Above: After a couple of no school days and nearly 2 weeks of indoor recess due to frigid temps, students went out to enjoy the fresh air and snow!
Hello, friends.

Willowwinders have had a full, albeit short month. After several inches of snow and frigid weather resulting in snow days, and too much indoor recess, we are finally enjoying some sun and warmer temps. Spring is a time when snow piles shrink and project-based learning soars to new heights. Students are beginning work on Science Fair and Invention Convention projects, class plays, and many other exciting learning adventures. This spring, as we continue to minimize exposure by canceling in-person events, we are looking for new ways to showcase, celebrate, and share student projects with our wider community. We look forward to sharing much more as these wonderful projects come to life.

February is of course Black History Month and it has been wonderful to see all the different ways that teachers are continuing to incorporate diversity and inclusion into the classrooms. Preschool friends have been reading a new story each day from "Little Leader Bold Women in Black History" and "Little Legends Exceptional Men in Black History" both by Vashti Harrison. Kindergarteners and first graders learned about Ruby Bridges and worked through some scenarios about how they could stand up for and help support others. 2nd-6th graders have been learning about identity and bias during S.E.L (social-emotional learning), and all students celebrated Black athletes in P.E. These are just a few of the things our classrooms have been up to during Black History Month. Faculty and staff are inspired to find additional ways to bring representation and social justice into the school year-round.

If you are interested in supporting Willowwind's efforts towards increased inclusion, equity, diversity, and representation, consider making a gift to the Annual Fund. These donations go directly towards curricular enhancements, professional development, and financial aid that help Willowwind provide a more equitable learning environment for all students. Please contribute as you are able, any size gift is welcome and greatly appreciated. Thank you.

In friendship and gratitude,

Dana Smith
(she/her/hers)
Director of Advancement
Beyond Black History Month
Faculty and staff are committed and motivated to learn how to be better educators, role models, and advocates for ALL students. Earlier this week during our professional development time, faculty and staff watched a webinar by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) titled "Diversity, Representation, and Teaching Black History Month.” We were proud to learn that Willowwind has already embraced and implemented a number of the recommended steps towards greater inclusion, representation, and equity at our school. Diverse representation is built into our classroom libraries and across our PreK-6 curriculum. Concepts like acceptance, social justice, and activism are present in our specials classes. We are doing a lot of things right, and we are excited to do even more.
From Classrooms:
PreK-2nd Grade

Preschool friends have wrapped up their land forms curriculum and are now moving on to learning about bodies of water and exploring questions like "Why do some things float and others sink?" and "Why can heavy things (like people) float in saltwater?"

Kindergarten and first graders continue to solidify literacy and math skills through all sorts of group and independent work. It's just amazing to see how much children grow and learn in these early years.

Our 2nd grade friends continue to explore force, motion, and simple machines. It's the perfect time to learn about Rube Goldberg and discover just how amazing simple machines can be. Check out this video of the world's largest Rube Goldberg machine!
3rd-6th Grade

These rooms are all a buzz with Invention Convention (3rd/4th grade) and Science Fair (5th/6th) projects.

So far our 3rd/4th grade friends have identified a problem they want to solve, have come up with ideas on inventions that could help, gave and received feedback from peers, made materials lists, and are now on to making their first prototypes. How exciting!

5th/6th graders have accomplished a lot this month while working on science fair projects. There are crickets in the classroom and plants growing in the hall. Students have finished their experiments and are now moving on to using their data to draw conclusions about their project.
Giving to Willowwind
Friends, we need your help. 

The challenges of the past year have taken their toll on many non-profits and of course the education sector. Willowwind is no different. While we are proud of our agility, accomplishments, and perseverance through all of it, I would be remiss in not sharing Willowwind's struggle.

Our small school has been hugely impacted by the events of 2020 and we will continue to feel those ripples for some time to come. Over the past year, Willowwind has sustained an income loss of more than $250,000, which amounts to nearly 20% of the annual budget. That loss is significant and the hole it has left in the budget is a reality that we navigate every day.

Please consider making a gift to WIllowwind's Annual Fund. Having a robust Annual Fund will enable Willowwind to persevere through whatever challenges may yet come and will ensure that our students, faculty, and staff love every day here at school. Thank you.
$30,000 
Financial Aid Loss
New tax laws to de-incentivize giving meant donations to our STO (School Tuition Org) were greatly diminished, hampering Willowwind’s ability to provide tuition assistance for families who depend on it. 

$80,000
BASP Loss 
The need to maintain cohorts this school year resulted in the continued closure of BASP and a significant loss of income.

$150,000
Summer loss
The closure of our regular 10 week Summer Program had a significant impact on revenue as it is our 2nd largest source of income next to tuition.
More News:
Prairie Cafe has Begun!

Prairie Cafe is an annual fundraiser led by our 5th/6th-grade class (Foxes). It supports their 4-day long experiential trip to YMCA Camp Edwards in Wisconsin each April. This trip nurtures each child's potential and helps students improve their teamwork, communication, and outdoor adventure skills.

How it works:
The Foxes, supported by their teacher, partner with local restaurants for several weeks to provide a yummy, low-cost hot lunch option for students and staff at Willowwind. Students take on roles like treasurer, marketer, and CEO as they plan, coordinate, sell tickets, advertise, prep, serve, and clean up. This fundraiser is a great example of the kind of student-led, project-based learning that makes the Willowwind experience so special. We are excited to be working, once again, with The Wedge Pizzeria and Jimmy Jacks BBQ here in Iowa City. We are grateful for their continued support!
Vaccines are HERE!

Willowwind faculty and staff have begun to receive COVID-19 vaccines! As of Sunday, February 28th every one of us will have received at least the first dose. We have been so fortunate as a school to be able to stay on-site with only minimal disruption due to illness and it feels wonderful to take this next step in keeping our school and the wider community safe.

Keep masking up and being safe, friends. Thanks for doing your part!
Sale of Property:

Willowwind's Board of Trustees together with Michelle Beninga, Head of School recently concluded that the 2920 Muscatine Ave. property adjacent to and owned by the Willowwind School should be sold. The property was purchased in 2007 when Willowwind moved to Dover St. and has been a rental property since that time. In January of this year, the property was sold to Habitat for Humanity and will provide a much-needed home to a family in our community. This decision is in alignment with Willowwind's strategic plan to establish greater solvency and for the school to have a positive impact on our local community.
‌
‌