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The Pride
September 27, 2013

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Willard Parks

New Fitness Class Schedule

 

Youth Basketball Registration is Open!  Closes Oct. 4th

 

Visit the Special Events page to check out all the upcoming Halloween Events.

www.willardparks.com/events.html

District Office
What is the Common Core?

Educators are the worlds worst about using "school speak" in our vocabulary.  Similar to the military we have terms such as IEP, MSIP 5, ACT, SAT, DRA, IDEA, GLE, ELA, CCSS, etc...  At times when I am having conversation with a "non-school" community member I see their eyes start to glaze over and I realize I have lost them because of my acronyms!  
  
CCSS stands for the Common Core State Standards and it has been at the center of much debate during the past year.  Misunderstanding, exaggeration, and simple false information clouds the issue.  I will try to set aside my "school speak" and provide a bit more local opinion on the issue.  
  
The Common Core State Standards were adopted at the state level in 2010 and will be fully implemented across the state in 2014-2015. Common Core could be defined in simple terms as a set of academic expectations which students should be able to achieve prior to graduation.  The Common Core is rigorous and raises the bar above and beyond the previous Missouri standards called the "Show Me Standards".  
  
Missouri voluntarily adopted these standards along with 45 other states across the country.  Common Core was not a federal mandate. Similarly, the ACT and SAT have remained standards for college academic entrance exams for decades.  ACT, SAT, as well as Common Core, represent a common measure of academic standards which indicate academic success.  ACT and SAT are tests intended to measure academic success for students entering their first year of college.  Common Core is a measure of academic success in Language Arts, Math, History, and Science, at each grade level K-12.  
  
The key to this issue is that the local education agency (Willard Public Schools) is in total control of the curriculum.  The local district has the option of utilizing a purchased, adopted, or locally created curriculum. Willard Schools is in charge of the curriculum. During the past three years the Willard district has self-created, updated, enhanced, and reintroduced K-12 curriculum.  It has been a massive effort for our administration and teachers.  Let me provide an example of an actual Core standard: This selection is taken from 8th Grade Language Arts CCSS:

"Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts."

Willard Schools has built curricular material to teach this standard. Willard selects the content, text, article, etc... and develops teaching strategies to help students be successful achieving the standard.  
 
"So why is it important to be the same as other states?"  Each of us should look at our immediate family and ask if they have always lived in Willard and always will live in Willard.  The answer is probably "No".  If continuity exists between buildings, districts, states, then the level of learning expected for success is similar.  The playing field levels for all children.  
 
We live in a very mobile society and it is critical that students who live in Willard can relocate to another community or state and not have their learning interrupted.  Vice versa, Willard has students move into our district daily and it would be wonderful if they arrived from a district that embraced similar academic standards.  
 
Shared standards allow for a much easier academic transition.  In Summary, Common Core is not the be all / end all for education. Components of the Core exist that I don't personally support, however the positive benefits far outweigh any of my concerns.  If you have questions regarding Common Core please don't try to find your answers in the national media, ask your building principal or call district office.

Have a great weekend!
 
Dr. Kent Medlin
Superintendent
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Athletics & Activities
I apologize for the abbreviated Pride this week as I'm attempting to do this from my phone as I watch our softball Lady Tigers take on Glendale in the Springfield Tournament.
 
Speaking of the softball team...they had a huge come-from-behind win over Republic last week and continue their good play this week defeating Branson. They are in the Springfield Tournament today and tomorrow before playing Cassville and Parkview next week. Good luck ladies!
The football Tigers took one on the chin last Friday but have a huge opportunity tonight as they travel to Ozark. Both teams are 3-1!  Come out and support the boys!

The soccer Tigers are 3-0 in the COC after defeating Republic this week!  Great job guys!

Congratulations to the Volleytigers on their victory over district opponent Lebanon this week. The girls travel to Camdenton this Saturday for a tournament before resuming conference play next week.

The girls golf team did well in the Willard Invitational yesterday and Coach Stone is excited about districts next week!

It's Good To Be A Tiger!!!
 
Jeff Staley
Director of Athletics & Activities
 
High School
Homecoming activities will be throughout the week, October 7-11.  In addition to the traditional spirit days, pep assembly, and dance, SGA will also be hosting a community bonfire following the parade.  The parade begins at 6 PM with the bonfire beginning at 7:30 PM.  Additionally, two of our teachers, Mr. Latham and Mr. Hornback who are part of the band, Lost Train, will be performing at the bonfire in addition to cheerleaders and speakers.

 

Finally in Life's Greatest Lessons: 20 Things That Matter Most, Hal Urban said, "Honesty is STILL the best policy."  While in Lebanon this week watching our volleyball team compete, this point was exemplified by a WHS coach.  Amongst confusion over a ball being called in or out, our coach clarified with the officials the correct call which resulted in a point for the other team rather than our team.  While it may have been easier to say nothing and allow our team to gain a point, our student-athletes were witness to a great example of honesty and sportsmanship.

 

It is GREAT to be a Tiger!

 

Curt Graves

Principal

Special Services

This week our Special Services administrators and process coordinators attended the Annual Missouri Council of Administrators of Special Education (MO-CASE) Fall Law Conference at Lake of the Ozarks. One of the most effective ways we look to improve our practices at home is participating in collaborative teams of professionals who we can network with and get feedback from. Some of the topics that were presented included research based practices for working with struggling readers, standard referenced IEP's, the evaluation process, DESE compliance and finance updates, addressing the needs of students with behavioral concerns, early childhood, and much more! We are excited about continuing to find innovative and proven ways to serve our students with disabilities and their families through these sessions. We were also proud to be part of the 21% of schools across the state that were recognized for having no corrective actions in the last MSIP review. That's the Willard way!

 

Have a great weekend!

 

Caryn McDonnell

Director of Special Services




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

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