Dear Wines Families,
Well, these past two weeks have certainly been interesting. Hopefully this is the end of the snow/ice/cold days this year. Unfortunately, since our days off from school have been because it has been too cold or too icy, kids haven’t had the opportunity to have a true “snow day” where they get to really enjoy the joys of winter. Here is the news for the week—it’s a little long this week with some new information and some important repeat news as well. Hopefully you can find a few moments to read it through.
Parking Lot Reminders
As the new year and colder weather have arrived, I’ve noticed a few more cars in our parking lots and some bending of the rules by many of our regulars. Here are a few reminders:
• For those using the main entrance, in the afternoon when you are exiting, please turn towards Forsythe and head to the four way stop at Sunset. Do not go all the way to the Newport entrance. This allows our busses to bypass the car line to get to the building and allows folks who want to park in the Forsythe overflow lot the opportunity to get there. In addition, if you are parking in the Forsythe overflow lot, please exit left towards Wines and then follow the curve to the Forsythe/Sunset area.
• Reminder, the main entrance should be used by grades 1-4 only. The Cooley lot should be used by Young 5’s, Kindergarten, and 5th grades. Please use the lot associated with your youngest child in your household.
• In the morning, I am seeing more and more cars arriving VERY late to school. As a reminder, students can begin lining up outside or come in for breakfast at 8:35. Our first bell is at 8:42 and students need to be in class by the second bell at 8:45. Please make morning arrangements to have your child to school on time.
• There are signs directing cars to pull as far ahead as possible. There is also a sign to stop. If you are dropping off or picking up, and there are no cars ahead of you, please continue to pull ahead as far as possible before dropping your child off or picking them up.
• Please do not get out of your car. At this point in the year, we expect that all students are able to exit and enter their cars independently. If this is not the case for your child, please utilize a parking spot and not use the car line.
• Students are not allowed to use the cross walk at the front of the building by themselves. Students can walk around the sidewalk towards the gate or a parent can accompany the student across the cross walk.
For your reference, here are the procedures for the Front Lot and for the Cooley Lot.
Young 5’s/Kindergarten Round Up Feb. 6th
Our annual Young 5’s/Kindergarten Round up is on Tuesday, Feb. 6th from 6:00-7:00 PM. This is an event for incoming parents AND students. If you have a child who will entering our Y5 or Kindergarten programs next year, please plan on attending. If you have friends or neighbors interested in our programs, please spread the word! If your child is currently in Young 5’s at Wines, you do not need to attend Round Up. Please contact me with any questions.
Noon Hour Help Wanted (Volunteer or Paid Positions Available)
We are always looking for more help at noon hour. This is a very fun opportunity to be with kids in the lunchroom and at recess. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact our coordinator Randa Choate at choat.rj@gmail.com. If you are interested in being paid for the position, pay is $16/hour and while there are a few hoops to finalize employment, it’s a nice way to earn a few extra dollars! If you are interested in the paid position, please contact me directly. Please note that the schedule is flexible for both volunteering and the paid position.
NAAPID Feb. 12
Please look for an invite in your child’s folder for our annual Parent Involvement Day in honor of National African American Parent Involvement Day on Feb. 12. Parents and other loved ones can spend all or part of the day at school. We will provide lunch for parents and our PTO will provide a light breakfast. I will be sending out a digital RSVP soon.
News from the Library
In the library this month, we are focusing on the importance of having a healthy media balance and encouraging students to look for opportunities where they can take breaks from their devices. We will brainstorm activities that are fun to do individually, with friends, and as a family that are device-free. Y5-K students are learning how to regulate their emotions when asked to transition from an online activity to an offline one with the Pause, Breathe, and Finish Up strategy, 1st-2nd graders will sing along to the Balance is Important song, and 3rd-5th graders are thoughtfully considering what their media balance looks like. Here are a few family resources to help continue these important conversations on media balance as a family: Y5-2 Family Conversation Starter , 3-5 Family Conversation Starter, and Ways to Help Kids Balance Their Media Lives.
Girls on the Run at Wines - Registration is Open!
Registration is open for girls in grades 3-5 who are interested in participating in the spring season of GOTR at Wines. Practices will be Monday and Wednesday from 4-5:30pm.
Practices will start the week of 3/17/24 and the GOTR 5K is currently scheduled for May 19th.
The link to sign up is here: Our Programs | GOTR Southeastern Michigan (girlsontherunsemi.org)
If your daughter is interested in participating, be sure to sign up prior to January 30th - the registration will close at 11pm for the lottery to run at that time. The best way to make sure that everyone who registers is able to participate is for us to have plenty of coaches! You don't need to volunteer full time; part-time coaches are welcome!
Contact Sara Platte if you have any questions about coaching or participant sign-up: sara.platte@gmail.com
Wines Wahoo Feb. 9th
The Wines Wahoo is back again this year! Join us Friday, February 9th at Forsythe Middle School from 6-8pm. This is a Wines favorite and we are so excited it's back for another year! Join your friends for music, pizza, open gym, crafts and more. Younger siblings and parents are welcome. This event will need lots of volunteers, so we need your help! Suggested $5 donation per family at the door with pizza, drink, and snack tickets available for purchase. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C44AEAA22A2F8CE9-46996657-wines
Looking for Extra Specials Volunteers
It's that time of year again! Extra Specials are an optional lunch recess program where students can sign up for a weekly indoor enrichment activity. Past Extra Specials have included: Paper Airplane Folding, Magic Tricks, Math Games, Logic Puzzles, Lego, Arts and Crafts, Yoga, and Read Aloud. But we need volunteers to lead these fun programs! Here's what we're looking for:
- Commit to leading an activity during lunch recess, once a week
- You create and prep the activity, or we can provide you with one
- Offer your activity for Session I, Session II, or both Sessions
- Sessions are three weeks long
- Session I runs Feb. 5 - Feb. 23
- Session II runs Feb. 26 - Mar. 15
Interested? Email Michael Newberry at mnewberry88@gmail.com
Wines Science Olympiad Team
Calling all students grades 2-5, to join the Wines Science Olympiad Team! The team will take part in a competition on April 20th at Pioneer High School, ran by the Washtenaw Elementary Science Olympiad (WESO). WESO’s mission is to enhance the quality of science education, increase student interest and recognize outstanding achievement in STEM activities.
Our team hopes to help young scientists grow through compassionate teamwork and creative problem solving. Practices will begin the week of January 29th and run for 10 weeks (there will be no practices during spring break).
Adults, please consider coaching one of the events for our team - we need your help!
For registration or more information, check out the Wines Science Olympiad linktree.
David
