Your Wildcat has done a great job getting use to school. He/she /they are navigating the cafeteria and building strong learning communities in the classroom. It's both exciting and fun to watch!

This morning's drop off was nice and smooth. Thank you for pulling down all the way and abiding by the signs. We are still working with the bus company on the timing. We'd appreciate if you could remind your child to let an adult know if he/she/they should come straight in for breakfast. We are asking, too.

If you arrive after school and the pad where you should pull off is full, please just loop the block and come back around. Double parking is an unsafe choice for everyone. Students will stay at their dismissal door until 3:00 PM, after which we have them wait in the office while we call home. The cul-de-sac on Highland Avenue is only for bus traffic. Please do not drop off or park back there. We know that you may not always be the pick up person and would appreciate you sharing our routines with grandparents/sitters/other care takers.

Willow does not use the Parent Portal to show daily grades or scheduling. If you would like an idea of your Wildcat's weekly routine, please reach out to the teacher and follow the newsletter that comes home from them. It will have the classroom specifics.

You can continue the fun this week by stopping at Village Hall on Saturday between 1-4 PM for the Truckin' Into the School Year Celebration. You can also find other community happenings by clicking on the virtual backpack link below or on the District website.

Have a fun and safe weekend!

Many of you have a child that is in a "nut free" classroom. They are designated as such because there is a classmate with a nut/tree nut/peanut allergy that could potentially be life threateneing. Please make sure that the snack sent each day is one that is safe for the room. Some suggestions are below.

You Matter 2 is a local organization started by a former HSD153 student, Destiney Watson. It's a youth development organization committed to empowering and supporting young individuals in our community. Check out the link below to see all of their terrific fall programming options.

Phonics is knowing how spoken sounds (phonemes) can be represented by written letters (graphemes). Phonics connects phonological awareness—the ability to hear and work with spoken words, word parts, and individual sounds—to written language. Our teachers spent this summer receiving specific training on all of this.

Decoding is what happens when a child looks at a word in print and uses the sounds of each letter to figure out the word.

Phonics is also at the heart of encoding, which is attaching letters to the sounds in a spoken word in order to write it down. These are pathways in the brain that have to be built, which is why practicing with your child at home is such a benefit to his/her/their development.

Read the whole article below for a more detailed explanation.

When: 9/17/2023, 9:00 AM

Where: Begins and ends at James Hart Campus

Lace up your gym shoes and bring your family to Foundation 153's annual 5K run/walk and 153 yard kids’ dash. Our USA Track & Field certified course takes you through our beautiful Homewood neighborhoods. Experience the challenge of a 5K race or if you prefer a slower pace, join other families and friends as they walk in support of our wonderful school district. After the 5K, make sure to stay for the highlight of the day, the 153 yard kids’ dash, and cheer for our youngest athletes as they see who can cross the finish line without losing a shoe. Kids can also participate in a variety of activities such as field games and face painting. Hope you can join us for this great community event.

REGISTER HERE BEFORE AUGUST 27TH TO GUARANTEE YOUR T-SHIRT!

If you've noticed anyone at Willow going above and beyond, please use the link to recognize him/her/them! 💖

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

Aug 26: Back to School Festival- Village Hall 12-4 PM

Sept 1: Early Dismissal 11:40AM

Sept 4: Labor Day-no school

Sept 4-8: Substitute Appreciation week

Sept 10: National Grandparents’ Day

Sept 11: Patriots’ Day- wear red, white and blue

Sept 15-Oct 15: Hispanic Heritage Month

Sept 15: Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset

Sept 17: Fund Run

Sept 19: IT Professional day

Sept 21: Willow Open House 6:30-8 PM

Sept 25: Yom Kippur- no school