Willow Parent Bulletin # 10

October 27, 2023

Halloween

Halloween is here already! Unless it's raining, we will have our parade outside. The most recent forecast is cold and possible snow. Snow! When we head out for the parade, your child will need to wear his/her/their coat. Please be sure that they are able to dress warmly in their costume.

Please be sure that you only photograph/video your own child. We have several students whose parents have not given permission for their images to be shared. It is important we all respect that choice. In the event that it's raining or below 20 degrees, we will parade inside. Unfortunately, the only parents allowed in the building for that will be the PTA room parents. Costumes should be appropriate for school, without weapons and gore, and with clear sight lines.

If your child needs a costume or will not be participating, please let his/her/their teacher know on Monday so we can make necessary accommodations.

Food Drive

Our annual Food drive starts next week. We divided up the items by grade in hopes of having a balanced response. We appreciate any donations and definitely do not expect you to buy everything listed under your Wildcat's grade level. All of the donations are assembled into baskets for families in need within the community.

And so it begins....

'Tis the season for cold, flu, and a myriad of other illnesses. If your child is sent home from school with a fever or vomitting, he/she/they should also stay home the following day. Please do not give your Wildcat medication in the morning when your child has a fever or symptoms and then send him/her/them to school. Invariably, they end up in the nurses's office when it wears off around lunch time and in the meantime they have exposed all of their classmates and teacher. This practice can be dangerous for staff and students with compromised immune systems.

This is a great time to check and update your emergency contacts. In the event we are unable to reach you, we will call the next person on your list. It's important that you have a back up plan if your child needs to be picked up. We cannot keep sick or contagious students at school.

Safety Drills

We are required by law to conduct safety drills, with the police present. We will be having a "code red" drill on Thursday, November 9th. This is a complete lock down of the school. No one will be allowed to enter or leave during the drill. The Homewood Police Department will be here to observe and make suggestions regarding how the drill goes. Please do not be alarmed if you drive by or someone posts that there are police cars at Willow.

You can help at home by reinforcing with your child the importance of stopping(freezing) what he/she/they are doing and then listening to the teacher. He/she/they need to quickly follow directions, either to shelter in place or evacuate, and do so quietly. We, as adults, feel the emotional part of these drills more than our students most times. We walk the line between making sure there is understanding of how important the drills are and not wanting to scare them. You can help alleviate some of that anxiety that may come by having conversations ahead of time.

PreK Fun Friday

What happens when you spend the day at Irons Oaks looking for pumpkins? See our pictures below to find out!

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Veteran's Day RSVP

Fine Motor

Below are more fine motor tips from our Occupational Therapist. We appreciate you helping at home!

Bulletin stats:

We added 56 more Wildcats from last week....573 newsletter views last week. Readers were in 18 states and the UK this time! Hope all of you near and far are doing well!

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Staff Shout Outs

If you've noticed anyone at Willow going above and beyond, please use the link to recognize him/her/them! 💖 I share your kind words with them in my staff bulletin.

https://forms.office.com/r/L4vYqd7NpN

Willow Handbook

Virtual backpack

PTA October Newsletter