Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Weekly Update 12/21

 Dear Wines Families, 

It is hard to believe that tomorrow marks the last day of school for 2022. It has been a wonderful fall and as I’ve said many times, it continues to feel like we have returned to normal this year. At this point we are no longer returning to normal and instead, things are just “normal” again. Please accept my warm wishes this holiday season, safe travels if you are traveling, and hopefully everyone gets some time to be with family and friends. Thank you to everyone for all of your support and while I’m looking forward to some rest and rejuvenation, I am looking forward to what lies ahead in 2023!! Below are this week’s announcements. 

International Night Jan. 19

This school year, we are excited to bring back our annual International Night in person! We have set the date for Thursday, January 19 from 6:00-7:30 PM. Please join us for a fun evening of culture and mingling. Our students can represent a country they are from, have visited, or are merely interested in sharing with the school. If your student(s) is/are interested in representing a country, please register for the event at this link. Contact Celeste Kanpurwala at celesteLsmith@gmail.com if you have any questions. 

Extra Specials Volunteers Needed

We are excited that our lunchtime “Extra Specials” are yet another Wines tradition making its return in 2023! For one day a week across six weeks, students can choose a special activity to do indoors during their lunch recess. There are two sessions between February 1 - March 8, so students can try something new. Past activities range from Lego Building and Paper Airplanes to Logic Puzzles and Magic Tricks. But we need volunteers who are willing to spend about 90 minutes once per week over six weeks to lead these lunchtime activities for students. Interested? Please email Michael Newberry at mnewberry88@gmail.com with your preferred day of the week and activity you'd like to lead. Not sure what you'd like to do? Just sign up to volunteer and we can supply an activity for you.

MLK Children and Youth Program

The University of Michigan School of Education is resuming its annual in-person MLK Children and Youth Program on January 16, 2023.  It is the 25th Anniversary of the program, and Pre-K through 12th-grade students are invited to this special celebration and commemoration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Click HERE for more information. 

Lexia and Dreambox–Opportunities for Engagement During Break

Are you looking to keep your student engaged with academics during break? Please consider giving kids opportunities to log in to Lexia and Dreambox. Below is a note outlining these programs that we use daily here at school. 

Lexia & Dreambox Family Letter

David





Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Weekly Update 12/14

 Dear Wines Families, 

We are inching closer to our Winter Break and while there is excitement in the air, the students are focused and working hard. Here is the news for the week. 

 International Night Jan. 19

This school year, we are excited to bring back our annual International Night in person! We have set the date for Thursday, January 19 from 6:00-7:30 PM. Please join us for a fun evening of culture and mingling. Our students can represent a country they are from, have visited, or are merely interested in sharing with the school. If your student(s) is/are interested in representing a country, please register for the event at this link. Contact Celeste Kanpurwala at celesteLsmith@gmail.com if you have any questions. 

Extra Specials Volunteers Needed

We are excited that our lunchtime “Extra Specials” are yet another Wines tradition making its return in 2023! For one day a week across six weeks, students can choose a special activity to do indoors during their lunch recess. There are two sessions between February 1 - March 8, so students can try something new. Past activities range from Lego Building and Paper Airplanes to Logic Puzzles and Magic Tricks. But we need volunteers who are willing to spend about 90 minutes once per week over six weeks to lead these lunchtime activities for students. Interested? Please email Michael Newberry at mnewberry88@gmail.com with your preferred day of the week and activity you'd like to lead. Not sure what you'd like to do? Just sign up to volunteer and we can supply an activity for you.

Gracie Update

Finally, I wanted to pass along some exciting Gracie news. This week, we began introducing her to our school during the day with kids present. In a word, both Gracie and the kids are doing GREAT! Gracie is getting used to being around so much activity and the students have done a great job of maintaining their composure under exciting circumstances! Each classroom engaged in a morning meeting over the past week or so where we shared student expectations, reactions, etc. when they are around our Therapy Dog. I have been beyond impressed with how everyone has done! 

 

David



Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Weekly Update 12/7

 Dear Wines Families, 

It’s a great week here at Wines! Below is all the news that’s fit to print:. 

Book Fair

Our Book Fair has enjoyed a great start! Last evening’s Family Night was wonderfully busy and the Fair will continue this week. If you weren’t able to make it to Family Night, you are welcome to come and shop at the Fair during school regular school hours today and Thursday, or Friday until 10:30 am when the Fair closes..

There are still a couple of volunteer slots open to help at the Book Fair. Please go to: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0544aaa72ea57-book1

Email Lori Shirilla (Lori.Shirilla@gmail.com) with any questions. Speaking of Lori, I want to make sure I recognize her for organizing the Book Fair and all of her hard work! 

New Girl Scout Troop

Wines has a new Girls Scouts Troop! Troop 40927 is open to any interested 2nd or 3rd graders. If you'd like to join or are interested in learning more, consider attending our kick off meeting on Saturday, December 17th from 10am - 12pm. For details on the Troop or to sign-up to attend the kick-off/introductory meeting, please reach out to Stephanie Menon (stephanie.vitale@gmail.com) or Missy Stults (missy.stults@gmail.com). And to formally register to join the Troop, please go to: https://www.gshom.org/

AAPS Environmental Sustainability Framework: Feedback Requested

The Ann Arbor Public Schools presented their Environmental Sustainability Framework to the Board of Education on November 30, 2022. Currently, it is open for feedback from the entire community and will be voted on before the end of this calendar year. 

This is a unique opportunity for teachers, students, and community members to have a say in the environmental future of AAPS and our world. Please review the plan and participate in the ThoughtExchange conversation about the plan by December 11th. You can review the plan and get the link to share feedback here.

David





Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Weekly Update 11/30

 

Dear Wines Families, 
I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving and had some time to relax and be with family. We had a very relaxing long weekend highlighted by the Michigan victory on Saturday (though I wouldn’t call that day “relaxing”). We now head into the important four week pre-winter break stretch of school. Here is the news for the week: 

Early Release Today
Dismissal is at 1:18 today. 

Book Fair is Next Week!
The Wines Scholastic Book Fair is going to be December 5th - 9th. 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 6th 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 and Friday until 10:30 am.  

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.

Email Lori Shirilla (Lori.Shirilla@gmail.com) with any questions.

Friday Floor Hockey is Back!
This Friday will be our first floor hockey game of the season. If your child hasn’t played in past years, perhaps this Friday they can come to see if this is something of interest. The game is open to students of all grade levels and skill levels. We will start THIS FRIDAY at 8:10 AM and play every Friday in December. Parents can drop students off but parents are also welcome to play! The only requirement is dry gym shoes. So as the weather turns, please be sure kids have dry shoes to wear. 

No PTO Meeting Tonight
Tonight’s PTO meeting has been canceled, as everything is moving along smoothly in our different committees. If anyone has a question or request, please reach out to Michael Newberry at winesptopresident@gmail.com

David




Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Weekly Update 11/22

 Dear Wines Families, 

As we head into the Thanksgiving recess, I want to express my sincere thank you to everyone in the Wines community. It continues to be an absolute pleasure working in and being part of this incredible school. We have an amazing staff, incredible parents, and outstanding students! Thank you! 

Report Cards

Later today you will receive your child’s report card via email. All but Young 5’s families will also receive an email with your child’s NWEA scores.

Book Fair is Coming Up!

The Wines Scholastic Book Fair is going to be December 5th - 9th. 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 6th 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 and Friday until 10:30 am.  

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.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0544aaa72ea57-book1

Email Lori Shirilla (Lori.Shirilla@gmail.com) with any questions.

Giving Tuesday Nov. 29th

At this time of Thanksgiving, if you are thinking about making donations on Giving Tuesday (Tuesday, November 29th), please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Wines PTO. You can donate on our website at www.ptowines.org.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. 

David


Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Weekly Update 11/16

 

Dear Wines Families, 
Well, our 70 degree days are certainly in the rearview mirror but it was nice while it lasted! On that note, just a reminder that we will go outside daily as long as the temperature is 0 degrees windchill or above. Please be sure your child comes to school prepared to be outside daily. 
Here is the news for the week: 

Report Cards
Report cards will be sent via email next Tuesday, Nov. 22. Everyone other than Young 5’s will also receive a second email with your child’s fall NWEA scores. 

Picture Re-Takes Next Tuesday
Our Picture Re-Takes will happen next Tuesday, Nov. 22nd. If you ordered pictures the first time and want to re-take the photo, your child must come to school with the original packet of pictures. If your child was absent for picture day, they will have their picture taken. If you need to order pictures for your child, please go to: https://inter-state.com/FlyerEntry/70941N and complete the order online. 

Science and Builders Fair Thanks!
Last week’s Science and Builders Fair was a fabulous event. After a two-year hiatus, it was so nice to have this Wines tradition return. The kids’ projects were wonderful and there was great energy in the building that night. BIG thank you to Jennifer and Bradley Hinesman for organizing the event and for the small army of volunteers who helped make the evening so special for our young scientists and builders!

Updated Library Policies 
Please check the revised library page on the Wines website for updated policies and information about student book selection in the library. Please reach out to Rachel Goldberg with any questions (goldbergr@aaps.k12.mi.us). 

Therapy Dog: Family Meeting and Feedback
As I indicated last week, we’ve met a major milestone with our Therapy Dog, Gracie, as she has moved into Lexi Fata’s home. Gracie is getting used to a new home and new “owner”. We hope to begin slowly introducing her to our school—first during times when the school is empty—over the next few weeks. 

Next Monday evening at 6:00 PM, Ms. Fata and I will host a virtual meeting with Wines families to discuss Gracie and answer any questions you may have. I will send out a reminder and Zoom link at the end of this week. In the meantime, we’d like to get some feedback from families regarding any significant concerns that we need to know about in terms of Gracie’s interaction with your child. If there is information we need to know about your child’s ability to interact with a dog at school, please fill out THIS FORM

Thanksgiving Food Drive
It's time for the annual Wines Thanksgiving Food Drive!  Please support Washtenaw County and Food Gatherers by bringing in non-perishable items through Tuesday, November 22nd. Boxes are at the front entrance of the school building. The most needed items include food such as soups, canned meats, pasta, rice, kid-friendly snacks, and baby food / formula.  There is also a need for personal care items such as diapers, soap, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes. 

Great Ideas Grants: Deadline Extended until Friday
Do you have a great idea to support Wines Elementary?  
The Great Idea Grants 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 will meet only one time this year to approve grants that can be used anytime during the remainder of the school year. Submissions are now being accepted using the Google Form linked here:

Parking Lot Reminders
If you’ve read this far, thank you!! Hopefully you can read just a little more. As we finish up the first 1/3 of the school year, I would like to just send a couple of parking lot reminders. I first want to thank everyone for doing a great job overall this year managing our busy lot and participating in our system. But with winter here, we expect more cars and likely new drivers in our lot, so please take a moment to familiarize or re-familiarize yourself with these procedures. 

• If your child is on a bus route or within walking distance, please bus/walk to and from school. This reduces the number of cars and is the single best way to make our parking lot safe.
• Y5, Kindergarten and 5th grade should be using the Cooley lot. 
• 1st-4th grade should be using the main lot off of Newport. 
• If you have multiple students, please use the lot of the youngest sibling. 
• Please pull as far ahead as possible. 
• Now that we are 1/3 into the year, we expect that even our youngest students are able to independently enter/exit the car. Parents should not need to get out of your car. Please continue to practice this with your child if necessary. 
• Parking is limited. If you want to park, the best place to park is the Forsythe overflow lot off of Newport (regardless of which lot you are using). No parking at any time along any curb. 
• Students are not permitted to cross the cross walk in front of school unattended. They must be accompanied by an adult or they need to walk around on the sidewalk towards the gate. 
•The first bell is at 8:42 and we expect students in class by 8:45. Please arrive in time to have your child at school on time. A few minutes may not sound like a big deal, but the beginning of the day is a critical time and helps students get a great start to their day. 
• At the end of the day, if you are using the main lot, please exit towards Forsythe to the corner of Sunset and Newport instead of going directly back out to Newport. So take a right after the stop sign as you leave the circle. This allows busses to pass the line as they arrive after our line up begins. In addition, this gives access to the Forsythe overflow lot for those who choose to use that to park. Also, if you are parked in the Forsythe overflow lot, when you exit, please turn left and continue to the exit towards Sunset/Newport. 
• Finally, while we have memorized many of your Driveline numbers, please be sure you always have your number handy as we sometimes have different people running the end of day pick up. 

Thanks for reading! 

David



Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Weekly Update 11/9

 Dear Wines Families, 

I hope everyone is having a great week. Here is the news for the week. 

Science and Builders Fair: Tomorrow!

Last call for registration for tomorrow night’s Science and Builders Fair (7:00 PM). Registrations must be in by 5:00 PM tonight. Please visit the website below for more information and registration. 

https://winesscienceandbuilders.weebly.com/about.html

Therapy Dog Update and Feedback

I’m thrilled to announce that we have reached a major milestone as we approach our Therapy Dog, Gracie, joining our school. Gracie has officially completed the first part of her training with our trainer and she moved in to Ms. Fata’s home this past Monday! Lexi is currently working with Gracie on commands, etc. (and helping her get used to her new home). We will begin to have Gracie come to school during off hours to become more comfortable at Wines and sometime near the end of the month we will begin to have her be part of our school day. 

Lexi and I are working on a date for a virtual family meeting to talk about Gracie and answer questions. Please look for an announcement soon for the date and time. In the meantime, we’d like to get some feedback from families regarding any significant concerns that we need to know about in terms of Gracie’s interaction with your child. If there are things we need to know about your child’s ability to interact with a dog at school, please fill out THIS FORM

Thanksgiving Food Drive

It's time for the annual Wines Thanksgiving Food Drive!  Please support Washtenaw County and Food Gatherers by bringing in non-perishable items beginning today through Tuesday, November 22nd.  Boxes are in the entrance of the school building.  The most needed items include food such as soups, canned meats, pasta, rice, kid-friendly snacks, and baby food / formula.   There is also a need for personal care items such as diapers, soap, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes. 

Great Ideas Grants

Do you have a great idea to support Wines Elementary?  

The Great Idea Grants 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 will meet only one time this year to approve grants that can be used anytime during the remainder of the school year. Submissions are now being accepted using the Google Form linked here:

Great Idea Grants

Grant limits are: $200 for students, and $750 for adults. It's the same application whether you are submitting an idea as a student, teacher, or 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 11th. Don’t let a great idea go to waste! Submit now for your chance to make Wines GREATER than it already is. We look forward to hearing from you.

For questions or more information contact: Anu Huntley at anu.agrawal.huntley@gmail.com

Thanks for reading! 


David


Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Weekly Update 11/2

 Dear Wines Families, 

Welcome to November! Halloween was a great way to end a busy month that also included Walktober, Run-a-Thon, and lots of learning! It has been a great fall to be sure. I have just a couple of new pieces of information today, but I’ve also again included information on the Science and Builders Fair and our Great Ideas Grant opportunities. So far, we have not had many folks sign up for Science and Builders or submit grants. We are hopeful that both of these Wines traditions will be successful!  

No School Tuesday, Nov 8
Just a reminder there is no school next Tuesday for Election Day. 

Dia de los Muertos Cultural Event 11/4
Below is a flyer with information on a great cultural event taking place Friday evening. A Wines parent is involved in organizing this Dia de los Muertos event in Ypsilanti. 


Science and Builders Fair: November 10
Our annual Science and Builders Fair is back!! This event is designed to foster a love of learning and provide an exciting environment for the kids to proudly display their work. The Science and Builders Fair is meant to inspire young minds to learn and innovate! Nothing is too simple! It is not a "judged" event -- all participants receive a certificate. You do not need a project or title to register. There are project suggestions on the Wines Science + Builders site.
Please visit the website below for more information and registration. 

Great Ideas Grants
Do you have a great idea to support Wines Elementary?  
The Great Idea Grants 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 will meet only one time this year to approve grants that can be used anytime during the remainder of the school year. Submissions are now being accepted using the Google Form linked here:

Grant limits are: $200 for students, and $750 for adults. It's the same application whether you are submitting an idea as a student, teacher, or 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 11th. Don’t let a great idea go to waste! Submit now for your chance to make Wines GREATER than it already is. We look forward to hearing from you.
For questions or more information contact: Anu Huntley at anu.agrawal.huntley@gmail.com

Thanks for reading! 

David


Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Weekly Update 10/26

Dear Wines Families, 

I hope this finds you well as we approach the end of October! That is certainly hard to believe. Time flies when you are having fun! 

PTO Meeting Tonight

Reminder that there is a PTO meeting tonight in the Wines Library. We’d love to see some new parents join us to learn more about the PTO! If you are unable to attend in person, there will be a Zoom set up. Zoom information was sent in today's email. 

UM/MSU Spirit Day Friday

In honor of the big game Saturday, we are encouraging all of our Michigan and MSU fans to wear their team’s colors on Friday. If you are not a fan of either school, might I suggest wearing maize and blue??!! 

Halloween

We are happy to be able to celebrate Halloween again next Monday here at school. Like many things this year, we are returning to our pre-pandemic approach to the day. Students who wish to wear costumes can bring their costumes to school in a bag. Students should not come to school in costume. Our celebrations will take place in the afternoon. We will hold our annual parade through the neighborhood beginning at 2:00 PM. The best place for parents to stand to view the parade is along the sidewalk connecting Wines to Hillridge Street. This sidewalk extends from the Forsythe fields to our front entrance and is the final leg of our parade route. The parade route has us exiting at Cooley, going left on Saunders Crescent, left on Hillridge, and then entering the Forsythe property on the path from Hillridge back to the front of school. 

Each classroom will have celebrations during the afternoon. Please refer to communications from your child’s teacher regarding specifics. 

We ask that if students choose to wear costumes that the costumes be friendly. This means no fake blood and no fake weapons. No exceptions. My general rule of thumb is that if you are wondering if part of your costume is appropriate for school or not, it probably isn’t…

If you would prefer your child not participate in Halloween related activities, please contact me directly and we will have an alternate activity for them. 

Science and Builders Fair: November 10

Our annual Science and Builders Fair is back!! This event is designed to foster a love of learning and provide an exciting environment for the kids to proudly display their work. The Science and Builders Fair is meant to inspire young minds to learn and innovate! Nothing is too simple! It is not a "judged" event -- all participants receive a certificate. Please visit the website below for more information and registration. 

https://winesscienceandbuilders.weebly.com/about.html

Great Ideas Grants

Do you have a great idea to support Wines Elementary?  

The Great Idea Grants 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 will meet only one time this year to approve grants that can be used anytime during the remainder of the school year. Submissions are now being accepted using the Google Form linked here:

Great Idea Grants

Grant limits are: $200 for students, and $750 for adults. It's the same application whether you are submitting an idea as a student, teacher, or 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 11th. Don’t let a great idea go to waste! Submit now for your chance to make Wines GREATER than it already is. We look forward to hearing from you.

For questions or more information contact: Anu Huntley at anu.agrawal.huntley@gmail.com

Wines Volunteers

It has been so wonderful to see so many volunteers in our classrooms and other spaces lately. Thank you!! Just a reminder, if you are planning on volunteering in any way this year, please fill out the brief form below. This is a critical safety measure. Thank you to everyone who has filled out the form already as we have over 100 volunteers registered!

https://forms.gle/rLKQ9qYJLW3vcjUu6

Run-a-Thon Update

We did it!! Thanks to our incredible community, we have surpassed our school fundraising goal which means first and foremost that our PTO will be able to continue to support our school in myriad ways! Second, it means I’ll be spending a night on the roof—likely in the spring…

In addition, I’m pleased to announce that 10 of our 19 classrooms have met the 100% participation goal meaning very soon I’ll have at least 10 pies thrown in my face! We still have a large number of pledges that are going to be processed tonight so hopefully that number of pies will grow! Thank you Wines community, and thank you to Andrea Burkhart for all your efforts to make this event a fun and successful event for everyone!

Thanks for reading! 

David

 

Wednesday, October 19, 2022

Weekly Update 10/19

 Dear Wines Families, 

I hope everyone is having a great week. It does appear that traditional wet and cold October weather has arrived. Please be sure your child comes to school daily prepared to go outside for recess. We do go outside in light/moderate rain. There are a lot of important messages this week. Thanks in advance for taking a few minutes to read through today’s message. 

Early Release Thursday

Our next Early Release Day is tomorrow, Oct. 20. School will dismiss at 1:18. 

Robin is Back!!

I’m thrilled to announce that Robin Moore has returned to her post in our office this week! Robin is still building up her strength and stamina and she still has many medical appointments so for the time being, she is here for half days in the morning. J’Ne has taken a new full time substitute office position at another school so Kathy Kyle, a retired long serving AAPS Office Professional is here in the afternoons. 

Directory

In today's email you received a link to the Wines Student Directory. We use each family’s enrollment information and wishes regarding Directory inclusion to put the document together. If you need information added/deleted, please contact Robin Moore at moorero@aaps.k12.mi.us. The document is live and will be updated in real time. 

PTO Meeting

Our next PTO meeting will take place next Wednesday, Oct. 26th at 7:00 PM in the Wines Library. We’d love to see some new parents join us to learn more about the PTO! If you are unable to attend in person, there will be a Zoom set up. Zoom information was sent in today's email. 

Science and Builders Fair: November 10

Our annual Science and Builders Fair is back!! This event is designed to foster a love of learning and provide an exciting environment for the kids to proudly display their work. The Science and Builders Fair is meant to inspire young minds to learn and innovate! Nothing is too simple! It is not a "judged" event -- all participants receive a certificate. Please visit the website below for more information and registration. 

https://winesscienceandbuilders.weebly.com/about.html

Great Ideas Grants

Do you have a great idea to support Wines Elementary?  

The Great Idea Grants 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 will meet only one time this year to approve grants that can be used anytime during the remainder of the school year. Submissions are now being accepted using the Google Form linked here:

Great Idea Grants

Grant limits are: $200 for students, and $750 for adults. It's the same application whether you are submitting an idea as a student, teacher, or 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 11th. Don’t let a great idea go to waste! Submit now for your chance to make Wines GREATER than it already is. We look forward to hearing from you.

For questions or more information contact: Anu Huntley at anu.agrawal.huntley@gmail.com

Library and Computer Use Update

For the past few weeks, we’ve been settling into library routines with book checkouts and computer use (for grades 1-5 so far). Students have been taught how to properly care for our library books as well as the rules for using our school technology, following the AAPS Acceptable Use Policy. The following slides are used to teach the acceptable use policy to Young 5s-2nd grade and 3rd-5th grade, emphasizing that our devices are not personal devices, but school devices that are being loaned out (much like a library book) for school work and to learn. Just like we would not put stickers, add pictures, or alter library books in any way, we should not be doing those things to our school devices. This includes using devices to access websites that are not school sanctioned in Clever, Schoology, or otherwise provided by a teacher for additional learning. Thank you for your support in helping our students follow these same rules and procedures at home. 

Run-a-Thon Pledges

We are getting VERY close to meeting our Run-a-Thon pledge goal (and subsequently, me sleeping on the roof!). While that is wonderful, we currently do not have any classrooms with 100% participation (and subsequently, the opportunity to throw a pie at my face!). Every little amount helps and I can honestly say that I really want all 19 classrooms to hit me with a pie! We are still accepting pledges through this week.  Online pledges can be made at: https://www.ptowines.org/wines-runathon.

Thanks for reading! 

David


Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Weekly Update 10/12

Dear Wines Families, 

It has been a great Spirit Week so far as we inch closer to Friday’s Run-a-Thon. The kids have shown great spirit! 

Early Release Oct. 20

Our next Early Release Day is next Thursday, Oct. 20. School will dismiss at 1:18. 

Run-a-Thon Pledges

As I’ve indicated, Run-a-Thon is our largest fundraiser of the year. We are encouraging all students to collect pledges—any amount helps! Last week I announced two participation incentives for kids. For every class that has 100% of their students participate in collecting pledges, that class will be able to throw a pie in my face. I’m hoping to be pelted by 19 pies! In addition, if we meet our schoolwide fundraising goal of $20,000, I will spend a night camped out on the Wines roof! 

$20,000 is a lofty goal and is works out to approximately $50/student. To reach this goal, we really need everyone to chip in! If you are not able to contribute $50, any amount will help! If you are able to solicit pledges over $50, this will be a great help to our school! Online pledges are a great way to contact out of town friends and families. Online pledges can be made at: https://www.ptowines.org/wines-runathon.

One of the highlights of our Run-a-Thon pep-rally was a discussion of all the wonderful things that our PTO supports via proceeds from the Run-a-Thon. We talked about field trips, our 5th grade Camp Tanuga trip, playground upgrades, our art and music programs, and others. The kids were most excited that this year, our PTO is supporting the training and care for our Therapy Dog, Gracie, who we hope will be joining our school very soon! Below is a recent photo of Gracie. She is making great progress and we couldn’t welcome her without the financial support of our PTO and contributions made by our Wines community. 



Run-a-Thon Schedule

If you want to come and join us to cheer on the kids, the schedule for the morning can be found HERE.

Upcoming Author Visit!

We are beyond excited to share that award-winning illustrator and author, Supriya Kelkar, is visiting our school to celebrate the release of her newest picture book, Brown is Beautiful!  She will read the book and answer student questions in person at Wines on Wednesday, November 2nd. Supriya will also sign copies of the book for families who have pre-ordered them. If you would like to pre-order a book to have it signed by the author, please complete the form sent in today's email and send in your check (made out to Schuler Books) and drop it off to Mrs. Goldberg by October 14. If you have any questions, please contact Rachel Goldberg (goldbergr@aaps.k12.mi.us). 

Thanks for reading! 

David



Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Weekly Update 10/5

Dear Wines Families, 

I can’t tell you how nice it is to be back at Wines this week after my week away last week for COVID. While I was thankful to have minimal symptoms, it was a loooonng week away! The kids have been great this week—it feels good to hear from so many kids that they missed me! I’m feeling good, just a little tired. 

Next week is a big week here at Wines as we host our largest fundraiser and, in my opinion, the most fun day of the year here at school with our annual Run-a-Thon. While most of this week’s message is related to Run-a-Thon, there are a couple of other important items so please read through the whole message. 

Run-a-Thon Pledges

As I indicated, Run-a-Thon is our largest fundraiser of the year. We are encouraging all students to collect pledges—any amount helps! We will have special incentives to classes that have 100% participation and a schoolwide incentive if we reach our fundraising goal. I will be announcing these fun incentives at our Pep Rally on Friday this week. We need everyone to help to meet our goals! Pledge packets are going home in today’s Wednesday Take Home Folder. In addition, online pledges can be made now. Online pledges are a great way to contact out of town friends and families. Online pledges can be made at: https://www.ptowines.org/wines-runathon.

Run-a-Thon Volunteers

We are still in need of volunteers on Friday. This is a very easy and very fun opportunity to volunteer at Wines. No experience necessary! Please go to https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050f48a9a823a3f49-wines1 to volunteer. 

Run-a-Thon Schedule

If you want to come and join us to cheer on the kids, the schedule for the morning can be found HERE.

Run-a-Thon Spirit Week 10/10-10/14

On Friday we will be announcing our annual Spirit Week days next week as we prepare for Run-a-Thon. I want to give families a heads up on what the days are next week, but try to keep this a secret as we will be announcing this at the Pep Rally on Friday as well. 

Monday: Pajama Day

Tuesday: Wacky Hair or Hat Day

Wednesday: Mismatch with a Moustache Day

Thursday: Favorite Team Day

Friday: Run-a-Thon Spirit Day (all students receive a Run-a-Thon t-shirt that morning). 

Walk to School for Walktober

My apologies to our bus riders this morning as I was a week ahead of myself and our bus service was anticipating us participating in International Walk to School Day next Wednesday, not today! At any rate, we will still celebrate Walktober and will be walking to school each Friday this month starting this week. Busses will drop off at Forsythe on Friday. 

Upcoming Author Visit!

We are beyond excited to share that award-winning illustrator and author, Supriya Kelkar, is visiting our school to celebrate the release of her newest picture book, Brown is Beautiful!  She will read the book and answer student questions in person at Wines on Wednesday, November 2nd. Supriya will also sign copies of the book for families who have pre-ordered them. If you would like to pre-order a book to have it signed by the author, please complete the order form I sent in today's email and send in your check (made out to Schuler Books) and drop it off to Mrs. Goldberg by October 14.  If you have any questions, please contact Rachel Goldberg (goldbergr@aaps.k12.mi.us). 

Thanks for reading! 

David



Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Weekly Update 9/28

 

Dear Wines Families, 
Greetings from quarantine! 

I continue to have mild COVID symptoms and so I feel quite fortunate as I know many of you and your families have had more challenging cases. I also feel very fortunate that we have such an amazing team at Wines and I know our kids and families are in great shape during my absence. Special thanks to Sarah Schemanske who I hope has a good data package on her cell phone as I have been texting her seemingly every five minutes!! I look forward to seeing everyone on Monday. In the meantime, here is the news for the week: 

Picture Day Tuesday Oct. 4
Picture Day at Wines is next Tuesday. All orders are done online this year. Please go to https://inter-state.com/FlyerEntry/70941DF to make your order. All students will have their picture taken regardless of whether you purchase a package or not. All students at Wines will also receive a yearbook regardless of package purchases.  

Walktober
As the calendar turns to October, we will again participate in our annual “Walktober” tradition at Wines and encourage walking to school. We will begin next Wednesday, Oct. 5th, when we will participate in International Walk to School Day. We will then celebrate walking to school every Friday in October. Next Wednesday and every Friday in October our buses will drop the students off in Forsythe’s south parking lot so our bus students can walk as well. It’s always great to see groups of kids and families walking to Wines! 

Run-a-Thon is Coming Up!
Our annual Run-a-Thon is right around the corner on Friday, Oct. 14. The event takes place during the school day and is a great community event! In addition to just being a great day to spend at Wines, Run-a-Thon is also a fun and easy volunteer opportunity. If you are interested in helping out that day, please go to: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050f48a9a823a3f49-wines1 and sign up. 

The Run-a-Thon is our largest fundraiser and pledge packets will be coming home next week. We will also host our annual “Pep Rally” featuring the Skyline Drumline next Friday, Oct. 7. While we are still a couple weeks away, friends and family can start supporting our students now! Online pledges can be made at https://www.ptowines.org/wines-runathon. This is a great way to reach friends and family from out of town. There is a link for corporate sponsorships at that link as well. Corporate sponsorships are due no later than this Friday. 

Cub Scouts Returns to Wines
Cub Scout Pack 3078 is returning to Wines! Cub Scouting is open to all genders, grades K-5. We will be having a kick-off meeting at 7:30pm tomorrow (9/28) in the Cafeteria. If you can't join us and would like more information contact Cubmaster Seth Guikema at seth.guikema@gmail.com

Volunteers
Thank you to the many parents who have registered to volunteer at our school. If you have registered already, we have processed your background check and you are all set to begin. If you have not registered, please fill out the form below. I realize many of you did this last year. Please note that this is a yearly requirement to register and provides an important layer of safety for our students.


That’s all for this week. I’m looking forward to being back with the kids next Monday! 

David


Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Weekly Update 9/21

 Dear Wines Families, 

Another great week is halfway complete and we near completing our first month of school together. I could not be more pleased with how this year has started out! Here is the information for the week: 

Reminder: Important Office Information

As I indicated a couple of weeks ago, Robin Moore was involved in a car accident over the Labor Day weekend. She and her family are recovering from their injuries but Robin will be out of the office until at least the middle of October. Please be sure that all messages for absences, etc. are called in to the office at (734) 994-1973 as Robin is not responding to email. J’Ne Powell is filling in for Robin and she has been awesome! But as I said earlier, Robin has been at Wines for 13 years and her knowledge is hard to replace in such a short time. J’Ne’s email is powellj@aaps.k12.mi.us

PTO Meeting Tonight

Our first PTO meeting of the year is tonight at 7:00 PM in the library. We'll review and vote on the budget for the school year and start talking about our first major event, the annual Run a Thon, scheduled for October 14. All are welcome, and free childcare will be provided at the school if you need it.

Run a Thon Sponsorship

Do you have a business and would like to be a corporate sponsor for our Run-a-Thon? Your logo will go on our t-shirts (that all students receive) and on our other promotional materials. If you are interested, please go to https://www.ptowines.org/wines-runathon and scroll to the “Become a Corporate Sponsor” link. The deadline is Sept. 26. If you have any questions, please contact Andrea Burkhart at dredvm18@gmail.com

Volunteers

Thank you to the many parents who have registered to volunteer at our school. If you have registered already, we have processed your background check and you are all set to begin. If you have not registered, please fill out the form below. I realize many of you did this last year. Please note that this is a yearly requirement to register and provides an important layer of safety for our students. 

https://forms.gle/AQqQnH7SFcN28xdE8

Picture Day Oct. 4

Picture Day is coming up on Oct. 4th. All orders are done online this year. Please go to https://inter-state.com/FlyerEntry/70941DF to make your order. All students will have their picture taken this year regardless of whether you purchase a package or not. All students at Wines will also receive a yearbook regardless of package purchases.  

Security Guard

I’ve received a few inquiries regarding a security guard that has been on campus for the past number of days. We learned two weeks ago that our fire alarms are not fully functional due to something that happened during construction over the summer. The Fire Marshall has ordered that a security guard be present until the alarm is repaired. The fire alarm repair was completed yesterday and so our security guard is no longer on site.  

Thanks! 

David


Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Weekly Update 9/14

 Dear Wines Families, 

It was wonderful to see so many families at Curriculum Night last evening! 

I have a number of important messages today, so please take some time to read through this message. 

Volunteer Registration and Current Volunteer Needs

We are thrilled that our school is fully open to volunteers! In order to volunteer, we need volunteers to complete a registration. In addition to classroom and special area volunteers, we are looking for volunteers in our lunch program. This is a flexible volunteer opportunity and is a great way to interact with lots of kids in a fun environment. If you are interested in any volunteer opportunity, please fill out the form linked below. If you are interested in lunch, please indicate that on the form and our coordinator, Epiphani Raabe, will be in touch with you. 

https://forms.gle/9Ro7n9Gnjs8awqch8

The lunch position can also be a paid position if you are interested in employment. If you are interested in being paid to be a noon hour supervisor or know someone who would, please contact me directly (deyoung@aaps.k12.mi.us) and I will help you begin the application process. 

Back to School Picnic Tomorrow!  

The Wines PTO invites families to a picnic tomorrow from 5:30-7:30 PM on the Upper El playground. Bring some food and drink and catch up with other Wines families at this low-key, casual event. 

Early Release: Tuesday, Sept. 20th

Our first Early Release Day is next Tuesday, Sept. 20th. School will dismiss at 1:18. Lunch will take place at school as usual and busses will run as usual (bus drop off time will be 2.5 hours earlier than normal). 

PTO Meeting Sept. 21

The first PTO Meeting of the school year will be next Wednesday, September 21, from 7-8pm in the Library at Wines Elementary. We'll review and vote on the budget for the school year and start talking about our first major event, the annual Runathon, scheduled for October 14. All are welcome, and free childcare will be provided at the school if you need it.

Picture Day Oct. 4th

Our annual Picture Day is Oct. 4th. Ordering is done all online. To order pictures, go to www.inter-state.com/order and use the code: 70941DF. If your child will be absent on Oct. 4th, don’t worry! Re-Takes are on Nov. 22nd. 

Spirit Wear

Wines Spirit Wear is on sale now! Sale ends on Sept. 18th. Please visit https://pogo.undergroundshirts.com/collections/wines-elementary-apparel-1 to browse and purchase. 

That’s all for this week! 

David



Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Weekly Update 9/7

Dear Wines Families, 

Week two at Wines is well underway and things continue to go very well here at school. Below are this week’s announcements. There are a couple of updates from last week with as well as some new information. 

Important Wines Office Update

Unfortunately, our beloved Office Professional Robin Moore was in a fairly serious car accident with her family over the weekend. Robin and her husband and daughter were all injured, but fortunately we expect them to all recover. However, the recovery may take some time. Therefore, Robin will be out of the office indefinitely. The family is currently out of town where the accident took place and plan on returning to Ann Arbor to continue to recuperate in about a week or so. They have friends and family with them to assist so at this time so all they need are our healing thoughts. If any needs arise later, I will let our community know. At this time, we ask that everyone give Robin her space and privacy and allow her to take care of herself and family. 

We are fortunate that J’Ne Powell has stepped in to fill Robin’s shoes. J’Ne is an experienced Office Professional and teacher and jumped right into action yesterday. While Ms. Powell brings experiences and professionalism, “replacing” Robin’s 13 years of experience at our school is a challenge for anyone—especially on short notice. we ask for your patience and understanding as our office may not run as smoothly as you’ve come to expect. 

While Robin is away, all student absences, etc. need to be called into the office as she will not be checking email. Please call (734) 994-1973. If we don’t answer, you can leave a message and we will check messages throughout the day. 

Curriculum Night Tuesday, Sept. 13th

Curriculum Night will be in person on Tuesday, Sept. 13th starting at 6:00 PM. Teachers will host two identical sessions. The first session will be from 6:00-6:30 and the second session will be from 6:40-7:10. We will not host an all-parent meeting in between as we’ve done in the past. Curriculum Night is for parents and is not a student event. 

Back to School Picnic Thursday, Sept. 15th 

The Wines PTO invites families to a picnic next Thursday, September 15 from 5:30-7:30 PM on the Upper El playground. Bring some food and drink and catch up with other Wines families at this low-key, casual event. 

Spirit Wear

Wines Spirit Wear is on sale now! Sale ends on Sept. 18th. Please visit https://pogo.undergroundshirts.com/collections/wines-elementary-apparel-1 to browse and purchase. 

PTO Annual Fund 

I’d like to again point your attention to the PTO annual fund. Each year, the PTO spends about $250 per student to provide classroom supplies, field trips, teacher support, and several academic and social events throughout the year. Please consider making a donation at www.ptowines.org. You can also sign up to volunteer. The PTO is an important part of the Wines community, and we need your help to make this our best year yet.  

That’s all for this week! 

David


Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Weekly Update 8/31

 Dear Wines Families, 

It has been a GREAT first couple days at Wines! It has been a very smooth transition back to school and in many ways, it feels like we’ve been here for weeks. 

For new families, this is my first weekly “Wednesday Email”. You can expect a message from me each Wednesday. I also post the note on our twitter feed (@wineselementary), the Wines Facebook page (www.facebook.com/wineselementary), and on my blog www.winesprincipal.blogspot.com. So whichever method works for you! Today’s note will be a bit longer than usual as it is the first week. I do hope that each week you will take some time to read through this message. In addition to the Wednesday Email, we do send home a weekly Wednesday Folder with hard copies of some items. Most of what we do here is done electronically, but there are often paper items in the Wednesday Folder. 

PTO Annual Fund 

In your child’s Wednesday Folder you’ll find a letter with information on how to make a donation to the Wines PTO. Annually, the PTO spends about $250 per student to provide classroom supplies, field trips, teacher support, and several academic and social events throughout the year. Please consider making a donation at www.ptowines.org. You can also sign up to volunteer. The PTO is an important part of the Wines community, and we need your help to make this our best year yet. 

Back to School Picnic Date Change

Due to a scheduling conflict with the Forsythe Curriculum Night, we’ve moved our back to school picnic to Thursday, Sept. 15th. Look for more information on this informal event next week. 

Curriculum Night in Person Sept. 13th

Curriculum Night will be in person on Tuesday, Sept. 13th starting at 6:00 PM. Teachers will host two identical sessions. More details will be sent next week, but please mark your calendars!

Spirit Wear

Wines Spirit Wear is on sale now! Sale ends on Sept. 18th. Please visit https://pogo.undergroundshirts.com/collections/wines-elementary-apparel-1 to browse and purchase. 

Please, No Early Drop Offs 

We do not have supervision for students until 8:40 in the morning. Please do not drop your child off to school unattended before this time. We do have breakfast service that begins at 8:30. Your child can come to the front entrance and ring the bell at that time to come in for breakfast. 

COVID Case Reporting

If your child tests positive for COVID-19, you must fill out this form . This will alert the AAPS nursing team who will follow up with your family to determine the return to school date and answer any of your questions. Here also is a “What to do if you test positive” one pager with more information. 

News from the Library

Welcome back to the Wines Library. My name is Rachel Goldberg and I am delighted to be your librarian. This week, all students were invited to check out a book from the Wines Library. For those classes who come to the library twice each week (Young 5s through 3rd grade), book checkout day will be their first library class of the week. In all classes, we talked about ways to keep your library books safe. Please ask your child what they can do to take good care of our shared books so that all members of our community may enjoy them. 

If you are interested in volunteering in the library to help with book check in/check out, reshelving, reading stories, teaching students about a special family or cultural tradition, sharing a particular skill with students, or leading any other type of special program, please fill out this interest form and I’ll reach out within the next few weeks to follow up. 

No School Friday, Sept. 2nd or Monday, Sept. 5th 

Just a reminder that there is no school this Friday and next Monday for an extended Labor Day weekend. Enjoy the official end of summer!

That’s all for this week! 

David


Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Welcome Back to Wines 2022-2023

 Dear Wines Families, 

Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year! I hope everyone has had a nice summer and I hope you are enjoying the last days of the season. We had a great summer as a family spending most of our time up north in Northport as we usually do. We also did a little traveling to California and Colorado at the beginning of the summer, but for the most part we moved in up north and enjoyed another wonderful summer. As many of you know, my parents retired to northern Michigan in 2000 and Northport has been a special place for our family since the late 1980’s. We lost my mother three years ago and so having a house full of people certainly puts a smile on my dad’s face! 

I want to welcome everyone back to Wines and extend a warm welcome to our new families. A lot has happened at Wines this summer (and continues to happen)! Our construction project has remained more or less on schedule all summer, but the schedule is tight so the building still looks a bit like a construction site. But we are nearing the time when teachers can begin to move back into their classrooms. In addition to adding air conditioning to areas that didn’t have it before, new lighting in all spaces, and new window treatments, we received quite a bit of new paint and the school is now a very colorful place! I think the kids will really like the color changes. Unfortunately, our AC will not be fully functional this fall as DTE has to complete their end of things. But as I said to the staff, we’ve been teaching and learning without AC at Wines since 1957 so we can wait a little longer. 

As you may recall, we had to move EVERYTHING out of the building last summer for the construction project so it will be quite a task to get things ready to go for our first day of school August 29th. But we will be ready! 

The purpose of this note—in addition to welcoming everyone to Wines—is to get some of the most important information into your hands right now. In the coming days, I will be sending out our Family Handbook which will have some of this same information as well as more detailed information about our school. In addition, I will be hosting new family orientation meetings next week (see information below) and sending some reminders/updates as we approach the first day of school on August 29th. 

New Staff Members

Please welcome three new staff members to Wines. First, please welcome Beth Kingkiner as our new 2nd grade teacher replacing Angela Black who retired last March. Beth most recently taught 3rd grade in the AAPS Virtual Academy last year. Prior to coming to Ann Arbor, Beth taught for 12 years in New Jersey and North Carolina serving as both a second grade teacher for six years and several years as a Reading Intervention teacher. Beth brings outstanding skills and experiences to our team!

I’d also like to welcome Amy Welzenbach as a new Teaching Assistant at Wines. Amy will be a familiar face to many of our students as she worked in our noon hour program last year. Amy is a retired elementary teacher and we are thrilled that she has joined our full time staff. 

Finally, I want to give an update on our third new “staff member”. Gracie, our Therapy Dog, is doing great! She is now just over five months old and has been busy training with Greg Lambert from The Up and Up Pup since last May. Last week, our staff care giver, Lexi Fata, had Gracie at her home while Greg was out of town. I was able to visit Gracie with Lexi one day and the next day Lexi and I participated in our first formal training with Greg and Gracie. I was really pleased to see how far she has come in such a short time and Greg said he is already implementing training that he would not normally do until a bit later in the process. I guess she’s gifted!! While she still has work to do, Greg believes that in October he will be able to transition Gracie to living with Ms. Fata full time and move the training to her home and here at Wines. So, we are on schedule to have Gracie join our community later this fall! Below is a recent picture of her. 


 

Meet the Teacher Events/New Family Orientation

We will host our meet the teacher events next week. There have been a couple of small changes to our usual process. 

Young 5’s/Kindergarten: Wednesday, August 24th. 6:00 PM

Our teachers will greet our kids on the back playground near the Kindergarten rooms at 6:00 PM. Students will then go to their classrooms and spend some time getting acclimated. While the kids are in classrooms, I will invite parents to the Multi-Purpose Room for our new family orientation. This is a chance for you to see the building and spend a little time with me going over some of the nuts and bolts that will hopefully make the first day go smoothly. 

1st-5th Grades: Thursday, August 25th 8:30 AM. 

This will take place on the back playground. We’ve moved the event from the traditional afternoon time to the morning for two reasons. First, we hope that this time might be a bit easier for working families. Second, our teachers will be spending the bulk of their day on Thursday moving into their classrooms and getting things ready for the first day of school. We wanted to give them as much time as possible to do this important work. In addition, moving and arranging is hard work and our staff will likely be quite tired and sweaty by the afternoon and I didn’t want them to feel like they needed to freshen up to welcome families. Even with the I will have popsicles for the kids Thursday morning. So perhaps we’ll re-name it “Breakfast Popsicles” or something like that. A new tradition??? 

New Family Orientation for 1st-5th grade families will take place on Thursday, August 25th at 6:00 PM in the Multi-Purpose Room. New students are certainly welcome that evening. However, please note that the event is an informational event for parents and we will not be able to visit classrooms, etc. 

Registration Documents

Many of our new families still need to turn in registration documents. From new families, we need three proofs of residency (lease/deed/tax bill and two utility bills), birth certificate, immunization records, and a copy of a parent drivers license. I realize with the school still being closed; it has been difficult to arrange times to do this. 

If possible, please utilize the meet the teacher events to do this. For Young 5’s and Kindergarten families, we will collect your documents when you arrive on Wednesday evening. Robin will make necessary copies and we’ll hopefully have everything ready for you after our parent orientation (reminder: Kindergarteners coming from Wines Young 5’s last year do not need to supply documents this year unless Robin has contacted you that something is missing). 

For new 1st-5th grade families, if possible, please bring your documents to the meet the teacher event and come to the front office after your child has met their teacher, etc. We will not be able to collect documents at the 1st-5th new family orientation Thursday evening. 

If you are not able to drop your documents off on either of those days, please contact Robin Moore at moorero@aaps.k12.mi.us and she will arrange an appointment with you. 

COVID Protocols

As has been the case for over two years, variables related to COVID are ever changing. Later this week I will be participating in a district level meeting that will outline all of the safety protocols this year. I will include more details to families after this meeting. For now, I am able to share that Washtenaw County is currently in “yellow” as far as community transmission. This means that masks are recommended, but optional, indoors. If this continues to be the case on August 29th, we will honor your family decision about if your child will wear a mask or not and our students and staff will support and respect this decision. 

In addition, as we began to do at the end of last year, we intend to welcome our community into our school this year. I will outline more specifics about volunteers and visitors next week. 

School Hours

First Bell: 8:42. 

Second Bell/Instruction Begins: 8:45

Dismissal 3:48

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

Again this year we will utilize two lots and two entrances to our school. Families with students in Young 5’s, Kindergarten, and 5th Grade will enter and exit Wines from Cooley Ave., not Newport. Families with students in grades 1-4 will enter from Newport. The traffic flow is the same as last year and we are asking that those using the Newport entrance to please exit via the Forsythe turn rather than going back to Newport. This is particularly important during afternoon pick up. Please use the entrance for your youngest student. If you have a fourth grader and a Kindergartener or Young 5’s student, for example, please use the Cooley lot. If you have a 5th grader and a 1st-4th grader, please use the Newport entrance. It is an important safety issue that families utilize the appropriate entrance/exit to Wines. This means many of our 5th grade families who are used to the Newport entrance will need to learn the Cooley entrance and many of our 1st grade families who used the Cooley entrance in Kindergarten will need to learn the Newport procedures. 

For afternoon pick up, families will need to display your Driveline family number. This should be displayed in your car if you are using the pick up lane. If you are parking and coming to our entrances to meet your child in person, please bring your number to show to our staff member checking in numbers. For those of you whose numbers I memorized last year, please note that my brain is turning 50 this year so I’ll need to see your number again for a little while to start the year! 

Prior to school starting, I will be emailing everyone your family Driveline number. For returning families, your number is the same each year so you can use last year’s signs if you still have them. If you are new or have lost your sign, on the first day of school, please write this number on a piece of paper from home. We will then be sending home copies of your number during the first week of school for you to use. 

Please note: you do not need to display your Driveline number at morning drop off. 

Below are two pictures of our parking lot routes. I will be going over this in more detail at our new family orientation and I will send out information again before school starts. It may seem complicated but it is actually quite simple and efficient! 




 


Parking

Parking is very limited at Wines. If you choose to park and escort your child to the school entrance or pick them (not in your car) you must park in a designated parking spot. There is absolutely no parking allowed along any of our curbs. There is nearly no parking in the Cooley lot and limited parking in the main lot. The best place to park is in the Forsythe overflow lot near the Newport entrance. This is only accessible from the Newport entrance. 

Bus Routes

The Wines bus routes have been published. You can find information on pick up and drop off times at the following link: https://www.a2schools.org/Page/10472

Lunch and Breakfast

Breakfast and lunch are no longer free for all students as has been the case during the past two years during COVID. To add money to your child’s account, please utilize the family portal at: 

https://annarbor.familyportal.cloud/

If you would like to apply for free or reduced lunch and breakfast, please go to the portal linked above, choose guest, and then choose application. 

I hope this is enough information for everyone and hopefully you have some time to read this over and digest it. I will go over many of these items at our New Family Orientation meetings, and I will be sending out more messages to all as we approach the new school year with reminders, clarifications, and updates. Please feel free to email me at deyoung@aaps.k12.mi.us if you have any questions. 

Again, welcome back!! 

David




Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Weekly Update 6/8: Last Update for 2021-22!

 Dear Wines Families,

Well, we’ve come to the end of our school year together. I’m finding it a bit challenging to put my thoughts about this year into words. Let’s be honest, this was not a “normal” school year. There isn’t much more to say about that other than school—like nearly all parts of our lives—was different this year. But, as I reflect on the school year, I am left feeling extraordinarily proud of our how the year went. This year was challenging for everyone and despite these challenges, our staff, kids, parents, and community stuck together and we had fun, we made growth, and Wines returned to being a special place for everyone.

I want to thank our incredible staff for going through many ups and downs, restrictions, switching to online and in person on a dime, and for persevering to make this year special for our kids. Our kids deserved a good in-person school year and our staff rose to every challenge to make that happen.

I want to thank our kids for going through the same ups and downs as our staff and coming together for a memorable school year.

I also want to thank our entire community. Your grace and understanding about things that none of us could control meant a great deal to all of us. I know there were times of disappointment and frustration—we all had those feelings. But you stayed positive and we end this week on a high note and I’m excited about next fall.

Speaking of next fall, my hope is that we start with a more normal school year with increased opportunities for our community to be part of the day to day in our school. Furthermore, while we were able to keep many of our Wines traditions (and even improve on them), there were events and opportunities that we’ve now not been able to do in nearly three years. I am hopeful that these will return next year in earnest and our kids can experience all of the things that make Wines such a special place. Plus, at some point next fall we will welcome our Therapy Dog, Gracie, to our school!!

Friday Dismissal 11:28

Friday is a half day which is different from our Early Release days. Dismissal is at 11:28. We will utilize Driveline as usual. 

Report Cards

Report Cards will be sent via email on Friday. Please look for three different emails from me. 

•Report Card

•Special Area Report Card

•NWEA Results

Library Update

Please return all library books by Friday. If you cannot find a book and need to replace it, please reach out to Rachel Goldberg (goldbergr@aaps.k12.mi.us) to discuss options. 

Tremendous gratitude to all of the families who donated books for the APISA/A book drive! Thanks to your generosity, we were able to get all of the books on our wish list and will start the 2022-23 school year with even more diverse and representative titles so that students see themselves reflected in our library and have the opportunity to learn about others. 

Keep reading all summer with the Ann Arbor District Library’s Summer Game! For more information about the game, email askus@aadl.org. You can also check out summer reading programs at all of our local bookstores. 

Medication

If your student has medications in the school clinic for this school year, please plan to pick them up by the end of the school day on June 10, 2022. Please note the school day ends at 11:28 AM. Medications cannot be given to your student to take home. Wines is undergoing construction this summer and staff will not have access to the building after June 10. Any medications left after June 10th will be discarded.

School Folders: Looking for Advertisers

We are hopeful to provide a weekly folder for every student again next year. Over the past number of years, we have received these folders for free from a local vendor. As with everything, costs have gone up and we are in need of more sponsors to advertise in the folders to keep them free to our school. If you or someone you know would like to advertise in the Wines take home folders, please contact Bob Lundwall at lundwallbob@gmail.com.

Construction Closure

Due to the construction project taking place at Wines this summer, our school will close Friday afternoon and we anticipate opening the office August 15. 

Thanks for a great year! 

David





Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Weekly Update 6/1

 Dear Wines Families, 

It’s hard to believe this is my next to last message for the school year. Next week I’ll write a longer farewell and reflections on the year but today I’ll keep it a bit shorter with just a couple of announcements. 

Time to Re-Enroll

By now, everyone should have received an email from the AAPS Enrollment Office asking that you re-enroll for next fall. You should have received a “snap code” in the email. The email came from noreplyregistration@powerschool.com. The email would have gone to the email you used to register last year. If you are having trouble locating the message, please check any other email addresses you may use and your spam folders. If you still can’t find it, please email Robin in our office at moorero@aaps.k12.mi.us and she can assist. The process is quite easy as most of the form is pre-filled from the previous school year. It is a requirement for everyone to do this each year. This information is crucial as we confirm our enrollment projections for next year and make related staffing decisions. Thank you for taking the time to complete this. 

Library update

All books are now due to the Wines library. This week, students with overdue books are coming home with printed overdue notices. If your child cannot find their overdue book(s), please contact Rachel Goldberg to discuss replacement options. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions: goldbergr@aaps.k12.mi.us.

There are several awesome options for summer reading, including continued student access to myON and Sora, the Ann Arbor District Library Summer Game, and summer reading programs at most of our local bookstores. 

Field Day Monday

Field Day is Monday with our 3rd-5th graders starting at 9:15 and our K-2 starting at 1:30. Our sign up for volunteers is full, THANK YOU! However, we can always use more hands. If you would like to help and haven't signed up, please contact Darcy Knoll at thorpekn@aaps.k12.mi.us

That’s all for this week! 

David


Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Weekly Update 5/25

 Dear Wines Families, 


Please refer to my email from earlier today regarding the events in Uvalde, TX and our approach to supporting our students following this tragedy. Here are the regular announcements for the week. 

Time to Re-Enroll
Last week, everyone should have received an email from the AAPS Enrollment Office asking that you re-enroll for next fall. You should have received a “snap code” in the email. The process is quite easy as most of the form is pre-filled from the previous school year. It is a requirement for everyone to do this each year. This information is crucial as we confirm our enrollment projections for next year and make related staffing decisions. Thank you for taking the time to complete this. 

Field Day Volunteers
Field Day is Monday, June 6. 3rd-5th grade will be in the morning and Y5-2nd will be in the afternoon. We are looking for volunteers. If you are interested, please click on the link below.

Library Books
Please return all library books by Tuesday, May 31. Students are welcome to return books to the return bin in the library any time. If your student lost a library book, please email Rachel Goldberg about replacement options (goldbergr@aaps.k12.mi.us). 

For summer reading and summer adventures, check out the Ann Arbor District Library’s Summer Game, which opens on June 10. Anyone can play. To get a summer reading card to start the game, visit any one of the five library branches. If you have questions about how to obtain a library card or how to play the summer game, email askus@aadl.org

A2VE Summer Success Program for K-4 Students - Register by May 31st
Interested in a flexible summer learning opportunity for your child? The A2 Virtual Elementary Summer Success Program is flexible and self-paced. This program will focus on maintaining and extending literacy and math skills by providing targeted lessons to meet individual interests and needs of students. Students will independently access lesson materials in order to complete 4 to 5 lessons in math and literacy each week. The lessons are self-guided and interactive.

The program will run from July 5, 2022 through July 29, 2022. 


Check out the A2VE Summer Success webpage for additional details.  You are also welcome to email us at a2velementary@a2schools.org with any questions.


David


Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Weekly Update 5/18

 Dear Wines Families, 

Early Release Today

Just a reminder that dismissal is at 1:18 today. 

Wines PTO Meeting and Officer Election: TONIGHT

Wednesday, May 18, 7-8:30pm

IN-PERSON @ Homes Campus

112 Jackson Plaza (Behind the Suburban Chevy Dealership)

Please join us for our last PTO meeting of the year, when we will vote on PTO officers for the 2022-23 school year. Want to know how to get involved in PTO leadership? Reach out to winesptopresident@gmail.com with your interest and questions!

Wines ROAR Friday 5PM-8PM

We are looking forward to a great community event Friday evening! Ticket sales are open now. Order your tickets here:  https://wines-elementary-school-pto.square.site/s/order?location=11e94c02b823790497f50cc47a2b63cc&customer_seat_id=11ecd54268d03e78a42b5ed75275ea8d. You can pick up your order before or after school outside the main entrance. They will also be for sale at the event this Friday May 20th from 5-8pm

We still need a few more volunteers on Friday. If you can spare some time, please click below:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080c4aadaa28a64-wines

Updated Raffle Book

There have been a few additions to the Raffle for Friday night. I sent the updated book with today's email. 

Library Books

As we prepare for summer construction, we are working to get all books back in the library and packed away safely. Please return all library books by Tuesday, May 31. Students are welcome to drop off library books to the book return bin any time, even if it’s not on their scheduled library day. If your child has lost a book, you are welcome to purchase a replacement copy to send in with your child or reach out to Rachel Goldberg for replacement cost details. Please email goldbergr@aaps.k12.mi.us with any questions. 

TRAFFIC on Saunders/Hatcher Crescent

Families, please be mindful of your speed in the “Crescents” as you are dropping off and picking up in the Cooley lot. We have had a number of reports of Wines cars traveling at excessive speeds. Neighbors have contacted the Ann Arbor Police who may begin patrolling. I don’t want to see anyone get a ticket and most importantly, I want to make sure our kids are safe in the neighborhoods. Thank you! 

5th Grade Families

Look for a second message from me today with information on tomorrow’s Instrumental Music Concert and sign ups for the 5th Grade Flush Tank on Friday. 

David