Hello Sherwood Families. We would like to wish you a very happy upcoming Thanksgiving Break. There will be no school from November 22nd to November 26th. Report cards for Ms. Lisa will be mailed home on this Friday. Ms. Julie's report cards will be sent home with your student on Friday in their backpacks. Due to a technical issue the report cards for Ms. Marissa's class will be mailed home after the break. Friday will be a fun dress up day. Please send your student to school in their favorite fun hat for Hat Day! Please have a restful and safe vacation.

Good evening Sherwood Families. We would like to remind you that our FOSSI raffle drawing is this coming Friday, November 12th and will be held at 12:45. Raffle tickets may be sold up until Friday. Please make sure all raffle tickets are sent in no later than Friday morning. There is no school on Thursday, November 11th in honor of Veterans Day. There will be school on Friday, November 12th. As we move into more cold and wet weather, please make sure you are sending your students to school in weather appropriate clothing. You may also wish to consider sending in an extra set of clothes for them to have at school incase they get wet or muddy. Our first trimester is quickly wrapping up. Report cards will be sent home with students or mailed home on November 19th. Thank you and have a good evening.

Sherwood Families, Our phone and internet service has been restored. You may now call our office if you need anything. Thank you, Mackenzie Erickson

Good Morning Sherwood Families, We are sorry to let you know that our phones and internet are down this morning. We will send out another message as soon as we get up and going again. If you have any need to contact us, please call the district office at 707-459-5314 Mackenzie Erickson

Good evening Sherwood Families. Today your student was sent home with an Educational Benefits Form printed on bright orange paper for you to fill out. Parents were previously sent a link in their email to complete this form, but not many were completed on line. Your students need your help. They have educational needs that are provided for through funding that is tied directly to this form, from both federal and state sources, and we have a deadline. Please fill this form out and have your student return it to the office by tomorrow, October 27th. When they return it, they will be given a reward for the quick turnaround. Thank you so much for your help with this!

Good evening Sherwood Families. Tomorrow on Thursday, October 21st, we will be having our regular monthly FOSSI Meeting. We will be meeting at the Sherwood picnic tables directly after school at 2:30 p.m. Thank you and hope to see you there!

Good evening Sherwood Families. This message is for parents who pick up their students from school. Over the next few weeks we will be using the school drive way area for our P.E. lessons. Please do not pull into the school driveway until after 2:20 p.m. The bus will be parking at the very entrance of the school until it is time to pick up students. Please do not pull in until the bus parks in it's loading spot. This is for every day of the week, except Tuesdays when we do not have P.E. Thank for keeping our students safe.

Sherwood Families, We are currently experiencing a phone and internet outage at the school. We are working on restoring it as soon as possible. If you need to contact the school for anything please call the district office at 707-459-5314. We will send another notification as soon as the services are restored. Thank you

Hello Sherwood Families. Here is some information about a Stakeholder Forum for our Mental Health Student Services Act. This is a zoom meeting and all may attend.

Hello Sherwood Families. A few reminders about Parent Teacher Conferences for our parents. Please be prepared to wear your mask at all times while on campus. If you have any of the following symptoms please call the office to reschedule your appointment. Cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever or chills, muscle or body aches, vomiting or diarrhea, new loss of taste or smell. Thank you for helping keep everyone safe.

Hello Sherwood Families. This is a reminder that today is a minimum day due to Parent Teacher Conference Week. School will get out at 1:30 today and every day this week. Thank you and have a wonderful afternoon.

Hello Sherwood Families. This is a reminder that we will be having our FOSSI meeting tomorrow, Thursday September 30th. We will be meeting at the picnic tables at Sherwood School at 2:30. Thank you and have a good evening.

Hello Sherwood Families. Please remember that September 29th is our school Picture Day. An order form was sent home last week. Please return this form to your student's teacher or to the school office if you wish to purchase pictures. Thank you and have a good evening.

Good Afternoon Sherwood Families, In an abundance of caution the FOSSI meeting will not be held onsite today. It will be rescheduled due to the positive COVID case that we had at our site. I am sorry for the late notice. I would also like to notify you that Ms. Marissa's class will be open tomorrow and all students that are free of any symptoms should come to school. If you have any questions or concerns please call our office. Thank you. Ms. Erickson

Good evening Sherwood Families. Tomorrow on Thursday, September 16th, we will be having our FOSSI Meeting at 2:30 p.m. This meeting will be held outside at the school picnic tables. If you have any questions please feel free to call the Sherwood office. We hope to see you there!

Hello Sherwood Families. Just a reminder that today is a minimum school day. School will get out at 1:30 p.m. Thank you and have a great day.

Good evening Sherwood Families. On Monday, September 6th, there will be no school in honor of Labor Day. We have some up coming events in September that we would like you to know about. On September 16th there will be a FOSSI meeting at 2:45 p.m. We will be meeting in person at the Sherwood School picnic tables. For those of you who are new to Sherwood, FOSSI is our Parent Teacher Organization. September 29th will be our School Picture Day. We will be sending home ordering information later in the month. Please remember that Sherwood School is a tree nut and peanut free school. Please do not send any nut products to school with your student. Thank you and have a wonderful three day weekend.

Hello Sherwood Families. This is a reminder that today is a minimum school day. School will get out at 1:30 p.m. Minimum days will be every Tuesday, with the exception of a few days throughout the school year. We will notify you when these days will be in advance. Thank you and have a great day.

Hello Sherwood Families. We are very happy to welcome your students back to Sherwood for another exciting school year ahead. The first day of school is Tuesday, August 24th. School begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m. The first day of school is a full day and will get out at 2:30 p.m. All other Tuesdays during the school year will be minimum days and school will let out at 1:30 p.m. We would like to remind you that on Monday, August 23rd, we will be having our Back to School Night Meet and Greet from 4:00 to 5:00 in the evening. This is your chance to meet your students teacher and visit their classroom. If you are an incoming kinder family, please remember to bring your vaccination record and birth certificate to the office to complete your registration. Please remember that mask must be worn while on the school campus. The Sherwood staff is looking forward to an amazing year ahead. See you soon!

In order to successfully increase funding to increase or improve educational opportunities for the students of Willits Unified it’s important to please complete the Educational Benefit Form every year. Please complete the Educational Benefit Form online here => https://willitsunified.rocketscanapps.com/default.aspx Without these forms completed, we may lose funding that directly supports our students' education. This form is also used to determine eligibility for participation in various programs including reduced or free fees for After School Education & Safety (ASES), waiver of fees for taking Advanced Placement (AP) exams, and other programs.

Sherwood Middle School students host mini Ren-Faire

8th Grade Promotion tonight at Sherwood. An All-star group of 5 who will be transforming over the summer from dragons to wolverines.

Hello Sherwood Families. We have been notified that on Tuesday, June 1st the afternoon bus will be running 15 to 30 minutes late. Please remember that there will be no school on Monday, May 31st in honor of Memorial Day. Thank you and have a wonderful weekend.

Sherwood Elementary is grateful to Laurie B. for her service and wish her well in retirement. At the same time, we are pleased to announce that her replacement has been chosen Marissa Greene. Marissa is a former student and employee of Sherwood who has been teaching in Ukiah for the past two years.

​Enrollment for the Emergency Broadband Benefit is now open. The Emergency Broadband Benefit will provide a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price. Families of WUSD all qualify under the CEP free lunch food program. Please check to see if your service provider is participating under the Emergency Broadband Benefit and go to https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit for more information now! La inscripción para el beneficio de banda ancha de emergencia ya está abierta. El beneficio de banda ancha de emergencia proporcionará un descuento de hasta $ 50 por mes para el servicio de banda ancha para hogares elegibles y hasta $ 75 por mes para hogares en tierras tribales elegibles. Los hogares elegibles también pueden recibir un descuento único de hasta $ 100 para comprar una computadora portátil, computadora de escritorio o tableta de los proveedores participantes si contribuyen más de $ 10 y menos de $ 50 al precio de compra. Todas las familias de WUSD califican bajo el programa de almuerzos gratuitos de CEP. Verifique si su proveedor de servicios participa en el beneficio de banda ancha de emergencia y visite https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit para obtener más información ahora.

Hello Sherwood Families. Please remember to send your student to school wearing this year's Sherwood School t-shirt. This if for our whole school picture day. Students will be safely spaced outside and the picture will be taken from above by a drone. If your student can not find their shirt they can wear a shirt in a similar gray color. Thank you and have a good evening.

Hello Sherwood Families. We are calling you this evening with a reminder about bus safety. Please remember that it is California state law that when a school bus is loading and has the red stop sign out, that you may not move your vehicle. This is true for the loading zone at the school as well as all bus stops. This includes bus stops located in parking lots. Please do not drive your vehicle until the stop sign is no longer out as there may be children still crossing to get onto the school bus. When picking up your student at the school, please wait in line and inside your vehicle until the bus stop sign is no longer out. Do not drive around the bus while it is loading. Thank you for helping keep our students safe!

Hello Sherwood Families. Spring Break is next week, April 5th to April 9th. Please remember that if you are traveling out of state, flying on an airplane or going to a crowded/high Covid risk destination, that your student will need to quarantine for 10 days before returning to school. If you wish, the school can provide a rapid Covid test for your student. The test must be done within 3 to 5 days after returning from your destination. If your student tests negative, they may return to school after 7 days. Please contact your teacher if you are traveling and will need Modified Independent Study work for your student. We are wishing everyone a very safe and happy Spring Break!

Great to be back on campus at Disney.

Hello Sherwood Families. The afternoon bus will be running 15 to 30 minutes late today. We should be back to our normal running times tomorrow. Thank you and have a good afternoon.

Good evening Sherwood Families. We are so excited to return to school on Monday, March 22. For students being dropped off at school: Have your student ready to be dropped off in front of the school between 8:15 and 8:30. Students can not be dropped off before 8:15. There will be a staff member to assist your child out of the vehicle and to do a temperature screening. Parents must stay in their vehicles. Student will walk directly to their classroom. For bus riders: Please be aware of the following changes. For morning pick up, buses may be running 5 to 10 minutes late at all morning stops, besides the B.G.M.S. stop. The bus may be 10 minutes early to the B.G.M.S. stop. For afternoon pick up: The bus may be up to 30 minutes late dropping off students. We will update you on Monday to let you know if the afternoon bus will be late. Please expect an all call with updated afternoon busing information. Remember that Sherwood School is a nut free campus. Do not send your student with any food containing peanuts or tree nuts. Thank you for your support and patience. We look forward to seeing all our amazing Sherwood students on Monday.

Some new rooms at Sherwood.

BACK TO SCHOOL !!

Sherwood Parents Reopening Plans 1. We will not have student instruction on Thursday (18th) or Friday (19th) this week to allow teachers to get setup for on-site instruction. 2. School will be from 8:30 to 12:30 and lunches will be provided for the students to take home. 3. Classes will start on March 22nd at 8:30 am. Please do not come early to school. 4. Students MAY NOT COME BACK on-site without all their vaccinations in place. The state of California dictates this not WUSD. All vaccination questions need to be directed to Heather at (707) 984-6769 5. Classrooms must have no more than 16 people in them including the adults. 6. We will be using outside tents as much as possible. 7. Classroom supplies will be provided so supplies do not have to be brought from home. 8. We would like you to bring your IPAD or Chromebook back and forth to school. 9. The buses will use their normal runs stopping in Brooktrails, WHS and BGMS before coming to Sherwood. 10. Masks and social distancing are strictly enforced. (Masks are available) 11. Teachers will be staggering outdoor time and places for each room. 12. If your child is sick, please keep them at home. 13. Ill students will be excluded to an area and parents will be called to pick them up. WUSD does have rapid testing for you if you give permission for us to test your child. 14. This is a work in progress and the data from the Health Department will make changes as we go. 15. If you have any questions, please contact me at markwesterburg@willitsunified.com .

Reopening for on-site instruction. This is the phased in process that will be used. March 15/16 There will be no school for students at Brookside, Blosser, BGMS to prepare the staff and site for the return of students. March 17 Wednesday 0n-site and Dist.Learning resumes - Brookside K-2, Blosser 3-5, BGMS 6th grade only. March 22 Sherwood K-8, Sanhedrin 9-12, BGMS 7-8 March 28 WHS 9th and 10th, Ind. Study students where space is available April 12 WHS 11th and 12th Bus runs, start times and schedule changes will be sent out by the schools sites on Friday.

Hello Sherwood Families. It is time to do your order for your student's school t-shirt. All Sherwood students will receive a free shirt, but we need to know what size to order. You can also order additional shirts if you would like. You can drop off your order form that was sent home when you pick up your students new work packet. You can also scan and email completed forms to the teachers with the header titled T-shirts. If you are including money in the order for additional items you will need to bring the order form and money to Sherwood School on Monday from 8:00 to 3:30. Please do not leave orders with money in the drop off box over the weekend. Thank you and have a wonderful evening.

Brookside had an electrical short in a heating blower that smolder this afternoon. The staff acted quickly got the fire department there to take care of it. It was room 19 in the west wing everything is back in place now. Thank you to the fire department for the quick service.

Brookside had an electrical short in a heating blower that smolder this afternoon. The staff acted quickly got the fire department there to take care of it. It was room 19 in the west wing everything is back in place now. Thank you to the fire department for the quick service.

The Willits teachers will open up today on their online classes if they’re able to and we would like students to connect if they can. We understand that there are still some power issues around town but if you have access please login.

Because of bad driving conditions and multiple power outages throughout the district, Willitst unified schools will be closed today.

Weather Update! Based on the expected conditions, WUSD will not have any on-site instruction on Wednesday the 27th. However, unless there is a power outage at home online instruction will continue on Wednesday as normal.

Parents and Students: We are still operating under our Seemless Summer program. Anyone who is 18 years old or younger, enrolled or not, can receive at no cost a breakfast and/or lunch. Households can pick up to five days at a time including weekends. Meals can be picked up at the Willits High School cafeteria Monday through Friday from 8am to 2 PM. Deliveries are available upon request on a daily or weekly basis. During winter break, meals can be picked up Monday and Tuesday, December 21st and 22nd and Monday and Tuesday the 28th and 29th from 8 to 2 PM. You can call the cafeteria to set up delivery or with any questions you may have at 707-459-7700 ex 1555.

Here is the link to the Spanish Version of the Parent Survey on reopening. https://forms.gle/qpe4rKuCHWmHo5Hu6

So far WUSD has only received responses representing 370 of approximately 1500 students in the district. In order for us to get a clearer picture of your wishes, we must hear from more of our families. Below are the current results. If you have not filled out the survey please click on this link. https://www.willitsunified.com/o/wusd/page/school-reopening

WUSD has developed a draft plan with input from administration and teachers on how to reopen schools safely. I expect that this plan will have changes to it as time, data and procedures change. A major goal before coming back on site is to develop a viable academic plan, share it with our parents and then poll our parents to determine who wants to send their students back to on-site learning. Without question, WUSD will be following all the County Health Department guidelines for example; masks will be required, social distancing as much as possible, and small cohort sizes. I envision there is a group of parents who are not going to send their child back regardless of the hybrid model we have in place and others who are passionate about getting them back in even if it’s for a short period of time. WUSD wants to provide what the community needs and will have options for either on-site or to continue with distance learning. In order to provide our parents with choices it may require some staff movement and could take some time to put in place. WUSD will be doing a survey with the parents of all students to get information back to help plan for a reopen, whenever that can take place. The district has all the PPE necessary for staff and students. Every classroom will have a hospital grade air purifier and daily disinfection. Each site will have a set of health standards protocols. (Attached) At this time, COVID numbers are growing daily and reopening in a fully hybrid model is in not a good idea. The District also has several import safety items on back order, such as air purifiers. Currently WUSD is allowing students on campus to meet one on one with their teachers as needed, and providing direct services for our students with special needs. In the next few weeks, I would like the coaches to begin athletic conditioning with our students, following all the rules established by the athletic department. With the holidays approaching this is an opportune time to refine the practices and protocols. After the holidays, in mid-January we will have data to determine if it is allowable to reopen. Mark Westerburg Parent survey https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdTNwoD3lYplGUpOBaDjXqVJnggfkQrExjieJOdR5_ts_jzAQ/viewform More information and Health and Safety Protocols https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1005611/WUSD_Health_and_Safety_Procedures_and_Protocols.pdf

Thank you to Stan Cooley for taking his Veterans Day to come down to the track and level it out before the rains and fixing the road to the Ag. Farm.

THANK YOU TO THE VOTERS The passing of Measure I will help us to fix and repair our facilities. We appreciate the vote of support.

Student Photo Opportunity. Maureen Moore will be at Baechtel Grove Middle School this weekend - Saturday, October 24 from 9 am to 3 pm and Sunday, October 25 from 9 am to 1 pm for school photos! Please see flyer below for details and please let others know. Please contact your school with any questions.

Student Photo Opportunity. Maureen Moore will be at Baechtel Grove Middle School this weekend - Saturday, October 24 from 9 am to 3 pm and Sunday, October 25 from 9 am to 1 pm for official Willits Unified School District school photos! Please see flyer below for details and please let others

Socktober fundraising for WUSD students.

If You Want Your Taxes to Stay Local, Choose Measure I Willits public schools are in desperate need of maintenance and repairs. Every single school in the Willits Unified School District leaks when it rains, and that’s just the beginning. The longer we defer maintenance, the more expensive repairs will become. The question is how do we, as a community, raise funds to pay for those repairs? In the upcoming election, there is a statewide proposition and a local ballot measure that address school funding. California Proposition 15 would only guarantee an additional $15,000 per year for Willits schools (or $180,000 over 12 years). Measure I would allow Willits schools to raise $17 million over 12 years. If Prop. 15 passes, California schools will get 40 percent of the revenue. Of that, community colleges will receive 11 percent. The remaining funds would be divvied up among K-12 schools statewide. Prop. 15 isn’t polling very well, so depending on it to fund local school repairs is a big risk, but even if it does pass, it only guarantees $100 per student per year, not nearly enough to pay for the upkeep required for Willits schools. It’s possible that more revenue could come our way, but there’s no guarantee. On the other hand, if Measure I passes, 100 percent of revenue would remain local and go toward repairing and maintaining Willits public schools, including charter schools. Because the general obligation bond will be issued in four or more stages, the school board can reduce the burden on taxpayers should economic conditions change or other funding, such as Proposition 15, become available. As a reminder, Measure I would cost property owners a maximum of $40 per $100,000 of assessed value (not market value) per year. Assessed value is determined by the Mendocino County Assessor and is listed on your property tax bill. If, for example, your house is assessed at $250,000, your overall annual bill would be $100 (that’s about $8 per month). With these funds, public schools in Willits would have the funds to responsibly fix what is broken and keep school facilities in good repair. Willits Unified projects include replacing broken furniture at schools districtwide, repairing the roof at Blosser Lane Elementary, purchasing portable classrooms at Brookside Elementary and cafeteria tables at Baechtel Grove Middle School, paving parking lots at Willits High and the District Office, updating science classrooms at Baechtel Grove and Willits High, and similar projects. Proposition 15 is a whole different deal. I’m not recommending a vote for or against Prop. 15; that’s a personal decision. I’m just letting you know that Prop. 15 is unlikely to provide the funds needed to maintain local schools. Please realize that a vote in favor of Proposition 15 does not replace the need for Measure I. With Measure I, you will be able to see your tax dollars at work here in Willits. In the last election, 162 people skipped over the school bond—leaving it blank rather than voting yes or no—presumably because they didn’t feel they knew enough to make a good decision. My goal here is to provide information so voters feel comfortable taking a position one way or another. Please don’t leave it blank. If you need more information, I am happy to answer any questions you may have. You can reach me at the district office at 707-459-5314.

If You Want Your Taxes to Stay Local, Vote on Measure I Willits public schools are in desperate need of maintenance and repairs. Every single school in the Willits Unified School District leaks when it rains, and that’s just the beginning. The longer we defer maintenance, the more expensive repairs will become. The question is how do we, as a community, raise funds to pay for those repairs? In the upcoming election, there is a statewide proposition and a local ballot measure that address school funding. California Proposition 15 would only guarantee an additional $15,000 per year for Willits schools (or $180,000 over 12 years). Measure I would allow Willits schools to raise $17 million over 12 years. If Prop. 15 passes, California schools will get 40 percent of the revenue. Of that, community colleges will receive 11 percent. The remaining funds would be divvied up among K-12 schools statewide. Prop. 15 isn’t polling very well, so depending on it to fund local school repairs is a big risk, but even if it does pass, it only guarantees $100 per student per year, not nearly enough to pay for the upkeep required for Willits schools. It’s possible that more revenue could come our way, but there’s no guarantee. On the other hand, if Measure I passes, 100 percent of revenue would remain local and go toward repairing and maintaining Willits public schools, including charter schools. Because the general obligation bond will be issued in four or more stages, the school board can reduce the burden on taxpayers should economic conditions change or other funding, such as Proposition 15, become available. As a reminder, Measure I would cost property owners a maximum of $40 per $100,000 of assessed value (not market value) per year. Assessed value is determined by the Mendocino County Assessor and is listed on your property tax bill. If, for example, your house is assessed at $250,000, your overall annual bill would be $100 (that’s about $8 per month). With these funds, public schools in Willits would have the funds to responsibly fix what is broken and keep school facilities in good repair. Willits Unified projects include replacing broken furniture at schools districtwide, repairing the roof at Blosser Lane Elementary, purchasing portable classrooms at Brookside Elementary and cafeteria tables at Baechtel Grove Middle School, paving parking lots at Willits High and the District Office, updating science classrooms at Baechtel Grove and Willits High, and similar projects. Proposition 15 is a whole different deal. I’m not recommending a vote for or against Prop. 15; that’s a personal decision. I’m just letting you know that Prop. 15 is unlikely to provide the funds needed to maintain local schools. Please realize that a vote in favor of Proposition 15 does replace the need for Measure I. With Measure I, you will be able to see your tax dollars at work here in Willits. In the last election, 162 people skipped over the school bond—leaving it blank rather than voting yes or no—presumably because they didn’t feel they knew enough to make a good decision. My goal here is to provide information so voters feel comfortable taking a position one way or another. Please don’t leave it blank. If you need more information, I am happy to answer any questions you may have. You can reach me at the district office at 707-459-5314.

Congratulations to the following certified staff, you have attained permanent status with WUSD! We greatly appreciate your dedication to the students and district. Lucas Brown, District School Psychologist Melissa Coughlin, Teacher at Brookside Katrina Hall, Teacher at High School Trisa Hall, Teacher at  Brookside Patrick Keough, Teacher at BGMS Kirsten Myers, Teacher at Brookside Speech and Language

Disney is all safe and sound no fire damage.

All of Brooktrails has been reopened with the exception of third gate.

Due to fire conditions WUSD schools will be closed on Tuesday Sept. 8th.

First day of school 2020.

Wi-Fi Bus locations and times.

Welcome Back to WUSD 2020 https://youtu.be/zIePMykImIA Mark Westerburg

HOTSPOT at home For people who have cell service this is how you make your iphone a hotspot so your chromebook can connect to it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NToTQfrdNHg This is how you turn your Android phone into a hotspot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-Y1HS4j8SU This would work for people who have good phone service but don't pay for home internet service. This is how you can check to see if a hotspot will work in your location. The hotspot is simply just like the phone for access to the internet.

WUSD will have 4 buses parked around the district for student wi-fi access during distance learning. The district will also have additional vehicles able to do this and they will be moved to accommodate students needs.

All WUSD schools will open on August 31, 2020 with a Distance Learning program. This plan is based upon the Governor’s order for school districts within counties placed on the state Watch List. Even though our county is not currently on the Watch List (as of August 4, 2020), Dr. Doohan has advised that our county data meets the criteria and is therefore recommending that all schools in Mendocino County open with a Distance Learning model. The state has defined the requirements for schools in order to provide high quality learning for all students. Our instructional program will be very different than it was in the spring, when we were mandated to close with little to no planning time. Teachers and staff have been working throughout the summer to develop methods and curriculum that will be effective and engaging. All students will be scheduled to be online daily at specific times to receive instruction from their teachers and to participate in activities where they will interact with their peers. Independent activities will also be part of the instructional program and will take place during specified time periods. Teachers will create a daily schedule for their classes that will outline the specific times and activities that students must complete. You will receive information regarding the specific schedules within the next couple of weeks. The district is committed to helping our families and will be reaching out with phone calls beginning August 17th. We appreciate your support as we continue to fine-tune all of the many details involved in our instructional delivery method. I have every confidence that with the help of our parents, our staff can provide an excellent program that addresses your students’ needs. For households unable to receive Internet we are looking at the possibility of opening school campuses on a limited basis, we also purchased equipment to have Wi-Fi on our school buses that will be placed around the community for internet access, as well as working with our local businesses to open up Wi-Fi to the public. WUSD will also provide devices such as chrome books, iPads, and headphones for all students who need them. In most cases grades 3-12, your child should have their own device. We truly miss you and look forward to the days when we can reopen schools, please stay tuned for more detailed information in the near future. Thank you all for being a part of Willits Unified School District. Mark Westerburg

At the July 17th WUSD School Board Meeting, two important decisions were made. First, we will start school on Monday August 31st. Secondly, the WUSD schools will begin the year in a remote (distance) learning environment. It is the goal of the staff to provide a much improved educational experience for students. In grades TK-2 we will focus on packets for students that go with our curriculum and will allow parents to follow the process. In grades 3-5 we will be using workbooks and technology provided by WUSD to enhance the work. Baechtel Grove Middle School will be using a schedule that provides four periods of core instruction, one of PE and an elective period. They will have live online instruction every single day from the district adopted curriculum. We are also providing parent support for technological and other questions and concerns, as well as informational training. You will be able to call the school directly and get a response from designated staff. We all believe that you need to be adequate and meaningful partners in this work. At the High School students will have a three period schedule where the courses last six weeks. Each school will be providing parents and students with many details and procedures in late August before we start. We will transition to on site classroom instruction as soon as the health guidelines allow us to do so. If we want our children back at school, as a community we need to continue to follow health guidelines, to not get on the county watch list with the state. The district is working with other local governmental agencies to provide more free internet access, as well as exploring opening up our school libraries to download assignments. The CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) Sports have been shifted to two seasons with one beginning in mid December and the second season starting in mid March. The majority of sports will be offered, just compacted into two seasons. Their online instruction will look very different this year, as teachers increase their knowledge of virtual instruction. We will be in communication with families as the situation changes. Please stay patient as we transition to this changing environment.

The WUSD School Board is meeting tomorrow night to do some needed business and discuss the reopening options for the fall. There will not be a decision made, it is to soon to know what it will look like on Aug. 31st. When we do consider opening in the fall it will be in a more Covid prepared schedule or remotely. Our goal is to allow parents choice of doing independent study or back in classroom instruction if the conditions allows it. I use the restaurant mentality, if we can’t be in the inside of the restaurant, we can’t be in the classrooms. If the rules are some percentage capacity in the restaurant with masks we will try and provide that option in classrooms. In mid-August our goal will be to call each family and ask parents to choose an option of in class or independent study and we will make the staffing adjustments needed. Beyond staffing we will need to make building specific plans for situations that may occur. Our goal is to provide the safest environment we can and give parents options. If we had to start tomorrow our data is trending the wrong way and the guidelines are locking down more not less, so we would be on home instruction. If you would like to give the board information please use my email address to do so. ( markwesterburg@willitsunified.com ) If you would like to participate in the zoom board meeting this is the address https://us04web.zoom.us/j/9782489039?pwd=V0U2cUtHZUMzQk5xR3d5Vy9wT1JkZz09 There is also a chat box to ask questions or use your time during the public comments section. The WUSD staff is working hard this summer to get ready for this new situation that provides the safest and best academic environment we can financially afford to do.

Awesome graduation last night at Sherwood. Although we don’t have a lot of eighth graders they have huge hearts and talent.

2020 NorCal Cyber Virtual Summer Camp The Northern California Information Communication Technologies (ICT) Hub at the Sacramento County Office of Education, in partnership with California Community Colleges, is supporting FREE, week-long Virtual Summer Introductory and Advanced Cyber Camps for Middle School and High school (7th-12 trade) students! This opportunity to learn about cybersecurity at no-cost is made possible through generous donations and contributions of NorCal Cyber partners and sponsors. Please provide registration to your school office so you can keep your Chromebook over the summer! Go here to register =>https://www.norcalcyber.org/

Due to Coronavirus (COVID-19), children who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals at school will get extra food benefits. These food benefits are called Pandemic EBT or P-EBT benefits. P-EBT benefits help families in California buy food when schools are closed because of the coronavirus emergency. Families will get up to $365 per eligible child on their P-EBT card to use on food and groceries. Families with children who get CalFresh, Medi-Cal or Foster Care benefits do not need to apply. Most will get their P-EBT card in the mail during the month of May. P-EBT cards will begin arriving around May 12, 2020.

New Shelter in Place Guidelines for Stage 2, now in place.

It certainly appears that we will not be returning to normal classroom settings for the remainder of this school year. All school sites have made plans to continue with modified school instruction through the end of May. The first week of June will be used for students to turn in all assignments and for teachers to assign grades. All students will be moved to the next grade unless discussions about retention have already taken place. Although very unlikely- if it is possible before this school year ends to bring back a limited number of students, the District would consider the following: Brookside grade 2 only, Blosser Lane grade 5 only, BGMS grade 8 only and all seniors at WHS. In regards to graduation our preference is to wait it out, meet as a group and make it happen. As I have stated before, we can do it in August if necessary. I prefer this idea over a virtual ceremony. Middle school and high school campuses are planning to hold a summer school session from July 27th through August 14th. WUSD is willing to provide support to all other summer session programs which use our facilities so they may become operational. In regards to the governor's comments about starting school July 1st. There are more problems with that Idea than good. A major issue for a third of our students is transportation, can they get on the bus, with such a confined space we would have to limit buses to 12 students and this is a problem. Another large issue is the heat in July, only about 40% of our facilities have air conditioning and classrooms would be very warm. Along with this are summer jobs, summer school, cleaning facilities, adding 20+ days to teachers' work year, new teachers who won't be here yet, plus all the added cost for operations for a month and half. Although we are anxious to all be together again an early start is not the best plan. When all the students come back in August we will all work aggressively to get back on track. I commend all of our parents and staff for working through this situation, hang in there. My biggest concern in coming back together is the health of our adult staff, the impact from the virus can be harsh and we have a small number of substitutes available. The need to social distance even with a small group is very tough with young kids. If we do have to create A and B days for students to limit the exposure we will do so. Bus routes, siblings, teachers, children and creating off day work for students will be a challenge but we will do it if necessary. In conclusion, we are waiting it out and hopeful that summer will get us a little closer too normal. Our goals for Willits Unified are to finish the year in distance mode, have a graduation ceremony, provide whatever educational services we can in the summer and get ready for next school year. Mark Westerburg

Congratulations Students you have hit the 7 digit level on IXL.

I have attached a link to the CENSUS 2020. It is very important for school funding to have an accurate census for the district. Federal funding inTitle Programs, food service and grant opportunities come from census data. It is very quick and easy to do. https://my2020census.gov/

WUSD April 15, 2020 School Board Meeting Video https://youtu.be/dOmTXIUzBlU

Arts integration this week at Sherwood MS. This is terra-cotta soldiers, EB has some serious art skills

Willits Unified Schools has extended the Modified School period through Friday May 1st. All the Mendocino County Schools will be under this extension. We will be monitoring the situation. I look forward to returning to school as soon as it is safe for staff and students to be together.

Even in the midst of trying times like this, good things can still happen. Today we received the fourth new bus from grant funds. This is a huge savings to the district and has significantly upgraded our transportation department. Can’t wait for us to get back on the road.

This is a column that I posted in the Willits Weekly and Willits News.

We have been using this program at grades 3-5 for the past two years. Based on the situation we are in, I have expanded the use of it and added Language Arts, Science and Social Studies. If you have a student in grades 3-5 they know all about it.  IXL has grade Level Math, Language Arts, Science and Social Studies. (Science and Social Studies start at 2nd grade). The program is linked to California State Standards for all areas and is set to work in conjunction with the Math book series we use in grades K-5. This is new to the K-2 teachers, they will be able to see your child's progress and what the struggle with. The 3-5 Grade teachers already know who to use it and will now be able to use it for Language Arts as well. If you go to the district website and click on the Modified School Information Button you will see a video named IXL to watch. DOWNLOAD the App for tablets, Ipads, Iphone and smartphones  https://www.ixl.com/apps   Login Websitie  https://www.ixl.com/signin/willits   Username  Firstname lastname @Willits   (Example:  johnsmith@willitsPassword   abcd1234     ( you can change it if you wish once your are up and running. ) Thank you for all your efforts at home.

Remember that we have breakfast and lunch pick up at WHS from 8-10 AM and 11-1 for lunch. If you can't make arrangements to get in please call 707-459-5314 and leave a message.

The best way to contact staff is through email. All district emails are first and last name @willitsunified.com. For example markwesterburg@willitsunified.com Important information for WUSD is located on the district website under the Modified School Information link. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19avYBzh8L5XfvixXwXPz6-Yg23G08uyF

Mendocino County will be going into a shelter in place at 10 PM tonight. Based on that all buildings will be closed on Thursday until further notice. The phones will be monitored and checked remotely. Student food pick up at WHS will continue as scheduled.

I have put together a folder of information to share with parents and students during this non-classroom instruction time. It is my intent to continue to add to this as we go through the weeks. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19avYBzh8L5XfvixXwXPz6-Yg23G08uyF?usp=sharing

Let me tell you what I saw today on the first day on non-traditional school for WUSD. https://drive.google.com/file/d/179V-ymN3MUqEwGKiAo7HeEmePOVhLJZN/view?usp=sharing

All school sites will be open on Monday for students to get any materials they need, but normal in-class instruction will be suspended until April 13. Students will be expected to begin their packets or online instruction. Please say turned into information because this is a changing situation. It will be our hope to have our libraries open for students who need access. Breakfast and lunch will be provided through the high school in a pick up and go fashion.

I am meeting with the county health department, doctors and the other superintendents from the county today at 12:00. We will be determining when and for how long schools will need to be closed. This is a unique situation and it is important to get the best information available. Please look for a posting at 2 pm for an update. I am fully aware of the reasons to close and stay open.

Possible School Closure Information. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X2u4VIP0WIb3GZNR1xeqlw15ud0ehOYu/view?usp=sharing

Board President Alex Bowlds presented Darrell McIvor of Microphor an award for their company's generous donations to WUSD. Microphor relocated operations to North Carolina but decided to donate at no cost thousands of dollars in parts, equipment and supplies to WUSD.

K-8 Parent Survey on Minimum Days. I have had trouble with Google forms getting this out. Please use the link if you did not get the chance to respond. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfCFU7HeuT4SOkmS1b2sd3ef-65ulnyAKoxgk_dy6L7kmhmmA/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1

Here is the most current county information on Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) https://www.mendocinocounty.org/community/novel-coronavirus

It’s Election Day, please remember to vote.

WUSD will be putting a plan together this week for a home study program for students if the health conditions require it. All buildings were disinfected this weekend. Please watch this video. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-facts-about-coronavirus-what-you-need-to-know/

Sherwood students at Odyssey of the Mind having a great time and doing a great job.

Another awesome Science Fair down at the Community Center. Stop down and see the great work by the students and staff. Thank you to Erin Vaccaro for her efforts to put it all together with her volunteers.

Measure G Information Nights- Open Community Forum Please join School Board President, Alex Bowlds and WUSD Superintendent, Mark Westerburg to discuss and ask questions about Measure G; the school bond initiative for Willits Unified School District coming up on the March 3, 2020 election. There will be two meetings held at Willits High School, Media Center, 299 N. Main Street. For more information please contact the District Office 459-5314 ext. 1101 February 4, 2020, 6:30 p.m. February 10, 2020, 6:30 p.m.

Measure G Information Nights- Open Community Forum Please join School Board President, Alex Bowlds and WUSD Superintendent, Mark Westerburg to discuss and ask questions about Measure G; the school bond initiative for Willits Unified School District coming up on the March 3, 2020 election. There will be two meetings held at Willits High School, Media Center, 299 N. Main Street. For more information please contact the District Office 459-5314 ext. 1101 February 4, 2020, 6:30 p.m. February 10, 2020, 6:30 p.m.

3rd new bus for WUSD. This special needs bus was provided at no cost to the district. Thank you to Mendocino County Air Quality committee. A 4th big bus is scheduled for May.

First Annual Bob Colvig Youth Wrestling Tournament going on today at the high school. Tons of people and lots of fun. Thank you to the local sponsors who helped put this on. It’s a great event.

Due to snow and weather conditions Willits unified school district will be closed today at all sites.

WUSD Volunteer of the Year. Jennifer Drew has given countless hours and effort helping kids at WUSD. WEF, FFA, Summer Gala, Ag. Farm, Tri Tip Dinners and more. Thank you for all you do for us.

Sherwood students rock the school with a talent show today.

Sherwood students bringing Christmas cheer to Northbrook Healthcare Center today.

3-5 graders at Sherwood getting a presentation from the Red Cross. Their pillow project for Emergency safety.

Mark your calendars for Hot Winter's Night 2019.

Air Quality grant provided WUSD with another new bus. Great addition to the fleet.

The Varsity Football Team continues on it's playoff run Saturday Nov. 23rd at 1 PM in Ferndale. Go Wolverines !

It is the end of the first trimester for this school year. Minimum days have been adjusted to allow for final exams and teacher grade reporting time. All schools will have minimum days on Thursday and Friday this week. Only WHS/SHS will release on Friday at 11:15 a.m.

The Varsity Football Team has qualified for the playoff and will be hosting a home game Friday night at 7 PM vs El Molino. CIF rules require us to charge admission (11 for adults, 6 for Students, Seniors, Children). Come support the team in our first home playoff in a while.

Ziggurat Marble Run contest at Sherwood Middle School. Preparing for Odyssey of the Mind Competitions.

Willits Unified Schools will not be in session tomorrow October 30. The school has planned in-services days for Thursday and Friday. So there will be no school for students on Thursday or Friday as well. The football game scheduled for Friday night will be played at its regular time if we have power, if not it will be played at 1 o’clock and 3:30 on Friday afternoon.

Due to power outages Willits unified school district will be closed on Tuesday the 29th. There is a pending Wind advisory for Tuesday night that may prolong the power shut down. I will keep you posted on our status as soon as I know definite information. Stay safe and alert to changing conditions.

Due to power outages there will be no school for Willits Unified on Monday the 28th. I will post again Monday afternoon to let everybody know our status for Tuesday.

This is a reminder for Monday morning. If you do not have power at home you can assume that the school does not have power either and we will be closed. I will keep you posted on the power situation at our school as time goes on.

Sherwood Fall Festival was fantastic. Great food, friends and songs were shared by a full crowd of parents and friends.

An additional student van added to the fleet. Thanks to a USDA Grant for 55% of the cost.

All of the Willits schools have power and will be open today.

Good Evening. Please be advised that there is a chance of a power outage in the Willits area scheduled for tomorrow October 9th. If you have power at your residence tomorrow morning, assume that school will be in session during regular scheduled hours. If you do not have power at your residence tomorrow morning, assume school will be canceled. In the event of a power outage during the day, school will continue to be operational until the end of the school day. We will continue to update you as we receive further information. Mr. Westerburg

Sherwood Students and SF Opera Members rock the house at the WHS Auditorium today with a stellar performance.

I am pleased to let everyone know that our bus drivers came into today and fixed the training issue. WUSD will be busing all our students on Friday.

I am pleased to let everyone know that our bus drivers came into today and fixed the training issue. WUSD will be busing all our students on Friday.

Sherwood students doing a bake sale fund raiser at Back to School Night.

If you are going to volunteer with WUSD this year you need to have your fingerprints done. The company Print Your Mitts, will be at Brookside Elementary Open House on Thursday at 6 PM until 8. WUSD has a form that the DOJ charges us $32 for us to have processed and Mitt Your Mitts will charge you $30 for their service. If your interested please have 2 checks available to use. We greatly appreciate our volunteers. We don't have any choice on the rules or cost. I would get there early, last year there was a line.

Thank you to the Willits Education Foundation for an awesome Summer Gala.

Classroom bonding at Sherwood Middle School.

Reminder: All WUSD schools are on regular schedule today. Our first minimum day of the school year will be next Tuesday, August 27th.

Hello Sherwood Families, It's time to come meet new friends and reconnect with old ones at our annual work party. Please come up to Sherwood on Saturday, August 10th from 9am-1pm to help beautify and get the school ready to welcome our students for the new year! Bring your favorite dish for a potluck following the work party. Can't wait to see you all there.

Go to the Apple Store or Google Play to get the Willits USD mobile app for your phone.

2019-2020 Willits Unified School District Calendar