Winter Weather

With a week or so of Fall left, Winter is definitely here!  Take a look at the notes below to help build a strong Winter routine for your child and your family.

Winter Gear
We grew anxious this week as Mother Nature and her blustery cold kept us inside thanks to below zero wind chills.  Please note, though, that if those wind chill temps jump up above zero (even up to just one degree) we will take advantage of the opportunity to get outside and run out some of that Winter energy.  Because of this, please be sure your child is prepared for outside play EVERY DAY.  Winter coats, hats, gloves, snow pants, and boots are required.  Feel free to leave an extra set of these items at school if that makes it more convenient for your family.

Also, please note your child may store winter items in their cubby and boots in the school's boot cubbies near the North recess door.  Because of these two locations, smaller winter items can sometimes be found in both of these places.  As you work hard to help your child keep track of their things, encourage them to look in these two spots for misplaced items.  Otherwise, they may make their way to the school wide Lost and Found near the elevator.  Most often times, missing items magically turn up a day or two later.  My missing red glove (only a week old) was lost on Thursday and found on Friday.  It happens to us all.

Sledding
A much loved Willowwind tradition is the opportunity to sled with our friends on Willowwind's playground hill.  Your child is welcome to bring in their sled and share it with friends of all ages on days when the snow has completely covered the hill.   Please be sure to label your child's sled well.  Please no inflatable sleds or sleds with skis or pointy parts.  Standard plastic long sleds and disc sleds are welcomed!  Sledding at recess makes these bitter, cold, Iowa, winter days so much more fun!

Pink Snow Flags
With the snow here, our landscaping service has posted pink flags to help guide their snowblowers and shovels.  Please encourage your child to leave these pink flags staked in the ground.  Their pretty color makes it tempting to pull and play with.  Many thanks for your help!

Winter Weather Cancellations
Willowwind School follows the Iowa City Community School District for school cancellations, early dismissals or late starts due to inclement weather. In the event of an early dismissal, there is no after-school care.  After-school classes and half-day PM preschool will be cancelled.  Similarly, in the event of a late start, there is no before-school care and half-day AM preschool classes will be cancelled.  Because we are not able to provide a before-school program on these days, we ask that you do not drop-off children before 10:00 am  School cancellations are posted as soon as possible on KWWL and KCRG media.  Other communication to parents will come in the forms of an email or a Facebook post.  KCRG can also send a text alert to your phone, click here to do so.  Thanks for keeping our students safe!