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Happy Sunday, Willard Families!

Welcome back! What a joy it was to see our hallways filled with energy and excitement this week as students and staff reunited after winter break. The genuine happiness in greeting one another reminded us of what makes our Willard community so special.

Friday's special board meeting provided valuable new insights into the School District Restructuring Plan (SDRP) process and outlined important next steps for our community. We appreciate all who attended and engaged in this critical conversation about our collective future.

Upcoming Community Meetings- Please mark your calendars for community meetings this week and in the weeks ahead. These gatherings will be essential spaces for us to process information together and determine our path forward. Your voice matters, and we need each family's perspective as we navigate these decisions together.

A Message of Gratitude and Encouragement- On Friday, I acknowledged to our dedicated staff that this week has been particularly challenging. With everything happening globally, locally in Minneapolis, and within our district, the emotional weight has been palpable – especially as we all adjusted back from winter break.

I wanted our teachers and staff to know that their dedication doesn't go unnoticed. They show up every day for our students despite their own exhaustion and concerns, and that commitment is what makes our Willard community exceptional.

I urged them to prioritize self-care this weekend – to rest, recharge, and find joy in whatever brings them peace. As Maya Angelou reminds us, our mission isn't just to survive but to "thrive with passion, compassion, humor, and style."

The same message extends to all of you, our Willard families. These are demanding times, and we all need to take care of ourselves so we can be at our best for our children. Let's remember to find moments of joy and connection even amid challenges.

Your children are fortunate to have such a caring community supporting them – from our staff to each of you at home. There is undeniably much happening in our district and our broader community right now. We recognize the weight many of you are carrying. Now more than ever, we need each other. We need to support one another, encourage one another, and use both our resources and our voices in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

We are a community bound together by our shared commitment to our children's futures. Together, we will navigate what lies ahead with strength, compassion, and determination.

Thank you for your continued partnership and for being part of what makes Willard so exceptional!

Best,

AP Ernvall

P.S. Bear Down! 🧡💙🐻 Invite your scholars to wear their Bears Gear or Navy/Orange tomorrow!

Art Club:

Art Club is ready to start back up this week! Students have the following date in this first session of Art Club (Jan. 14th, Jan. 21st, Jan, 28th, Feb 11th, Feb 18th, Feb 25th). Then Art Club will reset with the ability to join if you missed the opportunity in the Winter! For more information, see Ms. Lopez!

Choir:

Students are back, singing with excitement. If your scholar is interested, see Mr. Molitor!

Chess Club:

Chess Club is off to an amazing start! Students had such a great first day engaging with Chess. If your 3rd-5th Grader is interested in joining, have them reach out to Ms. Furlow for more information!

Girls on the Run:

Coming this Spring is Willards own Girls on the Run Team! This will be a 10 week club that will "practice" on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:45-4:50pm. They will complete the season by competing in a Celebration 5k the week of May 11th! Scan the QR Code to register! If you have additional questions, please reach out to Ms. Belizaire or Ms. DeJesus!

Student Voice Committee:

The Student Voice Committee is a special lunch group where kids from grades 2-5 can share their ideas about our school! When your scholars join, they'll eat lunch with AP Ernvall and other who want to help make our school even better.

In this group, they'll get to:

• Share what their friends and they think about school
• Talk about ways to make school more fun and better for everyone
• Help solve problems that students care about
• Be a leader and speak up for other kids

Our students ideas really matter! When they join the Student Voice Committee, they become a helper who makes sure all students are heard. they'll learn how to be a good leader while making our school a happier place for everyone.

Want to help make our school awesome? Encourage your scholars. to come join us for lunch and let their voice be heard! More information and sign up to come!

Two of Willards amazing educators are running a Parent/Staff Book Club. See the flyer for additional details and information! Please reach out to Ms. Galicia and/or Ms. Collins for additional information!

Sign Up Here!

We are so proud to congratulate the following students for advancing to the Schoolwide Spelling Bee on January 21st! Making it this far takes a lot of courage. Way to go!

Dane Sorenson, Rose Driscoll
Eli Sorenson, Mia Greening
Olivia Solak, Aston Dolan

Santiago Hernandez, Miguel Solorzano
Logan Boll, Minh Le
Maeve Apostu, Ellie Pierson

All schools- Message to Community

In District 65 we are committed to helping all students reach their full potential and to provide opportunities that accelerate learning. Accelerated learning is available to all students; educators accelerate learning through grade-level differentiation, enrichment, and small group instruction. D65 also offers the possibility of alternate placement - which may grade skipping, single subject skipping or early entrance into grades K or 1st. You can find more information about acceleration HERE.

The window to request an Alternate Placement for the 2026-207 school year is closing on January 30th. Any requests made after January 30 will not be reviewed until the start of the 2026-2027 school year.

All Are Welcome!!

Kadir Nelson will be at the Glenview Public Library on Tuesday, January 13, from 7:00 to 8:00 PM.

Save the date -- February 4th -- Lou Malnati's Pizzeria is donating 20% of Dine-In, Takeout & Delivery orders to Willard Elementary PTA! Take a night off from cooking and join Principal Battle and I in eating for a great cause. Lou Malnati's Pizzeria accepts Dine-In, Takeout & Delivery orders made online using the promo code GIVEBACK25 or in store/by phone mentioning Willard Elementary PTA. You can RSVP & see all details here: https://grouprai.se/s317830 #groupraise #loumalnatispizzeria #willardelementarypta #savethedate #takeoutforgood

Hello Families!

Welcome Back and Happy New Year! Third Grade has updated their class blog just for you! You can check it out here. Enjoy, Ms. Collins!

Jan. 14th: Foster Family Meeting

Based on new information from Friday's board meeting, this meeting has been postponed to a later date. When that date is released, we will pass that along with the intent of the meeting!

Jan. 15th: Willard Twi Community Meeting (In Person):

We recognize this has been a difficult and painful time for our community. In response, a space has been created where Willard families, staff, and district representatives can come together to process these changes and find a path forward.

We've partnered with Mosaic, a trusted D65 collaborator that has guided several schools through challenging transitions. They'll facilitate our gathering using gentle, student-centered practices including talking circles—structured conversations where everyone who wishes to share can be heard with respect and care.

Who Should Come: While those directly impacted by the TWI program changes may be experiencing the greatest challenges, this gathering is open to all Willard families and staff. We believe in the strength of our whole community coming together during difficult times and recognize that there is healing that needs to be done corporately.

When: Thursday, January 15, 6-7:30 p.m. Where: Willard Multipurpose Room

Support Available:

• Spanish interpretation provided
• Free childcare available
• A safe, structured environment for sharing

Please RSVP if possible: We've included a Google form link to RSVP (simply to offer us a head count) as well as the FAQ sheet to help us prepare, but please don't let that prevent you from attending. You're welcome whether or not you've completed the form.

This is a time for listening, supporting one another, and beginning to heal together as a community.

Jan. 22nd: Willard Twi Community Meeting (Virtual):

This meeting will be of similar structure to the in person meeting but done virtually. A link will be shared closer to the date!

Calling all scientists: the Willard PTA Science Fair is Monday Feb. 2, 2026! Science takes time, so now is the time to start planning your project! You are welcome to research any scientific topic that interests you.

Types of Science Fair Projects
Science fair projects tend to fall into one of two categories, a demonstration or an experiment. A demonstration is just like it sounds, it illustrates a known scientific concept and shows how it works. A really great example of a demonstration is making a volcano out of baking soda and vinegar; the outcome is known (and really fun to watch). Demonstrations are great for younger learners, especially if this is their first time doing science fair.

An experiment, on the other hand, expands on the demonstration by actually learning the relationship between two variables. Let's go back to our volcano, now instead of one volcano, let's make four volcanoes, each time changing how much baking soda is added to the volcano. Now the project has progressed into an experiment. This allows us to learn and draw conclusions from our work. For older students, we highly encourage them to try out an experiment.

Please create a self-standing poster (tri-fold poster boards work great) to present your project and come ready to discuss it with others!

Project Ideas
If you are stuck on how to get started, this website has tons of great projects that are sorted out by age group.

Science Fair Kits
We have a limited number of take-home science fair kits to offer. If you would like to request a take-home kit, please select this option when registering. The form will show you a list of kits to see what is available. These kits will come fully stocked with all the supplies you need to do an experiment from home! Once you have selected this option when registering, a committee member will reach out to connect about details and distribution. All materials will be distributed by January 16 at the latest.

Registration
Please register your student using this form. Deadline for registration is Thursday January 22.

Volunteers
Judges are a very important part of this event as they allow students to present their projects, practice important life skills, and feel celebrated for a job well done! We need 10-15 volunteer judges. Please sign up here: Volunteer sign up

Any questions? Please contact Kelsey Critchell kelseycritchell@gmail.com or Liza Rivnay liza.rivnay@gmail.com.

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!

January:

• 14th: Founding Foster Family Meeting (Postponed)
• 15th: Willard TWI Community Meeting (In Person) - RSVP if you can
• 19th: No School - MLK Day
• 21st: Willard Spelling Bee
• 22nd: Willard TWI Community Meeting (Virtual)
• 26th: D65 Regular Board Meeting

February:

• 4th: Willard Eat with your Principals to Support at Lou Malnati's Pizzeria.