District Newsletter

District Office

One of my favorite quotes is, "Leadership rises and falls in the eye of a storm!" Friday gave all of us the perfect opportunity to demonstrate leadership. I had planned to come to school Friday morning and write my "Pride" article about Teacher Appreciation Week. Needless to say by that evening when I went home I had not had an opportunity to sit down at my computer but I had witnessed many things to be proud about. It is a hard job to be a teacher on days of bad weather. Kids are distracted and hard to settle, but the difficulty becomes exponential when the sirens start to blare and the power goes out. Friday, students and teachers had to remain in "duck and cover" for well over an hours time. I went to the buildings to find elementary students singing. Teachers were providing distractions which basically reassured children that in the midst of a storm they were still safe and secure. Teachers were then faced with teaching students the remainder of the day without power and once again they rose to the occasion. Due to the fact that the weather subsided and it became pretty outside recess was probably longer than normal. However, I walked by many classrooms to find that teaching continued. I should not have been surprised. Willard teachers are simply incredible. I did not hear one gripe about remaining in classes. We decided early that with cell phones jammed, home phones down, and no power that we were not going to send students home to a possibly unsafe situation. It would have been so easy for teachers to criticize that decision, but instead I heard understanding and agreement. As one of the people that work hard to lead this district it is reassuring to know that when we are trying to stand in the eye of the storm, the wind is howling and the rain is beating down, I can turn around and find a staff full of committed individuals standing there with me, arms locked side by side.

Thank you for your efforts on Friday and your never ending support of Willard kids!

Have a fantastic week!

Kent

Kent Medlin Superintendent of Schools

Director of Activities

Well, Mother Nature threw us a curve ball Friday, but as is the Willard way we are dealing with it and moving forward. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who helped on Friday and who is helping this week to repair the damage to the buildings. We are truly blessed that damage was only to structures and not to people!

The baseball tigers are on a winning streak and they are hoping to ride it into the district playoffs! After defeating Rogersville, the tigers raised their record to 17-6 on the season. This comes on the heals of wins over Catholic and Carthage earlier in the week and a heartbreaking loss at Ozark on Wednesday. The tigers will be at Bolivar on Monday, and at Kickapoo on Tuesday before starting district play next Saturday at Greenwade Field. Due to damage caused by Friday's storm, we are trying to fix the baseball field in time for the district tournament. A decision will be made on Thursday as to where the district tournament will be held. I will put more detailed information in Friday's Pride.

A big congratulations to the girls soccer team on their double overtime victory over Carthage on Tuesday! The girls will be at Lebanon on Monday and will host Parkview next Thursday before starting districts next Saturday.

The track teams competed in the COC and as of now I do not have the results but here are the results from earlier meets: At Ozark on last Thursday, the JV boys track squad finished 4th. Congratulations to the following medal winners: 2nd- Drew Jordan, 110 m high hurdles Sawyer Vincent, pole vault Jacob McGuire, shot put and discus 3rd- Drew Jordan, 300m hurdles Tim Maus, shot put Brandon Anderson, discus Congratulations to the following girls for earning medals at the JV track meet in Branson: Haiden Bowman - 1st place in the 100m Kim Pearl - 3rd place in the 1600m and 3rd place in the 3200m Annette Rosier - 3rd place in the discus Also congratulations to Jordan Beene, Haiden Bowman, Kim Pearl and Annette Rosier for their personal bests of the season.

Congratulations to the WHS Choir department which had 51 students compete at the MSHSAA State Solo and Ensemble Festival at Mizzou on Saturday! WHS had 12 events that earned State Honor "I" ratings Girls Ensemble: Brooke Lawley, Stephanie Sechler, Cassie Robinson, Hannah Masters, Lindsey Sloan, and Alisa Lechner Mixed Ensemble: Amanda Allen, Brooke Lawley, Lindsey Sloan, Alisa Lechner, Mitchell Bolton, Zach Page, TJ Chatman and Drew Raby Solos: Lindsey Sloan, Kyle Bird (piano), Hannah Masters, Drew Raby, TJ Chatman, Sean Scott, BJ Lyons, Nathan Olson, and Mitchell Bolton Men's Ensemble: Mitchell Bolton, Zach Page, Josh Lindsey, Sean Scott, Brandon Compton, TJ Chatman, Zach Nilsen, and Geoff French The Following earned State Honor "II" ratings: Solos: Cristina Todea, Timothy Huskisson, Brooke Lawley, Brock Wade, Tyler Inglett, Mixed Ensemble: Jackie Fugitt, Lecil Thedell, Becky Farr, Malory Tuck, Tim Huskisson, Kyle Bird, Geoff French, BJ Lyons Mixed Ensemble: Cristina Todea, Jasmin Routh, Joanna Chastain, Kari Halle, Austin Moore, Matt Bryant, Nathan Olson, Aaron Stark Mixed Ensemble: Cassie Robinson, Grace Madsen Chelsey Thomas, Karley Murphy, Tyler Inglett, Jonah Nadeau, Sawyer Vincent, Seth Wallace Girls Ensemble: Jackie Fugitt, Lecil Thedell, Nancy Ann Adams, Morgan Lenz, Becky Farr and Taylor Lindsay

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

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

Special Services

What a very special evening last Tuesday was for eight students participating in our therapeutic riding program! Tuesday was the final night of the six-week session and Therapeutic Riding of the Ozarks and director Kent Crumpley made it a night students, parents and volunteers will remember. Individual cookies with students' name and picture of their horse was presented to each, along with a certificate, medal and lots of praise for progress and courage. Our students were so excited, parents proud, and volunteers both proud, yet sad their time with the children was over. Watching the bonds develop between volunteers from the Sac River Cowboy Church, school and community with students was heart-warming and long-lasting. I want to thank each volunteer who gave their time as horse-handler, side-walker (and trotter!), gate keeper, organizer, and fund-raiser. What an incredible group of people who generously honored our students and contributed to their success.

Please join us this Monday, May 18th, for the second Partners in Strength Rally. What an incredible event this proved to be last year and will be again as 50 high school athletes partner with over 40 of our students with special needs in some friendly competition, fellowship and team building. Last year's event proved to be a unique, special event which evoked warm responses such as - "I saw my pride go to a new level," "not one person left the school Saturday untouched by what had taken place," and "I don't know another district whose athletic department would join hands with the special education department to give all types of students such an amazing experience....what an amazing district!"

We invite every staff member, community member, and parent to attend the Rally and cheer on both our athletes and students with special needs. The event begins at 9:00 in the HS Commons with the Parade of Champions entering the gym around 9:15. Free donuts and coffee, hot dogs, hamburgers and snacks will be available for all. Join us and witness true Partnerships in Strength. Sandy Gold, Director of Special Services

Willard High School

On Tuesday May 5th, Willard High School hosted Senior Scholarship Night. Guest presenters and college representatives came to announce scholarship recipients. This year 2.6 million dollars of scholarships was awarded to the WHS Senior Class. The Class of 2009 hosted 75 Honors Diploma recipients, 65 College Prep Certificate recipients, and 112 A+ Grant Scholarship recipients. It was a great evening for seniors, parents, and faculty

On Friday May 8th, two WHS students traveled with Mr. Atkinson to Lodge of the Four Seasons in Lake Ozark for State Industrial Technology Competition. In Advanced Woodworking division Tyler Earl scored 94/100 in entry ( Morris Chair ), and Radu Todea placed 1st in Technical Drafting Competition. Great Job Tyler and Radu!

We are very proud of our students and staff, for handling themselves in adverse conditions last Friday (May 8th) with the weather. A special thanks to the Maintenance Team, Custodial Team who worked diligently to keep everything going, and to the HS Kitchen staff for adapting to the power issues and feeding 1250+ students and staff without a hitch..

Graduation is this Friday, May 15th at 7:30pm. Have a great week. Stewart Pratt, Principal

Willard Middle School

Greetings from the Willard Middle School. We are all thankful to have the power back, and that we did not sustain any major damage here at our building from last Friday's storm. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those who did have damage, and hope the repairs can be made soon and return life back to normal. The weather did put a bump in the road for several activities that we had planned for last week, but we will push forward and make the most of what is left in this school year, and look to enjoy many exciting events that are still on the calendar. One thing from last week that I want to report on was the trip to Kentucky that our Archery Club was able to go on, where they competed with nearly 5000 other archers from all over the country. Our team did fantastic, and our top scorers were Timothy Tallboys on the boys side, and Danielle Gaddy for the girls. In all, we had 19 students compete in this Nationals Tourney, and congratulate them on their efforts, and those of their coaches and sponsors.

We encourage any student who has a "special talent" that they would like to share to sign up for the Spring Talent Show by this Friday, May 15th. This is always a great deal of fun, and is made even better when we have several different acts to choose from. There is also a meeting for anyone who would like to go on the Washington D. C. trip for next year, which will be held on May 19th at 7pm. The Drama Club will also be having their Encore Awards Ceremony next Thursday, May 21st. This is a great event, made even better because there are all kinds of deserts that will be served afterward. Our time is short, but our list is long. Much to do before we call it a year, and we wouldn't have it any other way. Thanks for checking on us, and have a great day. Tom Merriott WMS Asst. Principal

Willard Intermediate School

I have always been told that the true colors of an individual are most visible when they are placed in a stressful situation. Friday gave everyone in the building an opportunity to demonstrate this fact. At approximately 8:00 am, while students were just arriving at school, the Willard area was slammed by some of the strongest wind I have ever witnessed. Our students and teachers calmly went to designated shelter areas in the building as the power first flickered and then went out. We found ourselves sitting in the dark with the wind and rain pounding the building while the storm sirens sounded outside.

Although the building suffered some minor damage and the power never came back on, everyone was kept safe from harm and we did our best to have a normal rest of the day. I am so proud of the way our students handled themselves! I would also like to thank our teachers who spent the day keeping everyone calm and working around the many changes that came their way throughout the day. Quite an end to teacher appreciation week! (Thank you PTO for all the good stuff). Thanks also to our kitchen staff, custodians, and office staff that demonstrated a "whatever it takes" mind-set which helped the building to run smoothly on a very not normal day.

We look forward to calmer spring weather! Tom Davis, Principal

Willard East Elementary

Well it appears that I have kept you up to date about the happenings at Willard East for the past couple of weeks. Two weeks ago I was perched on the roof of our school as a reward for our students reaching the Read-a-thon goal. As you can imagine everyone had fun with this event. I was well taken care of that day with food, water, Starbucks and lots of company. Students read to me from the playground and checked on me when they were at recess. This even was definitely a success and we are looking forward to next year's event!

Last Friday we celebrated our April Tiger Pride and East Extravaganza. For meeting our Box Tops challenge students made "human sundaes" out of their classroom teachers and Principal Miller. Mrs. Turner, Mrs. Dorland, Mrs. Puckett, Mrs. Beckler and Mr. Gann were also "slimed" with sundae toppings. With our raffle, basket auction, and food service we raised approximately $3,600!!! Our community always comes through for us and we appreciate everything you have done.

Kindergarten screening - Thursday and Friday we screened 48 future Willard East students. < /p > < p > Upcoming events in May:

• 12th = Field Day
• 13th = 4th Grade Transition Day
• 15th = HS Graduation
• 19th = Field Day rain date
• 21st = Tiger Pride Assembly 2:30
• 22nd = Last day of School 12:30 dismissal

Melinda Miller, Principal

Willard Central Elementary

Thank you to our wonderful PTO, parents, and staff members who came out for the carnival on Saturday. It was a successful event full of fun, food and wonderful prizes. (Not to mention whip cream pies in the face for Coach Brown and me. Our faces have never been smoother!!) Thanks again to everyone for their support of WC students through the carnival.

The fun and action continued after a full weekend with Kindergarten Screening on Monday and Tuesday. We were excited to meet our future Willard Tigers and their families. It looks like we have a wonderful group of students joining us next year. On Wednesday, our 3rd and 4th grade students visited Hammons Field for WeatherSchool and a Springfield Cardinals baseball game as their reward for all of their hard work on the MAP. I am very proud to say that our students received compliments from fans in attendance for their great behavior as well as from the 80+ parents that joined us for the game. Thursday, Mrs. Lyons and Mrs. Keys students shared their musical performance at Community Time. They did a wonderful job and the entire school was proud of their hard work!

It has been a wonderfully busy week and we expect more of the same in the coming days. We will celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week May 11th-15th. Please look for information coming home from our PTO to find out more about the festivities for the week. Wednesday the 13th, will be our transition day for 4th grade students to visit the Intermediate School for next year. Tuesday the 19th, will be our Field Day and we will celebrate a great school year on the 22nd with our Terrific Tiger Celebration. We will dismiss early for the last day of school at 12:30.

We are excited about a strong finish to the school year while staying Wild About Learning! Shane Medlin, Principal

Willard North Elementary

We saw a great crew of five year olds come through on Monday and Tuesday for kindergarten screening. They are ready to start school this next fall, and were excited to be in the building!

Title One kicked off their last reading night for the year. Students came in and read some of their favorite books to their parents and made yummy s'mores to celebrate their reading successes this year.

Kindergarten sang their hearts out at their music program on Thursday night to the tune of "Little Red Hen". Thank you to Mrs. Reed for putting on another great performance!

The weather decided not to cooperate last Friday, so our field day will be rescheduled for Wednesday the 13th.

Principals Rhonda Bishop and Angela Stevens

Upcoming Events to Look Forward:

• 4/11 4th grade Jefferson City Field Trip
• 4/13 Field Day
• 4/14 Talent Show 6:30
• 4/15 High School Graduation

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

Visit us on the web at http://www.willardparks.com

New Aquatic Center Set to Open! The Willard Parks Department has scheduled the opening of the new city pool, the Willard Aquatic Center (WAC), for May 23, 2009. The City of Willard began construction of the new pool last fall after an evaluation of the old pool built in 1993 showed it would take approximately $200,000 in repairs and renovations to bring it up to standards including the new federal standards set by the Virginia Graeme Baker Act. The new pool will feature zero depth entry, toddler slides, spray features, two slides, a one meter diving board and a three meter diving board. The Parks Department plans to offer more programs at the new pool including swimming lessons, water aerobics, Jr. Lifeguard instruction and family swim every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings. Special events like Dive in Movies and Mid-Night Swim are some of the special events also scheduled. The daily admission rates are as follows: Children 3-12: $3, Adults 13&Older:$4, Seniors 55+: $3.Season passes are now available for purchase at the Willard Recreation Center, 133 N State Highway Z, or by calling (417)742-2262.The cost for the new Willard Aquatic Center is $2.6 million. The City of Willard is using revenues from an existing Willard capital improvements sales tax and the Greene County Park Tax approved by the voters in 2006 to help pay for the cost of the new pool.

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

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.

New Contract with Coke: The City of Willard Parks and Recreation Department is entering into a new contract with Ozarks Coke Cola. The contract includes Ozarks Coke Cola purchasing and installing 6 new scoreboards for Willards new Highline Soccer Park. The contract is worth over $27,000 to the Willard Parks Department. The new scoreboards will be installed in the coming weeks and will be used for the Willard Spring Soccer Season. Ozarks Coke Cola will also be donating drink coolers for the new Highline Soccer Park as well as the new Willard Aquatic Center set to open May 23rd. The contract was voted on and approved by the Willard Board of Mayor and Alderman on the recommendation of the Willard Park Board. For more information on this new contract call (417)742-2262.

Summer Camp Registration: May 1st 15th: Register now! 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. Dont miss this event.

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.

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

Freedom Fest: Preparation continues 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.

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

Spring Sports Update: This season over 800 people are participating in the Willard Spring Sports Seasons which include youth & adult volleyball, youth soccer, youth flag football and competitive youth baseball.

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