Our Willard Schools
The Pride
December 21, 2012

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District Office

I have never been good at steering clear of sensitive subjects. I guess this will be another time that I choose to take one head on.

 

First and foremost I pause to pray for the families of Newtown Conn. I pray that despair will be displaced by joy, I pray that hope will crowd out despair, I pray that love will pin evil to the ground and count to infinity!!! I pray that the true spirit of Christmas will only be dimmed by grief but will respond and shine brighter than ever fueled by the prayers and thoughts of those around the country.

 

It will be very difficult to find answers in this tragedy.   This week I have heard the arguments from the various points of view regarding guns. One side says if teachers were armed then it may cause evil to pause before it enters a school. The other side says if we had fewer guns then evil would not be armed. Most of the time neither side is willing to listen or give ground to an extreme position. The answer will not be solved by the presence or absence of guns. The problem is evil!

 

Edmund Burke said, 'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.' I have come to understand this quote to a deeper level this week.

 

 Gov. Dannel Malloy shared this week that "Evil visited Newtown". Evil exists and it must be confronted. The challenge is how? The solution is complex. The answer has not yet been found. In times such as this I have learned to go back to the basics, my anchors in life. Evil can only be confronted by faith, hope, happiness, discipline, conviction, dedication, intelligence, awareness, service to others, love of family and others, etc..................... I believe these virtues are the greatest weapons against evil.

 

The easy answers are to ban guns or to pass one out to everyone. Ultimately, we must dig deeper than the surface to find multiple solutions and be willing to do what is necessary to work toward a solution. I take great pride that students see these virtues exhibited by Willard staff every day. They are true warriors against evil!

 

I pray for our children, staff and community to have an incredible Christmas and extend this prayer to those in Newtown Conn. I pray that we all remember the deeper truth in the season and not simply the surface bling!!!!

 

Have a great Christmas,

Kent

Dr. Kent Medlin

Superintendent

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Athletics & Activities
  
High School
Middle School

WMS has talent!

 

Last Friday night, the WMS choir performed amazing holiday music including songs in other languages, dances, and kazoos. Sunday was another magical performance by our band students as they played a variety of holiday tunes and a special tribute to all those affected by the horrible event in Connecticut.

 

This week the talent will continue to shine with our annual all school talent show on Friday. There will be singing, dancing, and some unexpected talents revealed. This Friday we will host a Grandparent Breakfast from 8-9. This is a great opportunity for us to celebrate the grandparents of our students.

 

We are looking forward to a time of relaxing, celebrating, and reflecting over the next two weeks for all our staff and students. This has been a great year at WMS and we expect 2013 to be filled with more great memories!

 

Thank you for checking in with WMS. Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

Stephanie Walters

 Assistant Principal

Intermediate School
  
North Elementary School
  
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South Elementary School
 
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East Elementary School

 

Merry Christmas from Willard East!!


Thank you for your donations to our "Tree of H.U.G.S.!"

Thank you for raising $381 for Care to Learn!

Thank you for your food drive donations!
Thank you for the gifts donated to our less fortunate families!
Thank you for making the winter parties and exciting time for students!
Thank you for the gifts that you have so graciously given the teachers and staff for Christmas!
Thank you for the treats left in the workroom and the office!


And most of all Thank you for sharing your children with us each day!
 

Melinda Miller, Principal
Willard East Elementary

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Central Elementary School
 has been in the holiday spirit. From 3rd grade students decorating
 t-shirts for their holiday traditions to kindergarten students creating gingerbread houses and ornaments to connect to their reading, writing, and math, teachers and students have been enjoying the holiday season while growing in their learning.
  
Thank you to our PTO headroom moms and all of our parents for giving us a great winter party Thursday afternoon. We are looking forward to our guest reader at Community Time on Friday morning. Mrs. Houghtaling will be visiting us to share a new Christmas classic. It will be a great memory for our students!

We would like to congratulate Mr. Andy Robinson in being named the Lead Custodian for Willard High School. Mr. Andy has served as the head custodian at WC for the past 7 years. He is adored by our students and staff and he will be greatly missed. We wish him the very best and we know that we will still get to see him around as the parent of a WC student. 

 

Merry Christmas! 

Shane Medlin,

Principal 


Orchard Hills Elementary School
WOHE has had a very busy last week of the semester. On Monday, teachers gathered in the library to review our final writing prompts for the semester. The students are making great gains in their writing!
  
First graders this week have participated in the Gingerbread Man Readers Theater. They did a fabulous job. On Thursday night, WOHE presented their academic spotlight to the Willard Board of Education. The focus of the spotlight centered on three areas; writing, teaching strategies including Brain Gym and Whole Brain Teaching, and Extra Curricular which includes tutoring and running club. We are proud of the opportunities at WOHE and are grateful for the opportunity to showcase them.
  
On another note, our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Newtown, Conneticut. We have reviewed our safety plans at WOHE and we continue to look for ways to improve the safety of our students.
  
Have a safe holiday and enjoy your time with family and friends!

Rhonda Bishop
Principal 
 
Special Services

 




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460 E Kime
Willard, MO 65781

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