Willow Springs School District

The Willow Springs girls tennis team had 3 players receive post-season honors! Join us in congratulating these athletes: 🥇Melaina Wilson - 1st team All-District Doubles 🥇Briana Hann - 1st team All-District Doubles 🏅Lilian Weimer - Honorable Mention All-District Singles Congratulations!🥳 #OneWillow

The Willow Springs Middle School Staff Member of the Week is Mrs. Simandl! A little info about Mrs. Simandl: "I began my journey in education as a paraprofessional at Willow Springs Elementary 12 years ago. I loved working in the school system so I became certified and taught 2nd and then 3rd grade Special Education for 6 years. This is my 1st year in the middle school as the 6th grade special education teacher. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, kayaking and traveling!" Congrats Mrs. Simandl and thank you for all that you do! #OneWillow

The Willow Springs Volleyball team had 5 players receive post-season honors for Class 3 District 11! Join us in congratulating these athletes: 🥇Katlyn Brixey 🥈Aspen Crudgington 🥈Sydney Stuart 🏅Aleisha Shanks 🏅Karson Gilbert Congratulations!🥳 #OneWillow

Please help us welcome our next new teacher feature, Ashley Freeman! About Ms. Freeman: "Hello! My name is Ashley Freeman. This is my 5th year teaching, specifically in early childhood education. I previously taught in the West Plains school district for 4 years. I am so thankful for the opportunity to teach Kindergarten here at Willow! I am involved with the youth ministry and worship team at my church and absolutely love it! When I’m not at school you can more than likely find me at church or spending time with family or friends. I love the the community in Willow Springs!" Welcome to Bear Nation Ms. Freeman, we're so glad you're here!🐻 #OneWillow

Mrs. Cooper's 7th grade science class embraced the Halloween theme yesterday and created “Boo Bubbles” by combining water (H2O) and dry ice (frozen CO2) to produce carbonic acid (H2CO3) through a process called sublimation. The students had fun trying to make the biggest bubbles and trying to make bubbles that would sit still and not pop right away!🫧 #OneWillow

Mrs. Pitts' class recently participated in a fun pumpkin estimation project!🎃 #OneWillow

October is #NationalPrincipalsMonth! Today we're highlighting and celebrating Mr. Jon Johnson, Willow Springs Middle School Principal. Mr. Johnson has worked in education for 18 years, 14 of those years in administration. Here's a short Q&A with Mr. Johnson! Q: What do you want students and staff to know about you? A: I really enjoy being an educator and working with people who are trying to accomplish a common goal. I also love God, my family, working on the farm, hunting, fishing, and trapping. Q: What do you like most about being an educator? A: Everyday is a new adventure, and no two days are ever the same. Over the course of my career I have met some really incredible people, most of which were students. I really enjoy talking with students 5-10 years after high school and hearing about what all they are doing. Q: What advice would you give to someone seeking a career in education? A: I believe teaching is a calling. I would encourage them to observe and talk with as many teachers as possible before making a career decision. Education is a lot of work, but it can be some of the most rewarding! Thank you Mr. Johnson for all that you do, we appreciate you! #OneWillow

Desie DeWitt is hosting a blood drive on Friday, November 3rd for her senior project! The blood drive will be held in the Bears Den from 1-5 pm for students and faculty and from 3:30-5 pm for the public. Please call 1-800-733-2767 or visit this link and enter WSHS to schedule an appointment: https://www.redcrossblood.org/ If you are 16 or under you will need a parent signature. Donors will get a shark week shirt, first come first serve.

We now have a sensory path at the elementary school that is utilized for behavior regulation! Sensory paths are a great resource and benefit for students because they can help reduce stress or anxiety, improve cognitive function and sharpen their gross motor skills, improve spatial awareness, improve hand-eye coordination and so many other benefits! All K-4 students will have access to use the sensory path for regulating behaviors. #onewillow

Students in Ms. Tice's class recently bound books with all of their accomplishments during their academic lab! #OneWillow

Mrs. Coursen's 5th grade art class has been having so much fun with their recent projects!🎨 #onewillow

Here are the Middle School Character Award winners for first quarter!🏅 Thank you to Robert Hollis with Shelter Insurance for presenting the students with gift cards! #OneWillow

Last Monday, the 6th grade team took a trip to Alley Spring to explore the park and learn about Karst Topography! This field trip was made possible from a grant from South Central Ozark Council of Governments! #onewillow

🚨Important reminders! • Today, Thursday October 26th is an EARLY DISMISSAL day at 12:45 pm. Parent/Teacher Conferences will be from 1:00-6:00 pm today. • There will be NO SCHOOL on Friday, October 27th for Fall Break. • There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, October 30th for Professional Development Day.

We want to thank the Arrive Alive Tour and the Southeast Coalition for Roadway Safety for bringing the nation's number-one ranked impaired driving and texting simulator for our high school students to experience! The Arrive Alive Tour uses a high-tech, state-of-the-art simulator that allows participants to drive while distracted or impaired in a fully functioning vehicle without moving or being intoxicated. The simulator allows participants to experience the real-life dangers without the real life consequences. Students also signed a pledge to put their phones down and buckle up! #onewillow #BUPDDay #ArriveAlive

We are very proud of our Willow Springs FFA Members tonight. Our Opening/Closing Ceremonies team placed 2nd 🥈. Katy Spence placed first🥇 with her Sheep Speech, and Kolton Stolba placed third 🥉with his Young Farmers/Young Farm Wives speech! Katy and Kolton will be moving to the district level! There were 9 other individuals that presented a speech tonight, but did not place high enough for districts. Nevertheless, preparing and presenting an 8 minute speech takes time and effort and we are proud of them.

October is #NationalPrincipalsMonth! Today we're highlighting and celebrating Mr. Chris Rodgers, Willow Springs Elementary School Principal. Mr. Rodgers has worked in education for 21 years, 13 of those years in administration. Here's a short Q&A with Mr. Rodgers! Q: What do you want students and staff to know about you? A: That I want what is best for kids and to help them learn and grow. We often have to make tough decisions, but every decision made is in the best interests of students and staff. I know I’m blessed to work with a building full of amazing teachers that share the same passion for educating our kids and preparing them for the future. Q: What do you like most about being an educator? A: It’s a very rewarding job and I love the opportunity to make a difference in our kid’s lives. You can form relationships to last a lifetime with both students and staff. Q: What advice would you give to someone seeking a career in education? A: Education is a very challenging field, but very rewarding. My advice to others is to always do what you believe is right and what is best for the kids. Teaching kids is all about what you can do to improve their quality of life and it’s a great opportunity to build relationships. Lastly, it is important to find a balance; remember to prioritize your life, faith, family and then your career! Thank you Mr. Rodgers for all that you do, we appreciate you! #OneWillow

On Saturday, the Willow Chess Team hosted the annual Sally Hatton Memorial Chess Tournament! The high school was represented by six players and won the second team spot. Kyle Collins-Redd was the undefeated winner, Caleb Leichliter was in fourth and earned 4.5 points out of six matches, Isaac Miller and Joseph Mansfield won three games each, Matt Sabulao earned 2.5 points, and Sophia Barrett earned two wins. The middle school was represented by six players and won the second team spot. Sabastian Puher and Otto Schuette earned four wins out of six games, tying for the third place. Heidi Bennett, Kyell Robertson, Ayden Bennett and Aubrey Miller got three points each, and tied for seventh. The elementary school was represented by Kane Bennet, who won first place, Michael Iacovlev, who was in third place, and Tristan Bennet, in fourth place. They helped the school win the first team overall. Great job, Bears!🐻♟ #OneWillow

Mrs. White recently did a classroom activity called Reciprocal Teaching! Students were in groups of two or three and one student played the role as a teacher, while the other one played the role as the student. The teacher would ask the question while the student answered. If the student had a difficult time answering the question, the 'teacher' would help them with the answers they were given by giving them hints. They would reverse roles on the next question. The students' favorite part was being the teacher! #OneWillow

🚨 Important information regarding Parent/Teacher Conferences! Thursday, October 26th will be an early dismissal day due to Parent/Teacher Conferences. Dismissal will be 12:45 PM. All buildings (except for preschool) will have Parent/Teacher Conferences on Thursday, October 26th from 1:00-6:00 PM. 🐻 High School Information - Parents should have been contacted by their student's GAP teacher to schedule an appointment for their conference. If you have not made an appointment, contact your student's GAP teacher. If you're unsure who your student's GAP teacher is, you may contact the High School office. 🐻 Middle School Information - Teachers have scheduled times to meet with each parent. If a parent has a specific teacher they want to meet with, you will be given time to meet with that teacher. If you don't have an appointment scheduled, contact the Middle School office. 🐻 Elementary School Information - Teachers have scheduled times to meet with each parent. If you don't have an appointment scheduled, contact the Elementary School office. The Get Roasted Coffee Company truck will be set up from 2:00-6:00 PM. The book fair will also be set up in the elementary and middle school libraries for families to shop at until 6:00 PM. #OneWillow