Willard eNews - June 18, 2024

Please click on the links below for important information and upcoming events.

Willard Notices 

K-5 Summer Information 2024

HSA - Some important HSA info:

This Week's Events:

• Pool Party RSVP/Ticket Deadline: Tuesday, June 18, 9am: Graydon Pool has graciously agreed to extend ticket purchasing for our Last Day of School Pool Party on Wed., June 19, 2-5pm! Please include the names of everyone in your party on this roster and purchase your tickets to the pool party by this Tuesday, June 18, AT 9AM. If you have a 2024 Graydon Pool pass, you don't need to purchase a ticket. Siblings of all ages are welcome, and all attendees age 2 and up (including parents/caretakers) must have a pool pass or ticket; this is NOT a drop-off event. Please note that Willard will have a private section near Maple Ave (although you will enter at the main pool entrance), and the name of every person attending the party must be listed on the roster to get into the Willard section.  

Your To-Do List:

• LAST CALL! The beloved Ridgewood annual 4th of July parade will be here soon, and as usual, the 6 elementary schools in town will engage in a friendly float competition. In honor of the upcoming Olympics, the theme of this year's parade and float competition is: United We Play. If your Willard student wants to be on the school parade float, please add your names to the 4th of July parade sign-up by Wednesday, June 19. Each child on the float must be accompanied by an adult (adults can watch more than one child; adults walk next to the float). This year all adults/children in the parade must purchase a $12 Willard parade shirt BY JUNE 19 to wear in the parade and help fund the float (please email Mrs. Hoffman if this is a financial burden and Willard Cares funds will cover your shirts). 

• School Supplies Drive, June 10-20: Willard is supporting Children's Aid & Family Services to help them stock up on Fall back to school supplies (unused). Please check out this flyer for the most needed items and details. A collection box will be outside of Willard’s main office through the last day of school, June 19th. We realize your students may want to donate some of the unused school supplies from the boxes given back to them on the last day of school; therefore, we'll still be collecting for one more day, and you may place any donations after school on June 19th & 20th in the white cooler outside the Morningside entrance. A huge thank you for your generosity and kindness throughout the year, showing our community how much Willard cares. You've made a difference!

• LAST CALL! School supply kits for 2024-25 are available for purchase now through June 19th! Once again, the HSA is  selling kits containing the exact school supplies teachers at every grade level have requested for the 2024-2025 school year. Purchasing a supply kit ensures that they have everything they need waiting in their new classrooms on day one in September. You will be able to take advantage of bulk pricing, with a portion of your purchase donated back to the Willard HSA! When purchasing, make sure to select a kit for the grade your child will be in next year (2024-2025).

 

Reminders:

• Every family in the district received an email from the Federated HSA about the Tech Without Stress online program that the profits from this year's Wizards' games funded. This research-backed online program covers 31 tech-related topics that modern parents/caretakers face (geared towards children aged 10-17, but broadly applicable). Each segment is about 5 minutes long and can be consumed as videos or podcasts.  To access the free course, please click this Tech Without Stress link or go to https://www.techwithoutstress.com. Set up an account and use the access code RIDGEWOOD2024 for a 100% discount; the course is available through the end of the month only. 

Community
Ridgewood Maroons Youth Football Camp

Willard eNews - June 11, 2024

Please click on the links below for important information and upcoming events.

Willard Notices 
End of School Letter from Mrs. Hoffman
Guidance Counselor Corner

Please be sure you are being mindful of parking rules around Willard. Bedford is alternate side of the street only.  Many parking tickets have been issued! As a reminder, parking on Morningside and California at arrival and dismissal is prohibited. Though you may wait in your car to pick up, you may not park and leave your car in these areas. Thank you for following these rules.

Is your child missing a water bottle? sweatshirt? lunch bag? Our Lost and Found bin is overflowing! Please encourage your child to check out the Lost and Found in the lunchroom for missing items. Labeling items with your child's name is also helpful.  If not picked up by JUNE 18th, clothes will be donated and misc. items will be discarded.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

You should have received the 2024 State of the Schools survey via email. We want to thank those who have already participated in the survey and take a moment to remind those who have not yet completed the survey to do so. The survey takes about 7 minutes to complete. Your answers are collected anonymously and will help us to gain insight regarding our areas of strength and areas for improvement.

Please contact [email protected] with any questions regarding the survey process. Thank you for participating. We look forward to your responses.

 

 

HSA
Some important HSA info:

This Week's Events:

• Friday, June 14: Final Frosty Friday of the year. All popsicles $1 (cash only). Proceeds go towards student programming in 2024-25. 

• 5th grade parents: This week is a big one, with the GW mixer, 5th grade breakfast/slideshow, memory books arriving, the 5th grade party at Graydon Pool, and students vs. parents in kickball! Please see the calendar of events for our fifth graders, and consult recent emails from our HSA 5th grade coordinators, Rebecca Bowlin and Sonya Caren, for additional info. And as you and your children look ahead to middle school, please make sure to order your child's required 6th grade school supplies (GW school code: 89375) and mandatory PE shirts (ordering at least two is recommended) by June 21. 

Your To-Do List:

• Last Friday, you received an invitation to Willard's Last Day of School Pool Party at Graydon Pool, on Wed., June 19, 2-5pm! If you have a 2024 Graydon Pool pass, you do not need a ticket to enter (show your pass at the entrance); if you do not have a pass, please purchase a ticket to the pool party by this Wed., June 12th. Siblings of all ages are welcome, and all attendees age 2 and up must have a pool pass or ticket; this is NOT a drop-off event, so parents must also show a pool pass or purchase a ticket. Finally, Graydon Pool requires that every person coming to the Willard party is listed on this roster by June 12; please fill the names in your party ASAP. Thank you!

• The success of the Willard HSA depends in large part on our INCREDIBLE parent volunteers! The HSA executive board depends very heavily upon the parent coordinators who manage HSA events and initiatives throughout the year. Even as we wrap up this year, planning is already underway for next year. We still have several 2024-2025 coordinator spots to fill, so if you enjoyed volunteering on a certain event this year -- or would like to increase your involvement in the future -- please consider managing an HSA event. For a list of the HSA coordinator roles we still hope to fill, please see our 2024-25 coordinator vacancies and email us with your interest! 
  

• School Supplies Drive, June 10-20: Willard is supporting Children's Aid & Family Services to help them stock up on Fall back to school supplies (unused). Please check out this flyer for the most needed items and details. A collection box will be outside of Willard’s main office through the last day of school, June 19th. We realize your students may want to donate some of the unused school supplies from the boxes given back to them on the last day of school; therefore, we'll still be collecting for one more day, and you may place any donations after school on June 19th & 20th in the white cooler outside the Morningside entrance. A huge thank you for your generosity and kindness throughout the year, showing our community how much Willard cares. You've made a difference!

• The beloved Ridgewood annual 4th of July parade will be here before you know it, and as usual, the 6 elementary schools in town will engage in a friendly float competition. In honor of the upcoming Olympics, the theme of this year's parade and float competition is: United We Play. At the beginning of the school year, several people signed up to help with the Willard float and be in the parade with their children. Please check the  4th of July parade sign-up  for your name and update your attendance if needed (we understand that your schedule may have changed). In addition, if you missed the signup and would like to join the float committee, please add your info ASAP (by no later than June 10). Being in the parade will require volunteer shifts before the parade (we especially welcome handy people who can help build float pieces, as well as all members of the Willard community willing to help as they can). You will also need to be available on the morning of the parade from about 8am through the end of the parade (around noon).  At least one parent/guardian must march alongside the float during the parade if your child is on the float, and this year all adults/children in the parade must purchase a $15 Willard parade shirt to help fund the float (please email Mrs. Hoffman if this is a financial burden and Willard Cares funds will cover your shirts). 

• School supply kits for 2024-25 are available for purchase now through June 19th! Once again, the HSA is  selling kits containing the exact school supplies teachers at every grade level have requested for the 2024-2025 school year. Purchasing a supply kit ensures that they have everything they need waiting in their new classrooms on day one in September. You will be able to take advantage of bulk pricing, with a portion of your purchase donated back to the Willard HSA! When purchasing, make sure to select a kit for the grade your child will be in next year (2024-2025).

• Every family in the district received an email from the Federated HSA about the Tech Without Stress online program that the profits from this year's Wizards' games funded. This research-backed online program covers 31 tech-related topics that modern parents/caretakers face (geared towards children aged 10-17, but broadly applicable). Each segment is about 5 minutes long and can be consumed as videos or podcasts.  To access the free course, please click this Tech Without Stress link or go to https://www.techwithoutstress.com. Set up an account and use the access code RIDGEWOOD2024 for a 100% discount.

Reminders:

• Willard's-own Pia Rose Vigoroux, a 3rd grader, has made a beautiful special edition "Love Inside Willard" sweatshirt, and if you order one, she will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Willard HSA. Please see the Love Inside flyer for photos of the sweatshirts and for more information, including how to order yours!

Community
Koo's Kicking Camp
Koo's Kicking Camp Sponsorship Tiers
RBSA Summer Softball




Willard eNews - June 4, 2024

Please click on the links below for important information and upcoming events.

Willard Notices 
Field Day Information

Please be sure you are being mindful of parking rules around Willard. Bedford is alternate side of the street only.  Many parking tickets have been issued! As a reminder, parking on Morningside and California at arrival and dismissal is prohibited. Though you may wait in your car to pick up, you may not park and leave your car in these areas. Thank you for following these rules.

Is your child missing a water bottle? sweatshirt? lunch bag? Our Lost and Found bin is overflowing! Please encourage your child to check out the Lost and Found in the lunchroom for missing items. Labeling items with your child's name is also helpful.  If not picked up by JUNE 18th, clothes will be donated and misc. items will be discarded.

HSA
Some important HSA info:

This Week's Events:

• THIS WEEK, June 3-7, is our final Panther Pride Week of the year! Please see the schedule of Panther Pride events to help your children prepare for the fun!

• Friday, June 7: Willard Field Day (rain date, Monday, June, 10). Please send your child in sneakers, with a water bottle, sunscreen, and clothing that is the color of their grade-level team! The K-2 field day will be 9-11:15am; the field day for grades 3-5 will be held from 1-3pm. 

• Saturday, June 8th: Ridgewood SEPAG (Special Education Parent Advisory Group) will host a Sensory Friendly Touch-A-Truck from 12-2:15pm at the Ridgewood Fire HQ. RSVP required. 

Your To-Do List:

• 5th grade parents: The final weeks of the school year will be extremely busy (and fun!) for your 5th grader! Please see the calendar of events for our fifth graders. The 5th grade teachers and/or our HSA 5th grade coordinators, Rebecca Bowlin and Sonya Caren, will send additional info and reminders about a week before each event. And as you and your children look ahead to middle school, please make sure to order your child's required 6th grade school supplies (GW school code: 89375) and mandatory PE shirts (ordering at least two is recommended) by June 21. 

• The beloved Ridgewood annual 4th of July parade will be here before you know it, and as usual, the 6 elementary schools in town will engage in a friendly float competition. In honor of the upcoming Olympics, the theme of this year's parade and float competition is: United We Play. At the beginning of the school year, several people signed up to help with the Willard float and be in the parade with their children. Please check the  4th of July parade sign-up  for your name and update your attendance if needed (we understand that your schedule may have changed). In addition, if you missed the signup and would like to join the float committee, please add your info ASAP (by no later than June 10). Being in the parade will require volunteer shifts before the parade (we especially welcome handy people who can help build float pieces, as well as all members of the Willard community willing to help as they can). You will also need to be available on the morning of the parade from about 8am through the end of the parade (around noon).  At least one parent/guardian must march alongside the float during the parade if your child is on the float, and this year all adults/children in the parade must purchase a $15 Willard parade shirt to help fund the float (please email Mrs. Hoffman if this is a financial burden and Willard Cares funds will cover your shirts). 

• School supply kits for 2024-25 are available for purchase now through June 19th! Once again, the HSA is  selling kits containing the exact school supplies teachers at every grade level have requested for the 2024-2025 school year. Purchasing a supply kit ensures that they have everything they need waiting in their new classrooms on day one in September. You will be able to take advantage of bulk pricing, with a portion of your purchase donated back to the Willard HSA! When purchasing, make sure to select a kit for the grade your child will be in next year (2024-2025).

• Every family in the district received an email from the Federated HSA about the Tech Without Stress online program that the profits from this year's Wizards' games funded. This research-backed online program covers 31 tech-related topics that modern parents/caretakers face (geared towards children aged 10-17, but broadly applicable). Each segment is about 5 minutes long and can be consumed as videos or podcasts.  To access the free course, please click this Tech Without Stress link or go to https://www.techwithoutstress.com. Set up an account and use the access code RIDGEWOOD2024 for a 100% discount.

•  Willard's-own Pia Rose Vigoroux, a 3rd grader, has made a beautiful special edition "Love Inside Willard" sweatshirt, and if you order one, she will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Willard HSA. Please see the Love Inside flyer for photos of the sweatshirts and for more information, including how to order yours!

• Looking to get involved at GW next year?  The nominating team is looking for interested candidates for GW's open co-treasurer positions. This is a perfect opportunity to pair with a friend -- or, to volunteer individually -- and be involved in the next chapter of your child's schooling. To learn more about the position, please reach out to Michelle Stewart at [email protected] and Carri Gregersen at [email protected]

Reminders:

• Tuesday, June 11: DJ Diversity and Nick Seyda (Soccer Stars) schoolwide assembly

• June 19: As we look ahead, please save the date and plan to join us for a pool party for Willard families at Graydon on the last day of school, June 19, 2-5pm. Ticketing info coming tomorrow, all Willard families welcome!

Community
RBSA Summer Softball
SEPAG Barbeque & Touch-A-Truck