Weekly Update 3/8

 Dear Wines Families, 

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

Friendly Reminder: School Starts at 8:45 AM

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

PTO Meeting Tonight!

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

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

Food Gatherers/Rotary Club Food Drive

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

Literacy Night Next Thursday

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

Support Wines at Schuler Books This Month! 

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

Wines Auction: Looking for Sponsors and Art Project Volunteers

Classroom Project Volunteers Needed!

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

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

Corporate Sponsors/Item Donations/Monetary Donation

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

Other Information About the Auction

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

Wines ROAR, May 19

The end of the school year may still seem far away, but planning for this year's ROAR has begun! For families who are new to Wines, the Roar is the end of the school year party with carnival games, prizes, food trucks, a huge raffle, a flush tank for the 5th graders, a dunk tank with Dr. DeYoung and more! This year's Roar will be Friday May 19th from 5-8pm. If you'd like to join the planning committee for this year's event, please contact Lizzy Hurwitz (lizzy@lizzyhurwitz.com)

Cookie Booth Saturday

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

Pedestrian Crossing Flags added to Newport and Sunset Crosswalk

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

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

That’s all for this week.

David