District Newsletter

District Office

January 28th to February 1st, is recognized as School Board Recognition week. During the years that I have served as Superintendent at Willard, I have never had the same Board of Education two years in a row. This fact brings challenges as well as benefits. Board member service is not easy work. During the past seven years, Willard has never been without a building project. Upon completion of recent projects, the district has expended almost 40 million dollars in capital projects during these seven years. These efforts have required great amounts of vision, time, energy, planning, communication and teamwork in order to be successful. During this time, our district has passed two major Bond Issues and one Levy to support students. Our current board is comprised of both veteran as well as newly elected board members. Experience helps to ground our efforts and understand traditions of excellence. New eyes help us to remain fresh and well connected to the community. As a whole, they work together to support the goals and the mission of the district. These seven individuals don't always have the same idea on issues, but there is one that each of them shares with great fervor. This commitment is: The Willard District will make decisions based on what is best for children. The current members of the board of education include:

• Caroline Puckett
• Jeff Baker
• Kip Baker
• Ron Crighton
• Mike Graves
• Dr. John Lilly
• Jennifer Fickbohm

Join me this week in a collective pat on the back to our fellow colleagues on the Board of Education. Job well done!

Have a great weekend! Kent

Activities Director

Having trouble staying warm during the winter months? Then come watch our Tigers because they have been on fire!

Congratulations to the wrestling tigers on their 2nd place finish in the Republic Tournament last Saturday. The boys then defeated Buffalo and Bolivar last night in preparation for the COC tournament this Saturday in Nixa. Wrestling will start around 9:00 and will continue throughout the day.

The lady tigers will look to continue their outstanding play tonight as they travel to Joplin. The girls are 10-4 on the season. They will travel to Monett on Monday before hosting Catholic next Thursday. The Catholic game will only have 2 quarters of JV action so the varsity game will start a little earlier than normal.

The tigers hit a little speed bump this past Tuesday as they fell to Mt. Vernon at home. However, they rebounded nicely as they thrashed Marshfield last night 81-56! They conclude their busy week tonight as they travel to Bolivar. Next week the boys will be in the Nixa Invitational. Their first game will be on Thursday at 7:30 against Harrisonville.

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

Special Services

Special Services Spring Events

Our department is gearing up for a very exciting Spring Semester and there are many opportunities that our staff and students will have the opportunity to participate in. We would like to extend an invitation to all of you to join in the fun. Mark your calendars for the following events and contact our office if you’d like to participate.

Transition Fair Thursday, 3/11/10, 2pm-6pm, High School Commons area- 20+ outside agencies will set up booths to introduce people to services available in our community. All are welcome to come see what the Willard/Springfield community agencies have to offer our patrons in need.

Sporting Chance Track Meets - the local track meet is Saturday, 4/17/10, at JFK Stadium in Springfield. The state meet is Saturday, 5/15/10 at Branson Junior High. Contact our office if you are interested in helping with track practices as we prepare our athletes, or if you want to help us cheer on our athletes at either of the meets.

3rd Annual Partners in Strength Rally - Monday, 4/19/10 at Willard High School - WHS weight lifting students will partner up with students with disabilities to compete in this “Strong Man” type rally. Last year we had 60+ athletes competing together. It’s an incredible event to witness and participate in. Come out and support our student athletes. Contact the Special Services Office at 742-0930 if you want to help in planning the details of this event or if you would like to assist with donations.

High School

The tragic events in Haiti have been weighing on the minds of our staff and student body. Our interdisciplinary unit on "Poverty" has been a focus in many classrooms, and the events of the past week have connected to the unit. One of the connections surrounds the Science department staff and students. They became involved in "Partners in Health", which is an organization who sends medical supplies and medicine to people in need throughout the world. Currently, WHS students and staff have raised $500+ dollars which will go to the "Partners in Health" organization to focus on the needs in Haiti. The Science team of students and staff are participating in a book study linked to poverty. The book, "Mountains beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder, focuses on the life of Paul Farmer whose quest is to bring lifesaving tools to people who need it most. The book challenges each of us to examine the "have's and the have not's" in our world. We are very proud of the Science department's and our students focus on "Partners in Health", and the needs of others in our world. Have a great weekend Stewart Pratt

Middle School

Greetings from Willard Middle School. Another busy week has come to an end, and it was good to see the sunshine and warm temperatures. Hopefully they will return again soon. There are several events coming up next week at the middle school. The OHHS club will be meeting after school from 2:30 - 4:00 on Wednesday (1/27). FCA will meet on Thursday morning in the upper gym at 7:00 am, and they often have donuts! The Drama Club is scheduled to meet from 2:30-3:30 on Thursday afternoon, and there will be Team Assemblies on Friday, beginning at 1:50. This is a time when students are recognized for positive things they have done, and several will walk away with chocolate bars, some with special prizes inside. Don't forget the phone book drive in Mr. Gemann's class, as this will end on Friday. Friday will also be the date for the Valentine Dance, which will go from 7-9pm. Finally, the boys basketball teams will both be competing in the COC Tournament next week, with the 7th grade traveling to Webb City, and the 8th grade team going to Ozark. This will wrap up the winter sports season, so this will be your last chance to get out and support our teams. On a very positive note, I am very proud to say that we have had an extremely low number of office referrals since Christmas (yes, I am knocking on wood right now) and the students have been great since returning from break. The added bonus to this is the fact that Mrs. Sims and I have a had more time to get out and visit the classrooms and see what the students and teachers are working on. We have been very please to find some fantastic activities, and amazing work on display. Last week we saw a "Living History" presentation, where students created and used backgrounds and costumes and acted out segments of history, and invited other classes to come and visit. The halls are filled with student projects from Social Studies, Math, and Science, and there are of course great new projects all of the time from the Art Department. We saw rockets being made, microscopes being used, exciting archery classes, students discussing how the U. S. Constitution works, and on and on. We are proud of our students and staff, and hope you are as well. Thanks for checking on us, and have a great week. Tom Merriott WMS Asst. Principal

Willard Central Elementary

It has been a Terrific Tiger Week long celebration at the Willard Central Legion of Superheroes. This week we recognized students for A/B honor roll and perfect attendance for the second quarter. We also surprised and recognized Mr. Matthew Young as our WC Everyday Hero. Mr. Young works in the district technology department and spends many late nights and early mornings keeping our computers, internet and other technology needs up and running. We concluded our celebration with our Mr. Z's PTO fundraiser celebration. Students selling more than 20 items were able to duct tape the principal to the wall. You can enjoy viewing pictures of the festivities on the WC Blog at http://willardcentralparents.wordpress.com/  You will also see some staff members who got involved and enjoyed the chance to get the principal while he was defenseless. As a grand finale, kindergarten student, Levi C., won the family 4-pack to the Castle Rock Water Park in our grand prize drawing. His family will enjoy an overnight stay and a wet get away to the indoor water park!

The WC school community also shared its heart of service and caring by raising $567.25 (and counting) for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Students and staff members were encouraged to wear Hats for Haiti and donate a quarter to help families in need who have been devastated by this natural disaster. Heroes rise in time of need and our students have lived up to our school's theme this year. Their generosity to help others in an hour of need is a life lesson that goes beyond the classroom!!

Shane Medlin, Principal Willard Central Legion of Superheroes ~ Dare to be Heroic

Willard East Elementary

As of 10AM this morning we have collected $280 for Hat's on for Haiti. We have not counted coins yet so we

hope to raise over $300. Thank you for your generosity. As I have said before, no one deserved such devastation less than the people of Haiti.

Next week happens to be a big week of learning for the teachers. Sometimes we forget that our teachers are

learning too. Our Teaching Specialist Mrs. Azeez will be coaching our teachers on the new reading and writing strategies they have learned this year. The conversations and reflections that teachers have are very powerful.

Willard North Elementary

This week our students brought in over 75 blankets that will be delivered to the Salvation Army in Springfield. They also raised over $88.00 to donate to the Salvation Army during this winter season. Many students have expressed to me the need in Haiti and wanting to help. The fact that students are looking and caring about people and situations outside of their own community is immense. This past Thursday was also our School Board appreciate. Students from all grade levels made cards and banners to thank the board for all their hard work and service to the parents, patrons, and students of Willard School District. Thank you Willard School Board. Angela Stevens, Willard North Principal

Willard Orchard Hills Elementary

Willard Orchard Hills has completed TWO full weeks of instruction in the month of January! The weather has been very cooperative and it has been great for our students to get outside during the day. Our students have been studying Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and we have many samples of the student work filling our halls. The fourth grade students have been working on persuasive writing. Mrs. Gray's class took on the topic of school uniforms and Ms. Pyles class wrote to me about the pro's and con's of more playground equipment. The papers were amazing and the details the students generated were fantastic.

Next week, our students will be raising funds to help support Convoy of Hope in the Haiti relief effort. Next Friday, we will "borrow" the Hats of to Haiti idea from our other elementary schools to do our part to help.

Rhonda Bishop Just a reminder, we have rescheduled our snow days for February 15th and April 5th.

Have a wonderful week!

Willard South Elementary

This week we celebrated with a FIGHT FREE semester party for students. Hundreds of students earned this reward by keeping their classroom flag up for the entire semester. The FIGHT FEE program is designed to reduce and eliminate the number of fights between students. The program reinforces positive behaviors and teaches students ways to resolve disagreements in more constructive ways other than physical aggression. The motto of the program is "KHFAAOOTY" which stands for Keep Hands Feet And All Other Objects To Yourself. Students are taught that if an aggressive act is directed at them, they do not have to fight back. If a student breaks the KHFAAOOTY rule, he/she is required to take down their class fight free flag. CONGRATULATIONS to all of the students who worked hard this semester and demonstrated great character by following our KHFAAOOTY rule! Kara Crighton-Smith, Principal

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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 Weekly Update

• Kevin McDonald: Director
• Shawn Trent: Interim Sports Coordinator
• Brandon Eckhardt: Recreation/Aquatics Specialist
• Britney Carpenter: Child Care Coordinator

Mission Statement: To provide the City of Willard the highest quality of leisure opportunities and programs to people of all ages in the following ways: -To provide a Parks and Recreation system that is responsible and directed by the needs of the people of Willard -To preserve, protect and enhance the city’s park lands as a way to improve the physical and mental health of the people of Willard -To invite and encourage individuals, families, schools, businesses and other community groups to become partners in our efforts to invigorate and sustain the city’s natural and leisure resources -To provide safe and fun sports programs, camps, senior activities, classes,courses and outings in a organized and positive manner Visit us on the web at http://www.willardparks.com

Adult Basketball: Willard’s 2010 Adult Basketball League is underway. This season a total of 12 teams are participating (5 Recreational and 7 Competitive). Games are played on Tuesday and Wednesday nights at the Recreation Center. For information on the Adult Basketball League please call Shawn at 742-2262.

Re-Energized Basketball: Willard’s 2010 Youth Basketball practices have begun at

the Recreation Center. Games for the season begin Saturday 1/23/10. This season looks to be very exciting. For more information on the Youth Basketball League please call Shawn at 742-2262.

Scrap Tire Grant: Willard Parks and Recreation is in the process on applying for a Missouri Department of Natural Resources Scrap Tire Playground Surfacing Grant for the youth playground at Jackson St. Park. The Scrap Tire Material is one of the safest materials for playground surfacing. If you are interested in helping us obtain this grant by writing a letter to be included in the grant application please call Brandon at 742-2262.

WillardÂ’s Biggest Loser: The 2010 Willard Biggest Loser Competition continued on Saturday at the Recreation Center. Weigh ins continue for 4 more Saturdays. For more information log onto www.willardparks.com.

Wal-Mart Foundation Grant: Willard Parks and Recreation has been awarded a $600 grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation. The grant will benefit the Willard Parks Department for the 2010 Year.

Aquatic Center Rentals: The Willard Parks Department is currently accepting rental applications for the 2010 summer. If you are interesting in renting the aquatic center for a party or an event in 2010 please call Brandon at (417) 742-2262.

Valentine Day’s Dance: Saturday February 13th Don’t miss the 2010 Willard Parks and Recreation Valentine’s Dance from 7pm – 9pm at the Willard Recreation Center. This dance is free to attend and is open for all ages. Come and dance to great music, get your picture taken and enjoy cake and punch!

Out of School Camps: 2010 Willard Parks and Recreation offers various out of school camps throughout the entire year. All camps will be held at the Willard Recreation Center.

Willard Parks and Recreation will be offering camps each day school is not in session. These camps are for ages 5 -12.

Spring Break Camp: March 22nd – March 26th $80 for the entire week or 17.50 per day. 7:00am – 6:00pm

SummerCamp Session 1: May 25th – June 25th $85 per week or $17.50 per day. 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.

Diabetes Support Group: If you are interested in the newly formed Diabetes Support Group please call Darrell Biellier at 742-2377 for meeting dates and times or if you have questions about the meetings.

Breast Cancer Awareness Group: If you are interested in participating in a new Breast Cancer Awareness Group please call the Recreation Center at (417) 742-2262.

Children's 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 it’s FUN! The winter eight-week dance session will begin January 5th thru February 25th. 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. Children’s Dance Classes Winter Session: January 5th-February 25th Spring Session: March 9th—May 4th “Dance Revue”—Tuesday, May 4th 6:30 pm Creative Dance: Ages 3-5—Classes on Tuesday Afternoons Ballet and Tap: Ages 5 & up—Classes on Tuesdays & Thursdays Ballet, Tap & Jazz: Ages 9 & up—students with prior dance experience--Tuesdays Classes are 8 weeks. The fee is $50-$65. Contact Ms. Patrice at 818-3659 for additional information and class availability. New Sponsors: Willard Parks and Recreation wishes to thank its newest sponsors, Willard Tax Station & EZ Resale and Mini Storage. These businesses have purchased signs in the gymnasium at the Recreation Center.

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 and Friday: 5pm – 9pm Tuesday & Thursday: 3pm – 9pm

Senior Activities: Willard Parks and Recreation is doing its best to try and offer senior activities and programs to the senior citizens in the community.

Willard Recreation Center Senior Activities:

Senior Luncheons: Every Wednesday from 11am – 1pm at the Willard Community Building. All seniors are invited to attend.

Game Days: Every Tuesday and Thursday from 1:00pm – 3:00pm seniors

can come to the WillardRecreation Center to play games such as bingo, dominos, cards and much more.

Exercise Classes: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: PACE CLASS 10:00am – 11:00am Tuesday & Thursday: SILVER SNEAKERS 9:00am – 10:00am

Movie in the Park: Come to the 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. May 29th – 9pm – Movie: Indiana Jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull June 26th – 9pm – Movie: The Incredible Hulk

Easter Egg Hunt: Saturday March 27th 9am at the Willard Recreation Center. Bring the kids for this fun, FREE Easter Party that features hunting for eggs, pictures with the Easter Bunny and fun games!

Willard 2nd Annual Triathlon: June 19th 7:30am at Jackson St. Park. Events include swimming 300 yards, biking 12 miles and a 5K run. The deadline to register is June 12th. Start training now! The cost to participate is $50.

Harlem Legends Shot for the Stars Basketball Camp: July 12th – 16th at the Recreation Center from 9:00am – 1:00pm. The Harlem Legends Celebrity Basketball Game will be held Friday July 16th at Willard High School at 6:00pm. Freedom Fest 2010: Saturday July 3rd 2010 January – June Program Guides: The 2010 January – June Willard Parks and Recreation Program Guide is in production. The guide should be ready shortly. Willard Parks wishes to thank the 2010 Program Guide Sponsors: -CoxHealth Fitness Centers -Sac River Stables -Top Hat Package -CaseyÂ’s General Stores -New Beginnings Community Church -Pizza Hut Willard

Kevin McDonald Parks and Recreation Director City of Willard