District Newsletter

District Office

Homecoming 2009

I am not too old to remember my High School Homecoming!!! I was always disappointed because my football coach would not allow players to be escorts for queen candidates. He thought it would distract us from playing well. He was probably right!! I still remember our theme was "Another One Bites the Dust!" That has almost been 30 years ago, but it is etched in my memory. I am thrilled that the tradition of homecoming is still alive and well in Willard Missouri. SGA (Student Government Association) has worked hard to prepare an atmosphere honoring the spirit of Homecoming. Special events this week have included:

· Class-wide spirit contests every day this week · Friday afternoon pep-assembly · A parade after school · Homecoming ceremonies before the football game · Homecoming dance after the game.

Homecoming is a special time for our community. Tonight we will fill the football stadium with Willard fans. Alumni groups often meet for homecoming with classmates that no longer live in Willard. The atmosphere tonight will be exciting. Well over 350 kids will participate during the evening including:

· Athletes · Cheerleaders · Dance Team members · Band members · ROTC cadets · SGA members · Court candidates / escorts

Tonight many students will be making memories they will tell to their kids. Currently my family only has a history of two generations in Willard, including my wife Angie and our children Lacey (WHS Class of 2005), Jarred (WHS Class of 2005), and Allie (WHS Class of 2012). We will be joining other proud parents taking pictures of our daughter as she participates in the activities. The most important thing is that if you are a first generation Willard student, or a 5th generation Willard student, tonight can be a great evening and a lasting memory!

Have a great weekend! Go Tigers!

Kent

Dr. Kent E. Medlin Superintendent of Schools

Director of Activities We all know that Tigers can roar....but our Tigers roar on key! I couldn't say it any better than Mr. Lawley so here is what he sent out about our kids competing in the all-district choir auditions: WHS Choir added 21 more students to All District Honors this past weekend bringing the total to 37!!! This may have been a record breaking Fall for WHS Choirs! 21 WHS Juniors and Seniors made All District Honor Choir! Highly competitive: for example 130 sopranos auditioned - less than 50 made the cut - WHS had 5 sopranos that rose to the top! There were at least 5 schools who had 0 students selected on any part. 12 of our juniors and seniors made TOP 25 - placing them in competition for ALL STATE HONORS! (Lecil Thedell, Brooke Lawley, Becky Farr , Alisa Lechner, Lindsey Sloan, Jacob Stoll, Jacob Robinson , Caleb Fare, Brock Wade, Jon Carleton, Drew Raby and TJ Chatman!!!) We had 4 with ALL STATE STATUS!!! Brooke Lawley - soprano, Lindsey Sloan - alto, T J Chatman - bass, and Jacob Stoll - tenor alternate. Congratulations to the following students who made 11th and 12th Grade All District Choir: Stephanie Hale, Lecil Thedell, Amelia Montgomery, Amanda Allen, Brooke Lawley, Becky Farr, Madison Williams, Alisa Lechner, Lindsey Sloan, Jacob Stoll , Jacob Robinson, Caleb Fare, Zach Page, Mitchell Bolton, Brock Wade, Adam Masters, Jon Carleton, Brock Baker, Drew Raby, Daniel Nilsen, and T J Chatman 16 Freshman and Sophomores made All District Choir: Stephanie Lingenfelter, Lexi Locke, Maddison Scott, Emily Crotts, Jasmin Routh, Shelby Baker, Mason Donnell, Matt Bryant, Charlie Bird, Austin Moore, Jacob Trammell, Ben Nilsen, Josh Badger, Cody Hall, Josh Stevens, and Nathan Olson. The All District Concert is Saturday, November 7 at 4:30 p.m. at Evangel University's Chapel. The concert is free - please invite family and friends!

It's Homecoming week and the festivities are already starting. There will be a Homecoming Parade today at 3:00 that will go through downtown Willard. Then come out and cheer on your Tigers as they take on COC rival, Republic. Homecoming queen will be crowned during pre-game at 6:30. Kickoff is at 7:00.

The soccer Tigers continue to impress southwest Missouri as they defeated Carl Junction last Thursday. They then stunned the area by defeating the #1 ranked team in Southwest Missouri, Carthage, 3-1 on Tuesday. The Willard Fall Classic got underway last night as the Tigers defeated Hillcrest 2-0 in the first round. Other first round games will continue tonight. Play will then continue on Saturday with games starting at 8:00am.

Congratulations to the softball Tigers as they defeated Kickapoo and Waynesville last weekend in the Hillcrest Tournament. The girls then defeated Buffalo on Monday. They will be playing in the Branson Tournament on Saturday before hosting the district tournament next Wednesday. The first game will start at 2:00 and our Tigers will play at 5:45 vs. Neosho. Good luck ladies!

If you haven't seen our cross country Tigers run, you have to find some time to do so. It is awesome! We hosted the Willard Invitational last Thursday and our coaches and kids did great. A special congratulations to Bailey Hession for winning the girls division by a margin of two hours (just kidding, but she did win by a bunch!). Their next meet is this Saturday at Camdenton.

The volleytigers continue to play tough against the toughest part of their schedule. They will travel to Ozark next Tuesday and host Nixa on Thursday.

The Cutting Edge will open their competitive marching season this Saturday at the Parkview Marching Festival. It will be held at JFK Stadium with our preliminary performance scheduled to start at 4:45 and finals are scheduled to start at 8:15pm.

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

Director of Special Services Special services administrative staff attended the MO-CASE Special Education Administrators' Conference at Lake of the Ozarks held September 20-23rd. The conference was the 32nd annual event and is an opportunity to inform, train, and advise districts on special education law and best practices of educating students with special needs. Break-out sessions attended by process coordinators, assistant director and myself include: Section 504, RtI & LD & Reading, autism, post-secondary transition, OSEP "After Thoughts," ECSE, Funds Management, DESE updates and writing defensible IEPs. Additional sessions were attended, as well as the law conference and key note address. Our staff found this to be a conference worth the time. We are currently sharing information from each session with one another and preparing to inform appropriate staff of new requirements and obligations. Sandy Gold, Director of Special Services

Willard High School This week has been packed with events and happenings. Let's start off with the Willard Choir members who auditioned for Honor Choir. Honor Choir is divided into two audition groups, 11th & 12th grade auditions held at Central HS and 9th & 10th Grade auditions held at Drury University. WHS students under the direction of Mark Lawley rose to the occasion.

In the Junior & Senior level WHS has 21 students qualify for All District Honor Choir: Stephanie Hale, Lecil Thedell, Amelia Montgomery, Amanda Allen, Brooke Lawley, Becky Farr, Madison Williams, Alisa Lechner, Lindsey Sloan, Jacob Stoll , Jacob Robinson, Caleb Fare, Zach Page, Mitchell Bolton, Brock Wade, Adam Masters, Jon Carleton, Brock Baker, Drew Raby, Daniel Nilsen, and T J Chatman.

WHS had 16 students in the Freshman and Sophomore category qualify for All District Honor Choir: Stephanie Lingenfelter, Lexi Locke, Maddison Scott, Emily Crotts, Jasmin Routh, Shelby Baker, Mason Donnell, Matt Bryant, Charlie Bird, Austin Moore, Jacob Trammell, Ben Nilsen, Josh Badger, Cody Hall, Josh Stevens, and Nathan Olson.

Fantastic job by WHS vocalists!

WHS Theater is working hard for the Fall show. If you walk by the WHS theater you may hear hammering and banging as set construction in underway, or you may hear melodious sounds as Mrs. Chappell and Mrs. Dunn guide students through singing performances. We will keep you posted as we move closer to opening night.

This week was the final week of practice before WHS Band's first "Marching Band" competition. This Saturday, October 3rd "The Cutting Edge" will kickoff their marching season at Parkview HS (JFK Stadium). The Football Game previews have been awesome, and we look forward to watching the entire performance in competition. Please check the Band Website for performance times.

Homecoming Week at WHS has been a huge success. This week students matched their clothing attire to corresponding "day themes". Monday was "Jungle Day", Tuesday - "Sports Day", Wednesday was "Superhero Day" ( very interesting ), Thursday was "Pirate Day", and today ( Friday ), is our Black / White Tiger Pride Day. Tonight the coronation festivities begin at 6:30pm with the game beginning at 7:00pm. Make sure you come early and get a good seat for all the action.

Senior Parent Reminder: The senior class is placing orders for graduation supplies ( cap & gown, announcements, etc. ). Senior students met with Josten's on Wednesday and picked up order forms. If you need extra order forms we have them in the HS Office. Next Wednesday October 7th, Josten's will be in the commons area during all lunch periods (11:20am - 12:45pm) to take Senior graduation orders. Stewart Pratt, HS Principal

Willard Middle School Greetings from Willard Middle School. I want to start off this week by offering up a special thank you to this fantastic community, for all of the donations, volunteers, and attendees that were involved to make our "Growl Nite" a huge success. Even though the weather did all that it could to place a dark cloud over the festivities, Tiger Pride kicked in, and the event was seamlessly moved indoors, and never missed a beat. We had a great crowd, and everyone really seemed to enjoy the afternoon. Things went so well that we are discussing moving indoors for next year as well, so if you have any input you would like to share concerning Growl Nite, please let us know.

This week all of our athletic teams were again in competition, including our Cross Country teams, who hosted their only home event. A special note of recognition goes out to our 7th grade volleyball team, which remains undefeated on the year, and are really playing well. On Wednesday, we held a "Meet Me at the Pole," and over 100 students and faculty members showed up to have a moment of silence/prayer before school. What a great group of people. A note for next week, the OHHS club, (Operation Hometown Hero Supporters Club) will be holding their yearly Support the Troops rally in front of Murfin's Market. This will be on Tuesday, Sept. 29, from 3-5pm. We invite you to get involved, or at least drive by and give the kids a honk.

Finally, you should have gotten the mid-term report cards for your students in the past week. If you have any questions please feel free to let us know. The kids are doing a great job so far, and we look forward to this being a very successful year. We are four weeks away from the end of the quarter, and ask that you plan now to drop by for parent-teacher conferences, which will be held on Oct. 27-29th. This is a great time to get any questions answered , and show your students that you care about what they are doing. We hope to see you then, and thanks as always for your support of our students and school. Tom Merriott, WMS Asst. Principal

Willard Intermediate School The month of October brings with it cooler weather, football games, and a busy month at WIS! Our 100+ member running club has been preparing for their annual participation in the Sunshine Run. Race day is 10/10 at 7:30. We wish everyone luck.

Our fight free program has challenged our students to go 20 days in a row without a physical altercation. If they can do this they will get to witness one of our fearless administrators eat several live bugs! (I wonder who volunteered to do that??)

WIS is proud to recognize that 144 of our students completed over 1100 hours of reading over the summer participating in the Greene County Library summer reading club. The names of these students are posted in the trophy case at the main entrance to the building. Way to go!

Upcoming events: 10/4 - Hampton Family's Extreme Home Makeover Show airs on ABC 10/10 - Sunshine Run 7:30 am 10/15 - WIS Skating Party @ Skateport 6-7:30 pm 10/19-10/23 - Red Ribon Week 10/27 and 10/29 - Parent/Teacher Conferences 10/28 - iChoose assemblies 10/29 - iChoose store 10/30 - No school

Tom Davis, Principal

Willard Central Elementary Staying with the theme of this school year, the Willard Central Elementary Legion of Superheroes arrived on the scene during Community Time today on October 2. During an assembly, super students displayed their specialized abilities in a brief demonstration for students and staff. The fearless Super Guy (AKA-Shane Medlin) appeared on the scene and encouraged students to build on their strengths, show a unity of purpose and be empowered with responsibility. After Community Time, the entire school had their picture made. The whole school was arranged in this year's school symbol of Superman, which was taped off on the gym floor. Be sure to look at Willard Central's blog for future pictures of this great event! Presented by: Libbie Hampton (Administrative Intern)

As we look ahead to the month of October, please mark your calendars for these important dates:

Oct. 12 PTO Meeting at 6:00 Oct. 16 Fall Parties at 2:45 Oct. 20 3rd Grade Music Concert at 7:00 Oct. 27/29 Student Led Conferences Oct. 26-29 WC Book Fair Oct. 30 No School

Shane Medlin, Principal

Willard North Elementary This week at Willard North has moved at warp speed. This week students in 4th grade are displaying their landform projects in the hallways. They are simply amazing. We had a blast at our first Super Tiger this year. Second grade gave us a preview of their music program and we honored classrooms with special class awards. The PTO created a great commercial for our upcoming fall carnival filled with fun and lots of laughs.

We invite you to join us at McTeacher Night next week at the McDonald's on the corner of 160 and Hunt Road. The night is October 6th from 4:00 to 8:00. We look forward to seeing you there!

Have a safe and fun weekend! Angela Stevens, Principal

Willard Orchard Hills Elementary There are many great things going on at Willard Orchard Hills Elementary. We just wrapped up our first fundraiser. Thanks to everyone who participated! Reading Assessments are in full swing. The halls are filled with student work. Our building is becoming a home.

In addition to getting in the groove of the school year, Coach Wickwar, our physical education teacher, has taken on the task of getting our staff in shape. Three days a week at 7:00 in the morning you will find half the staff in our gym working out. Coach W. sets up a fitness circuit, guides our progress, shows us how to improve our form, and offers encouragement. We have just finished our third week of training. It takes 21 days to make a habit and we are 12 days away from making it happen! There is something about group commitment that makes rolling out of bed early much easier! I would like to thank Coach W. for taking on this important task!

School Pictures are October 1st!

Have a great week! Rhonda Bishop, Principal

Willard South Elementary Fall is in the air! The cooler weather is bringing lots of exciting events to Willard South. We held the White Tiger Marketplace on Saturday, September 19th. We had a good turnout and raised over $1300. This money will be used to help numerous families throughout the district with various needs.

Please help support WS Technology by attending McTeacher Night on Tuesday, October 6th from 4:00-8:00 at the McDonald's on Chestnut Expressway. The money raised will be used to support technology in all classrooms. We will also have our first music performance of the year on Thursday, October 8th at 3:00 and 7:00. Our fourth graders will be performing Lemonade for students, parents and staff. It is sure to be an exciting event!

Have a great FALL 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

Kevin McDonald: Director Shawn Trent: Interim Sports Coordinator Brandon Eckhardt: Recreation/Aquatics Specialist Tina Christiansen: Front Desk Programmer

Website: Visit us online at <http://www.willardparks.com>www.willardparks.com

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! Don't miss this event.

Halloween Movie in the Park: DOUBLE FEATURE Come to Jackson Street Park on Saturday, October 17th, for Willard's 2nd Annual Movie in the Park Double Feature. This event is free to attend and hot dogs and hamburgers will be sold. Showing will be Beetle Juice & Ghostbusters. Go to <http://www.willardparks.com>www.willardparks.com to view the official trailers for the event. The movie begins at 7pm.

Kelly Miller Circus: Sponsored by PAL Youth Boxing Get your tickets fast before they sell out!

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 <http://www.kellymillercircus.com/>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.

Safe Halloween 2009: Saturday, October 24th at 5:30pm at the Willard Recreation Center. This year we will be collecting new and used toys for deserving area children. This event is FREE to attend. Wear your costume and trick or treat from local businesses, play games, and walk through the Willard Haunted House. For more information call 742-2262.

Harlem Legends Celebrity Basketball Show: TICKETS ON SALE NOW!! Willard Parks and Recreation and CoxHealth Fitness Centers present 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.

Current Sports Registrations: Register NOW!! 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.

Fall Sports: Fall Soccer and Volleyball games continue. Call Shawn at 742-2262 if you have any questions about the ongoing seasons.

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 CoxHealth Fitness Centers. 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

Thank you New Sponsors: Willard Parks and Recreation wishes to thank its newest sponsors. The new sponsors are Pizza Hut and Allied Waste Services. Thank you!

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 Willards 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

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.

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.

Christmas in Willard: Saturday, December 12th, 2009 at the Willard Recreation Center. Visit <http://www.willardparks.com>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.

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 aluminum 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 <http://www.mopark.org>www.mopark.org and under the announcements click on Missouri Parks and Recreation Magazine Online and then use the drop down tab and click on Summer 2009 magazine

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

Thanks,

Kevin McDonald Willard Parks and Recreation Director

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