Weekly Update 6/7

 Dear Wines Families, 

It’s quite amazing that we have nearly reached the end of the school year. I want to thank our entire community for a fantastic year. While we began the process of getting back to normal last year, ultimately it was this 2022-2023 school year where we really found our pandemic way again as a school and a school community. All of our traditions were restored and new traditions have emerged as well. Your children have been delightful in every way and on behalf of our staff, thank you for sharing them with us and allowing us to be part of their lives. Thank you to all of our families for supporting your kids and our school. Wines is an amazing place to be and it is because of our tremendous families. As with every year, we will say goodbye to many families as you move on to middle school and beyond. It has been a pleasure having you at Wines. Now we head off to summer months and I wish everyone a joyful summer and we’ll be right back at it before you know it! 

Report Cards

Report cards will be sent Friday via secure email. Kindergarten through 5th grade families will receive three separate emails: Report Card, NWEA Scores, and Special Area Class Report Card. Unfortunately, it is currently not possible to have all of these sent in a single email. Young 5’s families will receive two emails: Report Card and Special Area Class Report Card. 

5th Grade Events

If you are interested in celebrating our 5th graders, the 5th grade celebration takes place on Thursday, June 8th at 7:00 PM. In addition, our school will be clapping the 5th graders out of the building on Friday, June 9th at approximately 11:15. 5th grade families, look for more information about these events sent directly to you. 

Library update

Please return all library books by the end of the week. If your child has lost a book, you are welcome to send in a new replacement book or reach out to Ms. Goldberg (goldbergr@aaps.12.mi.us) to find out the replacement fee. 

Summer Reading

For information on the AADL summer game, links to free ebook libraries, summer reading programs from local bookstores, and more, check out the A2Schools Summer Reading Choice Board. This choice board and other useful summer reading links are also on Ms. Goldberg’s Clever page.

Last Day of School: Half Day

June 9th is the last day of school. It is a half day with dismissal at 11:28. Driveiline will begin at approximately 11:20. 

David

Weekly Update 3/31

 Dear Wines Families, 

Greetings from Camp! By the time everyone reads this, I’ll be with the 5th graders at Camp Tanuga just south of Traverse City. As with many things this year, I can’t tell you how great it feels to be able to take part in the return of this annual tradition after a three year hiatus! 

Here is all the news for this next to last weekly note of the school year!

Chromebook Return

All Y5-4th grade students will be returning their Chromebooks to allow our Technology Department to prepare them for next year. 5th grade students will be keeping their Chromebooks over the summer. Mrs. Middleton, Mr. Toohey, and Mrs. Shanteau will be collecting devices on Friday, June 2nd. Ms. Fata will be collecting her class devices on Tuesday, June 6th. Everyone else will be collecting on Wednesday, June 7th. We are collecting Chromebooks AND chargers. Again this year, there will be no charge for repairs so PLEASE let us know if there is anything wrong with your child’s Chromebook so we can repair it over the summer. Teachers will be in touch regarding procedures but most will be asking that Chromebooks come to school a day or two before collection. Students participating in summer learning opportunities will keep their devices. 

Lunches with Love Success! 

Last week, every Wines student participated in “Lunches with Love.” This Wines tradition has our kids learn about food scarcity in our community and the kids then pack lunch bags for our partners Food Gatherers. In the end, the kids packed 395 lunches and donated 451 pounds of food for those less fortunate in our community! BIG thanks to Megan Hastie for again spearheading this important community service project! 

Disability Awareness Workshop Success! 

Also last week, our 4th and 5th graders participated in the Disability Awareness Workshop. This is a traditional 4th grade opportunity but our 5th graders were not able to participate last year due to COVID restrictions. Thank you to Katharine Seagly, Amy Thudium, and Abbigail Israelsen for organizing this very large event. And thanks to the small army of parent volunteers that made the day such a success and important learning experience for our kids. 

5th Grade Events

If you are interested in celebrating our 5th graders, the 5th grade celebration takes place on Thursday, June 8th at 7:00 PM. In addition, our school will be clapping the 5th graders out of the building on Friday, June 9th at approximately 11:20. 5th grade families, look for more information about these events sent directly to you. 

Last Day of School: Half Day

June 9th is the last day of school. It is a half day with dismissal at 11:28. 

David

Weekly Update 5/24

Dear Wines Families, 

My night on the roof last night was actually quite enjoyable! The weather was perfect for an evening outside and the many visitors throughout the night (both in person and online) were really great. As I said in the live feed, the night on the roof originated as a celebration of the kids’ achievements in the fall Run-a-Thon. Now that time has passed, last night was really a way for me to celebrate our kids and our community for an entire school year of support, enthusiasm, hard work, and lots of fun! While we still have a couple weeks left of this school year, I do want to take a moment to thank everyone for one of the most memorable school years I can think of! 

ROAR Thank You!! 

Last Friday’s ROAR was another incredible success. Despite a little rain and some last minute logistical changes, the evening was a hit with everyone! Thank you to the small army of volunteers who responded to the call for help. We couldn’t have done it without you! I want to give a HUGE thank you to Lizzy Hurwitz who organized the ROAR for the second year and to Janice Guikema who organized the Raffle. Lizzy and Janice were supported by many people. In particular I want to recognize Marti Clark and Andrea Huang who were part of the yearlong planning process and were both all hands on deck last Friday afternoon and evening. And I don’t want to leave out Seth Guikema who may have set the world record for hauling tables Friday! The ROAR was a great culminating event for a great year. Thank you to everyone for all of the support. 

AAPS Registration

All AAPS families must re-register each year. You should have received an email from "AAPS Registration" last week with a link to register your child(ren). This email was sent to the email used to register your student(s) so please check all emails in your family for the message. If you have more than one student at Wines and you have multiple email addresses, there is a chance that you may have registered one student using one email and another with a second email. If this is the case, please check both emails. Most of the online registration is pre-populated so it only takes a few minutes and a few clicks to be done. 

News from the Library

Book return: This is the last week of book checkout for the school year. Please return all library books by Friday, June 2. If your child has lost a book, you are welcome to send in a new replacement book or reach out to Ms. Goldberg (goldbergr@aaps.12.mi.us) to find out the replacement fee. Thank you and happy summer reading/gaming at the Ann Arbor District Library.

AADL Summer Game update: We have your first code of the 2023 Summer Game! Huge congratulations to Hugh (Ms. Milanowski’s class) and Mateo (Ms. Carlin’s class), whose codes were combined to create our first ever Wines Summer Game Code! It is: 

WINESREADERSROCK

Codes can be redeemed for points in two ways:

1) Texting the code to 734-327-4200

2) Signing in to a player's AADL account and redeeming game codes here: https://aadl.org/summergame/player/24026/gamecode

And if you’re wondering about how to get involved in the Summer Game, you can find all of that info here: https://aadl.org/play. 

End of Year Letter from our Nurse, Mary Delis

Below is a link to a note from Mary regarding important end of the year information from our nurse. Please read, particularly if your child has medications at school. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-YW5ycOUS4hT14hU6pXXUHf4tLI-ZEUfhU135cS-cio/edit

Before and After Care Registration

Registration for Rec & Ed’s Before/After School program is open. Currently, aftercare is full but you can add your name to the waitlist. There is still room in before care and we do hope to add before school care next year. 

Registration Link is open. 

Questions? Email aapschildcare@aaps.k12.mi.us or call (734) 994-2300 ext. 53232

David

Weekly Update 5/17

 

Dear Wines Families, 

We are looking forward to the Wines ROAR!  Rain plans are ready, but we are hoping things clear up so we can have fun outdoors! THANK YOU to everyone who has signed up to volunteer. There are still a few volunteer opportunities available Sign up here to volunteer.

You can get the 2023 Wines ROAR Raffle Book here! Preview all the fabulous prizes as well as details about how the raffle works. Then you may want to buy more raffle tickets here. And THANKS SO MUCH to everyone who donated to the raffle!

Half Day of School Friday

Friday is a half day of school. Dismissal is at 11:28. Driveline will begin at approximately 11:20. Lunch is not served on Friday. However, “grab and go” lunches will be available. These lunches are to be brought home and not eaten on the bus or at school. If your child is planning on picking up a lunch, please alert their classroom teacher by the end of the day Thursday so we can prepare enough lunches. There is no aftercare on Friday. 

Before and After Care Registration

Registration for Rec & Ed’s Before/After School program is open. Currently, aftercare is full but you can add your name to the waitlist. There is still room in before care and we do hope to add before school care next year. Registration Link is open. 

Questions? Email aapschildcare@aaps.k12.mi.us or call (734) 994-2300 ext. 53232

STEAM Expo May 22nd 

Please join us for the AAPS STEAM and CTE Expo on Monday, May 22nd from 6:00-7:30 pm in the Skyline Commons.

What is the Expo?

The Expo is a great way for AAPS to showcase/show amazing work, through student work, capstone projects, and student demonstrations.  Think of it as similar to a band concert or art show.  It is also a great way for students to check out program offerings.  Additionally, it is a great way for our business partners to connect with AAPS students and families.

When is the Expo?

The 2023 AAPS STEAM and CTE Expo will be on Monday, May 22nd from 6:00-7:30 pm in the Skyline Commons.

What should I expect as an attendee?

Presenters will be showcasing student work, having student presenters, and may even integrate hands-on demonstrations.   Look forward to an opportunity to learn more about our STEAM and CTE programs offered through the districts from the students and teachers that engage in these activities daily.

Field Day May 30th 

Field Day is Tuesday, May 30th.  3rd-5th grade will be in the morning and Y5-2nd will be in the afternoon. We are looking for volunteers. If you are interested, please click on the link below.    If you have any questions, please email thorpekn@aaps.k12.mi.us.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D48A4A629A57-field1

David

Weekly Update 5/3

 Dear Wines Families, 

I hope this message finds you well and staying warm during this, let’s face it, HORRIBLE weather! Lots of news this week: 

Final PTO Meeting and Elections May 10

The next Wines PTO meeting will be on Wednesday, May 10, from 7-8:30p in the Wines Library. If you can't attend in person, feel free to use the Zoom link sent in today's email. 

We will be voting on officers for the 2023-24 school year. Interested in getting more involved? We'd love to have you! Please contact Michael Newberry at mnewberry88@gmail.com if you'd like to learn more about PTO roles and responsibilities, and to put your hat in the ring!

Last Call For Parent Input Re: Class Placement

If you would like to provide input for us as we make class placements, please fill out the survey below. Again, we do not accept requests for certain teachers and such requests will be deleted. Please fill out this optional form no later than Friday, May 5. 

https://forms.gle/JNDfpf2MS1RJTZRX9

Art Night May 11

Mark your calendars Art Night will be happening at Wines

Thursday May 11, 6:30 - 8:00 PM. Come see the amazing work of all of the artists of Wines Elementary!

More ROAR Information

The Wines ROAR is almost here – happening Friday, May 19, 5-8pm!  We sent an email about the raffle Monday you can check out here. This end of year celebration is a great chance to see other families and have fun welcoming in summer!  To make this an exceptional event for everyone we do need your help! Three easy ways to do so are:

• Donate to Classroom baskets or contribute items for the raffle

• Volunteer for short (30 min) shifts at the event. 

• Start planning now and talk to your child about a cake for the decoration contest – the theme is ‘Song and Music.’ Your kid doesn't want to make a cake? No worries! You can also just send in store bought cookies, cupcakes, cakes or donuts to be given out as prizes for the musical cakes event. 

Volunteers Needed for Disability Awareness Workshop

The Disability Awareness Workshop is a one-day program to teach 4th and 5th graders an empathetic understanding of physical, developmental, and learning disabilities. The hands-on activity-based program is designed to help Students understand how complex daily living can be for individuals with diverse abilities. The workshop helps build a culture of understanding that is invaluable, with the goal to learn, through experience, that all individuals deserve respect no matter how they may look, act, walk or talk.

On Wednesday, May 24, 2023 students in the 4th and 5th grade classes will participate in this all day Workshop. Wines Elementary will be delivering this outstanding learning opportunity to students for the first time since 2019. 

We need your help! Please consider volunteering to help make the workshop a success. We need about 4 volunteers to help with the set up on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 3:45-5:00 PM and we need about 20 volunteers to help on Wednesday, May 24 from 8:45 am to 12:00 pm. Volunteers need only be kind and compassionate. No experience working with people with disabilities is necessary. 

Contact Amy Thudium, athudium@gmail.com, or sign up with the SignUp Genius link below.

 https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4DAFA62AA5FF2-disability

Sign & Go Events Still Available!

Saturday, May 13th: 1:30pm

VIP Art Museum Tour

Ever wanted a chance to explore the vast art collection at UMMA in a privately guided tour?  Now is your chance to take advantage of the variety of culture in our community for only $20!

Saturday, June 10th: 10:30am-12:30pm

Art Class at Matthei Botanical Gardens (all supplies included)

Led by Patricia Ferrer Beals, an experienced medical and scientific illustrations, spend two hours learning how to use your observational skills to make a drawing of nature.  All skill levels welcomed! $55

Reserve your spots here today!

Seeking Lunch Volunteers

As the weather gets warmer (I promise, it will get warmer!), perhaps we have more parent interest in volunteering during our lunch time. We’ve had some turnover in our paid staff and we always welcome more adults to support our kids at lunch and at lunch recess. If you are interested in volunteering, please email me and we can talk details. We are also always hiring folks who want to be paid for the position. It pays well ($16/hr) and the schedule is very flexible. If you or someone you know is interested in the paid position, please let me know. 

Field Day May 30th 

Field Day is Tuesday, May 30th.  3rd-5th grade will be in the morning and Y5-2nd will be in the afternoon. We are looking for volunteers. If you are interested, please click on the link below.    If you have any questions, please email thorpekn@aaps.k12.mi.us.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D48A4A629A57-field1

AAPS Listen and Learn: A Community Conversation

We value the input of our students, families, staff and community members, and we are currently engaging our Ann Arbor community in a conversation as we plan for the future of the Ann Arbor Public Schools. Please click on the link below for more information. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VJ4CfsKumgX3D1DoqOnw-Jf7V9nMsCZnnQ3BqB8L3jY/edit

David

Weekly Update 4/26

 Dear Wines Families, 

As I indicated last week, this is the time of year when my weekly messages get a little longer. Hopefully you can find a few minutes to read through all that is happening at Wines!

Parent Input: Class Placement

In the coming days and weeks, our staff and I will be working together to form class lists for the 2023-2024 school year. As we have done for many years, we accept parent input that you feel would help inform us as we put classes together. Below is a link to this optional input form. Please be reminded that we do not accept requests to be in a certain teacher’s classroom or to not have your child placed in a specific teacher’s classroom. Such requests will be deleted. Below is a link to the form. 

https://forms.gle/UGMB9mATPesGwnja9

Art Night May 11

Mark your calendars Art Night will be happening at Wines

Thursday May 11, 6:30 - 8:00 PM. Come see the amazing work of all of the artists of Wines Elementary!

We are also looking for a few volunteers to help hang the art work. Anyone interested can sign up here. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904054CAEAF22A64-artnight

More ROAR Information

The Wines ROAR is almost here – happening Friday, May 19, 5-8pm!  There was a lengthy email sent on Monday with everything you need to know for the end of year event.  HERE is a copy of that email with detailed information. This is a great way to celebrate the year, meet other families, and just have some fun. To make this an exceptional event for everyone we do need your help! Three easy ways to do so are:

• Donate to Classroom baskets or contribute items for the raffle

• Have your child decorate a cake for the decoration contest (to be used for Musical Cakes)

• Volunteer for short (30 min) shifts at the event. 

Seeking Lunch Volunteers

As the weather gets warmer (I promise, it will get warmer!), perhaps we have more parent interest in volunteering during our lunch time. We’ve had some turnover in our paid staff and we always welcome more adults to support our kids at lunch and at lunch recess. If you are interested in volunteering, please email me and we can talk details. We are also always hiring folks who want to be paid for the position. It pays well ($16/hr) and the schedule is very flexible. If you or someone you know is interested in the paid position, please let me know. 

Sign & Go Events Still Available!

There are still a number of spots available in some of our Sign & Go Auction Events.  Please consider purchasing a spot to support the school, take part in something new, and hopefully have fun!

Sunday, April 30th: 4pm-5pm (followed by a pizza party)

Soccer Clinic with Mr. Toohey - Only 2 spots left! $35

Saturday, May 13th: 1:30pm

VIP Art Museum Tour $20

Saturday, June 10th: 10:30am-12:30pm

Art Class at Matthei Botanical Gardens (all supplies included) $55

Reserve your spots here today!

Field Day May 30th 

Field Day is Tuesday, May 30th.  3rd-5th grade will be in the morning and Y5-2nd will be in the afternoon. We are looking for volunteers. If you are interested, please click on the link below.    If you have any questions, please email thorpekn@aaps.k12.mi.us.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D48A4A629A57-field1

AAPS Listen and Learn

We value the input of our students, families, staff and community members, and we are currently engaging our Ann Arbor community in a conversation as we plan for the future of the Ann Arbor Public Schools. Through May 26th, you can join the conversation via the online ThoughtExchange here and learn more about Listen and Learn 2023 here.

Celebrate National Drinking Water Week with us!

Come join us for a tour of the Ann Arbor Drinking Water Treatment Plant (919 Sunset Rd) and enjoy water themed activities at our open house event on May 6, 2023 from 10 AM to 2 PM.  Event will be outdoors rain or shine.  

Tours will be capped at 15 participants. We recommended you sign up in advance to reserve your tour time slot and reduce wait time. Visit https://www.a2gov.org/pages/calendar.aspx to select your May 6 tour time and register. Activities at the event will be hosted by the following organizations. For questions about the event you can reach us at water@a2gov.org or 734.794.6426.

• Ann Arbor Water

• City of Ann Arbor Urban Forestry & Natural Resources and Office of Sustainability and Innovations (with 100 trees for participants!)

• Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum

• Leslie Science and Nature Center

• Huron River Watershed Council

• University of Michigan researchers from Civil & Environmental Engineering Department

• City of Ann Arbor Public Works (with a vactor truck)

• City of Ann Arbor Fire Department (with a fire truck!)

• City of Ann Arbor Systems Planning

Picture Request: Mrs. Gibbs

As some of you may already know, Mrs. Gibbs will be retiring at the end of the school year. We are planning to send her out with a well deserved celebration. If anyone has pictures of Ms. Gibbs from years past (or even this year) please send them to Sarah Schemanske at schemanskes@aaps.k12.mi.us.

 

David

Weekly Update 4/19

 Dear Wines Families, 

As we inch closer to May, things get increasingly busy here at Wines. As a result, my weekly messages tend to get a little longer (and occasionally I’ll be sending out additional messages). This week’s message is a bit long, but hopefully you can take a few minutes to read through it. 

Early Release Tomorrow

Dismissal is at 1:18. There is no aftercare. 

Auction Thank You!!!

If you were able to attend the Wines Auction last Friday night, I’m sure you will agree with me that it was an OUTSTANDING event. We raised money for our school, but most importantly, it was an incredibly fun evening to spend time with friends new and old and to make new connections with other parents in our community. 

I want to send a special thank you to everyone who helped plan and make the Auction so special. BIG thanks to Jane Lardo and Lauren Cunnane for Co-Chairing the event. The amount of work they put in during the past few weeks and months was amazing—not to mention their efforts last Friday! 

Thanks also to Courtney Nathan, Liz Martin, Kate Galvin, Dan Papajcik , Al Tokatlian , Michael Newberry, Erin Petro, Jaimie Sussman, Jen Holland, Alison Murphy, Anu Agrawal, Lori Shirilla , Alison Loy, Alyson Tokatlian and Carly Campbell for all of their support to the Auction! 

If you weren’t able to attend, please put a mental note on your calendar to attend next year. We will again likely hold the event in April and we’ll have a firm date next fall. 

Speaking of the Auction, there are still a few “sign and go’s” available. They are now available on our website  https://wines-elementary-school-pto.square.site/wines-auction. There are two soccer clinics with Mr. Toohey, a Pilates class at Core Collective, a VIP art tour of the U of M Art Museum, and an art class for all ages and abilities. Full descriptions are on the site. 

Art Night: Volunteer Needed

In anticipation of the return of Art Night to Wines, Mr. Wyse is looking for a parent to help organize this year’s event on May 11. Responsibilities would include coordinating parent volunteers for hanging art, set up/clean up, and publicity.

Anyone interested please email Joel Wyse at wyse@aaps.k12.mi.us

Wines ROAR, May 19

The end of the school year may still seem far away, but planning for this year's ROAR has begun! For families who are new to Wines, the Roar is the end of the school year party with carnival games, prizes, food trucks, a huge raffle, a flush tank for the 5th graders, a dunk tank with Dr. DeYoung and more! This year's Roar will be Friday May 19th from 5-8pm. If you'd like to join the planning committee for this year's event, please contact Lizzy Hurwitz (lizzy@lizzyhurwitz.com)

Disability Awareness Workshop May 24

We are thrilled that the Disability Awareness Workshop is returning to Wines in May. Traditionally, this has been a 4th grade experience but this year we are adding the 5th graders as they were not able to participate last year. We do need approximately 20 volunteers to make the day a success. If you are interested in volunteering contact Amy Thudium, athudium@gmail.com, or sign up with the SignUp Genius link below.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4DAFA62AA5FF2-disability

Picture Request: Mrs. Gibbs

As some of you may already know, Mrs. Gibbs will be retiring at the end of the school year. We are planning to send her out with a well deserved celebration. If anyone has pictures of Ms. Gibbs from years past (or even this year) please send them to Sarah Schemanske at schemanskes@aaps.k12.mi.us.

Library Update

In the library, we are continuing our digital citizenship conversations about internet safety. Our Young 5s-2nd grade students are learning that just as we have rules to keep us safe in our physical neighborhoods, we have similar rules to keep us safe online. We are practicing to pause and think by using an internet traffic light to help determine whether a site is just right for us, to spot tricky ads, and to tell a trusted adult when something doesn’t seem right. Our 3rd-5th grade students are learning to evaluate real vs fake websites and clickbait schemes, as well as how to be an upstander against cyberbullying.  

Student Water Bottles

As you may or may not know, all of our traditional drinking fountains have been replaced with bottle filling stations. We’ve encouraged students to bring bottles to fill but we’ve also supplied cups for kids who do not have a bottle. Recently, the bottle filling stations have been re-fitted to include a traditional drinking fountain bubbler so the stations are now both bottle fillers and traditional drinking fountains. Therefore, we are phasing out the use of cups to be more environmentally conscious. If your child has a water bottle, please have them bring that to school, or they can use the traditional drinking fountain bubbler. 

David