The Willis Weekly

A Firebird Publication - September 22nd, 2023

A Note From Mr. Delp

Dear Willis Families,

It's been a great week at Willis!

We are so grateful to the City of Chandler for their work in organizing Latino Leadership Week. Many of our students took advantage of the opportunity to hear presentations and ask questions of community leaders in a number of different careers. The students who attended were very attentive and asked fantastic questions.

Next week is our final week before October break. This is literally the longest (and hottest) quarter of the school year. It has been a long time since we started school back on July 19th. We are grateful to our students for their efforts and our families for their support. There are still a few more days for students to finish up assignments and make-up missing work. Please encourage them to finish the quarter strong.

Let's have a fantastic final week of the first quarter Firebirds!

Jeff Delp, Principal

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Jeff Delp - Principal

Email: delp.jeff@cusd80.com
Location: 401 South McQueen Road, Chandler, AZ, USA
Phone: 480-883-5707
Twitter: @principaldelp

First Quarter Band Concert

On Thursday evening the Willis Bands hosted their first concert of the year at the Chandler Center for the Arts. The audience had the pleasure of listening to the Jazz, Cadet, and Symphonic bands -- all under the direction of Mr. Chris Vasquez. It was a great evening with wonderful music. Well done, Firebird musicians!

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Cadet Band

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Jazz Band

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Symphonic Band

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Wednesday, Sept. 28: PICTURE RETAKES

On Wednesday, Grads Photography will be here to take pictures of students who may have enrolled late, or provide retakes for students who want them. 7th Grade students will have the opportunity for retakes during first period and 8th grade students during second period.

Latino Leaders Week

A big thank you to City of Chandler's for organizing a great Latino Leaders Week at Willis. Each day this week, guest speakers came in during lunch to present on careers in their field, answer questions and share and how to be proactive in preparing for success. During the week we hosted speakers from Arizona State University, the Arizona Cardinals, Arizona Fish and Game, Salt River Project, and the City of Chandler.

Latino Leaders Week is part of Chandler Contigo -- a month-long series of family, cultural and educational events that honor and celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month. We are grateful to the City of Chandler for making this event possible for our students!

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Chemical Reactions

This week, students in Mr. Aviles science class participated in a lab activity that illustrated the reactivity of certain elements. During the lab, students made predictions and then identified characteristics of a chemical reaction. Students drew upon their prior knowledge about the periodic table, elements, and atomic structure

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Spirit Week at Willis

This week students have the opportunity to participate in our Willis Spirit Week (courtesy of the Willis Student Council). Check out each day and be creative!

Monday 9/25 - Adam Sandler Day: come to school in your best Adam Sandler outfit (basketball shorts, big t-shirt, flip-flops, etc.).

Tuesday 9/26 - Crazy Hair Day: do something different, and a little crazy with your hairstyle.

Wednesday 9/27 - Barbie (or Ken) Day: think about the recent movie and wear your Barbie or Ken outfit/gear.

Thursday 9/28 - Anything But a Backpack: get creative about how you carry your materials to school (no living creatures, nothing unsafe or motorized and make sure your Chromebook is secure).

Friday 9/29 - House Color Day: wear the designated color for your house. Not sure? Ask a teacher.

Teaching Kids to Be Smart About Social Media

As fall break approaches, we know that our students will spend more time on social media. Recently, we have received an increase in reports from both parents and students about negative social media use. To better support you and your students with navigating the world of social media, we are sharing an article with you that will review the positives and negatives of social media use. Enjoy!

Teaching Kids to Be Smart About Social Media

Before kids or teens hit "enter," make sure they know the rules when it comes to oversharing, teasing, posting personal info, and other online don'ts.

kidshealth.org

Enseñar a los niños a usar las redes sociales de forma inteligente

Para ayudar a su hijo a encontrar el equilibrio, es importante que hable con él sobre cómo usar las redes sociales de manera inteligente.

kidshealth.org

Firebird Athletics

As we wind down the 1st quarter, we would like to thank all of our student-athletes who participated in baseball, volleyball and wrestling.

Good luck to our Firebird wrestlers in the EVC Championship on Saturday at Casteel HS.

Next quarter students can try out for boys' basketball and girls' softball.

We also offer cross country for both boys and girls. There are no cuts for this sport allowing everyone to participate.

For more information regarding your student being cleared to play, please visit our website at: https://www.cusd80.com/domain/4183

Willis Junior High Book Fair

WJHS Media Center is having a book fair! Find out additional details by visiting our book fair homepage.

Book Fair Homepage (scholastic.com)

Mental Health Corner

September SEL Focus: Suicide Awareness and Prevention

This week, our seventh grade students watched a presentation on the Signs of Suicide, a national prevention program that educates students about warning signs for suicide and encourages them to ACT.

A - Acknowledge

C - Care

T - Tell

We encourage you to talk to your child about the suicide prevention education they are receiving in school. Through SOS, we are teaching students to reach out to trusted adults if they are worried about themselves or a friend. While some students will reach out to school staff, many will reach out to their own parents with concerns.

Talking about these issues can be tough for families. In our society, mental health isn’t discussed openly like physical health. Feelings of depression are often hidden because youth are confused, embarrassed or ashamed and this secrecy can have dire consequences. You can help protect your child and their friends by starting a conversation about mental health.

For more information on the presentation students received this week, please visit https://sossignsofsuicide.org/parent/talk-your-child.