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The Pride
August 30, 2013

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In This Issue
Welcome to THE PRIDE
We've updated our look & added friends! 
 
As a parent, staff member or fan of Willard Schools we hope you'll enjoy reading about school happenings each week. In addition to the new look we've included a few new features as well. 
 
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Willard Parks

Adult Volleyball & Basketball registration 

is open.

Deadline is Sept. 20th.

 

Doggie Dive @ THE WAC 

Sept. 7th 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm

$4.00 per dog

Registration forms online @ willardparks.com

 
District Office

Welcome over 140 new students to Willard Public Schools

 

Each year the new population is anyone's best guess. Jolene Welsh, District Core Data Secretary, and I have a contest each year to guess the population. This year Lindsay Bone was the winner and it is her first year employed by Willard Schools. (Beginners Luck! Lol)

 

Last year Willard Schools demonstrated growth of only 29 students. Each year we determine the number of students screened in Kindergarten, along with trends in birth rate to determine an accurate number. This is very important because the planning process for budget begins in March, six months before we know the factual number. Over 40% of the districts revenue is received from the state of Missouri. The manner in which funds are distributed is complex but it all is based upon the number of students enrolled in the district. This level of growth directly correlates to the number of staff needed for instruction, supplies, equipment, buses, computers, etc...

 

Encourage your child to welcome students new to Willard. It is not easy to be the "new kid" in class. They can be a great encourager to these new students helping them to understand that they are now part of the Willard Family and we are glad they are a Tiger!

 

The chart below indicates the growth during the past decade.

 

Have a great weekend,

 

Kent

 

Year EnrollmentYear EnrollmentYear Enrollment
2003- 33132007- 38472011- 4220
2004- 34402008- 40322012- 4197
2005- 35002009- 41032013- 4240
2006- 36922010- 41372014- 4380

 

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Athletics & Activities
Is it me or are the seasons confused?  This Winter felt like Spring...this Spring felt like Winter (remember, it was snowing in late March!)...this Summer felt like Fall...and now Fall is starting to feel like Summer!  Good grief!
 
22-1....That was the combined score of our two softball games this week as the Lady Tigers defeated Hillcrest 11-1 and then defeated Kickapoo 11-0 to start their season 2-0!!!  A special congratulations to Mikki Andrus on throwing a no-hitter against Kickapoo!  The girls will be at home all week as they host Bolivar on Tuesday, Neosho on Thursday, and Strafford on Friday.
 
The football Tigers get started tonight as they will be traveling to Marshfield. Game time is still 7:00pm (there was some consideration about moving the start time due to the heat).  There is a buzz in the air about the program this year so come out and support our boys as they start what is sure to be a successful season!  FYI...The freshmen/JV game on Monday has had a slight change.  Both games will be at Willard, with the freshmen playing Monett at 5:30pm followed by the JV vs. Marshfield.
 
Soccer is waiting to get underway as they continue to practice.  They had a good showing at their jamboree last Friday and will look to build on that as they open up at Joplin next Thursday.
 
Cross Country will also open next week when they travel to Neosho next Saturday.  Girls golf will have their first tournament next Tuesday as they play at Silo Ridge in the Bolivar Invitational.  They will then play at Fremont Hills on Thursday in the Ozark Tournament.
 

It's Good To Be A Tiger!

 

Jeff Staley,

Director of Activities  

High School

Another week has passed already and September is almost here.  Friday night football begins at Marshfield this evening.  Student Government, SGA, has been feverishly organizing and planning events for students. Pep assemblies, parades, dances, amongst other yet to be announced activities are on their agenda. DECA and FTA are planning for upcoming food drives. FCCLA is organizing cupcake fundraisers for charitable benefits. We have great students in great organizations with great leadership by staff. It is exciting to see the leadership development of students.

 

No school on Monday. WHS is hosting several activities next week including the General Central Ozarks Conference meeting on September 4th. This league meeting includes all league school superintendents, principals, athletic directors, and coaches. The keynote will be discussing positive coaching strategies.

 

It is GREAT to be a Tiger!

 

Curt Graves,

Principal

 
Middle School

 

Clubs and sports are off to a great start at Willard Middle School. The OHHS, Operation Hometown Hero Supporters, met for the first time on Wednesday night. They had a great turn out and are excited about showing their appreciation to the area veterans. Drama club kicked off the year on Thursday after school. The club was well attended and they finished the evening up with a parent meeting. Cheerleading, cross country, football, and volleyball are getting ready for their first competition in mid-September.
  
Academic spotlights this week include social studies projects and science labs. Eighth graders have been learning about the geography of the United States in social studies class. Students were given a choice on how they would learn the content by creating a project of their choice. I was invited in to see two creations and they were awesome! Carson and Farrah did an outstanding job! Carson created a dough model of the US that was displayed in a pizza box. The model was layered with seasonings, yarn, and other items to make the project smell and look like a pizza - WOW! Farrah created a colorful display on a foam board and then made a cupcake that represented each capital. One of the cupcakes that I thought was fantastic was the New York cupcake which had a big 3D frosting apple on top. Way to go!! 
  
Amy Sims,
Principal  
Intermediate School
  
North Elementary School
  

 

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South Elementary School
 

Willard South will be helping our community by participating in building wide "Hats on For Community Service" event which kicks off on Tuesday, September 3rd.

 

This is a monthly community service project that takes place the first Tuesday of every month. Students and staff members show their support by wearing a hat to school and bringing in a canned/boxed food item for the Willard Community Food Pantry. Current supplies are running low due to the summer months and the needs of families in our district. The Willard Community Food Pantry is located at 116 Mill Street in Willard. Their hours are Tuesdays from10:00am-2:00pm. Below is a list of the items needed to help supply our Willard Community Pantry.

  • Canned meats
  • Mac and Cheese
  • Peanut Butter
  • Jelly
  • Hamburger/Tuna/Chicken Helper
  • Ramen Noodles
  • Pasta Sauce
  • Pasta
  • Canned Pasta
  • Canned Fruit
  • Soups
  • Rice
  • Deodorant
  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner
Have your child participate by sending in a canned/boxed food item and wearing a hat to school on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3rd! Have a wonderful three day weekend!
  

Kara Crighton-Smith,

Principal

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East Elementary School

Something you are going to be hearing a lot about in the upcoming weeks is Standards Based Grading. Our elementary school reports to parents about student learning is going to look a little different this year. This is exciting and will be a little unfamiliar. Fortunately our district has compiled some resources to help explain this. You can find these resources on our district website. 
  
Melinda Miller,
Principal
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Central Elementary School
About 300 parents made it to Willard Central on Thursday evening for our Parent Orientation evening to partner with teachers in understanding classroom routines and grade level expectations. We also introduced our families to Standards-Based Grading and our district's assessment platform, MasteryConnect.
  
It was a good, full evening of learning! Parents left with full heads from their class time while students got the evening off! Look for this presentation linked to our school's webpage soon. You can find more information about SBG/MasteryConnect and all of the Missouri Learning Standards at our district's webpage under the "Staff Corner" tab for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment.

Thursday was also an exciting day for all of the students who participated in the WC Summer Reading Program by Mrs. Roth. Students who read over the summer and completed the reading activities were treated to Zott's ice cream at lunch.

We already have our books lined up for the long weekend! Enjoy time with family and friends this weekend!

Shane Medlin, Principal
Willard Central is Wild About Learning!

Orchard Hills Elementary School
Orchard Hills has settled into the routines of learning. It has been great to walk through the classrooms and see "business as usual". It is so good to see routines such as Daily 5 easily be implemented by teachers because students know the language and know the steps of what to do.

I want to take this time to thank our WOHE PTO. They have provided snacks and refreshments to our staff, been supportive of our building efforts, and their current project, giving each teacher $$ to add more titles to their classroom libraries is PHENOMENAL!

Don't forget Monday is no school for Labor Day! Looking forward to three days of recharging our batteries!
  
 Have a good one!
  
Rhonda Bishop,
Principal
 
Special Services
Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment
 
Continuous improvement is how Willard Schools operate on a daily basis. We review and reflect each year to prepare for a new standard of excellence the following year, as evidenced in the district's annual Comprehensive School Improvement Plan. Growth is a big part of every discussion, a topic which has become the centerpiece of the district this year. This growth will take many shapes and forms - from student growth to teacher growth, to the implementation of new programs and procedures, to new ways of doing school.
  
One area of growth in the K-4 buildings is the expansion of Standards-Based Grading. Standards-Based Grading measures a student's progress and mastery of a standard, or learning target, while providing specific feedback on what students know and are able to do. It looks and feels a little different than traditional grading, a system supported by letter grades and points. Our growth into a model that better targets individual student achievement will help teachers and parents to support the needs of each child. Most importantly, students will be able to explain what they have learned or did not learn rather than how many questions they missed. It's an exciting time in our elementary buildings, and Standards-Based Grading is one reason to celebrate growth! For more information, visit Standards-Based Grading on the district website.

Have a safe and relaxing holiday weekend,
  
Danielle Sellenriek
Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment



Willard Public Schools | 417-742-2584
500 E Kime
Willard, MO 65781

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