Weekly Update 9/25

Dear Wines Families,

It has been an exciting Spirit Week this week here at Wines. The energy has been incredible! Our Run-a-Thon is Friday to conclude the festivities!

Our annual Run-a-Thon is THIS Friday, September 27th! Here is the running schedule for the kids. The Runathon is our largest fundraiser of the year. We aim for 100% pledge participation large or small - our current 'smallest but mighty' pledge is 13 cents :).  

Please get those pledges in. We are currently hovering around 50% participation. Classrooms and grades with 100% pledges participation get to throw a pie in my face!

Your child came home with a pledge envelope last week or you can make an online pledge here.

Money raised goes directly to support activities and improvements at Wines. A few examples from previous years include picnic tables, playground equipment, technology upgrades and 5th grade camp. 

A HUGE THANK YOU to the local businesses who signed on as Runathon sponsors & support Wines!

 Godiako Restaurant, McNamara Orthodontics, Papajcik Tax, Metzger’s German Restaurant, T4 Associates, DMC Real Estate, Aven Tools, Meadowlark Design & Build, Van Meerten Consulting, SBK Orthodontics, Literati Bookstore, Big Blue Swim School, Bev's Bagels, Zingerman’s Deli, Blossom Pediatrics Dentistry, Deb Odem Stern Real Estate Agent, Ann Arbor Music Therapy, Vets on the Run, Huron Dentistry, The Studio Centre, Ijara Home Finance by Texana Bank, KidoKinetics and EK Cheesecakes.

LAST CHANCE to Pre-Order Bev's Bagels for Pick Up at the Runathon!

New this year - delicious bagels for parents!  Wines parent and James Beard Rising Star chef, Max Sussman, will be onsite at the Runathon with his highly sought after bagel pop-up, Bev's Bagels, available for pre-order.

Link to pre-order your Bev's Bagels here.

Picture Day October 1st

Picture Day is coming up on 10/01/2024! Order before Picture Day to receive free shipping to the school. Order online at https://inter-state.com/FlyerEntry/87403ZF

“Walktober” Starts Next Week!

What is Walktober? It's an event that encourages Wines families to explore greener ways to get to school and to move away from commuting alone by car. Its aim is to bring awareness to the benefits of travel options such as bicycling, walking, and scooting, and to inspire families to give them a try! This can also include parking a little further away from campus than usual and walking, biking or scooting from there. There will be volunteers at the four entrances to the school grounds giving out stamps to the kids and cheering them on. 

Parent volunteers are needed. Check out the Sign Up Genius to join our parent morning cheer squad to hand out stamps to the kids from 8:15-8:45. We’ll have music and noise makers while we enjoy our Michigan fall and a little less car congestion. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084DA9AF23A4FCC25-51464434-wines

Movie Night October 18th

After last year’s roaring success, we are bringing back Movie Night again! Plan on dropping off your students for Wines’ Movie Night on Friday, October 18, from 6-8PM. We will have chaperones, snacks, and a fun, free movie watching experience set up in the cafeteria. Kids can wear PJs and bring sleeping bags to sit on to watch (movie to be announced next week!).

We need volunteers! Click here to sign up: 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508094AADA72DA2FA7-51517548-wines

Gracie Resolution

The parties involved have agreed to end the dispute regarding the therapy dog, Gracie. While the specifics of the settlement agreement remain confidential, I can report Gracie will no longer serve as a therapy dog at Wines. I am pleased that this unfortunate situation is now resolved so that we can refocus on our collective goals and move forward as a community.

That’s all for this week. I’m looking forward to a fantastic Run-a-Thon on Friday.

David

Weekly Update 9/18

Dear Wines Families,

I’d like to thank everyone who was able to attend Curriculum Night on Monday. If you missed your child’s teacher’s presentation, please feel free to reach out to them. HERE is my presentation from Curriculum Night as well in case you missed it. 

Please check today's email for a Zoom link if you cannot attend in person. 

RUN A THON LOGO HERE

Our annual Run-a-Thon is right around the corner on Friday, September 27th!  It is our largest fundraiser of the year - your child came home with a pledge envelope last week or you can make an online pledge here.

Money raised goes directly to support activities and improvements at Wines. A few examples from previous years include picnic tables, playground equipment, technology upgrades and 5th grade camp. 

VOLUNTEER: Volunteer to help hand out bracelets, snacks or prizes!  Click here for the sign up form.  Here is the running schedule for the kids.

A HUGE THANK YOU to the local businesses who signed on as Runathon sponsors & support Wines!

 Godiako Restaurant, McNamara Orthodontics, Papajcik Tax, Metzger’s German Restaurant, T4 Associates, DMC Real Estate, Aven Tools, Meadowlark Design & Build, Van Meerten Consulting, SBK Orthodontics, Literati Bookstore, Big Blue Swim School, Bev's Bagels, Zingerman’s Deli, Blossom Pediatrics Dentistry, Deb Odem Stern Real Estate Agent, Ann Arbor Music Therapy, Vets on the Run, Huron Dentistry, The Studio Centre, Ijara Home Finance by Texana Bank, KidoKinetics and EK Cheesecakes.

Pre-Order Bev's Bagels for Pick Up at the Runathon!

New this year - delicious bagels for parents!  Wines parent and James Beard Rising Star chef, Max Sussman, will be onsite at the Runathon with his highly sought after bagel pop-up, Bev's Bagels, available for pre-order.

Link to pre-order your Bev's Bagels here.

Run-a-Thon Spirit Week

As we do each year, to prepare for Run-a-Thon, next week is our first spirit week of the year. Below are the spirit days for next week: 

Monday: Pajama Day

Tuesday: Crazy Sock Day

Wednesday: Wacky Hat/Wacky Hair Day

Thursday: Favorite Team Day

Friday: Run-a-Thon Spirit Day (students will receive their Run-a-Thon t-shirts when they arrive to school). 

Movie Night October 18th

After last year’s roaring success, we are bringing back Movie Night again! Plan on dropping off your students for Wines’ Movie Night on Friday, October 18, from 6-8PM. We will have chaperones, snacks, and a fun, free movie watching experience set up in the cafeteria. Kids can wear PJs and bring sleeping bags to sit on to watch (movie to be announced next week!).

We need volunteers! Click here to sign up: 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508094AADA72DA2FA7-51517548-wines

Picture Day October 1st

Picture Day is coming up on 10/01/2024! Order before Picture Day to receive free shipping to the school. Order online at https://inter-state.com/FlyerEntry/87403ZF

Wines Girls on the Run Fall 2024 Season

We are so excited to invite girls in grades 3-5 to register for our spring season!

Registration is currently open! (Closes Sept 27th - or when the team is full). 

Below is the registration link: 

https://www.pinwheel.us/register/index/OIT2NAK47XXAXBA?sid=73bd1036bdb5459c99742c2f06f1b642

Registration fee: $225/participant (there is a link on the registration page for financial assistance if needed)

Team size: 8-15 kids. We can only accommodate more if we have more coaches - so if anyone is interested, please reach out to us for help with signing up to volunteer

Practice schedule: 

Wednesday 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Thursday 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Important season dates:

Season Starts: Week of Sept 22nd

Girls on the Run 5K Event: Sat Nov 9th

Season Ends: Week of Nov 10th 

Please reach out with any questions!

Coach Renee (rbanakis@gmail.com)

Coach Hannah (h.vanduinen13@gmail.com)

David

Weekly Update 9/11

 Dear Wines Families,

Life here at Wines continues to hum right along and our routines and procedures are now firmly established and our school is buzzing with energy! The kids and staff continue to share in their enthusiasm and I could not be happier with how the school year has started. Here is the news for the week! 

Curriculum Night Monday, Sept. 16th

Our annual Curriculum Night takes place next Monday. Teachers will present in their classrooms from 6:00-6:30. From 6:30-7:00, I will meet with our community in the Multipurpose Room. From 7:00-7:30 teachers will repeat their presentations. Curriculum Night is intended for adults only. 

The Run-A-Thon serves as Wines’ largest fundraiser for the PTO. This year’s Run-A-Thon will be held in the morning of Friday, September 27th starting at 9am. The event will be at the soccer fields with a DJ, prizes and snacks, and each grade takes turns running for a set amount of time. Parents are encouraged to join to cheer on all the students!  

Important Information:

ATTEND AND CHEER: Mark your calendars for the morning of Friday, September 27th to watch & cheer on your runner at Wines.

DONATE RUNATHON PLEDGES: 

• This week your child will come home with an official Runathon donation sheet and envelope, which will include info on how to ‘sponsor’ a runner and raise funds for Wines.

• You can also make pledges for your runner(s) via credit card on our Wines Runathon donation site: Click Here

• Each classroom has a fundraising goal of 100% participation (of any donation amount)...look out for some fun classroom incentives for the kids from Dr. DeYoung as we get close to 100% Pledge participation!

VOLUNTEER: Volunteer to help hand out bracelets, snacks or prizes!  Click here for the sign up form.

A HUGE THANK YOU to the local businesses who signed on as Runathon sponsors & support Wines!

Godiako Restaurant, McNamara Orthodontics, Papajcik Tax, Metzger’s German Restaurant, T4 Associates, DMC Real Estate, Aven Tools, Meadowlark Design & Build, Van Meerten Consulting, SBK Orthodontics, Literati Bookstore, Big Blue Swim School, Bev's Bagels, Zingerman’s Deli, Blossom Pediatrics Dentistry, Deb Odem Stern Real Estate Agent, Ann Arbor Music Therapy, Vets on the Run, Huron Dentistry, The Studio Centre, Ijara Home Finance by Texana Bank, KidoKinetics and EK Cheesecakes.

Pre-Order Bev's Bagels for Pick Up at the Runathon!

New this year - delicious bagels for parents!  Wines parent and James Beard Rising Star chef, Max Sussman, will be onsite at the Runathon with his highly sought after bagel pop-up, Bev's Bagels, available for pre-order.

Link to pre-order your Bev's Bagels here.

PTO Meeting Next Wednesday 

Wines Girls on the Run Fall 2024 Season

We are so excited to invite girls in grades 3-5 to register for our spring season!

Registration is currently open! (Closes Sept 27th - or when the team is full). 

Below is the registration link: https://www.pinwheel.us/register/index/OIT2NAK47XXAXBA?sid=73bd1036bdb5459c99742c2f06f1b642

Registration fee: $225/participant (there is a link on the registration page for financial assistance if needed)

Team size: 8-15 kids. We can only accommodate more if we have more coaches - so if anyone is interested, please reach out to us for help with signing up to volunteer

Practice schedule: 

Wednesday 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Thursday 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Important season dates:

Season Starts: Week of Sept 22nd

Girls on the Run 5K Event: Sat Nov 9th

Season Ends: Week of Nov 10th 

Please reach out with any questions!

Coach Renee (rbanakis@gmail.com)

Coach Hannah (h.vanduinen13@gmail.com)

David

Weekly Update 8/28

 Dear Wines Families,

It has been a great start to the new year! This week, in addition to feeling fortunate to see all of our wonderful students and families, we are feeling most fortunate that our building received air conditioning last year! I could not be prouder of our kids and our staff for such a smooth opening and certainly I celebrate our families as well for all of your assistance in making the first few days of school such a success. 

This is my first “Wednesday Email” of the year. You can expect to receive a message from me each Wednesday all year. I try very hard to limit my correspondence to just once a week so I hope you can find time each week to read through all the news. Occasionally, I will have timely information that needs to go out on a day other than Wednesday and sometimes (particularly during the busy times at the beginning and the end of the school year) I may sneak in another message. But I do try hard to limit the messages in your inboxes. You can also find my Wednesday message on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/wines-elementary), on Twitter @wineselementary, and on my blog at www.winesprincipal.blogspot.com. 

Here is the news for the week: 

Curriculum Night

Our annual Curriculum Night takes place on Monday, September 16th from 6:00-7:30 PM. All teachers will be presenting in their classrooms from 6:00-6:30. At 6:30, I will meet with all families in the cafeteria. Teachers will then repeat their presentations at 7:00 in the event that you missed the 6:00 session or if you have more than one child at Wines. Curriculum Night is designed for parents only and is not a student event. 

Wines PTO

Big thanks to our PTO for the wonderful breakfast on Monday. As a Wines parent, you are automatically a member of the PTO. There are numerous ways to get involved and most require no specific skills. Please go to www. https://www.ptowines.org for more information. Our first big event is coming up with our Run-a-Thon on Sept. 27th. This is a GREAT event to put your toe in the water for volunteering as it is a great and easy event to help out! See below: 

The Run-A-Thon serves as Wines’ largest fundraiser for the PTO. This year’s Run-A-Thon will be held in the morning of Friday, September 27th starting at 9am. The event will be at the soccer fields with a DJ, prizes and snacks, and each grade takes turns running for a set amount of time. Parents are encouraged to join to cheer on all the students!  

Important Information:

ATTEND AND CHEER: Mark your calendars for the morning of Friday, September 27th to watch & cheer on your runner at Wines.

DONATE: Keep an eye out for your child to come home with an official Runathon packet, which will include info on how to ‘sponsor’ a runner and raise funds for Wines.

SPONSOR: Do you have or work for a business that can support the Runathon with a tax-deductible donation? We rely on local corporate sponsors from our Wines Community to make our Runathon fundraiser a success. Sponsorship details (starting at $250) can be found on our corporate sponsor site. Please email any questions & your company logo to jourdan.ludwig@gmail.com by Thursday, September 5th.

VOLUNTEER: If you’d like to volunteer, please email jourdan.ludwig@gmail.com.

For All Volunteers

We are excited to welcome parents and caregivers to volunteer at our school. Each year, we require our volunteers to register and we complete a background check. If you volunteered last year, you still need to fill this form out again this year. It just takes a minute and once you fill it out, unless you hear from us, you can assume that you are cleared to volunteer. Please note that you still must come to the office and provide your driver’s license when you check in. After the first use of your license, you will be in our system and we will not need the ID when you check into the office. Below is a link to register as a volunteer. 

https://forms.gle/39Ntr49jAYDz8ZiZ9

Library Volunteers

Speaking of volunteers, our Librarian, Rachel Goldberg, is recruiting volunteers for the library. If you are interested in volunteering in the library, please complete this form and Rachel will be in touch within the next few weeks. 

Important Lunch Form

As we know, the state of Michigan provides free lunch and breakfast to all students. In order to maintain this incredible service to students and families, it is crucial that all families fill out the EBT form. This used to be called the “Free and Reduced Lunch Form”. We need all families to fill this out—even if you will not qualify for free or reduced meals. More information and instructions to fill out the form online can be found HERE. 

Pick Up and Drop Off Reminders

It has been fairly smooth the first couple of days considering the construction affecting our Cooley entrance and some increased traffic at our front entrance. For Driveline users at the main entrance, please refer to my email from yesterday. For Cooley folks, please continue to be patient with the construction and I’ll keep everyone as informed as I can with closures, etc. 

Fall After-School Classes 

AAPS Rec & Ed is excited to offer several after-school classes focused on fun, learning, movement, and discovery. Registration is NOW OPEN! Click on each class ID# below or visit www.aarecedonline.com. Scholarships are available! Please call (734) 994-2300 ext. 0 for assistance. 

That's all for this week!

David

Weekly Update 6/12

 Dear Wines Families,

Greetings from Camp Tanuga where the 5th graders, the 5th grade teachers and I are enjoying some fantastic final few days together. We usually go to camp earlier in June/late May but the schedule has us here during the final week of school this year and it has been great timing for everyone! 

So, we have come to the final weekly message of the school year. I want to thank our community for another wonderful year and I hope everyone has a great summer. We have had some district level and other challenges that have impacted our school, but our staff, students, and our entire community have stayed together and as I sit here now, I have nothing but wonderful memories about this year and excitement about next year. We say goodbye to many special students, parents, and staff but we also look ahead to new faces—including over 100 Young 5’s and Kindergarten students next year! Here are the final messages of the year. 

Dismissal at 11:30 Tomorrow

We will begin Driveline around 11:25 or so. While the last day of school is special, we need to make sure everyone gets home safe so please follow the regular dismissal/Driveline procedures. If you are planning on greeting your child at school, please make sure you park in a designated parking spot. 

Report Cards

Report Cards will be emailed via secure delivery tomorrow afternoon. Kindergarten through 5th grade families will receive three separate emails. You will receive your child’s report card from their teacher, the special area class report card, and NWEA assessment results. Young 5’s will receive the report card and special area report but not NWEA scores. 

5th Grade Clap Out

We will clap out our 5th graders at approximately 11:20 on Thursday. Parents are welcome to join us. The best place for parents to view is at the Kindergarten entrance in the Cooley lot as that is where the 5th graders exit as they head back to the modular building one final time. 

1st Day of School August 26th

I know no one is thinking about the first day of school right now, but our first day will be August 26th. I will be in communication over the summer regarding our back to school events. 

Thanks again for a wonderful school year.

David

Weekly Update 6/5

 Dear Wines Families,

My apologies for the lateness of today’s message but it has been a busy and fun day here at Wines. The 5th graders from Mr. Mosher’s class played an incredible game of kickball against the staff today and it was the closest game we have had in my 14 years at Wines. Thanks to a late inning rally, the staff pulled out a dramatic come from behind 7-4 victory over the 5th graders from “Mod 5” who played their hearts out. Thanks to Finn Brader who won the opportunity for his class to play in the game at the raffle last week. 

Last Day of School June 13 (Half Day)

It is hard to believe we are in the final full week of school. Just a reminder that the last day of school is next Thursday, June 13. That is a half day with school dismissal at 11:30 AM. 

Staffing Update

Unfortunately, due to the AAPS budget challenges, a number of AAPS teachers received layoff notices this week. We feel for all of those wonderful professionals and hope that they are recalled later or are able to continue their careers in another district. While this is certainly no time to celebrate, I am pleased to report that no Wines teachers are impacted by the district layoffs. 

What a ROAR!!

Last Friday’s ROAR was simply amazing! We had great weather and it was wonderful to see so many kids and families having a so much fun! I want to thank everyone who helped put this HUGE event on. I want to specifically thank our ROAR and Raffle leaders who worked hard all year to organize this special event for our community. Thank you to Andrea Huang, Marti Clark, Janice Guikema, Sarah Lesch, Deanna Cook, Jasmina Camo-Biogradlija, Kate Galvin, and Jourdan Ludwig. Each of these amazing parents worked tirelessly to make the event such a success! And these folks could not have done it without the support of a large army of volunteers, so thank you to everyone who pitched in!

Library update:

Book return: Please return all library books. 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 2024 Summer Game! You can enter the code now, even though the Summer Game doesn’t start officially until June 13.  Huge congratulations to Charlotte from Ms. Puente’s class, who came up with our 2024 Ann Arbor District Library Summer Game Code: 

WILDCATSREADBOOKS

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/play

If all of this talk of the Summer Game is new to you, don’t fear! Stop by any library branch and they will answer your questions. Feel free to reach out to Ms. Goldberg with questions, too. 

Fantastic Field Day

Big thanks to Darcy Knoll for organizing an outstanding Field Day yesterday. Like most things at Wines, we can’t do them without the help from our families and nearly 50 parent volunteers came out to help and have some fun. 

Chromebook Return

We collected Chromebooks and chargers from about half of our students today. Your child’s teacher should have alerted you regarding what day devices are being collected in their classroom. Please be sure to return both the device AND the charger. If your child had their Chromebook collected today and they forgot the charger, please return those tomorrow. 

David

Weekly Update 5/29

 Dear Wines Families,

It’s an exciting week here at Wines with the ROAR on Friday and then lots of fun things headed our way over the next couple of weeks. Please take a few minutes to read through today’s important messages. 

Final Wines ROAR Message

The Wines ROAR is almost here – happening THIS Friday, May 31st, 5-8pm!  Don’t miss out!

• Want to get a picture or toss a football with the National Football champs?  Don’t forget to buy your wristband, food tickets, and raffle tickets here.  Pickup what you ordered during drop off or pickup or at the ROAR.  

• Volunteer for short (30 min) shifts at the event. **We are still in need of volunteers, especially for the raffle drawing, dunk, and flush tanks! Please sign-up asap!**

• Don’t forget to bring your decorated cake to school by 9am on Friday morning, 5/31! The theme is “We Love our Teachers & Staff!”. You can also donate store bought baked goods for prizes!  

• Preview the many amazing raffle prizes here!

Congratulations Wines Retirees! 

I have a bittersweet announcement today that three of our fabulous teachers will be retiring at the end of the school year. 

Millie Fisher: Millie Fisher has been a teacher at Wines for over 20 years. Millie has primarily taught 3rd and 4th grade and also spent a year as a second grade teacher. Teaching was a second career for Ms. Fisher as she was formerly in the corporate world. Millie is a true leader and is always the “go to” person for other staff members on issues related to school and issues more personal in nature. Millie has always been someone who is willing to come to my office to advocate for her kids and her colleagues. Rarely, if ever, did she advocate for herself and she always put others’ needs in front of her own. Millie had firm expectations for her class and ran a “tight ship.” However, that ship was always full of positive relationships with students and she is consistently the teacher where students come back year in and year out to visit and stay connected. Thank you, Millie for an outstanding career! 

Julie Spiroff: Julie leaves Wines after a 30-year teaching career with 26 of those years being at Wines as a 5th grade teacher. Julie started teaching in Wisconsin spending four years as a middle and high school science teacher before coming to Ann Arbor. Julie always stressed academics and held students accountable with high expectations for everyone. In doing so, she gave every student the confidence and support they needed to meet her high expectations. My twin sons were in her class a few years ago and I remember well at our parent teacher conference where she told one of my boys to make sure he always had his “head up and shoulders back” meaning he needed to have confidence. This resonated with him and made him a better 5th grade student and now as a very confident 10th grade student. He still credits Ms. Spiroff for his academic confidence. I know Julie had the same impact on hundreds and hundreds of students. Thank you, Julie!

Jennifer Puente: Jen started her career working in the childcare program at Northside Elementary. She then became a Special Education Teaching Assistant at Northside while pursuing a Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy. Ultimately, Physical Therapy was not her calling and she decided to be a teacher and went back to school to get a degree in education. Once she completed her teaching degree, Jen started teaching first grade at Bryant Elementary. She taught both 1st and 2nd grades at Bryant for 20 years and came to Wines in 2019 where we are proud to be her last stop in a wonderful career! 

Student Chromebook Collection

On Monday, June 3rd through Thursday, June 6th we will collect all Chromebooks & chargers for storage over the summer.  Please make sure your child has their AAPS issued device in school on the designated collection day for their class. Classroom teachers will include their device collection day in their newsletter. If you have other AAPS technology issued equipment please send it in with your child. This may include hotspots, iPads, or older-model Chromebooks.

Please Return all Library Books

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!

A2ZERO Week June 9 – 15  

Fun, free events celebrating sustainability and climate action throughout the week!   Starting June 4, pick up your Passport to Fun at any AADL branch to get started on activities and enter the prize drawing.  For details including a full listing of events please go to a2gov.org/a2zeroweek. 

David