Weekly Update 5/29

 Dear Wines Families,

It’s an exciting week here at Wines with the ROAR on Friday and then lots of fun things headed our way over the next couple of weeks. Please take a few minutes to read through today’s important messages. 

Final Wines ROAR Message

The Wines ROAR is almost here – happening THIS Friday, May 31st, 5-8pm!  Don’t miss out!

• Want to get a picture or toss a football with the National Football champs?  Don’t forget to buy your wristband, food tickets, and raffle tickets here.  Pickup what you ordered during drop off or pickup or at the ROAR.  

• Volunteer for short (30 min) shifts at the event. **We are still in need of volunteers, especially for the raffle drawing, dunk, and flush tanks! Please sign-up asap!**

• Don’t forget to bring your decorated cake to school by 9am on Friday morning, 5/31! The theme is “We Love our Teachers & Staff!”. You can also donate store bought baked goods for prizes!  

• Preview the many amazing raffle prizes here!

Congratulations Wines Retirees! 

I have a bittersweet announcement today that three of our fabulous teachers will be retiring at the end of the school year. 

Millie Fisher: Millie Fisher has been a teacher at Wines for over 20 years. Millie has primarily taught 3rd and 4th grade and also spent a year as a second grade teacher. Teaching was a second career for Ms. Fisher as she was formerly in the corporate world. Millie is a true leader and is always the “go to” person for other staff members on issues related to school and issues more personal in nature. Millie has always been someone who is willing to come to my office to advocate for her kids and her colleagues. Rarely, if ever, did she advocate for herself and she always put others’ needs in front of her own. Millie had firm expectations for her class and ran a “tight ship.” However, that ship was always full of positive relationships with students and she is consistently the teacher where students come back year in and year out to visit and stay connected. Thank you, Millie for an outstanding career! 

Julie Spiroff: Julie leaves Wines after a 30-year teaching career with 26 of those years being at Wines as a 5th grade teacher. Julie started teaching in Wisconsin spending four years as a middle and high school science teacher before coming to Ann Arbor. Julie always stressed academics and held students accountable with high expectations for everyone. In doing so, she gave every student the confidence and support they needed to meet her high expectations. My twin sons were in her class a few years ago and I remember well at our parent teacher conference where she told one of my boys to make sure he always had his “head up and shoulders back” meaning he needed to have confidence. This resonated with him and made him a better 5th grade student and now as a very confident 10th grade student. He still credits Ms. Spiroff for his academic confidence. I know Julie had the same impact on hundreds and hundreds of students. Thank you, Julie!

Jennifer Puente: Jen started her career working in the childcare program at Northside Elementary. She then became a Special Education Teaching Assistant at Northside while pursuing a Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy. Ultimately, Physical Therapy was not her calling and she decided to be a teacher and went back to school to get a degree in education. Once she completed her teaching degree, Jen started teaching first grade at Bryant Elementary. She taught both 1st and 2nd grades at Bryant for 20 years and came to Wines in 2019 where we are proud to be her last stop in a wonderful career! 

Student Chromebook Collection

On Monday, June 3rd through Thursday, June 6th we will collect all Chromebooks & chargers for storage over the summer.  Please make sure your child has their AAPS issued device in school on the designated collection day for their class. Classroom teachers will include their device collection day in their newsletter. If you have other AAPS technology issued equipment please send it in with your child. This may include hotspots, iPads, or older-model Chromebooks.

Please Return all Library Books

If your child has lost a book, you are welcome to send in a new replacement book or reach out to Ms. Goldberg (goldbergr@aaps.12.mi.us) to find out the replacement fee. Thank you!

A2ZERO Week June 9 – 15  

Fun, free events celebrating sustainability and climate action throughout the week!   Starting June 4, pick up your Passport to Fun at any AADL branch to get started on activities and enter the prize drawing.  For details including a full listing of events please go to a2gov.org/a2zeroweek. 

David