The counselors office is focused on MAP and scheduling for the next several weeks.  This is quite the task and they do an outstanding job!

After looking at Mrs. Jennings recent experiment, you may want to carry hand sanitizer with you.  Her students went around the school swabbing different surfaces to collect germs.  They grew out the cultures, and it was very shocking to everyone.   The kids loved this experiment – WAY TO GO Jennings!  You never know what migh be lurking on the door handle!

Students and teachers are back after a restful and fun spring break.  Everyone is hard at work making preparations for the state MAP test which WIS students will take on April 17th,18th and 24th, 25th.  More information to come your way!  Our spring pictures will be taken on Monday.  Bring your best smiles.  This will be both individual and class picures. 

Mrs. Morris and the WIS honor choir put on a wonderful performance last night.  This group will also be performing at an upcoming Springfield Cardinals game in May.  5th grader Carter Havens will represent Willard in the KY3 spelling bee this weekend.  We wish him the best of luck!

Everyone at Willard East hopes you had wonderful Spring Break! I think Spring Break brought spring weather and we are very happy to be able to be outside for recess. We would like to invite you our 1st Grade Music Program Tuesday. There is an afternoon performance at 2:45 and an evening performance at 7:oo. You are welcome to attend one or both. Thank you for all your donations of MAP test supplies. The only supplies we still need are small Kleenex packages and bottled water. MAP testing is scheduled for April 18, 19, 24, 25, and 26. Our MAP parent meeting was very successful last night. A BIG thanks to all who attended.  Have a great weekend and tune in next week!

Spring, learning and excitement are in the air at Willard Central.  Thursday evening, Mrs. Chatman and the 1st grade students did an amazing job performing their concert entitled, The Great Outdoors.  We have also been keeping track of Danielle Roeder’s trip to Washington D.C. and her adventures meeting Miss America, President Bush, and touring the White House. 

As we look ahead to next week, we hope that you can join us for WC’s Fine Arts Night on the evening of Tuesday, April 3rd from 6:00-7:30.  Central students will be performing grade level musical selections and each student will have artwork on display.  The Book Fair will also be open in the library.  It is a wonderful event and I hope all can attend!  Next Friday, April 6th, we will be having our 3rd quarter Terrific Tiger Celebration at 10:30.  We will be dismissing school early at 12:40 on Friday.  I hope you can join us for for a great week of celebrating Central students’ hard work!!

Getting back into the routine of school has been the order of business at Willard North.  We realize we are on the downhill slide as the third quarter comes to an end today!  We celebrated our students and activities at our monthly Super Tiger Celebration on Wednesday!  Congratulations to our PTO and most of all our STUDENTS who read over 6,000 books during our first annual Read-A-Thon.  The event grossed more that $5,000.00!  Thank you Susan Wilcox, middle school librarian and Willard North Mom for helping organize this event!  Thank you to Mrs. Patricia Mann, Willard North Librarian for all her hard work also!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Rhonda Bishop, Principal

Willard North Elementary

Ratings from the 22 agencies represented at last night Special Services Transition Fair were very positive and reflected the thoughts of teachers, support staff, parents and students.  Several representatives commented the Transition Fair was the best organized, best hosted and attended they have experienced.  Many commented on how interested and involved the students were with exploring services options from the agencies and I contribute that to our high school staff which has encouraged student participation in post-secondary training.  Although geared toward students and their needs, two parents attending were able to connect with services which can potentially change and impact their lives, as well as their childs.  While attendance was down somewhat from last year, the number of people who is choosing to utilize services is high.

Very special thanks and congratulations for jobs well-done go to Erica Poulson and Laurie Stonebarger for their part in this successful event.  Erica has, for the second year, spear-headed the organization to include contacting each outside agency.  Her work and dedication to this project is outstanding and was reflected throughout the evening.  Laurie, besides encouraging parent and student participation, catered the delicious meal offered to agency representatives and staff members.  The food was incredible and greatly appreciated.  Thank you to all high school special services teachers for their work and planning.

Last night’s event and the effect it will have on many lives will be a treasured memory for me as another reason our district is known for excellence in education.

I am going to warn you now…this Pride entry is going to be extremely long! We have Willard students making us proud everywhere we look!!!

First, I’ll start with Mr. Lawley and the Choir department. On Saturday, March 17th WHS Choir students competed in the district MSHSAA solo/ensemble festival. 73 WHS Choir students earned the highest rating possible qualifying them for the State Solo/Ensemble Festival tobe held Saturday, April 28th at Mizzou! WILLARD HAD MORE STUDENTS QUALIFY THAN ANY OTHER SCHOOL IN THE STATE!!!!!!

Soloists earning “I” ratings were: B.J. Lyons, Drew Lawley, Chad Bolin, Brooke Lawley, Grant Bolton, Sadie Phillips, LeAnna Warren, Lindsey Sloan, Erin Scott, Sean Scott, Zach Nilsen, Hannah Masters, Bryan Whisler, Tyler Bracamonte, Kaitie Giesler, Britney Badger, Raeshel Askren, and Sterling Thedell.

Ensembles earning a “I” rating: Men’s Group – Chad bolin, Andre Benson, Michael Dodson, Matt Carleton, Sterling Thedell, Grant Bolton, Drew Lawley, and Evan Rippee. Mixed Group – Chad Bolin, Sterling Thedell, Grant Bolton, Bobby Lean, Hannah Masters, Stephanie Yonke, Regina Bodine, and Raeshel Askren. Women’s Group: Andrea Malardey, Heidi Plummer, Stephanie Yonke, Lacee Schultz, Amanda Askren, Leta Loveland, and Brittany Kragel. Men’s Group – Matt Dalton, Zach Hamilton, Chris Scott, Nathan Wallace, Bryan Whisler, BJ Lyons, Tyler Bracamonte, and Tyler Hartley. Mixed Group – Sadie Phillips, Holly Duncan, LeAnna Warren, Abby Adams, Michael Dodson, Zach Hamilton, Tyler Bracamonte, and Bryan Whisler. Mixed Group – Erin Scott, Katelyn Woody, Jerusha Skaggs, Amanda Helmifck, Chris Scott, Nathan Wallace, Silas Skaggs, Jacob Scott. Women’s Group – Erica Malicoat, Ashley Hughes, Andrea Malarkey, Kala Thomson, Abby Adams, Li Nadeau, Melissa Bock. Women’s Group – Cassis Reinhart, Laura Padgett, Erica Malicoat, Lauren Nix, Brittanie Lewis, Brittany Story, Chelsey Mullins, Amanda Helmick. Mixed Group – Borrke Lawley, Lecil Thedell, Lindsey Sloan, Tori Craft, Mitchell Bolton, Lance Wagner, Geoff French, Jon Carleton. Women’s Group – Brooke Lawley, Kylie Burch, Morgan Highfill, Hannah Sherertz, Alisa Lechner, Amey Malarkey, Brianna Ballance, Alicia Gawith. Women’s Group – Lecil Thedell, Natalie Harr, Glenda Adams, Nancy Ann Adams, Jaylee Kennard, Tori Craft, Chyra Moore, Mallory Tuck.

Congratulations to Erinn Johnson and her DECA students! WHS had 4 students qualify for International Competition!!!! These students are: Amanda Robertson, 4th place winner Apparel and Accessories Marketing, Will Patton, 3rd place winner Quick Service Restaurant Marketing, and Ashley Huches and Stacy Nothum, 3rd place winners Community Service Project Written Event. The International Competition will be held in Orlando, FL, April 27-May 2.

A very special congratulations to Megan Jewell, Alex Henderson, and Travis Wilkins! Travis was named to the 2nd Team All-State as well as earning 2nd Team All-Ozarks and 1st Team All-District. Megan and Alex both earned 1st Team All-State as well as 1st Team All-Ozarks.

Spring sports is underway and the baseball Tigers are tearing up the field. They are currently 5-1! Weather permitting, play will resume in the Willard Lead-Off Classic this Saturday.

The Lady Soccer Tigers are undefeated! After defeating Joplin McAuley and Hillcrest they played a very good Joplin High School team to a 1-1 tie last night. The girls have key COC matchup tonight vs. Ozark. Game time is 4:30

I would like to address two Presidents in my article this week.  The first is the new President of the Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals, better known as Mrs. Julie Germann.  Willard R-II is blessed to have top of the line employees.  I do not publicly praise administrators enough, but this is clearly a time to say congratulations to Mrs. Germann.  Julie is a long time elementary principal in our district.  Her work ethic and dedication to education is clearly respected by the people in our community and around Missouri.  Julie will not only be an advocate for all Missouri educators in this position but will spread the good things occurring at Willard to the entire state.  Please join me in dropping Julie a line and a pat on the back for a job well done!

The second President I would like to address is the President of the United States. 

Dear President Bush, I voted for you, but you are leaving me behind.  I have supported the “No Child Left Behind” program and have worked hard to help students achieve the predetermined levels of success.  However it will not be more than a couple years until our school will fail, just like every other school around.  One of the most important elements of a successful educator is to help all kids succeed.  If you don’t quit claiming that NCLB is perfect then you have doomed all schools to failure.  I admit that NCLB has pushed schools to get better.  I do not think your original intent was to push all kids to failure instead of success.  This program should not be trashed but you must open it for review and improvement or we will all fail.   
Kent 

I have included an article from the Washington Post below.

Have a great Spring Break!!!

Congratulations again to our local President Germann.

Kent

Dr. Kent E. Medlin

Dozens in GOP Turn Against Bush’s Prized ‘No Child’ Act
The Washington Post, March 15
WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than 50 GOP members of the House and Senate — including the House’s second-ranking Republican — will introduce legislation today that could severely undercut President Bush’s signature domestic achievement, the No Child Left Behind Act, by allowing states to opt out of its testing mandates.  For a White House fighting off attacks on its war policy and dealing with a burgeoning scandal at the Justice Department, the GOP dissidents’ move is a fresh blow on a new front. Among the co-sponsors of the legislation are House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a key supporter of the measure in 2001, and John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Bush’s most reliable defender in the Senate. Rep. Eric Cantor (Va.), the House GOP’s chief deputy whip and a supporter in 2001, has also signed on. … [A] spokesman for Blunt said that after several meetings with school administrators and teachers in southwest Missouri, the House Republican leader turned against the measure he helped pass.

Miracles can happen in the blink of an eye or gradually over time.  Over the past few years, Willard Central has been blessed to see a miracle happening right before our very eyes.  From 6 months of age, Danielle Roeder’s parents had concerns with her development.  Danielle started Kindergarten at Central confined to a wheelchair and completely dependent on others for assistance.  Upon a trip to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota at the beginning of her 1st grade year, doctors were finally able to diagnose and treat her condition.  From that point on, we have witnessed a miracle as Danielle has blossomed into a strong, independent student who has a confident voice and gained control of her physical motor skills.  We have watched Danielle progress into a student who canstand for The Pledge of Allegiance and belt out songs at our morning Community Time.  As a principal, I cannot wait for the day to see Danielle running down the halls of Willard Central and having to ask her to slow down. 

To celebrate this miracle, Danielle was chosen to be the Missouri Champion for the Children’s Miracle Network.  Today, the Willard Central Family had the privilege of celebrating her story at a special assembly in her honor.  As Missouri’s Champion, Danielle received a $500 shopping spree from Wal-Mart, a trip to Disney World and a trip to Washington DC to possibly meet President Bush.  You can see highlights of the assembly on KY3.

Danielle is a once in a lifetime miracle that we have been fortunate to witness.  She truly lives out our school’s motto as she “Keeps on Track for Success.” 

Have a great Spring Break!!  Shane Medlin, Principal

It’s a busy time for Willard students who are involved in extra curricular activities. The Winter season ended with a bang as the Tigers took home 3rd place in the State Tournament in Columbia. Congratulations to Coach Travis Evans and the entire Tiger team on a memorable ride!

A special congratulations to Willard sophomore Jackie Fugitt for placing second in Original Oratory at the National Forensic League District competition held at MSU last weekend. This is a very special honor and it qualifies her for the Nationals! Great Job Jackie!!!

Also, congratulations to Readers Theatre and One Act! Readers placed 3rd and One Act placed 1st in District Theatre. The all-district cast is as follows: Evan Rippee, Tiffany Eoff, and Chad Bolin.

Spring sports is getting under way with both baseball and soccer starting their seasons during Spring Break. The baseball Tigers will open in the “Cold Rain” Invitational on Monday while the girls soccer team will open their season on Tuesday at Pleasant Hope. The soccer game will start at 4:30. The girls will then be at Joplin McAuley on Thursday. Willard will host the Willard JV Baseball Tournament starting next Friday and ending on Saturday.

If you have ever doubted Coach Hartley’s ability to coach baseball I have a story that will change your mind. He has actually trained his players to hit foul balls into my truck! Now that takes some serious coaching!

It’s good to be a Tiger!

Jeff Staley

Diretor of Operations

I am not sure who is more excited and anxious about spring break.  Is it the students or the teachers?  I want to wish everyone a safe and relaxing week.  Please enjoy the warm weather and the time with your family.  When we return we look forward to the upcoming events.

• March 27th     3rd & 4th Grade Parent MAP Night 6:00-7:00
• March 28th    Chili Cook-off for staff at WHS starting at 4:00
• March 29th    4th Grade Flip Flop Girls Fashion Show at 6:00
• March 30th    PTO Carnival 6:00-8:00

I would also like to thank everyone who helped support Willard South last Tuesday during our McTeacher’s Night.  It was a huge success because of your participation.  THANK YOU!