Above: K-6 students getting ready to work on their Partner Family pumpkin decorating for the annual Halloween "Guess Who". | |
Hello, Friends!
Welcome back to another edition of Branching Out, Willowwind's monthly newsletter. We are just finishing up our second month of the school year and our campus is abuzz with learning, community building, field trips, and so much more! Even though many safety measures still remain in place, our success in keeping our community safe and healthy last school year showed us that we could begin to safely reintroduce some of our favorite traditions and cross-grade partnerships. Students and teachers alike are enjoying these opportunities to collaborate with one another.
Willowwind's 2020-21 Annual Report has recently hit mailboxes. This publication highlights things like our Strategic Plan, the Integrated Arts pilot, and our DEIJ practices, as well as all the usual financial numbers and how to get involved in the 50th Anniversary fun. If you would like to receive a physical copy please respond to this email with your contact info and I'll be sure to get one mailed out. You may also visit our website to view or download the digital version.
Lastly, Willowwind's fundraising efforts will kick off shortly and I would love to have your support in those efforts, too. Whether you give $5 or $5000, every gift supports and strengthens our school community and the services that we offer. I ask that you share our fundraisers with extended family and friends who are just as invested in your child's education as you are. It really does take a village and together, I believe we can do even more great things here at Willowwind.
Thank you for your support!
In friendship and gratitude,
-Dana Smith (she/her/hers)
Director of Advancement
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Celebrating 50 years in 2022 | |
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We are so excited to be celebrating our 50th year of learning, growing, and building community here at Willowwind School. SAVE THE DATE for our big celebration on October 15th, 2022. So much has changed in the last half century, in our world and at the school, but some things remain the same. We still welcome eager young learners from all over the world who are looking for a different kind of education, one that invites inquiry, collaboration, and experiential learning. Willowwinders still enjoy Group Discussion three times weekly; they still regularly stomp through Ralston Creek, read with mentors, and celebrate Thanksgiving with a big feast.
I want to invite everyone who has ever been a part of Willowwind’s community, whether as a student, teacher, family, or friend, to reconnect! Join us on social media, sign up for our Branching Out mailing list, and attend some of the great events we are working hard to put together for our community to enjoy in the coming year.
We are also collecting stories and photos to be shared with other Willowwinders through our website and social media. Please consider doing some digging through photos and memories and use the link below to send some of your favorites our way. We’ll be adding new stories, photos, and events to our website as they are curated.
Thank you all for being a part of Willowwind’s past, I hope you will continue to be a part of our future.
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Integrated Arts Program Pilot | |
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This school year brings an exciting new addition to the Willowwind curriculum, the pilot of the Integrated Arts Program. The school's longtime commitment to the Arts and cross-curricular learning was the catalyst for the program’s formalization. This integration provides opportunities for students to enrich their academic learning through the Arts. It also allows students to explore and respond to Willowwind’s social justice curriculum through creativity and collaboration.
Integrated Arts combines academic areas like social studies and literacy with the Arts to provide students with a variety of opportunities to expand upon and support major learning projects. For example, students may use improv to get comfortable being in front of groups, or learn about using their voice and expression in preparation to present their poetry at Author’s Cocoa. Students may learn about, or perhaps directly from, professional puppeteers as they work to refine their own creations for the end-of-the-year puppet show. A Social Studies unit makes for the perfect opportunity for students to create a painting or learn a dance in the style of the ancient civilization they're researching.
Art is meant to be shared, to teach, and to inspire. Integrated Arts will do just that as Willowwinders take their learning out into the wider community through collaborations, presentations, and community events.
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Monarchs and Swallowtails
(Montessori Preschool)
Ms. Kaye and Ms. Mae's preschoolers have been so busy already this year exploring their classrooms, learning routines, and making new friends. Students have recently been learning all about South America, rainforests, and the vast array of plant and animal life that live there. Students have begun work on their very own classroom-sized rainforest which they will add plants and animals to as they learn more about this amazing place!
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Cottontail Rabbits & Prairie Racerunners
(Kindergarten & 1st Grade)
"I can't believe this is really happening!!" The excitement was high as Ms. Erin's Cottontails and Mr. Alec's Racerunners loaded onto a city bus and headed off on their first field trip since spring of 2020. Students enjoyed a very special story time with Ms. Casey at the Iowa City Public Library. We're so happy for the return of field trips and are already looking forward to the next visit!
Math and literacy have been a big focus for Kindergarten and 1st grade friends. Students are working on mastering the 44 phonemes, practicing spelling, learning about number order and place value, and so much more. These foundational skills are laying the important groundwork for future learning.
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Painted Turtles
(2nd & 3rd Grade)
Each classroom has their own unique traditions and ways of strengthening their class community. Each Friday, Ms. Lisa's class does “Time to Shine.” Each week a different Turtle is invited to receive meaningful compliments from their classmates. The Turtles value this practice because it brings them together and helps them realize that there are always things they can appreciate about others. Kalia, pictured above, says, “It feels good to know that others care about you.”
The Turtles are also working hard on creative writing by showing and not telling in their writing. This means to paint a picture in the reader’s mind. When we, “Show don’t tell,” our writing is more interesting and exciting to read. They are also learning about and practicing rhyming as they begin to read poetry. Eventually, students will begin writing their own poems and have the opportunity to read it aloud for their classmates and wider community.
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Burrowing Owls
(3rd & 4th Grade)
Ms. Christine's Owls have recently started their unit on immigration. Students are reading real accounts from children whose families have recently immigrated to the United States. From these accounts students learn about different cultures and traditions and discover the many reasons why people immigrate. They are also exploring historical immigration data, looking at patterns, and identifying major world events that have impacted immigration.
Owls have also recently paired with the Foxes to interview and write a short biography about their partner. This is a great primer to group work and gives students across grade groups the opportunity to really get to know each other.
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Red Foxes
(5th & 6th Grade)
Ms. Ann's Foxes have begun a very exciting Medical Detectives unit in science. Students learned about different disease agents, interviewed "patient" actors about their symptoms, and worked to determine the cause of illness. They also swabbed bacteria plates and antibiotic discs to discover the most effective antibiotic to treat their "patient".
Foxes have also been working on character and plot development as well as point of view, in preparation for a big creative writing project. In past years, this project has taken the form of short stories or graphic novels. We're excited to see what these budding writers come up with.
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Mural Scavenger Hunt Project
This fall, Willowwind Owls and Foxes are working on a service learning project that will be delivered to a real audience. Students are creating clues to help families recognize murals and statues downtown as they venture out on a scavenger hunt of the art in that area. Clues and student written artist biographies will be viewable online.
This week, students interviewed local artists Jon Sims and Jan Duschen, both of whom have been visiting artists at Willowwind in previous years and have had their work on display here at the school. The students had a blast learning about these two awesome artists and are looking forward to sharing the bios that come from these conversations. This has been a unique literacy project for our students; we hope that it helps local artists gain exposure, and that the Iowa City community will enjoy hunting for art downtown!
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Remembering Tim Terry
The Willowwind community was saddened to hear of the recent passing of Tim Terry, former Board member and father of four Willowwind alumni. The Rice-Terry family's time at Willowwind began at the Johnson Street location and spanned two decades. Our thoughts and well wishes are with the family in this difficult time.
Read more about Tim's life here.
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