The Wildcat Chat
What's Happening at Willard? | October 30, 2020
Avengers: Age of Quarantine
Teacher Pumpkin Carving Contest
Our Wildcat teachers ended the fantastic SCA Spirit Week by carving pumpkins. Our students had an opportunity to vote on the top creations. Below, you shall find images of the masterpieces and the names of the winners. Have a safe and Happy Halloween, Wildcats!
- 1st Place: Michelle Ehring for her Pirate Ship Pumpkin!
- 2nd Place: Kristin Thurston for her Smiling Skeleton Pumpkin!
- 3rd Place: Valerie Ulbrich for her Willard Wildcats Pumpkin!
Quarter 2 Begins in Wonder & Change
The second quarter of the 2020-2021 school year officially begins on Wednesday, November 4. Our more than 1500 student scholars have worked incredibly hard with the support of our Willard families and teachers. They will have an opportunity to reflect and refresh on Monday, November 2 and Tuesday, November 3, as these are student holidays, so teachers may prepare for the excitement of the next quarter. Please note the new features to Quarter 2, which are as follows:
- LCPS secondary schools will move to an ABAB Schedule, with "A" Days on Tuesday and Thursday and "B" Days on Wednesdays and Fridays. This will begin on November 4. Please note the visual below, which highlights this new schedule.
- Parents and students will receive the weekly newsletters about the upcoming week via our new communication known as The Wonder. This will be sent electronically on Monday afternoons, by Principal Rounsley, to highlight the upcoming activities of the week. The first edition will be delivered this Monday, November 2.
Virtual Dean & Counselor Parent Tea
Interested in gaining insight into strategies to support your child through distance learning as we embark on the second quarter? Then, you want to join us on Monday, November 2, at 9:00 a.m. for our Virtual Dean & Counselor Parent Tea. To attend and receive further details, simply complete this RSVP form by today, Friday, October 30. We will send participants detailed information this weekend! If you are unable to attend, we will record and post this event.
Loudoun Library's 1 Book, 1 Community
The Loudoun County Public Library is pleased to announce that this year’s 1book, 1 community selection is Front Desk by Kelly Yang. This title is an award-winning debut middle grade novel about a 10-year-old Chinese American immigrant girl who manages the front desk of a motel while her parents clean the rooms. Front Desk was awarded the 2018 Asian Pacific American Award for Literature, the Parents' Choice Gold Medal, is the 2019 Global Read Aloud, and has earned numerous other honors.
- Loudoun County Public Library will offer free, simultaneous eBook access to Front Desk from their LCPL OverDrive portal from Sunday, November 1 through Saturday, December 12. You must have an LCPL library card to access it, you can obtain one online or at any branch location.
- Loudoun County Public Library branches will also have free print copies available beginning in early November and additional copies in their collection.
- Kelly Yang will be providing an online program Saturday, December 12 at 7:00 p.m. More information regarding that effort will be coming soon!
Teacher Shout Outs
This past week, our community recognized many of our amazing Willard teachers. We wanted to spotlight a few. Sixth grade scholar, Ted Bixler brilliantly shared how his English teacher, Ms. Glumsic, has been so willing and helpful in English; helping to captivate audiences with her outgoing personality. Seventh grader Sthavir Vinjamuri beautifully articulated how Mr. Callas helps to make history exciting with "deep and concise facts," which help to shed light on historical events. Seventh grader Saanvi Mupparthi highlighted how Ms. Weiskopf has made a welcoming environment for her Latin scholars. She shared that she "knows she will have a good afternoon in her class." To keep the excitement going, please feel free to spotlight a teacher by completing this shout out form.
Upcoming Virtual Town Hall
On Thursday, November 12, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., we will hold a Virtual Town Hall to discuss the implementation of the Hybrid Model at the start of the second semester for secondary students. In addition, as indicated on the LCPS Return to School 2020 Planning page, from November 10 to 20, parents/guardians will be surveyed regarding the Semester 2 (Stage 4) Model for Secondary Students and how LCPS will respond if the the proportion of families choosing hybrid increases significantly. Be on the lookout for more details in the next CHAT!
Last Picture Day on Mon., November 2
We have already had more than 500 students come in to take their pictures. There is still a picture-taking opportunity available on Monday, November 2, from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at the Willard Middle School Cafeteria. Please go to pickatime.com/vos/willard to schedule your appointment. We would love to have everyone take their photo, even if they are not purchasing photos, as this will help us build a fantastic annual. You will receive the link to pre-order pictures with your appointment confirmation email, or click here to order. Due to Covid-19 guidelines, walk-ins will not be accepted at this time. Please feel free to contact underclass@vosphoto.com for any questions about pictures. See you on Picture Day!
Also, to purchase this gem, simply go to www.yearbookordercenter.com and enter school code 17606 to purchase. The cost of the yearbook is $30, and you may add a personalization option for $35! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Yearbook Advisor Mrs. Cleary here.
NJROTC Application Opens Soon
The NJROTC Admissions Application for the 2021-2022 school year will open on Monday, November 30, 2020, at 8:00 a.m., and be available until Friday, January 22, 2021. It is open to all current LCPS Grade 8 students. Interested students may visit www.lcps.org/cte to complete the online application. In addition, more information may be found at: http://bit.ly/NJROTCAdmissions. Lastly, please feel free to reach out to our counselors with any additional questions—they are here to help!
TB & Immunization Records Due
As a reminder, all students will need to provide documentation that their immunization and Tuberculosis requirements for school are up to date, by Tuesday, November 3, to continue with distance learning. If you need assistance with this effort, please reach out to Willard's nurse, Linnea Young, at Linnea.Young@lcps.org or at 571-367-4045. Also, documentation may be faxed to 571-349-0763.
Dulles South Neighborhood Closet Drive
Wake Up Willard Now Student Led
Wake Up Willard will now be lead by our sure-to-be fantastic Wildcat student broadcasters. Students can watch their classmates share the exciting news of the day by simply going to https://www.lcps.org/Willard. Good luck to our Willard Middle School inaugural broadcasting team: Aditi Gaddam, Hansika Guturu, Ayra Hiremath, Helina Mengesha, Mackenzie Powell, Rohit Rajakumar, Srishanth Ravi, Peyton Robinson, Aidan Ryan, Ishita Sengar, Sharanya Tumma, and Sarvani Vemuri.
AMC 8 Update
This year, Willard is participating in the AMC 8 Math Competition. Registration has closed; however, we wanted to share information with those that signed up for this opportunity. The test will be held on Tuesday, November 10, at a time after the school day that is convenient for the proctor. The proctors must be physically present at the time of the contest administration. Proctors must accept the invitation link that was provided via email by our Math Department Chair, Ms. Jenn Reeder, on October 13. If you have a participating child and have questions, please feel free to reach out to her at Jennifer.Reeder@lcps.org.
Curbside Library Book Pick Up
Students can now check out books from the Willard Library. To get started, place a book on hold in Destiny Discover (click here to learn how to do this). You and your parents will receive an email when the book is ready to be picked up at Willard. Pick up times are Mondays, from 12:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Tuesday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more detailed information, please click here and to watch the associated interactive video click here as well.