Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Weekly Blog 12/17

Dear Wines Families,

As we head into the winter break, I want to thank everyone for a wonderful first part of the school year. It really does seem like yesterday when we were meeting each other on the playground under the sun eating popsicles. I look forward to 2015 with you and with your children. As we leave for two weeks, please remind your children to take all of their belongings home. We have many students who leave boots and other winter clothes at school (which is a great idea, by the way). Please make sure these items get home on Friday. We will also remind students of this as well. Below are three VERY important messages from our PTO. Please note the special PTO meeting on Jan. 20th.

David

In the new reality of iChildhood...
Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, You Tube, Minecraft. 9 out of 10 kids have their own or have access to a smartphone, tablet, or computer. 81% of kids use social media. Over 55% of youth have been a victim of or witnessed bullying on social media. And age restrictions don’t matter - the use of social media by children as young as 5 is growing. We're the first generation of parents in the world of iEverything - grappling with these statistics and the simple inability to keep up with the ever-changing online landscape.

Please join us at the PTO meeting on Tuesday, January 20 at 6:30PM for an in-depth look at CyberSafety. Featuring experts from the Washtenaw Area Council for Children, the evening will explore issues of cyberbullying, sexting, online predators and privacy, and navigating social networks. Come learn some strategies for finding the balance between the cyber and real worlds for our children.

International Night
The International Night committee needs your help!  International Night is scheduled forThursday, January 29, 2015.  It is a wonderful evening during which students and their families create displays representing countries that are connected to their heritage or simply of interest to them.  Displays may consist of projects, clothing, souvenirs and often delicious food for all to taste as well.  The evening culminates in an international fashion show put on by Wines students.  We are hoping to begin planning for this event but are short of committee members!  If you would like to help us make this unique night happen, please contact Annemarie Dolan at akilburndolan@comcast.net.

The Wines Country Fair Raffle/Silent Auction
There soon may be snow on the ground, but plans are already afoot for the big day. This wonderful event is great fun for the entire family and Wines’ largest PTO fundraiser. 

It’s never too early to consider grabbing items to donate to the Raffle/Auction - especially in this time of great sales before and after the holidays. One parent picked up boxes of Legos when they were on sale just for the raffle - now that’s thinking ahead. So when you’re out and about fulfilling your holiday to dos - add the raffle to your list!

Here are this year’s classroom themes:
Kindergarten - Arts & Crafts
1st Grade - Lego’s
2nd Grade - The Wonderful World of Science
3rd Grade - Camping, Swimming & Outdoor Fun
4th Grade - Sports & Outdoor Fun
5th Grade - It’s A High Tech World

Books, board games, other ‘cool’ toys, and team regalia are always favorites as well. Stash your donation away till May (don’t forget where you put them!), and we’ll let you know when to drop them off at the school. If you don’t have room in your house, send me an email and I'd be happy to make arrangements. The Raffle/Auction wouldn’t be as successful as it is without the generous donations of the Wines community. Thank you for your support!
Contact: Kerianne Tupac: kmtupac@umich.edu




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