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🎉 WE MADE IT, FAMILIA! 🎉

What an incredible year it has been and what a way to close it out! Today we're wrapping things up in true style with our Final Peace Pep Rally, a Transitioning Parade, and popsicles after school because every great journey deserves a sweet ending! 🍭

As the saying goes, "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end" and families, if that doesn't perfectly sum up this season, I don't know what does. Change can feel big and uncertain, but I am with you and I know: we've got this, your kids have got this, and this community has got YOU. 💛

We also want to give the BIGGEST shoutout to everyone who came out Friday night for our TWI and Transitioning Family Community Picnic! Wow, did you all show UP! The schoolyard was absolutely flooded with families, food, music, laughter, and yes… some seriously competitive two-on-two basketball! 🏀 It was a beautiful evening of connection, celebration, and community! It modeled an example of how lovely this community of people are!

A heartfelt thank you to the dream team behind it all: Jayme Cappa, Jennifer Cameros, and former Co-President Celia Carlino. Your dedication to supporting and celebrating our transitioning families made Friday night truly unforgettable. We are so thankful!

Willard families, our amazing staff has shown up every single day as the very best versions of yourselves for our kids, no matter what this year threw your way. We THANK YOU for walking this journey with us. We couldn't do any of this without your partnership, your trust, and your heart.

Here's to a wonderful summer and all the beautiful new beginnings ahead. ☀️

Best,

AP Ernvall

It’s that time of year again! If your scholar has medications in the health office, please ensure a parent or guardian picks them up by the last day of school.

Please note that we are unable to store medications over the summer; any items remaining after students are dismissed will unfortunately have to be discarded. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Nurse Juli in the health office!

The end of the school year is nearly here, and we are challenging every student to help their class earn a Popsicle Party! To qualify for this cool treat, all library books must be accounted for and returned to the library. Please mark your calendars: the final day for book checkouts is Friday, May 22, and all books must be returned by Friday, May 29. We encourage families to do a quick sweep of backpacks and bookshelves this week to ensure every book finds its way home. Let’s work together to clear the shelves and celebrate a fantastic year of reading with a sweet reward!

OwlPalooza is one week away! But we really need your help to pull off this wonderful event! We are looking for food servers, activity & craft table supervisors, setup & tear down help, water jugs, snack items, and tattoos! If you can donate time or supplies, please sign up today. We can't wait to celebrate the end of the year in style with dancing, community, and the funnest playground party around! Any questions, please feel free to reach out to Greer Beckman (greerbeckman@gmail.com), OwlPalooza Co-Chair. Thank you!

Join us for a fun and relaxing day at the Willard garden! Each season of change brings opportunity for growth. We will be planting our wishes or intentions for the next school year on special seed paper and watch our "wishes" grow. Parents, friends, children, and community members are welcome to join.

Let’s grow a greener, stronger community—together.

Date: Sunday, May 31
Time: 2:00pm-3:30pm
Location: Willard Garden, 2700 Hurd Ave, Evanston, IL 60201

This event is open house style. Arrive and leave as it fits in your schedule!

Celebrate the last day of school with a sweet treat! Do-Rite donuts will be served on the playground between 8:30AM and 8:50AM on Friday, June 5th. Rreorder your donuts today! Order a half dozen or a full dozen and share with friends! There will also be coffee for sale for $1 for the grown ups. Use the link below to place your order:

Pre-Order Link

Make sure you place your orders early, as the preorder slot will close at 10 PM on 6/4. We can't wait to celebrate with you!

Please Please Please, let's get the remaining 5th Graders registered so your students can have a easy free flowing day one at Haven in the fall!

• 2nd: 5th Grade Picnic (During the school day)
• 3rd: 5th Grade Breakfast (9:30am)
• 4th: 5th Grade Promotion @Haven (5:30-7:00pm)

This section of the newsletter highlights flyers from community organizations, partnerships, and programs that your family might enjoy. While these organizations are independent from our school, they offer wonderful opportunities to explore as we head into Spring Break and Summer.

Dear Parents & Caregivers,

As we close out the school year, let's show our Willard teachers & staff just how much they mean to us! You can now contribute to the Staff End of the Year Gift Fund! You can even have your kids shout out their teachers in text or video form! We have set the contributions to be anonymous, so the amount you give will not be shown.

The collected amount will be automatically distributed evenly between all 57 gift recipients. This includes Willard admin, all classroom teachers, specials/fine arts teachers, special education staff, multi-lingual support staff, student support services staff, paraprofessionals, custodial services, food services, before/after school care, and lunch/recess supervisors.

Donations are open until 6pm on Friday June 5th. Please note that donating to the End of Year Gift Fund is completely optional! If you are planning to give monetarily this season, we ask that you use this fund, as we strive to create an equitable gifting experience for the entire community of professionals at Willard. If you would prefer to bring a homemade card or item for your teachers, please do!

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Anna Vogelzang (theanna@gmail.com), Educator Appreciation Committee Chair.

With community at the center,

The Willard PTA

Don’t miss a beat with all things Willard PTA! 🦉 Check out the Weekly Newsletter for the latest happenings, membership info, and our handy directory. If you missed the latest Owl Notes, click here to catch up!

June:

• 1st: Final Peace Pep Rally
• 1st: Celebration Parade and Popsicles!
• 1st: D65 Committee of the Whole Meeting (5:00-7:00pm)
• 4th: 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony (5:30-7:00pm) @Haven
• 5th: Last Day Of School
• 5th: Owl-a-palooza (5:00-7:00pm)