Willow Wind Community Learning Center

Check out the article by Ashland.news highlighting our new summer lunch program. Free meals are now available for all children ages 1-18 at Walker and Bellview elementary schools, Monday through Thursday until August 8th. The piece explores how recent eligibility changes made this possible after years of ineligibility. Please click to read more about this exciting initiative and its impact on our community. https://ashland.news/no-free-lunch-actually-if-youre-up-to-18-years-old-you-can-get-one-this-summer-in-ashland/

We rode many miles yesterday at the annual BIKE-A-THON - Thanks to all of the parent volunteers and friends an d family who supported this event!

Kickball Game - Staff vs 8th Graders Lots of fun for everyone. 8th Graders scored more points, but the staff laughed more! Thanks to Emily Bland for making this happen.

Free summer meals will be served at Walker Elementary School and Bellview Elementary School June 17th - August 8th , Monday through Thursday 11am to 12:30 pm . All children age 1-18 will eat free regardless of enrollment.

Time to paint in the beautiful spring Willow Wind Garden!

Coaster Fest at Willow Wind - 4th & 5th Graders designed marble roller coasters using their physical science knowledge. All of the students came to try out the coasters!

May Day Celebration at Willow Wind

First grade planted Oregon Sugar Pod peas in the Greenhouse Classroom. We have been watching them grow bigger and bigger each week. Students got to take home their plants and growth graph. We also transplanted a couple in the garden and are looking forward to tasting them.

🏀 Calling all young athletes! 🏀 Join us for the Ashland High School Girls Basketball Camp! Open to girls in grades 5-8 for the 2024-2025 school year. This is your chance to improve your skills, make new friends, and have a blast on the court! 📅 Dates: JULY 15-19 2024 📍 Location: 201 S Mountain Ave. Ashland, Or 97520 Register now to secure your spot: https://5il.co/2hufp or scan the QR code in the image. For more information, email allison.gida@yahoo.com or visit the AHS Athletic Office.

PREVIEW NEW ONLINE CURRICULUM FOR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL) HERE: https://www.ashland.k12.or.us/page/sel-curriculum-adoption The State of Oregon has launched its Transformative SEL Framework and Standards, a pioneering initiative aimed at fostering holistic development in students and educators alike. This comprehensive approach centers around the belief that learning is inherently a social and emotional process, deeply intertwined with the development of healthy identities, empathy, supportive relationships, and responsible decision-making. To align with the state framework, Ashland is preparing to adopt new K-12 curriculum tools. These will be online tools designed to be used in age-appropriate ways at each grade level from Kindergarten through high school graduation. Visit the site in the next 30 days to preview the online tools, read more about top choice WAYFINDER, and register your comments.

🎒 Embark on the Educational Journey: Ashland Schools Kindergarten Registration Now Open for Fall 2024! 🌈 Ashland Public Schools is excited to announce the opening of kindergarten registration for the upcoming school year! We're dedicated to providing an engaging, comprehensive, and inclusive educational foundation for every child. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Join Our Kindergarten Orientation Webinar Save the Date! 📅 Wednesday, April 3rd at 6:00 PM Dive into what makes our kindergarten program a nurturing and formative experience. This webinar is your opportunity to ask questions, and prepare for this significant milestone in your child's life. See link below or scan QR code in image for zoom link. 📌 Click the link to register your kindergartner today and for more information about our orientation session: ashland.k12.or.us/kinder We're eager to welcome you and your kindergartner to the Ashland Schools family, where every student's potential is cherished and nurtured. 🌟

THANK YOU to the SOU Softball Team for a fun game yesterday! You are quite an impressive and enthusiastic group of athletes! Thanks also to: Our own Tennyson Pistole for taking the lead in organizing this event and Jessica Pistole (Tennyson's mom and awesome Team Coach) for inviting us!

Willow Wind is celebrating Women's History Month. Alice Waters was the first women to be named "Best Chef in America" in 1992 by the James Beard Foundation. She also started the Edible Schoolyard Project by joining forces with a middle school principal to turn an acre of asphalt into an outdoor garden culinary classroom. We are learning about her and many other inspirational women leaders this month while celebrating Women's History Month. We made fresh school garden thyme, oregano, chive, and rosemary flatbread in our pizza oven following Alice Water's recipe: https://edibleschoolyard.org/file/865008/download?token=skcxWeUq

Come visit the Farm Stand on Wednesdays. Students are excited to share their winter project products of soap making and herbal tea blending with you. Keep your eyes out for fresh spring greens and spring flower baskets.

Thank you to all of the wonderful classified staff who support learning at Willow Wind. Families donated delicious fruit and goodies to thank our amazing classified staff -

Willow Wind celebrated Black History Month at Community Friday today.

Thanks to Tish McFadden for a wonderful Community Friday Sing-A-Long Today!

National School Counseling Week, Feb 5-9. Please join Willow Wind in celebrating and appreciating our Child Development Specialist, Student Advocate and Behavior Health Specialist Intern this week (and all weeks!). Our counseling team works hard to support all our students with the development of social-emotional, problem-solving, and sound decision-making skills. They provide critical guidance and support of the structures and practices that support our children’s mental and emotional well-being and by extension, that of our staff and parents. Thank you, team!!! Felipe Romero: Student Advocate (half days, full week) This is Felipe’s second year at Willow Wind as a Student Advocate. Felipe begins his days by greeting every child as they arrive. He checks in with kids throughout the day to make sure they feel seen and heard, especially those who seem to need some extra care and support. Like Stacy, he also began to teach SEL lessons last year, focusing on 4th and 5th grade classes. Felipe shares that “Every day is a new opportunity to impact someone’s life. Make the most of it”.

Willow Wind 4th graders celebrating Black History Month with a lesson on southern foodways. We made black eyed peas and collards greens and discussed how food is tied to history, culture, and memory. This lesson introduces students to the cultural combinations that have served as the backbone for the region’s diverse cuisines. It focuses on the role that colonialism and slavery played in shaping the region’s food systems, as well as on the role that food has played in protests and transformations throughout Southern history.

National School Counseling Week, Feb 5-9. Please join Willow Wind in celebrating and appreciating our Child Development Specialist, Student Advocate and Behavior Health Specialist Intern this week (and all weeks!). Our counseling team works hard to support all our students with the development of social-emotional, problem-solving, and sound decision-making skills. They provide critical guidance and support of the structures and practices that support our children’s mental and emotional well-being and by extension, that of our staff and parents. Thank you, team!!! Stacy Bloodworth: Student Advocate (half days/full week) Stacy has worked at Willow Wind for 11 years and became a Student Advocate in 2022. She supports recess transitions, mediates conflicts and most importantly, teaches students ways to regulate and manage big, overwhelming emotions. Last year she began teaching SEL (Social Emotional Learning) lessons in K-3rd classrooms. During these lessons, students learn how to become more aware of their feelings, others’ feelings, have positive relationships and problem-solve. Stacy shares that she “loves getting to be part of the Willow Wind family”.