Change is always a constant!!!  That statement seems contradictory but everyone knows that it speaks the truth.  Willard School District Goal Number Three states:

The Willard School District will enhance and improve community and parental support. 

Communication is always the key to improvement of this goal. “The Pride” e-mail newsletter was one of the first new and different communication vehicles that I put into place three years ago.  Over the last three years it has been a way to celebrate accomplishments, inform patrons about educational issues, and alert our community about up-coming events.  Starting this week we are changing the format from an e-mail to a “Blog”.  This is not a villain from a 1970’s movie.  It is simply a new way to post the information.  As you are aware the previous format would on occasion have formatting issues.   It is our hope that this new format will have a better look and format.  This new Blog will give us options in the future to allow patrons to respond to questions and surveys.  My parents are in their 80’s and read “The Pride” every week.  They are not the only ones that enjoy The Pride who struggle with computers and technology.  The new format is very user friendly and will not be difficult even for the most technology challenged.  Please give this new format a try.  I believe the new system will be worth the change.

If you have problems working through the new “Blog” call us at the District Office and we will help you through the process.  742-2584

Have a Great Weekend!

Go Tigers!!

Kent

Dr. Kent E. Medlin

Superintendent of Schools

It was another fast and furious week here at Willard South.  On Tuesday our first graders performed their music program “Making Music at School”. We also enjoyed a visit from the high school theater department on Wednesday.  They developed skits based on the 2006-2007 Show-Me Reader award books.  They are always entertaining and energetic! We truly appreciate their hard work and commitment.  Best of luck to our boy’s basketball team who will be playing Webb City tomorrow at Hammons Student Center at 1:00.  GO TIGERS! 

“Willard South is ROARING with excitement!”  Kara Crighton-Smith, Principal

The Willard Middle School Musical has been a great hit with the kids this week.  Their final performance is tonight at 7:00 P.M.  Stop by and see the Hee Haw Hayride!

The County Spelling Bee was held on Monday at 5:oo p.m. in the library.   The WMS and Willard Intermediate was well represented by two young men.   We are excited that WIS won 1st place and will compete in the KY3 Spelling Bee. 

DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) sent notice this week that since winter weather conditions across many parts of the state resulted in many students missing a substantial number of school days they are going to extend the 2007 MAP testing window by one week. Willard R-II will move all MAP testing back a week.  Math MAP testing will now take place on April 18 and 19.  Communication Arts MAP testing will now take place on April 24-26. 

This week Willard North has celebrated Read Across America Week.  We celebrated by Wearing crazy socks on Monday, Wearing Green on Tuesday for Green Eggs and Ham Day, and we wore crazy hats on Wednesday with our Willard North shirts.  Yesterday, author Judy Young came and did presentations with the all the students during their special classes.  The students were very excited!  Today is Happy Birthday to Dr. Seuss-we will have birthday cake for everyone! We have read so many books this week!  It is very exciting!  Just a little note about the Green Eggs and Ham, Miss Freeman’s class and Mrs. Peterson’s class brought me green eggs and ham to try this week.  They said” Try them and you’ll see”  Well, I tried them, but I had to shut my eyes.  They tasted good.  However, I think I will still prefer my eggs to be yellow!

  From Willard North, we wish the boys basketball GOOD LUCK Saturday at Hammons Center!  Many of us will be there to cheer them on.  GO TIGERS!

The following letter was submitted by Mrs. Donna Fishel, to the Cross Country Times editor for publication:

Letter to the Editor
Willard Cross Country Times
Willard, MO  65781

Dear Ms. Scott,

The students and staff of Willard High School’s new broadcast journalism program would like to extend our most sincere gratitude to Conco Quarries, Inc. for their very generous financial contribution to our program.  Thanks to their support, we were able to purchase three brand new iMac computers that will now enable students to edit their original video news stories and special projects.   

This time last year, the Willard High School broadcast journalism program was just a dream. This ‘dream’ class started off the year with lots of enthusiasm, but very little equipment, all of it outdated.  We were fortunate to begin building the program, thanks to an A+ grant, which got us half the way to our collective dream of creating a student-produced broadcast journalism program.  Now, with Conco’s generous gift, our dream is closer than ever!

Conco’s commitment to our children and to our schools has been evident in many ways.  This support represents another example of their corporate leadership and stewardship.  Willard is extremely fortunate to have them in the community.

Thanks, Conco, for helping our dream come true!

Sincerely,

Donna Fishel
Journalism Adviser
Willard High School

I echo Mrs. Fishel’s sentiments, and wish to thank Conco Quarries for their continued support of Willard High School.

Don A. Tuck
WHS Principal

 If you were to walk the halls of our building today, you might think you were in a time warp!  Social Studies classes in 6th grade study world history, and the Blue team is wrapped up in Greek history, literally, right now.  Some students and even their teacher, Mrs. Herron, wrapped up in toga fashion to represent the attire of Greece in early history.  Other classes have also been involved in various periods of world history, as the halls are decorated with castles, maps of kingdoms, coats of arms and other items from mid-evil history. 

The Tigers are at it again!

Congratulations to Coach Evans, his staff, and players on their district championship last Friday over Marshfield. The Tigers then defeated Warrensburg Wednesday night for their 3rd Sectional championship in the last 4 years! Their road to Columbia will continue this Saturday at Hammons Center as they face Webb City in the Quarterfinals. Game time will be 1:00pm and the doors will open at noon. Sections A and B will be reserved for Willard fans. If the Tigers pull off the victory they will play in Columbia on Friday at 10:40am in the state semifinals.

Congratulations also goes out to the Tigerettes on being selected to perform at the Final Four in Columbia next Saturday. They will perform at the halftime of the Class 5 final game at 8:00pm.

While we haven’t lost any Spring athletes to the wind yet, several have suffered from “windburn”! I think one of the track athletes tried to high jump and ended up being blown over the football goal! (just kidding!) I’ll have more details on the Spring schedule in next weeks Pride.

It’s good to be a Tiger!

Jeff Staley – Director of Operations

February Fling was a huge success! Thank you to all the area businesses, teachers, students, and their families for making this such a great event. We had approximately 250 people in attendance through-out the morning.  We would also like to thank your community members who read to our students for Dr. Seuss’s birthday and Read Across America. Congratulations to our Willard East 1st graders for making KOLR 10 news with their ice storm books. Feel free to stop by and check out these books. Water bottle donations needed! Every year we supply our MAP testers with bottle water to keep their brain hydrated during the MAP test. We still need 300 bottles of water by the 2nd week of April. Please contact our office if you can help us. We are also taking appointments for Kindergarten screening. K-screening will be May 8 and 9 at Willard East.

Go Tigers! Beat Webb City!