Willard eNews - December 5, 2023

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

Willard Notices 
Click here for for Guidance Counselor's Corner
Drama Club 2024 Information for Grades 4 & 5
Geography Bee and Spelling Bee

Get ready for an exhilarating experience at the annual Panther Marketplace on December 6th! We're throwing open the doors to the Willard community from 6 PM to 8 PM for a fun evening. Brace yourself for a fantastic event showcasing delectable foods, fabulous gifts, and so much more—all brought to you by the incredible members of the 5th Grade Panther Business Club. Mark your calendars and head to the California St. entrance at 6PM. 

But wait, there's more! For those looking for a sensory-friendly experience, the SEPAG has been working with Willard to implement accommodations for students with sensory and other concerns during school events. To that end, we encourage any families that may have been unsure in the past to try and attend The Panther Marketplace this year. Families with these specific needs are encouraged to attend the quiet opening from 5:30-6:00 via the Morningside Road entrance. There will be a sensory table in the Art Room with fidgets for anyone who might need a break as well.

Don't miss out on the Panther Marketplace—it's not just an event, it's an adventure!   Small bills are welcome.  Don't forget to bring your shopping bags!  See you there! 

HSA

Some important HSA info:

This Week's Events:

• Tuesday, Dec. 5: Fourth grade only, Forces in Motion assembly.

• Tuesday, Dec. 5: DEADLINE EXTENDED, Holiday Mural. The Willard DEI Committee is putting together a holiday mural that will hang in the hallway at school. Please contribute by bringing in a 3X5 photo of a holiday, celebration, or tradition your family enjoys by this Tuesday, Dec. 5th. (Please note that it does not have to be a November/December holiday, just any tradition or celebration that is special to your family!) More details available on this holiday mural flyer. 

• Tuesday, Dec. 5: DEADLINE EXTENDED, Hands Down Cookie Fundraiser. Willard has a delicious fundraiser from a local business, Hands Down Cookies, available for purchase through Friday, December 8 (we extended the sale through this week because of the prior tech issues; please make sure to select the Dec. 15 delivery date BEFORE hitting "checkout," which will enable the transaction to go through smoothly). These big, delicious cookies come frozen and ready to bake, and there are several holiday varieties. All purchases can be picked up at Willard after school on December 15. 15% of all sales proceeds will be given back to Willard to benefit our students!

• Wednesday, Dec. 6: SEPAG monthly information meeting, 9:30am. The Special Education Parent Advisory Group (SEPAG) will hold its monthly information meeting at the Education Center (49 Cottage Place, 2nd floor) at 9:30am on Wed., Dec. 6. More information on this flyer. 

• Wednesday, Dec. 6: SEPAG Parent Social, 7:30pm. The Special Education Parent Advisory Group (SEPAG) will hold a parent social at MacMurphy's (8 Godwin Ave.) at 7:30pm on Wed., Dec. 6. Please see this parent social flyer for more information. 

• Wednesday, Dec. 6: Panther Marketplace, 6-8pm (sensory-friendly early opening at 5:30pm), Willard auditorium/gym. Join us for a fantastic event showcasing delectable foods, fabulous gifts, and so much more — all brought to you by the incredible members of the 5th Grade Panther Business Club. Mark your calendars and head to the California St. entrance at 6PM. Small bills are welcome. Don't forget to bring your shopping bags! Click here for student ads! For those looking for a sensory-friendly experience, the SEPAG has been working with Willard to implement accommodations for students with sensory and other concerns during school events. Families with these specific needs are encouraged to attend the quiet opening from 5:30-6:00 via the Morningside Road entrance. There will be a sensory table in the Art Room with fidgets for anyone who might need a break as well. 

Your To-Do List:

• Minted Holiday Card Fundraiser:  It's not too late to order holiday cards! Once again, Willard has partnered with Minted.com to provide Willard families and friends with 20% off all Minted items, excluding fine art prints and items from their third-party marketplace collections. Our promo code is FUNDRAISEWILLARDHSA. Minted will track each order placed with that code and give 15% of the net sales from each purchase to the Willard HSA. Feel free to share our code to help give back to the HSA! 

• Lynch Creek Farms Fundraiser: We are pleased to once again partner with Lynch Creek Farms to provide beautiful wreaths, garlands, and centerpieces, with a portion of sales going directly to the HSA. Please place your orders by December 11.

Reminders:

• Art Docent Update: We have a new TIC TOC special artifacts collection on display this week: the sculpture collection, which includes some very recognizable pieces. Among the items on display are Degas's Dancer, Rodin's Thinker, Victory of Samothrace, an African Court Attendant, and an Egyptian Relief Plaque. The sculptures will remain on display in the cabinet outside the auditorium until mid-February. We have already noticed kids taking interest.

• Thursday, Dec. 14: The next virtual coffee with Superintendent Schwarz, where you can hear his update on the schools and ask him questions, will be at 7pm on Thursday, Dec. 14, at this Zoom link.

• Friday, Dec. 15: Holiday-themed bake sale at dismissal (cash only, all treats are $2)

• Friday, Dec. 22: Classroom parties and minimum day, 12:45pm dismissal (no lunch).

• Dec. 25 - Jan. 1: Holiday break, NO SCHOOL (there was a typo in last week's email about the break; the dates here are correct. Sorry for any confusion).

Community
Santa's Coming
Smart Savings
Helping Hands

Willard eNews - November 28, 2023

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

Willard Notices 
Geography Bee and Spelling Bee

Get ready for an exhilarating experience at the annual Panther Marketplace on December 6th! We're throwing open the doors to the Willard community from 6 PM to 8 PM for a fun evening. Brace yourself for a fantastic event showcasing delectable foods, fabulous gifts, and so much more—all brought to you by the incredible members of the 5th Grade Panther Business Club. Mark your calendars and head to the California St. entrance at 6PM. 

But wait, there's more! For those looking for a sensory-friendly experience, the SEPAG has been working with Willard to implement accommodations for students with sensory and other concerns during school events. To that end, we encourage any families that may have been unsure in the past to try and attend The Panther Marketplace this year. Families with these specific needs are encouraged to attend the quiet opening from 5:30-6:00 via the Morningside Road entrance. There will be a sensory table in the Art Room with fidgets for anyone who might need a break as well.

Don't miss out on the Panther Marketplace—it's not just an event, it's an adventure!   Small bills are welcome.  Don't forget to bring your shopping bags!  See you there! 

HSA

Some important HSA info:

This Week's Events:

• TODAY, Nov. 28, is Giving Tuesday! The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is now commonly known as Giving Tuesday, which is a "global generosity movement" aimed at "unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world." At Willard, we will again focus on raising funds for two very important causes, and here's how you can help:

1.  If you are able to help, we ask that you consider giving to Willard Cares (all online donations given at that link go directly to Willard families and staff/faculty in need).
2. We are again supporting the December holiday fundraiser for the Social Service Association of Ridgewood and Vicinity (SSA). As part of this holiday drive, the SSA will be providing local families in need with Target gift cards. We ask that you join in this effort by purchasing a Target gift card and dropping it off at the Willard office on Giving Tuesday. Alternately, you may purchase a $25 Target gift card through the Willard Store, which we will give to the SSA.

• Thursday, Nov. 30: Holiday Mural At Willard: The Willard DEI Committee is putting together a holiday mural that will hang in the hallway at school. Please contribute by bringing in a 3X5 photo of a holiday, celebration, or tradition your family enjoys. Write the name of the celebration and your child’s name/class on the back of the photo. Your children can submit their photo to their teacher by Thursday, November 30th. (Please note that it does not have to be a November/December holiday, just any tradition or celebration that is special to your family!) More details available on this holiday mural flyer. 

• Friday, Dec. 1: School spirit day (students are invited to wear Willard or Ridgewood gear to school).

Your To-Do List:

• Hands Down Cookie Fundraiser: Willard has a delicious fundraiser from a local business, Hands Down Cookies, available for purchase through Sunday, December 3. These big, delicious cookies come frozen and ready to bake, and there are several holiday varieties. All purchases can be picked up at Willard after school on December 15. Please place your orders soon, and 15% of all sales proceeds will be given back to Willard to benefit our students!

• Minted Holiday Card Fundraiser:  It's holiday card season! Once again, Willard will partner with Minted.com to provide Willard families and friends with 20% off all Minted items, excluding fine art prints and items from their third-party marketplace collections. Our promo code is FUNDRAISEWILLARDHSA. Minted will track each order placed with that code and give 15% of the net sales from each purchase to the Willard HSA. Feel free to share our code to help give back to the HSA! 

• Lynch Creek Farms Fundraiser: We are pleased to once again partner with Lynch Creek Farms to provide beautiful wreaths, garlands, and centerpieces, with a portion of sales going directly to the HSA. Please place your orders by December 11.

Reminders:

• Tuesday, Dec. 5: Fourth grade only, Forces in Motion assembly.

• Wednesday, Dec. 6: Panther Marketplace, 6-8pm (sensory-friendly early opening at 5:30pm), Willard auditorium/gym. Join us for an event featuring food, gifts, and more -- all sold by members of the 5th Grade Business Club.

• Friday, Dec. 15: Holiday-themed bake sale at dismissal (cash only, all treats are $2)

• Friday, Dec. 22: Classroom parties and minimum day, 12:45pm dismissal (no lunch)

• Dec. 25 - Jan. 1: Holiday break, NO SCHOOL (please note that the Willard Week Ahead email on Sunday had a typo;  the break begins on 12/25/23 and runs through 1/1/24).

Community
SEPAG Information Meeting
SEPAG Parent Social
Cambodia Club Fundraising Event
Unveiling the Enigma of College Admissions
Wealth4Teens Part 2
Smart Savings
Helping Hands

Willard eNews - November 21, 2023

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

Willard Notices 
A Message From Mrs. Hoffman
Geography Bee and Spelling Bee

Some important HSA info:

This Week's Events:

• Tuesday, Nov. 21: The 5th grade Entrepreneurship Club is looking for parent business mentors. This is a great opportunity to volunteer your time to help these creative young minds. Volunteers need to be available on Thursday, November 30, from 3-4:15pm. Students will pitch their business ideas/models and parent volunteers will be there to ask questions, offer advice, and help guide students as they continue to work towards their goals. Please email Mr. Ong, [email protected].nj.us, if you are available to help by this Tuesday, Nov 21st.

• Wednesday, Nov. 22: Minimum day, dismissal at 12:45pm. No school lunch. Classroom parties will take place on Wednesday (your class parents have been in touch about your specific class parties). 

• Thursday-Friday, Nov. 23-24: No school, Thanksgiving recess.

Your To-Do List:

• Tuesday, Nov. 28, Giving Tuesday: The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is now commonly known as Giving Tuesday, which is a "global generosity movement" aimed at "unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world." At Willard, we will again take part in this global movement. You can do so in two ways:

1.  If you are able to help, we ask that sometime before or on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 28, you consider giving to Willard Cares (all online donations given at that link will go directly to Willard families and staff/faculty in need during this holiday season).

2. We are again supporting the December holiday fundraiser for the Social Service Association of Ridgewood and Vicinity (SSA). As part of this holiday drive, the SSA will be providing local families in need with Target gift cards. If able, we ask that you join in this effort by purchasing a Target gift card and dropping it off at the Willard office before or on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 28. Alternately, sometime before or on Giving Tuesday, you may purchase a $25 Target gift card through the Willard Store, which we will give to the SSA.

• Holiday Mural At Willard: The Willard DEI Committee is putting together a holiday mural that will hang in the hallway at school. Please contribute by bringing in a 3X5 photo of a holiday, celebration, or tradition your family enjoys. Write the name of the celebration and your child’s name/class on the back of the photo. Your children can submit their photo to their teacher by Thursday, November 30th. (Please note it does not have to be a December holiday, just any tradition or celebration that is special to your family!) More details available on this holiday mural flyer. 

Reminders:

• Minted Holiday Card Fundraiser: Once again, Willard will partner with Minted.com to provide Willard families and friends with 20% off all Minted items, excluding fine art prints and items from their third-party marketplace collections. Our promo code is FUNDRAISEWILLARDHSA. Minted will track each order placed with that code and give 15% of the net sales from each purchase to the Willard HSA. Feel free to share our code to help give back to the HSA! 

• Lynch Creek Farms Fundraiser: We are pleased to partner again with Lynch Creek Farms to provide beautiful wreaths, garlands, and centerpieces, with a portion of sales going directly to the HSA. Please place your orders by December 11.

Community
Cambodia Club Fundraising Event
Unveiling the Enigma of College Admissions
Wealth4Teens Part 2
Smart Savings
Helping Hands
Kelly Creegan Coat Drive

Willard eNews - November 14, 2023

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

Willard Notices 
Green Team Information 

PARENTS NEEDED
The 5th grade Entrepreneurship Club is looking for Parent Business Mentors. This is a great opportunity to volunteer your time to help these creative young minds. Volunteers would need to be available on Thursday, November 30, from 3-4:15pm. Students will be pitching their business ideas/models and parent volunteers will be there to ask questions, offer advice, and help guide students as they continue to work towards their goals. Please email Mr. Ong, [email protected], if you are available to help. Please let us know by Tuesday, Nov 21st.

Some important HSA info:

This Week's Events:

• Monday-Friday, Nov. 13-17: Thanksgiving Food Drive: Willard's Year of Service initiative continues this week as we once again partner with the Social Service Association of Ridgewood & Vicinity to help provide Thanksgiving dinners to over 100 local families living with food insecurity. This flyer explains that our school has been asked to provide: shelf-stable mashed potato mix, gravy, cranberry sauce, and canned sweet potatoes. Your child may bring in any of these items by Friday, Nov. 17th (there will be boxes by the office). Thanks again to our community service co-coordinators, Jaime Aliberti and Becca Dewan, for making this month's Year of Service activity possible.

• Yesterday, Monday, Nov. 13: Skydome Planetarium Assembly: Throughout the day yesterday, Monday, Nov. 13, each grade level will took a 45-minute journey through the universe in the Skydome inflatable planetarium.  Students learned to identify planets and constellations on this exciting tour of the solar system. A big thank you to our HSA development chairs, Grace Corban and Kate Heighington, for scheduling this exciting, highly interactive assembly!

• Wednesday, Nov. 15: School Photo Re-takes: On Thursday, Oct. 26, you should have received your children's school pictures from Rod Bolton Photography. The email came from ImageQuix (check your spam folder if you did not receive the email). If you are unsatisfied with your children's photos, we will have photo re-takes with Rod Bolton at Willard this Wed., Nov. 15, 10-11am. Please dress your children as you wish for the photos on Wednesday, and make sure to sign-up here; only students on this list will be pulled from their classes for the photo re-takes on Wednesday.

Your To-Do List:

• Thanksgiving Pie Drive for Willard Teachers/Staff: We are grateful to our amazing Willard teachers and staff who do so much for our children every day! As in the past, the HSA hopes to give each Willard teacher and staff member a pie right before the Thanksgiving holiday,  as a small token of our appreciation. This year we're teaming up with Wilkes Deli in town to do so. You can help fund this effort by donating $20 to thank a teacher on the Willard store!

• The 5th grade Entrepreneurship Club is looking for parent business mentors. This is a great opportunity to volunteer your time to help these creative young minds. Volunteers would need to be available on Thursday, November 30, from 3-4:15pm. Students will be pitching their business ideas/models and parent volunteers will be there to ask questions, offer advice, and help guide students as they continue to work towards their goals. Please email Mr. Ong, [email protected].nj.us, if you are available to help. Please let us know by Tuesday, Nov 21st.

• Minted Holiday Card Fundraiser:  It's almost holiday card season! Once again, Willard will partner with Minted.com to provide Willard families and friends with 20% off all Minted items, excluding fine art prints and items from their third-party marketplace collections. Our promo code is FUNDRAISEWILLARDHSA. Minted will track each order placed with that code and give 15% of the net sales from each purchase to the Willard HSA. Feel free to share our code to help give back to our HSA! 

• Lynch Creek Farms Fundraiser: We also are pleased to once again partner with Lynch Creek Farms to provide beautiful wreaths, garlands, and centerpieces, with a portion of sales going directly to the HSA. Please place your orders by December 11.

Reminders:

• Sunday, Nov. 19: Final Family Portrait Pop-Up: We are almost done with our family portrait sessions! Please consult our photo session schedule if you signed up for photos on Sunday, Nov. 19. Thanks to the families who took part in the first two photo sessions (waitlist spots still available for 11/19).  

• Tuesday, Nov. 28, Giving Tuesday: More information will be forthcoming next week, but Tuesday, Nov. 28, is Giving Tuesday, "a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world." Each year, the Willard HSA focuses on raising funds for two very important causes on this day: Willard Cares (all online donations go directly to Willard families, staff/faculty in need) and the December holiday fundraiser for the Social Service Association of Ridgewood & Vicinity (in which Willard families purchase Target gift cards to be distributed by SSA to local families in need). Look for more instructions next week!

Community
Kangoo Kids Bootcamp
College Essay Workshop
Georgia Glazer: Author Meet & Greet
Cambodia Club Fundraising Event
Unveiling the Enigma of College Admissions
Wealth4Teens Part 2
Smart Savings
Book Launch
Mini New Players
Junior Wrestling
Helping Hands
Rebels Basketball
Girls Lacrosse Clinic
5th annual Song-Writing Competition
Kelly Creegan Coat Drive

Willard eNews - November 7, 2023

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

Willard Notices 
Green Team Information 

PARENTS NEEDED
The 5th grade Entrepreneurship Club is looking for Parent Business Mentors. This is a great opportunity to volunteer your time to help these creative young minds. Volunteers would need to be available on Thursday, November 30, from 3-4:15pm. Students will be pitching their business ideas/models and parent volunteers will be there to ask questions, offer advice, and help guide students as they continue to work towards their goals. Please email Mr. Ong, [email protected], if you are available to help. Please let us know by Tuesday, Nov 21st.

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 TOMORROW, November 8th, clothes will be donated and misc. items will be discarded. 

Some important HSA info:

This Week's Events:

• TODAY, Tuesday, Nov. 7: Election day for, among other offices, the two open seats on the Ridgewood Board of Education. If you missed our Oct. 10th public HSA meeting at Willard with the candidates, you can watch a recording of the Oct. 18th candidate forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Ridgewood. The Federated HSA has also put together this helpful candidate packet, with resources and information about each of the seven candidates running for the two open seats. 

• Wednesday, Nov. 8: Special Education Parent Advisory Group (SEPAG) Sensory-Friendly Dinner at Steel Wheel. Please see flyer for details.

• Wednesday, Nov. 8: Willard, you overwhelmed us with your generous donations to our Halloween Candy Collection to benefit  the after-school programs run by Father English Community Center in Paterson! Due to your overwhelming response, we will wrap up the drive this Wednesday, Nov. 8. You only have three more days to donate surplus, unopened candy to the Willard office.

• Thursday & Friday, Nov. 9-10: NO SCHOOL (NJEA Teachers' Convention).

Your To-Do List:

• Thanksgiving Pie Drive for Willard Teachers/Staff: We are grateful to our amazing Willard teachers and staff who do so much for our children every day! As in the past, the HSA hopes to give each teacher and staff member a pie right before Thanksgiving, as a small token of our appreciation for all that they do. This year, we're teaming up with Wilkes Deli in town to do so. You can help fund our pie drive by donating $20 to thank a teacher on the Willard store! 

• Thanksgiving Food Drive: Willard's Year of Service initiative continues into November as we once again partner with the Social Service Association of Ridgewood & Vicinity to help provide Thanksgiving dinners to over 100 local families living with food insecurity. This flyer explains that our school has been asked to provide: shelf-stable mashed potato mix, gravy, cranberry sauce, and canned sweet potatoes. Your child may bring in any of these items by Nov. 17th (there will be boxes by the office). Thanks again to our community service co-coordinators, Jaime Aliberti and Becca Dewan, for making this month's Year of Service activity possible.

• The 5th grade Entrepreneurship Club is looking for parent business mentors. This is a great opportunity to volunteer your time to help these creative young minds. Volunteers need to be available on Thursday, November 30, from 3-4:15pm. Students will be pitching their business ideas/models and parent volunteers will be there to ask questions, offer advice, and help guide students as they continue to work towards their goals. Please email Mr. Ong, [email protected].us, if you are available to help. Please let us know by Tuesday, Nov 21st.

• Minted Holiday Card Fundraiser:  It's almost holiday card season! Once again, Willard will partner with Minted.com to provide Willard families and friends with 20% off all Minted items, excluding fine art prints and items from their third-party marketplace collections. Our promo code is FUNDRAISEWILLARDHSA. Minted will track each order placed with that code and give 15% of the net sales from each purchase to the Willard HSA. Feel free to share our code to help give back to the HSA! 

• Lynch Creek Farms Fundraiser: We are also pleased to once again partner with Lynch Creek Farms to provide beautiful wreaths, garlands, and centerpieces, with a portion of sales going directly to the HSA. Please place your orders by December 11.

Reminders:

• Monday, Nov. 13: Skydome Planetarium Interactive Assembly: Throughout the day on Monday, Nov. 13, each grade level will take a 45-minute journey through the universe in the Skydome inflatable planetarium. Students will learn to identify planets and constellations on this exciting tour of the solar system! A big thank you to our HSA development chairs, Grace Corban and Kate Heighington, for scheduling what promises to be a great assembly!

• Sunday, Nov. 19: Final Family Portrait Pop-Up: We are almost done with our family portrait sessions, right in time for holiday card season. Please consult our photo session schedule if you signed up for photos on Sunday, Nov. 19. Thanks to the families who took part in the first two photo sessions (waitlist spots are still available for 11/19).  

• On Thursday, Oct. 26, you should have received your children's school pictures from Rod Bolton Photography. The email came from ImageQuix (check your spam folder if you did not receive the email). There will be a picture makeup day scheduled in November for retakes and for those who missed the k-2 picture day (we will share the date as soon as it's scheduled). 

Community
College Book Fair
Book Launch
Mini New Players
Junior Wrestling
Helping Hands
Rebels Basketball
Girls Lacrosse Clinic
5th annual Song-Writing Competition
Kelly Creegan Coat Drive