District Newsletter

District Office

Teachers need your help!!! In 1984, the state of Missouri initiated the Career Ladder Program. This program offered salary incentives for teachers to work over normal contract hours to support student learning. The program consists of 3 levels offering teacher incentives of $1,500, $3,000, and $5,000 per year for this additional work. These incentive levels have not changed for the last 25 years, however teachers have continued to participate in the program for the benefit of their students. The State of Missouri is now threatening to suspend funding for this valued program. The program not only offers our teachers a bit more pay, it provides thousands of hours in tutoring to our local schools. The Willard Board of Education and Administration has submitted the following letter of support to many State Officials all the way from local representatives to Governor Nixon. Teachers and students need your help to write letters to our state officials in support of this valued program. Willard district representatives and senator include:

* Shane Schoeller shane.schoeller@gmail.com * James Viebrock Jim.Viebrock@house.mo.gov * Eric Burlison Eric.Burlison@house.mo.gov * Dan Clemens dan_clemens@senate.mo.gov

Thank you for your help! Kent

The Willard Board of Education discussed Career Ladder Funding on August 20, 2009 at the regular monthly meeting. Several teachers attended presenting their opinion to the issue. Willard is a long time participant of the State Career Ladder Program. Willard is located four miles north of Springfield, MO. Springfield clearly has a much greater local wealth in comparison to Willard, however, the supplement of Career Ladder funding has allowed our district to be more competitive with the Springfield School district salary schedules. The Willard Board of Education directed administration to determine a fair method of distributing budgeted Career Ladder matching funds in the event that the State of Missouri fails to fund their portion of this valued program.

The risk of not funding this program has always been understood by districts. DESE, as well as other state officials have made districts keenly aware that this is one of the last items approved for funding and is funded retroactively. It is my hope that our local and state legislatures understand the implications of failing to fund this program.

Career Ladder has direct impact on the academic success of Missouri children. In 2008-2009, over eight thousand hours of student / teacher non-contract hours occurred to support Willard students. Almost half of this time was spent tutoring students struggling in the classroom. Willard supported this effort by offering special tutoring busses for these students at local expense. In total Willard students received the benefit of over twenty thousand hours from teachers above and beyond their normal contract hours. I will challenge anyone of the opinion that this program has not increased the learning opportunities for our children.

Very few disagree that teachers are overworked and under paid. Missouri has the ability to boast that our children exceed national averages in achievement. Rural schools use this program to attract and retain high quality teachers to their district. Failing to fund this program compounds the problem of staffing poor rural schools. Lastly, this income will come straight from the teachers pocket. If Career Ladder is discontinued some teachers could lose as much as 12-15% from their income. This loss will force many to look for a second income to make ends meet at home.

The Willard Board of Education, Administration, and staff ask that you would champion public education and support children and teachers by supporting the continued funding of the Missouri Career Ladder program for the 2009-2010 school year and future years.

Sincerely, Willard Board of Education

Dr. Kent E. Medlin Superintendent of Schools

Director of Activities

I realize that I use the phrase "It's Good To Be A Tiger" at the end of every pride. Sometimes, when you use something too often, it looses its meaning or value. Well, I'm here to tell you that last night it felt so good to be a Tiger that I had goose bumps! Within a two hour period, our Tigers defeated Lebanon 6-0 in varsity soccer and 3-0 in jv soccer; the softball Tigers defeated Branson 8-3; and the volleytigers swept Bolivar in 2 games in freshmen, jv, and varsity to remain undefeated!

Tonight the football Tigers will take the field against Webb City in a huge COC showdown. The game will be broadcast by MediaCom and replayed this weekend. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00.

The volleytigers will look to continue their great play this weekend as they host the Lori Endicott Invitational. Pool play will start at 8:00am with bracket play starting at 5:00pm. Come out and support the volleytigers! Next week they will host Glendale on Tuesday and will travel to Fair Grove on Thursday. Both games start at 5:00.

The softball tigers will play in the Ozark Tournament this Friday and Saturday. They will then play at Nixa on Tuesday and will host Neosho on Thursday. Good luck ladies!

The soccer tigers will have their first home game of the season next Monday as they host Central. The boys will then travel to Ozark on Tuesday before playing in the Monett Tournament next weekend.

Cross Country will have their second meet of the year next Tuesday at Bolivar. Running will start at 4:00 (and would end for me at 4:02 but thankfully our kids are awesome!).

The girls golf team will play in the Nixa Tournament on Monday at Hidden Valley. They will then play in the Pearson Invitational on Wednesday and the Rogersville Tournament on Thursday.

By the way....rumor has it that if the band's performance Friday night was any indication then this year's show is going to be special. Great job band on opening night!

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

Director of Special Services

Technology is everywhere and our special services classrooms are no exceptions! Ron Keys, special services teacher at Willard Central, shared how he uses his new Smart Board daily to provide "hands-on" instruction for high-needs students. His students with limited range of motion enjoy dragging down letters for spelling lessons and numbers for math. Students with limited attention span and visual problems are able to watch the large screen and engage in lessons with enthusiasm. The bright flashes and large-as-life images keeps the attention of all his students. Being a luddite (a person who is adverse to adapting to technology), I had to be shown how Smart Boards, projectors and flip cameras are changing the way our special services students are learning. It is exciting seeing our students respond to instruction via Smart Boards and to hear the enthusiasm of our teachers! Sandy Gold, Director of Special Services

Willard High School

The High School is in full swing with numerous athletic and activity events. Classrooms are in a steady routine as 1st quarter progress marking period approaches next Wednesday ( Sept. 16th ). Meet the Teacher night (Thursday Sept. 10) was a big success as parents and grandparents walked the halls to meet teachers and get a feel for their students daily routine.

During Meet the Teacher night, I was visiting with a group of parents about how fortunate we are to have a community who supports our school system so well. As I arrived home later that evening, I was looking at my calendar and noticed Constitution Day is Thursday, September 17th. We are fortunate because of the sacrifice of other generations who drafted the early documents of our country and the people who have sacrificed to keep the foundations of those documents intact. Many of our classrooms will have brief mini lessons surrounding the U.S. Constitution. Our staff and students thank the Willard School District community for all they have done, and will do, in supporting our school.

Parent Portal Signup - If you have internet access and would like to signed up for Parent Portal, please call 742-3524.

Calendar reminder: WHS Parent-Teacher Conference will be Tuesday, October 27th ( 5:30pm - 8:00pm ) and Wednesday, October 28th ( 5:30pm - 8:00pm ). If you would like to set up an appointment with your students teachers please call 742-3524.

Stewart Pratt, Principal

Willard Middle School

Greetings from Willard Middle School. After enjoying the Labor Day weekend, it was back to work this week at WMS, and the activities are now in full swing. Our kids are getting involved and back in the groove of school, and actually seem to be enjoying things so far. We had another group of students travel to Branson this Friday to visit the Titantic museum, as this is a trip the kids really gain knowledge from, as well as having a fun day together. Fall sports all kick off action next week, with the football, volleyball, and cross country teams getting an opportunity to measure what they have learned against area competition. We look forward to great seasons from all of them, and wish them the best. We will also be holding our WMS library book fair, going on Sept. 17th to the 24th. This is a great chance to pick up some neat things to read at an affordable price. Finally, we again invite you to mark you calendars for next Saturday, Sept. 19th, as we will be holding the annual Growl Nite at the Middle School. Many activities will be going on, including a car show, live music, games, silent auctions, bingo, and most importantly, FOOD!! It all gets started at 2pm, and runs until 7pm that evening. We hope to see you there, and thank you for checking on us this week. See you next time. Tom Merriott, Assistant 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 Shawn Trent: Interim Sports Coordinator Brandon Eckhardt: Recreation/Aquatics Specialist Tina Christiansen: Front Desk Programmer

Website: Visit us online at www.willardparks.com

Harlem Legends Celebrity Basketball Show: Willard Parks and Recreation presents the Harlem Legends vs. the Willard All-Stars on Monday, November 2nd at Willard High School at 6pm. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students in advance at the Willard Recreation Center. The Harlem Legends are a group of professional athletes, former players from the Harlem Globetrotters, NBA, NFL, past USA Olympians, and other professionals. Legends include, Michael Douglas, Tyrone Hollywood Brown, Larry Shorty Coleman, Brandon McDonald, Woody Carter, Gator Rivers, Mike Glenn, Jimmy Bolden, L.T. Trahan, Wayne Arnold and Somer Easterwood. For more information call (417) 742-2262.

Soccer Drive: Thank you to everyone who attended the Willard Soccer Drive on Saturday, September 5th at the Recreation Center. Around 200 people received free soccer equipment for the upcoming fall soccer season. Items given out included soccer balls, cleats and shin guards. The items were donated to the Willard Parks Department from the Kansas City Wizards Professional Soccer Team.

Project Playground Auction: Thank you to everyone who participated in the Willard Project Playground Silent Auction on Saturday September 5th. Around $300 was raised for Project Playground. Project Playground is Willards Project to purchase and install a new playground at Willards New Highline Soccer Park.

Aquatic Center: Thank you to everyone who helped make the first year of the new Willard Aquatic Center a success. The last day of operation at the Aquatic Center was Monday September 7th. This year was a huge success. The pool will reopen in May 2010.

Kelly Miller Circus: Sponsored by PAL Youth Boxing Willard Parks and Recreation Presents the KELLY MILLER CIRCUS on Tuesday, October 20th at Jackson St. Park in Willard. This one ring wonder is a traveling Tent Circus that features clowns, elephants, tigers, horses, trapeze artists, and much more. For more information on the Kelly Miller Circus visit www.kellymillercircus.com. Tickets are on sale at the Willard Recreation Center for $10 for adults and $6 for kids. Two shows will be held. One show at 4:30pm and one show at 7:30pm. For more information on this event call Kevin McDonald at (417) 742-2262. Willard has already sold over 100 tickets to the Circus. Get your tickets fast before they sell out!

Willard Child Care at the Recreation Center: Willard Parks and Recreation has begun child care at the Willard Recreation Center. This child care service is sponsored by the City of Willard and Cox Health. The child care takes place in the small classroom at the Recreation Center. Fees are $4 per child for up to two hours or an ALL ACCESS PASS for $24 for 12 times (up to 24 child care hours). This child care service may be used for any activity held at the Recreation Center including the Cox Fitness Center, Sports activities, etc. The parent or guardian must remain on the property while their child is in child care. The child care is only available for 18 months to 10 years old.

The hours for the child care at Monday, Wednesday & Friday: 8am 10am Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 5pm 9pm Tuesday & Thursday: 3pm 9pm

MOVIES: Upcoming Movie in the Park Events: Held at Jackson St. Park

Come to the Willard Movie in the Park Series on the dates listed below. Bring your entire family for a night of fun and movies. We will be selling hot-dogs and hamburgers.

September 19th: 8:00pm: Bolt October 17th: 7:00pm (Double Feature): Beetle Juice & Ghostbusters

October Bash: Saturday, October 10th at 7pm at the Recreation Center. Come to the 2009 Willard Parks October Bash Dance! This dance is open for all ages and is FREE to attend. Participants can listen to great music and enjoy cake and punch!

July December Program Guide: The Willard Parks and Recreation 2009 July December program guides are ready. You may pick up your free copy at the Willard Recreation Center and at Willard's City Hall. Copies are going fast so be sure to get your copy as soon as possible.

Fun 5K Run: Saturday, 8am, 11/21/09 at the Willard Community Building. The Race will be held on the Frisco Trail. The fee to participate is $15 for those who pre-register. Registration forms are at the Recreation Center.

Willard Parks and Recreation Facility Rentals: Holding Fee: $25, Refundable Deposit: $75 (excluding the Pavilion). Rental Areas: Willard Community Building: $15 hour / kitchen $25 flat fee, Large Gym at the Recreation Center: $25 hour, Small Gym at the Recreation Center: $20, Murray Community Room/Patio/Kitchen: $15 hour, Classroom/Conference Room: $12 hour, Jackson St Park Pavilion: $7.50 hour. For more information contact Tina at (417) 742-2262

Willard Rummage Sale: Saturday, October 3rd 8:00am - 12:00pm : Come to the Willard Recreation Center on Saturday October 3rd and shop from various Willard Community members. This is just a HUGE YARD SALE (but in-doors of course)

Camps: Out of School Camps:

Willard Parks and Recreation offers various camps throughout the entire year. All camps will be held at the Willard Recreation Center. Start planning now!

School Holiday Camp: September 25th Camp is for grades K 6th. The fee to attend is $17.50. A snack lunch must be brought to the camp. Camp hours are 7:00am 6:00pm.

School Holiday Camp: October 30th Camp is for grades K 6th. The fee to attend is $17.50. A snack lunch must be brought to the camp. Camp hours are 7:00am 6:00pm.

Holiday Camp: 12/21/09, 12/22/09, 12/23/09, 12/28/09, 12/29/09, 12/30/09, Camp is for grades K 6th. The fee to attend is $17.50 per day. A snack lunch must be brought to the camp. Camp hours are 7:00am 6:00pm

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.

Safe Halloween 2009: Saturday, October 24th, 2009 at the Willard Recreation Center. Visit www.willardparks.com for more information.

Christmas in Willard: Saturday, December 12th, 2009 at the Willard Recreation Center. Visit www.willardparks.com for more information.

Ongoing and Upcoming Classes: Hula Hoop Classes: The Willard Parks & Recreation Department will offer Hula Hoop Classes. All adults and children ages 12 and older are eligible to attend. Costs for the lessons are $40 per participant. Please make all checks payable to Willard Parks and Recreation. This program will be a 5-week session and will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm 8:00pm. Limited spots available. Classes will run September 9th - October 7th. Classes will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

Beginner Belly Dancing: The Willard Parks & Recreation Department will offer Belly Dancing Classes. All adults are eligible to attend. Costs for the lessons are $40 per participant. Please make all checks payable to Willard Parks and Recreation. This program will be a 5-week session and will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm 8:00pm. Limited spots available. Classes will run October 21st - November 18th. Classes will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

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. 2 more sessions this year (8/3 9/28) & (10/5 11/23).

YOGA: 8 week sessions at the Willard Recreation Center. Classes are every Monday night at 6pm. Fees are $25 for Cox Members and $65 for non Cox members.

Childrens Dance Classes: Let your child grow through dance and experience its magic. These children dance classes offer an excellent way to keep fit, learn coordination, rhythm, social skills, confidence, and its FUN! The fall eight-week dance session will begin October 13th thru December 10th. Creative Dance is offered on Tuesday afternoons for ages 3-5; Ballet & Tap classes are available and offered on Tuesday or Thursday depending on age and/or level for ages 5 & up, fee is $50. Combination classes of Ballet, Tap, and Jazz for children ages 9 & up with prior dance experience will be taught on Tuesday evenings, fee is $65. Limited spaces are available so call Ms. Patrice today for class availability and registration information at 818-3659.

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 aluminium sign that gets hung in the gym at the Recreation Center. 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. If you would like to purchase a sign please call Kevin at (417)742-2262.

Magazine Article: Willard Parks and Recreation is featured in the 2009 Summer MO Recreation and Parks Association magazine. Check it out.

There are two ways to get there:

Go to www.mopark.org and under the announcements click on Missouri Parks and Recreation Magazine Onlineand then use the drop down tab and click on Summer 2009 magazine

Or you can copy and paste http://www.mopark.org/displaynewsletter.cfm and use the drop down tab and click on Summer 2009 Magazine.

Upcoming Sports Registrations: Recreational Basketball Session 1: Registration September 16th October 16th

Willard Parks and Recreation will be offering Recreational Session 1 Basketball for ages 3 -14. All games will be played at the Willard Recreation Center. Fees are $35 per person. Games will be played on Saturdays beginning November 7th.

Recreational Cheerleading Session 1: Registration September 16th October 16th Willard Parks and Recreation will be offering Recreational Session 1 Cheerleading for grade K - 8th. All games will be played at the Willard Recreation Center. Fees are $35 per person. Games will be played on Saturday beginning November 7th.

Thanks,

Kevin McDonald Willard Parks and Recreation Director

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