This week MAP testing has taken over our school! I am happy to report that the teachers and students have been working very hard this week. “The Great Miller-ini” has been delivering healthy snacks each morning with the assistance of the Lovely Ladies of PTO Donna Creed and Beth Ryan. Thank you to PTO and everyone who has donated supplies and assistance to help MAP testing go off without a hitch!

LANDSCAPE-O-RAMA Tomorrow April 21st 9:00AM – We were “snowed-out” last weekend and we have lots of beautiful plants and shrubs to plant this weekend. Please bring shovels and gloves and join us!

Kindergarten Screening- If you have a student who will be joining us at Willard East next year please call our office to schedule an appointment for Kindergarten Screening May 8 and 9.

Field Day – May 11th – Please let your child’s teacher know if you are able to help that day.

See you tomorrow!

Melinda Miller

Students with special needs are once again preparing for participation in A Sporting Chance track and field events and are eager to compete!  The first competition will be held Saturday, April 28, at JFK Stadium at Parkview  High School in Springfield.  Eighteen students, district-wide, will jump, run, throw baseballs, and demonstrate their skills against students with similar disabilities in surrounding districts.  The second, and bigger event, will be held Saturday, May 19, in Branson.  Details on exact location and time will be announced closer to that date.  A Sporting Chance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing students with disabilities opportunities to compete athletically and experience the thrill of success.  They additionally provide a special weekend in Branson for many those competing on May 19th.  Willard Special Services has chosen to be a part of the track and field events for thirteen years and has also participated in the bowling tournaments this past year.  We are grateful to this wonderful organization for providing these opportunities and encouraging our participation.  We are also grateful to Amanda Swadley, high school LD teacher, who organizes our volunteers, teachers, and students and coordinates with A Sporting Chance ensure we are ready for the big events. Come join us on the 28th and support our special athletes!

Rain, rain, go away!  (Just a few chants I have been hearing from students and staff today!) We all expect the rain during spring.  However, the cold weather is a little too much.  This week our fourth grade students and parents enjoyed the annual Missouri Conservation and Soil banquet.  I would like to thank our wonderful food service staff members for providing the meal.  It was GREAT!  Have a good weekend and try to stay dry.

Upcoming Events

• April 18-19 Math MAP Testing for 3rd & 4th Grade

• April 24th-Kindergarten Music Program 1:30 & 7:00

• April 24-26 Com. Arts MAP Testing for 3rd & 4th Grade

• April 26th-Sock Hop 6:30-8:00; Bond Mtg in the library at 7:00

• April 30-May 1st-Kindergarten Screening

“Willard South is ROARING with excitement!”

Willard Intermediate students are geared up for MAP testing next week.  Today, the students were fired up by our High School cheerleaders, some of our champion athletes from the basketball and wrestling teams, and by Coach Wickwar!  If he can’t motivate you to do your best, no one can!  Good luck to all our students, this is their chance to show their stuff!

It’s hard to believe that it is middle April and we are still having winter weather!  Personally, I am ready for sunshine and warm temperatures!  MAP testing begins next week.  We will kick off our week with a MAP celebration on Tuesday afternoon.  Students will be working hard on Wednesday and Thursday.  Please encourage them and let them know you are PROUD of them.  Here are a few events you will not want to miss at Willard North!

_{April 17th-  First Locks of Love Extreme Makeover!  We have 31 people cutting their hair!}

_{April 25th-Super Tiger Celebration-Locks of Love Hair Cutting}

_{April 27th-Willard North Night at the Springfield Cardinal’s Game}

_{April 30th-May 1st-Kindegarten Screening at Willard North-call 742-2597 for an appointment}

_{May 1st-Kindergarten program at the Willard High School Theater}

_{May 4th-Field Day}

_{May 10th-Honor Choir Concert/First Grade Mother’s Tea}

_{May 7-11th-Teacher Appreciation Week}

_{May 11th-Celebration of Learning}

_{May 14th-PTO Meeting/Bond Issue Informational Meeting}

_{May 15th-Tiger Cubs Preschool Graduation}

_{May 24th-Talent Show}

Wow!  We will continue to be busy until the end!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Rhonda Bishop, Willard North Principal

For those of you planning on attending our landscaping adventure tomorrow. It has been postponed until next Saturday April 21st due to inclement weather. We are very excited about the “vision” for our landscaping and can’t wait to get everything planted and see it all bloom. Hope to see you next weekend.

MAP Testing = Our theme this year is “Great Test Scores ‘Popping‘ Up Everywhere.” (Popcorn theme) We will be testing the next two weeks and we are confident our students will do very well. Good luck!

Mark your calendar – Willard East Sock Hop – Our annual Sock Hop will be held Saturday May 5th! There will be games, prizes, and our Auction extravaganza for theme baskets. If you have not participated in the annual Sock Hop it’s not too late to start a new family tradition. More information to come!

Melinda Miller, Principal

Despite the unusually cold weather, the Tigers are having a GREAT Spring!

Congratulations to the baseball Tigers on their victories over Cassville, Reeds Spring, and Catholic this week. Catholic was ranked #7 in the State at the time. This runs the Tigers record to 11-1 on the season and 4-0 in the COC! Weather permitting they will play in the Red/Blue Classic tonight and tomorrow and will continue conference play next week as they play at Rogersville on Tuesday and host Branson on Thursday. Both games will begin at 4:30.

Congratulations to the following track athletes for earning medals at the Nixa Relays last Wednesday:

1st place – Z. Thompson, shot put and discus; J. Carpenter, 110m hurdles

2nd place – J. Carpenter, triple jump; C. Dickinson, 300m hurdles

3rd place – J. Carpenter, high jump and long jump

The Willard Tiger track team will be hosting the Willard Relays next Thursday starting at 4:00.

The soccer Tigers had the week off and are suppose t0 participate in the Nixa/Ozark Invitational this weekend if the weather holds up. Game times TBA. They will be at Nixa on Monday, host Neosho on Thursday and host Bolivar on Friday.

A special congratulations to A. Henderson on signing a basketball scholarship to Truman State University and to C. Gibbons on signing a wrestling scholarship with Missouri Valley!

It’s Good to Be a Tiger!

Jeff Staley, Director of Operations

Congratulations are in order for Mrs. Caroline Puckett and Mr. Steve Vaughn.  Caroline and Steve were elected by the community to serve on the Willard Board of Education for the next three years.  Caroline has served on the board for 18 years, while this will be Steve’s first term as a board member.  Mrs. Puckett was re-appointed as the President of the Board and Mrs. Karla Shaffer was re-appointed as Vice President.  We have many important issues progressing in our district.  Members of the Board of Education are key factors in the success of our school.  It is our hope to continue the positive efforts of the past into future years. 

I would like to recognize Mr. Joel Adams and his service on the Board of Education during the past three years.  I appreciate Joel’s common sense approach to the school and problem solving.  Joel was instrumental in working to increase salaries for all district personnel.  Joel was a major supporter for the district prior to becoming a member of the board.  I know that we will be able to count on him for continued support in the future.  Joel has a heart for all kids and pushed us to find ways to help kids find success.  Thanks Joel!!! Job Well Done!!!

Have a great weekend!

Kent

Dr. Kent E. Medlin

Superintendent of Schools

Only in Missouri would it snow on our Kindergarten egg hunt! We had over 1,000 eggs and only 60 hunters. You can only imagine the fun they had.

As we gear up for the remainder of the school year we have a few upcoming events you may want to participate in:

• Landscaping April 14 beginning at 9:00AM (Bring your shovels and gloves and be ready to get dirty!) April 21st Rain date
• MAP Testing April 17, 18, 19, 25, and 26!THANK YOU!!! For all of your donations. Our students will be well hydrated and motivated this year.
• Sock Hop – May 5 Come bid on some very elaborately themed baskets!
• K-screening – May 8 & 9 Call our office for an appointment.
• Teacher Appreciation Week – May 7th – 11th Be sure to tell your child’s teacher, a former teacher, a teacher-to-be that you appreciate everything they do for the children in our community. Willard has the best teachers!!!
• Field Day – May 11th Please contact your child’s teacher if you would like to help with this fun-filled event.

This week we celebrated being “On Track for Success” in many ways.  Tuesday night, we recognizedour students’ hard work with nearly 600 WC Family members at Fine Arts Night.  Artwork was displayed by each student and grade level musical performances were shared.  Thank you to Mrs. Bailey and Mrs. Chatman for all of their hard work in making Fine Arts Night such a wonderful event.  I would also like to thank all of the teachers who helped serve refreshments and to Mrs. Roth for hosting a successful book fair in the library.  Today we celebrated the accomplishments of our students with our 3rd quarter Terrific Tiger Celebration.  We also used this opportunity to reinforce the Accelerated Schools Principle of Building on Strengths.  To do this, Bob the Builder (Mr. Nichols) and Wendy (Mrs. Appleby) helped finish building our brick wall of student and staff strengths. 

As we look ahead to next week, please join us for our Test Success Assembly on Friday afternoon at 2:30.  We will relax a little and laugh a lot as we get ready for the upcoming MAP test. 

Happy Good Friday and have a great Easter weekend!

   Today we celebrated our third quarter Tiger Pride Assembly.  Students were recognized for perfect attendance, exceptional behavior, teamwork and more!  We also honored the WHS boy’s basketball team for their exemplary season and a third place finish at state.  Congratulations to Coach Evans, Alex, Travis, Jon, Kyle, Eric, Kevin, Ben, Ronnie and Devin!  I also had the “honor” of becoming a human banana split during our assembly.  Students were challenged to bring in food for our district food pantry this week.  Each bag of groceries that was donated equaled one scoop of ice cream on the principal.  We had 175 bags of groceries donated this week!  Needless to say,  it was a cold and sticky scene today at Willard South.  I would like to thank everyone who donated food throughout the week.  Your generosity is appreciated by many families .  Have a safe holiday weekend! ”

Willard South is ROARING with excitement!”