WillardPublicSchools
 Student Focused | Strongly Connected | Success Driven
The Pride
October 23, 2015
In This Issue
Willard Parks
Halloween Event
Dungeon of Doom
Oct. 23rd & 24th - 7:00pm to 10:00pm
$3.00 per person
Trunk or Treat
Oct. 24th - 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Free Event
  
Turkey Trot
Nov. 26th
  
Christmas on the Frisco
Nov. 20th & 21st
        
District Office
In 1970 I was a young boy who worshiped the Kansas City Chiefs!  I had trading cards that I got from the local "full service" gas station and traded them at school with friends.  I remember having a card for Jack Dempsey.  Jack was a person that some considered handicapped because he was born with no toes on his right foot and no fingers on his right hand but he kick the cover off a football! 
 
In 1970 he was playing for the New Orleans Saints and kicked a 63 yard field goal.  That was a NFL record which held until 2013!  That distance was matched by a Willard High School Football player before being tied or beaten by any other NFL kicker.  That young tiger was named Jeremy Flores.  In 1997 Jeremy kicked a 63 yard field goal against Marshfield tying Dempsey's record. 
 
Flores went on to have an exceptional career at Colorado breaking school records and ended his career as an All American placekicker.  Jeremy is now being recognized as a member of the Elite 11.  This recognition is based in Springfield and spotlights local football players.  Jeremy will be inducted into the Elite 11 on Wednesday, Oct. 28th. 
 
I look forward to being present to congratulate this Willard Tiger from the past!  There may be a day in the future when another Willard Tiger comes along and tops this achievement but I won't hold my breath!  This week Willard Tigers head to Belton to begin post season play.  I doubt there is anyone on either team that can equal a 63 yard field goal but I guarantee they will be bringing 110% effort to move forward in the playoffs!
 
Have a good weekend!
Dr. Medlin
Athletics & Activities
Saw this quote and loved it - "The best coaches/teachers are a combination of demanding and caring - "tough/nice".  Don't confuse demanding with demeaning and don't confuse caring with being soft or permissive." - Proactive Coaching
 
BACK-2-BACK DISTRICT CHAMPIONS!!!!  Congratulations to the volleyball Tigers on winning the Class 4 District 10 championship.  Their reward is to  now HOST the Sectional Tournament this Saturday.  Ozark will take on Republic at 3:00.  Our Tigers will take on Sedalia Smith-Cotton at 4:30.  The two winners will face off after that for the right to go to the Final Four!  Come out and support our volleyball team!!!
 
The football Tigers left it all on the field last Friday night as they lost a heartbreaker to Carthage.  I couldn't be more proud of our kids and coaching staff as we continue to battle through one injury after another.....but....we....never....quit!  The Tigers will travel to Belton tonight in the first round of district play.  Good luck Tigers!
 
The soccer Tigers will start their district tournament on Monday at Hillcrest as the #2 seed.  They will play Marshfield at 6:30pm.  The championship match will be on Wednesday at 6:00pm.
 
The cross country Tigers will run in their district meet this Saturday in Nixa.  Race starts at 11:00am with the top 15 finishers advancing to the Sectional race in Camdenton next Saturday.
 
Good luck to the Cutting Edge as they march in the Ozarko Marching Festival tomorrow!  This will be there last competition of the fall season.
 
A special congratulations to Tiger Alumni, Jeremy Flores, as he will be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame this Thursday as a member of the Elite 11.  Once a Tiger....Always a Tiger!!!  Great job Jeremy!
 
It's Good To Be A Tiger!
 
Jeff Staley
Director of Athletics/Activities
High School
WHS is part of a Greater Ozarks Center for Advanced Professional Studies (GOCAPS) along with several other area schools.  Students apply and can be accepted into one of three strands: Medical, Entrepreneurship, or Manufacturing.  In visiting with one of our GOCAPS students this week, I learned that the medical student was afforded opportunity to stand side-by-side to a surgeon observing three different surgical procedures.  What an amazing opportunity for a student to experience scholarship meeting practice.  Many other students are having other awesome experiences as well.
 
Last Thursday, October 22, National Honor Society and other student organizations conducted a Trunk or Treat with lots of activities for younger students.  Seeing our high school students work together, assist younger students in our community, and provide a safe activity was really awesome.
 
Parent-teacher conferences are next week, Tuesday and Thursday.  More information can be found on the high school website.  Appointments can be made by calling the high school office.  Drop in visits are also welcomed.  We hope to partner with our parents and students to assist in the achievement process.  If parents have any questions, I invite them to contact me personally.
 
It's GREAT to be a Tiger!
 
Curt Graves
Principal
Middle School
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Middle School will be having parent teacher conferences on Tuesday and Thursday next week Tuesday night is scheduled meeting with parents that have already been arranged and Thursday is open to anyone that would like to drop by and talk with the teachers from 3:00-6:30pm.  Hope to see you there!

RED RIBBON WEEK
Next week is Red Ribbon Week. Students will have the opportunity to participate in Spirit Days throughout the week to bring awareness to the Red Ribbon Campaign, "Respect Yourself. Be Drug Free!" On Thursday, students will get to watch a performance by the WHS Thespians promoting positive and healthy choices.

To avoid any confusion about what is acceptable for spirit days please see the rules below.
1. No face paint.
2. No masks.
3. Hats are okay all week if they are part of that day's theme.
The Spirit Days for Red Ribbon Week are
Monday - Hat Day - Wear your favorite hat!
Tuesday - Mix It Up Day - Dress in crazy mix-matched outfits.
Wednesday - Disney Day - Dress as your favorite Disney character.
Thursday - Superheroes Vs. Villains - Pick a side and dress as your favorite superhero or villain.

OCTOBER DISABILITY AWARENESS
Students can pay $1 on Thursday to wear a hat.  This can be in conjunction with the Superhero vs Villian day or separate.   Every dollar will go to help sponsor a Sporting Chance athlete.  Students will need to purchase a sticker from the following teachers to be allowed to wear their hat: Cox, Shikany, Tuttle, or Williams .

Amy Sims
Principal
We Learn. We Lead. We Succeed.  
Intermediate

Orchard Hills
Over the past couple of weeks students at Orchard Hills have been blessed by two special guest speakers. These individuals provided an interesting perspective on topics or issues we have been discussing this school year. Our 1st graders were fortunate to have the opportunity to meet and ask questions of Mr. Waddington, the father of one of our teachers. Mr. Waddington is blind and relayed to students what he does on a daily basis to overcome the challenges blindness brings. The approach of, "I had to find a way," fits nicely with the growth mindset conversations happening all over our building. One statement that rang true with me and forced me to re-evaluate my mindset was, "I had to eliminate four words from my vocabulary: 'I can't do that." To see and hear from a gentleman who has embraced the growth mindset so perfectly was impactful for adults and students alike.

Our 4th grade students also had the opportunity to hear from a guest speaker from Sri Lanka. This provided the opportunity for students to learn about a culture different than their own. This life lesson becomes applicable to students when we talk about respecting others even when they are different than us. Our 4th graders seemed to enjoy this opportunity as well.

Orchard Hills staff is thankful toward those who invested in the lives of our students. We know that these experiences are a part of investing in the whole child. We look forward to more opportunities to learn from a variety of sources in the future.

Wishing you a blessed weekend,
Dr. Garrett Prevo
Principal
Central Elementary School
As we have been sharing about the Leader in Me process, a lot of focus has been given to the 7 Habits.  These habits lay a firm foundation to equip students towards their goal of being Leaders.  Student Leadership Teams moved into full force this week.  After completing the application and interview process, our students have eagerly stepped up to serve as leaders.  Ambassadors welcomed new students to our school.  Greeters brightened students' morning as they entered the school.  Our student color guard leaders raised and lowered the United States Flag and started making a plan to share about flag care as well as the history of our flag for all students.  Speaker Leaders busily prepared to lead our 1st Quarter Terrific Tiger Assembly, while the Student Lighthouse Team is working to support our teachers in preparing for our Veteran's Day Assembly. The list of student leaders from Art Leaders, Library Leaders, Community Service, Green Crew (recycling), Office Workers, Clean Crew, and so many other groups are excited to impact and serve our school.
 
Friday was a full day as we celebrated our students' hard work at our 1st Quarter Terrific Tigr Celebration.  Students were excited to receive their PTO t-shirts.  They looked wonderful as we took our all-school picture for the yearbook cover.  Our PTO also blessed our students with the PTO Fall Parties.  It was a full, memorable day for our students.
 
Looking ahead to next week, our students will be leading their parents through their learning at our student-led conferences on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.  On Wednesday morning, the HS Drama Students will be joining us for Red Ribbon Week.  Teachers and students will then enjoy the Fall Break long weekend to rest and recharge after these full weeks of activities.
 
Shane Medlin
Principal
East
It's Tiger Pride assembly time again! While you are reading this article we are probably celebrating our 2nd month of student recognitions.

We will also have two parent booths at the Intermediate Fall Festival this weekend. A huge thank you to Alicia Stagner for putting together a Willard East cookbook to raise funds for playground equipment. Stop by her booth and pick up a cookbook. Billie Middleton will also be selling Little Ceasars pizza coupon books for $5. We are hoping in the next couple of years we can make some significant playground improvements.

Next week is a busy week at East with Parent Teacher conferences.

Have a great weekend!

Melinda Miller
Principal
North

South
On Thursday evening our 3rd graders presented our first music program of the year.  They entertained a packed house of family and friends with their "On Broadway" production.  They danced and sang popular music from familiar Broadway hits like Hairspray, Grease, Rent, The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins. Thanks again to our amazing music teacher, Michelle Christensen, for another outstanding program and performance.
  
Next week we will hold Parent Teacher Conferences on Tuesday, October 27th and Thursday, October 29th.  This is an important opportunity for you to partner with your child's classroom teacher.  This partnership plays a very important role in the development and academic success of students.  When parents and teachers work together to provide the best environment for learning, the child stands to benefit the most.  We are looking forward to this opportunity to share your child's strengths and areas of growth for the first quarter of school.
  
Mrs. Baumgardner, our school counselor, has some great activities planned for students and staff to kick-off the "say NO to Drugs--Red Ribbon Week".  Please make sure you take a look at the activities listed below.

  • Monday, October 26th--Superheroes are Drug Free (Wear your favorite superhero gear)
  • Tuesday, October 27th--Tigers Dream Big (Show your school spirit and wear your Tiger gear)
  • Wednesday, October 28th--I "Mustache" you not to do Drugs (Wear your best mustache)
  • Thursday, October 29th--Team UP Against Drugs (Wear your favorite sports team jersey or shirt)

Don't forget there is no school for students on October 30th, November 2nd and 3rd.

 

Kara Crighton-Smith

Principal 

Special Education
 
This is a great event!  You can find more information about The Transition Summit and many other opportunities on our special services website at http://willardspecialservices.weebly.com

Also, a special thank you to everyone who has participated in our school wide Disability Awareness activities and a huge THANK YOU to the teachers who continue to support and advocate for all our students.
 
Caryn McDonnell
Director of Special Services




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