Weekly Blog 12/18

Dear Wines Families,

Attached to today's email was the December Wines Times with lots of information. Below is some additional information as well.

International Night
International Night is Thursday, January 30th!  It isn’t too early to start thinking about what country, culture or international interest you'd like to represent this year.  Projects, displays, food and fashion are just a few ways you can participate.  A sign up sheet was attached to today's email.  If you have questions, contact Shireen Syed (shisy786@yahoo.com) or Annemarie Dolan (akilburndolan@comcast.net) (More information about International Night can be found in the Wines Times).

Technology Committee
Are you interested in working with our PTO on improving our technology at Wines?  We are putting together a committee of staff members and parents to discuss the need for increased instructional technology in our classrooms.  As a team we will explore our needs and comfort with various technologies, while making sure we keep our eye on the future of what learners will need in the 21st Century.  If you are interested in being involved, contact Annemarie Dolan (akilburndolan@comcast.net).

That’s all for 2013!

David

Weekly Blog 12/11

Dear Wines Families.

As usual for this time of year, there are lots of important announcements today:

Still Looking for Used (or new…) Playground Balls
We are still collecting any used (or new) playground balls. If you have extra basketballs, soccer balls, or other playground type balls at home that your children don’t use anymore, there is a collection bin in the front hallway near the display case.

Science Olympiad 2014 Registration
It is time to register for Science Olympiad 2014!!! Please register by January 6th at: http://winespto.org/ScienceOlympiad/index.html. Attached to today's email was an informational document about Olympiad.

Do you have questions about Science Olympiad? Do you want to learn more? What does a coach do? Who can participate?  Get all your questions answered at an informational meeting on Thursday, Dec 12 from 6:00-7:30 PM in the Wines Multi-Purpose Room.

If you have any question, please contact David Creen  David.creen@benefitfocus.com or Rhonda McCammon rmccamm@umich.edu.

Coat Drive
Our Coat Drive continues to be a great success. As of last week we had collected 17 girls coats, 11 boys coats, 12 women’s coats, 3 men’s coats, 3 pairs of boots, and 3 pairs of snow pants. Since then, the bin has filled up again so the numbers have increased! Thank you Wines and Reinhart! The drive will run through next week. If possible, please wash your used coats.

Food Drive
Our Student Council/Food Gatherers Food Drive continues through next week as well. There are bins located at all of our entrances.

Winter Break ThinkStretch Opportunity
Again this winter break, we have teamed with ThinkStretch to give kids a bit of academic work during vacation to prevent the winter “Brain Freeze.” For most of us, the next few weeks are incredibly busy! But there are often times when the kids just need something to do! Please visit THINKSTRETCH to download a packet.

Wines Needs Coaches for the Spring Season of Girls on the Run!
The spring season of GOTR doesn't begin until March 10, but GOTR is already gearing up to get the season started!  All 3rd through 5th grade girls are eligible to participate.  Wines needs at least 2 volunteer coaches to get our site registered for this spring season.  We've had a great team for the last couple of years and we'd like to keep the site going! If you are interested in coaching, please email Jennifer Hall at a2halls@gmail.com for more information (FYI ... you don't have to be a runner to coach.)

Media Center Newsletter
Mrs. Evaldson’s Media Center Newsletter was attached to today's email. Enjoy!

Interested in Cub Scouts?
There is an informational meeting next Wednesday, Dec. 18th at 7:00 PM in the Multi-Purpose Room at Wines. An informational flyer was attached to today's email.

That’s all the news for today!

David

Weekly Blog 12/4

Dear Wines Families,
There is a lot to report this week! Here goes:

Book Fair
Our Book Fair is off to a great start! Family Night was very well attended last night and I want to thank Amy Unsworth for being quick on her feet and solving a small (well, large) scheduling/space issue last evening after we realized our school was double booked and she had to quickly move a portion of the Fair to the hallway. But everything went very well and it was a great night. The Book Fair will be open until 4:30 today and tomorrow and until noon on Friday.

Report Card Envelopes
Last week your child was sent home with his/her report card. The report card was in a small manila envelope. Please return the envelope to your child’s teacher so we can re-use them later in the year. As always, if you have any questions about your child’s report card (or if you didn’t receive one) please contact your child’s teacher.

Extra Playground Balls/Equipment??
In last week’s Wines Times, there was a blurb about our efforts to increase the number of balls and other playground equipment our kids have at lunch and other recess times. Before we go ahead and purchase more items, we figured we would ask families if you have any extra items at home—I know I do!! Basketballs, soccer balls, four square balls, jump ropes, and sturdy sand box toys will all find a good home here! There is a collection bin in the front hallway.

Science Olympiad
Have questions about Science Olympiad? Want to learn more?  What does a coach do? Who can participate?  Get all your questions answered at an informational meeting on Thursday, Dec 12 from 6:00-7:30 PM in the Wines Multi-Purpose room.

Stay tuned as Science Olympiad registration will start next week!!!
If you have any question, please contact David Creen at David.creen@benefitfocus.com or Rhonda McCammon at rmccamm@umich.edu.

Student Council/Food Gatherers Food Drive
Our Student Council in conjunction with Food Gatherers is again sponsoring a food drive for the next two weeks. There will be blue barrels stationed at three points throughout the school where you can put your donations. The drive will run through Thursday, December 19.

Coat Drive
Our Coat Drive will continue until December 20th. We’ve already filled the box once. Thank You! The box is in the front hallway of our school.

No Dumping Please!
When we arrived back from Thanksgiving break, we were greeted by our recycling dumpster being completely full. It was empty when we left!! Obviously, we don’t know who added their home items to our dumpster, but if you get the urge, please refrain from adding your items to our dumpsters (trash or recycling). We had a full house of friends and family over Thanksgiving and the thought briefly crossed my mind to take a load of overflow trash/recycling to Wines. So I know the temptation!

Introducing Friday Floor Hockey at Wines
I’m excited to announce a new fun and healthy opportunity for all kids and parents at Wines. Beginning after Winter Break, we will be hosting a weekly Friday Floor Hockey game in the gym for all students. Parents are also more than welcome to join us—we have 12 adult sticks. We will begin at 8:00 AM. Participants need to have proper gym footwear—no boots or snowy/wet shoes. Students will place their coats and book bags neatly in the hallway and pick up a stick and protective eyewear as they enter the gym. I’d like to thank our wonderful PTO for supporting parent Michael Fainter’s Great Ideas grant that was used to purchase the adult sticks, eyewear, and some other floor hockey materials.

Wines needs Coaches for the Spring Season of Girls on the Run!
The spring season of GOTR doesn't begin until March 10 but GOTR is already gearing up to get the season started! Wines needs at least 2 volunteer coaches to get our site registered for this spring season. We've had a great team for the last couple of years and we'd like to keep the site going! If you are interested in coaching, please email Jennifer Hall at a2halls@gmail.com for more information.

Thanks!
David

Weekly Blog 11/20

Dear Wines Families,

I have just a few quick announcements today. Please note that the November Wines Times newsletter will be coming out on Friday, so look for an additional email with the Wines Times later this week.

Last Call for Lost and Found
Our Lost and Found items have been on display at the front of the building for a while now. We will be donating all remaining items to charity after Friday. Please come have a look if your child is missing anything.

Coat Drive
Again this year we will be partnering with Reinhart Realty and will be collecting used winter coats. If they are clean, great. But don’t worry—we’ll clean them if necessary. A large box will be in the front lobby starting later today. We will keep the collection going through December.

Book Fair
Please look for lots of information about the Book Fair in the Wines Times on Friday. The Book Fair runs from Dec. 3rd-6th with our Family Night on Dec. 3rd beginning at 6:30

That’s it for this week. Again, look for the newsletter on Friday.

David

Weekly Blog 11/13

Dear Wines Families,
We have a number of important announcements this week:

Picture Retakes Friday
Friday is Picture Retake Day. If your child did not have his or her picture taken or that smile just wasn’t right, Friday is the day. Remember, if your child had his/her picture taken and you would like to try again, please bring the old pictures with you. Attached to today's email were two pieces of information from our picture company including online ordering information.

Movie Night
Friday evening is our first Movie Night of the year. We will be showing My Neighbor Totoro. Kids, if you like to bake, this is your chance to show off your favorite treat! Please bring a plate of baked goods and 20 copies of your recipe to share. Taste what your friends have made and take home new recipes to try. You don't have to participate in the baking event to come to (or eat at) the Movie Night. Everyone who comes can enjoy the baked goods. But this is a fun chance for all bakers to share their recipes and treats. Questions? Contact Kelly Hunter-Bryner: khbryner@yahoo.com.

Book Fair Time!
The Scholastic Book Fair will be held Monday, December 2 - Friday, December 6, 2013. There are plenty of spots for volunteering, don't be shy, we need you to help make this a fabulous fair! (Family Night will be Tuesday, December 3rd).
Please sign up for Wines Book Fair - here's how it works in 3 easy steps:
   1. Click this link to go to our invitation page on VolunteerSpot: http://vols.pt/DEGoHq
   2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on VolunteerSpot)
   3. Sign up! Choose your spots - VolunteerSpot will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy!
Note: VolunteerSpot does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact Lisa Dempsey at lisadempsey5@sbcglobal.net and she can sign you up manually.

Box Tops
Thank you for saving and submitting Box Tops!  Wines just earned $603.70 from submitting 6,037 box tops in November.  Great job!  Please keep them coming! Visit http://www.boxtops4education.com/default.aspx for more Box Top information or to see a full list of participating products.
Contact Stacey Noel: sknoel@umich.edu or Joanne Keeling: keelingj@aaps.k12.mi.us for more information.

Big Thanks!
Finally, I want to thank the Wines Cub Scout Pack 78 for spending last Sunday doing some much needed fall clean up around Wines. The kids (and parents) worked hard and our grounds look fantastic. Thanks Pack 78!!
Thanks!

David

Weekly Blog 11/6

Dear Wines Families,

It’s been a busy week this week. Thank you to all of our parents who attended parent/teacher conferences this week. If you missed your conference time, please contact your child’s teacher to reschedule. It is always our goal to meet with 100% of our parents.

Professional Development
While we understand that having a day off from school can be challenging for parents, I wanted to let everyone know that our teachers had a very productive day of professional development yesterday. During our morning together, Meri Tenney Muirhead and Michele Madden from the University of Michigan School of Education led a workshop on leading/facilitating math discussions.  The discussion-leading skills and techniques encourage students to verbalize their mathematical thinking, back up their ideas with evidence, and critically (and respectfully) incorporate and evaluate one another's ideas in the process of problem solving. These are important skills for students, and are of critical importance in the Common Core standards. Our teachers left with ideas on how to better facilitate math discussion that they can apply right away.

Directory Information
This is the final reminder that we will be producing our yearly Wines Directory next week and we will be using the information we have on file for your family including parent names, address, home phone, cell phones, and email addresses. If there is information that you DO NOT want included, you can let us know by clicking on the link below and filling out the form. It only takes a minute. The deadline to fill out the form is Friday.
Directory Information

Art Room Newsletter
Attached to today’s email is the latest newsletter from Ms. Hendrick in the Art Room. Please have a look!

Skyline Madness
Skyline Boys Basketball is hosting it's 5th annual "SKYLINE MADNESS" 3-on-3 basketball event on Saturday Dec 14. Attached to today’s email is an information/registration packet. The event is for 4th-8th grade boys and girls teams (or very experienced 3rd graders.) We have averaged about 20-25 teams a year and hope to eclipse the 30 team mark this year! You can visit our program website for more details as well www.aaskylinebasketball.com.

That’s all for today!

David

Weekly Blog 10/30

Dear Wines Families,


It appears that I forgot to post my blog last week. As a reminder, the information in the blog is the same as what is sent in email so hopefully everyone received last week's information. Attached to today’s email you will find the October Wines Times newsletter with lots of important information. Below are a few other reminders.

Superintendent's Listen and Learn Tour
One final reminder that tonight at 6:30, Dr. Jeanice Swift, AAPS Superintendent, will be at Wines to meet with our community as part of her Listen and Learn tour. I hope to see you there!

Halloween
Tomorrow is Halloween and it is always a fun day here at Wines. Students should not come to school in costumes. Instead, they can bring their costumes in a bag and kids will change in the afternoon. Our parade will begin at 2:00 and we will walk along Saunders Crescent to Hillridge and then through the Forsythe path entrance from Hillridge back to Wines.

Halloween and Lunches with Love
Need something to do with all of the extra candy from Halloween? Please encourage your children to donate some of their Halloween candy to our Lunches with Love program! Once or twice each month, classes in grades K-5 make lunches for needy people in our community. The kids decorate paper lunch bags with their classroom teachers and then come to the cafeteria with parent volunteers where they make 100 sandwiches and assemble bag lunches with fruit, granola bars or juice boxes. Recipients will be very happy to have a special treat in their lunch bag! The program is supported by the Wines PTO and is in partnership with Food Gatherers. We will be collecting candy for a few weeks after Halloween. There will be a box outside the front office.

Support Arts Programming, Vote for Wines!
The Bank of Ann Arbor is giving $3000 to a local school to support arts programs. Voting for Wines is easy. Please visit http://cafegive.com/pva/bank-ann-arbor/result/9582#vote

Book Fair
As we head into November, it means our annual Book Fair is fast approaching. Attached to today’s email is our first informational flyer. If you have any questions about Book Fair or would like to help out, please contact any of our Book Fair organizers. Amy Unsworth aeu1aeu2@comcast.net, Nicole Brittis nicolebrittis@hotmail.com, or Robin Hescheles robinhescheles@yahoo.com.

Final Call for Office Items
We have nearly completed our annual collection of the many forms families need to turn in when we return to school. We are still missing items from many families, however. We recently sent home forms to families who have not turned in items. Please turn these in ASAP. We are looking for:
• (green) Emergency Cards
• (pink) Permission to Publish Form (K and New Students)
• (white) Concussion Information Sheet
• (gold) Computer Use Agreements (K and New Students)

If you need a new copy of any of the forms, please stop by the office.

Please take some time to read the Wines Times this week. And please remember there is no school next Tuesday.

Best,

David

Weekly Blog 10/16

Dear Wines Families,
This week's blog is a long one so I apologize in advance! Here goes:

Run-a-Thon
Last week’s Run-a-Thon was a great success and the pledges are beginning to trickle in. We are hoping that every Wines student collects pledges for the Run-a-Thon. Kindergarten through 4th grade pledges will go to purchasing new playground equipment and all 5th grade pledges go directly to help pay for our trip to Camp Tanuga this spring. 10% of proceeds will be donated to the Leslie Science Center. If everyone contributes, we will be able to do great things for our kids!! Every student received a pledge form last week. I’ve attached another copy of the form to today's email if you need a new one. Also, pledges can be made online at http://winespto.org/runathon.php. Please have your child turn in a pledge form even if all pledges are made online. This will really help our record keeping. Next Friday, October 25th is the final day to turn in pledges.

Spirit Wear Sales!
Wines Spirit Wear is available for order!  Check today’s Wednesday folders for the 2013 Spirit Wear order forms. Sample sizes will be on display periodically by the entrance to the school.  Forms are due to teachers by Friday, November 1. I attached the form to today's email as well. In addition, Spirit Wear can be ordered online at http://winespto.org/spiritwearsale.php. (Please note that the online form is not available yet. It will be available this week, however).

Builders and Science Fair
Our annual Builders and Science Fair is quickly approaching. The annual event open to all Wines students takes place next Thursday, October 24th. You can download an information and appliation form at http://winespto.org/SandBFair.pdf.

Dr. Swift’s Listen and Learn Tour: Oct. 30th
Please join our new Superintendent Dr. Jeanice Swift as her Listen and Learn Tour stops at Wines on Oct. 30th. The evening begins at 6:30. This is a great opportunity to meet our new leader and share your hopes, dreams, and concerns about the Ann Arbor Public Schools.

Walk to school Friday
Walktober continues this Friday with another Walk To School Day.

Halloween
Halloween is quickly approaching and again this year we will celebrate the day at Wines. Students can bring their costumes to school in a bag in the morning and they will change into costumes in the afternoon. Please remember that all costumes need to be friendly. No fake blood or weapons. A general rule of thumb is that if you have a question about the appropriateness of a costume or part of a costume, it likely isn’t appropriate!

I’m pleased to announce that we will return to an old Wines tradition of holding our annual Halloween Costume Parade through the neighborhoods behind our school. The parade will begin at 2:00. I will send out a route of where we will be walking next week!

Parent/Teacher Conferences
Parent/Teacher conferences are starting for most teachers during the next couple of weeks. I wanted to give all parents a quick message that there will be a new component to our conferences this year. As part of our School Improvement Plan, every student at Wines has a Personalized Learning Plan (PLP) this year. Our PLP’s offer a quick “data snapshot” into where each student was at the beginning of the year and each teacher’s goals for their students for this year. Our PLP’s use some of our available data and as with anything, the PLP does not address every way we assess student strengths or areas of opportunity. However, it does give us a nice starting point.

In our School Improvement Plan, we included a parent component to our PLP’s. At our Parent/Teacher conferences, teachers will ask parents to make a commitment to what you are willing to do to help us meet our goals for your child. Some teachers may send out a request for this information in advance of the conference and some may talk about it at your conference. We are not necessarily asking for parents to change what you are doing, or make any new sacrifices. However, we want you to formalize your commitment to our ongoing partnership.

So what might you commit to? I will use myself as an example. We read to our kids every night before they go to bed. However, we are often in a hurry to get them to sleep so I don’t often ask them to tell me about the story we read. I know that checking for understanding is a critical reading skill, so I am going to commit to asking my kids to give me some details about the stories we read each night. Hopefully this example helps.

Thanks!
David

Weekly Blog 10/2

Dear Wines Families,

Here is all the news for the week:

Walk to School Friday

Friday we begin our month-long celebration of “Walktober” here at Wines. We encourage all kids to walk to school this Friday and every Friday in October. We will also walk next Wednesday in honor of International Walk to School Day. Check with your neighbors for meeting locations! For bus riders, the busses will drop off at the Forsythe south lot where I will meet them and walk to Wines together. Students in AM care can join me for the walk to Forsythe and back.

Run-a-Thon

Our annual Run-a-Thon is next Friday, October 11^th. This is a great day at school and it is also one of our largest fundraisers. This year, we will again use proceeds from the Run-a-Thon to purchase new playground equipment. In addition, all of the money raised by 5^th graders will go directly to supporting the 5^th grade camp trip in May. Finally, 10% of our earnings will go to charity. Students are voting for which charity we will support this year. The three finalists are Peace Neighborhood Center, Leslie Science Center, and the Healing Wall Project at Mott Children’s Hospital. The winning charity will be announced at our Run-a-Thon kickoff pep rally on Friday afternoon. Next Wednesday in the Wednesday Folder, your child will come home with a pledge envelope for the Run-a-Thon. There are also online pledge opportunities (great for out of town friends and family). We are hoping to have 100% participation from Wines students this year. There is no pledge too small!!

We still need volunteers on the day of Run-a-Thon. Please sign up at this link:  http://vols.pt/dxUerY

If you would like to come cheer your child on, we hope you can join us for all or part of the morning. To help you plan, here are the approximate start times for each grade level:

9:30-3^rd Grade

9:50-4^th Grade

10:10-5^th Grade

10:30-2^nd Grade

10:45-Kindergarten

11:00-1^st Grade

Run-a-Thon Spirit Week!

Don't forget that Spirit Week is next week. This is a fun way to display some team and individual spirit as it leads up to the Wines Run-a-Thon on Friday, October 11.

Monday 10/7:  Wacky Hair or Hat day

Tuesday 10/8:  Pajama Day

Wednesday 10/9:  Biggest Fan (Sports) Day

Thursday 10/10: Fashion Disaster Day

Friday 10/11:  Team Unity Day* and Run-a-Thon!

*Parents: You may want to see if your child's teacher would like any help in motivating their class to display their team spirit in some wacky way!

Girl Scout Round Up

We will have a Girl Scout Round Up on Oct 3^rd at 7pm. There will be information about Girl Scouts and sign ups for each of our 3 troops—Daisies (K-gr1), Brownies (gr2-3), and Juniors (gr 4-5). We have an exciting year ahead and can’t wait to tell everyone about it! 

The first Brownie meeting will also take place on Oct 3^rd from 3:45-5 before the round up. We will welcome both new and returning 2^nd and 3^rd grade Brownies! The first Junior meeting will be on Oct 10^th from 3:45-5:30. The first Daisy meeting will be finalized and announced in the next few days. Meetings will occur every other week on Thursday.  Even if your daughter has a conflict for part of the year on our meeting days we encourage you to join us if she is interested!

Please email sknoel@umich.edu with ANY questions or if your daughter is interested but you are not able to attend the Round Up!

MEAP

The annual state MEAP test begins for 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th grades next week. I will be sending out some more specific information to families in those grades. However, the schedule is as follows:

Tuesday 10/8—3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th grade (Reading Day 1)

Wednesday 10/9—3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th grade (Reading Day 2)

Thursday 10/10—4^th Grade (Writing Day 1)

Tuesday 10/15—3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th grade (Math)

Wednesday 10/16—4^th Grade (Writing Day 2), 5^th grade (Science)

As always, we simply ask that students come to school well rested and ready to work hard. Of course, we ask that every day! Please do not plan to take your child out of school early on any of the MEAP days. Thanks!

Thanks,

David

Weekly Blog 9/26

Dear Wines Families,
Sorry my blog post is a day late this week.

Attached to yesterday's email was the latest edition of the Wines Times Newsletter. There is a lot of information in there, so please have a look. September is the only month with two newsletters going home. The rest of the year, please expect a monthly Wines Times.

I have a couple of other quick announcements in addition to what is in the Wines Times.

Run-a-Thon
We need your help for this year's Wines Run-a-Thon.  Please sign up for a volunteer position here or contact Jennifer Hall at a2halls@gmail.com.  Many thanks! An informational flyer about the Run-a-Thon and the many events leading up to the Run-a-Thon was attached to yesterday's email.

PTO Volunteers Still Needed
If you have not had a chance to sign up to volunteer at one (or more!) of our many events, sign up sheets have been put out near the Kindergarten doors inside next to Shanna Middleton’s classroom. In addition, we are looking for chairpersons for a few events. Please stop by the Kindergarten area to sign up. You can also contact Nicole Brittis at nicolebrittis@hotmail.com if you have any questions or would like to sign up.

Skyline's Homecoming is this Week!
Please join us for Skyline's Homecoming Parade this Friday, September 27 at 5:30 PM!

Also, join the Skyline Athletic Booster Club for Homecoming Pre-Game Festivities from 5:00 to 7:00. We will have Satchel's BBQ sandwich meals, blue cotton candy, Washtenaw Dairy blue ice cream and popcorn for sale before, during, and immediately after the Parade that starts at 5:30. Then stay to cheer on the Skyline Varsity football team as we play our cross-town rivals Pioneer! Wear Skyline blue!

Hope to see you Friday night.  Go Eagles!!


That’s it for this week. Be sure to have a look at the Wines Times.

David

Weekly Blog 9/18

Dear Wines Families,

This will be a fairly lengthy post today. But that is good news because it means there are a lot of great things happening at Wines!

Final Call for ThinkStretch Books
If your child has not turned in his or her ThinkStretch workbook, there is still time! We will be passing out medals on Friday. As a reminder, every child who completes any part of the workbook will receive a medal. If you have a book lying around your house, have your child bring it to their teacher by Friday.

Show Your Support
I want to remind everyone of the Show Your Support fundraiser happening at the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop this week: Please shop at the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop this week (through Saturday 9/21) to earn money for Wines and Lunches with Love. For every $5 you spend, you'll earn a token that you can put in a jar for Wines. Wines and the 3 other schools will split $1000, based on the proportion of tokens in their jars. The money we earn will go toward the Lunches with Love program, which provides lunches to needy families. The PTO Thrift Shop is located at 2280 S Industrial Hwy.

Run-a-Thon Oct. 11th
The Run-a-Thon is coming up on October 11th. This is one of the most exciting days of the year here at school and it is also one of our two large fundraisers. Attached to today’s email is a flyer with information about the Run-a-Thon. If you have any questions, please contact Frances Carlson at fslcarlson@me.com or Liz Marek at ajkeam@aol.com. More information will be coming home over the next couple of weeks.

Wines Speech Team
As I mentioned last week, we have a new club for students to join: the Wines Speech Team. If your 4th or 5th grade child loves to argue and perform, or would just like to improve their confidence, speaking and thinking abilities, this is the club for them. It's like track and field for the brain. All students love the Team Debate and Improvisation events, but a brave few also compete in literary performance events like Original Prose & Poetry. Here's how Improv works: Imagine you and a partner are given a topic and have only a few minutes to plan out a funny skit on that topic. The topic could be something like "How do you manage bossy parents? Go!" It sounds hard, but it's actually quite fun, and kids even do it better than professionals a lot of the time. This is a fun competitive activity with the side benefits of challenging kids’ intellectually and reducing their fear of public speaking for the rest of their lives. The club will meet on Wednesdays after school 3:45-5:15pm in room 100. Contact Shawn Batt at (517) 281-8521  shawnbatt@gmail.com to sign up and/or volunteer to help out.

Cub Scout Round Up
The annual Wines Cub Scout Round Up is next Wednesday, September 25th at 7:00 here at Wines. Scouting is available to boys in grades 1-5. If you are interested in learning more about our scout troops, please come to the round up. An informational flyer is attached to today's email with contact information for the scout leaders.

Back to School Paperwork
One final reminder about the back to school paperwork that was sent home the first week of school. If you are like me, you may still have a small pile of papers sitting on a countertop. If everyone could please make sure everything that needs to come back to school comes back, we would really appreciate it!

Finally, I want to let everyone know that both Robin and I will be out of the building on Friday afternoon. We have the office covered by a very competent person. However, if we could please limit the amount of last minute changes to kids’ schedules, it will help us out a great deal. Thanks!

David

Weekly Blog 9/11

Dear Wines Families,

It was great seeing everyone at Curriculum Night last night. If you were not able to come or you forgot to sign up for a Parent/Teacher conference, please contact your child’s teacher to set up a date.

I want to remind everyone that a red take home folder was sent home with each child last Friday with all the important back to school information. Many of the forms need to be brought back to school. Please try to do that ASAP. If for some reason you did not receive a folder, please let the office know and we will get the information to you.

ThinkStretch summer workbooks are due on Friday. Please have your child turn the workbook in to his or her teacher. Medals will be going home for all participants next week.

I want to highlight a new club at Wines. This year we will have an after school Speech Debate Team. Participation in speech and debate is a great way to improve students' confidence and hone their creative and academic abilities. We are starting up a team here at Wines and are looking for parents and/or staff to help out. The team is for 5th graders and patient 4th graders. It will meet Wednesdays 3:45-5:15pm in Room 100 starting September 25, and there are 4-6 Saturday tournaments during the year where students can compete in team debate and several performance events (improv, prose & poetry, oral interpretation). Please contact Shawn Batt if you are interested in helping or if you know of students who would like to participate (shawnbatt@gmail.com  | 517-281-8521)

That’s all for today!

David

Weekly Blog 9/4

Dear Wines Families,

What a great start to the new school year! These first two days have been better than we could have even expected and we are not only up and running, we are in “midseason form”.

For our new families at Wines, welcome to Wines and welcome to my weekly blog post. Please look for a weekly “Wednesday Email” from me all year and this weekly blog. The information in the blog is the same as in the Wednesday Email—minus attachments. Some weeks there is a lot of information to include, and other weeks there is less. I will try to limit the emails to one a week, though often there are important other announcements that need to go out at a different time. This week, for instance, you will receive an email from me on Friday with our September edition of the Wines Times newsletter.

Looking ahead, please mark your calendars for next Tuesday, September 10th for Curriculum Night. Curriculum Night is will take place from 6:30-8:00 PM. At 6:30, parents are invited to your child’s classroom for a teacher presentation. At 7:00 PM I will be speaking to our community in the Multi-Purpose Room. At 7:30, teachers will present a second time in order to meet the needs of families with more than one child at Wines or for families that could not make the 6:30 session. Please note that Curriculum Night is for adults and, unfortunately, we will not have childcare available.

On Friday, your child will receive a red folder with all of the beginning of the year paperwork. Please take some time this weekend to go through the packet and return any necessary documents next week.

We had a tremendous amount of participation in our summer learning ThinkStretch program. Please note that ThinkStretch booklets are due next Friday, September 13th. Your child can turn in the booklet at any time to their classroom teacher.

Attached to today’s email was a form looking for volunteers in the Media Center. This is a great place for parents to volunteer and there are opportunities daily!

That’s it for now!

David

Welcome Back to the 2013-2014 School Year!!

Dear Wines Families,
We are getting closer to being back together.
I've had a number of inquiries asking if we will have our annual Popsicles with the Principal where students meet their new teacher. The answer to this is yes! We will actually have two different events this year. First, we will invite our Kindergarten students and families to Wines next Tuesday, August 27th at 6:00 PM. Students will meet their teacher, visit their classrooms, and have a popsicle. The following day, Wednesday August 28th at 3:00 PM, we will invite grades 1-5 to school for a similar event. The only difference is that on Wednesday afternoon, the inside of the building will not be open.

Powerschool, our computer enrollment system is connected to my Schoolmessenger email system. Powerschool has been down for maintenance until last Friday. Therefore, I am still using our "old" list of students for my mass emails. As soon as we are all updated, I will send out more information about next week's events. In the meantime, I know that not all of our families are receiving this message (particularly families who have recently registered). So, please help spread the word to your friends and neighbors about next week!

Thanks!

David

Final Blog for 2012-2013 School Year

Dear Wines Families,

It is hard to believe this is the last Weekly Blog of the year. It has been a wonderful year and while I look forward to a small bit of down time, I will miss seeing all of your children each day. This last email has a few important announcements.

Half-Day Friday
I want to remind everyone that Friday is a half-day of school with students being dismissed at 11:45 AM.

Medication Pick-Up
As you make plans for the end of your child's school year, please stop by the office to pick up any medications your child has kept at school this year. Medications may only be released to parents for pick up. If you anticipate needing medication at school next year, you may want to pick up a form from the office to have completed by your child's physician over the summer.

Country Fair Donation Acknowledgements
Thanks to the generous donations from the Wines community the Country Fair Raffle and Silent Auction were a huge success. Many of you donated time, money, and prizes. For those who donated cash or prizes directly to the raffle or silent auction the committee will be sending acknowledgement letters next week. If you do not receive an acknowledgement or if you donated to the class basket collections and would like to receive an acknowledgement for tax purposes please message winesptotreasurer@gmail.com.

From the Principal for the Day
Today Lewis McCammon is serving as Principal for the Day after winning the opportunity at the Raffle last week. As part of his tasks today, he has a message for the Weekly Blog. Here goes:

School is coming to an end. I hope we see you next year. Good luck fifth graders at your new school. Tell your kids to do their Think Stretch just a little every day. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING DURING THE SUMMER IS TO HAVE FUN!!!


Have a great summer.

David (and Lewis)

Weekly Blog 5/24

Dear Wines Families,
For those of you who frequently check this blog, I apologize that this information is a couple of days late!


Believe it or not, next week is “Country Fair and Raffle Week” with our annual year-end celebration taking place next Friday, May 31st from 6:00-8:30 (rain or shine--but we know it will be a shiny day!). Today’s message will be devoted entirely to important information about the Country Fair and Raffle. Please take a moment and read through this important information.

Ticket Sales

• Online Fair, Raffle, and food ticket sales are now available through May 26th at  winespto.org/raffle/tickets.php

• Ticket Pre-sales will also take place before and after school Tuesday through Friday of next week (May 28th -31st) at the Wines front doors. Of course, tickets will also be available the night of the Fair. Cash or Check only.

The Raffle and Silent Auction Book is Here!!!!

On Friday of this week your child will be coming home with the famous Raffle and Silent Auction Book with descriptions of all of the Raffle and Silent Auction items. I’ve had a chance to preview the book and there is certainly something for everyone this year! I also emailed everyone a PDF version of the book earlier this week.

Volunteers Still Needed

A big thanks to everyone who has already signed up! However, there are still lots of important opportunities for volunteers. We need your help to make the Fair a success! Below are links to volunteer spots by grade level.


http://vols.pt/Auf5HG
Kindergarten link

http://vols.pt/QPe4rn
1st grade link

http://vols.pt/rFFGSj
2nd grade link

http://vols.pt/zxmjG2
3rd grade link

http://vols.pt/PoV2VC
4th grade link

http://vols.pt/9Y4u1j
5th grade link

Contact Erin Telemaco 5telemaco@comcast.net if you have any questions or problems with the links.

Classroom Raffle Baskets

Classroom Raffle Basket items are due today. If you would like to donate an item you may send it in with your child. Each classroom has a collection box. The raffle committee will organize the items into baskets of goodies to be raffled off at the Country Fair on May 31. Grade level themes for baskets are:

      Kindergarten- Arts & Crafts

      1st Grade- Lego's

      2nd Grade- More Lego's

      3rd Grade- Camping, Swimming & Outdoor Fun

      4th Grade- Sports & Outdoor Fun

      5th Grade- It's A High Tech World

Thank you for your support. If you have any questions contact:

Stephanie Gensheimer- tsgensheimer@att.net

Linda Peppin- qpep@comcast.net


Thanks and enjoy a great Memorial Day Weekend!



David

Weekly Blog 5/15

Dear Wines Families,

As with most of my recent emails, this again will be a long one! As you know, our Country Fair and Raffle is coming up on May 31st and to put on a successful event, we have multiple organizing committees and we need EVERYONE’S help in some way. In today’s email you will receive information about ticket sales and sign up opportunities. In addition, please look for follow up emails this week that will be grade level specific requesting specific volunteer opportunities, donations, etc. It can be a bit confusing—particularly if you are a new family to our school. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the various organizers who are listed. (Much of the information below has been cut and pasted from various places, I apologize if the formatting doesn’t work out perfectly!)

Country Fair and Raffle Advanced and Online Ticket Sales
This year, families have the opportunity to buy food tickets, wristbands, and raffle tickets in three ways:
*Pre-Order Online with your credit card from May 15-26 at  winespto.org/raffle/tickets.php. Tickets can be picked them up at the Will Call table during advance ticket sales or the night of the fair. Please note: tickets will NOT be shipped. (Unfortunately, Google check-out is not compatible with iPads or smartphones.) Buy online at winespto.org/raffle/tickets.php.

*Advance Ticket Sales the week of the fair (May 28-31). A table will be located outside the main doors before and after school. (Cash or check only.)

*At the Fair - ticket sales tables will be set up the night of the fair outside of school. (Cash or check only.)
Note: Tickets are NOT available at the school office.
Questions about ticket sales? Contact Nicole Brittis at nicolebrittis@hotmail.com.

Wines Country Fair Volunteers Needed!
Over 150 individuals are needed to make our Wines Country Fair a success! We need adults willing to work one-hour shifts before, during, and after the fair. The opportunities vary from running a carnival-like game to selling tickets to working at the PTO run concessions stand. Please consider volunteering for one or more of these necessary jobs. Everyone will be receiving an email this Friday, May 17th. The email will include a volunteer spot link that one can use to select their volunteer opportunity. If you have multiple children at Wines you will be receiving multiple emails since they will be divided by grade level. Pick one or more jobs! A reminder email will be sent to you the week of May 28th....Some of the best jobs go fast !!! Sign up early !!! One parent from almost every Wines family is needed to work one shift to make the Country Fair successful!! Look for an email on Friday!

Raffle Donations Needed
The Country Fair Raffle will soon be here! If you would like to donate an item to the raffle, please check out our wish list at winespto.org. You can sign up for an item at winespto.org and then bring it to the office by May 17. We have a collection basket in the office workroom under the counter. No donation is too big or too small. Some items from our wish list: loose change, books/movies, Slip-N-Slide, Orbeez toys, chocolate fountain, and sporting event tickets.  If you have any questions please contact Margaret Compton - bagladycompton@yahoo.com or Kerianne Tupac - kmtupac@umich.edu.

Classroom Baskets
Later today, I will be sending out grade level specific emails requesting donations for our classroom baskets. Each grade level has a different theme. Look for the email later today!


On to non-Country Fair and Raffle information…

Wines PTO Volunteer Sign Up 2013-2014
We hope you will consider chairing, co-chairing or participating on a Wines PTO committee for the 2013-2014 school year. A sign-up sheet was attached to today's email.  If you are interested, please fill out the form and return it to the office. We look forward to working with a dynamic group of individuals, helping to make the Wines experience exceptional for our kids! Any questions, please contact Annemarie Dolan at akilburndolan@comcast.net.

School Supplies for the Philippines
Our Student Council is cooperating with the University of Michigan to collect new and used school supplies for children in the Philippines. Attached to today's email is an informational flyer about this great giving opportunity.

That’s all for now…

David

Weekly Blog 5/7

Dear Wines Families,
Since we have a special event tomorrow, this week’s message is coming out a day early.

Bike To School Day Tomorrow
A reminder that tomorrow, Wednesday May 8th, is National Bike to School Day. We will have volunteers here from Mott Children’s Hospital who will be conducting free helmet fittings, passing out free goodies, and holding a raffle for new bike helmets. The weather is looking great for a nice ride to school tomorrow!

Wines Raffle Classroom Basket Donations
Wines Raffle Classroom Basket donations are being accepted May 13-24. If you would like to donate an item you may send it in with your child. Each classroom will have a collection box. The raffle committee will organize the items into baskets of goodies to be raffles off at the Country Fair on May 31.
The themes for this year baskets are:
       Kindergarten - Arts & Crafts
       1st Grade - Legos
       2nd Grade - More Legos
       3rd Grade –Camping, Swimming, and Outdoor Fun
       4th Grade - Sports & Outdoor Fun
       5th Grade - It's a High Tech World 

Thank you for your support. If you have any questions please contact:
Stephanie Genheimer - tsgensheimer@att.net
Linda Peppin- qpep@comcast.net


Thanks!

David

Weekly Blog 4/26

Dear Wines Families,

As I mentioned in Wednesday’s email, we have a number of additional announcements that were not in the Wines Times. So here goes:

Art Night
Just a reminder that tonight is Art Night. Janice Hendrick and her excellent group of volunteers have been very busy and the school looks like an art museum. We hope to see you tonight! Art Night is from 6:30-8:00. Thanks to everyone for all of your help and willingness to volunteer. Special thanks to Sonnet Meek and her son Teddy Curtner who brought in over 35 cans that are much needed to display some of our work tonight.

Girls on the Run 5K Event at Wines
Parents we need your help in making this event a success for our Girls!Our Wines "Girls on the Run" team is holding a practice 5k event after school on Tuesday, April 30 and would like to invite you to run with us, cheer for us, or quench our thirst! We will be starting at the front of school at 4pm.  Our route takes us through the Creal Park neighborhood. Come to school at 4pm and run with us or help us out with a water stop in the neighborhood.  Sign up here if you can help: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/409054DA5AE2B0-girls/1605923. We are practicing for the end of the season run with all the Girls on the Run teams in southeastern Michigan which will take place on May 19 at Eastern Michigan University. We'd love to see you there too. For more information about the event or how to sign up to run with your daughter or support your Wines team, go to http://girlsontherunsemi.org/events/GOTR-events.php.  If you would like to help with our practice 5k or for more information, contact coach Jennifer Hall at a2halls@gmail.com.

Help and Materials Needed for 2nd Grade Instrument-Making Project
The instrument-making unit is about to begin for 2nd graders, and we need families (any Wines families!) to donate these items:

Large empty oatmeal containers
Duct tape
PVC pipe, ½ inch and larger
A few clean 2 liter soda bottles
A few yards of clean garden hose
Sturdy cardboard shoe boxes with lids
Please send supplies in to the music room by May 1st. We also need parent volunteers for the project. It’s a fun project and the kids really appreciate your help. Contact Ms. McNally at mcnally@aaps.k12.mi.us if you can help during your 2nd grader’s music class. Thank you very much!

Great Ideas Grants
Turn a great idea into a program that benefits the Wines community. So far this school year, the program has funded 13 grants, including:

Portable digital storage for the library
Digital cameras for school use
Student “Be Green” club
Automatic pencil sharpeners for classrooms
 Applications due May 1st. Applications can be found in the office or on the Wines PTO Website.  If you have any questions or want help filling out an application, please email Annemarie Dolan atakilburndolan@comcast.net.

More Miller Construction Information
One thing that I did not mention related to the Miller Road construction is the fact that due to the construction, there has been an increase in traffic in the neighborhoods around our school. Please be sure to keep your speeds down and look for children walking. We have lots of walkers and we want to continue to encourage walking to school and we want to make sure they are safe!

Yearbook
Last call for pictures for the yearbook!  We are in need of photos of Halloween and group photos from the classrooms.   Please email (in high resolution format) to debbietirico@me.com and indicate which classroom teacher.  Deadline is Thursday!!

Wines Auction
It's hard to believe, but the Wines Country Fair is about 6 weeks away!  That means the auction and raffle committees are busy rounding up donations from local businesses and you, the families at Wines.  Please consider donating or sponsoring an item for the auction.  Last year we had 30 items and raised over $9000.  If you would like to donate an item or sponsor an item with a monetary donation, please contact Anna Morgan at annamorganforest@yahoo.com or Debbie Tirico at debbietirico@me.com.

Can't think of an item…. here are some from the Auction that we've seen in prior years. We would love to see these and new ideas for this year!  Can you help?

Tickets to sporting events
Wine tasting
Vacation homes
Golf Outings
Classroom Pizza Party
Local restaurants and entertainment

Have a great (and sunny!) weekend.

David

Weekly Blog 4/17

Dear Wines Families,
As we inch closer to the end of the school year, we will have lots of information to send out as we have lost of activities! So again this week, we have a long email. Please see below.

Spring Pictures
Spring pictures are being taken on Friday. You should have received a packet earlier this week or one will be coming home today. Pictures are optional and only students who have a packet or signed up online will have their picture taken.

Art Night Update
We need your 18 oz - 28 oz metal cans. We've gotten about 8 and we need a total of 65. We will use them to display some of the artwork so they need to be clean and label free. Leave them in the Art Room or contact Linda Peppin Qpep@comcast.net to make other arrangements if needed.
Thanks to all of the people who have helped out so far this week. If you can help prepare and hang the artwork for an hour or two during school hours this week, email Linda Peppin at Qpep@comcast.net to let us know. We also have time scheduled this Saturday (Science Olympiad) from 9 am – 1 pm to finish all of the hanging.

The online Art Night sign up is now posted, so you can sign up to help on the night of the event.
To sign up to volunteer:
1. Click this link to go to our invitation page on VolunteerSpot: http://vols.pt/AyuxBh
2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on VolunteerSpot)
3. Sign up! Choose your spots - VolunteerSpot will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy!

We are still looking for a few more volunteers to send in snacks for Art Night as well. Below is a link to that sign up.
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/409044CADA92F4-artnight/1151961

Disability Awareness Workshop

Our annual 4th grade Disability Awareness Workshop is taking place on Monday. We are still in need of a couple volunteers for set up/pick up duty. If you are able, please click on the link below. A Workshop flyer is attached to today’s email.
http://tinyurl.com/bd882er

Girls on the Run 5K Event at Wines: Parents we need your help in making this event a success for our Girls!

Our Wines "Girls on the Run" team is holding a practice 5k event after school on Tuesday, April 30 and would like to invite you to run with us, cheer for us, or quench our thirst!  We will be starting at the front of school at 4pm.  Our route takes us through the Creal Park neighborhood.  It would be awesome if some families in the neighborhood could set up water tables for our runners or be in your front yards to cheer us as we run by.  Or, come to school at 4pm and run with us!  We are practicing for the end of the season run with all the Girls on the Run teams in southeastern Michigan which will take place on May 19 at Eastern Michigan University.  We'd love to see you there too.  For more information about the event or how to sign up to run with your daughter or support your Wines team, go to http://girlsontherunsemi.org/events/GOTR-events.php.  If you would like to help with our practice 5k or for more information, contact coach Jennifer Hall at a2halls@gmail.com.

Thanks,

David

Weekly Blog 4/10

Dear Wines Families,

There are lots of important announcements this week.

Science Fun Night Tomorrow

In preparation for the upcoming Science Olympiad, we are hosting Science Fun Night tomorrow (Thursday) from 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM. Our young Science Olympians will showcase their events in advance of the competition on April 20th. Join us for hands on activities and demonstrations, raffle prizes, snacks, and a live water rocket launch (weather permitting). If you have ever wondered what the country’s largest Olympiad is all about, come join us to find out.

Art Night is Coming Up!

Art Night is Friday, April 26^th from 6:30-8:00. This all school event will include artwork from all Wines students. To put on this event, we have of course our wonderful Art teacher Janice Hendrick as well as a dedicated parent committee. All the plans are in place and the artwork is nearly complete. Now we just need some more volunteers to help out. The Art Night Committee needs your 18 oz - 28 oz metal cans! We need about 65 of them. Mrs. Hendrick will be using the cans to display some of the artwork so they need to be clean and the labels need to be removed. You can leave them with her at the Art Room or contact Linda Peppin to make other arrangements if needed.

The online Art Night sign up is now posted. You can sign up there to help prepare for Art Night and to help out on the night of the event. Thank you all in advance for all of your help. It is very much appreciated. 

To sign up to volunteer: 

1. Click this link to go to our invitation page on VolunteerSpot: http://vols.pt/AyuxBh

2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on VolunteerSpot) 

3. Sign up! Choose your spots - VolunteerSpot will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy!

If you can help during the preparation next week on April 15, 18 or 20, but not for a whole time slot, please email Linda Peppin with your availability. We will still welcome your help. Email Linda Peppin at Qpep@comcast.net.

Another great way to help out with Art Night is to sign up to bring in treats for the event. Below is another quick sign up link to volunteer to bring in food for the evening.

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/409044CADA92F4-artnight

AAPS Budget

As I hope our community knows, our school district is again facing substantial budget reductions for the 2013-2014 school year. We are anticipating between $17-20 million in reductions. This means hard choices will need to be made that will impact Wines and our entire district. There are three more Community Dialogue sessions scheduled that I encourage parents to attend so that you are informed and providing input. The dates are as follows:

April 9, Tuesday, 7-9 pm

Slauson Middle School, Media Center

1019 West Washington, Ann Arbor

Board members expected to attend:  Christine Stead, Glenn Nelson, Deb Mexicotte

April 16, Tuesday, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm

Downtown Ann Arbor Public Library – 4^th Floor Conference Room (A)

343 South Fifth Avenue, Ann Arbor

Board members expected to attend:  Irene Patalan, Glenn Nelson, Deb Mexicotte

April 20, Saturday, 9-11 am

Scarlett Middle School, Media Center

3300 Lorraine Street, Ann Arbor

Board members expected to attend:  Susan Baskett, Glenn Nelson, Deb Mexicotte

Thanks,

David

Weekly Blog 3/27

Dear Wines Families,

The Wines Times was attached to today's email so all the important news can be found there! I do want to remind everyone that there is no school on Friday or next week for Spring Break. Also, our lost and found items are on display outside of the library. We will be donating any remaining items to charity over the break.

Thanks, and please take a moment to read the Wines Times.

David

Weekly Blog 3/20

Dear Wines Families,

Well, this is a busy time of year, so again this week the weekly communication is a bit lengthy. There are a couple of repeat messages here, but they are important.

Surveys

Last week I sent links to two surveys and I’ve included them below again. The first is a parent input survey for class placement for next year. While we don’t consider requests for specific teachers, if you have input about your child that you believe will help us as we make decisions, please fill out the survey. In addition, if your family is not returning to Wines next year, this survey gives you the opportunity to let us know.

Parent Input Survey

The second survey is a district created survey about your experiences at Wines this year. This survey will help us as we plan for the future and work to meet the needs of our community.

Family School Improvement Survey

Please complete the surveys by next Thursday, March 28th.

Yearbook Photos

If you have photos that you would like to contribute to the yearbook, please email the photos to Debbie Tirico at debbietirico@me.com.  Please indicate what grade level for each child photographed.  Child names do not need to be included.  Please submit by March 31.

Raffle Help

The Country Fair and Raffle is right around the corner! We need your help!  Planning for the Wines Raffle has already started.  If you are interested in lending a hand please contact Kerianne Tupac  - kmtupac@umich.edu, or Margaret Compton - bagladycompton@yahoo.com.  You can help leading up to the raffle and/or the evening of the raffle. Both Kerianne and Margaret can also answer any questions you have about the raffle.

Art Room Newsletter

Attached to today's email was Janice Hendrick’s newsletter from the Art Room. There is a lot going on in Art (including our Art Night coming up April 26th), so please take a look!

Spring Break Coming

Just a reminder that there is no school next Friday, March 29th and no school the following week (April 1st-5th). Despite the winter weather, believe it or not, it is spring!

Thanks,

David

Weekly Blog 3/13

Dear Wines Families.

This is one of those weeks where we have a lot of important information. I apologize in advance for this long message!

Surveys

Below are links to two important surveys. The first is a survey about next year. We are already looking ahead to the fall and as always, your input is helpful as we move ahead. The parent input form allows parents to give us information about your child that we can use to help with class placement. As always, we do not accept requests for individual teachers. The survey is optional. However, if your child is not returning to Wines next year, please fill out the survey so we have that important information.

Parent Input Survey

The second survey is a survey being sent to all Ann Arbor Public Schools parents. This is an opportunity to provide feedback about your experiences at Wines this year and will be very helpful as we continually strive to meet the needs of our kids and families at Wines. You will be receiving a district email tomorrow with a link to the same survey. I’m hopeful that all of our families fill out this survey.

Family School Improvement Survey

PTO Meeting

Our next PTO meeting is next Tuesday evening, March 19th at 7:00 PM. As always, free childcare is available. At the meeting we will have a speaker from Champions for Charity (proceeds from Ann Arbor Marathon go to Ann Arbor Public School Foundation). In addition, the PTO will be discussing the upcoming PTO Executive Board elections. The PTO is still looking for new members for the Executive Board.

Food Drive

Yesterday we began our annual Rotary/Food Gatherers Food Drive. Bins are located at our main entrance, our Kindergarten entrance, and the student bus entrance. Let’s fill up all of our bins!

Report Cards

School was not in session this past Monday as it was a day for teachers to finish writing report cards. Report cards will be sent home in backpacks on Monday, March 18th.

March is Reading Month

By now I hope everyone knows about our March is Reading Month activities. Your child should be filling out a reading log nightly and returning it to school each Wednesday. Last week we just missed our weekly goal. Hopefully this week we will exceed it and get on track!

Raffle Help

The Country Fair and Raffle is right around the corner! We need your help!  Planning for the Wines Raffle has already started.  If you are interested in lending a hand please contact Kerianne Tupac  - kmtupac@umich.edu, or Margaret Compton - bagladycompton@yahoo.com.  You can help leading up to the raffle and/or the evening of the raffle.

Thanks!

David

Weekly Blog 2/13

Dear Wines Families,
As we know, the snow day on Monday caused us to postpone Parent Involvement Day. While we will host the event this year, trying to schedule a new day is a bit tricky as it seems every day for the rest of the school year has something that will need to be rescheduled. However, we are looking at a couple different days in March and April that seem workable. I will let you know when we have a new date and we will again send out invitations and a new RSVP.

Wines Wahoo - Friday, March 8th, 2013 from 6:30 - 8:30 @ Forsythe Middle School
Are you tired of the grey and cold?  Ready for a tropical escape?  The Wines Wahoo is the perfect opportunity to shake off the winter blues! The Wines Wahoo is a luau-themed, fun, family event for all Wines students, their parents and younger siblings. The Wahoo includes music provided by a kid friendly DJ, fun activities in the gym, face painting, and tattoos. There will be pizza, snacks and beverages for sale.  A parent or other adult over the age of 18 must accompany each Wines student. Children over 5th grade will not be admitted to the event but can volunteer. Younger siblings are invited to participate. There is a suggested donation of $5 per family that helps to cover the cost of the DJ and decorations. There is also a nominal fee for the food. In order to make the Wahoo a success, we need volunteers to help with set-up, admissions, refreshments, gym monitoring and clean-up.  There will be several shifts, so you will have time to socialize and have fun with your kids.
 Please sign up for Wines Wahoo - it's easy:
 1. Click this link to go to our invitation page: http://vols.pt/uMRxLu
 2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on VolunteerSpot)

Questions? Contact Denise Duffy (dduffy@isr.umich.edu) or Bobbi Coluni (bobbi.coluni@gmail.com)

Girls on the Run
Girls on the Run at Wines has spaces for 3rd-5th grade girls interested in running and fun!  Registration closes this Friday, February 15th.  The Wines team meets Tuesdays and Thursdays after school until 5:30pm.  Season starts March 12.  Sign up here: www.girlsontherunsemi.org/signup

And just a reminder, there is no school next week.

David

Weekly Blog 2/6

Dear Wines Families, 

I just have a couple of messages today. First, I want to remind everyone that we are inviting all Wines parents to our annual Parent Involvement Day next Monday, February 11th. You can spend any part of the day with your child or even the entire day! We would like to have a good estimate of how many folks we are expecting and how many parents are staying for lunch with us (complimentary pizza lunch will be provided for adults). If you are coming on Monday and have not RSVP'd yet, please click on the link below and let us know you are coming and if you are eating. 

RSVP

I also want to send out one final reminder about Kindergarten Round Up. Round Up is tomorrow night (Feb. 7th) from 6:30-7:30. If you have a child entering Kindergarten next year (or if you have friends or neighbors who do), please come to Round Up along with your child tomorrow evening. 

Finally, for parents in Mrs. Rodriguez and Mrs. Caruso's class, just a reminder that to save on paper costs and do our small part for the environment, we are only printing limited copies of programs for tonight's performance. I sent out an email attachment with the program to you today as well as last week. 

Thanks!

David

Weekly Blog 1/30

Dear Wines Families, 

Sorry there was no blog message last week due to our internet outage. The January Wines Times was  attached to today's email with lots of important information so I'll keep my message brief. I do want to bring your attention to three important items that are also in the Wines Times. 

First, just a final reminder that International Night is tomorrow night (Jan. 31st) beginning at 6:30. It is shaping up to be a great evening. 

Second, today every family will be receiving a yellow invitation to our annual Parent Involvement Day celebration on Monday, Feb. 11th. We hope to see you for some or part of the day on the 11th. I will be sending out an electronic RSVP either Thursday or Friday. If you are coming that day, please fill out the RSVP--particularly if you are staying for lunch so we are sure to order enough food. 

Finally, a reminder that Kindergarten Round Up is next Thursday, Feb. 7th from 6:30-7:30. If you have a child coming to Kindergarten in the fall (or if you have friends or neighbors how do), please bring your child to Round-Up next week. If you can't make Round-Up, please call Robin in the office so we have your child's information and Robin can arrange with you when to pick up your registration and information packet. 

Thanks and please read the WInes Times! 

David

Weekly Blog 1/16

Dear Wines Families,

There are a number of important pieces of information this week. Sorry for the long message!

Mark Your Calendars
• January 21st: No school in honor of the Dr. Martin Luther King holiday.
• January 22nd: We will have our annual MLK celebration at 1:30. Every student will participate. All are welcome (please note that parent seating will be extremely limited).
• January 29th: No school for students. (This is a professional development day for staff. This date was not on the original PTO calendar sent home earlier this year).
• January 31st: International Night (More information later in this message).
• February 11th: Parent Involvement Day (More information and an invitation coming soon. We hope to see all parents for at least part of the day).

School Security
At the PTO meeting last night, I discussed the current safety procedures in place at Wines in the wake of the tragedy in Connecticut. While we have not made any large changes, we have made some small changes and we have reviewed and “tightened” our existing procedures. You have likely noticed that only one front door is open during the day. That door can be locked from the office with the push of a button. In addition, all interior doors are now kept locked so they can be easily closed and secured in the event of a lock down. Please be sure to ALWAYS have a visitor badge on when you are in the building—even if you are a regular volunteer. I have been asked many times about the possibility of installing a camera at the front door and keeping the door locked at all times. This is something the school district is looking into.

International Night
International Night is coming!  On Thursday, January 31, Wines will host a fun and informative event showcasing the many cultures of the Wines community. We need students to create and present projects, parents to assist with cultural crafts and activities, young performers to entertain with multi-cultural acts, and everyone involved to contribute their favorite ethnic dishes for an international buffet! Please sign up online at www.SignUpGenius.com/go/20F0C4FAFAA2EAA8-volunteers. Please contact Shireen Syed (shisy786@yahoo.com) or Annemarie Dolan (akilburndolan@comcast.net) with any questions.

Girls on the Run-Spring 2013
Registration is now open for Girls on the Run for Spring 2013. Our Wines site is almost full, unless we can get more coaches. If you want to sign your daughter up, please add her to the waitlist at Rec and Ed and complete the registration on the GOTR website. If we can find two more full-time coaches (parents, grandparents, family friends, high school or college students), we can accommodate more girls at our site. Please contact Jennifer Hall at a2halls@gmail.com or (734) 213-6037 if you are interested. Registration fees for daughters of coaches are waived by GOTR. Spring session starts March 12. The Wines team meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school until 5:30. Open to girls in grades 3-5. Come join the fun!

Thanks!

David

Weekly Blog 1/9

Dear Wines Families,

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a nice winter break and were able to relax and have some family time. It was great to see all of the kids arrive back to school on Monday. Students and staff are “back to business” and it seems like we never left.

There are a number of important announcements this week.

Lunchtime Extra Specials start January 15th!
The Lunchtime Extra Specials activities start next Tuesday and we still need volunteers!! We only need a commitment of one lunchtime per week for 7 weeks (skipping mid-Winter Break) and younger siblings are more than welcome!

We are in need of volunteers to lead Board Games and Speed Stacking (Tuesdays). We also need additional help with: Free Dance (Wednesdays), Sewing & Crafts (Wednesdays), Knitting—Beginning & Experienced (Thursdays), Paper Airplanes (Thursdays), and Origami (Fridays)

If you have time to help us with this fun and much-loved activity, please visit VolunteerSpot at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4DA9A629A13-parent and sign up today. You can also email shisy786@yahoo.com with your activity preference and availability. We look forward to seeing you at lunch next week!

REGISTER NOW FOR GIRLS ON THE RUN - SPRING 2013
Registration is now open for Girls on the Run for Spring 2013.  Session starts March 12. Wines team meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school until 5:30. Open to girls in grades 3-5. Come join the fun! For more information, contact Jennifer Hall at a2halls@gmail.com or (734) 213-6037.

Kindergarten Round Up
Our annual Kindergarten Round Up will take place on Thursday, February 7th from 6:30-7:30 PM. If you have a child who will be 5 years old by Nov. 1, 2013, please come to Round Up with your child! You can begin registering your child at any time beginning now. Please help spread the word to your friends and neighbors as well.

PTO Meeting
Our next PTO meeting will be taking place next Tuesday, January 15th at 7:00 PM. Heather Herrick, our School Social Worker, will be at the meeting and will speak briefly about talking to kids about violence in the wake of the tragedy in Connecticut. I will also be speaking about current security measures in place. As always, free childcare will be available.

Thanks for Giving!!
Our four simultaneous giving opportunities in December were incredibly successful. Thank you to everyone for participating in our Food Drive with Food Gatherers, our Coat Drive, the Wish List items for the Ann Arbor Preschool, and/or our Puzzle Collection for Peer Pals. I’m happy to report that we donated 542 pounds of food to Food Gatherers, collected 95 coats or other winter garments, nearly filled all of the wish list items for the preschool, and we have more puzzles than our Peer Pals know what to do with!! Thank you Wines!

David