Weekly Update 12/15

 

Dear Wines Families, 

Here is the news for my last Wednesday message of 2021! 

Forsythe Closure Today

As many families know, Forsythe Middle School is closed today out of an abundance of caution following an incident yesterday. Understandably, there are questions about the potential impact for Wines due to our proximity. While I’m not able to share information about what occurred at Forsythe, the situation is isolated to Forsythe and while we are remaining vigilant with our daily security measures, we are not under an increased level of concern. 

Pajama Day Friday

Let’s send out 2021 with some…comfort. Friday is Pajama Day at Wines for everyone. I know a couple classrooms already have this planned and everyone else can join in the fun. 

Thank you! 

I’d like to thank our community one last time for all you support to make school happen this fall. Our kids continue to come to school each day excited to be in the building and we’ve had a wonderful first part of the year. Thanks to all of our families and a BIG thank you to our staff who continue to go above and beyond to provide a joyful school experience during trying times. I hope everyone has some time to rest and rejuvenate over the next couple of weeks and I look forward to 2022 together! 

David

Weekly Update 12/8

 Dear Wines Families, 

I have just a couple of announcements this week: 

Vaccine/Quarantine Update

We are fortunate that we continue to be only minimally impacted by COVID cases in our school. With that said, we do continue to have cases resulting, unfortunately, in the need to quarantine close contacts from school. Now that vaccines are available for those five and older and many of our students have begun the vaccine regimen, I’ve had a number of questions about what this means for future cases. Moving forward, when we have a reported positive COVID case, we will initiate our same case investigation as we always have and identify close contacts. We will contact families alerting them that their child is a close contact. We will then inquire about vaccine status. If a close contact can provide documentation of being two weeks past their second vaccine dose, then that student does NOT need to quarantine from school provided they do not have symptoms. This is an exciting development as we anticipate the need for fewer students to quarantine and, hopefully, fewer cases overall as more of ours students are vaccinated. 

Food Drive Ends Tomorrow

Our extended food drive will end tomorrow. The extra days have been helpful as our bins have begun to really fill up! If you would like to donate, tomorrow is the final opportunity. 

Reminder: Picture Re-Take Day Dec. 15

Picture Re-Takes are next Wednesday. If your child did not have their picture taken, they will have it taken Wednesday. You can order a package at https://inter-state.com/FlyerEntry/62321Z. If you would like a re-take, please bring in your previous package. All Wines student have their picture taken and all students receive a yearbook whether you order a package or not. 

Lost and Found

Our Lost and Found has been sorted and displayed for a number of days and kids have done a great job of locating missing items! We will display the remaining items until next Wednesday. After that, remaining items will be donated. Please encourage your child to look for any missing items. This is a good opportunity to remind families to please try to label all of your kids items so we can find the owner without needing the Lost and Found. 

Best, 

David

Weekly Update 12/1

Dear Wines Families, 

Unfortunately following yesterday’s events in Oxford, I write today with a heavy heart. These acts of school violence and tragedy are challenging to comprehend, let alone explain. For me personally, I learned last night that the incident had a direct impact on a student and family I know well. The daughter of one of my former teachers is a student at Oxford High School and was extremely close to the event. She is physically safe, fortunately, but as you might expect, she will now have this memory with her for the rest of her life. 

Please know that our staff is ready today to support students who have questions or worries. Our top priority each day is the physical and emotional safety of our students. Our message to our kids is that they are safe at Wines, but we will also reflect on the school safety drills we have had this year that help students understand the procedures and options we have in the very unlikely event that we have a dangerous situation in our schools. 

PTO Meeting Tomorrow Night

7:00-8:30pm. Zoom information was shared in today's email. 

Picture Re-Take Day Dec. 8

Wednesday, Dec. 8th is Picture Re-Take Day. If your child was absent on the original day please go to https://inter-state.com/FlyerEntry/62321Z for information and ordering options. There is also information coming home in today’s Wednesday Folder. For those students who would like to get their picture retaken and bought a package, they MUST bring their package to school that day for exchange. 

Food Drive

Our Food Drive has been extended to this Friday. There are bins located at all Wines entrances. 

PTO Donation Letter

In today’s Wednesday Folder, please look for a letter from our PTO that includes great information and updates from this fall as well as an opportunity to make a direct donation to the PTO. Please find a moment to read the note. 

As always, let me know if you have any questions or concerns. 

David

Weekly Update 11/17

Dear Wines Families, 

Just a couple of news and notes today. 

Early Release Today: Dismissal at 1:18. 

Food Drive

The Wines PTO is collecting food to donate to Food Gatherers! Food Gatherers distributes food through more than 170 partners and programs in Washtenaw County. Bins will be at the Wines entrance doors starting tomorrow through Thanksgiving break. Please send nonperishable food items and help support our community! 

Report Cards

Report Cards will be sent digitally next Tuesday. You will receive two separate emails from me. One will include your child’s report card and one will include NWEA assessment results. Young 5’s students do not take NWEA so you will receive just one email. The documents will be password protected and directions for your password will be included in the note. 

Thanksgiving Recess

There will be no school next Wednesday-Friday for Thanksgiving. 

David

 

Weekly Update 11/10

 

Dear Wines Families, 

We have a number of important notes today:

Early Pick-Ups

With the exciting news of vaccine availability for our students, we have had a large number of students being picked up during the school day for vaccination appointments this week. We most certainly encourage our kids to get the vaccine and we understand there are often other reasons for kids to leave school early as well. With that said, please remember that this is a large school and Robin is generally in the office alone so we need your help. Please inform us as soon as possible that you need to pick your child up early. While informing the teacher is a nice courtesy, due to the nature of their jobs, teachers do not regularly check email during the school day. Therefore, early pick up information must come to the office. You can call the office at (734) 994-1973 or email Robin Moore at moorero@aaps.k12.mi.us. We check voicemail throughout the day so feel free to leave a message if there is not an answer. The earlier we have the information, the easier it is to have your child ready for you. When you arrive to school, please ring the buzzer outside and we will bring your child to you. 

As I indicated earlier in the year, the end of the day is exceedingly busy. As a result, we simply cannot pull students from class after 3:15. Please make arrangements to have your child picked up before 3:15. 

We greatly appreciate your help as we partner with you to help get kids vaccinated and support you for other times when you need to pick your children up before the end of the day. We anticipate that over the next month or more as kids receive their first and then second vaccines that we will continue to have a high number of early pick-ups so your help is greatly appreciated. 

Missing Enrollment Documents

Due to the extended school closure last year and the restrictions for access to school this year, we have a number of student files that are missing pieces of enrollment paperwork. Beginning tomorrow, if your child has documents missing, you will receive an email that lists what documents we need. Next Tuesday, 11/16, from 4:00-6:00 we will be hosting a drive-up document drop off. We will meet you at your car and make any necessary copies of the missing documents. 

Notes from the Library

Wines students are voracious readers - hooray! That being said, many students have shared that they have overdue library books at home. Please help your student find their library books and return them to school. Books can be returned to the return bin at the entrance to the library at any time, even if it is not their library class day. Overdue notices will be sent home next week. Please email Rachel Goldberg (goldbergr@aaps.k12.mi.us) with any questions. 

Early Release Nov. 17

Our next Early Release Day is next Wednesday, Nov. 17. Dismissal is a 1:18 PM. 

David

Weekly Update 11/3

Dear Wines Families, 

I hope this finds you well. Here is all the news for this shortened week. 

A2 Virtual Village

Over the past trimester, I have had conversations with some families that expressed interest in exploring online instruction that is offered through the A2 Virtual Village. While we’d love to keep your child here at Wines, families have an opportunity to adjust their enrollment selection for the second trimester. As you consider your options, please note that enrollment in online programs is based on available space. More information about the online programs is available on the A2 Virtual Village website. You are welcome to email any questions that you may have to a2velementary@a2schools.org.

Click HERE to express your interest in enrolling your child in an online class by Wednesday, November 17, 2021. 

Great Idea Grants

There are only a few days left to get your Great Ideas Grant application in! Students, Staff, and Community Members are invited to apply. Students can propose grants for up to $200, grown-ups have a $750 limit. Past grants were made for playground equipment, classroom book sets, software, technology, art supplies, and even a bird bath. Think big or small!

Apply by November 5 at the link here: https://forms.gle/BqxBrUf2VYkETDVk8

Picnic Tables Assembled!

A big thanks to the Wines family members who came out Monday night to make quick work of putting together ten new picnic tables for the front courtyard, allowing students to eat outside more comfortably in the fresh air. And thank you to everyone who donated to the Runathon, making projects like this possible! Although the weather is getting cooler, we will continue to eat outside as long as the temperature is reasonable and the tables will allow us to stay outside longer into fall/winter. 

Crosswalk

I want to again send the message I sent last week about the crosswalk at the front of Wines. Please, students are not allowed to cross by themselves. They must be accompanied by an adult. Students who are by themselves must go around on the sidewalk past the gate. This is a long-standing safety measure at Wines. This is for the crosswalk at the very front of the building, not the crosswalk near the baseball field connecting to the sidewalk from Forsythe. 

David

 

Weekly Update 10/27

 

Dear Wines Families, 

Halloween Celebration 10/29. Half Day

As I wrote last week, Wines will have a Halloween celebration on Friday. We will have a parade beginning at 9:30 AM. Parents, if you are going to join, we cannot have you actually “join” the parade. Instead, I suggest you line the long sidewalk extending from the Wines parking lot, through the Forsythe playing fields, to the Hillridge cut through. It does appear that Friday will be rainy. If it is too wet, we will cancel the parade. But we will go as scheduled in light rain. Please note that Oct. 29 is a HALF DAY with dismissal at 11:28. 

Costumes are optional. If students want to wear a costume, they should plan on coming to school in costume and leaving school in costume. We will not be changing in and out of costumes at school as in years past. COVID protective masks are mandatory both inside and in the parade. Costumes must be friendly—no fake blood or weapons. The rule of thumb is that if you aren’t sure if a costume or prop is appropriate, then it probably isn’t. 

Picnic Tables are Here!! We Need Help

Thanks to the incredible community support for the Run-a-thon, we were able to purchase 10 picnic tables to make it easier for students to eat lunch in the fresh air. However, a little assembly is required. It should only take about an hour with enough people. If you're able to help and have a few tools to bring, please sign-up here. We're aiming for Monday evening, November 1, weather permitting.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080B44A5A722A7FC1-wines

PTO Meeting Thursday at 7:30 PM

The Zoom information was sent in today's email. 

News from the library

Now is a great time to check your shelves for lost library books and send them back to school with your student(s) at any time. They are welcome to return books on their way to class before school starts each day. If you have questions about missing books or you’d like a list of books currently checked out to your child, please reach out to Mrs. Goldberg (goldbergr@aaps.k12.mi.us).

Great Ideas Grants Have Returned!

Do you have a great idea to support Wines Elementary?  

The Great ideas Grant program is an opportunity for Wines students, parents, and staff to turn a great idea into a funded program to benefit the Wines community! The grant approval committee meets twice a year to vote on applications. 

Submissions are now being accepted using the Google Form linked here:

https://forms.gle/K2BT31ZACxVSYwby7

It's the same application whether you are submitting an idea as a student or teacher/parent. You will see that you will have the option to select who you are in the form. The deadline for the first round of applications is November 5th. Don’t let a great idea go to waste! Submit now! Submit several! We look forward to hearing from you. For questions or more information contact: Anu Huntley at anu.agrawal.huntley@gmail.com

Crosswalk

I've noticed a few kids crossing the crosswalk at our front entrance by themselves. Please, students are not allowed to cross by themselves. They must be accompanied by an adult. Students who are by themselves must go around on the sidewalk past the gate. This is a long standing safety measure at Wines. 

No School Tuesday, Nov. 2nd

There is no school Tuesday, Nov. 2nd for Election Day. 

David

Weekly Update 10/20

Dear Wines Families, 

Just a reminder that today is an Early Release Day with dismissal at 1:18. Busses will run normal routes with the schedule simply being 2.5 hours earlier. 

Halloween Celebration 10/29. Half Day

Later this week I will send a specific email regarding our school wide plans for next Friday, Oct. 29th. But as a preview, please note that if students want to wear a costume to school, we ask that they come to school in costume and leave in costume. We will not be changing in and out of costumes. We will have a parade beginning at 9:30 AM. Please note that Oct. 29 is a HALF DAY with dismissal at 11:28. So not an Early Release like today. Look for more details later this week. 

Great Ideas Grants Have Returned!

Do you have a great idea to support Wines Elementary?  

The Great ideas Grant program is an opportunity for Wines students, parents, and staff to turn a great idea into a funded program to benefit the Wines community! The grant approval committee meets twice a year to vote on applications. 

Submissions are now being accepted using the Google Form linked here:

https://forms.gle/K2BT31ZACxVSYwby7

It's the same application whether you are submitting an idea as a student or teacher/parent. You will see that you will have the option to select who you are in the form. The deadline for the first round of applications is November 5th.

Don’t let a great idea go to waste! Submit now! Submit several! We look forward to hearing from you. For questions or more information contact: Anu Huntley at anu.agrawal.huntley@gmail.com

Final Run-a-Thon Updates

I would like to once again thank Andrea Burkhart for taking on the leadership responsibilities for Run-a-Thon this year. It was new for Andrea and it was our first “real” Wines event in almost two years. And it was a smashing success!! We are still collecting pledges this week and we are aiming for 100% participation from each class, no matter the amount. Every dollar supports facility improvements and programs inside and outside the classroom. This year, we are putting a portion of the funds toward the purchase of picnic tables for the courtyard to increase the number of days our kids can have lunch outside. Online pledges are an easy way to share with friends and family. It appears that most of our struggles with online pledges are cleared up. I did learn one potential solution if you are still having issues. Below is a link to the main Square donation page https://wines-elementary-school-pto.square.site/shop/run-a-thon/6. If you click on “Sponsor a Child” it takes you to the next link that I’ve shared previously and for some reason this way of entry fixes some of the glitches we’ve had. 

Traffic Reminders

Some of this is a repeat from last week:

Main Lot (Newport Entrance)

I am asking that upon your exit, that you exit through the Forsythe exit and not at our Newport exit. In other words, after the stop sign take your first right toward Forsythe. There is a four way stop at the Forsythe/Sunset/Newport intersection that I think (I hope) will allow for some more efficiency and safety. 

On a related noted, I have noticed a few cars coming down the driveway passing the line of cars and attempting to find parking near the school. Please, if you come into the lot once the lineup has started, you should assume that there is no available parking other than in the Forsythe overflow lot (where parking is plentiful). Bypassing the line only causes there to be potentially dangerous situations. The only vehicle that should bypass the line are busses who need to gain access to the bus pick up area. By having vehicles exit toward Forsythe as outlined above, the driveway clears for busses to have access. Also, by having vehicles exit to Forsythe, we can allow for cars to bypass the very end of the line to gain access to the Forsythe overflow lot. This should be as far as any car should go in the “bypass” lane. 

Both Lots

Please make sure you are utilizing the correct lot. Y5, Kindergarten, and 5th grade should be using the Cooley Lot only. 1st-4th used the main entrance lot. Please use the lot for the youngest sibling in the household. 

While we understand the need to have young students in car seats, it is important that the kids learn to be independent with buckling and unbuckling. Parents should not need to exit the car to assist. 

That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading! 

David

 

Weekly Update 10/13

 

Dear Wines Families, 

It has been a fun Spirit Week thus far and we are looking forward to Friday’s Run-a-Thon. 

Run-a-Thon Items

Run-a-Thon Volunteers Still Needed

We are still in need of volunteers for Friday, especially for the snack table and cleand up. Please click on the link below if you can help. You can sign up for more than one shift/role. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050f48a9a823a3f49-wines

Run-a-Thon Schedule

Below is the Run-a-Thon schedule if you would like to come and cheer your child on. While the event is outside, we do strongly encourage mask wearing on school property if you join us. 

Run-a-Thon Fundraising

As you know, Run-a-thon is our largest fundraiser. Pledge packets came home last week. We are aiming for 100% participation from each class, no matter the amount. Every dollar supports facility improvements and programs inside and outside the classroom. This year, we are putting a portion of the funds toward the purchase of picnic tables for the courtyard to increase the number of days our kids can have lunch outside. Online pledges are an easy way to share with friends and family. Online pledges can be made at:

https://wines-elementary-school-pto.square.site/shop/run-a-thon/6?page=1&limit=60&sort_by=category_order&sort_order=asc. 

Afternoon Traffic Flow

As we continue to fall into our usual daily routines, I wanted to point out a couple items about our afternoon lineup in the main parking lot (Newport entrance) and make a recommendation/request. Generally speaking, while the line is long, we have a fairly efficient dismissal and I thank you all for your cooperation. However, there are a couple things I think we can improve upon that will help everyone. 

I am asking that upon your exit, that you exit through the Forsythe exit and not at our Newport exit. In other words, after the stop sign take your first right toward Forsythe. There is a four way stop at the Forsythe/Sunset/Newport intersection that I think (I hope) will allow for some more efficiency and safety. 

On a related noted, I have noticed a few cars coming down the driveway passing the line of cars and attempting to find parking near the school. Please, if you come into the lot once the lineup has started, you should assume that there is no available parking other than in the Forsythe overflow lot (where parking is plentiful). Bypassing the line only causes there to be potentially dangerous situations. The only vehicle that should bypass the line are busses who need to gain access to the bus pick up area. By having vehicles exit toward Forsythe as outlined above, the driveway clears for busses to have access. Also, by having vehicles exit to Forsythe, we can allow for cars to bypass the very end of the line to gain access to the Forsythe overflow lot. This should be as far as any car should go in the “bypass” lane. 

We will continue to monitor both the main lot and the Cooley lot and make necessary changes to the system as the year goes on. Your continued patience and help in following the procedures are most helpful! 

That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading! 

David

Weekly Update 10/6

 

Dear Wines Families, 

It was a busy and fun day at Wines today. We celebrated International Walk to School Day, we had Picture Day, and we ended the day with our annual Run-a-Thon Pep Rally—this time with our first ever outdoor assembly. Here is the news for the week! 

Run-a-Thon Friday Oct. 15

As I said, we kicked off the Run-a-Thon today with a Pep Rally featuring the Skyline Drumline and a special visit from Ms. Wahl where we dedicated our gymnasium to her for her 50+ years with AAPS. Next Friday is our annual Run-a-Thon which is not only one of them most fun days of the year, but also our most important fundraiser. In the Wednesday Folder today, you will find a Run-a-Thon packet with information about the event and how to make pledges. Pledges can be made online at https://wines-elementary-school-pto.square.site/shop/run-a-thon/6?page=1&limit=60&sort_by=category_order&sort_order=asc. Online support is a great way to reach out of town friends and family. If you are interested in helping organize Run-a-Thon in advance or help during the event itself, please contact Andrea at dredvm18@gmail.com. While Run-a-Thon is a large and important event at Wines, it is actually one of the easiest events to be a volunteer and one of the most fun volunteer opportunities at Wines. Please consider helping us “re-launch” this Wines tradition!

Spirit Week

As we lead up to Run-a-Thon, next week is spirit week. The days are as follows:

Monday: Pajama Day 

Tuesday: Wacky Hair Day

Wednesday: Favorite Team Day

Thursday: Head to toe, (hats/shoes) wacky day

Friday: Run-a-Thon Spirt Day (each classroom will come up with their team name and theme)

Girl Scouts

Is your daughter interested in joining Girl Scouts at Wines? Please contact mknezek@hotmail.com or 248-250-2512 for more information. Troops are currently forming or available K-5.

That’s all for this week! 

David

Weekly Update 9/29

 Dear Wines Families, 

There is a lot to share today. I hope you find a moment to read through this week’s message. 

Walktober Starts Friday

Friday marks the first day of October and our annual celebration of “Walktober”. We will encourage students to walk to school each Friday in October as well as Wednesday, Oct. 6th which is International Walk to School Day. There are a few spots where kids can pick up a stamp or sticker for participating:  

Sunset & Newport

Saunders Crescent & Cooley

Riverwood & Newport

Wines Baseball Field

We are still seeking volunteers!  Please sign up here.  You are welcome to grab a friend, a dog, and/or a coffee to stamp hands and cheer on our walkers!

This year, unfortunately, we will not be able to have our busses stop at an alternate stop. However, bus students will have the opportunity to take a short walk when the arrive to school if they’d like to participate. 

Picture Day: Wednesday Oct. 6

Picture Day is next Wednesday. All students will have their picture taken, even if you are not ordering a package. Also, all Wines students receive a yearbook regardless of package purchase. You can order your package online at: inter-state.com/FlyerEntry/59580PF

Spirit Wear on Sale Now

We are pleased to announce that our online Wines "Spirt Wear" store is open! We have lots of new designs this year for both kids and adults (I'm going to replenish my supply with new designs!). The store is only open until Oct. 1st, however. Delivery goes directly to your residence. Below is a link to the online store. https://pogo.undergroundshirts.com/collections/wines-elementary-apparel

PTO Meeting Tonight: 8:00 PM

Please join us for a review of this year’s budget and a walk through our planned program schedule. We’re still on the lookout for volunteers to lead some key committees! The Zoom link was sent in today's email.

Run-a-Thon: Sponsors Needed

Our annual Run-a-Thon is scheduled for the morning of Friday, Oct. 15th. Every Wines student participates in Run-a-Thon, every student receives a great t-shirt, and everyone has a great time!! We are looking for corporate sponsors and parent volunteers. If you have a business or know someone that does and would like to discuss sponsoring the event, please contact Andrea Burkhart at dredvm18@gmail.com. Your company’s logo will be displayed prominently on our over 400 t-shirts and on other promotional materials. You can also go directly to our square site to sponsor: https://wines-elementary-school-pto.square.site . There are different levels of sponsorship: 

Bronze $250

Silver $500

Gold $750

Platinum $1000

The deadline to have a logo on the shirt/materials is 10/4. You can email the logo in pdf format to dredvm18@gmail.com.

If you are interested in helping organize Run-a-Thon in advance or help during the event itself, please contact Andrea at dredvm18@gmail.com. While Run-a-Thon is a large and important event at Wines, it is actually one of the easiest events to be a volunteer and one of the most fun volunteer opportunities at Wines. Please consider helping us “re-launch” this Wines tradition!

News from the Library

Students have been excitedly checking out books since our first day of school. Now that we are settling into the checkout/return routine, students in grades 1-5 will be allowed to check out additional books. Starting in October, our book checkout limits will as follows: 

Young 5s-K: 1 book

Grades 1-3: 2 books

Grades 4-5: 3 books

Books are checked out for one week at a time and are returned in the book return bin in the library. Books may also be returned at any time to the library’s return bin. If your child forgets a library book, they will be asked to return it as soon as possible and guided to select a Community Collection (CC) book instead. These books are mostly paperbacks and are labeled with a green “CC” sticker on the front cover. They may take home and read the CC book just as they would a standard library book. Please return both the following week. If a library book has been lost, students will be asked to pay a replacement fee. CC books will not be charged replacement fees. 

For more information about library policies, please check the library website or email Mrs. Goldberg (goldbergr@aaps.k12.mi.us). 

That’s all for this week! 

David

Weekly Update 9/22

 

Dear Wines Families, 

I have quite a few announcements today. Sorry for the long message! 

Early Release Today

Just a reminder that dismissal is at 1:18 today. Busses will run as normal, just 2.5 hours earlier. 

Y5-1st Grade Device Deployment

Today, most of our Y5-1st grade students received their new “2 in 1” Chromebooks. Ms. Harris’s class and Mrs. Middleton’s class will receive their devices tomorrow (we ran out of time during this shortened day!). We told the students that they should begin to get in the habit of bringing the device to school each day and home each night. Chargers should stay at home. Over the next couple weeks we will be teaching the students how to operate these devices. If you haven’t already, please complete the brief parent technology agreement linked below. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkxCw9rcxuTWnMt5dF6lO5XutyG7BmrI9P6-fHITUuPDNXRw/viewform

PTO Meeting Sept. 29th

The first General PTO Meeting of the year will happen via Zoom, next Wednesday, September 29 at 8pm. Join us to hear about the events we have planned - fingers crossed! - for the school year, and learn how you can lend a hand. Zoom info was sent via email today.  

Picture Day

Picture Day is Wednesday, Oct. 6th. Information can be found in today's Wednesday take home folders. Also, look for more information directly from our vendor, Inter-State Studios. Every Wines student will have their picture taken regardless of if you are purchasing a package. Also, as always, every student will receive a yearbook regardless of whether you order a package.

Join us in Walktober!

Our annual celebration of “Walktober” starts next Friday! Students and families are encouraged to walk, bike, and scoot their way to school every Friday in October and on International Walk to School Day - Wednesday, October 6th.

Walktober Dates:

Friday, October 1

Wednesday, October 6 (International Walk to School Day)

Friday, October 8

Friday, October 15

Friday, October 22

Friday, October 29

Walktober is a great way to learn about pedestrian safety and healthy habits!

Collect a special stamp on the way to school on the corners of Sunset & Newport, Saunders Crescent, and Cooley Riverwood & Newport or at the Wines' Baseball Field.

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED TO HAND OUT STAMPS! PLEASE SIGN UP HERE.

What if my student takes the bus?

On each of the Walktober Dates, bussed students will be dropped off at their normal location and will be walked around the Wines’ field.

What if we live too far away to walk?

One way to participate is to park close to the school and walk, bike, or scoot the remainder of the way!

Walktober is Sponsored by the Wines PTO.

Run-a-thon Oct. 15

We are extremely excited that one of our favorite Wines traditions (and important fundraiser) is back!! Our annual Run-a-Thon is scheduled for the morning of Friday, Oct. 15th. Every Wines student participates in Run-a-Thon, every student receives a great t-shirt, and everyone has a great time!! I will send out more specifics on the logistics of the day and the fundraising component over the next couple weeks. In the meantime, we are looking for corporate sponsors and parent volunteers. If you have a business or know someone that does and would like to discuss sponsoring the event, please contact Andrea Burkhart at dredvm18@gmail.com.

Your company’s logo will be displayed prominently on our over 400 t-shirts and on other promotional materials. 

If you are interested in helping organize Run-a-Thon in advance or help during the event itself, please contact Andrea at dredvm18@gmail.com. As I said on Curriculum Night, while Run-a-Thon is a large and important event at Wines, it is actually one of the easiest events to be a volunteer and one of the most fun volunteer opportunities at Wines. Please consider helping us “re-launch” this Wines tradition! 

Thank you! 

David

Weekly Update 9/15

 Dear Wines Families, 

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend our virtual Curriculum Night last evening and for those who stayed for my Q & A. If you missed my session, there is a link below to the recording. 

https://youtu.be/F7hotpHsuh0

In addition to a couple of messages from me today, at the end of this message, there is a welcome note and information from our new PTO President Michael Newberry. Please be sure to read all the way through. 

 We Need Your Help! 

Now that we have found our rhythm at school and in the front office, we have discovered what works and what doesn’t work with for this new school year. Robin is generally alone in the office and always doing a million things at once. Therefore, we ask for your help when you need to pick your child up early. While we understand that students have appointments, etc. that require them to leave school early, we ask that in those instances, you follow these protocols: 

1. Please alert the office as soon as possible of the change in plans. You can certainly contact the teacher as well, but the office must have this information.

2. The end of the day is extremely busy in the office. Therefore, we ask that all early pick ups take place by 3:15. We will not be able to make students available for early pick up between 3:15 and the end of the school day. 

3. Please be aware of your child’s daily schedule. Most importantly, lunch time is not a time when we are able to easily find students for early pick up. 

4. We certainly understand that life “happens” and sometimes you aren’t able to follow these protocols precisely. In those instances we will do all we can to help, but we ask for your overall understanding and assistance. 

5. Finally, we do expect that students are in school for a full day daily unless there are medical/dental appointments, etc. Please limit picking your child up early to just those unavoidable instances. Picking up early for convenience, etc. is not acceptable. 

Technology Agreement

Parents, we need each family to fill out an agreement for your child’s device. A link is below. Please take a moment to read the contract and fill out the quick agreement. Everyone needs to fill this out (even if your child has not received their device yet). Your attention to this is much appreciated! 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkxCw9rcxuTWnMt5dF6lO5XutyG7BmrI9P6-fHITUuPDNXRw/viewform

News from the PTO

Hello All!

My name is Michael Newberry and I'm the President of the Wines Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). This is my family's sixth year at Wines, with kids in 5th, 4th, and 1st grades. We're excited to be back in person, and hope that these first few weeks are off to a good start for you, too. 

The PTO's job is to support the Wines student experience inside and outside the classroom. We do this through a combination of social and co-curricular events spread throughout the year, all of it fueled by volunteer and financial support from families like yours. 

All are welcome to attend PTO programs, and to join in their planning and execution. We need your help and hope you will volunteer! But no pressure - we understand that everyone's situation is different, and however you can contribute to the cause, even if it's only in spirit, is greatly appreciated. If you'd like to learn more about what we do and what we have planned for the year, I hope you can join us at one of our upcoming PTO events:

PTO Picnic @ Wines Playground

Tuesday, September 21, 6:00pm

Bring your food, drink, and family to gather and play with other Wines families. Meet some new folks and reconnect with friends you haven't seen in a while. Signups for PTO volunteer opportunities will be available.

General PTO Meeting @ Virtual Zoom Conference

Wednesday, September 29, 8:00pm

Drop in online to hear our plans for the year's events and activities, given the uncertainty of the pandemic. We'll be looking for your time, talent, and input! 

Zoom link will be sent closer to the meeting. 

Wines Runathon @ Wines Upper Elementary Playground

Friday, October 15

More details to come - our first big event of the year!

Thank you, and feel free to reach out to me at winesptopresident@gmail.com if I can be of service. Hope to see you soon. -Michael

That’s all for this week! 

David

Weekly Update 9/8

 Dear Wines Families, 

It’s hard to believe we are in the middle of our second week of school. I continue to be pleased with how things are going. Here is the news for the week:

Technology Deployment

On Tuesday, our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders all received their Chromebooks. Today, our 2nd graders received theirs. Soon we will be deploying new touch screen “2 in 1” Chromebooks to our Y5-1st grades. Kids should bring their devices back and forth to school daily. The devices should come to school charged so keep the chargers at home and hopefully charge them nightly. Teachers may create a revised schedule as time goes on, but for now we want kids to get in the habit of bringing them back and forth. 

Parents, we need each family to fill out an agreement for your child’s device. A link is below. Please take a moment to read the contract and fill out the quick agreement. Everyone needs to fill this out (even if your child has not received their device yet). Your attention to this is much appreciated! 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkxCw9rcxuTWnMt5dF6lO5XutyG7BmrI9P6-fHITUuPDNXRw/viewform

In checking out the devices, we found that a number of students still had devices checked out from last year or even from the original tech deployment in March of 2020. If you have an old device at home (in any condition!!), please have your child turn it in to their teacher. 

Curriculum Night Tuesday Sept. 14

Our annual Curriculum Night will be held next Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 6:00 PM. Curriculum Night will be virtual via Zoom. Teachers will host two separate sessions (6:00 and 6:30) for families with more than one student at Wines. You are welcome to attend either session. Teachers will be presenting as grade level teams going over curriculum for the school year. Curriculum Night is not an evening to discuss individual student progress or questions about your child. Please look for Zoom invites soon. 

Fall into After-School! 

AAPS Rec & Ed is excited to offer after-school classes focused on fun, learning, movement, and discovery. For the health and safety of all participants, the AAPS Covid-19 Protocols will be followed. Registration is now open, and spots are filling quickly! Click on each class option below or visit www.aarecedonline.com. Many scholarships are available! Please call (734) 994-2300 ext. 0 for details. 

That’s all for this week! 

David

Weekly Update 9/1

 Dear Wines Families, 

Welcome to my first weekly “Wednesday Email”. While over the past few weeks, you’ve received many messages from me, now that we are in the swing of things here at school, I will return to my regular once a week communication. This will come every Wednesday. On occasion, I may send an additional note if the need arises, but I promise not to fill your inboxes with unnecessary messages. I simply ask that you do find the time to read the weekly Wednesday message, however. I also post the same message on social media. You can find it at www.winesprincipal.blogspot.com, the Wines Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wineselementary, or on our Twitter page @wineselementary. Occasionally, I forget to post the message on social media, but I always remember the email! 

Before I get into my updates, I want to express my sincere thank you for a great start. I have to admit that while I was being truthful when I’ve shared that in my 12 years at Wines, this fall brought the most excitement for me, I neglected to share that this fall also brought the most nerves out in me! I’ve been hard at work planning the new logistics of schooling during the ongoing pandemic and I just want to make sure everything goes smoothly and safely. While I’m a bit of a perfectionist and things are not yet perfect, I am really pleased with our start and big thanks for that goes to our kids, families, and staff. 

Lunch Update

I know that lunch has been an understandable source of interest and concern in our community as we re-entered school. I don’t want to repeat what I’ve said already this week, so I’ll just say this: I love outdoor lunch (and so do the students)!!! Yesterday we introduced outdoor lunch to 3rd-5th graders and today we introduced it to 2nd grade. We will plan on starting 1st grade outside tomorrow. It has gone extremely well. We are going to give Young 5’s and kindergarten students one more day in the lunchroom and introduce outside to them next week. So, by next week, all students will eat outdoors daily as the weather allows. Again, we all know that we can’t eat outdoors every day in Michigan, and so I want to reiterate that I feel very comfortable with the procedures we have in place inside as well. 

No School Friday or Monday

Just a reminder there is no school this Friday and next Monday. Enjoy the last weekend of summer!

News from the Library!

Greetings from the Wines Library. My name is Rachel Goldberg and I am delighted to be your school librarian. This week, the library has been buzzing with the energy of children excited to return to the beautiful library space. I wish you all could see them as they enter with eyes wide as they take it all in. Due to the nature of the first week schedule, not all classes visited the library this week. However, I look forward to welcoming everyone in the next few weeks. Ms. Orr, our amazing Library Clerk, is back with us on Tuesdays. 

If your child did visit the library this week, they likely checked out a library book (hooray!). If a library book makes its way into your home, please ask your young reader about what they can do to care for their library books at home. We went over a variety of scenarios in class, including some hilarious conversations about where not to read your library book. 

I am in the process of updating the library website with class schedules, updated links, and updated contact information. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to me via email - goldbergr@aaps.k12.mi.us. I have so enjoyed meeting your children this week and I look forward to meeting parents and caregivers soon, too. 

Cub Scouts are Back!

Cub Scout Pack 3078 is back with regular, in-person meetings! The pack is open to children of all genders grades K-5. Our meetings will be held on Sunday’s outdoors at local parks at least to start this fall. Our first meeting will be on September 12, 3-5pm at a local park. If you would like more information or have questions please contact Cubmaster Seth Guikema at seth.guikema@gmail.com.

Youth Volleyball Grades 4-9

Youth Volleyball is back for both boys and girls grades 4-9. Registration is now open through September 14! Practices start the week of Oct 11 and games start October 23 (Saturdays only). Find all info at https://www.a2schools.org/Page/4393

 Note: Masks required for all in youth volleyball, regardless of vaccination status. Youth coaches must be fully-vaccinated. Questions? contact Karen at draves@a2schools.org.

That’s all for this week. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions.

David

Great Day 1!

 Dear Wines Families, 

Thank you for a great first day back at Wines. All in all it was a GREAT day! Bussing is always a bit of a work in progress each year and with changes to start times across our all of our district schools and new routes etc., there were a few hiccups. But I'm confident that over the next few days everything will take shape and become more efficient. I greatly appreciate your patience. 

I want to just share a few updates this evening. 

Driveline: I was pleased with our first Driveline dismissal with the entire school population today. This will only get more efficient over the days to come. Most students were sent home with a yellow envelope today with various items including Driveline numbers to display. Our fifth grade did not receive their envelopes today and a couple of other classes didn't either (busy day in the office!!). Everyone will have theirs by tomorrow. In the meantime, if you do not have your number, please use a homemade sign. 

Lunch: Lunch went very well today with brand new procedures. Everyone ate inside, but we maximized outdoor opportunities. Beginning tomorrow, we will have all 3rd-5th graders eat lunch outside (weather permitting). We will likely add 2nd grade on Wednesday. I'm confident we will be able to have all students outside for lunch before the week is over. While we want to provide outdoor lunch opportunities, it is also crucial that we firmly establish our regular indoor lunch procedures--particularly with our youngest students. We'll plan on eating lunch outside as often as is possible. With that said, I want to reiterate that I feel very good about our seating arrangement/spacing/procedures for indoor lunch. 

Speaking of lunch, I want to thank everyone who has volunteered or has been hired to supervise at lunch. We have a good sized crew. However, we may need more people. There has recently been an increase in applicants. If you have applied online, please send me an email and let me know you applied so we can discuss the opportunity (I have many applicants and at this point I'd like to just speak to Wines families or neighbors). 

Finally, just a quick story. My twin boys are in 8th grade at Forsythe. I am the morning person in our house so I do breakfast, make lunches, etc. Since middle schoolers did not eat lunch at school upon their return last year, it occurred to me this morning that the last school lunch I made for my boys was March 13, 2020 when they were in 6th grade. I packed the same lunch they had always had in the same lunch boxes. This morning my boys looked at me like I was sending them to Kindergarten. They were less than thrilled with the "Go-gurt" I packed. Clearly, 8th grade is a million miles from 6th grade--so we'll have to hit the store this weekend for new lunch boxes and revised menus. 

Have a great night. Looking forward to tomorrow! 

David

Back to School Reminders: See you Monday!!!

 

Dear Wines Families, 

We are so excited to welcome the kids to school on Monday! In anticipation of Monday, I want to send one final message with important reminders. 

Driveline

You should have received your family Driveline number via email today. Even if your child is not picked up by car, you are still assigned a number. For Monday, please make a homemade display of your number to show in the pickup line. Something the size of a standard piece of paper would be perfect. During the first week of school, your child will be sent home with more permanent number to display. Please let us know if you need more copies during the school year. Please note that siblings have the same Driveline number. If you are parking your car in a legal parking spot and meeting your child at the end of the day, please find the Driveline staff member and show them your Driveline number. I am usually facilitating Driveline at the main entrance and Ms. Schemanske is usually in the Cooley lot. Please note that parking is extremely limited. 

Car Safety

Parents, please plan on having your student enter and leave your car from the passenger side. Also, if your child is in a car seat, please practice with your child to learn to buckle themselves in and out so parents do not need to leave the car. 

School Hours

My apologies that I had a small typo in the Family Handbook with school start and end times. The school hours are 8:45-3:48. First bell is at 8:42. We will begin allowing students to leave cars at approximately 8:40. Please wait until a staff member alerts you that it is time to release kids from your cars. The rolling Driveline dismissal will begin at 3:40. 

IMPORTANT: Parents are currently not allowed to enter the school

I know it is a tradition and a comfort to kids (and parents!) to accompany your child into the school building on the first day of school. Due to COVID mitigation strategies, at the current time parents are not allowed to enter the school building. Please know that we will have lots of adults here to support kids getting where they need to be. If your child is anxious, you may want to consider practicing drop off routines this weekend. 

1st Day Coffee

We will be hosting families for an outdoor fist day coffee on the lawn at the front of the building on Monday starting at 9:00. We ask that if you are joining us, that you drop your child off, leave campus, and then come back to park. This avoids congestion. 

Parent Orientation Video

If you weren’t able to attend last evening’s Parent Orientation, below is a link to the recording. I encourage everyone to view it. 

https://youtu.be/asri8bSOWOc

Also, HERE is a link to the slide deck from last evening. 

As I’ve said more times than I can count over the past month or so, I am so excited for school to start Monday. This is going to be a great year! 

Final Weekly Update 6/9

 Dear Wines Families,

Well, here is the final Wednesday message of the school year. Please note that this is NOT the final email you will receive from me this week. In fact, on Friday you will receive multiple emails that contain your child’s report card, special area report card, math assessment data, and reading assessment data. Depending on the grade level, you will receive three or even four emails. Due to the fact that most of the information is sent via secure messages, our SchoolMessenger system has to separate all of the emails. But please look for this information Friday afternoon. Below are a couple of announcements and some final words as we head into summer.

Technology Return

Just a reminder that we are collecting student technology beginning tomorrow. Students who are in person tomorrow should bring their technology to school. Please remember power cords and iPad cases for iPad users. We will be checking the technology in and preparing it for your child to use again next fall. We will check for damages and make repairs/replacements this summer—please note there is no parent charge for repairs to devices this year. For those students who are not in school tomorrow, we will be collecting devices from 12-3 on Friday and 12-3 on Monday. Collection takes place in the cafeteria. If your child is participating in any AAPS summer learning programs, please do not turn in their device.

Friday Dismissal

Dismissal on Friday is at 11:10 AM. There will be “grab and go” lunch for any student who would like one.

From the Library

Summer is the best time for children to enjoy reading the books they most enjoy. With more discretionary time many families find that their children enjoy reading more than ever. We have resources to help you! I have posted many reading activities and help for parents with Sora on the Wines Library homepage, including links to the AADL Summer Game and other incentive programs. You can also click here for a summary and on the S.Evaldson page of your child's Clever account. The Sora and myOn platforms continue through the summer.  They are accessed through Clever, so keep track of your badges. Clever classes will retire in early August for reset, but these platforms should continue. The AADL will reopen in person on July 12.  I hope to see our families at the Westgate branch browsing the shelves and looking for hidden codes.  Take care, everyone, and have a lovely summer!  Sally Evaldson.

What a Year!

I don’t think I’m ready to really begin to reflect on this school year quite yet. We have all lived through a remarkable time together and while we’d probably like to put this year behind us, we will remember it forever. All I can do right now is to thank everyone in this community. I want to first thank the Wines teachers and staff. What they have done this year to change everything they do to reach our students was quite incredible. I’ve always been impressed with this staff, but NEVER more than this year. They’ve never worked harder and never cared more about providing for our kids. They never complained, only doubled down on their commitment to kids as they literally re-invented themselves overnight. I am humbled to be a small part of this incredible team.

I want to thank our parents and our entire community. You have always been key to our success and certainly never more than this year. The family gymnastics that you all went through to support our kids as they learned primarily from home was most certainly exhausting, confusing, and frustrating. But you did it!! Obviously, no one wanted this year to go the way it did and there certainly wasn’t a roadmap on how to handle educating kids during a global pandemic. One thing we did confirm, however, is that parents had the world on their shoulders this year and you carried that world splendidly.

Finally, to our kids. I always say that kids are resilient. When I say that, I generally mean they can handle more than we give them credit for. But I never thought they would demonstrate their resiliency by successfully “doing” school in a completely new way. Our students were just incredible. They persevered, learned, and continued to find joy. I’m do this job because I love kids. I’ve never loved them more than this year.

With all of that said, let’s do put this year behind us and look forward to a regular school year next year. Five full days of live instruction will be here starting August 30^th!!

Thank you, Wines community. It’s always an honor to serve this school and I look forward to serving again next year.

David

Weekly Blog 6/2

 Dear Wines Families, 

It is really hard to believe that we are approaching the last week of school. While this year has been anything but normal, there certainly was a sense of normalcy in the building yesterday as we experienced the usual post-Memorial Day “energy” amongst the students. I expect the same energy tomorrow! 

Fond Farewell

It is with fondness and appreciation that I’m able to share with our community that Sally Evaldson will be retiring from the Ann Arbor Public Schools at the end of the school year. Sally has been a fixture at Wines for the past 15 years and we thank her for her tireless service to our students and our entire community. Below is a note from Ms. Evaldson. 

I often say that I have the best job in the world. This summer, I will be handing this wonderful position to another librarian.  I am sure they will be awesome!

Our library's success comes from the families of Wines. Thank you so much to our PTO for providing a reliably generous budget, to our thoughtful family who provides the grant for our diversity collection, and to all the many, many volunteers who have helped our library thrive. Thank you to all the families who have supported reading at home, who have helped return those books when they are finished, and who regularly visit the AADL. You have made a difference with our Wines students over the years and it has been my privilege to be a part of this community.

I have tried to bring children to books where they can find humanity, discover themselves, or simply laugh out loud. I have tried to create projects that help students explore meaningful issues, filter information sources, and create aesthetically pleasing products. I will surely miss that, and you. And of course, our wonderful students!

Technology Collection

Next week, we will be collecting devices for all students except for students who are participating in AAPS summer learning programs. We will be collecting devices from Cohort II student on Thursday, June 10th. Please plan on your child bringing their device, chargers and cords, and iPad carriers (for K/1 students) next Thursday. For Cohort I and fully virtual students, we will have set up two collection opportunities on Friday, June 11 from 12-3 and Monday, June 14 from 12-3. 

Young 5’s students will be able to bring their devices on Tuesday, June 8th. Please look for more information from Mrs. Middleton.

Registration for 2021-22

Last week, you should have received an email from “AAPS Registration” with the subject “Ann Arbor Public Schools: 2021-2022 Online Registration Notification.” The email contains directions for how to register for school in the fall. Families need to re-register each year. Your previous information is pre-populated so it does not take very long to complete. It is important that everyone do this. Reminder emails will be sent soon if they haven’t already.

David

Weekly Update 5/12

 Dear Wines Families, 

Sorry this is a little late today. Things continue to become more normalized here at school. The kids are happy and our staff continues to impress with their ability to be flexible and always keeping our kids’ needs first and foremost! Here is the news of the week: 

Parent Input for Class Placement

Thanks to everyone who has shared parent input for class placement for 2021-22. If you haven’t done so yet and would like to, please try fill out the form linked below as soon as possible. We will begin making initial class placements next week. 

https://forms.gle/DnSsZcbG4Hh7ttCJ6

Wines Yearbook 2020-21

As I indicated last week, we have decided to create a yearbook this year and our PTO will be purchasing a copy for every Wines student. Last week, your family should have received an email from “ybkplus” with directions to upload a child portrait. The email can only go out to one family member so if you didn’t receive it personally, please check with other family members who receive Wines emails.

We are collecting candid shots of kids as well. Below is a link to a Google folder with other folders inside separated by grade level and a few specific events. Please feel free to drop photos from this year into those folders. The link is below.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10mdkjyRCWsrlvhhnmFxv-6ssP0i2jHUx?usp=sharing

Online Auction Starting Next Week!

Although we were unable to have our traditional offsite adult-only auction last year or this spring, we are happy to announce that we will be launching an online auction next week on Monday, May 17!

This year's auction includes many of the items that were originally donated for last year's event, with most local businesses offering to extend or eliminate expiration dates. We are also including items that were provided in 2020 for the end-of-year raffle, so you will find a good mix of items for adults, kids, and fun experience-themed events for the whole family!

Bidding for the online auction items can be done between Monday, May 17 and Thursday, May 27.  Details regarding registration for the auction, setting up alerts in case you are out bid, and the link for the auction site will be sent on Monday morning. We are excited to be able to raise funds to be used next fall when we return full time to Wines. Past auctions have raised money that has supported the purchase of new play structures on both the upper and lower el playgrounds as well as adding to the general PTO fund. Thank you to all Wines families and local businesses who have donated to help make this auction a success!  

As always, please let me know if you have any questions. 

David

Weekly Update 5/5

Dear Wines Families, 

It’s been fantastic having all the grades back at Wines this week! We’ll have our eighth and final “first day” of school tomorrow. While our time together will be fairly brief for the rest of the school year, having kids back in the building certainly feels like the beginning of a return to normalcy and we certainly look forward to having everyone back together next fall for five full days. 

Class Placement 2021-2022

While some of you will be celebrating the first day of school for this year tomorrow, it is May and so we are actively planning for next fall’s return to more normal instruction. As always, we encourage parent information to help us make class placement decision. Below is a link to a parent input form for class placement for next year. As always, please respect the fact that we do not accept requests for specific teachers. Below is a link to this year’s survey. 

https://forms.gle/ZpwLvwp8uMGdpgBS9

Thank You Godaiko! 

The wait for our takeout orders may have been a little longer than some of us would have liked Monday, but that means that we were keeping Godaiko quite bus! And that means we had a successful fundraiser. We are waiting on final tabulations, but it is clear that Monday will be our most successful restaurant fundraiser of the year. Thank you to everyone who participated and I want to extend a HUGE thank you to Paul, Ying, and also Nemo and Lilo who were working so hard Monday to support our school. 

Wines Yearbook 2020-21

As I indicated last week, we have decided to create a yearbook this year and our PTO will be purchasing a copy for every Wines student. Last week, your family should have received an email from “ybkplus” with directions to upload a child portrait. The email can only go out to one family member so if you didn’t receive it personally, please check with other family members who receive Wines emails. 

We are collecting candid shots of kids as well. Below is a link to a Google folder with other folders inside separated by grade level and a few specific events. Please feel free to drop photos from this year into those folders. The link is below. 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10mdkjyRCWsrlvhhnmFxv-6ssP0i2jHUx?usp=sharing

David

Weekly Update 4/28

Dear Wines Families, 

Here is the news for the week! 

Godaiko Fundraiser May 3

I want to remind everyone again that next Monday, May 3, we are partnering with Godaiko restaurant for our final restaurant fundraiser of the year. Wines parents Paul and Ying Tsai own Godaiko and they are donating 50% of all proceeds that evening to Wines. Tell your friends and family! Dine in or take out. As I said last week, Godaiko has the finest sushi in town but they also have an incredible menu of non sushi items. There is literally something for everyone. Please check out the menu at https://www.godaiko.com/menu. Hope you can participate. 

More 1st Days of School Next Week

We are excited to welcome our 4th and 5th graders back to school next week. We'll have two final first days of school on Monday and Thursday. 4th and 5th grade parents, please look for an email from me tomorrow with some reminders of our procedures, etc. so that everything will go off without a hitch next week. With our school now at "capacity", please everyone bare with us as we may have a few growing pains with more cars in the parking lot, etc. 

Teacher Appreciation Week

Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week. Like with all things this year, it will be different from years past. But our teachers and staff certainly deserve our appreciation this year more than ever! I will be sending out an end of the week email with ways that kids and families can show your appreciation. 

That's all for this week. As I said above, look for some follow up emails later this week on these items. 

David 

Weekly Update 4/22

 Dear Wines Families, 

I apologize for my weekly message coming out a bit late this week. My day kind of got away from me yesterday! And, fortunately, there isn’t a lot of important/timely information to share this week which means we’ve found our rhythm of school! I do have just a couple of items. 

4th and 5th Grade Start May 3rd

We are excited to welcome our final group of students back the week of May 3rd. I will be sending a few reminders to 4th and 5th grade families next week. With this staggered start, I realize that much of what I’ve sent out over the past month or so hasn’t been quite as important in the moment for 4th and 5th grade families so I’ll send some reminders over the next week or so. The addition of two more grades will make our parking lot a bit busier and, perhaps, a little slower. We ask for everyone’s patience as we experience another round of growing pains. 

Godaiko Fundraiser May 3rd

Well, we didn’t plan it this way, but what better way to celebrate everyone having the opportunity to be back in school with our final restaurant fundraiser on May 3rd. The incredible Tsai family from Wines own Godaiko restaurant and they are donating 50% of all proceeds on May 3rd to Wines. Dine in or take out. If you don’t know Godaiko, their menu is extraordinary. If you are a sushi fan, it is the best sushi in town. However, they have an extensive menu with something for everyone. Go to https://www.godaiko.com/menu and explore! 

That’s all for now. As always, let me know if you have any questions. 

David

Weekly Update 4/14

 Dear Wines Families, 

I have to say, it continues to be great to see the kids back in the building. Lots of joy on everyone’s faces! Tomorrow marks the sixth (of eight) “first days” of school as we welcome the second cohort of 3rd graders. We’ll welcome our 4th and 5th graders next week. As our school population grows over the next week and we reach our new capacity, we will continue to go through some growing pains, so we ask again for your patience and grace as we figure out how to be efficient and safe with our new procedures. 

Pick Up/Drop Off Update

As stated above, as we grow in population each week we are learning more and making tweaks to our system. Thank you to everyone who is using Driveline for pick up. It is working well. In both parking lots, you will see two signs. The first says “pull up” and the second says “stop here”. Please use these signs as markers and we ask that students be dropped off and picked up between the signs only. If you have not reached one of the signs yet, please wait until you are past the first sign before dropping off or retrieving your child. Please pull ahead as far as possible. 

One thing we have found is that the mirror hang tag is fairly difficult for us to see due to the size and glare (well, honestly, because of my aging eyesight!). We are also sending home a larger placard with your driveline number that you can hold up or tape to your passenger side window. If possible, please try to use that or a homemade version. 

Lunch Ordering 

As a reminder, school lunch is free for all students this year, but it must be ordered in advance. Information on ordering lunch can be found at https://www.a2schools.org/Page/621. The monthly menu can be found at https://a2schools.nutrislice.com. Each day there is a hot and a cold item available. If you can help us by reminding your child which item you ordered, that will be most helpful. 

From Mrs. Evaldson in the Library

Do you have school library books at home?

• Please bring those books to school to be returned to the library. If you have books from another building, those books can be returned to our building as well. Look for a bin outside the library.

• If you are remaining virtual for the remainder of the school year, hold on to AAPS library books until we can all return this school year or until next fall.  

What about late or lost fines?

• We understand many families have been impacted this past year and will be waiving costs related to school library books.

Are you not sure if you have school library books at home?

• Ms. Evaldson will be emailing library book notices (with book titles included) in the event you do not remember what books you have checked out.

Interested in Helping with Noon Hour? 

We are always looking for noon hour supervisors on our playground. In past years, we had many parent volunteers in addition to our paid staff. This year, all supervisors need to be officially hired. The process is fairly quick and easy and we’d love to have you with us! If you are interested, please let me know and I’ll get you the information. You do not need to work every day—just the days when you are available. 

As always, please let me know if you have any questions. 

David

Weekly Update 4/7

Dear Wines Families, 

We continue to be thrilled to have kids and staff back in the school building. Everyone—from kids to adults—are so happy to be back! While everyone is learning some new routines, I’m incredibly impressed by how quickly things seem to be normal in each classroom. It is quite amazing to see! 

Change in Return Dates

Yesterday Dr. Swift shared information with the entire AAPS community regarding a change in the return to school dates for students in grades 4-12 due to the increase in COVID infections in Washtenaw County. I followed up with our 4th and 5th grade families last evening, but for all of our information, our 3rd graders will return by cohort next Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday. Our 4th and 5th grade student are now scheduled to return on April 19th. 

Another 1st Day Tomorrow! 

Tomorrow we will celebrate our fourth “1st day” of school as we welcome our second cohort of 1st and 2nd graders. This week has gone quite smoothly as our student population increased and we are excited to see a new group of kids tomorrow and more on Monday! 

Thank you to everyone for following our arrival and dismissal procedures. Today I again emailed your family Driveline # (I know I’ve sent this many times, but I just want to make sure everyone has it!). Please have this number displayed prominently in your car for either Ms. Schemanske in the Cooley Lot or me at the main entrance lot to see. On students’ first day of school, they will be sent home with a car mirror tag with your number. Please have this number displayed on a hand- written piece of paper for the first pick up. In all honesty, both Sarah and I have found that a large hand-written piece of paper is actually a little easier to see than the car tag, so feel free to use either one or both! As a reminder, please use the lot associated with the youngest sibling in your family. 

Lunch 

Just a reminder that lunch is provided free for any student this year if you choose. However, lunch must be ordered in advance. Information on ordering can be found at https://www.a2schools.org/Page/621. It is helpful if you have a conversation with your child about which item you ordered. There is a hot and a cold choice each day and students don’t always know which they ordered. We will have extras, but any help in this area is appreciated. 

Report Cards

On Friday you will receive a secure email with your child’s report card. 

Mark Your Calendars: Godaiko Fundraiser

Our final dinner fundraiser at Godaiko is scheduled for May 3rd. Godaiko is owned by Paul and Ying Tsai, a wonderful Wines family. 50% of all proceeds will go to Wines for the evening. Dine in or take out. More information to come later. 

Looking forward to another first day of school tomorrow and more over the next couple of weeks. As always, please reach out with any questions. 

David

Weekly Update 3/24

 Dear Wines Families, 

For the first time in over a year, our school is buzzing with life! I can't tell you how good it feels to see our staff working in the building this week. Tomorrow, we begin the slow transition of welcoming students to our school!! 

By now, I've sent all I can send out so nothing new today, but a few reminders: 

• Young 5's. Tomorrow all in person Young 5's students will be at school. Friday, all Young 5's will be virtual. 

• Kindergarten: Tomorrow we will welcome our Monday/Tuesday cohort. Friday we will welcome our Thursday/Friday cohort

• Mrs. Gray: We will welcome all in person students tomorrow and Friday. 

• 1st and 2nd Grades: We will welcome students by cohort beginning April 5th. 

• 3rd-5th Grades: We will welcome students by cohort beginning April 12th.

 Arrival/Departure

All Y5 and Kindergarten families must use the Cooley entrance for arrival and pick up. For car pick up, I have sent your Driveline code twice. Please display this code when you arrive at pick up in the afternoon (you do not need a code in the morning). On your child's first day of school, we will send home a more permanent car mirror hanger with your family code. 

Mrs. Gray's class will utilize the main entrance off of Newport. Please use your driveline code in afternoon. 

Lunch

If your child is eating lunch provided by school, you must order ahead of time. Families can order one week in advance. Please go to https://www.a2schools.org/Page/621 for more information. Students, of course, can bring lunch from home as well. 

What to Bring to School? 

Students should bring their school issued devices to school daily. Please do not bring chargers. Please try to send the devices fully charged (we will have charging stations available if necessary). 

All students must wear a mask at all times, except while eating. An extra mask would be most helpful. We have extras available in each classroom. 

Each student should bring a water bottle. We will provide cups if necessary. 

Please refer to information from your child's teacher regarding other supplies. 

We are excited for this new beginning. Please let me know if you have any questions. 

David

Weekly Update 3/17

 Dear Wines Families, 

It is hard to believe that next week's Wednesday message will be in advance of students beginning to arrive in person at Wines the next day. I am certainly excited--and only slightly overwhelmed with preparations. But we will be ready! 

As has been the case recently, there will likely be additional messages this week and there will be messages next week to our families who are returning next Thursday and Friday as we prepare. Today I want to share a couple of important pieces of information: First, I want to share the Family Handbook to help everyone get the lay of the land as we approach our return to school. Second, I want to share the schedule of return and the various asynchronous days for in advance of the return. 

Family Handbook

In today's email I included a new Family Handbook. While it does not cover every detail, it is full of important information specific to the Wines return. Please check your email for it. 

Return Schedule and Asynchronous Days

Y5/Kindergarten/Mrs. Gray

Asynchronous Days: Monday-Wednesday March 22-24

Kindergarten Cohort 1: Return to School Thursday, March 25

Kindergarten Cohort 2: Return to School Friday, March 26

Y5: Return to School Thursday March 25 (All Y5 will be virtual on Friday, March 26)

Gray: Return to School Thursday and Friday March 25 and 26

1st and 2nd Grades

Asynchronous Days: Wednesday-Friday March 24-26

Cohort 1 Return to School: April 5, April 6

Cohort 2 Return to School: April 8, April 9

3rd-5th Grades

Asynchronous Days: Wednesday-Friday April 7-9

Cohort 1 Return to School: April 12, April 13

Cohort 2 Return to School: April 15, April 16

Other Info for the Week

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend the final grade level back to school meeting with 3rd-5th grades. Below are links to the recordings of each meeting. 

Gray/Y5/K Meeting

1st/2nd Grade Meeting

3rd/4th/5th Grade Meeting

Kindergarten  Round Up

We had a great first ever virtual Kindergarten/Y5 Round Up last evening. Below is a recording of that event if you missed it and need information about kindergarten or Young 5's for next year. 

Y5/Kindergarten Round Up

If you missed Round Up and have not filled out our information form, HERE is the link to the form. 

Thanks!

David

Weekly Update 3/10

 Dear Wines Families, 

While I have a lot of information for you today, what I really want to accomplish today is to tell everyone that over the next few days and weeks, please be prepared for more messages from me and from the school district as we approach our return to school. Here is a preview of what you should expect soon: 

1.     Class Cohort Placement. We are finalizing class cohort placements this week. I anticipate having this complete by Friday. Families will receive an email from your classroom teacher with which cohort your child is assigned. As I’ve said for some time, the A-L/M-Z split rarely works in our classrooms and each classroom will need to have students moved to a different cohort from the A-L/M-Z split. In some classrooms, there will be significant changes. We will keep siblings together on the days of the week the children attend. You should receive this information likely by Monday if not sooner. 

2. Lunch Ordering Process and Student Numbers. If you choose to have your child eat school provided lunch this year, lunches are free for all students. Families must order in advance. Look for a message from me tomorrow with specific information. This message will also include your child’s student number which you will need to order lunch. You will receive an email for each of your children.  

3. Driveline App information. Initial information about the new app to facilitate parent pick up will be provided via a district message either late this week or early next week. I will follow up with more specific information related to Wines. 

4. Hybrid Parent Handbook. Next week, I will be sending a family handbook with helpful information for a great start! 

Back to School Meetings 

Just a reminder that tonight I will be hosting a community meeting for our 1st and 2nd grade families about our return to school plans. Please see today's email with the Zoom link. 

Our 3rd-5th grade return to school meeting will take place on Monday, March 15th at 6:30 PM. Please see today's email with the Zoom link. 

Back to School Q & A

Thank you for adding your questions to the Q & A documents in advance of the community meetings. Even if your meeting has already taken place, I am still answering questions if they ar added. Below are the links to the documents. 

Y5/K Q&A

1st/2nd Q&A

3rd-5th Q&A

Mrs. Gray’s Class Q & A

Thank you and please do all you can to keep up with the messages you’ll receive in the coming days—I realize there is a lot of information and I’ll do all I can to not fill your inboxes too much. 

David