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

District Office

As we have turned the calendar page to May, the last month of the school year, excitement is brewing over the many end of year activities and the anticipated celebration for the Senior Class of 2009 Commencement. One of my favor quotes is by Henry Dave Thoreau which I believe applies to all Willard graduates. Thoreau states "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." Willard graduates can go confidently in any direction they choose. There is no doubt in my mind that they have been presented the best education possible. The teachers and staff have dedicated time, knowledge, and experience to provide many opportunities for each student to receive an excellent education. When you find the direction of your dreams remember the valued life lesson of friendship, compassion and service to others. Living your life is a sense of learned pride. Proud to be a Willard student and soon to be graduate. Remember that Willard Pride is a part of the life you live and will connect you to your future. Congratulations to seniors and all other students and they finish this school year and begin to anticipate the next.

Dr. Janell Royal Assistant Superintendent of Schools

Director of Activities

Rain, rain, go away! Come again some other day! Needless to say, it has been difficult getting in games this past week but we do have some good news to report for our Tigers.

Congratulations to the Willard High School Thespians and Crew! In competition April 24th and 25th, Readers Theater placed 1st in MSHAA STATE THEATRE and One Act placed 2nd! In addition, Amber Alcorn was selected to receive the state award for best supporting actress. BRAVO! Willard was the only school that qualified in both events to advance out of districts to state competition, an accomplishment magnified by the state performance results for both groups!

One Act Cast: Amber Alcorn, Paula Jo Branstetter, Elizabeth Kreiger, Margaret Moore, Lindsey Stokes, Christine West, Chase Ridgley, Sean Scott, Michael Stoll.

Readers Theater Cast: Nancyann Adams, Joseph Adams, Blake Andrews, Kyle Bird, Bethany Bumpers, Travis Burbee, Brandon Compton, Rebecca Farr, Kelsey Gilmore, Miranda Greene, Nathan Halle, Garrett Holle, Tyler Inglett, Breigh Jusino, Hannah Masters, Dakota Paris, Samantha Reid, Mark Rose, Doug Seeley, Jacob Stoll, Clint Unruh.

The baseball Tigers have become a force to be reckoned with. After defeated Cassville (who was 12-0 at the time, and are now 12-1 thanks to the Tigers!), they lost a heartbreaker to Branson in 12 innings on Tuesday. They are currently 15-5 on the year and are tied for 2nd place in the COC. Weather permitting they have a busy week ahead as they host Lebanon on Saturday with a 10:00am start. They will then play at Catholic on Monday, host Carthage on Tuesday, go to Ozark on Wednesday (make-up of rain-out), are at Rogersville on Thursday, and host Marshfield on Friday. It will be busy! Good luck to the baseball Tigers.

The soccer Tigers are starting to play better and are hoping to win some games as they host the Willard Invitational this weekend. Games start tonight and will finish up tomorrow (weather permitting!). The girls will host Camdenton on Monday, travel to Carthage on Tuesday, and host Central on Thursday. Good luck girls!

Congratulations to Daphne Merrick on signing a volleyball scholarship with Missouri Southern on Monday.

Also, congratulations to Coach Killingsworth on becoming our new boy's basketball coach!

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

Open thislinktoview Districtactivities.

Special Services

Please join us on Saturday May 2nd from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for a spaghetti supper benefiting one of our special services students. Stephen Wingfield has been in the Willard district since early childhood, and is currently in the 6th grade at the Intermediate building. His mother, Heather, is a paraprofessional at Willard Central, where she has been for several years. Stephen has been going through chemotherapy in St. Louis due to being diagnosed with PTLD, a lymphoma that can occur in transplant patients. He had a kidney transplant in 2000. This family always has a smile on their faces, even through something this devastating. Come to Willard North Elementary on Saturday and enjoy some spaghetti, rolls, and desserts. There will also be entertainment from the Sonshine Dance Troupes. There will be a silent auction with many great items, including a suite for a Springfield Cardinals game for 18 people!! We will also have a raffle. The cost of the dinner and entertainment is free, however, donations will be accepted.

Remember that our 2nd annual Partners In Strength rally will be held on Saturday May 9th from 8:30-11:30 a.m. in the High School Commons and Main Gym. If you have students that will be participating, please send your registration forms back to the schools as soon as possible. This is a wonderful event that will be sure to pull at your heart strings. Don't miss it!!! Everyone is invited to attend.

This week our district lost a dear member. Pam Jackson, mother of Kyle who is a senior at Willard and Evan who is a sophomore at Willard, passed away unexpectedly this week. Pam has been an involved parent, supporting both our educational efforts, and involving herself in many activities. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations for a trust fund that has been established for Kyle and Evan, care of the funeral home. Please keep their family in your thoughts and prayers. Janet Turner, Special Services Process Coordinator

Willard High School

Here are some events and happenings at WHS:

Helping Hooves: Help your friends and neighbors by helping us raise money during the first-ever Helping Hooves fundraising week happening all across the Willard School District from May 11-15! The action-packed weeks activities are being organized by Helping Hooves a local group of dedicated parents and high school students giving our special needs kids the support they deserve to master new skills, and increase their strength, confidence and self-esteem through horseback riding therapy. Be the first to win the Helping Hooves trophy! If you or your parents have some spare change, bring your money to fill up your elementary schools saddlebag between May 11th and 15th. Have a sweet tooth? For just $1, you can buy candy bars from Willard High School kids, selling these goodies on behalf of our cause.

We believe in our special kids and this organization. Since Helping Hooves is totally volunteer, 100% of your fundraising donations collected this week go directly to therapy costs at Therapeutic Riding of the Ozarks-the areas only nationally accredited center. Help us help our special needs kids. Any questions? Contact Carrie Hudson at 742-6865. The Helping Hooves fund is a component fund of the Willard Childrens Charitable Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

Prom was held last Saturday April 25th at the Oasis Inn Convention Center. Our students looked great and we had a good time celebrating the 2008-2009 school year. You can view some of our students in their "Prom Attire" on the Spfld News-Leader website. Here is the web address:

http://www.news-leader.com/section/SPECIALS02

End of Course Exams are happening at WHS this week. Tuesday we completed Communication Arts test and Thurday we completed Biology. WHS students did a great job giving their best effort to the statewide test. We will finish on May 5th and May 7th with Algebra I exams.

Seniors are almost finished with just a few days left. Seniors will be taking Final Exams on Monday May 11th and Tuesday May 12th. Senior Baccalaureate is Sunday May 10th at the HS Theater with Graduation on Friday May 15th, at WHS Staduim.

Stewart Pratt, Principal

Willard Middle School

Greetings again from WMS. This has once again been a busy week, and it is hard to believe there are only 15 school days left. This week our students got to travel to Ozark Technical College and take an informative tour of the campus, and learn about opportunities for higher education. The 8th grade had their end of year dance on Thursday night , and had a great time as usual. The COC track meet was rained out, and the Ozark Softball Tourney was in danger of the same. Track is rescheduled for Monday, and info on the softball tourney is pending. We had our buy one get one free book fair in the library, and many students got to save some money on books they will hopefully enjoy over the summer months. Next week, we will have our end of year choir and band concerts, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings respectively. These will be in the school gyms, and begin at 7 pm, so come out if you can and enjoy the talents of these students, as they show off what they have learned this year. The choir will also be traveling to Six Flags next week, and we hope the rain will stay away for them on that trip. Finally, we will be recognizing Multi-Cultural day next week, and will be hosting several guest speakers and presenting information to help our students get a glimpse of how others in our world live, and how it varies from life in Southwest Missouri. This has been a great deal of fun in the past, as well as very informative for our students, and we look forward to seeing what this year brings as well. Three weeks left, and so much to get done in that time! Thanks for checking on us. Tom Merriott WMS Asst. Principal

Willard Intermediate School

If April showers bring May flowers what does May rain bring? The wet weather kept us indoors this week but it has not limited the activities at WIS. Monday night we hosted our Fine Arts night and talent shows. What a crowd! Thanks to all our parents that came out to support the hard work of our students. It was great to see the art projects and writing fair pieces on display. Everyone was entertained by the awesome performances by our students (and teachers) at the talent shows. Tuesday night we were treated to an evening performance by both the Willard North and WIS Honor Choirs. Thursday Morning we had a group from Character Connex visit to share a positive message about respect and other positive character traits. Today our teachers have been busy finishing up their final day of MRI training. This yearlong program has helped us to be much more effective at incorporating reading strategies into daily instruction.

Upcoming WIS events: May 4-8 - Teacher appreciation week May 5 - 5th grade field trip May 8 - School wide career day

Tom Davis, Principal

Willard Central Elementary

It has been an action-packed week at Willard Central. Thank you to Mrs. Mello, Mrs. Roth, and Mrs. Chatman for organizing a wonderful Fine Arts Night on the Tuesday evening!! It was wonderful to see so many families enjoying all of the artwork, book fair and student concerts together. On Friday, top selling students from the Mr. Zs Fundraiser had the chance to silly-string me at Community Time. It was a fun and slightly messy way of rewarding their efforts!

As we look ahead to Saturday, please plan to come to our PTO Carnival from 3:00-5:00 in the afternoon. There will be games, food, inflatables, dunk tanks, and local emergency vehicles on display. There will be a live auction at 4:00 with many wonderful items (Walt Disney World Trip, Branson get-away) and the basket raffle will take place at 5:00. It will be a wonderful time of family fun for all!

After the carnival, please make your way up the road to Willard North Elementary for the fundraiser for Stephen Wingfield. Stephen is a former WC student and his mom, Heather, works at WC. We hope you can come out and support their family.

As we look ahead to next week, we are excited to welcome future WC Tigers to school on Monday and Tuesday with our Kindergarten Screening. Wednesday, 3rd and 4th grade students will be heading to Hammonds Field for WeatherSchool and the baseball in honor of their hard work on the MAP test.

We will see you at the PTO Carnival. Have a great weekend and stay Wild About Learning! Shane Medlin, Principal

Willard North Elementary

We had a BIG week at Willard North!!! We were all in anticipation of the upcoming Super Tiger! This Wednesday we had 49 mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, teachers, and friends cut their hair for Locks of Love. It was a moving assembly with Willard's very own Alyssa Inglett speaking of her success story battling cancer. Alyssa's mother also spoke during the assembly and shared her thoughts and feelings. This is a disease that has touched many of us on so many different levels. We are so proud of all that donated yesterday. Willard North has made the Locks of Love assembly a tradition for 5 years and running. Throughout the course of this, our volunteers have donated enough hair to make 81 wigs!!!

We also got a special treat this week with Fast Forward from the high school performing for the students. There was a lot of singing and dancing, not just on stage but in the audience too. We had a blast!

We are ending the week and the year with our Celebration of Learning Sock Hop Friday Night. Festivities begin at 6:00 and last until 8:00. What a great way to end the week!

Have a safe and fun weekend! Principals Rhonda Bishop and Angela Stevens

Future-cast of Upcoming Events: May 1 Celebration of Learning 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm May 4 Kindergarten Screening May 5 Kindergarten Screening Title One Reading Night 4:00pm - 6:00pm May 7 Kindergarten Music Program 7:00 pm May 8 Field Day Mother's Day Tea 1st grade

Willard South Elementary

We had a fabulous assembly on Wednesday morning with a performance from the WHS Fast Forward group. They did an outstanding job singing, dancing and interacting with the audience. The students and teachers enjoyed the performance. I want to thank Mr. Lawley for sharing his talented group of students with Willard South. Your students brought a smile to everyone's face!

Next week: W 5/6-Field trip for 3rd and 4th graders to the Springfield Cardinals game Th 5/7 & F 5/8-Kindergarten screening from 8:00-3:00

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   (417)742-2262

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

New Staff, New Ideas, a New Era in the Willard Parks Department

Thank you to everyone who attended the Willard Rummage Sale and MSU Day on Saturday April 25th at the Recreation Center. The event was a huge success.

Parks Update: The Renovation is almost complete on the Willard Baseball Complex. We have about 1 weeks left of work. We are finishing painting and putting in the in-field dirt mix on the fields.

Willard's New Highline Soccer Park is complete. Games and practices for soccer & flag football will be played here.

Summer Camp Registration: May 1st - 15th: 2009 Summer Camp 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.

Movie in the Park: Willard Parks and Recreation will be hosting Movie in the Park on May 22nd at 9:00pm at Jackson St. Park. Playing will be the movie Kung Fu Panda. The event is free to attend and hamburgers, hotdogs and other concession items will be available for purchase. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets and family members for a fun night!

Willards First Music in the Park: Willard Parks and Recreation will be hosting its first Music in the Park event on Saturday May 30th at 6:00pm at Jackson St. Park. Performing will be Willard resident Brock Wade. Brock is a young up and coming musician. Don't miss this event.

Willard Receives Big League Help: Willard Parks and Recreation has received a grant in the amount of $2000 from the St. Louis Cardinals Care Foundation. Funding for this grant comes from Cardinals players, the team's ownership group, local business, and Cardinals fans. This grant will be used for purchase new baseball equipment for the upcoming Willard Baseball League. Willard applied for this competitive grant in November 2008. Over its entire history the Cardinals Care Foundation has distributed over 12 million dollars in and around Cardinal Country.

US Soccer Foundation Grant: Willard Parks and Recreation has been awarded a grant in the amount of $4000.00 from the US Soccer Foundations grant making program. Willard is one of 27 communities selected nation wide and one of two communities selected in Missouri to receive a grant. The grant was applied for last October / November. The grant will be used in the following ways:

$3,000 in Eurosport product credit for Player Equipment and Uniforms

$1,000 in Kwik Goal product credit for Team Equipment

Willard will use the funds to help support the Willard Spring Soccer League and the opening of the new Highline Soccer Park. The US Soccer Foundation awarded a total of 1.2 million dollars in grants in 2009 all across the United States. The US Soccer Foundation is a major charitable arm in the United States. Its goal is to "To enhance, assist and grow the sport of soccer in the United States."

Thank you Sponsors: Thank you to the newest Willard Recreation Center Sponsors:

• Junction Cafe Casey's
• Willard Care Center
• Downtown Bar-B-Q
• Sawyer Tire Program Select

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. For more information please call (417)742-2262.

Swimming Lessons: Swimming lesson registration is underway. For more information including course descriptions, schedules, and fees, go to willardparks.com. Search under the Aquaticstab.

Pool Rentals: The Aquatic Center is now available for booking private rentals. The rates are as follows:

Under 75 people: $100/hour 75-150 people: $125/hour 151+ people: $150/hour

Rental times can be set at any time the facility is not already booked. Recreation Center front desk staff, as a general rule of thumb, will not be responsible for booking these rentals. This is to avoid any double-bookings. Any inquiries should be directed to me. If I am not available, encourage them to leave a message on my voicemail. I always call people back as soon as possible when a message is left. After May 22, all rentals will be made at the Willard Aquatic Center through the front desk staff.

Recycling: Willard Parks and Recreation has begun a new recycling program. A recycling tub collecting bottles is available at the Recreation Center and will be available at all spring sports locations.

Willards First Triathlon: Willard Parks and Recreation in conjunction with Ridge Runner Sports and CoxHealth 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.

Triathlon Distances:

• Swimming: 300 Yards
• Biking: 12 Miles
• Running: 5K

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 parkdir@cityofwillard.org .

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

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.

• 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

Upcoming Registrations: Recreation Baseball / Softball: May 1st - 31st

Adult Softball: May 1st - 31st

Please call us if you have any questions.

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