THE WHOOT!

Happy Monday Willard Families,

Welcome to Conference Week! We're thrilled to welcome you into our building this week for parent-teacher conferences! This is one of our favorite times of the year—an opportunity to connect face-to-face, celebrate your child's growth, and collaborate on their continued success. Our teachers are excited to share the wonderful progress they've been seeing in the classroom and to hear your insights about your child's learning journey. Thank you for making the time to partner with us. Your involvement makes all the difference, and we can't wait to see you!

You will find a great deal of information in this weeks newsletter so check it out! If you have any questions or wonderings, please do not hesitate to reach out!

P.S. This was supposed to go out Sunday but Blackboard was down! Sorry about that!

Best,

AP Ernvall

We know the days can often feel uncertain, and it's natural for both children and adults to experience moments when things don't feel quite safe or predictable. During times like these, it's more important than ever to create spaces where our children can find comfort, joy, and hope.

That's why we are so grateful to celebrate PEACE at Willard with our first Peace Pep Rally, beautifully led by our very own Ms. Johnston! Each Willard team chooses a Peace Pillar to represent, and together we danced, laughed, and lifted each other up. It is a wonderful reminder of what we can accomplish when we come together with intention and care.

We reintroduce our vision for Willard Scholars to Speak Peace, Feel Peace, Make Peace, and Know Peace. Our deepest hope is that every child at Willard grows to be a pillar of peace in this world, treating their neighbors—and themselves—with kindness, respect, and love.

In moments of uncertainty, peace starts with us. Thank you for partnering with us to nurture that peace in our children, our school, and our community.

We want to begin by acknowledging that this news is deeply unsettling. The seven school closure scenarios announced on Monday affect not only Willard, but several schools across our district—and we recognize the fear, hurt, and uncertainty this brings to our community and to the families at every school named in these scenarios. These are real concerns about real places where our children learn and grow.

We want you to know what we are committed to doing during this process:

1. Advocating for our TWI community. We have already begun sharing the questions, fears, and concerns we're hearing from families directly with district leadership, and we will continue to elevate your voices.

2. Being fully transparent as we learn more. When we receive information—whether about timelines, impacts, or possible next steps—we will share it with you. We know that silence and uncertainty can feel like erasure, and we are committed to ensuring our families are not left in the dark.

3. Standing with this community. This is, without question, a difficult and very real moment for our school. Our commitment to our students and families is unwavering, regardless of what decisions are made at the district level.

About the Scenarios: As part of Phase III of the Structural Deficit Reduction Plan (SDRP), the administration has brought forward seven school closure scenarios for School Board consideration. To view the proposed boundary maps, feeder patterns, data tables, and financial impacts for each scenario, please visit the District 65 Phase III: SDRP Resource Hub. As a reminder, no decisions have been made around additional school closures.

How to Make Your Voice Heard: Please attend an upcoming community conversation to share your perspective. Free childcare and Spanish interpretation will be provided, and all members of the public are welcome:

• October 14, 6-7:30 p.m. at Chute Middle School (1400 Oakton St.)
• October 15, 9:30-11 a.m. at Fleetwood Jourdain Community Center (1655 Foster St.)
• October 15, 6-7:30 p.m. at Nichols Middle School (800 Greenleaf St.)
• October 16, 6-7:30 p.m. at Haven Middle School (2417 Prairie Ave.)

Can't attend in person? Share your thoughts virtually (survey closes 11:59 p.m. October 16).

All are welcome!! We're excited to offer a variety of clubs and activities designed to help students explore their interests, build new skills, and make lasting friendships.

Current Clubs & Activities:

• Chess Club – Sharpen your strategic thinking and challenge your classmates to a friendly match!
• Choir (4th & 5th Grade) – Find your voice and make beautiful music with your peers.
• Black Girl Magic Book Club – Celebrate stories, culture, and community through the power of reading.
• Art Club – Come and express yourself artistically on a regular basis! Ms. Lopez can't wait!

Stay tuned for announcements about additional opportunities to get involved.

Let's make this year amazing together!

We're on a mission to get every Willard student their own Evanston Public Library card – and it's going to be amazing for your family!

An EPL card unlocks thousands of books, resources, workshops, and family events. Even better? Your card works at Wilmette and Skokie libraries too, giving you three incredible library systems to explore!

We've already talked this up during Library classes and the kids are excited. Application forms are available in our Willard Library, and we've attached one to this newsletter for easy access.

This is a simple way to open up endless learning opportunities and fun experiences for your family. Let's make this the year every Willard student gets their library card! - Ms. Harries

I am thrilled to announce that we'll be hosting two fantastic authors over the next month!

For the Upper Grades (3-5)

On Thursday, October 16, the 3rd through 5th graders will meet Kim Long, author of Catching Cryptids: the Scientific Search for Mysterious Creatures. Interested in a signed copy? You can pre-order through our local partner, Booked, using this link.

For the Lower Grades (K-2)

We'll welcome the incredibly popular Ben Clanton, author of the Narwhal & Jelly and Tater Tales series, on Tuesday, November 4. To snag a signed copy of one of his books, please use the pre-order link from Booked.

Thanks to our amazing PTA, we're adding a signed copy of Kim Long's book to every 3rd-5th classroom library, and a signed Tater Tales book to every K-2 classroom library!

Please reach out to Ms. Harries (harriesl@district65.net) if you have any questions.

Happy Reading!

Join us for an adults night out on the town!!!!

Save the Date!

📅 Friday, October 17th

🕕 6:00-8:00 PM

📍 Willard School

Here's What's Waiting for You: 🌟 Two hours of incredible entertainment showcasing our talented students, families, and staff 🍽️ Delicious dinner provided for all attendees 🎉 Exciting activities and special surprises throughout the night 💫 An unforgettable evening the whole family will love!

Want to Take the Stage? We'd love to see YOUR talent shine! Submit your participation form or email Celiaalejos@gmail.com by October 10th to reserve your spot in the show.

This is your chance to step into the spotlight and share what makes you special! We can't wait to celebrate the incredible creativity and talent in our Willard School community. Get ready for an evening filled with inspiration, laughter, and joy!

⭐Proudly presented by the Willard School PTA ⭐

During parent-teacher conferences, teachers will be presenting your scholar's progress and data. You can also stay connected to your student's learning throughout the year by accessing the parent portals for both iReady and STAR.

Please use the parent informational guides below to gain access to their most recent data and next steps. If you have any additional questions, don't hesitate to reach out.

Please see the Willard PTA Weekly Newsletter for more information on Willard PTA happenings, membership, and directory. If you missed the most recent PTA Owl Notes, click here!

We're rescheduling this meeting to allow for our community to attend both our Sustainability Community Meeting and the community conversations around the Structural Deficit Reduction Plan's (SDRP) school closure scenarios. Details about these meetings, which are scheduled for October 14, 15, and 16, can be found on the SDRP website.

All are welcome to attend. Together we're focusing on building a brighter, healthier, more equitable future for our children. Click here for November 11 meeting details.

TRY DAY FRIDAYS

This year, our elementary and magnet schools are participating in TryDay Fridays for school lunch! This special event occurs once every three weeks (on Friday of Week C).

Menu options will be emailed to parents the Wednesday before each TryDay Friday so you can talk through the choices with your child ahead of time. Students will select their meal at the start of the school day, and that selection will be their lunch for the day—no substitutions can be made once the choice is submitted so please have the conversation with your scholars ahead of time! Thank You!

October:

• 3rd: Peace Pep Rally
• 7th and 8th: Parent Teacher Conferences
• 10th: NO SCHOOL (After Conferences)
• 12th: Evanston Free Halloween Pop-Up!
• 13th: NO SCHOOL - Indigenous Peoples Day
• 17th: Hispanic Heritage Family Event