Willow Wind News

Notes From the Office

Today the sky is alternating between bright blue and deep grey. The first frost has come and gone and almost all of the fall leaves are on the ground. As the weather turns cold, please remember to send your child with warm clothes and check the Lost and Found for coats and sweaters. We play outside even when it is cold!

This is a time of year for giving thanks and giving to others. Thank you all for being a part of Willow Wind and helping in so many ways. The community of parents at Willow Wind is exceptional and I appreciate your contributions and input. I am grateful to be a part of this community of families and enjoy spending each day with your wonderful children.

I hope you will all join us for the Winter Faire. It is a sweet celebration—a gift to the children of Willow Wind. We will gather on the evening of Wednesday, December 17 from 6:00-7:30pm to celebrate the season together. There will be crafts, food and lively company. Please bring finger foods to share.

Willow Wind will be closed for the two weeks of winter break: December 22-January 2.

The January Focus session will begin on Monday, January 5, 2026.

Best wishes from all of us for a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year! I hope you all have time to relax and enjoy the quiet of winter.

Important Dates to Remember

Dec. 5 .........................January Focus Workshop Registration Requests DUE

Dec. 5 ........................ Community Friday

Dec. 8 ........................ Spring Term Catalog Available

Dec. 10 ...................... Tea with Debbie - 8:15 - 9:30

Dec. 12 .......................Community Friday - Buddies

Dec. 15 ...................... Spring Term Class Requests DUE

Dec. 17 ...................... Winter Fair - (6:00 - 7:30)

Dec. 19 ...................... Community Friday - Sing A Long

Dec. 19 ...................... Pizza Friday

Dec 22 - Jan 2 ........... No Classes - Winter Break

Jan 5 - Jan 16 ........... January Focus Workshop Session

What's Next on the Willow Wind Calendar?

January Focus Workshops ................. January 5 - 16

All Fall choice classes will conclude at Winter Break.

Once we return from Winter Break, we have a 2 week January Focus Session. During this short term, all full time students will attend core academic classes in the mornings. All students - both full time and homeschooling - are invited to choose ONE WORKSHOP to attend each afternoon during January Focus. This provides an opportunity for students to explore one topic deeply.

Spring Term ......................................... January 20 - May 29

The first day of Spring Term will be January 20, 2026. This term will follow the same schedule as the fall, but students will register for new choice classes. The Spring Catalog and Registration Forms will be available December 8 and should be returned by December 15.

June Workshop Session..................... June 1 - June 4

During this short term, all full time students will attend core academic classes in the mornings. All students - both full time and homeschooling - are invited to choose ONE WORKSHOP to attend each afternoon during June Workshops.

Tea with Debbie - Bring Your Questions and Ideas!

December 10, 2025..............8:15 - 9:30

Stop into the Willow Wind Office with questions, ideas or input. Debbie will be available to listen and answer questions. We will also have hot tea ready for all who come in.

This is a good time to check in about the rest of the school year and get answers to any questions that you may have about Willow Wind or the Ashland School District.

Greenery Needed for WINTER FAIR Decorations

Winter Fair is fast approaching and we need evergreen boughs to decorate the Barn and Tea Room. Please reach out to Debbie if you can collect some greenery and bring it to Willow Wind within the next few weeks. We can also use some pinecones and berries. THANKS!

WINTER FAIR IS DECEMBER 17 : 6:00-7:30

JOIN us for our annual WINTER FAIR. This is a chance to come together and celebrate the season. Winter Faire is one of Willow Wind’s favorite events. Come and enjoy COMMUNITY, CRAFTS, FOOD and FUN! Please bring finger foods to share, and join us for a wonderful time.

This year tea will be served in the Barn. This is a family event and we ask that parents help their children engage with the inside activities

If you originally requested to help with the Fair, you should have received an email with options for volunteer slots. If you want to volunteer to help, but did not originally request a job, please reach out to Debbie. We can always used extra hands!

Creating “Magnificent Things” in K–1!................by Mira

The kindergarten and 1st grade classes drew inspiration from Ashley Spires’ book The Most Magnificent Thing—then set out to create magnificent things of their own! Students worked in cross-grade partnerships throughout the entire design process. They began by exploring our school and classrooms, reflecting on what could make our shared spaces even better.

As they shared ideas, three themes quickly emerged—beautifully aligned with the hearts and minds of our youngest learners:

A strong sense of fairness and a desire for everyone to be kind
A recognition that they have lots to learn and sometimes need help finding help
A belief that play brings joy, and we can all use more of it!

With these ideas in mind, partners engineered signs to encourage kindness, designed toys and fidgets to promote joy, and developed helpful tools to support the greater school community.

Throughout the project, these young makers relied on three core character strengths: initiative, cooperation, and perseverance. They collaborated, problem-solved, revised, and continuously improved their “most magnificent things.”

During classroom presentations, each group reflected on their learning journey—how they worked as a team, what challenges they faced, and how they felt about the end result. The most common feeling? Proud.

They took ownership of their environment, navigated both interpersonal and engineering challenges, and emerged with something truly magnificent—tangible evidence of big ideas from small learners.

IMPORTANT REMINDER - Fees

If you have not paid your fees, please try and do it soon.

We are requesting materials fees for each term and $5.00 for January Focus Workshops. These fees ensure that we are able to purchase materials to sustain the class projects. You can pay your fees by:

Logging into your PowerSchool Account
Choosing "school fees" on the left hand bar
OR......come in to the office and pay Dannette!

All students are welcome to register for classes regardless of their ability to pay fees.

Family Service Reminder

All families should have completed 6 hours of Family Service by Winter Break.

Please make sure you have recorded your hours in the Log Book. If you cannot complete your time for any reason, please complete the waiver form. If you are planning on doing all of your hours on a spring project, please note your intentions on your log page so we know your plan. Your contributions are appreciated! We need everyone to pitch in!

Lost and Found

Please remember to check the Lost and Found if your child is missing clothing or a water bottle. The Lost and Found is growing........we currently have 100 jackets, 25 water bottles and 4 hats that are unclaimed. You can find the Lost and Found on the back porch. Come take a look!

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL FOOD DRIVE!!

THANK YOU to our amazing Willow Wind Community for helping to make this year’s food drive a huge success! Families donated 3,639 items to the Ashland Community Food Bank, breaking last year’s record of 1,786 items. This amounts to 2,663 pounds of food! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!