Willson School

10/03/2026

LIGHTS, CAMERA, STAFF APPRECIATION! ✅

Today, we held our first staff PBIS drawing of the school year! Throughout each month, Willson staff members can earn weekly raffle tickets. Winners are drawn on the first Friday of the following month!

Tickets are given for arriving ON TIME and signing in daily, being a team player through difficult moments, spreading positivity and participating in school-spirit activities such as Browns Victory Mondays and Tiger Pride Fridays! Some tickets are given intentionally to recognize specific actions, while others are surprise opportunities so every staff member has a chance to participate and be celebrated!

Kudos to Ms. Seelbach, one of our Teachers of the Deaf and September’s PBIS winner! She received a teacher keychain and a $100 Shell gas gift card!

Our scholars deserve to be celebrated—and so do the staff members who show up, work together and help keep Willson moving forward each day! 💙🐅💛

10/03/2026

10/03/2026

HELLO WEEKEND & WELCOME OCTOBER! Willson has been rocking and rolling! To celebrate scholars who came to school every day during September, we gave them a very special reward: the chance to spray Dr. Hayden with silly string or hit her with a water balloon! Dr. Hayden was a great sport, and our scholars had a blast!

WHAT A WAY TO BRING IN PRINCIPAL APPRECIATION MONTH—with laughter, connection and a principal who is always willing to join in the fun with her scholars! This was about more than silly string and water balloons. When scholars know the adults at school see them, celebrate them and are willing to have fun with them, relationships grow. Those strong relationships help scholars feel connected to school, support daily attendance and keep learning moving forward!

Did you miss this reward? Don’t count yourself out! Each attendance incentive will be different, which means every scholar will have another chance to join in the fun! Start now by coming to school every day and arriving ON TIME! Attendance is counted in hours, so every minute matters! Attendance matters: In Ohio, missing only 2–3 days each month can put a scholar on track to become chronically absent by the end of the school year. Let’s make October count!

09/28/2026

Lights, Camera, Action—the wait is over! Youth 4 Impact Afterschool Programming officially took center stage at Willson School today!

Scholars had an opportunity to explore and choose from cooking, flag football, cosmetology, fashion design, jewelry making, dance, slime and sensory activities, art and more!

Youth 4 Impact also provides state-guided academic tutoring with proven results to help scholars grow and improve in the classroom ✅

The program is open to scholars in grades 1–8 and operates Monday through Thursday from dismissal at 2:05 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. Transportation will begin next week.

We have waited for this opportunity, and we are so excited to finally see it come to life at Willson! If your scholar is interested, please see Assistant Principal Mrs. Foster or Ms. Means for an application!

09/18/2026

DADS💙, DEDICATION✔️ & DONUTS🍩

Lights, Camera, Action—our Willson dads showed up, showed out and stepped into the spotlight for CMSD’s Annual Fathers Walk!

A special thank-you to Mr. RayShawn for leading our fathers and father figures in this year’s pledge. Mr. RayShawn is the proud father of two Willson scholars, and his family has been part of our Tiger Pride Tribe since his oldest daughter was a young child. Now, she gets to share the Willson halls with her little sister, who is in PreK! He is an active, present father who attends school events and always brings his radiant, respectful personality with him. We were proud to have him lead our dads in such a meaningful moment!

We also thank Mr. Rich Greene, a City of Cleveland Office of the Council representative for Councilwoman Stephanie Howse, for showing up and supporting our event! He assisted Mr. RayShawn with the pledge by introducing him and served as an amazing M.C. who captured everyone’s attention and kept the room engaged!

Our guests also enjoyed Krispy Kreme donuts and orange juice—another Snack Shack-sponsored venture! That means everyone who has ever supported Willson’s Snack Shack helped us feed and celebrate our fathers this morning. Every purchase helps us continue pouring back into our scholars, families, staff and school!

Thank you to every father and father figure who showed up for our scholars. Your time, love and presence matter—and today, you LET ’EM KNOW! 💪🏾

09/16/2026

TOMORROW‼️THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026, we’re calling all fathers and father figures to show up for our scholars!

Willson School is proud to join CMSD’s 21st Annual Fathers Walk: A Day of Engagement in collaboration with the Cuyahoga County Fatherhood Initiative. Fathers, stepfathers, foster fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers and male mentors are invited to walk their scholars to Willson School on Thursday, September 17, 2026.

Your presence speaks before the first bell ever rings. One morning can lead to a lifetime of impact, and every scholar deserves a man who shows up! Lights, Camera, Action—step into the spotlight and LET ’EM KNOW you show up!

DOORS OPEN AT 7:15 A.M.!

09/15/2026

We have fantastic news: middle school afterschool programming is coming to Willson!

In partnership with The Cleveland Foundation, middle school scholars can now choose from:
1. Dance: Hip-Hop, Step, Majorettes and Cheer
2. Affirmations for Positive Mindsets
3. Flag Football
4. Cooking and Culinary Classes
5. Entrepreneurship: Jewelry Making, Marketing and Distribution

Yesterday scholars sampled each class through 15-minute rotations before choosing a program. They also received giveaways and had an awesome time!

Permission slips will go home this week and must be returned to Ms. Means by Monday, September 21, 2026. Programming begins next week. Space is limited in each class, but capacity may increase if demand grows.

With ODA and K.N.O.W. Our Girls, Willson now offers afterschool opportunities for scholars in grades K–8, Monday through Friday. Program schedules vary, but 4:30 p.m. is the latest end time for all programming.

ODA remains available for K–5 scholars Monday through Thursday from dismissal at 2:05 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. Transportation is provided for scholars living within the eligible mileage radius. See Ms. Octavia or Ms. Means to register. For more information and insight into ODA programming, follow Open Doors Academy on Instagram.

K.N.O.W. Our Girls will also return next month! K.N.O.W. stands for Knowledgeable, Nurturing, Outgoing Women. Now entering its fifth year, the group helps girls build confidence, character, healthy friendships and life skills through honest conversations, hands-on activities and new experiences.

K.N.O.W. is open to girls in grades 6–8 and will meet every other Friday from dismissal until 4:00 p.m., unless otherwise announced. Space is extremely limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. See Ms. Means for a permission slip. For more information and insight into K.N.O.W. programming, follow K.N.O.W. Our Girls Leadership Program & Support Group on Instagram.

09/15/2026

Lights✨Camera📸 Action🎬 — and today, the spotlight was on purpose, perseverance and representation!

Willson School had the honor of welcoming Officer Carl DeForest of the Highland Hills Police Department. Officer DeForest made history as Ohio’s first Deaf police officer and the first Black Deaf police officer in the nation. After facing more than 150 job rejections, he refused to give up on his dream—and today, he is living proof that barriers can be broken.

Officer DeForest shared his story and poured into all of our scholars, but there was something especially powerful about watching him connect with scholars who look like him and share some of his experiences. Because Willson is home to a community of Deaf and Hard of Hearing scholars, this visit meant so much more than a career presentation. It gave our scholars an opportunity to see themselves represented in a profession they may not have imagined was possible for them.

Sometimes children need more than to be told what they can become—they need to see someone who reflects them already doing it!

A special thank-you to Mrs. Orr-Biggs for recognizing the importance of this moment and coordinating such a meaningful visit. Thank you, Officer DeForest, for taking the time to encourage our scholars, share your journey and show them what determination looks like in action.

Our scholars are the stars, and we will continue keeping the camera rolling on opportunities that help them see just how bright their futures can be! 💛🧏🏾👮🏽‍♀️🤘🏾💙

09/12/2026

Once a Tiger, always a Tiger.

A former Willson scholar recently experienced the unexpected loss of her mother. While protecting her privacy, we still wanted to share how our Tiger Tribe is surrounding her with love and support during this difficult time.

Our theme this year is Lights, Camera, Action—and this is 💙LOVE IN ACTION!💛 It means keeping our students and families in focus and stepping forward when a member of our Tiger Tribe needs us.

Using proceeds from our Snack Shack, we prepared a care basket filled with essential and comfort items—including a journal, chocolate and teddy bear. Members of our Willson family will privately present the gift to her this weekend when attending the services in support.

Pictured are Principal Dr. Hayden, Assistant Principal Mrs. Foster and one of the scholar’s former teachers, Ms. Moore.

To everyone who has supported our Snack Shack, THANK YOU! Every purchase helps us pour back into our students, families, staff and school. Your continued support helps make moments of care like this possible.

Please keep this young scholar and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

09/01/2026

September is coming in STRONG! 💪🏾

HUGE shoutout and thank you to Roderick Catledge for coming to Willson School today and providing haircuts and lineups for our young men—transforming them from the inside out!

It’s amazing what a fresh haircut can do for a young man’s confidence, presentation and overall mood. The smiles on their faces were absolutely heart-melting! ❤️

Thank you to our awesome parents for returning those permission slips and helping us make today possible. Teamwork will always make the dream work! 💙💛