8/29: PTA Budget Q&A, 7pm zoom (info below)

9/1: Coffee with the Principal, 8:30am

9/4: No School (Labor Day)

9/5: Willett Chorus begins

9/7: Kona Ice at Willett (after school)

9/8: Willett Dessert & Movie Night (info below)

9/10: Yearbook Pre-sale Deadline

9/12: 4th-6th Music Program Enrollment Deadline

9/19: Willett PTA Meeting, 6:15 & 7pm (Join PTA here!)

Subscribe to the Willett PTA Calendar HERE.

Note: Fall Conference Week (11/13-11/17) dismissal is at 12:10 pm this year, not 1:30 pm.

Was your student greeted by Hootie on the first day of school? Thank you to our mystery PTA member for becoming Hootie and bringing some fun to the first day back! And thank you to our Willett Community for helping to create welcome back chalk messages!

The PTA welcomed back our incredible teachers and staff with flowers on Monday and a catered lunch on Tuesday. A huge thank you to Willett teachers and staff for welcoming our children to campus! We hope you have a wonderful year.

Active4.me had a surprisingly good count for the first week of school: 99 students scanned their trips, saving 393 lbs. of CO2. Returnees, thank you for remembering to transfer your bar code tags to new backpacks. For those who lost their barcode tags over the summer, we can replace them if your student can give us the “student names” they signed up with. (Usually it’s a combination of initials and first or last names.) If you’re new to Willett, and your student walks, bikes, uses a scooter, electric vehicle or public transit, please consider signing up for Active4.me at: www.active4.me/Registration/willett. Paper forms are also available at the Active4.me table. We will issue your student a bar code tag when we receive the signed registration form. Welcome back, everyone!

See how to help out with our bike scanning program further on in this newsletter!

Join Principal Campbell on Friday, September 1 at 8:30 AM in the new Willett MPR for coffee and conversation! This is a great venue to meet other parents, learn about what is happening on campus, and ask questions. These meetings take place on the first Friday of each month immediately after drop off. Questions? Email newfamilies@willettpta.org.

The Willett Chorus is back, and ready for another great year full of fun songs! This group of singers is for any Willett student in 3rd-6th grade, and is directed by Ms. Lindsay. Chorus meets twice a week (Tuesday & Thursday) before school (7:45-8:20 am) in the new MPR. The first day of chorus will be on Tuesday, September 5th. Permission slips will be available online and in the office by next week.

The Willett Chorus is fully supported by the Willett PTA! Thank you donors and supporters!

All families are invited to the Willett Dessert & Movie Night on Friday, Sept. 8! The PTA will provide a tasty treat and time for socializing from 5:30-6:30pm. You can head home OR stay for the movie in the Willett MPR, starting at 6:30pm. Bring sleeping bags, blankets, and other items to get comfortable!

Please join the Willett Library as we continue a Willett tradition. Reading together is a great way for families to bond. Book Club allows us to make those same connections with other people on our campus. If you love reading or just want to learn to love reading, this is the place for you. Anything and everything can happen in a book! For more information, our flyer can be found HERE. If you have questions, please email Mr. Fluetsch at cfluetsch@djusd.net. First meeting in Wednesday, 9/27, 6:45-7:45pm.

Starts Thursday, September 14!
Mr. Fluetsch is hosting a Dungeons and Dragons Club for 5th and 6th graders. It will meet during lunch (12:15 to 1 pm) in the library classroom (D16). Students may bring their lunches to the club. We have everything students need to begin playing. Both new and experienced players are welcome to attend. If you have questions, please email Mr. Fluetsch at cfluetsch@djusd.net

Don't miss out on DJUSD's amazing elementary music program! Willett's 4th-6th graders participated in a music assembly on Friday and learned about FREE lessons and fun performances! You don't need to own an instrument. Learning an instrument builds confidence, tenacity, and teamwork! Encourage your 4th-6th grader to try something new with their friends!

Sign up by September 12, 2023!

• Yearbook: The 2023-24 Willett Yearbook is already in the works! Full color, 80+pages, all grades, and full of great memories! Early Bird Pricing $29.50 before 9/10/23. Regular Price: $36. Early Bird yearbook purchase link will be emailed to you on September 20 if you pre-order. Yearbooks will be delivered in June 2024.
• Willett Wear: Show your school spirit! Purchase Willett-themed t-shirts, sport tech t-shirts, and cozy sweatshirts for yourself or your student through our Willett Store. You can also join the PTA when purchasing 🙂
  

If you have a student at Willett, they have been directly supported by the Willett PTA. We provide funding for the Willett Library, the Willett Chorus, art and music in the classroom, special events, paraeducator salary, and so much more. Please consider donating today. If you'd like to learn more about our budget, or help direct funds to areas of need, please join our PTA and come to a meeting!

The Willett PTA will be adopting the PTA budget for the 2023-24 school year at the September 19th General Association Meeting. Please provide input and ask questions at a virtual meeting THIS Tuesday, August 29th at 7pm. Please contact Erin Autry Montgomery (erinautrymontgomery@gmail.com) with any questions.

Current draft of the budget HERE.

Link to Zoom virtual meeting August 29th, 7-7:30pm: HERE.

Our first General Membership PTA meeting will be on Tuesday, September 19 in the new MPR. Come at 6:15pm for refreshments, connections, and conversation. Our meeting will begin at 7pm. Please plan to come; anyone is welcome, PTA members and non-members alike! You can just listen, share your ideas, or indicate your interest in helping out in some way. We truly want everyone to feel welcome at our meetings, as it is so important to have input from our school community. You can join the PTA at the meeting or using the link below.

Are you intersted in helping plan our Dessert & Family Movie Night? Are you able to help out during the event? We need you!! Please fill out the form below to let us know! Thank you to those that have already indicated interest. You'll be hearing from us soon!

Our Active4.me Bike-to-School Program is in need of volunteers to scan in students in the morning. Please fill out the form below if you are able to help, even if it's just once in a while.

Bravo! is a music program that is presented by parent volunteers for teachers wishing to participate. Please email Fei MacLeod, shuefei@gmail.com, if interested. Parent volunteers will be shared an online training and materials in October. This year, the curriculum is VOICES of INSTRUMENTS which introduces students to brass, string, woodwind and percussion instruments, as well as keyboard instruments (piano, organ, celeste, harpsichord and clavichord). They will also learn about the power of the voice. Lessons will include simple science experiments, listening games, and making instruments. Guest performers can be invited to share live performances in the classroom. New, spectacular YouTube performance clips will be included in the curriculum.

• Nugget Scrip (cards available at the front office or at Nugget)

• Farm Fresh to You Produce Boxes: Farm Fresh to You will give 10% back to Willett PTA if you enter the promo code WILLETTOWLS during checkout, or add it to your Account Summary if you (or someone you know) already receives a box. Sign up and browse options here.

August DJUSD lunch menu is HERE.🙂