Weekly Update 4/9

 Dear Wines Families, 

Before we get into the news for the week, I want to extend a giant thank you to the Wines community for the incredible “Parents Night Out” and Wines Auction last Friday evening. It was so great to see so many parents at the event and it was a fantastic time. Special thanks to Jane Lardo who once again organized an amazing event for our school. Jane has spearheaded the Auction for a number of years and she really out did herself this time (and that’s saying a lot!). There are lots of others who need thanking and I fear I will miss someone and I apologize in advance for those I will miss. But big thanks to PTO President Kate Galvin who was working all night long to make sure everything went perfectly. Kate’s husband Luke has been working behind the scenes for weeks and on Friday evening, Luke was all over the place working to make the event so special. Thank you to Marti Clark and Lori Shirilla for all your help before, during, and after the event. Thanks to Jaimie Sussman who is such a huge supporter of the Auction and has been part of the planning for many years. Thanks to Lauren Cunnane for all the organization of the student art projects and your help with the live auction. Thanks to Dan Papajcik and Alex Tokatlian for again being our live auctioneers. Thanks to all of our parents who helped with classroom art projects, especially Angie Wolney who once again helped make numerous incredible projects. I know there were also many parents who helped with set up, clean up, bead sales, 50/50 raffle ticket sales, and so much more. We could not have done it without you. And another final thanks to everyone who was able to make it out that evening. We really hope you enjoyed yourselves. 

Join us next week for our second to last PTO meeting of the school year.  We will have special guests from the Forsythe PTO to inform current and future Forsythe parents about ways to get involved at Forsythe. PLUS! We will have architects and design experts from the AAPS Capital Program team to talk about the new Wines!

Parent Input for Class Placement 2025-2026

With just over 40 days left in this school year (can you believe it?!), we are actively preparing for the fall of 2025 while keeping our eyes on finishing this year strong. Over the coming days and weeks, the staff and I will be making initial class placements for the 2025-2026 school year. If you are interested in providing information about your child that you believe will be useful as we make our decisions, below is a link to an optional survey. Please be reminded that we do not take any requests for a child to be assigned or not be assigned to a specific teacher’s classroom. Such requests will be deleted from our responses. However, we do value your input and this is an opportunity for you to share. If you are interested, please fill out the form below. We are asking that you respond by April 18. 

https://forms.gle/AXygEZjweLqmyrxV9

Disability Awareness Workshop

On Friday, May 2nd our 5th graders will participate in the Disability Awareness Workshop that we organize in conjunction with the Washtenaw County Disability Network. This is a wonderful opportunity that traditionally was part of the 4th grade experience. The program did not run last year, but it is back this year and we are able to offer it to both 4th and 5th graders and we will be able to have all 4th graders participate each year moving forward. This is a big event and we need lots of volunteers. You do not need to be a 4th or 5th grade family to volunteer! Below is a link to a volunteer sign up form. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0D4EAEAC2EA7F85-56184120-disability#/

Wines Equity Team Interest Survey

The Wines Equity Committee is a group of staff and parents that meet monthly to further our school's efforts to create an inclusive and welcoming school community. Our projects have included, but are not limited to: 

• creating the annual Student Belonging Survey

• developing annual school-wide programming to celebrate Dr. King's life and legacy (school-wide read aloud, activities, and assembly)

• leading teacher workshops on identity-related topics

At our annual NAAPID celebration, parents were given the opportunity to fill out a survey regarding your interest in serving on or otherwise contributing to our Equity Team here at school. If you expressed interest, we will be in touch with you very soon about next steps. If you were not able to fill out the survey,  I’ve linked it below. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ytqQL4zCpcWkcaXZiM94jldG_oTJKx-sP6V1RPJG-2o/edit

Advertising in our Take-Home Folders Next Fall

If you are interested in having your business advertise in our school folders next year, our vendor offers a 33% discount for any business that is affiliated with our school. Parents can also do a personal sponsorship for $75. If you are interested or have any questions about the program, please contact Bob Lundwall at 586-405-1144 or email Bob at lundwallbob@gmail.com.

David

Weekly Update 4/2

Dear Wines Families, 

As I write this, we are in the middle of some terrible “spring” weather! My sons are hockey players and we spend a lot of time in hockey rinks. At this time of year, they play lacrosse. Trish and I always say during the spring lacrosse season that we REALLY miss the cold ice rinks—no rain, no wind, no snow! 

Wines Parents Night Out and Auction!

Join us at Circ in downtown Ann Arbor April 4th from 6-10PM!  This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with parents and teachers outside of school in a low key, casual, adult-only environment and support our school!

Tickets are available now! $40/person or consider purchasing a VIP sponsorship at $100 for 2 people.  Learn more at ptowines.org.

Please note: We are having some technical issues with Square, Tickets will not sell out, please try to reload the page if having any trouble.

Volunteer: We need your help to make the event great. Please consider volunteering and sign up here.

We have some amazing art projects created by each classroom that will be part of the Live Auction.  You must be present to bid on the Live Auction, so be sure to get your tickets! A link to view the projects was in today's email.

Silent Auction will open this Thursday (you do not need to be present to win).

MSTEP Testing Information for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Families

MSTEP testing begins next week for our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. Please click HERE for important information about MSTEP. 

Friday is National School Librarian Day!

Our amazing School Librarian, Rachel Goldberg helps to make Wines an inclusive, educational, and fun place for our kids to be. If you are able to, please consider showing your appreciation on Friday, April 4th - National school Librarian Day - for Ms. Goldberg by wishing her a happy appreciation day, sending a card or flower, or having your kid read an extra book that day!

Reminder: Upcoming Construction on Miller

As you have likely noticed, construction has begun on Miller. You may have also noticed that the intersection of Miller and Newport is still open. I contacted the city yesterday and they indicated that later this month, that intersection will close. I do not know when this will take place. So please keep in mind the various options to avoid that intersection including exiting Wines north on Newport or arriving to Wines from the north. Or, using Pinetree/Westport on the south end of Newport to arrive from Miller or exit to Miller. 

David

 

Weekly Update 3/19

Dear Wines Families, 

As we approach spring break, I’m hoping everyone can stay healthy or get healthy as we are in a period of increased illness among students, staff, and families. Due to the increased illness, we are asking for parent support in keeping your student home should they exhibit signs of being ill.

To protect your students and others, please take the following steps:                                                             

• Monitor your child for any signs of illness, such as cough, sore throat, runny nose, fever, and fatigue and stay home if ill.

• Please read When Should A Child Stay Home From School,

• No matter what the illness, your child should not return to school until free of fever, vomiting and diarrhea for at least 24 hours (without medication). Use your best judgment if they are fever-free but are experiencing symptoms that make it difficult to learn at school.  

• Students are encouraged to mask at school during this time of increased illness. 

Family Literacy Night Tomorrow!

Please join us tomorrow night at 6:30 for our annual Family Literacy Night. 

This is a highlight of the year with guest readers, staff participating in Readers’ Theater, and lots of other activities. Please see the flyer below! 

Dress as Your Favorite Book Character Friday

As we conclude our celebration of March is Literacy Month, we encourage everyone to dress as their favorite book character on Friday! 

Wines Parents Night Out and Auction!

Book the sitter the evening of April 4th (Friday after Spring Break) from 6-10PM to join us at Circ in downtown Ann Arbor.  This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with parents and teachers outside of school in a low key, casual environment.

Tickets are available now! $40/person or consider purchasing a VIP sponsorship at $100 for 2 people.  (Please note, TICKETS ARE NOT SOLD OUT! If you receive this message from Square, please try reloading the page).

Learn more at ptowines.org.

Items Needed for Our Silent Auction!

Do you have or know someone with a business that could donate an item or service for our silent auction?  Or do you have any unopened/unused items, tickets, fun experiences, or even a rental vacation home that could be used? No item is too big or too small!

Please reach out to jane.lardo@gmail.com

New Wines Design Open House April 1st

All are welcome to stop by any time during and interactive Open House event to learn more about the New Wines Elementary and participate in engagement activities on April 1st. The Ann Arbor Public Schools Capital Program team will be hosting an Open House in the Wines Elementary Auditorium. Meet the architects and design experts planning the New Wines Elementary building for AAPS. Say “Hi” to community partners. The Open House format will allow visitors to move at their own pace throughout multiple stations of project information and updates with a chance to provide feedback. Feel free to stop by at any time during the event as it will take about 30-45 minutes to engage with all the content. This open house is intended for any community member in our area interested in the new project. 

Reminder: Upcoming Construction on Miller

Beginning next week and impacting our school when we return from Spring Break, Miller Rd. will be closed from Newport to S. Seventh. The project closes the intersection of Miller and Newport making Wines (and Forsythe) inaccessible from Miller Road at Newport. Wines will be accessible from the north coming from Maple/Newport. In addition, it seems as if Miller will be open from Maple until just before Newport which would potentially allow access from Miller going east if you turn on Pinetree which then runs to Westport that empties onto Newport. This would give access to Wines (and Forsythe) from both the north and the south. Below is a map with the Pinetree access circled. 

 

Please note, while it also appears that Wines will continue to be accessible from the Crescents neighborhoods and Cooley Ave., our Cooley entrance cannot accommodate additional traffic flow so we ask that, as always, unless you have a Young 5 or Kindergarten student, that you continue to use the Newport entrance via detours.

It is during these times that it is more important than ever that if your child(ren) live within walking distance or if they are assigned to a bus, that you utilize those options. I will keep everyone posted if things change with our traffic flow. 

For more information about the closures, please click below https://www.a2schools.org/departments/transportation/miller-road-closure-and-detour-information

David

Weekly Update 3/12

 Dear Wines Families, 

There is a lot of important information today, particularly right at the beginning of the message. Thanks in advance for your attention. 

Upcoming Construction on Miller: PLEASE READ

We have learned over the past 24 hours that a major construction project on Miller Rd. will close Miller in both directions from Newport to Seventh Ave. The closure begins next Monday, March 17th and will extend through the end of the school year.  The project closes the intersection of Miller and Newport making Wines (and Forsythe) inaccessible from Miller Road at Newport. I apologize that I am just sharing this information now, but unfortunately, we just received the information yesterday from the city. While I don’t know every detour associated with this project, Wines will be accessible from the north coming from Maple/Newport. In addition, it seems as if Miller will be open from Maple until just before Newport which would potentially allow access from Miller going east if you turn on Pinetree which then runs to Westport that empties onto Newport. This would give access to Wines (and Forsythe) from both the north and the south. Below is a map with the Pinetree access circled. 

 

Please note, while it also appears that Wines will continue to be accessible from the Crescents neighborhoods and Cooley Ave., our Cooley entrance cannot accommodate additional traffic flow so we ask that, as always, unless you have a Young 5 or Kindergarten student, that you continue to use the Newport entrance via detours. 

This construction will also impact bus routes and times. District leadership and Durham Transportation will be providing updated routes and times as early as today. 

It is during these times that it is more important than ever that if your child(ren) live within walking distance or if they are assigned to a bus, that you utilize those options. I will keep everyone posted if things change with our traffic flow. 

For more information about the closures, please click HERE  

PTO Meeting Tomorrow

The PTO Meeting will take place in the Wines Conference Room.

Please find the agenda here.

If you cannot make it in person, you can join via Zoom (link sent in today's email)

Pajama Day Friday

During our celebration of March is Literacy Month, the staff are sharing their favorite books we read as children that kept us up beyond our bedtimes. The books are a mystery now, and students are guessing which book belongs to which staff member. In honor of this, on Friday is “You stayed up too late reading, wear pajamas day”. So kids and staff will have Pajama Day Friday. 

Wines Family Literacy Night: March 20th

Please save the date for March 20th when we will again host our annual Family Literacy Night. This is a highlight of the year with guest readers, staff participating in Readers’ Theater, and lots of other activities. Please see the flyer below! 

Wines Parents Night Out and Auction!

Book the sitter the evening of April 4th from 6-10PM to join us at Circ in downtown Ann Arbor.  This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with parents and teachers outside of school in a low key, casual environment.

Tickets are available now! $40/person or consider purchasing a VIP sponsorship at $100 for 2 people.  Learn more at ptowines.org.

Items Needed for Our Silent Auction!

Do you have or know someone with a business that could donate an item or service for our silent auction?  Or do you have any unopened/unused items, tickets, fun experiences, or even a rental vacation home that could be used? No item is too big or too small!

Please reach out to jane.lardo@gmail.com

Rotary Club/Food Gatherers Drive

We’ve had a great start to our Food Gatherers/Rotary Club Food drive. Thank you to everyone who has made a donation! This year, as opposed to a traditional food drive, they have asked for a financial drive. Wines has a team and you can donate directly to the drive from our team site. If you are able, please consider a financial donation at https://give.foodgatherers.org/teams/24231-wines-elementary.

Two More Floor Hockey Games

Our Friday morning floor hockey games will come to a close when we leave for spring break. So we have two Friday’s remaining. We start at 8:00 on Friday’s. All kids need are dry shoes. Kids can be dropped off or parents can play as well! Big thanks to Darcy Knoll for running 

Young 5’s Openings

We continue to have strong interest in our Young 5’s program and, therefore, we are planning on once again hosting two Young 5’s classes next year. At the current time, we still have openings in Young 5’s. If you know of families who may be interested in Young 5’s at Wines, please alert them that there are openings for both Wines residents and In-District-Transfers (within AAPS boundaries) at the current time. Feel free to pass along my contact information or they can go to: https://www.a2schools.org/about-aaps/new-enrollment to apply for next fall. We are enrolling Kindergarten students as we always do. The In-District-Transfer application for Kindergarten is also open for limited spots at the same website above. 

David

Weekly Update 3/5

 Dear Wines Families, 

Before we get into this week’s news, I want to extend a sincere thank you to Celeste Kanpurwala for organizing another incredible International Night last week. Celeste has organized the event for many years (even putting on a “drive through” International Night during COVID) and it has become a wonderful tradition at our school. Celeste is passing the baton next year and we are deeply indebted to Celeste for helping highlight our international school for many years. 

Wines Parents Night Out and Auction!

Tickets are available now! Learn more at ptowines.org.

Items Needed for Our Silent Auction!

Do you have or know someone with a business that could donate an item or service for our silent auction?  Or do you have any unopened/unused items, tickets, fun experiences, or even a rental vacation home that could be used? No item is too big or too small!

Please reach out to jane.lardo@gmail.com

Volunteers Needed: Wines Auction Art Projects

We’ve had a great response from parents willing to help with the student art projects that are auctioned off at our Parents Night Out in April. We are still in need of a volunteer in a few classrooms. We need volunteers for: Shanteau, Buehler, Varga, Mable, Duggins, Mosher.

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

Wines Family Literacy Night: March 20th

Please save the date for March 20th when we will again host our annual Family Literacy Night. This is a highlight of the year with guest readers, staff participating in Readers’ Theater, and lots of other activities. Please see the flyer below! 

Rotary Club/Food Gatherers Drive

We are again participating in the Food Gatherers/Rotary Club Food drive. This year, they have asked for a financial drive as opposed to a traditional food drive. Wines has a team and you can donate directly to the drive from our team site. If you are able, please consider a financial donation at https://give.foodgatherers.org/teams/24231-wines-elementary.

Three More Floor Hockey Games

Our Friday morning floor hockey games will come to a close when we leave for spring break. So we have three Friday’s remaining. We start at 8:00 on Friday’s. All kids need are dry shoes. Kids can be dropped off or parents can play as well! Big thanks to Darcy Knoll for running 

Young 5’s Openings

We continue to have strong interest in our Young 5’s program and, therefore, we are planning on once again hosting two Young 5’s classes next year. At the current time, we still have openings in Young 5’s. If you know of families who may be interested in Young 5’s at Wines, please alert them that there are openings for both Wines residents and In-District-Transfers (within AAPS boundaries) at the current time. Feel free to pass along my contact information or they can go to: https://www.a2schools.org/about-aaps/new-enrollment to apply for next fall. We are enrolling Kindergarten students as we always do. The In-District-Transfer application for Kindergarten is also open for limited spots at the same website above. 

Interested in a Drama Club? 

Is your child interested in a Drama Club? No experience necessary! A Wines parent is organizing an after school Drama Club and is looking to see the level of interest. If your child is interested, please fill out the form below. 

DRAMA CLUB INTEREST SURVEY

David

Weekly Update 2/26

 Dear Wines Families, 

Is this spring? Likely not…But the warmer weather has been a nice change over the last few days. I don’t need to point out that with melting snow our grounds are quite muddy. While winter will likely return before too long, this is a good reminder that the “muddy season” is right around the corner. Please continue to have your children bring boots to school daily for the foreseeable future. My favorite pictures of students are in the warmer months when they are wearing shorts and t-shirts along with snow boots!

There are many great things happening at Wines right now, so please take a moment to read through this week’s message. 

Reminder: Crosswalk

Just a reminder that students are never allowed to use the crosswalk at the front doors unless accompanied by a parent. This is a high traffic area and it is simply not safe. Students who are alone may walk around the lot on the sidewalk in front of the gate. Students may use the crosswalk near the baseball diamond as there is a three way stop there. As always, use extreme caution while driving in our parking lot.

International Night Tomorrow from 6:30-8:00 PM

We are looking forward to a wonderful International Night tomorrow! Even if you are not representing a country, this is a wonderful event for all families. There is great food and an opportunity to experience and learn about other cultures. We hope you can join us! We still need volunteers, especially someone to work the welcome table for one hour from 7-8 PM. Please sign up to help at https://bit.ly/internationalnightsignup! 

Volunteers Needed: Wines Auction Art Projects

A highlight of the Wines Auction (Parents Night Out) each year is the live auction of student art work. 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 had a great response from our call for volunteers last week, but we are still in need of volunteers from a few classrooms. The classrooms that need volunteers are: 

Middleton, Shanteau, Martinez, Carlin, Varga, Parsons, Rodriguez, Detering, Mable, Duggins, and Mosher.

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

Save the Date: Wines Parents Night Out & Auction

The silent auction is part of a larger event, the Wines Parent Night Out and Auction. Book the sitter the evening of April 4th from 6-10PM at Circ in downtown Ann Arbor.  This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with parents and teachers outside of school in a low key, casual environment.  Interested in helping? Email Jane.Lardo@gmail.com for volunteer opportunities.

Wines Family Literacy Night: March 20th

Please save the date for March 20th when we will again host our annual Family Literacy Night. This is a highlight of the year with guest readers, staff participating in Readers’ Theater, and lots of other activities. Please see the flyer below! 

Young 5’s Openings

We had another excellent Young 5’s/Kindergarten Round Up a couple of weeks ago. We continue to have strong interest in our Young 5’s program and, therefore, we are planning on once again hosting two Young 5’s classes next year. At the current time, we still have openings in Young 5’s. If you know of families who may be interested in Young 5’s at Wines, please alert them that there are openings for both Wines residents and In-District-Transfers (within AAPS boundaries) at the current time. Feel free to pass along my contact information or they can go to: https://www.a2schools.org/about-aaps/new-enrollment to apply for next fall. We are enrolling Kindergarten students as we always do. The In-District-Transfer application for Kindergarten is also open for limited spots at the same website above. 

Update from the PTO Great Ideas Grants

The PTO was thrilled to receive many interesting Great Ideas about how to make Wines even better than it already is! We are excited to announce the following five Great Ideas were funded:

• Creating a four-square court in the upper El

• Improving sand toys and play areas in the lower El

• Supporting the Bike Bus program that was launched during Walktober

• Reviving the Tetherball Courts

• Launching a school-wide suggestion box

Additionally, three initiatives are being funded through the school and PTO. These include quiet-time problem-solving toys for first grade, school-wide sensory tools/fidgets, and a fourth grade pilot program to reduce wintertime messes. We’re also exploring funding for two more ideas through the PTO. Stay tuned for updates! Thank you to everyone who submitted a grant! 

Interested in a Drama Club? 

Is your child interested in a Drama Club? No experience necessary! A Wines parent is organizing an after school Drama Club and is looking to see the level of interest. If your child is interested, please fill out the form below. 

DRAMA CLUB INTEREST SURVEY

David

Weekly Update 2/19

 Dear Wines Families, 

I hope everyone had a nice mid-winter break. Our boys were gone for most of the long weekend so Trish and I had a few “practice” days of being empty nesters which will happen to us after they graduate from Skyline is 2026. We are not even close to being ready for that change in life so we are glad they are home and we have another year with them! On to the news for this shortened week: 

International Night NEXT WEEK, Thursday, February 27 from 6:30-8:00 PM

NEXT THURSDAY is our annual International Night. In order to have a successful evening, we need volunteers! If you can help out, please go to https://bit.ly/internationalnightsignupgenius. If you are interested in signing your child(ren) up for a table or parade for a country, there is still time! We ask that you complete this form by the end of this week to ensure that we have the appropriate amount of tables set up in the gym - https://bit.ly/winesinternationalnight2025. We look forward to an eventful evening! 

Save the Date: Wines Parents Night Out & Auction

Book the sitter for our annual Parents Night Out & Auction. This year’s event will be held April 4th from 6-10PM at Circ in downtown Ann Arbor.  This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with parents and teachers outside of school in a low key, casual environment.  Interested in helping? Email Jane.Lardo@gmail.com for volunteer opportunities.

Volunteers Needed: Wines Auction Art Projects

Speaking of the Auction, a highlight of the event each year is the live auction of student art work. 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.  Anyone interested please email Lauren Cunnane at lmbrooks27@gmail.com

TRAILS Newsletter

Below is the February TRAILS newsletter. 

David

Wines Weekly Update 2/12

 Dear Wines Families, 

As I’m sure you are, we are watching the weather as snow is on its way. As of the writing of this note, there are no closures or cancellations but I will keep everyone posted as things move ahead. Please look for district announcements as well. 

BIG Thank You!

I want to start today by sharing some important recognitions and thanks. First, I want to recognize Robbie Weeks who once again organized a great Wines Wahoo. It seems like Robbie is able to improve on this tradition every year! Thanks also to the many parent volunteers who stepped up to support Robbie and our kids making it a great evening. 

I want to thank the well over 300 parents who were able to attend NAAPID on Monday. We hope you enjoyed the day and got a glimpse of what an amazing place Wines is! Thanks also to the incredible Wines staff who helped make the day special as well—it is no easy task for teachers and staff on a day like that! 

PTO News

Due to weather, the PTO Meeting will take place tonight on Zoom only.

Please find the agenda here.

Zoom link was shared in today's email. 

Show Your Support Saturday February 15th at The Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop

Troop 40927 is Selling Girl Scout Cookies!

The 3rd and 4th grade Girl Scouts of Troop 40927 are selling Girl Scout Cookies in February and March. They will be selling cookies at three different booths, and all Wines families and community members are invited to purchase the treats!

The first cookie booth will be right in front of Wines Elementary, on Saturday, February 15th, from 10am to 2pm. We can accept credit cards, cash, checks, PayPal, and Venmo. Come cheer on your Wines Girl Scouts!

Don't want to eat cookies? Consider dropping by to donate a box to Hometown Heroes!

Can't make it on February 15th? There will be 2 more booths this season!

o Sunday, February 23rd from 9am to 12pm, in front of Kroger on South Maple

o Sunday, March 2nd from 9:30am to 1:30pm, at Dozer Coffee on Jackson Road

Save the Date: Wines Parents Night Out & Auction

Book the sitter for our annual Parents Night Out & Auction. This year’s event will be held April 4th from 6-10PM at Circ in downtown Ann Arbor.  This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with parents and teachers outside of school in a low key, casual environment.  Interested in helping? Email Jane.Lardo@gmail.com for volunteer opportunities.

Mid Winter Break: Feb. 14-18

Just a reminder that our mid winter break begins Friday. There is no school Friday, February 14, Monday, February 17, and Tuesday, February 18.

David

Wines Weekly Update: 2/5

Dear Wines Families, 

The rest of this week and next week are quite busy around here! Although it is busy, this is one of my favorite times of year as we host one of our favorite student events (and a favorite of some adults…) with the Wahoo on Friday, we celebrate our parents at NAAPID on Monday, we welcome our new Young 5’s and Kindergarten students on Tuesday. Please read below for information on all of this and more!

Wines Wahoo Friday!

We are excited for the Wines Wahoo Friday! The event takes place at Forsythe Middle School from 6-8pm. Join your friends for music, pizza, open gym, crafts, a silent disco and more. Younger siblings and parents are welcome. Suggested $5 donation per family at the door with pizza, drink, and snack tickets available for purchase. This event is cash only, Venmo will be available but an extra fee will be attached. There are still some volunteer spots available. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C44AEAA22A2F8CE9-54560999-wines

NAAPID Feb. 10: Please RSVP

We are so thrilled that so many families will be able to join us Monday for NAAPID. If you have not RSVP’d, please do so ASAP. In particular, we are finalizing our lunch order tomorrow morning so if you are staying for lunch, please be sure to RSVP at the link below today. 

NAAPID RSVP

Parent and Student Engagement in Planning for the Design of the New Wines 

As you know, we have launched the planning for the design of the new Wines school that we will move into in 2029. While 2029 seems like a long way away, our current Kindergarten students will spend their 5th grade year at our new home, our current Y5 students will spend their final two years there, and our entire community will watch the new building take shape. Thus, this project is most certainly timely. In addition, the legacy of our school and the future of our new building is something we should all be interested in. 

As part of the process, our design team of architects will be with us at NAAPID to engage parents and students in this process. Each grade level will take time with the team to learn and, more importantly, to provide important input as the design begins to take shape. Below is a schedule for when each grade will participate on Monday. We hope many of you can join with your child’s class on Monday. 

9:15-9:45: 3rd Grade

9:50-10:20: 1st Grade

10:30-11:00: Kindergarten

12:45-1:15: Young 5’s 

1:45-2:15: 2nd Grade

2:30-2:50 4th Grade

3:00-3:30 5th Grade

Kindergarten/Young 5’s Round Up Feb. 11

Please save the date for our annual Kindergarten/Young 5’s Round Up. We will host families and incoming students on February 11th from 6:30-7:30 PM. If you have a child who will be in Young 5’s or Kindergarten for the 2025-26 school year, please plan on attending with your child. If you have friends and neighbors with students entering our programs next year, please share this information. If you have a child entering Wines next year, it is helpful for us to begin to compile a list even before Round Up. Please contact Robin Moore at moorero@aaps.k12.mi.us and alert her. 

Note: Current Wines Young 5’s students and families do not need to attend Round Up. 

Show Your Support Saturday February 15th at The Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop

Mark your calendars for February 15th for Wines Elementary's "Show Your Support" at the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop! The Wines Elementary PTO will receive 10% of every purchase made on Saturday, so head over and spread the word to your friends and family to stock up on great finds!  Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop 2280 S. Industrial Hwy. 10am-5pm 

The more you shop, the more we earn!

Save the Date: Wines Parents Night Out & Auction

Book the sitter for our annual Parents Night Out & Auction. This year’s event will be held April 4th from 6-10PM at Circ in downtown Ann Arbor.  This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with parents and teachers outside of school in a low key, casual environment.  Interested in helping? Email Jane.Lardo@gmail.com for volunteer opportunities.

Mid Winter Break: Feb. 14-18

Just a reminder that our mid winter break begins next Friday. There is no school Friday, February 14, Monday, February 17, and Tuesday, February 18.

David

Wines Weekly Update 1/29

 Dear Wines Families, 

It’s nice to have a full week this week! It is hard to believe we are heading into February. Our nurse, Mary Delis, continues to remind me that the days are getting longer and we are inching closer to spring. I’ll try to remember that over the next couple months as winter likely takes hold…Here is the news for the week: 

Reminder: Early Release Today

Dismissal is at 1:00

Wines Wahoo Feb. 7

The Wines Wahoo is back again this year! Join us Friday, February 7th at Forsythe Middle School from 6-8pm. This is a Wines favorite and we are so excited it's back for another year! Join your friends for music, pizza, open gym, crafts, a silent disco and more. Younger siblings and parents are welcome. Suggested $5 donation per family at the door with pizza, drink, and snack tickets available for purchase. This event is cash only, Venmo will be available but an extra fee will be attached. This event will need LOTS of volunteers, so we need your help! Please sign up at the link below 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C44AEAA22A2F8CE9-54560999-wines

Wines Wahoo Spirit Week

As we prepare for the Wahoo, we will have our annual Wines Wahoo Spirit Week with the Friday culminating Beach Day. Here are the Spirit Week days next week:

Monday: Pajama Day

Tuesday: Favorite Team Day

Wednesday: Wacky Wednesday

Thursday: Decades Day

Friday: Beach Day/Wahoo Day

NAAPID Feb. 10: Please RSVP

We are excited to once again invite all parents and caregivers to our annual Parent Involvement Day on Feb. 10th. If you haven’t already, you will be receiving a paper invitation in your child’s take home folder. It is always helpful for us to have a sense of how many people we are expecting so please take a moment to fill out the RSVP form linked below. Most importantly, we will be providing lunch for our adult guests so if you are staying for lunch, please be sure to fill out the RSVP. 

Feb. 10 RSVP

New Date for International Night

Due to International Night being canceled due to schools being closed last week, we have rescheduled the event for Thursday, Feb. 27th. We’ll send out more information again as we get closer. 

Kindergarten/Young 5’s Round Up Feb. 11

Please save the date for our annual Kindergarten/Young 5’s Round Up. We will host families and incoming students on February 11th from 6:30-7:30 PM. If you have a child who will be in Young 5’s or Kindergarten for the 2025-26 school year, please plan on attending with your child. If you have friends and neighbors with students entering our programs next year, please share this information. If you have a child entering Wines next year, it is helpful for us to begin to compile a list even before Round Up. Please contact Robin Moore at moorero@aaps.k12.mi.us and alert her. 

Note: Current Wines Young 5’s students and families do not need to attend Round Up. 

Show Your Support Saturday February 15th at The Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop

Mark your calendars for February 15th for Wines Elementary's "Show Your Support" at the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop! The Wines Elementary PTO will receive 10% of every purchase made on Saturday, so head over and spread the word to your friends and family to stock up on great finds! 

Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop 2280 S. Industrial Hwy. 10am-5pm 

The more you shop, the more we earn!

Save the Date: Wines Parents Night Out & Auction

Book the sitter for our annual Parents Night Out & Auction. This year’s event will be held April 4th from 6-10PM at Circ in downtown Ann Arbor.  This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with parents and teachers outside of school in a low key, casual environment.  Interested in helping? Email Jane.Lardo@gmail.com for volunteer opportunities.

Troop 40927 is Selling Girl Scout Cookies!

The 3rd and 4th grade Girl Scouts of Troop 40927 are selling Girl Scout Cookies in February and March. They will be selling cookies at three different booths, and all Wines families and community members are invited to purchase the treats!

The first cookie booth will be right in front of Wines Elementary, on Saturday, February 15th, from 10am to 2pm. We can accept credit cards, cash, checks, PayPal, and Venmo. Come cheer on your Wines Girl Scouts!

Don't want to eat cookies? Consider dropping by to donate a box to Hometown Heros!

Can't make it on February 15th? There will be 2 more booths this season!

o Sunday, February 23rd from 9am to 12pm, in front of Kroger on South Maple

o Sunday, March 2nd from 9:30am to 1:30pm, at Dozer Coffee on Jackson Road

David

PTO Thrift JPEG HERE

Wines Weekly Update 1/22

 Dear Wines Families, 

I hope everyone has been staying warm during this extended time away from school. It looks like things are warming up today and so we’ll start a short week together tomorrow. I’m always game for a snow day, but I’m also looking forward to getting back into our routines tomorrow. Here is the news for the week!

Wines Wahoo Feb. 7

The Wines Wahoo is back again this year! Join us Friday, February 7th at Forsythe Middle School from 6-8pm. This is a Wines favorite and we are so excited it's back for another year! Join your friends for music, pizza, open gym, crafts and more. Younger siblings and parents are welcome. Suggested $5 donation per family at the door with pizza, drink, and snack tickets available for purchase. This event will need LOTS of volunteers, so we need your help! 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C44AEAA22A2F8CE9-54560999-wines

PTO Donation Campaign Update

We are incredibly grateful for your generosity and support during our recent PTO donation campaign. Thanks to the kindness of our community, we’ve raised an amazing $8,000 toward our goal of $10,000!

Your contribution is helping us make a meaningful difference for our students, teachers, and school programs. Every dollar brings us closer to enriching the educational experience and creating opportunities that benefit everyone. We couldn’t do this without you, and we’re so thankful for this community!

Looking for Extra Specials Volunteers

It's that time of year again! Extra Specials are an optional lunch recess program where students can sign up for a weekly indoor enrichment activity. Past Extra Specials have included: Paper Airplane Folding, Magic Tricks, Math Games, Logic Puzzles, Lego, Arts and Crafts, Yoga, and Read Aloud. But we need volunteers to lead these fun programs! Here's what we're looking for:

- Commit to leading an activity during lunch recess, once a week

- You create and prep the activity, or we can provide you with one

- Offer your activity for Session I, Session II, or both Sessions

- Sessions are three weeks long

- Session I runs Jan. 27-Feb. 14

- Session II runs Feb. 24-Mar. 14

Interested? Email Michael Newberry at mnewberry88@gmail.com

Kindergarten/Young 5’s Round Up Feb. 11

Please save the date for our annual Kindergarten/Young 5’s Round Up. We will host families and incoming students on February 11th from 6:30-7:30 PM. If you have a child who will be in Young 5’s or Kindergarten for the 2025-26 school year, please plan on attending with your child. If you have friends and neighbors with students entering our programs next year, please share this information. If you have a child entering Wines next year, it is helpful for us to begin to compile a list even before Round Up. Please contact Robin Moore at moorero@aaps.k12.mi.us and alert her. 

Note: Current Wines Young 5’s students and families do not need to attend Round Up. 

NAAPID Feb. 10th

With our snow days this week, I’m not sure if we will get our paper invitations out for our annual Parent Involvement Day at Wines. The event takes place on Monday, February 10th. We are looking forward to another great day where we invite all parents and caregivers to spend part or all of your day at Wines with your student(s). Look for the paper invitation as well as an electronic RSVP in the days to come. 

Save the Date: Wines Parents Night Out & Auction

Book the sitter for our annual Parents Night Out & Auction. This year’s event will be held April 4th from 6-10PM at Circ in downtown Ann Arbor.  This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with parents and teachers outside of school in a low key, casual environment.  Interested in helping? Email Jane.Lardo@gmail.com for volunteer opportunities.

TRAILS Newsletter

Below is this month's TRAILS newsletter. TRAILS is our schoolwide Social/Emotional Learning curriculum. Please take a moment to learn more about TRAILS.

David

Wines Weekly Update 1/15

 Dear Wines Families, 

I hope this message finds you well and keeping warm as winter seems to have decided to stick around for a while. As the weather will likely be cold for the foreseeable future, please be sure to send your child prepared to go outside daily. We will go outside as long as the temperature is zero degrees windchill or above. With all of our winter gear, please try to label items as our lost and found is filling up with gloves and hats! 

We kicked off our week on Monday with an all school read aloud of the book We are the Builders by Deepa Iyer. The book focuses on the many roles we can have in our community to make it a better place. Every student at Wines has subsequently chosen a role (Builder, Caregiver, Frontline Responder, Disrupter, Experimenter, Visionary, Weaver, Healer, Storyteller) and written or drawn something to represent their role. These will be displayed in school starting this week and will be the anchor for our celebration of MLK Day on Friday. We will have an all school assembly Friday that will include students sharing their roles and Ms. Sinta will lead an all school song of Happy Birthday by Stevie Wonder. Stevie wrote the song in order to raise awareness of the need to have a national holiday honoring Dr. King. Deepa Iyer will be joining our school virtually next week as well to discuss the book we shared. 

Below is the news for the week. 

No School Monday

In honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, there is no school on Monday next week. 

PTO Meeting Tonight!

The PTO Meeting will take place in the Wines Library or via Zoom (zoom info was sent in today's email)

Please find the agenda here

International Night NEXT WEEK, Wednesday, January 22 from 6:30-8:00 PM

NEXT WEDNESDAY is our annual International Night. In order to have a successful evening, we need volunteers! If you can help out, please go to https://bit.ly/internationalnightsignupgenius. If you are interested in signing your child(ren) up to table or parade for a country, there is still time! We ask that you complete this form by the end of this week to ensure that we have the appropriate number of tables set up in the gym - https://bit.ly/winesinternationalnight2025. We look forward to an eventful evening! 

Looking for Extra Specials Volunteers

It's that time of year again! Extra Specials are an optional lunch recess program where students can sign up for a weekly indoor enrichment activity. Past Extra Specials have included: Paper Airplane Folding, Magic Tricks, Math Games, Logic Puzzles, Lego, Arts and Crafts, Yoga, and Read Aloud. But we need volunteers to lead these fun programs! Here's what we're looking for:

- Commit to leading an activity during lunch recess, once a week

- You create and prep the activity, or we can provide you with one

- Offer your activity for Session I, Session II, or both Sessions

- Sessions are three weeks long

- Session I runs Jan. 27-Feb. 14

- Session II runs Feb. 24-Mar. 14

Interested? Email Michael Newberry at mnewberry88@gmail.com

Kindergarten/Young 5’s Round Up Feb. 11

Please save the date for our annual Kindergarten/Young 5’s Round Up. We will host families and incoming students on February 11th from 6:30-7:30 PM. If you have a child who will be in Young 5’s or Kindergarten for the 2025-26 school year, please plan on attending with your child. If you have friends and neighbors with students entering our programs next year, please share this information. If you have a child entering Wines next year, it is helpful for us to begin to compile a list even before Round Up. Please contact Robin Moore at moorero@aaps.k12.mi.us and alert her. 

Note: Current Wines Young 5’s students and families do not need to attend Round Up. 

Congratulations Ms. Goldberg and the Wines Library!

Ms. Goldberg recently applied for our library to be receive the 21st Century Library Certification. Over the past few years Ms. Goldberg has worked diligently to cull and update our library collection as well as implement best practices in her library instruction. This certification is a product of her hard work as well as the profound support we receive from our community for our library!

Save the Date: Wines Parents Night Out & Auction

Book the sitter for our annual Parents Night Out & Auction. This year’s event will be held April 4th from 6-10PM at Circ in downtown Ann Arbor.  This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with parents and teachers outside of school in a low key, casual environment.  Interested in helping? Email Jane.Lardo@gmail.com for volunteer opportunities.

Friends of the AAPS Libraries Update

Please join us for the next "Friends of the AAPS Libraries" meeting!  We will meet in person at the Huron High School library on Wednesday, January 22 from 6pm to 7pm. In our meeting, we will:

• Learn more about our current library programs and the challenges they face

• Focus on filling open volunteer opportunities

• Celebrate the $15,000 Sora grant recently awarded by the James A. & Faith Knight Foundation!

There is no need to RSVP.  Please join us if you are able.  There is no Zoom option. We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, January 22!  Please follow us on social media and spread the word!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569276384877

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendsoftheaapslibraries/

David

Wines Weekly Update 1/8

 Dear Wines Families, 

I hope everyone had a nice winter break. For our family, we had friends from Spain in town and we first hosted them here in Ann Arbor and then in Northport (with about 10 other people). While that sounds “busy,” we actually spent most of the time just relaxing together, eating too much, and enjoying some much needed downtime. It was great to be back at school this week and while many of our kids and staff were a bit groggy on Monday following two weeks away from school and a late Lions game Sunday night, by Tuesday we were back to normal!

As we enter the new year, we have lots of things coming up so this note is a bit long this week. But I’m hopeful everyone takes a few minutes to read through this week’s news. 

Wines PTO News

Friday Floor Hockey is Back! 

Beginning this Friday, we will start our weekly Friday floor hockey game before school. Any student is welcome to join us. We start at 8:00 AM in the gym. The only requirement is dry shoes. Parents are welcome to join and play or you can drop your child off. 

Looking for Extra Specials Volunteers

It's that time of year again! Extra Specials are an optional lunch recess program where students can sign up for a weekly indoor enrichment activity. Past Extra Specials have included: Paper Airplane Folding, Magic Tricks, Math Games, Logic Puzzles, Lego, Arts and Crafts, Yoga, and Read Aloud. But we need volunteers to lead these fun programs! Here's what we're looking for:

- Commit to leading an activity during lunch recess, once a week

- You create and prep the activity, or we can provide you with one

- Offer your activity for Session I, Session II, or both Sessions

- Sessions are three weeks long

- Session I runs Jan. 27-Feb. 14

- Session II runs Feb. 24-Mar. 14

Interested? Email Michael Newberry at mnewberry88@gmail.com

Time to Sign Up for Science Olympiad! (Grades 2-5)

Next Washtenaw Elementary Science Olympiad (WESO) will take place on May 10th, 2025 at Pioneer High School. This tournament provides an opportunity for students in grades 2-5 to meet and interact with peers and adults of similar interests and talents. Events are interactive, hands-on, and are mainly fun!! Please click the link to sign up and for more information: 

WESO Student Sign Up

We are still looking for parent volunteers for coaching. Teams will not be formed without coaches. Please contact head coach via scienceowines@gmail.com

International Night on Wednesday, January 22 at 6:30 PM:

Sign up online to host a country for International Night at:

https://bit.ly/winesinternationalnight2025

Feel free to choose a country you and your child are from, have spent time in, or are simply interested in learning about and sharing with others. Teach others about the country with food, information, an activity, game, craft, or anything else that's representative. Students are also invited to march in the Parade of Nations wearing a traditional outfit from their chosen country, whether or not your family is hosting a table.

Please also help us ensure the night is a success by volunteering your time! We need folks to help at the registration table, put temporary tattoos on kids, corral kids for the parade, and of course help us set up and tear down! Sign up here. 

Kindergarten/Young 5’s Round Up Feb. 11

Please save the date for our annual Kindergarten/Young 5’s Round Up. We will host families and incoming students on February 11th from 6:30-7:30 PM. If you have a child who will be in Young 5’s or Kindergarten for the 2025-26 school year, please plan on attending with your child. If you have friends and neighbors with students entering our programs next year, please share this information. If you have a child entering Wines next year, it is helpful for us to begin to compile a list even before Round Up. Please contact Robin Moore at moorero@aaps.k12.mi.us and alert her. 

Note: Current Wines Young 5’s students and families do not need to attend Round Up. 

Save the Date: Wines Parents Night Out & Auction

Book the sitter for our annual Parents Night Out & Auction. This year’s event will be held April 4th from 6-10PM at Circ in downtown Ann Arbor.  This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with parents and teachers outside of school in a low key, casual environment.  Interested in helping? Email Jane.Lardo@gmail.com for volunteer opportunities.

David