Freedom Bank of Southern Missouri

On this #OneTeamOneWillardWednesday, we are thrilled to highlight our friends at Freedom Bank of Southern Missouri! Freedom says, "Since we joined the Willard community in 2010, we understood the importance of supporting our Willard School District and joining forces with our local businesses to make Willard a great place to live, work, and bank! #OneTeamOneWillard reinforces the ideal to surround our kids and our community with support, always!

Being a local community bank, we understand how important it is to treat those around you like family! Willard is unlike any other place, and we couldn’t be happier to call it our home. Go Tigers!"

Thank YOU, Freedom Bank, for all you do for our students and our community! If you would like to be included in future #OneTeamOneWillardWednesday posts, email news@willardschools.net

Willard Public Schools' Health Protocols Stakeholder Survey

As a requirement of the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief (ESSER), school districts across the country are required to provide community stakeholders an opportunity to provide feedback regarding Health Protocols as it pertains to COVID-19. These protocols must be reviewed semi-annually by stakeholders and amended as needed. 

Please review the current Health Protocols in place and complete the two question survey. The deadline to submit the survey is Sunday, December 11, 2022. Survey results will be reviewed to determine if any further revisions are necessary. 

The Board of Education must reapprove health protocols after any revision is made.  

Weather-Related School Closing Information

With the winter season quickly approaching, we wanted to share with you some important information regarding school closings, snow day and AMI days, communication, and childcare. 

Communication

The decision to close or alter school will be made as early as possible. The Willard School District will work to communicate via email to families if there is a chance of cancellation in the days leading up to a possible storm. If school is canceled or virtual due to severe weather conditions, our Communications Department will use an automated system to call and text staff and families. Typically, this automated call will occur before 5:30 a.m. on the day of the closure. 

Staff and families are asked to save the phone number 417-742-2584 and short text code 60680 into their cell phones as "Willard Public Schools."

We also ask families to review their contact information in SISK12 (Parent Portal) so we can ensure they are receiving updates as needed. If you do not already receive these messages, contact the district office at 417-742-2584 to update your information.



In addition, announcements about postponements or cancellations will be made on Willard School District’s social media pages and website, as well as on local news media.

Snow Days

In the event school is canceled due to inclement weather, Willard Public Schools will specify in its communication whether it is a Snow Day or an AMI Day. If the day is labeled as a snow day, there will be no remote/online learning conducted. We have three snow days built into the 2022-2023 school calendar. The first snow day will be made up May 24, 2023. The first three days the entire District is closed due to weather (such as snow and ice), there will be no online instruction. We will begin our Alternative Methods of Instruction (AMI) on the fourth day of closure.

AMI Days

Alternate Methods of Instruction (AMI) is a flexible form of instruction that will vary based on the teacher and grade level. To access your student’s building AMI information, click here. In the event of an AMI Day, students will complete assigned coursework from teachers remotely using school Chromebooks and/or provided paper packets. Student participation on AMI days is required for all students. Students will be expected to engage in the instruction (method depends on grade level and will be communicated by teachers) and complete any assignments. For grades 5-12, attendance will be based on assignment completion. For grades PK-4, attendance will be recorded for all students who join the Google Meets and/or complete assignments.

TigerTALES

If school is canceled entirely because of weather, Willard Schools does not offer any child care.

Additional information regarding weather-related school closings can be found on our District Website. If you have any questions, please contact your building secretary.

Willard Middle School Theatre Presents Hercules

Our Willard Middle School Black Box Theatre invites you to their show, Hercules! See below the show's press release, written by 8th Grade student, Elizabeth Edgington.

Come one, come all! Willard Middle School welcomes you to our show Hercules! Where Hercules faces dangerous journeys and missions to save the girl of his dreams from Medusa's poison. However, Hercules is just a young human man. How will he defeat his challengers? Find out in our humorous modern remake of the Greek tale of Hercules. Where there is tons of laughter, love, adventure, and self discovery. 

Join us on December 8th at 7:00 p.m., December 9th at 7:00 p.m., and December 10th with a matinee performance at 2:00 p.m. and a final show at 7:00 p.m. that day. 

It is the perfect family-friendly play for all ages to enjoy. The Willard Middle School theater department has spent months working on this fantastic musical for everybody to love. The program will have a marvelous cast and crew of 60+ of Willard Middle School’s very own students! 

When asked what makes this play different compared to all the other shows Willard has had, director Amanda Graves, responded, “This show is a fun throwback to the 80s. It's a spoof of mythology in a way you haven't seen before!” Cast member, Bella VanHooser, answered, “There is a very large cast in it, and we all work together very well! I play a bird and I get to rap and beatbox.”

Tickets are on sale NOW! Hurry fast and get your tickets before they are sold out! You can purchase tickets online for $6 per person. Before and during intermission for every show, there will be games for kids to play and a silent auction with wonderful items to bid on! Feel free to contact us at WMSdrama@willardschools.net if you have any questions.

Board Candidate Filing Dates

SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS (Public Notice of Filing) 

The Willard Public School District will accept declarations of candidacy from any person interested in running for a position on the School Board in the April 4, 2023 election. Persons interested may file at the Superintendent’s Office located at 500 E. Kime Street, Willard, Missouri. Filing will begin on December 6, 2022, at 8:00 a.m. and will continue from Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Filing will not occur on the following holidays when the school district office will be closed: December 23, 2022 through December 26, 2022. Filing will end on December 27, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. There are three (3) positions available with three year terms.

Future Tigerettes Clinic and Performance

The Willard Future Tigerettes Clinic will be hosted on Thursday, January 5, 2023, with a performance at the WHS boys basketball game on Friday, January 6, 2023. The clinic on Thursday will take place at Willard High School.

Grades K-4 are eligible for $20 per dancer (cash or check accepted). Cost includes admission to game for the dancer plus one parent/guardian. To register, scan the QR code at the bottom right corner of the flyer OR you can register here. Pre-register by December 9, 2022 to guarantee a t-shirt.

Participants may be photographed and/or videoed to showcase our fun time together on social media outlets.

All questions and concerns should be directed to Bobbi Sweeten or Kylie McCoy.

Parents as Teachers Program

Willard Parents as Teachers is a program that helps support the development of our future students and ensures they are prepared for Kindergarten. This program is for any family raising young children. All services are provided free by certified parent educators. Services provided include personal visits pre-natal to Kindergarten, free yearly screenings, group connections, and a referral network.

The Parents as Teachers program will be hosting FREE Child Development Screenings next week, December 5th - 9th, 2022 for ages six months to four years (children who will not be entering Kindergarten in Fall 2023). Screening includes checking skills in motor, language, cognitive, and social-emotional domains, a health questionnaire, and a vision and hearing check. 

Call your local elementary school office to schedule an appointment:

• North Elementary: 417-742-2597
• East Elementary: 417-742-4639
• South Elementary: 417-862-6308
• Central Elementary: 417-831-4440
• Orchard Hills Elementary: 417-869-0600

Thank you to our Parents as Teachers program for supporting our youngest Tigers!

Grief and Loss Workshop in Partnership with Burrell Health

Willard Middle School is excited to partner with Burrell to offer monthly workshops at WMS surrounding topics that commonly impact adolescents and their families.

The hope is to provide information, resources, and practical tips for the adults in our students' lives. These workshops will be open to all parents and staff members in the Willard School District!

Please use the link below to RSVP for our first workshop on Grief and Loss.

Friday, December 2

HS Speech & Debate Tournament @ Springfield Catholic

Boys & Girls V Basketball - Willard Basketball Classic

Saturday, December 3

Boys & Girls V Basketball - Willard Basketball Classic

Boys Wrestling - Neosho Tournament

7th/8th Boys & Girls Wrestling @ Seneca

HS Band - Willard Christmas Parade

Monday, December 5

FREE Child Development Screenings - Parents as Teachers

7th/8th Girls Basketball @ Logan-Rogersville 5:00 P.M.

Tuesday, December 6

FREE Child Development Screenings - Parents as Teachers

Willard Food Pantry 10:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M.

9th/JV Boys Basketball @ Glendale 5:30 P.M.

7th/8th Boys Basketball @ Bolivar 5:30 P.M.

7th/8th Boys & Girls Wrestling - Willard TRI 5:30 P.M.

Board of Education Study Session 6:30 P.M.

Wednesday, December 7

FREE Child Development Screenings - Parents as Teachers

Thursday, December 8

FREE Child Development Screenings - Parents as Teachers

9th/JV/V Girls Basketball @ Parkview 4:30 P.M.

7th/8th Boys Basketball vs Ozark 5:30 P.M.

7th/8th Boys & Girls Wrestling @ Ozark 5:30 P.M.

JV/V Boys & Girls Wrestling @ Ozark 6:00 P.M.

Friday, December 9

FREE Child Development Screenings - Parents as Teachers

HS Speech & Debate Tournament @ Bolivar

9th/JV Boys Basketball vs Hillcrest 4:30 P.M.

For additional details, please visit our District Website Calendar or our Willard Athletics Website.These calendars will have the most up-to-date information of what's going on, so be sure to check them regularly. We can't wait to see you at our various events!