The last day of school for Willow Brook will be Friday, June 5th at 1:30 p.m. The morning will begin with a school wide award assembly. Following lunch, students will be dismissed at 1:30 p.m. Have a great and safe summer... we'll see you back on Thursday, July 16!

This is KC Test 'EM here to bring you a very important announcement about an exciting event coming to Willow Brook...it's BATTLE OF THE BANDS 2009. Four bands are competing for the top honor of Headlining at this year's Party Like a Rock Star Concert on April 24th live in the gym of Willow Brook Elementary School. The bands are T.C.A.P.; All Out; Brain 57 and The Test Monkeys. All four of these bands will perform at the concert, but only one band will be the HEADLINER! Starting Monday, April 13th until the day of the concert students will have the chance to earn concert tickets by STUDYING LIKE A ROCK STAR as we are getting ready for the most important test we take all year, the T.C.A.P. test. Students can earn tickets to see their favorite band take the stage! Then the week of April 20th, it will be time to rock out the test. Finally, when we have smoked through the test booklet on Friday, April 24th Willow Brook will go to the Party Like A Rock Star Concert and find out which one of the bands will take center stage in the Battle of the Bands 2009. So start studying like the Rock Stars you were born to be and let the battle of the bands begin!

Spring Intersession 2009 was one that will be talked about for years to come. 200 students and 26 staff members spent March 30-April 3 focusing on healthy living, nutrition and physical fitness. We were Bears On The Move as we went on 8 different field trips throughout the week...from frisbee golf to bowling; from ice-skating to bouncing around at Events at Sherlake we learned that not only is physical fitness good for us, it's a lot of fun as well! We would like to thank the following community partnerships for making this week possible: ORS Health Coordinator, Blair King; National Fitness; Methodist Medical Center; Fox Fitness; Anderson County Health Department; UT Extension Office; Epilepsy Foundation; Jake Break4Kids; Matt Reedy and the city of Oak Ridge; Oak Ridge Bowling Center; Chick-fil-a; Wal-Mart; Kroger; Earth Fare; and Events of Sherlake.

Willow Brook is so proud to be the only H.A.B.I.T. school in the Oak Ridge school system. H.A.B.I.T. is a community group of volunteers working together to explore the circumstances and consequences of the human-animal bond and to promote this valuable bond between people and animals. H.A.B.I.T. is a comprised of representatives from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, volunteers from the community, and private veterinary practitioners. At Willow Brook we currently have three dogs and handlers. Choice and Mrs. Broyles come to work in Mrs. Lee's classroom, Jake comes to work with our Mrs. Geri Bell in her room, and Pepper and Mrs. Vicary come to work in Mrs. Mullin's third grade. Wearing their red bandanas to show they are on the job, our team of dogs come one day a week to read with the boys and girls. All students can't wait for their turn to read to their special friends!!

We are in the fifth year of our state awarded 21st Century Learning Grant. The $82,500.00 grant funds our before and after school programs. Grant Director, Kandice Baker and her staff offer our students ten different extended learning opportunities. Whether it's help with reading or math or and interest in movie making, physical fitness, or environmental conservation, when the bell rings at 3:30 to end the school day, things are just beginning for our after school programs.

When one of our 4th grade students nominated his teacher, Lucretia Pack, for Wal-Mart's teacher of the year he had no idea that his writing would win the heart of the judges! On September 19, 2008 a school wide assembly was held to surprise Mrs. Pack and Dewey with this award. Dewey's entry won a $1,000 check for Willow Brook and a $100.00 Wal-Mart gift card for Mrs. Pack. Since Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year program began in 1995 more than 30,000 teachers have been recognized nationwide and more than $29,000,000 has been contributed to local schools. It is an honor for Mrs. Pack to be our community's 2008 Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year! Congratulations, Mrs. Pack and way to go Dewey!!

CH2MHill Vice President John Wharton works with a group of excited 3rd graders

For the last three years, Willow Brook students have been a part of World Water Monitoring Day thanks to the involvement of CH2MHill. World Water Monitoring Day is an international education and outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world by conducting basic monitoring of their local water bodies. Students test water samples from area lakes (and even the Willow Brook pond) for temperature, acidity, turbidity and oxygen. Results are shared with participating communities around the globe through the WWMD Web site. Willow Brook is excited to be a part of this world-wide effort.

CH2MHill has been a business partner with Willow Brook for the last three years. To date, they have donated over $8,000.00 to enhance our math initiatives and have volunteered their time to celebrate both Water Monitoring Day and Engineering Week with our students. Thanks, CH2MHill for all you do for us!

Willow Brook has received a 21st CCLC grant since 2004. On May 1, 2004. On May 1, 2009 Willow Brook will submit a new proposal for consideration. A rough draft of the proposal may be viewed by clicking here . A hard copy of the grant is located at the front office for public viewing.