Week of April 16th, 2012

The Williams School works with each child to build an enduring foundation for academic, moral, and social success. Williams School students embody integrity, confidence, discipline, and a love of learning.
Honor before Honors

Race to Nowhere The Conversation

Continues
Friday, April 27th 5:30 Screening of film 7:00 PM Panel & Audience Discussion

Please join Mike Spencer for a panel discussion following the film Race to Nowhere. Select the link below to R.S.V.P. for this event. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DFCFQJN
Will child care be available?
All enrolled TWS students are welcome. Child Care is available in the Humanities Building during the screening and the following panel discussion - 5:30-8:30pm. For parents who wish to see the movie beginning at 5:30pmand attend the discussion, the fee is $20.00 for the first child and $5.00 for each additional child. Dinner will be served at 6:30pm for those children whose parents are attending the movie and discussion. For the parents who wish to attend only the discussion beginning at 7:00pm, the fee is $12.00 for the first child and $5.00 for each additional child. We will need a minimum enrollment of 6 families by Monday, April 23rd at 3:00pm to offer this child care. Please make your childs reservation today ccooper@thewilliamsschool.org

What is the film about?

Race to Nowhere is a documentary film produced last year featuring the heartbreaking stories of young people across the country who have been pushed to the brink, educators who are burned out and worried that students arent developing the skills they need, and parents who are trying to do whats best for their kids.

Why are we showing the film again?

We are offering another viewing of the Race to Nowhere to our TWS families that were not able to see the first screening that was shown last September. Of course, everyone is welcome to see the film again.

What will be the focus of the panel discussion?

The discussion will be specifically about The Williams School and will focus on three themes: What has changed? What is changing? What has not changed and why not?

Will there be refreshments?

Yes, our eighth grade class will be selling popcorn, soda and water.

THIS WEEK Monday, April 16th Class Photos Today Boys Lacrosse Practice @ Bluebird Field 3:30-4:50 PM Boys Tennis vs. Cape Henry @ Fergus Reed 4:00 PM Tuesday, April 17th Girls Soccer vs. Norfolk Academy @ Bluebird Field 4:00 PM Lost and found items will be on PAC Meeting 3:30 Science Room display during Parent/Teacher conference day. GOTR @ 3:00-4:30 PM Library Please be sure to stop by the area adjacent to Wednesday, April 18th the elevator in the 419 building. SCA is th Earth Day Assembly Wednesday, April 18 8:20 AM organizing the items so everyone will be able Dress Down Day Elizabeth River Project $1.00 to look through them with ease. All items that Boys Lacrosse Practice @ Bluebird Field 3:30-4:50 PM are not collected by the last conference on Boys Tennis Practice @ Fergus Reed 3:30-5:00 PM Friday, April 20th will be donated. Thank you! Young Yogis Yoga 3:00-4:00 PM in MPR Thursday, April 19th Book Fair - Library Girls Soccer vs. Baylake Pines @ Bluebird Field 4:00 PM Early Dismissal 1:00 PM Parent Teacher Conferences (3-6 PM) NO GOTR- Cancelled Friday, April 20th Book Fair - Library No School Parent Teacher Conferences (8 AM- 4 PM) Camp Williams Available NEXT WEEK Sunday, April 22nd Forensics Competition @ Cape Henry 4th-6th Grade Monday, April 23rd Boys Lacrosse Practice @ Bluebird Field 3:30-4:50 PM Boys Tennis Practice @ Fergus Reed 3:30-5:00 PM Girls Soccer vs./@ Cape Henry 4:00 PM Tuesday, April 24th 4th Grade Oyster Transplant field trip Boys Tennis vs./@ Norfolk Collegiate 4:00 PM GOTR @ 3:00-4:30 PM Library Board Meeting 4:00 PM Wednesday, April 25th Assembly Boys Lacrosse vs./@ Norfolk Collegiate 4:00 PM Camp Triple C 6th Grade Young Yogis Yoga 3:00-4:00 PM in MPR (last meeting) Thursday, April 26th Camp Triple C 6th Grade GOTR @ 3:00-4:30 PM Library Friday, April 27th Camp Triple C 6th Grade Va. International Tattoo @ Scope Arena 4th Grade

Lost and Found

FYI - Just in case anyone is interested:

Candidates Forum: City Council Super Ward 6

There will be a Candidates Forum held on April 26th, beginning at 6:30pm, at the Chrysler Museum in the Kaufman Theater. This is an opportunity for residents to participate in a discussion with the four candidates running for the Super Ward 6 seat on the Norfolk City Council.

Race to-Nowhere Follow-up panel discussion with Mike Spencer 7:00 PM

LOOKING AHEAD Monday, April 30th Boys Lacrosse vs. Norfolk Christian @ Bluebird Field 4:00 PM Boys Tennis Practice @ Fergus Reed 3:30-5:00 PM Tuesday, May 1st GOTR @ 3:00-4:30 PM Library Girls Soccer vs./@ Baylake Pines 4:00 PM May Baskets to Neighbors Wednesday, May 2nd Spring Band Concert 7:00 PM Thursday, May 3rd Girls Soccer vs./@ Norfolk Academy 4:00 PM

Are you interested in finding out what is going on in our community? Check out http://ghentva.org/ and get an update about the Utility Construction in the Ghent neighborhoods.

Friday, May 4th Boys Lacrosse vs./@ Cape Henry 4:00 PM Boys Tennis vs./@ Cape Henry 4:00 PM

BUS Transportation 2012-2013

The Williams School provides transportation to most areas of Norfolk and Portsmouth, and to some areas of Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Suffolk. In an effort to determine transportation needs and establish the bus routes for the 2012-2013 school year, we are asking families to give us feedback regarding bus transportation needs. Even if you are remotely interested please complete this short survey to help us with our planning. Transportation contracts will be mailed out in April and are due, with a deposit, no later than May 1st, 2012. Projected costs are as follows: Round Trip $1475.00 One-Way $1275.00 2nd Rider $1055.00 We will be mapping the bus routes before the end of this school year. Please understand that due to an increase in ridership, we may need to designate bus stops to shorten travel time. If possible, we will pick-up students at their homes but please bear in mind that we do not want any student on the bus for more than an hour. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VMSK7V2 Thank you, Tova Lefkowitz Business Manager

Carol Service videos are here! Complete and ready for distribution, you may pick up your copy/copies in the front office. A perfect gift for Mothers Day or Fathers Day, the camera has captured the spirit of the evening, features many close-up shots of your children, and includes carol robe preparation, students doning their robes, the procession to Christ & St. Lukes, glimpses into the audience, and the complete service of lessons and carols. Offered at $20 each when you order one or $15 each when you order two or more, your purchase price helps to defray the cost of producing the video. If you havent yet ordered and would like to reserve your copy/copies, please contact Meredith Lauter at mlauter@thewilliamsschool.org or 757.627.1383 ext. 213. Thank you so much for your support!

Conferences April 19 and April 20, 2012 Our conference scheduling system went live Tuesday, April 10 at 8:30 am. Please use the following link to schedule your conference or you may also open our website, www.thewilliamsschool.org and click the blue "Conferences" button on the lower left side: https://pickatime.com/client?ven=11604691 Click the link or copy/paste it into your browser and follow the directions below. If you have any difficulties, email or call Debbie Adams, dladams@thewilliamsschool.org , 627-1383 ext. 211. The conference scheduling system will close Tuesday, April 17, 2012 at noon.

The Williams School Online Scheduler Register (new users)

Enter your email address and push "Login/Create Account". Fill in the required fields and register. For each child, enter the firstnamelastname (ex. BenFranklin) and birthdate (mm/dd/yyyy)

Sign in If you've previously registered, all you need to do is enter your email and password. The system will know about your appointments and the student(s) you have added to your account. Scheduling
Each colored square represents an available meeting time. The legend shows you which teacher corresponds to which color, and the times increase as you go down the page. (Note: you will not see all of the teachers at your school, just the set of teachers that your children have classes with). Click on a square to book that time. You will optionally have the choice of setting a time when you would like a reminder email delivered. Click "Create Appointment". At any time you can click on "printable schedule" and print the resulting web page to get a hard copy of your schedule. You will also have the option to email your schedule to yourself. If you want to make changes to your schedule, you can log in at any time with the email address and password you used to create your account. Click on "Your Schedule" to display and hide your appointments. There will be links to change the time, or cancel the appointment.

Middle school parents may book multiple teachers for the same time slot.

Repeat until you have a time with each teacher you'd like to visit.

Please Note: If you would like to make an appointment with a teacher that your child does not have a class with, you will need to contact the school.

Important Williams School News

In November it came to our attention that a zoning change from Permitted to Special Exception was approved by the City Planning Commission and forwarded on November 22, 2011 to the Norfolk City Council for consideration. The city council pulled the zoning change and tabled the request for future consideration recognizing that the change might compromise the school. This zoning change was initiated by the Ghent Neighborhood League. This request was not meant to harm Williams but to eliminate the possibility of other schools coming into our area and changing single family homes into a school. Changing our status to Special Exception would mean that no other elementary schools would be able to come into the neighborhood therefore preserving the remaining historic homes. As a result, an ad hoc Zoning Committee was formed to examine the implications of a zoning change. As good neighbors we wanted to see, without compromising the future of the school, if we could oblige the Ghent Neighborhood Leagues request and accept the Special Exemption status. After several fact finding meetings and discussions, the committee members met with Ghent Neighborhood League representatives concerning the City of Norfolk use table and the schools use status. It was the hope of the committee that by working together we might find a solution that would meet the needs of both the Ghent Neighborhood League and The Williams School. After the meeting, the committee decided that it was in the best interest of the school for the zoning status to remain as Permitted Use. The Williams School Board of Trustees voted unanimously in support of the committees decision. The following is an excerpt of the letter being sent to the GNL stating the schools position: We understand that you wish to change the zoning of our Hague neighborhood to include a provision that no schools will be permitted. Since The Williams School has been a good neighbor since 1927, we appreciate that your intent is not for us to cease to exist. Unfortunately, the grandfathering and Special Exception designation suggested brings with it three severe consequences for us: the inability to continue as a school if a significant portion of our building or buildings were damaged by fire, tornado, flood, or natural disaster; the threat to our insurance and bond covenants; and the limiting of our flexibility in the future years of the school to improve our physical facilities. As a result we wish to maintain our current status of "permitted use."

We hold out hope that by working together we can find a solution. Our special committee formed to study the zoning has met for the past three months. We appreciate your time to meet with us on February 13, 2012 to insure that we fully understand your needs. We continue to search for a possible solution, such as the suggestion made that since The Williams School is an historic school, a singular zoning be designed that would preserve our rights while prohibiting schools other than The Williams School from locating within the HC-G1 district. While this may not be feasible at this time from a zoning standpoint, we hope that an equally creative alternative can be devised that will serve both organizations. With that in mind, we are asking our TWS families, living in the Ghent historic areas, to join the school in becoming a member of the Ghent Neighborhood League. A strong membership showing would demonstrate the schools commitment to being a community partner and supportive member of the GNL. Our common interest is to have a healthy, safe, happy neighborhood, and by sharing ideas and communicating well with each other, we are confident that we can achieve our shared goal to preserve the historic nature of our neighborhood. The GNL is a civic association for the area bound by the Hague, both sides of Colonial Avenue, south of 21st Street and Hampton Boulevard. The membership fee is $10 a year. Membership is open to all property owners and renters living within this area. Each member receives one vote and you must be a member for 45 days to exercise your voting right. http://ghentva.org/

Please remit membership to: Ghent Neighborhood League P.O. Box 11431 Norfolk, Virginia 23517

Camp Williams
$45.00 per day* Friday, April 20, 2012 Led By Joyce Soria and Calle Dartnell 8:30am-5:30pm** No School Parent Conference Day

Exploring Norfolk Botanical Gardens

Nature and Science Garden Program Creepers and Crawlers We will leave school at 9:00am to go Norfolk Botanical Gardens for the Garden Program, a train ride through the gardens and our own exploration of NBG! We will return to school about noon for lunch. The afternoon at school will be Creepers and Crawlers Art Projects, outdoor play (weather permitting) followed by a movie. Please make checks payable to Joyce Soria.
-*Reservations are required, by calling 627-1383 x241. Minimum enrollment deadline is Monday, April 16 th at 3:00pm. If the minimum enrollment of 8 is not reached by the above deadline, the following sliding scale applies per child if 3- 7 children are enrolled: 3 children - $95.00, 4 children - $75.00, 5 children - $60.00, 6 children - $55.00, 7 children - $50.00. -All fees are included for any off campus field trips, crafts, lunch, and snack. -By enrolling your child in Camp Williams, you are giving your permission for your child to attend the listed on and off campus activities. -Camp Williams staff may be reached on the Extended Day cell phone, 237-1875 or on Joyce Sorias phone, 469-7759 at all times during the day. -If you wish your child to have sun screen or insect repellant, please fill out the Medication Administration Form and send the product and the form in with your child on the day or days of enrollment. Forms are available from the front office, Extended Day or the website. -Please let us know if you will not be able to drop your child off by departure time, as there is no available care for your child at school. **We will have early drop off at 7:30am for $5.00, extra. Reservations required!

Keeping Williams Green

In celebration of EARTH DAY 2012, the Port of Virginia will be holding an ELECTRONICS RECYCLING event at the Portsmouth Port Operations Center on SATURDAY, APRIL 21, FROM 9:00-1:00. This event is open to the public. So, if you have old electronics in your home, garage, attic, etc., that you would like to dispose, please bring them to this event for recycling. Electronics include anything with a circuit board, including small household appliances, radios, clocks, telephones, toys, gaming consoles or handhelds, old stereo equipment, computers, laptops, printers, cell phones, etc. We also will accept old rechargeable batteries. All computer hard drives and memory will be destroyed on site. As an incentive, anyone who brings items for disposal will be entered into a raffle for a $200 GIFT CARD. (FLYER ATTACHED TO BROADCAST) The Williams School is working to achieve the highest level (and beyond!) recognition as a River Star organization with the Elizabeth River Project. We hope all eligible Williams School families in the Elizabeth River watershed will become RiverStar homes. You may sign up with Sally Marr or at http://elizabethriver.org/RiverStars/default.aspx . More info to come. Mark your calendars for the 2nd Annual Riverfest. First graders painted a rain barrel that will be auctioned off at RiverFest on April 28 to support The Elizabeth River Project.

The Williams School has recycled 39 pounds of Batteries from February through April 10. WOW!

Coming up on Saturday, April 21st - Global Youth Service Day through Volunteer Hampton Roads - Join VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads as they celebrate the 13th Annual Global Youth Service Day. This event
engages local youth in volunteering and environmental stewardship. Adult volunteers serve as mentors to the youth participants. Projects are available in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Chesapeake. Space is limited at each site, so register now to get your first choice location! Select the link to register:

http://www.volunteerhr.org/VHR_Global_Youth_Service

http://zerowastehome.blogspot.com/p/tips.html

Summer Camp Ideas

The 4th Annual - 2012 Williams School Basketball Camp
Robert Gerrard 2010 ETIS Coach of the Year Location: Park Place Recreation Center Dates: June 11-15, 2012 Time: 8:30 a.m. 12:00 p.m. Grades: Rising 3rd to 8th Cost: $130.00 (Form attached to Broadcast) T-shirt included Basketball fundamentals Individual improvement drills Team game experience

The Williams School Field Hockey Camp June 19-22, 2012 8:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
The Williams Schools fifth grade science and sixth grade language arts teacher, Sue Schneider, is currently the Head Field Hockey Coach at Maury High School. For the past 4 seasons, she has also coached at Blair Middle School and at Norfolk Collegiate School. She is offering a field hockey camp for the first 20 novice or experienced Williams School students in rising grades 4-8. Campers at The Williams School Field Hockey Camp will be introduced to the basic skills and rules of the game. What a GREAT time we had in 2011! A typical camp day will include a stroll to The Field for instruction time, drills, and scrimmages with members of the Maury High School field hockey team and Coach Schneider. Upon returning to TWS campers will enjoy a snack and craft time. Campers will need: a snack, plenty of water, mouth guard, shinguards (soccer is fine and we have some extras), and a stick (we have a few sticks to share). Registration begins immediately and will continue until the camp is full. Please complete the attached form and return it to school with a check for $125, made payable to Sue Schneider.

A message from Mrs. Adams regarding a summer camp opportunity:

iD Tech Camps is offering summer technology camps for students age 7 and up. If you are interested, the flyers are on the buffet by the front stairs in Old Main. Camps being offered for ages 7-17 include: The Video Game Designer, The App Programmer, The Robotics Engineer, The Filmmaker, The Designer and The 3D Animator. Camps being offered for ages 13 and up include: iD Gaming Academy, iD Programming Academy and iD Visual Arts Academy There is a charge for the camps, but a discount is being offered if you register before May 2. The website is http://www.internaldrive.com and the telephone is 1-888-709-TECH (8324).
TWS is not endorsing or recommending the camps, but merely providing this as information

The will once again return to TWS. The th camps will take place from July 30 through August 10th from 9:30-11:30 AM. Details can be found at http://www.tidewaterwritingcamp.org/. Applications for the camps will be available soon.

Tidewater Writing Camp

2012 Summer Safari Camp at the Virginia Zoo For more information visit: http://virginiazoo.org/education/zoo-camps.asp

The Williams School was very

successful at the third annual Step Up for The Up Center Stair Climb March 25. There were nearly 400 climbers and the event raised $85,000. We would like to thank everyone in our school community who helped to support this event. We had 5 youth medal winners and Schaefer Shelton, who also participated, spearheaded the TWS team fundraising effort which also topped the youth fundraising category. Half of all of the money raised by this team will go to The Williams School and the other half will help support The Up Center which helps over 10,000 underserved by providing homes for children who have been abused, mentors for children in need, services for people with disabilities, counseling for veterans and much more. The winners were: For the 25 Floor climb Lily Auerbach First Place Women 12 and under Caroline Estes Second Place Women 12 and under Hannah Auerbach First Place Women 13 to 17 For the 100 Floor climb (4 times up!) James Tyler First Place Men 12 and under Aiden McClellan First Place Men 13-17

The Talent Show was a huge success for so many reasons. Our performing students stepped up proudly to share their talents with us last Wednesday. We were all amazed by everyones creative and artistic gifts. This may have been the best talent show to date! More importantly, our SCA members organized a very successful fundraising event, and they are proud to announce that we raised over $300.00 for ForKids with our dress-down day and talent show fees. Thank you to everyone that made the Talent Show a success for all! We had dancers

We had singers

We had actors and actresses

We had comedians

We musicians

We had it all!