The Wildcat Chat

Please join Dr. Campiglia at Willard on Monday, May 20, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to celebrate our successes and look ahead to our areas of focus for 2024-25. Specifically, we will discuss the proposed LCPS cell phone policy and its implications for Willard, as well as specific questions that you may have. Here are two articles on the current proposal:

• Article 1
• Article 2

Please RSVP if you plan to attend and include any questions that you might have. If you are unable to attend, you are still welcome to still submit questions. Light refreshments will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Together we can fight stigma, provide support, and educate each other to support the millions of people in the U.S. affected by mental illness. Please feel free to participate in our wellness week to help raise awareness about mental health. :

• Monday, May 13: Wear your favorite music/band t-shirt.
  
• Tuesday, May 14: Treat yourself with PJ comfort.
  
• Wednesday, May 15: Wear your favorite sports jersey or workout gear!
• Thursday, May 16: Dress like someone who inspires you!
• Friday, May 17: Feel good on Friday by wearing your favorite color!

Our WMS Spectrum scholars have turned popular children's picture books into mini movies to share with local elementary school students! They are absolutely riveting creations. To view the videos, please check out this interactive website. In addition, check out our Academy Award Winning productions that are noted with trophies. We hope you enjoy!

Yearbook presales have ended; however, we will have a very small number of books available for purchase through a lottery system in June. Entering the lottery offers the chance, but not guarantee, to purchase a yearbook. A yearbook lottery form link will be emailed directly to families on the afternoon of Monday, June 10, and the form will close on Tuesday, June 11, at 3:00 pm. Each student will be able to enter the lottery once, and duplicate entries will be deleted. Families with multiple students will need to enter the lottery separately for each student. Lottery winners will be drawn using a random number generator after school on Wednesday, June 12, and winners will be notified via email that afternoon. Those lottery winners may then purchase a yearbook, and specific payment details will be shared with winners in an email.

Every Friday, Dr. Campiglia has had an opportunity to meet with at least four scholars who have been nominated by their deans to share their insights. This time is truly one of the highlights of the week. In those conversations, she has been able to learn more about our Wildcats' talents, pets, gaming systems, experiences at Willard, and after-school activities. We have phenomenal debaters, volleyball players, historians, aviation experts, and so much more. They have shared their dreams of becoming lawyers, entrepreneurs, and cardiologists. They have a wonderful view of the future. Thank you to the following scholars: Abby Asedillo, Kaazie Ayirebi-Akomeah, Kanzi Al Bassam, Issac Bunkall, Rehan Cheema, Marlin Dodd, Ayman Elmi, Julien Garcia, Bryce Hughes, Hamsini Kiran, Pratheek Kumar, Evelyn Lambert, Gideon Millhouse, Nina Neti, Kanisa Patel, Bella Pereyra, Braylenn Recco, Chase Swanson, Maddie Wilsey, and Sofia Wolfe.

USA Prime Baseball NOVA, located in Ashburn, VA is holding tryouts for next year. USA Prime is focused on player development and preparing youth athletes to be student athletes. If you and your child are interested in learning more, please use the following player registration link to learning more about upcoming tryouts: https://bit.ly/4doiioL.

We are currently seeking a volunteer to serve as our LEAF representative for the 2024-25 school year. Parents/Guardians who are interested in serving in this capacity should possess a desire to focus on engaging with our administrative team and the PTA, as well as developing opportunities for two-way communication, through which learning, feedback and information-sharing for children are at the forefront. Visit www.lcps.org/leaf to learn more about how you might support your school community. If you are interested in volunteering for this role, please email Michelle.Campiglia@lcps.org.

To prepare for our upcoming SOLs, we wanted to share a few helpful hints and strategies:

• Identify the information to be covered on the test and collect all necessary student materials such as your notebooks and previous assessments (if available).
  
• List all major units to be covered on the test and identify the key points from each unit.
  
• Make study aids such as flashcard and use mnemonic devices (create a song, word, or silly way to help you remember).
  
• Study with a friend.
• Write practice questions one night and answer them the next day.
  

Please make sure to review your child’s 24-25 course selections through ParentVUE and click “Course Request.” If there are any questions or errors, please reach out to your child’s counselor. If you would like to request a course change or override, please complete the following form. As a reminder, no course changes can be made after Friday, June 14.

Middle school students who have taken a high school course while in sixth, seventh, or eighth grade may elect to have the course expunged (grade and credit omitted) from the student’s high school records. The high school credit courses available to middle school students include the following: Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra II/Trig, Robotics and World Languages. Student’s GPA and class standing will not include the grade from the expunged course, nor will the student receive a credit toward graduation for this course. Strong consideration should be given for expunging low grades in credit-bearing courses. Below are some additional examples to consider:

• Grades lower than a B- will equate to less than 3.0 GPA
• Some students may want an additional opportunity to review the content, so expunging and repeating the course may be beneficial.
  

Please be advised that the decision to expunge a grade is irreversible. If you are interested in expunging, please click on the appropriate form: Rising Grade 7 & 8 Expunge Link and Rising Grade 9 Expunge Link. Courses taken in middle school cannot be expunged after the end of the first quarter of the 2024-2025 school year. If you have questions, please contact your child's middle school counselor.

We are so proud of our eighth graders, who are only a few short weeks away from moving on to high school! If you are interested in celebrating your eighth grader with a personalized yard sign, they are available for purchase from now until Tuesday, May 28. Signs are $20 and may be purchased by clicking here AND by completing this Google Form. For your order to be processed, payment must be received AND the Google Form must both be complete by the deadline. Please email Annamika Hacikyan, the Interim Grade 8 Dean, at annamika.hacikyan@lcps.org with any questions.