Weekly Update 9/24

 Dear Wines Families, 

Dare I say it, we needed a little rain? We are hoping this is the last week of rain so we can have a dry and fun Run-a-Thon next Friday. There is a lot going on as we head into October so please take a moment to read through today’s note. 

No School, Monday Sept. 29th

This is a full day of professional development for our staff. 

Picture Day Sept. 30th

Picture Day is coming up on 09/30/2025! Order before Picture Day to receive free shipping to the school. Order online at https://inter-state.com/FlyerEntry/0116JMF.

The Run-A-Thon serves as Wines’ largest fundraiser for the PTO. This year’s Run-A-Thon will be held next Friday 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, October 3rd to watch & cheer on your runner at Wines.

The 10/3 Running Schedule per grade can be found HERE.

Also, we need Volunteers to make the event a success!  

Please sign up to set up, hand runners rubber bands, prizes, snacks or help break down the event HERE.

DONATE RUNATHON PLEDGES: 

• Last week your child had an official Run-A-Thon 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)...classrooms that hit 100% will get to THROW A PIE IN MY FACE!  Every little amount helps and I can honestly say that I really want all 20 classrooms to hit me with a pie! 

A HUGE THANK YOU to the local businesses who signed on as Run-a-Thon sponsors & support Wines:

Godiako Restaurant, McNamara Orthodontics, Papajcik Tax, Metzger’s German Restaurant, Literati Bookstore, DMC Real Estate, Meadowlark Design & Build, SBK Orthodontics, Retirement Income Solutions, Big Blue Swim School, Bev's Bagels, Zingerman’s Grayline, Blossom Pediatrics Dentistry, Deb Odem Stern Real Estate Agent, Ann Arbor Music Therapy, Vet on the Run, Huron Dentistry, The Studio Centre Ballet Studio, Ijara Home Finance by Texana Bank, KidoKinetics, EK Cheesecakes, Wide World of Sports, Valor Strength and Performance and Dr. Mala Young Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

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

Wines parent and award-winning chef, Max Sussman, will be onsite at the Run-a-thon with his highly sought after bagel pop-up, Bev's Bagels, available for pre-order.

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

Walktober 2025!

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. 

Our inaugural Walktober event, Wednesday October 8th, is National Walk/Bike to School Day. Tables will be set up outside both school entrances to welcome our kids with stickers, music and celebration. After the second bell, parents and caregivers are invited to the picnic tables for coffee and bagels. 

*If your family is biking to school, see the Bike Bus flyer with morning meet up times and locations for the 8th.

Walktober Dates:

Wednesday, October 8th

Friday, October 17th

Friday, October 24th

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 8:15-8:50. We’ll have music and noise makers while we enjoy our Michigan fall and a little less car congestion. 

Walktober Volunteer

***********************************************************************************************************************************************************

What's a "bike bus"?

A bike bus is a group bike ride where kids and adults join together on a route to school for the morning commute. Skates, scooters, and all other riders are welcome to join!

How can I join?

Meet at the locations on the flyer at the time stated. Someone will be there waiting and the group will come pick you up!

Spirit Week Next Week

As we prepare for the Run-a-Thon next Friday, we will host our annal Run-a-Thon Spirit Week. With it only being a four day week and with Picture Day on Tuesday, we had to be creative with our days. Spirit Days are below: 

Tuesday: Nice up Top, Wacky on the Bottom. Keep it nice for picture day up top and wear wacky socks, wacky shoes, or anything else wacky down below! 

Wednesday: Pajama Day

Thursday: Favorite Team Day. 

Friday: Run-a-Thon. All students will receive a t-shirt when they arrive to school. 

Update on School Meal Program

As Superintendent Parks has shared with our community, in the event that the state legislature does not pass a budget by Oct. 1, AAPS will no longer be able to offer free breakfast and lunch for all students. Students who qualify for free or reduced lunch will still receive free or reduced priced lunches and all families are still able to pay for lunch if you would like to have your child eat school prepared meals. Every Wines student already has a school lunch account and corresponding lunch card here at school. In the event that we are no longer able to provide free meals, parents simply need to set up a Meal Magic account and add money that will be debited if students purchase breakfast or lunch.

It is critical that all families fill out the EBT form regardless of your need for free or reduced priced meals. The best way to access the EBT form is to register in the Meal Magic Family Portal. On the main page you can click on the button that says “Apply for Benefits”. This is the same portal where you can add money to your child’s account described above.  

David

Weekly Update 9/10

 Dear Wines Families, 

Curriculum Night Tonight!

We hope to see you at our annual Curriculum Night this evening from 5:30-7:00 PM. At 5:30 teachers will present in their classrooms. At 6:00 I will meet with the entire community in the cafeteria. At 6:30, teachers will present a second time in their classrooms. This is a repeat presentation for those who have multiple children at Wines or who missed the 5:30 session. Please note that Curriculum Night is intended for adults only. 

Wines Directory

In today's email you received a link to the Wines Directory (the link is not included in this public posting) This information was taken from what your family indicated you wanted included when you completed your registration. For some families, you may have inadvertently asked not to be included in the Directory. If your family has been omitted, please send an email to Robin Moore at moorero@aaps.k12.mi.us. The file will be updated. 

The Wines Run-A-Thon serves as our largest fundraiser for the PTO. This year’s Run-A-Thon will be held in the morning of Friday, October 3rd 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, October 3rd to watch & cheer on your runner at Wines.

LAST CALL FOR SPONSORS: 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 and Platinum $1000 sponsor’s logos are included on the participation ribbons. If interested, please email any questions & your company logo to jourdan.ludwig@gmail.com by EOD today, Wednesday September 10th.

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. You can also make digital donations here.

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

Volunteering at Wines

Speaking of volunteering, if you are interested in volunteering at Wines this year in any capacity, we need you to fill out volunteer background check linked below. We will only contact you if there is a problem with your background check. Note, we are ALWAYS looking for lunchtime volunteers.

https://forms.gle/6jByrDrX6jYJp1J87

Reminder: No Student Drop Off Until 8:40

I have noticed a number of unattended students lined up at the front door well before the drop off window. Please, unless you are accompanying your child, students may not line up before 8:40. This is a critical safety issue as we do not have staff on duty to supervise before 8:40. 

Library News

Welcome back to the Wines library! We’ve just begun to check out books and students are excited about what they’ll read this year. Please help your child(ren) remember to take good care of their books at home, keep them stored in a safe place (like their backpack), and return them each week. 

When are my child’s library books due each week? Book check in/out days are as follows: 

Monday: Robins, Mable, Martinez, Carlin, Rodriguez, Shanteau, Williamson

Tuesday: Buehler, Milanowski, Eikey, Day, Toohey, Kim

Wednesday: Middleton, Duggins, Popkey

Thursday: Varga, Mosher, Parsons

Friday: Detering

Library Volunteers

We’re excited to welcome volunteers into the library starting in the next few weeks. If you would like to volunteer in the library, please complete this Library Volunteer form. If you have additional questions, please reach out to Rachel Goldberg, Wines librarian (goldbergr@aaps.k12.mi.us). If you are planning on volunteering in the library (or anywhere at Wines), please make sure you have filled out the Volunteer Background Form. 

Noon Hour Employment Opportunities

In addition to the availability to volunteer at lunch hour, we also have paid positions available. Like volunteering, this is a flexible position and you don’t need to commit to working daily. This is a great opportunity for retirees or anyone with a flexible daytime schedule. Pay is $16.50 an hour and a full shift is 1.5 hours. If you are interested or know someone who might be, you can contact me directly or view the job posting HERE.  

David

Weekly Update 9/3

 Dear Wines Families, 

Things continue to progress nicely here at Wines and everyone has settled in to our normal routines this week. I could not be more pleased with how this year has started! Here is the news for the week: 

Curriculum Night Wednesday 9/10

Our annual Curriculum Night takes place next Wednesday, September 10th from 5:30-7:00 PM. At 5:30 teachers will present in their classrooms. At 6:00 I will meet with the entire community in the cafeteria. At 6:30, teachers will present a second time in their classrooms. This is a repeat presentation for those who have multiple children at Wines or who missed the 5:30 session. Please note that Curriculum Night is intended for adults only. 

The Wines Run-A-Thon serves as our largest fundraiser for the PTO. This year’s Run-A-Thon will be held in the morning of Friday, October 3rd 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, October 3rd to watch & cheer on your runner at 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 and Platinum $1000 sponsor’s logos are included on the participation ribbons. If interested, please email any questions & your company logo to jourdan.ludwig@gmail.com by Friday, September 5th.

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. You can also make digital donations here.

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

Volunteering at Wines

Speaking of volunteering, if you are interested in volunteering at Wines this year in any capacity, we need you to fill out volunteer background check linked below. We will only contact you if there is a problem with your background check. Note, we are ALWAYS looking for lunchtime volunteers. 

https://forms.gle/6jByrDrX6jYJp1J87

Notes about Personal Devices: Watches

Over the past two years or so, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of students who have “smart” watches at school. While we do not have a blanket ban on the use of watches, please note that if students are communicating or being communicated with on their device, we will put the device in their backpack and ask that they not be brought to school again. Please do not communicate with your child on a watch or any device during the school day. 

Noon Hour Employment Opportunities

In addition to the availability to volunteer at lunch hour, we also have paid positions available. Like volunteering, this is a flexible position and you don’t need to commit to working daily. This is a great opportunity for retirees or anyone with a flexible daytime schedule. Pay is $16.50 an hour and a full shift is 1.5 hours. If you are interested or know someone who might be, you can contact me directly or view the job posting HERE.  

David

Weekly Update 8/27

 Dear Wines Families, 

We have had a fantastic start to the school year! I have to admit that when the school calendar was released, I was not a big fan of the first day of school being a half day. However, it proved to be a wonderful way for all of our kids to get their feet wet, so to speak, and Tuesday’s first full day was incredibly smooth in large part due to the half day session on Monday. Thank you to all of our families for learning and following our procedures and as always, thank you for sharing your children with us! 

For those of you who are new to Wines, please expect a Wednesday Email from me each week. It will contain a weekly message from me and often contains PTO messages as well. I try very hard to limit my communications to once per week and I try to keep things as brief as possible. This is our most important communication tool so we ask that you find time weekly to read through the message. 

Welcome Letter from Wines PTO

Below is a link to a Welcome Letter from our PTO. We are hoping more families will participate this year in organizing and supporting our many PTO events. It is fun and easy! 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uokNg2W5-HsGTUl4Vs4SiNJGlU6SM4Fc/view?usp=sharing

Not Receiving Emails? 

If you a reading this, then you likely received this email! However, if there is a member of your household who should be receiving my emails who is not, please let me know directly. Please include the email address that should be receiving the messages. It is often a quick fix on my end. 

Volunteering at Wines

If you are interested in volunteering at Wines this year in any capacity, we need you to fill out volunteer background check linked below. We will only contact you if there is a problem with your background check. Note, we are ALWAYS looking for lunchtime volunteers. 

https://forms.gle/6jByrDrX6jYJp1J87

Noon Hour Employment Opportunities

In addition to the availability to volunteer at lunch hour, we also have paid positions available. Like volunteering, this is a flexible position and you don’t need to commit to working daily. This is a great opportunity for retirees or anyone with a flexible daytime schedule. Pay is $16.50 an hour and a full shift is 1.5 hours. If you are interested or know someone who might be, you can contact me directly or view the job posting HERE.  

Calling All Aspiring Actors: Wildcat Players Begins this Fall!

We are excited to announce that we have created an after school drama club open to all students in grades 1-5! We will meet on Wednesdays and Fridays from after school until 6pm starting September 10th. Everyone can join, there will be no cuts, and it will culminate in a performance the weekend before Thanksgiving. The club will be led by 2 students from EMU’s Children’s Theatre Program. If your child(ren) have interest in joining, please complete the attached form https://forms.gle/CKgn3YxCgtFqrXKZA. You may also reach out to Katie Galanes (Katie.Galanes14@gmail.com) with any questions. 

Reminder: Important Information About Lunch and Breakfast

School provided breakfast and lunch are free for all students this school year. Even though the State of Michigan continues to provide free breakfast and lunch meals for all students, it is important that every AAPS family fills out the Education Benefit Form (EBF), regardless of financial status. Filling out the EBF form helps AAPS maintain our current funding levels. We appreciate your assistance in filling out the EBF form.

What do I need to do?

Please complete the EBF form. You may fill out a paper form or complete the form online.

Important Note:

✓ Include ALL students on one form, even if they attend different AAPS schools.

How do I submit my form? Choose one of the following methods:

1. Online: visit https://annarbor.familyportal.cloud, then click “Apply for Benefits”

• Here is a resource to assist you with filling out the form.

2. In person: Return completed form to your student’s school.

3. By Mail:

Ann Arbor Public Schools – Food Service

2555 S. State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

As a reminder, students can bring their own lunch to school and are not required to eat the school lunch.

David

PTO THRIFT FLYER

Weekly Update 6/4

 Dear Wines Families, 

Well, here is the final Wednesday Email of the school year. I’ll likely send out another email or two with important items next week and a final end of year message, but this is the final regular weekly email. The kids are still a bit on cloud nine after last Friday’s Wines ROAR which was another smashing success! 

Wines ROAR Thank You

Speaking of the ROAR, below is a message from Sarah Lesch who organized this year’s event. 

On behalf of the ROAR planning committee, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of you who attended and volunteered at our recent event. Your generous support played a huge role in making the day fun for our students and a success for our school.

Whether you helped with setup, volunteered at games, helped us tear down in the rain, donated raffle items, made a cake, brought supplies, or simply showed up to let your kid have a great time, we are truly grateful. A very special thank you for your flexibility and patience with us as we navigated fast approaching rain and needed to change the timing of the raffle.

Your involvement and attendance at events like these strengthens our school community and helps create meaningful experiences for our students.

Thank you once again for your time, energy, and commitment. We couldn’t have done it without you!

With gratitude, 

Sarah Lesch 

Of course, we need to be sure to thank Sarah for all of your incredible work! 

Wines PTO Year in Review

As the 2024-2025 school year comes to a close, the Wines PTO wants to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the parents, caregivers, family, and friends who supported Wines and the Wines PTO through your time, talent, and treasures.  We did a lot of amazing things as a community this year and look forward to another fun year next year. We hope everyone has an enjoyable summer!

Last Day of School Wednesday, June 11th. Half Day

One week from today is the last day of school. It is a traditional half day (not an early release) and dismissal is at 11:30. 

Baby Bunnies Available

A current Wines family who has pet rabbits were just blessed with newborn bunnies. They are looking for a good home sometime in July when the bunnies are ready to be weaned. If you are interested, please contact Jessica Webb at jadelewebb@gmail.com.

David

PTO THRIFT FLYER

Weekly Update 5/28

Dear Wines Families, 

Hello from northern Michigan where the 5th grade teachers and I have accompanied our 5th graders on our annual trip to Camp Tanuga. The weather is perfect and the kids are having a great time (and so are we!!). It’s a big week at Wines with the ROAR Friday night. 

Wines ROAR Friday!!

The Wines ROAR is almost here – happening THIS Friday, May 30th, 5-8pm!  Don’t miss out!

• Don’t forget to buy your wristband, food tickets, and raffle tickets here. Pickup what you ordered during dropoff or pick up at the main entrance (Wednesday or Thursday of this week) or at the ROAR ticket booth.  

• Volunteer for short (30 min) shifts at the event. **We are still in need of volunteers! Please sign-up asap!**

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

• Preview the many amazing raffle prizes here.

Library News

It's time to return your library books. Please check your backpacks, bookshelves, couches, and any other cozy reading spots for misplaced books and bring all Wines books back to school. If you think you've lost a book, please talk to Ms. Goldberg about it at school or via email (goldbergr@aaps.k12.mi.us). 

Field Day Wednesday, June 4th 

Volunteers are needed in the morning (Grades 3- 5).

You can sign up to assist with the following link: SIGN-UP

If you have additional questions, please email Darcy Knoll at thorpekn@aaps.k12.mi.us

Another Great Idea Grant Update!

Thanks to Kaeman Francis, first grader in Ms. Carlin's class and his Great Idea Grant, the Lower El has a newly painted Four-Square Court! Have your kids seen it? A big thanks to Kaeman's mom and grandfather for painting the new court's lines.

A Four-Square Court for the Upper El is being worked on!

David

Weekly Update 5/21

 Dear Wines Families, 

As we approach the Memorial Day holiday weekend and what many people believe is the “official” start of summer, we still have a lot going on here at Wines over the next few weeks! Be sure to read all the way to the end for one of the final ROAR messages as we prepare for the event on May 30th. 

Annual AAPS Family Survey

By now you should have received a couple emails asking you to participate in our school district’s annual family survey. If you have not had a chance to take the survey, please consider clicking on the link below. 

https://survey.k12insight.com/r/2025-SchoolClimateSurvey-Families

Bike Bus - Wednesday, May 28

Meet-up points at Garden Homes Park (8:05 a.m.), Creal Park (8:15 a.m.), and Hunt Park (8:15 a.m.)

What’s a bike bus?

A bike bus is a group of kids and caretakers who meet up and ride bikes (or skate or scoot, etc) together to school. It’s fun and festive and encourages kids and adults to stay active and use more sustainable transportation whenever possible.

Wines Art Night 2025: Tomorrow

Beginning at 6:30 tomorrow evening, Mr. Wyse will host our annual Art Night. The event is informal and families are welcome to come any time between 6:30 and 7:30 to explore all of the amazing art our students have created this year. We hope to see you there!

Field Day Wednesday, June 4th 

Volunteers are needed in both the morning (Grades 3- 5) and the afternoon (Grades Y5-2).

You can sign up to assist with the following link: SIGN-UP

If you have additional questions, please email Darcy Knoll at thorpekn@aaps.k12.mi.us

Final TRAILS Newsletter

Did You Know?! 

Wines Elementary is named for Levi D. Wines who would be celebrating his 173rd birthday this Saturday.  Levi Wines spent his lifetime serving the Ann Arbor community as a mathematics faculty member at the high school for 50 years, a founding member of the University Musical Society, and serving as the Park Commissioner for 33 years.  As someone who strongly believed in serving his community and supporting students, Wines Elementary was named after him when it opened in 1957.

To read more about Levi Wines's legacy, visit AADL here.

Wines ROAR May 30th

The Wines ROAR is almost here – happening Friday, May 30th, 5-8pm on the Wines Upper El playground! We sent an email about the raffle and all the fun planned for the end of year celebration. This 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:

• Volunteer for short (30 min) shifts at the event. **We are in need of volunteers!!! Please consider signing up for one or two shifts per family!

• Donate to classroom baskets or contribute other items for the raffle by this Friday (May 23). Proceeds from the Raffle are not only to help support teachers' needs in the classrooms but also supplement our specials, as well as improvements on the playground, field trips and more!

• Start planning with your child now to prepare for the cake for the decoration contest – the theme is ‘Destinations,” Kids bring their entries to school the day of the Roar (Friday, May 30th) by 9 AM to be eligible. [5th graders - while you need to decorate the cake, your parents are welcome to bake the cake for you!] Your child 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. 

We can’t wait to have a ROARing good time with you and your family! 

David

PTO THRIFT FLYER