Weekly Update 10/27

 

Dear Wines Families, 

Halloween Celebration 10/29. Half Day

As I wrote last week, Wines will have a Halloween celebration on Friday. We will have a parade beginning at 9:30 AM. Parents, if you are going to join, we cannot have you actually “join” the parade. Instead, I suggest you line the long sidewalk extending from the Wines parking lot, through the Forsythe playing fields, to the Hillridge cut through. It does appear that Friday will be rainy. If it is too wet, we will cancel the parade. But we will go as scheduled in light rain. Please note that Oct. 29 is a HALF DAY with dismissal at 11:28. 

Costumes are optional. If students want to wear a costume, they should plan on coming to school in costume and leaving school in costume. We will not be changing in and out of costumes at school as in years past. COVID protective masks are mandatory both inside and in the parade. Costumes must be friendly—no fake blood or weapons. The rule of thumb is that if you aren’t sure if a costume or prop is appropriate, then it probably isn’t. 

Picnic Tables are Here!! We Need Help

Thanks to the incredible community support for the Run-a-thon, we were able to purchase 10 picnic tables to make it easier for students to eat lunch in the fresh air. However, a little assembly is required. It should only take about an hour with enough people. If you're able to help and have a few tools to bring, please sign-up here. We're aiming for Monday evening, November 1, weather permitting.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080B44A5A722A7FC1-wines

PTO Meeting Thursday at 7:30 PM

The Zoom information was sent in today's email. 

News from the library

Now is a great time to check your shelves for lost library books and send them back to school with your student(s) at any time. They are welcome to return books on their way to class before school starts each day. If you have questions about missing books or you’d like a list of books currently checked out to your child, please reach out to Mrs. Goldberg (goldbergr@aaps.k12.mi.us).

Great Ideas Grants Have Returned!

Do you have a great idea to support Wines Elementary?  

The Great ideas Grant program is an opportunity for Wines students, parents, and staff to turn a great idea into a funded program to benefit the Wines community! The grant approval committee meets twice a year to vote on applications. 

Submissions are now being accepted using the Google Form linked here:

https://forms.gle/K2BT31ZACxVSYwby7

It's the same application whether you are submitting an idea as a student or teacher/parent. You will see that you will have the option to select who you are in the form. The deadline for the first round of applications is November 5th. Don’t let a great idea go to waste! Submit now! Submit several! We look forward to hearing from you. For questions or more information contact: Anu Huntley at anu.agrawal.huntley@gmail.com

Crosswalk

I've noticed a few kids crossing the crosswalk at our front entrance by themselves. Please, students are not allowed to cross by themselves. They must be accompanied by an adult. Students who are by themselves must go around on the sidewalk past the gate. This is a long standing safety measure at Wines. 

No School Tuesday, Nov. 2nd

There is no school Tuesday, Nov. 2nd for Election Day. 

David

Weekly Update 10/20

Dear Wines Families, 

Just a reminder that today is an Early Release Day with dismissal at 1:18. Busses will run normal routes with the schedule simply being 2.5 hours earlier. 

Halloween Celebration 10/29. Half Day

Later this week I will send a specific email regarding our school wide plans for next Friday, Oct. 29th. But as a preview, please note that if students want to wear a costume to school, we ask that they come to school in costume and leave in costume. We will not be changing in and out of costumes. We will have a parade beginning at 9:30 AM. Please note that Oct. 29 is a HALF DAY with dismissal at 11:28. So not an Early Release like today. Look for more details later this week. 

Great Ideas Grants Have Returned!

Do you have a great idea to support Wines Elementary?  

The Great ideas Grant program is an opportunity for Wines students, parents, and staff to turn a great idea into a funded program to benefit the Wines community! The grant approval committee meets twice a year to vote on applications. 

Submissions are now being accepted using the Google Form linked here:

https://forms.gle/K2BT31ZACxVSYwby7

It's the same application whether you are submitting an idea as a student or teacher/parent. You will see that you will have the option to select who you are in the form. The deadline for the first round of applications is November 5th.

Don’t let a great idea go to waste! Submit now! Submit several! We look forward to hearing from you. For questions or more information contact: Anu Huntley at anu.agrawal.huntley@gmail.com

Final Run-a-Thon Updates

I would like to once again thank Andrea Burkhart for taking on the leadership responsibilities for Run-a-Thon this year. It was new for Andrea and it was our first “real” Wines event in almost two years. And it was a smashing success!! We are still collecting pledges this week and we are aiming for 100% participation from each class, no matter the amount. Every dollar supports facility improvements and programs inside and outside the classroom. This year, we are putting a portion of the funds toward the purchase of picnic tables for the courtyard to increase the number of days our kids can have lunch outside. Online pledges are an easy way to share with friends and family. It appears that most of our struggles with online pledges are cleared up. I did learn one potential solution if you are still having issues. Below is a link to the main Square donation page https://wines-elementary-school-pto.square.site/shop/run-a-thon/6. If you click on “Sponsor a Child” it takes you to the next link that I’ve shared previously and for some reason this way of entry fixes some of the glitches we’ve had. 

Traffic Reminders

Some of this is a repeat from last week:

Main Lot (Newport Entrance)

I am asking that upon your exit, that you exit through the Forsythe exit and not at our Newport exit. In other words, after the stop sign take your first right toward Forsythe. There is a four way stop at the Forsythe/Sunset/Newport intersection that I think (I hope) will allow for some more efficiency and safety. 

On a related noted, I have noticed a few cars coming down the driveway passing the line of cars and attempting to find parking near the school. Please, if you come into the lot once the lineup has started, you should assume that there is no available parking other than in the Forsythe overflow lot (where parking is plentiful). Bypassing the line only causes there to be potentially dangerous situations. The only vehicle that should bypass the line are busses who need to gain access to the bus pick up area. By having vehicles exit toward Forsythe as outlined above, the driveway clears for busses to have access. Also, by having vehicles exit to Forsythe, we can allow for cars to bypass the very end of the line to gain access to the Forsythe overflow lot. This should be as far as any car should go in the “bypass” lane. 

Both Lots

Please make sure you are utilizing the correct lot. Y5, Kindergarten, and 5th grade should be using the Cooley Lot only. 1st-4th used the main entrance lot. Please use the lot for the youngest sibling in the household. 

While we understand the need to have young students in car seats, it is important that the kids learn to be independent with buckling and unbuckling. Parents should not need to exit the car to assist. 

That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading! 

David

 

Weekly Update 10/13

 

Dear Wines Families, 

It has been a fun Spirit Week thus far and we are looking forward to Friday’s Run-a-Thon. 

Run-a-Thon Items

Run-a-Thon Volunteers Still Needed

We are still in need of volunteers for Friday, especially for the snack table and cleand up. Please click on the link below if you can help. You can sign up for more than one shift/role. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050f48a9a823a3f49-wines

Run-a-Thon Schedule

Below is the Run-a-Thon schedule if you would like to come and cheer your child on. While the event is outside, we do strongly encourage mask wearing on school property if you join us. 

Run-a-Thon Fundraising

As you know, Run-a-thon is our largest fundraiser. Pledge packets came home last week. We are aiming for 100% participation from each class, no matter the amount. Every dollar supports facility improvements and programs inside and outside the classroom. This year, we are putting a portion of the funds toward the purchase of picnic tables for the courtyard to increase the number of days our kids can have lunch outside. Online pledges are an easy way to share with friends and family. Online pledges can be made at:

https://wines-elementary-school-pto.square.site/shop/run-a-thon/6?page=1&limit=60&sort_by=category_order&sort_order=asc. 

Afternoon Traffic Flow

As we continue to fall into our usual daily routines, I wanted to point out a couple items about our afternoon lineup in the main parking lot (Newport entrance) and make a recommendation/request. Generally speaking, while the line is long, we have a fairly efficient dismissal and I thank you all for your cooperation. However, there are a couple things I think we can improve upon that will help everyone. 

I am asking that upon your exit, that you exit through the Forsythe exit and not at our Newport exit. In other words, after the stop sign take your first right toward Forsythe. There is a four way stop at the Forsythe/Sunset/Newport intersection that I think (I hope) will allow for some more efficiency and safety. 

On a related noted, I have noticed a few cars coming down the driveway passing the line of cars and attempting to find parking near the school. Please, if you come into the lot once the lineup has started, you should assume that there is no available parking other than in the Forsythe overflow lot (where parking is plentiful). Bypassing the line only causes there to be potentially dangerous situations. The only vehicle that should bypass the line are busses who need to gain access to the bus pick up area. By having vehicles exit toward Forsythe as outlined above, the driveway clears for busses to have access. Also, by having vehicles exit to Forsythe, we can allow for cars to bypass the very end of the line to gain access to the Forsythe overflow lot. This should be as far as any car should go in the “bypass” lane. 

We will continue to monitor both the main lot and the Cooley lot and make necessary changes to the system as the year goes on. Your continued patience and help in following the procedures are most helpful! 

That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading! 

David

Weekly Update 10/6

 

Dear Wines Families, 

It was a busy and fun day at Wines today. We celebrated International Walk to School Day, we had Picture Day, and we ended the day with our annual Run-a-Thon Pep Rally—this time with our first ever outdoor assembly. Here is the news for the week! 

Run-a-Thon Friday Oct. 15

As I said, we kicked off the Run-a-Thon today with a Pep Rally featuring the Skyline Drumline and a special visit from Ms. Wahl where we dedicated our gymnasium to her for her 50+ years with AAPS. Next Friday is our annual Run-a-Thon which is not only one of them most fun days of the year, but also our most important fundraiser. In the Wednesday Folder today, you will find a Run-a-Thon packet with information about the event and how to make pledges. Pledges can be made online at https://wines-elementary-school-pto.square.site/shop/run-a-thon/6?page=1&limit=60&sort_by=category_order&sort_order=asc. Online support is a great way to reach out of town friends and family. If you are interested in helping organize Run-a-Thon in advance or help during the event itself, please contact Andrea at dredvm18@gmail.com. While Run-a-Thon is a large and important event at Wines, it is actually one of the easiest events to be a volunteer and one of the most fun volunteer opportunities at Wines. Please consider helping us “re-launch” this Wines tradition!

Spirit Week

As we lead up to Run-a-Thon, next week is spirit week. The days are as follows:

Monday: Pajama Day 

Tuesday: Wacky Hair Day

Wednesday: Favorite Team Day

Thursday: Head to toe, (hats/shoes) wacky day

Friday: Run-a-Thon Spirt Day (each classroom will come up with their team name and theme)

Girl Scouts

Is your daughter interested in joining Girl Scouts at Wines? Please contact mknezek@hotmail.com or 248-250-2512 for more information. Troops are currently forming or available K-5.

That’s all for this week! 

David

Weekly Update 9/29

 Dear Wines Families, 

There is a lot to share today. I hope you find a moment to read through this week’s message. 

Walktober Starts Friday

Friday marks the first day of October and our annual celebration of “Walktober”. We will encourage students to walk to school each Friday in October as well as Wednesday, Oct. 6th which is International Walk to School Day. There are a few spots where kids can pick up a stamp or sticker for participating:  

Sunset & Newport

Saunders Crescent & Cooley

Riverwood & Newport

Wines Baseball Field

We are still seeking volunteers!  Please sign up here.  You are welcome to grab a friend, a dog, and/or a coffee to stamp hands and cheer on our walkers!

This year, unfortunately, we will not be able to have our busses stop at an alternate stop. However, bus students will have the opportunity to take a short walk when the arrive to school if they’d like to participate. 

Picture Day: Wednesday Oct. 6

Picture Day is next Wednesday. All students will have their picture taken, even if you are not ordering a package. Also, all Wines students receive a yearbook regardless of package purchase. You can order your package online at: inter-state.com/FlyerEntry/59580PF

Spirit Wear on Sale Now

We are pleased to announce that our online Wines "Spirt Wear" store is open! We have lots of new designs this year for both kids and adults (I'm going to replenish my supply with new designs!). The store is only open until Oct. 1st, however. Delivery goes directly to your residence. Below is a link to the online store. https://pogo.undergroundshirts.com/collections/wines-elementary-apparel

PTO Meeting Tonight: 8:00 PM

Please join us for a review of this year’s budget and a walk through our planned program schedule. We’re still on the lookout for volunteers to lead some key committees! The Zoom link was sent in today's email.

Run-a-Thon: Sponsors Needed

Our annual Run-a-Thon is scheduled for the morning of Friday, Oct. 15th. Every Wines student participates in Run-a-Thon, every student receives a great t-shirt, and everyone has a great time!! We are looking for corporate sponsors and parent volunteers. If you have a business or know someone that does and would like to discuss sponsoring the event, please contact Andrea Burkhart at dredvm18@gmail.com. Your company’s logo will be displayed prominently on our over 400 t-shirts and on other promotional materials. You can also go directly to our square site to sponsor: https://wines-elementary-school-pto.square.site . There are different levels of sponsorship: 

Bronze $250

Silver $500

Gold $750

Platinum $1000

The deadline to have a logo on the shirt/materials is 10/4. You can email the logo in pdf format to dredvm18@gmail.com.

If you are interested in helping organize Run-a-Thon in advance or help during the event itself, please contact Andrea at dredvm18@gmail.com. While Run-a-Thon is a large and important event at Wines, it is actually one of the easiest events to be a volunteer and one of the most fun volunteer opportunities at Wines. Please consider helping us “re-launch” this Wines tradition!

News from the Library

Students have been excitedly checking out books since our first day of school. Now that we are settling into the checkout/return routine, students in grades 1-5 will be allowed to check out additional books. Starting in October, our book checkout limits will as follows: 

Young 5s-K: 1 book

Grades 1-3: 2 books

Grades 4-5: 3 books

Books are checked out for one week at a time and are returned in the book return bin in the library. Books may also be returned at any time to the library’s return bin. If your child forgets a library book, they will be asked to return it as soon as possible and guided to select a Community Collection (CC) book instead. These books are mostly paperbacks and are labeled with a green “CC” sticker on the front cover. They may take home and read the CC book just as they would a standard library book. Please return both the following week. If a library book has been lost, students will be asked to pay a replacement fee. CC books will not be charged replacement fees. 

For more information about library policies, please check the library website or email Mrs. Goldberg (goldbergr@aaps.k12.mi.us). 

That’s all for this week! 

David

Weekly Update 9/22

 

Dear Wines Families, 

I have quite a few announcements today. Sorry for the long message! 

Early Release Today

Just a reminder that dismissal is at 1:18 today. Busses will run as normal, just 2.5 hours earlier. 

Y5-1st Grade Device Deployment

Today, most of our Y5-1st grade students received their new “2 in 1” Chromebooks. Ms. Harris’s class and Mrs. Middleton’s class will receive their devices tomorrow (we ran out of time during this shortened day!). We told the students that they should begin to get in the habit of bringing the device to school each day and home each night. Chargers should stay at home. Over the next couple weeks we will be teaching the students how to operate these devices. If you haven’t already, please complete the brief parent technology agreement linked below. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkxCw9rcxuTWnMt5dF6lO5XutyG7BmrI9P6-fHITUuPDNXRw/viewform

PTO Meeting Sept. 29th

The first General PTO Meeting of the year will happen via Zoom, next Wednesday, September 29 at 8pm. Join us to hear about the events we have planned - fingers crossed! - for the school year, and learn how you can lend a hand. Zoom info was sent via email today.  

Picture Day

Picture Day is Wednesday, Oct. 6th. Information can be found in today's Wednesday take home folders. Also, look for more information directly from our vendor, Inter-State Studios. Every Wines student will have their picture taken regardless of if you are purchasing a package. Also, as always, every student will receive a yearbook regardless of whether you order a package.

Join us in Walktober!

Our annual celebration of “Walktober” starts next Friday! Students and families are encouraged to walk, bike, and scoot their way to school every Friday in October and on International Walk to School Day - Wednesday, October 6th.

Walktober Dates:

Friday, October 1

Wednesday, October 6 (International Walk to School Day)

Friday, October 8

Friday, October 15

Friday, October 22

Friday, October 29

Walktober is a great way to learn about pedestrian safety and healthy habits!

Collect a special stamp on the way to school on the corners of Sunset & Newport, Saunders Crescent, and Cooley Riverwood & Newport or at the Wines' Baseball Field.

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED TO HAND OUT STAMPS! PLEASE SIGN UP HERE.

What if my student takes the bus?

On each of the Walktober Dates, bussed students will be dropped off at their normal location and will be walked around the Wines’ field.

What if we live too far away to walk?

One way to participate is to park close to the school and walk, bike, or scoot the remainder of the way!

Walktober is Sponsored by the Wines PTO.

Run-a-thon Oct. 15

We are extremely excited that one of our favorite Wines traditions (and important fundraiser) is back!! Our annual Run-a-Thon is scheduled for the morning of Friday, Oct. 15th. Every Wines student participates in Run-a-Thon, every student receives a great t-shirt, and everyone has a great time!! I will send out more specifics on the logistics of the day and the fundraising component over the next couple weeks. In the meantime, we are looking for corporate sponsors and parent volunteers. If you have a business or know someone that does and would like to discuss sponsoring the event, please contact Andrea Burkhart at dredvm18@gmail.com.

Your company’s logo will be displayed prominently on our over 400 t-shirts and on other promotional materials. 

If you are interested in helping organize Run-a-Thon in advance or help during the event itself, please contact Andrea at dredvm18@gmail.com. As I said on Curriculum Night, while Run-a-Thon is a large and important event at Wines, it is actually one of the easiest events to be a volunteer and one of the most fun volunteer opportunities at Wines. Please consider helping us “re-launch” this Wines tradition! 

Thank you! 

David

Weekly Update 9/15

 Dear Wines Families, 

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend our virtual Curriculum Night last evening and for those who stayed for my Q & A. If you missed my session, there is a link below to the recording. 

https://youtu.be/F7hotpHsuh0

In addition to a couple of messages from me today, at the end of this message, there is a welcome note and information from our new PTO President Michael Newberry. Please be sure to read all the way through. 

 We Need Your Help! 

Now that we have found our rhythm at school and in the front office, we have discovered what works and what doesn’t work with for this new school year. Robin is generally alone in the office and always doing a million things at once. Therefore, we ask for your help when you need to pick your child up early. While we understand that students have appointments, etc. that require them to leave school early, we ask that in those instances, you follow these protocols: 

1. Please alert the office as soon as possible of the change in plans. You can certainly contact the teacher as well, but the office must have this information.

2. The end of the day is extremely busy in the office. Therefore, we ask that all early pick ups take place by 3:15. We will not be able to make students available for early pick up between 3:15 and the end of the school day. 

3. Please be aware of your child’s daily schedule. Most importantly, lunch time is not a time when we are able to easily find students for early pick up. 

4. We certainly understand that life “happens” and sometimes you aren’t able to follow these protocols precisely. In those instances we will do all we can to help, but we ask for your overall understanding and assistance. 

5. Finally, we do expect that students are in school for a full day daily unless there are medical/dental appointments, etc. Please limit picking your child up early to just those unavoidable instances. Picking up early for convenience, etc. is not acceptable. 

Technology Agreement

Parents, we need each family to fill out an agreement for your child’s device. A link is below. Please take a moment to read the contract and fill out the quick agreement. Everyone needs to fill this out (even if your child has not received their device yet). Your attention to this is much appreciated! 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkxCw9rcxuTWnMt5dF6lO5XutyG7BmrI9P6-fHITUuPDNXRw/viewform

News from the PTO

Hello All!

My name is Michael Newberry and I'm the President of the Wines Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). This is my family's sixth year at Wines, with kids in 5th, 4th, and 1st grades. We're excited to be back in person, and hope that these first few weeks are off to a good start for you, too. 

The PTO's job is to support the Wines student experience inside and outside the classroom. We do this through a combination of social and co-curricular events spread throughout the year, all of it fueled by volunteer and financial support from families like yours. 

All are welcome to attend PTO programs, and to join in their planning and execution. We need your help and hope you will volunteer! But no pressure - we understand that everyone's situation is different, and however you can contribute to the cause, even if it's only in spirit, is greatly appreciated. If you'd like to learn more about what we do and what we have planned for the year, I hope you can join us at one of our upcoming PTO events:

PTO Picnic @ Wines Playground

Tuesday, September 21, 6:00pm

Bring your food, drink, and family to gather and play with other Wines families. Meet some new folks and reconnect with friends you haven't seen in a while. Signups for PTO volunteer opportunities will be available.

General PTO Meeting @ Virtual Zoom Conference

Wednesday, September 29, 8:00pm

Drop in online to hear our plans for the year's events and activities, given the uncertainty of the pandemic. We'll be looking for your time, talent, and input! 

Zoom link will be sent closer to the meeting. 

Wines Runathon @ Wines Upper Elementary Playground

Friday, October 15

More details to come - our first big event of the year!

Thank you, and feel free to reach out to me at winesptopresident@gmail.com if I can be of service. Hope to see you soon. -Michael

That’s all for this week! 

David