Above: Willowwind's K-6 students and faculty gathered for a final Group Discussion to share their favorite memories from the past school year.
Hello, friends.

What a year! I have just closed out my 6th school year here at Willowwind and each year when I look back and reflect, I always say that every year here is amazing (they are in their own ways) and that I am continuously impressed by our incredible teachers (I honestly don't know how they do it) and staff. There were so many big changes this year- how we moved about the building, how we built relationships across grades, how we shared our work with families, friends, and our wider community. One thing did not change however; we came together as a learning community and created a space where children were supported academically, socially, and emotionally and where teachers found strength, support, and inspiration from one another. I am once again amazed, though not at all surprised, at the flexibility, strength, perseverance, and compassion that our school community demonstrated during this challenging year.

Willowwinders spent their last week of school celebrating their learning, flexibility, and perseverance with games, treats, dance parties, water games, yearbook signing, and so much more. We gathered virtually to celebrate our 6th-grade graduates and wish them well on their next adventures. These students were incredible mentors to our younger friends and we will miss seeing them in the halls next year. Psst, hey alumni, don't be strangers; you are always welcome to come visit!

Now that summer is here and Willowwind's Summer Program camps are underway, I am able to take a breath and look ahead to new projects. As such, I'll be hitting pause on Branching Out until next fall to focus on updating the website, thinking about the upcoming 50th anniversary, polishing the strategic plan, and attending summer events in the community. If you're out and about town this summer be sure to stop by our booth and say hello; we would love to catch up!

Willowwind in the Community:
Jazz Fest (7/3)
Soul & Blues Fest (7/31)
Arts Fest (8/28)
Pride Fest (10/2)

P.S. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram so you can stay in touch between newsletters! Have a great summer, wear sunscreen, drink water, and remember to slow down and smell the proverbial roses.

In friendship and gratitude,

Dana Smith
(she/her/hers)
Director of Advancement
Spring Learning Showcase
A Celebration of Student Learning
Willowwind's annual Spring Learning Showcase invites students to shine and share some of the big learning projects they have worked so hard on. While safety precautions didn't allow us to gather on campus for the event this year, we were able to capture student learning digitally and are thrilled to share a selection of projects with you now.

Kindergartners prepared and performed skits on some of the character traits they have learned about and practiced this year. First graders presented their research on animals and habitats while second graders created and demonstrated their simple machines. Third/fourth grade pitched their Invention Convention projects and our fifth/sixth graders presented their Science Fair projects. What an amazing year we have had!
End of Year Plays
Another major undertaking this spring were the production of the 3rd/4th and 5th/6th grade class plays. Students spent several weeks researching topics, writing scripts, designing and creating sets, props, costumes, and finally recording and sharing their plays.

The Owls' (3rd/4th) passion was initially sparked on Earth Day, when they read an article in Time for Kids about wolves being exempt from the Endangered Species Act. After weeks of research and writing, the class ended up weeding out their wolf theme to focus on water related issues. We are amazed by the quantity and depth of information that students processed throughout their research phase. The Owls shared their play, “A Time For Action: A History of Polluted Waters” with other students and their families in May.

The Foxes (5th/6th) theme this year was social justice. Students selected topics they felt passionate about researching and wanted to see continued progress made in these areas in the future. Students not only researched, wrote, and performed their plays, they also created the backdrops and props. 
Student and Faculty Honors
Red Foxes Recognized with Innovation in Education Award
We are pleased to share with our community that the Red Foxes (grades 5/6) are this year's recipient of the Elementary Student Innovation Award for demonstrating innovation through their entrepreneurship unit, Prairie Cafe. This 3-month long project brings students and local restaurants together to raise money for the class's annual 4-day trip to YMCA Camp Edwards in Wisconsin. Students were recognized during a live (but masked and distanced) event at the Englert Theatre in May.

Congratulations also go to Kaye Lindsley, our Lead Preschool teacher, who was nominated for the 2021 Inspire Award.

Lastly, Willowwind, as an organization, was nominated for the Impact Award. The nominator shared these thoughts:

"Willowwind School has gone above and beyond this year, every year actually, but this year even more. They have provided mental health educational workshops for parents trying to navigate through the pandemic as well as educating parents about children's mental health. Willowwind included social justice topics and education in their curriculum that provided an inclusive and transparent environment helping the community. The students are given autonomy, and their creativity is being fostered throughout the school year."
Ryan Bentzinger Recognized with Active Learning Award
Willowwind's Teaching Artist Ryan Bentzinger was recognized for providing our PreK-6 students with exceptional active learning opportunities. We are so proud to share that Mr. Ryan is a recipient of The Iowa Children's Museum Robert E. Yager Active Learning Award.

The Robert E. Yager Active Learning Award honors outstanding educators who foster an active learning environment in their classroom and create opportunities for students to imagine, create, discover and explore.

Thank you, Mr. Ryan, for your passion and dedication to teaching, and all that you do to keep students engaged in active, thoughtful, and creative learning. We are all proud to call you our teacher, colleague, and friend.

Advancement Updates
Scholarship Funding
Willowwind focused two spring fundraising events around growing the school's General Scholarship Fund. Last month, with a lot of family support, we pulled off our first and only on-site community event of the school year. Willowwind's yard sale brought in clothing, toys, and household items from dozens of families and raised more than $1,700 for scholarships. This effort, along with Give & Grow donations, brought our total raised for scholarships this year to $20,780. This is a huge accomplishment by and for our community. We are grateful for each gift and each of you. These funds are being distributed to Willowwind families who need to offset tuition costs in order to attend. We feel fantastic about helping our community in this way, and we hope you do too.

50th Anniversary 2021-22
This coming school year will be the 50th in Willowwind's long history of providing exceptional, child-led learning opportunities. We are excited to be working with the Board of Trustees, alumni, and other important community members to plan a wonderful year of events to celebrate all things Willowwind.

In true Willowwind fashion, these celebrations invite all members of our school community, current, recent, or long ago to join in the fun. Friends who are interested in helping plan or prepare for festivities are invited to join the 50th Anniversary Planning Committee. Please email Dana, our Director of Advancement, if you would to like pitch in.

Expanding Arts and Social Justice Curriculum
Integrated Arts Pilot Program
Willowwind has always made room for the arts within its curriculum believing that a student's education is enhanced by exposure to and participation in art, music, and theatre. Willowwinders have enjoyed project-based learning in many forms since the school's inception. Social Studies projects, like class plays, already integrate writing and history with art and we are thrilled to be expanding upon these traditions in new and exciting ways.

The Integrated Arts class will provide opportunities and support to enhance subject areas already taught in the classroom and expose students to art disciplines currently not taught at Willowwind. The Integrated Arts curriculum will be centered around long-term projects that align with core teaching standards. Projects will incorporate a variety of art disciplines including, but not limited to: visual art, music, sound effects, theater, storytelling, body movement, digital art, graphic design, set design, and costume design. 

We look forward to sharing more about this exciting program in the coming months.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice (DEIJ)
Willowwind's faculty and staff have been working closely with the school's DEIJ Committee this year with a focus on creating a more diverse and just learning environment.

Willowwind's DEIJ mission is to create a diverse learning environment through:
  • increasing diversity among students, staff, and faculty, 
  • nurturing an environment in which diverse opinions are shared respectfully, 
  • promoting equal opportunity for students, staff, and faculty from all diverse backgrounds, 
  • ensuring that students have an understanding and appreciation of diversity in our world, 
  • educating future community members and leaders who will have the lifelong commitment and skills to promote social justice.

Over the next few months and throughout the coming school year, Willowwind faculty and staff, along with DEIJ Committee support, will begin to review curriculum and school practices, identifying additional opportunities to carry out this mission.
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