Student Activities and Programs
Assemblies
Back-to-school Picnic
Battle of the Books
Chorus
Field Day
Outdoor Education - 6th Grade
Service Club
Publications Club
Reading Incentive Ice Cream Social
School Song
Science Fair / Family Science Night
Service Club
Student Council
See PTA Website for additional activities.
Classroom & Willett community sponsored activities
California
Math League contest
Classroom plays & musicals
Classroom field trips
Destination Imagination
Future Problem Solvers
Geography Bee
Innisbrook Giftwrap Fundraiser
Math Olympiad
Presidential Fitness Program
Scholastic Book Fairs
UNICEF Trick-or-Treat
Ancient Cultures Night
Back-To-School Picnic Back to Top
The annual Back-To-School Picnic is sponsored by the PTA and is held in the Sycamore Park for Willett families and friends. Every family brings their own picnic supper and a dessert to share. This is a fun opportunity to meet new friends and visit with classmates. Class lists are posted. Notification of the picnic will arrive in the mail at the end of the summer.
Battle of the Books Back to Top
Battle-of-the-Books is a library program for 4th, 5th, and 6th. grade students. Battles are held in the late spring. Students form their own teams of four members each. All teams register in the library and must have teacher signatures. The librarian selects 8 titles which will be read by all teams. Titles are not announced until the program is activated. Battles are scheduled allowing 6-8 weeks for reading time. At the battles, questions from each book are asked. Teams decide on a group answer. This event is a fun, positive way to continue the love of reading and share that love with other students.
As an introduction to running and the Fun Run, the CHALLENGE CLUB. What is the Challenge Club? The Fun Run Committee has challenged students and their parents to each run/walk 50 miles by the Annual Fun Run un the Spring. Students keep track of the miles that they run/walk at school, home or at the Challenge Club.
When students sign up for the Challenge Club, they receive a running log, a chance to win a raffle prize each week, a T-shirt when they finish the 50 miles, and a certificate. There will be an award ceremony at the Fun Run where those who meet the challenge will receive their T-shirts and certificates.
How do you sign up and where do you meet? Go to the back playground at Willett Elementary School on Mondays after school. The Challenge Club meets on Mondays from 2:35-3:35 to run around the grass area. We do not meet on rainy days. However, you do not need to attend the Monday meetings to be a member. It's still not too late to join.
Willett Elementary School Chorus is for 3rd through 6th graders, and meets before school once a week, and before performances, more than once a week. The chorus performs mostly folk songs and songs from musicals, conducted by the teacher and a piano accompanist. The PTA sponsors the chorus and pays the piano accompanist. The chorus will have a performance in winter and another towards the end of the year, with performances at various events throughout the school year. Claudia Krich is the Chorus Director. You can contact her at ckrich@djusd.k12.ca.us
Destination Imagination. Back to Top
Destination Imagination (DI), California Odyssey of the Mind Association's creative problem solving program is open to all Davis students from kindergarten through college aged. Signing up students in the September, usually one or two parents of team members volunteer as Team Managers for a team of up to seven students. Information on DI can be found at http://www.caom.org or http://www.dini.org.or http://www.destinationimagination.org
3rd-6th graders spend the morning on the playground and field areas participating in events such as the baseball toss, basketball obstacle course, the long jump, arena tag, and the water balloon toss. K-3rd graders travel in their regular class from one event to another whereas 4th-6th graders are split into mixed grade level groups with one teacher as a leader. Parents help to run each of the 14 stations. Also part of the Willett Field Day are the relay races and tug-of-war competitions that occur between the 4th grade classes, the 5th grade classes and the 6th grade classes. These events usually take place on the next day in the afternoon. This event is usually held in June on the last Friday and the last Monday of the school year.
Future Problem Solvers Back to Top
An international competition requiring students to analyze future scenarios: determining the challenges society would face, selecting the key underlying problem, providing multiple solutions to the problem, evaluating the solutions based on created criteria, and developing a plan of action to solve the problem. Students participate in two practice problems and a qualifying problem for state competition. Winning teams advance to the international competition. For more information visit http://www.fpsp.org/
Garden of Learning: Back to Top
Our
school garden program is based on the Garden of Learning curriculum developed
by Kelli Wessman from the Schnell School in Placerville, CA. Parent volunteers
help students learn many gardening skills as they dig, plant, harvest,
and compost. They also make scarecrows, prepare delicious homegrown salads,
and create crafts from pressed pansies they have grown. Nutrition, biology
and math skills are emphasized in various lessons. We have also developed
our own unique gardening lessons at Willett, including units on wildlife-friendly
gardens for butterflies, beneficial insects and birds. Click here to see
our winter schedule of gardening events.
The Innisbrook Gift Wrap Sale Back to Top
The Innisbrook gift wrap sale is the PTA's major fundraiser for the year Willett makes 50% profit on total sales. In addition all profits from sales by 5th and 6th grade students directly offset their costs for the outdoor education program. All K-4 profits go towards schoolwide events, assemblies, educational materials, and student activities. You can also participate via the internet, at www.innisbrook.com, using the school's number 103926. The fundraising sale begins in September with students bringing home sales packets, and ends in early October; through December, purchases made on the internet will still benefit Willett, though not credited to individual children.
A national competition in mathematical reasoning and problem solving. There are five separate contests during the year. High scorers receive recognition. For more information visit: http://www.moems.org/
Presidential Fitness Program Back to Top
Each spring, students in fifth and sixth grades participate in various physical events that can make them eligible for awards. For more information visit: http://www.fitness.gov/
The Publications Club writes and prints The Willett Times. When students join the club, they are expected to attend regularly, to be prepared to work on writing news articles and columns, and be ready to learn how do a layout. They work on planning pieces of writing, illustrating, and writing from rough draft through final copy. Students take turns working in the various departments: school and local news, international and national news, human interest stories, sports, and weather. All students have the opportunity to produce comics and word games. Naomi Williams and Lynn Starr are the parent volunteers who run the program.
Reading Incentive Ice Cream Social Back to Top
This is a library program that encourages families to read together. This 5-6 week program is held during the winter or early spring. Families register and set reading goals for each member. a reading time record is kept and later turned into the library. The ice cream social is for those who have worked hard to meet their reading goals. Entertainment is provided by the staff. Staff and other school personnel scoop the ice cream.
Scholastic Book Fairs Back to Top
The popular Scholastic Book Fair is held twice a year in the Library during Parent Conference weeks. Proceeds from the the two week-long events support our library, providing books for the library and the classrooms. The Book Fairs are bountiful shopping opportunities for books, posters, and other items for holidays, birthdays, and for your students' personal libraries.
The Willett School Song Back to Top
Click here for words. A cassette recording of the Willett school song may be purchased in the school office. The song is performed by Linda Book, local musician and songwriter, and by the group of 5th and 6th grade students who helped to write the song when our school became Robert E. Willett Elementary in 1997.
Science Fair / Family Science Night Back to Top
6th graders complete their 6 month long science fair projects and display them in the multi-purpose room for families to see and admire. This event occurs on the evening of Willett's Open House Night in April.
The Willett Service Club Back to Top
The Willett Service Club coordinates the school's Boxtops for Education campaign. Each classroom has an envelope for the collection of boxtops. Playground balls and jump ropes have been purchased with the proceeds from this fundraiser.
The Willett Variety ShowBack to Top
The Willett Variety Show is held in the Spring, All Willett students are encouraged to practice a talent and tryout. This is a wonderful way for students to perform and share their many special talents with their peers at school. Approximately 20 acts and a couple of Masters of Ceremonies are chosen by the Talent Show Committee to perform in the show which lasts approximately one hour or less.
UC Davis Athlete visitationBack to Top
Visits by UC Athletes take place in September.
UNICEF Trick-or-Treat Back to Top
If your child will be trick or treating on Halloween, consider having her/him also carry a box for UNICEF contributions. This is a relatively simple way to make a real contribution to improving the lives of needy children around the world. A permission form will be available in October.
Ancient Culture NightBack to Top
Sixth graders share what they have learned about ancient history by studying the real people from Rome, Greece, India, China, Mesopotamia, the Levant, and Egypt. Each student selects a different character to learn more deeply about and 'becomes' that person in a wax museum. Once activated, each costumed student 'comes alive' and tells about his or her life for parents and other students.
The Welcome Coffee event welcomes new families to Willett Elementary School. It is held in the Multipurpose room in September. PTA members are present to answer questions, distribute information about childcare, extra-curricular activities, etc.