Our Wildcats were safe and well behaved while taking time to view the eclipse. Thanks, too, to the parents who stopped by to watch with us!

We do not have a lot of landscaping around Willow, but ask that you keep your Wildcats from damaging what we do have. My window faces Willow Road so I have a pretty good view. At least half the trees we have out front are planted in memory of someone who was important to us. Please keep your children from hanging on them and breaking off the branches. There are also areas where classes have planted flowers that get trampled and don't come up when children are playing/digging in the mulched areas alongside the building. You will also notice that we have netted a few of the immature trees to prevent cicada damage. One of the Kindergarteners asked me if they were getting married! 😁

With the warm weather we have we get to see lots of you on the playground after school! Students are taught how to play safely on all of the equipment. Please encourage them to follow the Willow Way, even when playing after school. They should not be running up slides, jumping from platforms, etc. We also have an influx of young adults as the evening goes on. Please contact Homewood PD should you see any inappropriate behavior. We often find broken, equipment, garbage, broken glass, and other items unsuitable for our little people. We need you to help us keep this a safe play area!

The Cook County Department of Transportation is doing a construction project along Ashland Avenue from 175th Street to Cedar Road. On Cedar Road, they'll head west toward Harwood Avenue. Then, they'll make their way south on Dixie Highway, travel west under the railroad tracks, and head north on Dixie Highway to 175th Street. They are installing fiber optic conduit for a data communications project.

Per the CCDOT, the project will hopefully be completed by May 1, 2024 pending permit approvals.

Planning for next year is well under way. If you would like to share your perspective about how your child learns, please use the link below. We will also gather information from your child's current teacher. Here are some things to consider:

• We do not accept requests for specific teachers.
• Sometimes a best friend doesn't translate into a good classmate.
• Your Wildcat will be placed with a classmate or two from this year.
• The classroom teacher will provide us with academic levels and other pertinent information.

The Willow marching band is gearing up for its last parade of the year. Mrs. Riedel was wondering if any parents in the community play an instruments and would be interested in joining us. Please click the button below.

We will be having a fundraiser at Crumbl Cookies on April 16th. This will support our Unified Champions team as they get ready for Special Olympics. We have a big team of 22 athletes and peer mentors this year! They practice weekly on throwing, running, and other skills. Please stop by for some delicious cookies. We earn money back on every sale!

Pending approval at the April 8th Board of Education meeting, policy 7:100 Health, Eye, and Dental Examinations; Immunizations; and Exclusion of Students will be amended for Willow School. This means we will be going back to 1st day exclusion of students who do not have the required medical paperwork on file with the school nurse. This includes physicals and up-to-date immunizations.

Students not having this paperwork will be unable to start school. Please make any necessary doctor's appointment now. If you have a PreK student, going into Kindergarten, and his/her/their physical from this year was done AFTER August 21, 2023, he/she/they do not need a new one. Any physicals prior to August 21, 2023 need to be updated.

This program is part of the Museum’s "Understanding & Confronting Anti-Jewish Hate" community series.

Community Partners: ADL Midwest; Evelyn R. Green AJC Chicago Regional Office; Sheerit Hapleitah

Supported by Carole Feiger, David P. Brody Charitable Trust, and the Wiznitzer Family.

We had guest Wildcats in 11 states, Canada, and France! Thank you to the 509 readers!

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

Park Pride May 4: https://hfparks.com/event/park-pride/

Mother's Day Tea Party May 11: https://hfparks.com/event/mothers-day-tea-party/

Learn to Skate Classes: https://app.amilia.com/store/en/homewood---flossmoor-park-district/shop/programs/89858?subCategoryIds=4609164&subCategoryIds=4591354

Apr 17: Early dismissal – 11:40 AM

Apr 19: PreK Fun Friday

April 22: Earth Day and Passover

Apr 23: School Bus Drivers’ Appreciation day

April 24: Administrative Professionals’ Day/ Bernie's Book Bank delivery

April 26: Arbor Day

May: Asian & Pacific Island Heritage Month

Mental Health Awareness month

May 2: Family Reading Night 6-7:30 PM

May 3: School Lunch Hero Day

May 4: Special Olympics

May 6-10: Teacher Appreciation Week

May 8: School Nurses’ Day

May 10: Willow Art Show

May 12: Mother’s Day

May 17: PreK Fun Friday

May 18: Speech Pathologist Appreciation Day

May 24: Early Dismissal – 11:40 AM

May 27: Memorial day- no school