Above: Kindergartners enjoy the leaves on a seasonal observation walk.
Hello, friends.

At Willowwind, autumn is a time to observe change in the world around us. From parent-teacher conferences that champion and cheer the change and growth we see in our students, to exploring and celebrating the changes we see all around us in nature. Autumn is also a time for giving thanks. This year has certainly tested our ability to adapt to change and has challenged us to find new ways to celebrate and share all that we are thankful for.

As it became increasingly clear that Willowwind would not be able to safely hold its annual Thanksgiving Feasts for PreK and K-6 students, faculty and staff, we began to brainstorm new ideas of what togetherness and gratitude look like. Rather than undertaking shared cooking projects to culminate in a group feast, we had a whole-school pizza party, albeit distanced in classroom cohorts. Students and faculty alike have been reflecting on and sharing what they are thankful for in their lives; family, teachers, friends, and health are common themes as we near month nine of this pandemic.

We continue to be so grateful for the kindness, resilience, and flexibility demonstrated by our students, faculty, and staff. We must also recognize our incredible parents and caregivers who support what we do here at Willowwind in more ways than we could count. Our bellies may be full of pizza today but our hearts are full of thanks. I hope this message finds you well and that you and yours are finding new ways to celebrate together while apart.

In friendship and gratitude,

Dana Smith
Director of Advancement

Willowwind Classroom Updates!
Monarchs
(Preschool)

The Monarchs continue with their cosmic curriculum. Last month students were introduced to their Cosmic Address: the Universe - the Milky Way Galaxy - the Solar System - Earth, etc. to reach Iowa City and finally, Willowwind. They expanded on that learning this month as they explored the differences between globes and maps, located the equator, and learned about the cardinal directions. In science, Monarchs are learning about the water cycle- evaporation, condensation, and precipitation, as well as the main 3 types of clouds- cumulus, cirrus, and stratus.
Cottontails
(Kindergarten)

Cotttontails began the month learning about elections and voting. They read Duck for President by Doreen Cronin in which Duck proposes an election to determine whether he or Farmer Brown should be in charge of the farm. Kindergarteners held their own election and lined up at their polling place in the hall, secretly filled out a ballot, and dropped it in the ballot box. Together, they counted the votes and...Duck won the election! Kindergartners have also been working hard on phonics, brave spelling, and writing poetry. They have come such a long way in these first months of school! These early readers and writers are laying the groundwork for their Authors' Cocoa poetry which they will perform next month.
Prairie Racerunners
(1st grade)

Racerunners also learned about and experienced voting this month. They too took to the polls to vote for a special class snack. Fruit Loops won by a landslide over pretzels and Goldfish crackers. Students have been working hard on math, particularly number sentences and learning to write and solve word problems. This is a great way for them to combine literacy and math skills. Speaking of literacy, the Racerunners have begun their Jolly Grammar work. This expands on the skills students previously developed through Jolly Phonics using colors and actions to help identify and remember parts of speech in sentences. The class is using all of these new skills to learn about and write poetry to be performed for Willowwind's annual Authors' Cocoa.
Painted Turtles
(2nd-3rd grade)

The Turtles have a very special Friday morning routine that includes “Time to Shine”. This is a time when each student gets a chance to shine by receiving meaningful compliments from their classmates. The Turtles talk a lot about what it means to give a meaningful compliment. Not only is it important to share something you appreciate about someone, but it is also important to say why and be specific. A meaningful compliment is unique and special just for that person. They also talk about how important it is to sincerely receive a compliment by acknowledging the person who said it, making eye contact with them, and saying thank you. These Turtles have gotten so good at genuinely appreciating one another!
Burrowing Owls
(3rd-4th grade)

Earlier this month the Owls learned about the three branches of government, spent some time brainstorming what they look for in a leader, and are working through edits on a letter to our new president. They have also been learning about and creating maps, beginning with a map of Willowwind's campus. This further develops spatial thinking and is a crucial step as students expand their geographical and mathematic skills. All of this maps work will culminate in a large project in which students will use their research, literacy, art, and math skills to create "road trips" full of facts, sightseeing suggestions, and distance and location information.
Red Foxes
(5th-6th grade)

The Foxes have begun a new Social Studies unit on the American Revolutionary War. This engaging unit kicks off when King George III (played by Teaching Artist Ryan Bentzinger) visits the class to tax the "colonists". Students also participated in a mock debate playing the roles of Loyalists and Patriots. The class has also begun reading Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. Chains follows the story of thirteen year old Isabel, an enslaved girl fighting for her and her younger sister's freedom during the Revolutionary War. Students are navigating some hard topics in this book and participating in insightful discussions about slavery and racism. Sixth grader Leona shared, "This book is AMAZING so far, even though it is sad and some parts make me really angry at some people."
Advancement News
I would like to send out a big thank you to each and every one of our donors! We have seen such incredible support for our Annual Fund campaign and we are just getting started. What I think is so special is seeing where these donations are coming from. To date we have received donations from current and former Willowwind faculty and staff, alumni and current families, grandparents, and friends of the school. It truly does take a village to educate children and we are reminded of this through the heartwarming generosity and support of our extended Willowwind community.

Together we have raised more than $6,000 in the last three weeks which puts us at about 12% of our $50,000 goal for the school year. With Giving Tuesday just around the corner on December 1st, we look forward to inching even closer to our goal.
Save the Date! Giving Tuesday is just around the corner.
This global effort was initiated in 2012 and connects individuals and organizations via social media to encourage and celebrate giving. We hope to raise another $5,000 towards our Annual Fund goal during the Giving Tuesday campaign. 

You'll be able to donate via Facebook or via Paypal on our website. Help us spread the word and share the campaign with your friends and family!
Alumni News
Once a Willowwinder, always a Willowwinder!
We would love to grow our alumni community and reconnect with friends we haven't heard from in a while. If you're an alumnus, former student, faculty, or staff drop us a note and we'll be sure to share it with other Willowwinders! We welcome your updates, and memories or photos from your WW days. We look forward to hearing from you!
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