Weekly Update 3/22

 Dear Wines Families, 

It’s hard to believe that we are coming up on Spring Break! For us here at school, the Spring Break marks an important moment in our school calendar. Upon our return, it often feels like a sprint to the end of the school year with lots of school events to end the school year, and lots of planning for next fall. It is also a crucial time of year for our students as they close out their academic school term. It’s an exciting and fun time, but a busy one as well. Our staff will be rested and ready to start this sprint on April 3rd! 

Report Cards

On Friday you will receive an email from me with a secure delivery of your child’s report card. 5th grade families, you will also receive a second email with the progress report from Instrumental Music. Our teachers have worked very hard at completing up to date assessments over the past few weeks and have spent many hours reporting on student progress. While we always strive to communicate with our families in a way where report cards are an official record of information that families already know, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher. Our teachers will be on break next week, but they will certainly respond upon the resumption of school. 

Support Wines at Schuler Books This Month! 

We have just a few days left to purchase books from Schuler Books to support Wines. Until Saturday, 20% of your purchase will be donated to Wines. The 20% donation applies to books, games, toys, art supplies, puzzles, candy, stuffed animals and more!  Just mention "Wines" at checkout, or use web code WINESPTO when checking out online (https://www.schulerbooks.com). Need a good book or two to read during Spring Break? Go to Schuler Books by Saturday! 

Wines Auction: Looking for Sponsors and Art Project Volunteers

Classroom Project Volunteers Needed!

This year’s Wines Auction is on April 14th and for this event each classroom will create a unique art project that will be live auctioned off that night. This is a fun way to get the kids involved with raising money for the PTO and has produced some amazing pieces of art over the years.  We are looking for a few parent volunteers from each classroom to help plan and create projects. No art experience is needed.  We are still in need of volunteers from the following classrooms: Toohey, Shanteau, Lynch, Milanowski, Mosher, Heaton, and Spiroff.

Anyone interested please email Lauren Cunnane at lmbrooks27@gmail.com

Corporate Sponsors/Item Donations/Monetary Donation

Another opportunity to support the Auction is to be a corporate sponsor or donate items for the silent auction, or make a monetary donation to the event. 

Other Information About the Auction

The auction will be held Friday, April 14th from 6-10PM at HOMES Campus. Join us for this casual, ADULT ONLY celebration in support of our school. This year we are focusing on raising money for outdoor improvements including new soccer goals for the Upper El playground and playground equipment for the Lower El. Want to help? Have a donation? Contact Jane.lardo@gmail.com

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)

AAPS PTOC Equity Fundraiser

The AAPS PTOC Equity Committee is working hard to support schools that do not have the type of support and resources that we have at Wines. They have launched its first ever equity fundraiser on GoFundMe - the $20 for $30k campaign!  

The PTOC is looking for 1500 members of the Ann Arbor community to donate $20 each. Their goal is to raise $32,500 to boost the incomes of PTOs at Title I elementary schools by $10 per student.  As of today, they have already raised over $17,000!! 

The PTO Thrift Shop, in honor of its 30th anniversary, has decided to MATCH the funds raised up to $30,000.  Please join us in thanking the PTO Thrift Shop for its commitment to our schools, students and community.    

That’s all for this week. If you are traveling next week, I wish you a safe journey. 

David

Weekly Update 3/15

Dear Wines Families, 

Literacy Night Tomorrow!

Join the Wines community tomorrow from 6-8pm for Literacy Night! At 6pm, everyone will gather in the cafeteria to enjoy a Reader's Theater starring Wines staff members. From 6:20-7:10, your family will have the opportunity to join teachers and special guests for read alouds and literacy activities in classrooms. You can also meet local author, Makiah Shipp, and illustrators, Hannah Anderson and Ebba Gurney. At 7:15, you can listen to local legend, professional storyteller, and retired AADL librarian, Laura Pershin Raynor, who will end our evening with a performance. It’s going to be a wonderful night of community, stories, and sharing!

Disability Awareness Workshop Coordinator Needed

Another tradition returns to Wines this spring with our annual 4th grade Disability Awareness Day. Because our 5th graders did not get the chance to have the experience last year, we are hopeful that the 5th graders can join as well. We need a parent volunteer to help coordinate the event. The coordinator simply works with the Center for Independent Living who organizes the event on logistics, scheduling, etc. In addition, we will need additional parent volunteers and the coordinator helps solicit those volunteers. You do not need to be a 4th or 5th grade parent to be the coordinator. In fact, it is nice to have a parent of a younger student take on the role so that they can do it for more than one year. If you are interested or have any questions, please contact me directly. The date of the event is May 24. Thanks for your consideration! 

Food Gatherers/Rotary Club Food Drive

As I indicated Monday, we are currently collecting non-perishable food items until March 17. Collection bins are located in the front hallway at our main entrance. Let’s fill up our bins! Literacy Night is a great time to bring in your food items. 

Support Wines at Schuler Books This Month! 

In honor of Reading Month, Wines PTO will be partnering with Schuler Books.  From Sunday, March 19 - Saturday, March 25, 20% of your purchase will be donated to Wines. The 20% donation applies to books, games, toys, art supplies, puzzles, candy, stuffed animals and more!  Just mention "Wines" at checkout, or use web code WINESPTO when checking out online (https://www.schulerbooks.com). Tell your friends and family from out of town, too!  

Wines Auction: Looking for Sponsors and Art Project Volunteers

Classroom Project Volunteers Needed!

This year’s Wines Auction is on April 14th and for this event each classroom will create a unique art project that will be live auctioned off that night. This is a fun way to get the kids involved with raising money for the PTO and has produced some amazing pieces of art over the years.  We are looking for a few parent volunteers from each classroom to help plan and create projects. No art experience is needed.  We are still in need of volunteers from the following classrooms: Toohey, Shanteau, Lynch, Milanowski, Mosher, Heaton, and Spiroff.

Anyone interested please email Lauren Cunnane at lmbrooks27@gmail.com

Corporate Sponsors/Item Donations/Monetary Donation

Another opportunity to support the Auction is to be a corporate sponsor or donate items for the silent auction, or make a monetary donation to the event. HERE is a link to the Auction donation site on the PTO website. 

Other Information About the Auction

The auction will be held Friday, April 14th from 6-10PM at HOMES Campus. Join us for this casual, ADULT ONLY celebration in support of our school. This year we are focusing on raising money for outdoor improvements including new soccer goals for the Upper El playground and playground equipment for the Lower El. Want to help? Have a donation? Contact Jane.lardo@gmail.com

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)

AAPS PTOC Equity Fundraiser

The AAPS PTOC Equity Committee is working hard to support schools that do not have the type of support and resources that we have at Wines. They have launched its first ever equity fundraiser on GoFundMe - the $20 for $30k campaign!  

The PTOC is looking for 1500 members of the Ann Arbor community to donate $20 each. Their goal is to raise $32,500 to boost the incomes of PTOs at Title I elementary schools by $10 per student.  As of today, they have already raised over $17,000!! 

The PTO Thrift Shop, in honor of its 30th anniversary, has decided to MATCH the funds raised up to $30,000.  

That’s all for this week.

David

  

Weekly Update 3/8

 Dear Wines Families, 

Well, let’s hope last week was the end of the icy/snowy weather! My house miraculously maintained power during the ice storm last week. We weren’t so lucky this past weekend, however. I hope everyone who lost power (some of you for a second time) are up and running again! Here is the news for the week. My note is a bit long this week, but I do hope you take a few minutes to read through everything. 

Friendly Reminder: School Starts at 8:45 AM

Just a friendly reminder that our first bell is at 8:42 and we expect students to be in class by the second bell at 8:45. While there is a small “buffer” of time built in, more and more I am seeing cars not even pulling into our property until 8:50 or 8:55. The first few minutes of school are among the most important (as are the last few minutes). This is time for teachers to check in with kids, go over the schedule for the day, and a critical time for kids to get ready for their school day. In addition, we have created a schedule in our school where all classrooms have built in time first thing each morning for a morning meeting which is at crucial component to our Responsive Classrooms approach to Social/Emotional Learning. This is a time to make connections and build our common sense of belonging. Please do all you can to make getting to school on time a priority. 

PTO Meeting Tonight!

The next PTO meeting is tonight 7-8:30p in the Wines Elementary Library. Can't make it in person? Join online via Zoom: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7303088677

Food Gatherers/Rotary Club Food Drive

As I indicated Monday, we are currently collecting non-perishable food items until March 17. Collection bins are located in the front hallway at our main entrance. Let’s fill up our bins!

Literacy Night Next Thursday

Save the date for Literacy Night on Thursday, March 16, 6-8pm: Come meet local author, Makiah Shipp, and illustrators, Hannah Anderson and Ebba Gurney. Join teachers and special guests for read alouds and literacy activities in classrooms. Listen to local legend, professional storyteller, and retired AADL librarian, Laura Pershin Raynor, who will end our evening with a performance. It’s going to be a wonderful night of community, stories, and sharing. More details soon.

Support Wines at Schuler Books This Month! 

In honor of Reading Month, Wines PTO will be partnering with Schuler Books.  From Sunday, March 19 - Saturday, March 25, 20% of your purchase will be donated to Wines. The 20% donation applies to books, games, toys, art supplies, puzzles, candy, stuffed animals and more!  Just mention "Wines" at checkout, or use web code WINESPTO when checking out online (https://www.schulerbooks.com). Tell your friends and family from out of town, too!  

Wines Auction: Looking for Sponsors and Art Project Volunteers

Classroom Project Volunteers Needed!

This year’s Wines Auction is on April 14th and for this event each classroom will create a unique art project that will be live auctioned off that night. This is a fun way to get the kids involved with raising money for the PTO and has produced some amazing pieces of art over the years.  We are looking for a few parent volunteers from each classroom to help plan and create projects. No art experience is needed.  We are still in need of volunteers from the following classrooms: Toohey, Shanteau, Lynch, Harris, Gibbs, Milanowski, Parsons, Rodriguez, Mosher, Fisher, Puente, Heaton, Spiroff.

Anyone interested please email Lauren Cunnane at lmbrooks27@gmail.com

Corporate Sponsors/Item Donations/Monetary Donation

Another opportunity to support the Auction is to be a corporate sponsor or donate items for the silent auction, or make a monetary donation to the event. HERE is a link to the Auction donation site on the PTO website. 

Other Information About the Auction

The auction will be held Friday, April 14th from 6-10PM at HOMES Campus. Join us for this casual, ADULT ONLY celebration in support of our school. This year we are focusing on raising money for outdoor improvements including new soccer goals for the Upper El playground and playground equipment for the Lower El. Want to help? Have a donation? Contact Jane.lardo@gmail.com

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)

Cookie Booth Saturday

The Wines Girl Scouts will have a booth set up on Saturday, March 12 from 12-4 at the front of Wines selling Girl Scout Cookies. Come get your cookies on Saturday! 

Pedestrian Crossing Flags added to Newport and Sunset Crosswalk

To increase safety while crossing Newport, the Wines PTO has installed pedestrian crossing flags to two corners at the intersection of Newport and Sunset.  Studies done by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) determined that crosswalk flags are up to 80% effective at stopping cars when used by pedestrians using them at crosswalks.

Walkers can pick up a flag from a bucket on either side of Newport and carry it while crossing the street and then deposit it in the bucket on the other side of Newport.  Please be sure to leave the flags after crossing the street!

That’s all for this week.

David

Weekly Update 3/1

 Dear Wines Families, 

It is certainly nice to (hopefully) be in school for a full week this week. Well, it is technically not a full week with a half day on Friday. Please see the important information about the half day below. There is a lot of information to share this week as we enter March is Reading Month and we are busy preparing for our annual auction. All of that information and more is below. Please take a few minutes to read through this fairly lengthy message today. 

Half Day Friday: Dismissal Time and Lunch

Friday is a half day of school. Please note that a half day dismissal is at 11:28 AM which is different from our Early Release schedule. There will be a “grab and go” lunch available for students. Please note that the lunch is not free and students will need to use their lunch card as they would do on a regular school day. In addition, students will pick up their lunch some time before 11:00 AM and the lunch will be sent home and will not be eaten at school (or on the bus!). Please confirm with your child if they will or will not be grabbing lunch that day—though you do not need to order in advance. 

March is Reading Month 

Happy Reading Month! Tomorrow, March 2, we’ll kick off Read Across America Day with Dress Up Like Your Favorite Book Character Day and a schoolwide read aloud in the hallway. 

And save the date for Literacy Night on Thursday, March 16, 6-8pm: Come meet local author, Makiah Shipp, and illustrators, Hannah Anderson and Ebba Gurney. Join teachers and special guests for read alouds and literacy activities in classrooms. Listen to local legend, professional storyteller, and retired AADL librarian, Laura Pershin Raynor, who will end our evening with a performance. It’s going to be a wonderful night of community, stories, and sharing. More details soon.

For fun ways to engage with Reading Month at home, check out this virtual calendar with links and ideas for every day in March. 

Support Wines at Schuler Books This Month! 

In honor of Reading Month, Wines PTO will be partnering with Schuler Books.  From Sunday, March 19 - Saturday, March 25, 20% of your purchase will be donated to Wines. The 20% donation applies to books, games, toys, art supplies, puzzles, candy, stuffed animals and more!  Just mention "Wines" at checkout, or use web code WINESPTO when checking out online (https://www.schulerbooks.com). Tell your friends and family from out of town, too!  

PTO Meeting Wednesday, March 8

The next PTO meeting is Wednesday, March 8 from 7-8:30p in the Wines Elementary Library. Can't make it in person? Join online via Zoom: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7303088677

Wines Auction: Looking for Sponsors and Art Project Volunteers

Classroom Project Volunteers Needed!

This year’s Wines Auction is on April 14th and for this event each classroom will create a unique art project that will be live auctioned off that night. This is a fun way to get the kids involved with raising money for the PTO and has produced some amazing pieces of art over the years.  We are looking for a few parent volunteers from each classroom to help plan and create projects. No art experience is needed.  Anyone interested please email Lauren Cunnane at lmbrooks27@gmail.com

Corporate Sponsors/Item Donations/Monetary Donation

Another opportunity to support the Auction is to be a corporate sponsor or donate items for the silent auction, or make a monetary donation to the event. HERE is a link to the Auction donation site on the PTO website.

Other Information About the Auction

The auction will be held Friday, April 14th from 6-10PM at HOMES Campus. Join us for this casual, ADULT ONLY celebration in support of our school. This year we are focusing on raising money for outdoor improvements including new soccer goals for the Upper El playground and playground equipment for the Lower El. Want to help? Have a donation? Contact Jane.lardo@gmail.com

Here's to some thawing temperatures! 

David

Icy Weekly Update 2/22

 Dear Wines Families, 

Well, even in what can only be described as a very mild winter, we find ourselves at home for another snow/ice closure today. Like many kids at Wines, I’m generally pretty happy about the magical snow day. But with last week’s ice closure and the long weekend followed by a just single day of school before another day away, we all get off of our schedules, calendars get out of whack, and the general rhythm of school gets interrupted. I do hope to be back in school tomorrow and Friday so we can salvage this week. More importantly, I hope this ice storm is mild and everyone is able to be safe, keep their power on, etc. Here is the news for the week. 

Science Olympiad Registration - Final Call

Registration for the Wines Washtenaw Elementary Science Olympiad (WESO) team will be wrapping up this week. The competition day involves about 2,000 kids from our county competing across a wide variety of events. It's a great opportunity for kids to learn a ton, and also to feel connected to their larger community. Your family can attend the competition even if not competing (there are other activities on site), and see what the fuss is about.

Update: We had four new team spots open for Mystery Architecture in 4th and 5th grades! We have coaches for all events except the Read It / Build It event. 

There are only a few spaces left. As of Tuesday evening, 78 of 98 spaces on the Wines Team are now filled. Please register as soon as possible to ensure your student's opportunity to participate. Practices run weekly from Feb 25 until the competition on May 13.

See this page for more information, and to register your student for the Wines WESO team:

https://sites.google.com/view/wines-weso-2023/register

March is Reading Month - Celebrations Start Next Week!

Reading Month is almost here. See below for plans for students during the day (all month long!) and plans for family Literacy Night on Thursday, March 16, from 6-8pm. For fun ways to engage with Reading Month at home, check out this virtual calendar with links and ideas for every day in March.  

Thursday, March 2 (in school): Celebrate Read Across America Day by dressing up like your favorite book character! We’ll also have a school-wide reading time in the hallway where the whole school will pause to enjoy some quiet reading (in costume, of course). 

Friday, March 10 (in school): All school Zoom read aloud with UM student author, Makiah Shipp, and artists Hannah Anderson and Ebba Gurney. Inspired by Makiah’s childhood, Makiah’s Show and Tell is the story of an elementary-aged Black girl who passionately teaches others about the significance of Black natural hair and Black culture. Makiah Shipp is a civic engagement activist from Detroit. As a 20 year old student at the University of Michigan, she has become a published author of the children's book Makiah’s Show and Tell. The beautiful picture book’s art was created by Hannah Anderson and Wines Elementary alum, Ebba Gurney. 

Makiah will read the book to the whole school via Zoom and then, all three creators will be in person at Wines for Literacy Night activities on Thursday, March 16!

Thursday, March 16, 6-8pm (after school): Literacy Night! Come meet local author, Makiah Shipp, and illustrators, Hannah Anderson and Ebba Gurney. Join teachers and special guests for read alouds and literacy activities in classrooms. Listen to local legend, professional storyteller, and retired AADL librarian, Laura Pershin Raynor, who will end our evening with a performance. It’s going to be a wonderful night of community, stories, and sharing. More details soon.

Thursday, March 23 (in school): We’ll end our Reading Month festivities with an assembly featuring nationally acclaimed and multiple award-winning storyteller, La’Ron Williams. His energetic, music-spiced presentations are always fun, highly participatory, educational and entertaining. Every program is specifically designed to promote diversity, foster community building, encourage peaceful conflict resolution and teach a host of “pro-social” skills, including empathy, self-expression and attentive listening. 

Wines Auction

Save the date for this can’t miss community event. The auction will be held Friday, April 14th from 6-10PM at HOMES Campus. Join us for this casual, ADULT ONLY celebration in support of our school. This year we are focusing on raising money for outdoor improvements including new soccer goals for the Upper El playground and playground equipment for the Lower El. Want to help? Have a donation? Contact Jane.lardo@gmail.com.

Here's to some thawing temperatures! 

David

Weekly Update 2/15

 Dear Wines Families, 

I want to first start by thanking the over 300 parents/grandparents/caregivers who were able to visit our school Monday for NAAPID. We were overwhelmed with how many people came and we thank you for all of your support! I also want to thank everyone who came to the Wines Wahoo last Friday night. That was certainly a fun evening. Big thanks to Robbie Weeks, Jaimie Sussman, and all the volunteers for helping bring this tradition back! 

Kindergarten Round Up Tonight at 6:00 PM

Our annual Young 5’s/Kindergarten Round Up takes place tonight at 6:00 PM. I fear that last week I mistakenly indicated that the event starts at 6:30. Please note the 6:00 start time. This event is for incoming Young 5’s families and students. If you have a child who will be eligible for Young 5’s or Kindergarten next fall, please plan on joining us! If you have friends and neighbors with children eligible for Young 5’s or Kindergarten next year, please let them know! Current Young 5’s Families: You are more than welcome to come to Round Up, but we know you and your children so there is no need to come that evening. 

Save the Date: Literacy Night March 16

We will be hosting a new Wines tradition on the evening of March 16. Literacy night is shaping up to be a fantastic family evening with story tellers, authors, and various literacy activities for kids of all ages and families. Look for more information over the coming weeks, but please mark your calendars! 

Wines Auction

Save the date for this can’t miss community event. The auction will be held Friday, April 14th from 6-10PM at HOMES Campus. Join us for this casual, ADULT ONLY celebration in support of our school. This year we are focusing on raising money for outdoor improvements including new soccer goals for the Upper El playground and playground equipment for the Lower El. Want to help? Have a donation? Contact Jane.lardo@gmail.com

David

Weekly Update 2/8

 Dear Wines Families, 

I hope this message finds you well as we are quickly moving through the month of February.  As I said last week, this is a busy and exciting time of year. Thanks in advance for reading about what is coming up! 

Parent Involvement Day

We are looking forward to welcoming our parents to spend part or all of the day with us on Monday. If you have not RSVP’d for the day yet, please click on the link below. The most important part of the RSVP is to let us know if you are joining us for lunch. RSVP’s are due by the end of the day tomorrow, Thursday. 

Parent Involvement Day RSVP:  https://forms.gle/AjYz3ZrnD7LacMTPA

Please note, we will not be supplying beverages for adult lunch. We encourage adults to bring a water bottle to fill in our many bottle filling stations around the building. 

Wines Wahoo Friday Night! 

The Wahoo is almost here! Please join us Friday evening at Forsythe for the Wines Wahoo. This is always a favorite of our kids and we are thrilled to have this tradition restored! 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 (cash only). We could still use a few more volunteers. If you are able, please go to:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C44AEAA22A2F8CE9-wines

As with Parent Involvement Day, we are encouraging folks to bring refillable water bottles for water. 

Kindergarten Round Up

Our annual Young 5’s/Kindergarten Round Up takes place next Wednesday, February 15th at 6:30 PM. This event is for incoming Young 5’s families and students. If you have a child who will be eligible for Young 5’s or Kindergarten next fall, please plan on joining us! If you have friends and neighbors with children eligible for Young 5’s or Kindergarten next year, please let them know! Current Young 5’s Families: You are more than welcome to come to Round Up, but we know you and your children so there is no need to come that evening. 

Save the Date: Literacy Night March 16

We will be hosting a new Wines tradition on the evening of March 16. Literacy night is shaping up to be a fantastic family evening with story tellers, authors, and various literacy activities for kids of all ages and families. Look for more information over the coming weeks, but please mark your calendars! 

Wines Auction

Save the date for this can’t miss community event. The auction will be held Friday, April 14th from 6-10PM at HOMES Campus. Join us for this casual, ADULT ONLY celebration in support of our school. This year we are focusing on raising money for outdoor improvements including new soccer goals for the Upper El playground and playground equipment for the Lower El. Want to help? Have a donation? Contact Jane.lardo@gmail.com

David