starting at 9:00am. The championship game is scheduled for 7:30pm. Good luck Tigers!

The lady tiger soccer team is battling the elements to get some games in. They will play in the Christian County Soccer Tournament this weekend before hosting Bolivar on Monday starting at 4:30. They will then host COC opponent Neosho on Tuesday before traveling to Greenwood on Thursday. Both games will start at 4:30. While we are on soccer. Progress continues on the soccer press box/storage building. Thanks to the efforts of the maintenance department and the students in the building trades classes, the project should be completed very soon.

Track had their first meet rained out yesterday in Branson. They will try it again today with events starting at 4:00. They will then travel to the Aurora Relays next Thursday.

The WHS Chamber Choir competed at the Chicago Choral Festival during Spring Break. They competed against choirs from New York, Canada, California, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Missouri. Let's see....how do you think they did? THEY DID AWESOME! WHS Chamber earned a total of 14 awards including: Top Choral Group, First Place Chamber Choir, First Place Women's Choir, First Place Men's Choir, Sweepstakes, Maestro Award - to Tim Huskisson, Gold Award for Chamber Choir and Women's Choir and Men's Choir, and many more!

I would like to issue two special thank you's. First to Chris Church, Vicki Meraz, John Paul Chapman, and the many volunteers that made last Saturday's Mid Continent Color Guard Championships at Willard so successful. There were over 75 groups from Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas that competed and Willard hosted with class! The second thank you goes to Luciana Brown, Bob Andrus, and Season James for working so diligently with the new middle school softball program. Willard is one of 5 schools in southwest Missouri to have such a program and the girls played their first game ever last Tuesday. They played hard , they played together, and they did it with class!....sound familiar?

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

Special Services

Willard High School Special Services is hosting its annual Transition Fair on April 7, 2009, 6:00 - 8:00 pm in the high school commons. This event is a gathering of representatives from community agencies who offer services and information to students with disabilities and their families as they make the transition from high school to adult life. Approximately 15 agencies will be present, providing information on such topics as postsecondary education, vocational assessment and training, financial services, independent living, and housing. Among the agencies that will be represented are: The ARC of the Ozarks, Missouri Career Center, Vocational Rehabilitation, AO Employment, Springfield Housing Authority, Springfield Workshop Inc., and Ozarks Technical College. The Transition Fair is an opportunity for students and families to meet with a variety of agencies in one location, to have questions answered, and to learn what resources are available in Willard, Springfield, and the surrounding area that help graduates prepare for adult living. Particular thanks go to high school special services teacher Erica Poulson for heading up this effort. Kelli Akers, Process Coordinator

Willard High School

Wow&What happened? Did we really have a spring break? That was fast! Several of the comments that echoed in the commons on Monday morning as we came back to school. Many students spoke of travels, sleeping in, chores, and earning a little more money at work. We hope everyone rejuvenated their "batteries", as we charge into the last 30+ days.

A quick reminder that End Of Course Exams testing will be April 28th, April 30th, May 5th, and May 7th. Please check calendars as WHS begins State Testing of our students. It is imperative that students be in attendance and rested, to reach their highest potential on the tests.

The Willard High School Science Department wishes to reconnect with our graduates who are working in science-related professions. We want our current students to have a greater appreciation for the opportunities they have in science by seeing the number, diversity and achievements of professionals who were once, like them, WHS science students. We hope that in the near future we can establish a WHS Science Hall of Fame to honor the accomplishments of our most outstanding graduates.

We would appreciate your sending us the names and contact information of any WHS graduates you know who are currently working in a science-related field or profession. Please send information to Lynn Crandall at <mailto:lcrandal@willard.k12.mo.us>lcrandal@willard.k12.mo.u s

Lastly, senior parents please check the WHS website for a link to Graduation information. The PowerPoint presentation was given to the Senior Class in early March and provides valuable information surrounding Graduation on May 15th and the close of school for the Senior Class of 2009. Senior parents are urged strongly to examine the ppt link. Stewart Pratt, Principal

Willard Middle School

Greetings from Willard Middle School. We have rolled the calendar over to April, and with that comes the always exciting MAP testing time. We will be preparing over the next couple of weeks, and the actual testing begins on April 15th, (also tax day!) and we will be doing all that we can to motivate our students to show what they can do. The room next to my office is full of snacks, "smart" water, and other goodies. Many hours go into making this a successful venture, and we appreciate the hard work that the kids, the teachers, and parents put into this. Any positive word that you as a parent can add to encourage your son/daughter will be greatly valued, and we thank you in advance.

Along with the anticipation of MAP time, we have many other activities going on as usual. This week marked the first ever middle school girls softball game, and it was a fantastic night. We had two games against a visiting Branson Lady Pirates team, and we split the contests, losing 1-3, and winning 19-4. There was a great crowd, the girls played well, and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves , although it was a bit cool as the evening progressed. Several girls who have never participated in school sports were able to be a part of something pretty special, and it was great to see their faces as they went through the experience. The track team took the bus ride to Rogersville this week, and will host their first home meet this afternoon (Friday) here at Willard. Cheerleading tryouts will be next week on the 8th, and the 8th grade dance is coming up on the 30th, and tickets must be purchased in advance. Finally, a reminder that we will not have school on Good Friday, next week, but we will be in session on Monday the 13th, to make up our last snow day. Have a great weekend, and thanks for checking on us. Tom Merriott WMS Asst. Principal

Willard Central Elementary

As an elementary principal, I often attend evening school events. However, on Tuesday evening, I had the privilege of bringing my children to the Parents As Teachers Kindergarten Readiness Night at Willard Central. It was great to see parents engaging with their children and practicing skills for Kindergarten Screening. It was fun to be dad for a change and enjoy playing rhyming games, catch, counting, patterning and many other learning activities with my own children. Our Parents As Teachers educators do a fantastic job and on behalf of all of the other parents and students in attendance, I want to thank and congratulate them on a wonderful evening. Early childhood education is critical for students future success in school and their efforts are greatly appreciated.

As we look ahead to the coming weeks, please mark you calendars for these April events:

• Tuesday 7th School Board Elections
• Thursday 9th Test Success Assembly for MAP 2:45
• Friday 10th NO SCHOOL EASTER
• Monday 13th School in session. Snow make up day
• Monday 13th PTO meeting 6:00
• Tuesday 14th Friday 17th MAP testing
• Tuesday 14th Kindergarten Field Trip to Zoo
• Friday 17th 2nd Grade Field Trip
• Wednesday 22nd 4th Grade Field Trip to Jefferson City

Shane Medlin, Principal

Willard East Elementary

Principal on the roof April 24th - The date has been set! Please be sure to honk when you drive by that day!

Read-a-Thon Winners - We will be recognizing our top fundraisers today at Tiger Pride assembly! Brianna S. = $200, Haydon W. = $155 and Zach B. $135. These students are going to receive gift certificates to our Spring Book Fair. Congratulations!!!

Hat's on for Community Service - Today's proceeds will go to Isabel's House - Crisis nursery of the Ozarks. Lots of hats today and hope to reach our $100 goal

MAP Central - The MAP test is coming! The MAP test is coming! And we are ready! The week of April 13th our 3rd and 4th grade students will make us proud. The amount of progress these students and teachers make over the course of a year is amazing. Melinda Miller, Principal

Willard North Elementary

We hope everyone enjoyed a restful Spring Break. We sure did! We kicked the week off with a Willard North Pizza Inn Night on Monday. Teachers waited on tables, refreshed drinks, and took orders for parents and students. Thank you to everyone that came and ate lots of pizza!

We are gearing up for MAP testing with our third and 4th grades. Activities include a pancake breakfast for the 3rd grade as well as a MAP assembly for the whole school.

Everyone have a safe and fun weekend! Principals Rhonda Bishop and Angela Stevens

Willard South Elementary

I hope everyone enjoyed their spring break despite the weather. It seems as though our days have been more like winter than spring! I am sure all of that will change soon as we approach April and May. This week students and teachers have been getting back into our school routine. Our third and fourth grade students are preparing for our upcoming MAP test April 14-17. They have been working hard and I am confident they will do their best. Our fourth grade teachers have been offering MAPAttack after school on Thursdays for students. It is a fun academic incentive for students to study and prepare for MAP. On Tuesday, our third grade teachers had a MAP Parent Night for all families. This was a great opportunity to showcase student work, display MAP released items and answer any questions. I would like to thank all of my third and fourth grade teachers for their hard work in preparing students! Have a great weekend. 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

www.cityofwillard.org

Kevin McDonald: Director Courtney Wendel: Sports Coordinator Brandon Eckhardt: Recreation Specialist Tina Christiensen: Front Desk Programmer

Visit www.willardparks.com today and take part in the online opinion poll. New information has been added to the site!!

Willard's Annual Easter Egg Hunt: Tomorrow (Saturday) at 9:00am Enjoy the first Willard Easter Carnival after the Hunt!! When: Saturday April 4th Where: Willard Recreation Center (meeting inside the large gym) Time: 9:00am Who: 0-3 may hunt with an adult, 4-6 may hunt by themselves & 7-12 hunt by themselves What: Meet the Easter Bunny, get your face painted, hunt for eggs, play games and much more!! NEW: While at the hunt you will be able to take free pictures with the Easter Bunny!!

US Soccer Foundation Grant: Willard Parks and Recreation has been awarded a grant in the amount of $4000. This grant was applied for last October. The money will be used to benefit the Willard Soccer Program and the opening of the new Willard Highline Soccer Park. Willard was one of 27 communities selected nation wide and one of two communities selected in Missouri to receive the grant.

Scholarship Grant: Through a generous donation, over $500 is available in the Sports Scholarship Program Fund. This provides a total of 14 scholarships for the 2009 year. If you are interested in signing up for a sports scholarship please email <mailto:parkdir@cityofwillard.org>parkdir@cityofwillard.org.

Blood Drive: 9:30am -12:30pm on Saturday April 4th at the Willard Recreation Center. For eligibility check out <http://www.cbco.org/>www.cbco.org.

Missouri State Bears: Willard Parks & Recreation presents The Missouri State Bears Mens Basketball Team and Coaches on Saturday April 25th from 10:00am 122:00pm. 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. Don't miss this great opportunity to meet collegiate athletes in person. For more information please contact (417)742-2262.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Movie in the Park: Friday May 22nd at Jackson St. Park at 9:00pm (Kung Fu Panda) Willard Outing to the Springfield Cardinals Game: June 4th

Willard Rummage Sale: Willard Parks and Recreation will be hosting a Rummage Sale on Saturday April 25th from 8:00am - 1:00pm. Cost for a booth space is $15 and $2 for table. Call (417)742-2262 to reserve your booth. This is a huge yard sale (but indoors of course)!!

Summer Camp Registration: May 1st 15th > 2009 Theme: Around the World in 80 Days Willard Parks and Recreation will be providing summer camp for children who have completed Kindergarten thru completion of 5th grade. Session 1 camp will run May 26th - June 26th. Camp hours will be 7::00am 6:00pm Monday through Friday. Campers will need a lunch brought to camp each day. 2 daily snacks will be provided. Daily activities, camp shirts and field trips are included in the tuition fee. Tuition fees are $95 per week (prepay weekly- no prorated weeks are available). First week of camp is $76 due to Monday May 25th being a holiday. If entire session 1 tuition fees are paid in full, there is a $5 discount per week. Registration forms are available at the Willard 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.

Scout Project: Thank you to Willard High Student Dale Hamilton for agreeing to construct two new signs for Jackson St. Park. Dale will be constructing these signs in the coming weeks. This project is so Dale can obtain his Eagle Scout.

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.

Conco Quarries Donation: Willard Parks and Recreation would like to thank Conco Quarries for donating $5000 to the Willard Parks Department. The donation will help fund family friendly events in 2009. Thank you Conco!!

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 77:30pm 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 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

Spring Sports Registrations: Sign up Now: Spring Soccer Registration: March 2nd April 15th Spring Soccer is for grades pre-k 8th. The fee to participate is $35.. Games: April 25th May 30th (Saturday games)

Flag Football Registration: March 2nd April 15th Flag Football is for grades 1st 8th. The fee to participate is $35. Games: April 25th May 30th (Saturday games)

Spring Volleyball Registration: March 2nd April 15th Spring Volleyball Registration is for grades K 8th. The fee to participate is $35. Games: April 28th May 26th (Friday games)

Competitive Baseball Registration: March 2nd April 15th 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 April 15th < Competitive Soccer Registration is for U8 U13. The fee to participate is $200 for in town teams and $225 for out of town teams.

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 & 3rdUP> thru 6th grade 1:00pm 4:00pm

Camp: Volleyball Location: Willard Recreation Center Day/Date: Saturday April 25th Times: K thru 2nd grade 9:00am 12:00pm & 3rdUP> 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

Way to Advertise Through the Willard Parks and Recreation: The Willard Parks and Recreation department has new staff, new ideas, and new activities in 2009. Our top priority this year is offering free or low cost family friendly activities and adding more sports programs for youth and adults. Our department has seen a huge rise in the number of participants. For one session of basketball, we averaged over 1,500 people attending per week and last month we had approximately 400 people attend our Valentine Dance. Those are just a few examples of our attendance numbers. This year our 4th of July celebration will be bigger than ever and in May we will start a full season of the hugely popular Movie in the Park. I want to invite you to take advantage of our successes and advertise with the Willard Parks Department. 4 X 8 Sign at the Recreation Center: Did you know that you can purchase a 4 X 8 advertising sign at the Recreation Center? The sign is a 4 X 8 aluminum sign that gets hung in the gym during basketball season and on the baseball field during baseball. With all these new activities, now is the perfect time to advertise with us! The cost is $400 (which includes the making of the sign) for the first year and $240 for every year after. Contracts are for a one year period. This is a great way to advertise your business in front on thousands of people in the community. These signs are visible for everyone who enters the gym and the ball fields. Your sign will be repaired by the Parks Department if any damage occurs. If you would like to purchase a sign please call Kevin at (417)742-2262 Advertising in our fall 2009 Program Guide: Willard Parks and Recreation sends out a spring and fall program guide to inform the community about all of our activities, sports programs and events. 4000 copies of this guide are printed. 3500 are mailed out to the Willard area community and 500 are for people to pick up at City Hall and the Recreation Center. These guides are used for the entire spring or fall season. A full page ad is only $200 and a half page ad is $125. There are limited spaces, so please call Kevin McDonald at (417)742-2262 today.

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