Weekly Update 2/4

 Dear Wines Families, 

It looks like we are going to have our first full week of school in a while! Despite the inconsistencies, our kids and staff have been great and we’ve been able to pick up right where we left off each time we are away! Speaking of away, our mid-winter break begins next week with no school on Friday, Feb. 13, Monday, Feb. 16, and Tuesday, Feb. 17. Here is the news for the week. We are excited to welcome families on Monday for Parent Involvement Day!

Wines Wahoo Friday! Volunteers Still Needed

The Wines Wahoo is back again this year! Join us Friday, February 6th 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, a silent disco, and more. Younger siblings and parents are welcome. Suggested $5 donation per family at the door with pizza, drink, and snack tickets available for purchase for $1 each. Snacks and drinks will be one ticket, and pizza will be 2 tickets. This event is cash only, Venmo will be available if necessary but an additional fee will be added. This event will need LOTS of volunteers, so we need your help! Please sign up at the link below

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C44AEAA22A2F8CE9-61769552-wines#/

Final Call: Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID) RSVP

We are excited for another great day Monday for our annual Parent Involvement Day. If you are able to join us that day, please fill out the RSVP form so we can prepare. It is especially important that you RSVP if you are staying for lunch so we can ensure we order enough food. Link below: 

https://forms.gle/peSsqskCbPyPJL6BA

Parent Workshops at NAAPID

We are thrilled to announce that we will be hosting two parent workshops during NAAPID. Each workshop will be offered in the morning and repeated in the afternoon. Below is information on each workshop: 

Why Talk about Race with Kids? -- A NAAPID workshop for Parents  

Supporting Your Student with Reading and Writing at Home

Extra Specials Sign-Up (Deadline Thursday, Feb 5)

Lunchtime Extra Specials are an opportunity for students to spend one lunch recess per week participating in fun (warm!), educational programs led by volunteers from the Wines community. Extra Specials will run from February 9th - March 20th as two 3-week sessions. Your child may participate in one activity per session. Of course, if they’d rather just go to recess every day, that's fine, too!

Many thanks to the Wines volunteers who will be leading the following activities:

- Finger Knitting

- Paper Airplanes

- Arts and Crafts

- Bracelet Making

- Story Telling

- Yoga

Click on the link here to sign-up, and please complete the form by Thursday, February 5th. We do our best to accommodate your activity request, but space is limited! 

Questions? Reach out to Liv Racine @ lracine@reinhartrealtors.com

Follow Up Re: School Safety

I quickly wanted to follow up to my email regarding school safety from last week as I’ve been asked from a number of families, “what can I do to help?” First and foremost, please follow our visitor management procedures. Whether it is your first time at Wines or your fifth time in a day, everyone MUST enter the office and check in and receive a visitor badge every time. In addition, please DO NOT let anyone into the building once you are in. It is common for parents to see a known fellow parent or student and politely open the exterior door for them. While this seems innocent enough, it poses potential safety issues and we strongly ask that you not do this. In addition, please be patient when you ring the bell as Robin is often alone in the office and she may not immediately be able to buzz you in. 

On Monday for NAAPID, we are asking that ALL parents enter from the main entrance. This means the Young 5 and Kindergarten families as well as 5th grade families going to the modular all check in at the table in the front lobby to sign in and receive a name badge. 

Support Wines PTO with Zingerman’s Pot Pies Next Wednesday!

Looking for an easy (and delicious!) dinner option? The Wines PTO is partnering with Zingerman’s to offer pre-order pot pies for pick-up on Wednesday, 2/11. Proceeds from each purchase will go directly back to support PTO programs and activities for our school.

Please see the attached flyer for ordering details and deadlines. Thank you for supporting Wines!  

Save the Date: Wines Auction April 17

Our annual adult Wines Auction will take place on April 17 at Venue by 4M. Much more information to follow, but book the babysitter now for this fantastic evening! 

David

Weekly Update 1/28

 Dear Wines Families, 

I guess I’ll start with the obvious this week: it’s cold! Fortunately, while temperatures will be very cold for the next few days, it appears that for now that we will be able to be in school for the remainder of the week. It actually looks like we might get a brief respite tomorrow afternoon and hopefully the kids can go outside and enjoy the snow. 

Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID) RSVP

We are excited for another great day on Feb. 9th for our annual Parent Involvement Day. If you are able to join us that day, please fill out the RSVP form so we can prepare. It is especially important that you RSVP if you are staying for lunch so we can ensure we order enough food. Link below: 

https://forms.gle/peSsqskCbPyPJL6BA

Parent Workshops at NAAPID

We are thrilled to announce that we will be hosting two parent workshops during NAAPID. Each workshop will be offered in the morning and repeated in the afternoon. Below is information on each workshop: 

Why Talk about Race with Kids? -- A NAAPID workshop for Parents 

Join us for an interactive 30-min workshop that explores why parents should talk about race with their kids! Participants will learn about some of the science behind when kids learn about race, the roles that caregivers can play in supporting children's racial learning, a review of key resources for parents & families, and a time for Q&A. The workshop will be led by Andrea Huang, Community Building & Learning Manager for EmbraceRace, and parent to four kids (three of which are at Wines and one Wines alum!). EmbraceRace is a national nonprofit that helps parents, caregivers, and educators raise children who are thoughtful, informed, and brave about race, especially in the birth through middle school years. 

Sessions will run at 10am and again at 2pm in the FLEX Room in the Wines modular building.  

Supporting Your Student with Reading and Writing at Home:

Come hear about the literacy learning shifts that have been taking place, the new reading and writing curriculum, Arts and Letters, and how you can best support your student at home!

Session topics will include: literacy learning shifts, rationale behind some of the changes, how your student experiences reading and writing in the classroom and ways you can support your student at home. The workshop will be presented by Charity Lemke, Building Literacy Coach 

Sessions will run at 10:45am and again at 1:15pm in Room 107.

Volunteers needed for Extra Specials (Lunch Recess)

It's that time of year again and 2026 is promising to be a COLD one! Extra Specials are an optional lunch recess program where students can sign up for a weekly indoor enrichment activity - and stay cozy warm! Past Extra Specials have included: Paper Airplane Folding, Magic Tricks, Math Games, Logic Puzzles, Lego, Arts and Crafts, Yoga, and Read Aloud. 

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 M-Th during the first, second, and fourth weeks of February

Session II runs M-F, the first three weeks of March

Interested? Email Liv Racine at lracine@reinhartrealtors.com

Wines Wahoo Feb. 6

The Wines Wahoo is back again this year! Join us Friday, February 6th 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, a silent disco, and more. Younger siblings and parents are welcome. Suggested $5 donation per family at the door with pizza, drink, and snack tickets available for purchase for $1 each. Snacks and drinks will be one ticket, and pizza will be 2 tickets. This event is cash only, Venmo will be available if necessary but an additional fee will be added. This event will need LOTS of volunteers, so we need your help! Please sign up at the link below

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C44AEAA22A2F8CE9-61769552-wines#/

Science Olympiad Update

Student Sign-Ups

We are releasing one final call for students to sign up to participate in this year's Science Olympiad!  We have openings for the following events (by grade).  They are first come first serve.  Please send an email to scienceowines@gmail.com if you'd like to sign your kid up.  Event descriptions can be found here.

Second Grade

• Zip It (3 slots remaining)

• The Human Machine (2 slots remaining)

Third Grade

• Zip It (1 slot remaining)

Fourth Grade

• Feathered Friends (1 slot remaining)

• Circuit Wizardry (1 slot remaining)

• Pentathlon (5 slots remaining)

• Zip It (1 slot remaining)

Fifth Grade

• Potions (2 slots remaining)

• The Human Machine (2 slots remaining)

Coaching

We have been fortunate to be able to offer as many events as possible as a direct result of parent volunteers -- thank you!  We'd like to take this opportunity to provide one final call for additional coaches.  Additional coaches = more events = more students.  The time commitment as a coach is 1 hour/week and we will provide all resources needed.  Please send us an email as soon as possible (scienceowines@gmail.com) if you're thinking about volunteering or if you have any questions!  Event descriptions can be found here.  We need coaches for the following events (by grade):

Second Grade

• On Target

• What Went By

Third Grade

• Aerodynamics

• On Target

• Read It/Build It

• What Went By

Fourth Grade

• Aerodynamics

• Code Busters

• iCompute

• On Target

• Photon Phun

Fifth Grade

• Aerodynamics

• Code Busters

• iCompute

• On Target

Sylvia & Manori (scienceowines@gmail.com)

Save the Date: Wines Auction April 17

Our annual adult Wines Auction will take place on April 17 at Venue by 4M. Much more information to follow, but book the babysitter now for this fantastic evening! 

David

Weekly Update 1/21

 Dear Wines Families, 

We are most certainly into the heart of winter this week! I hope everyone made their way to where you need to be today safely. With the cold temperatures this week, I want to remind everyone that we go outside daily as long as the temperature or windchill is zero degrees or above. We did not go outside yesterday but today’s temperatures are warm enough to go outside. Students should come prepared to go outside daily. We will, obviously, keep our eyes on the temperature for the rest of the week. 

Parent Involvement Day RSVP

We are excited for another great day on Feb. 9th for our annual Parent Involvement Day. If you are able to join us that day, please fill out the RSVP form so we can prepare. It is especially important that you RSVP if you are staying for lunch so we can ensure we order enough food. Link below: 

https://forms.gle/peSsqskCbPyPJL6BA

Volunteers needed for Extra Specials (Lunch Recess)

It's that time of year again and 2026 is promising to be a COLD one! Extra Specials are an optional lunch recess program where students can sign up for a weekly indoor enrichment activity - and stay cozy warm! Past Extra Specials have included: Paper Airplane Folding, Magic Tricks, Math Games, Logic Puzzles, Lego, Arts and Crafts, Yoga, and Read Aloud. 

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 M-Th during the first, second, and fourth weeks of February

Session II runs M-F, the first three weeks of March

Interested? Email Liv Racine at lracine@reinhartrealtors.com

Wines Wahoo Feb. 6

The Wines Wahoo is back again this year! Join us Friday, February 6th 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, a silent disco, and more. Younger siblings and parents are welcome. Suggested $5 donation per family at the door with pizza, drink, and snack tickets available for purchase for $1 each. Snacks and drinks will be one ticket, and pizza will be 2 tickets. This event is cash only, Venmo will be available if necessary but an additional fee will be added. This event will need LOTS of volunteers, so we need your help! Please sign up at the link below

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C44AEAA22A2F8CE9-61769552-wines#/

Great Ideas Grant Readers Needed

The Great Idea Grants Committee is looking for parent volunteers to serve on a one-time committee to review the Great Idea Grants that were submitted in November 2025. The committee will meet virtually for approximately one hour in mid-February. Come join the committee and learn about the great ideas that students, parents, and teachers submitted to enhance our school community and learn how the Great Idea Grants program works at Wines. Also, if you are interested in leading this program next school year (26-27), the PTO is looking for a 'GREAT' parent to take the lead on this fun program. Please reach out to Anu Huntley at anu.agrawal.huntley@gmail.com if you are interested in being on the committee and/or leading this program next school year.

Save the Date: Wines Auction April 17

Our annual adult Wines Auction will take place on April 17 at Venue by 4M. Much more information to follow, but book the babysitter now for this fantastic evening! 

David

Weekly Update 1/14

 Dear Wines Families, 

This week our school has begun our celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King in advance of Monday’s holiday. We have had daily all school Zoom read alouds by guest teachers and myself reading from the book Making a Difference by Stacy Bauer. The book contains stories of young “change makers” who have made a difference in their communities and we have had corresponding class discussions on how each of us can be change makers as well. These read alouds will continue this week and Friday afternoon we will have our annual MLK assembly. 

PTO MEETING TONIGHT! 7:00 PM

Our next PTO meeting is tonight at 7:00 PM in the library. We would love to see you in person, but if you can join by Zoom, we have that option as well. The Zoom information was sent in today’s email. 

Science Olympiad Sign Up Open!

We are excited to announce that the sign-up is now open for kids to participate in this year's Washtenaw Elementary Science Olympiad (WESO)! If you would like your child(ren) to participate, please complete this Google form. Participation is a fantastic opportunity for students to explore science, teamwork, and fun hands-on activities. 

On the coaching side, we have filled 68% of all available events -- many thanks to those of you that have volunteered to coach an event this year!  Please click here to see the list of events that still need a coach; please add your name to the list if you are able to coach.  

Sylvia & Manori, Co-Head Coaches (contact us @ scienceowines@gmail.com)

Save the Date: Wines Auction April 17

Our annual adult Wines Auction will take place on April 17 at Venue by 4M. Much more information to follow, but book the babysitter now for this fantastic evening! 

Bob Weir 1947-2026

On a personal note, the world lost a true icon and legend Saturday with the passing of Bob Weir. Bob was a founding member of the Grateful Dead, joining the band as a 17-year-old in 1965. I first saw Bobby in 1989 when I attended my first Grateful Dead show and I’ve followed him around the country ever since seeing him play over 100 times with the Grateful Dead and various iterations of the band. While I never officially met Bob, he has been a constant “friend” my entire adult life and I’ve had the pleasure of seeing him play music from the nosebleed sections of huge stadiums to just feet away at small clubs. Regardless of the venue, Bobby’s voice and presence left an impression and I always felt he was singing and playing just for me! I was fortunate to see his final three performances last summer in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco for the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead. While we didn’t know it would be the last time we’d see him—his illness was never disclosed until Saturday—the shows in San Francisco were among the best I’ve seen and I’ll treasure that final weekend forever. 

In Cassidy, one of the most famous songs Bob wrote and played with the Grateful Dead, he sings “Fare thee well now, let your life proceed by its own design. Nothing to tell now, let the words be yours, I'm done with mine.” I’ve always been drawn to those lyrics and they seem a perfect way to say good bye. Thank you for the memories and joy, Bob. Rest easy, Ace. 

David

PTO THRIFT FLYER

Weekly Update 1/7

 Dear Wines Families, 

I hope everyone had a nice winter break. Our family was sick most of the time (which from what I am hearing from many staff and students was the case in many houses!). But we spent most of the time up north and had a minor blizzard up there meaning we spent lots of time in our pajamas watching movies and getting well. So, it was actually pretty nice! 2026 is shaping up to be a great year at Wines with lots of things happening.

 

Parents, we are in-need of your contribution to coach at Science Olympiad 2026. Thus far, out of 48 events we only have coaches for 19. We will not be able to accommodate as many students this year if we are short on coaches. Science Olympiad is purely a volunteer-based event. We do understand the commitment as we all are parent volunteers with busy schedules. Practice sessions will start mid February with on hour sessions once a week with your preference on the day and the place. We are aiming for 6- 8 sessions if possible. The final event will be on May 9th.  (https://wesoscience.org/). Student signups will be available coming Monday. Selections are first come first serve based and kids of coach volunteers will get the priority of their choices. Sign up to coach HERE.

Show Your Support for Wines at the PTO Thrift Shop

This Saturday, January 10th, 10% of all proceeds from sales at the PTO Thrift Shop will go to Wines. The PTO Thrift Shop has LOTS of great, gently used items so please have a look and encourage your friends and neighbors as well! 

PTO MEETING January 14th 7:00 PM

Our next PTO meeting is next Wednesday at 7:00 PM in the library.

Wildcat Players Winter Production- Registration is Open!

Back to the stage we go! Our directors are back and we are offering two groups this session.

1st - 2nd graders: Rehearsals will be on Thursdays after school until 5pm, beginning January 22, 2026 and performances April 18-19th, 2026. Participation fee is $150. Registration link:  https://forms.gle/mdrfUQauL95c5jwZ9

3rd - 5th graders: Rehearsals will be on Mondays after school until 5:30pm and Fridays after school until 6pm, beginning February 2, 2026 and performances April 18-19th, 2026. Participation fee is $250. Registration link: https://forms.gle/kD6Ly4VMpn5t5wFt6

***Please note that these groups are for students who want to perform ON STAGE. Any students interested in helping behind the scenes, please email Katie.galanes14@gmail.com for more information.

Wildcat Hindustani Language Club

Dates: Mondays between 4-5pm beginning Jan 12 till June 1 (17 sessions)

Room/place @Wines: 114 at Wines

Teacher: Uwaeish Ahmed (University of Michigan)

No previous training is needed and for questions send to Upasna namaste@peerbagh.com

David

Weekly Update 12/17

Dear Wines Families, 

As we approach the end of the first part of the school year and the end of 2025, I just want to take a moment to give thanks to the Wines community. This is truly a special community, a special staff, special kids, and simply a special school. It is my sincere honor and privilege to be the leader here. I wish everyone an enjoyable holiday season and after some rest, I look forward to 2026 at Wines. 

Thank You, Lori! 

I want to thank Lori Shirilla for another outstanding Book Fair. Lori has been in charge of this Fair for about as long as I remember and with her second son finishing 5th grade at Wines this year, it is time to thank Lori for all of the years she has supported the Book Fair (and countless other events and initiatives at Wines). 

The above message is just a small plug that we will need new people to take on various roles on the PTO next year as we have a number of parents like Lori who are completing their time at Wines. You do not need any specific skills—just a can do attitude! 

PTO Direct Donations

Below is a flyer from our PTO outlining a new “theme” to our annual request for direct donations. As the holidays approach, please consider a gift to the PTO to continue to support our school!

We are excited to announce that our Science Olympiad team is gearing up for another amazing year and we need your help! The annual Washtenaw Elementary Science Olympiad (WESO) will take place on May 9, 2026 at Pioneer High School. We are currently seeking parent coaches to help guide and mentor our students as they explore a range of fascinating topics. No prior Science Olympiad experience is needed - just a willingness to support our incredible kids! If you'd like to join a community of enthusiastic parents and students making science come alive, then please consider volunteering as a coach! Once you've signed up to volunteer we will follow up and provide more details, event overviews, and coaching resources. (Student sign-ups will begin around the second week of January).

Sign-Up Link (with slate of events & descriptions found in the "Event Slate" tab) 

Thank you for considering this opportunity to inspire curiosity and help our team shine -- Go Wines Wildcats!

Warm regards,

Sylvia & Manori, Co-Head Coaches (contact us @ scienceowines@gmail.com)

WESO FAQ’s

Wildcat Players Winter Production!

We had so much fun we are doing it again! Wildcat Players will run another theater club session from February through April 2026, ending in a weekend of performances for the community. Assuming we have enough interest, we will be splitting up into two groups, 1st-2nd grade and 3rd-5th grade, with separate rehearsals. 3rd-5th grades will rehearse on Mondays until 5:30pm and Fridays until 6pm. 1st-2nd grade rehearsal day(s) still TBA.  If you have questions or want to get involved in organizing (particularly for the 1st-2nd grade group), please email Katie.galanes14@gmail.com.  Look for signups in early-mid January!

2026-27 Young 5’s Enrollment Open Now!

AAPS is currently accepting applications for Young 5’s (both for neighborhood families and In-District-Transfers). Unlike other grades, spots in Young 5’s are not guaranteed—even if you live in the Wines neighborhood. If you have a child who will be eligible for Young 5’s next year or if you have friends or neighbors who do, please visit the Young 5’s Enrollment Page. Scroll down to the GREEN button to apply for 2026-2027. The application window closes January 6th. 

David

PTO THRIFT FLYER

 

Weekly Update 12/3

 Dear Wines Families, 

Winter has arrived, Thanksgiving is behind us, and believe it or not, we have less than three weeks left of school before our winter break. I’ve always loved this time between Thanksgiving and winter break as there is just a different feel around the building each day. There is hard work being done while kids and staff are also enjoying the season together. 

Book Fair Next Week

The Wines Scholastic Book Fair is going to be December 9th - 12th.  Every purchase from the book fair provides fabulous resources for students, teachers, and our school library.  It’s also a great way to get some holiday shopping checked off your list! 

We will be having a Family Night on Tuesday, December 9th from 6:30-8:00.  If you cannot make it to Family Night, you are welcome to come and shop at the fair during school hours Wednesday and Thursday.  

Here is a link to the fair's website for information on eWallet, online shopping and more: Wines Scholastic Book Fair Website 

If you are interested in volunteering at the book fair, please sign up below.

Book Fair Volunteers.

Floor Hockey Begins Friday! 

Our weekly before school floor hockey game begins this Friday at 8:00 AM. Students from all grades are welcome to join. Students can be dropped off at 8:00 and all they need are dry shoes. Parents can also join the game as well. Thanks to Ms. Knoll for supporting this Wines tradition. You can read more about floor hockey and other happenings in the gym in Ms. Knolls’ Newsletter. 

2026-27 Young 5’s Enrollment Open Now!

AAPS is currently accepting applications for Young 5’s (both for neighborhood families and In-District-Transfers). Unlike other grades, spots in Young 5’s are not guaranteed—even if you live in the Wines neighborhood. If you have a child who will be eligible for Young 5’s next year or if you have friends or neighbors who do, please visit the Young 5’s Enrollment Page. Scroll down to the GREEN button to apply for 2026-2027. 

Reminder: School Begins at 8:48

As I wrote on Monday, the Miller Road construction project has been delayed and the current estimate is that Miller will re-open next week. To be honest, that seems like a very optimistic timeline. However long the project takes, it will impact our arrival and departure process. While the procedures have caused our morning drop off lineup to be longer than normal, I’m seeing large numbers of cars arriving at or after 9:00 AM—well after the lineup has shortened causing many students to arrive more than just a few minutes late to school. While we certainly understand that there will be some delays due to the construction and our corresponding revised procedures, we do ask that families do everything they can to start your mornings with enough time to get to Wines on time. As a reminder, we begin allowing students who eat breakfast to enter at 8:42 and all other students at 8:45. Instructional time for students begins at 8:48. When students are late, they miss some of the most crucial moments of the day and often cause disruptions to classroom procedures. 

David