Weekly Update 11/19

Dear Wines Families, 

As we approach the Thanksgiving recess, I just want to take a quick moment to express my thanks to this entire community. Being the leader of this school continues to bring me daily joy and this is because of this incredible community of kids, families, and staff. Thank you to everyone and I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving. We won’t have a Wednesday email next week. 

Young 5’s at Wines: Apply Now!

The first window to apply for Young 5’s at Wines is open now! If you have a child who you would like to attend Young 5’s next year, you can apply now. Please go to https://www.a2schools.org/about-aaps/new-enrollment and scroll down to the application button (green) for the 2026-27 school year. Please note, if you live in the Wines neighborhood, placement in Young 5’s is not automatic as it is in other grades. Space is limited so it is crucial that families apply now to secure a spot. Please share this information with friends and neighbors. 

As you may already know, Washtenaw Elementary Science Olympiad (WESO) 2026 will take place on May 9th next year, at Pioneer High School. This tournament provides an opportunity for students and other participants to meet and interact with peers and adults of similar interests and talents. Last year 37 schools participated in different events. As usual there will be open events with hands-on activities for all attendees. 

More information on WESO can be found here: https://wesoscience.org/

We need your support in becoming a coach so that more Wines kids have the chance to participate. No experience is necessary.  More information on events can be found : https://wesoscience.org/events/. Please sign up for coaching : Volunteer sign up for coaching

Contact us scienceowines@gmail.com.

Science Olympiad FAQ’s can be found HERE 

Easy Ways to Support Wines  

Did you know you, friends, and family members can earn money to support Wines with everyday purchases?

• Minted.com - Use Wines’ code ‘FUNDRAISEWINES’ at minted.com and enjoy 20% off at checkout ALL YEAR , Wines PTO receives 10% of all purchases! Share the code!

• Grocery Store rewards programs - Link your Busch’s, Kroger, and Ann Arbor Farms account to Wines for community rewards. Instructions here. 

• Boxtops - Boxtops educational savings is now digital! Use the iOS or Android app to scan your receipt to earn savings for Wines PTO. 

• Corporate Matches - Double your donations with your company. Reach out to winesptotreasurer@gmail.com if you don’t see an eligible match.  

Curious what the PTO spends money on? Check out our ‘About us’ page at ptowines.org or drop by for our next PTO meeting! 

It's Time to Submit your GREAT IDEA for Wines!

Do you have a great idea to support and benefit the Wines Community? The Great Ideas Grant program is an opportunity for Wines students, parents, and staff to turn a great idea into a funded program. Examples of past funded grants include birdfeeders, grade-level sensory items, four square court, technology for listening centers, playground balls, upgraded sandbox, ukuleles, and more! Submit your Great Idea Grants Application Form by Dec 5th! Recipients will be announced before the holiday break. 

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

Food and Coat Drives

Our simultaneous Food Drive and Coat Drive are going great! Thank you to everyone who has donated. If you haven’t donated yet and would like to, we will continue into next week!

David

 

Weekly Update 11/12

 Dear Wines Families, 

We got our first taste of winter this week, though it looks like we’ll be back into the 60’s over the weekend. This is a great time to remind everyone that we go outside as long as the windchill is 0 degrees or above. This means we will go outside nearly every day this winter and so kids need to come to school ready to go outside daily. It is a great idea to label hats and gloves as those tend to fill our Lost and Found. When my mom was a principal, she recommended that instead of sending expensive gloves to school, families should consider buying multiple pairs of cheap gloves at the discount store that can go on either hand. If you buy multiple pairs of the same color, then when one goes missing, you don’t have to replace the whole pair. They aren’t quite as warm as ski gloves, but for recess they work great. When my boys were at Wines, that is what we did and it was a great decision for our family. 

Miller Construction Continues

The Miler construction project will continue at least until Nov. 22. Thank you to everyone for your patience as we are limited to one entrance/exit. Things are going about as well as we can hope for considering the amount of traffic. Please be sure to pull up as far as possible so more traffic can drop off/pick up and by this time of the school year we are hopeful that kids can exit and enter the car without adults needing to get out to support. 

Easy Ways to Support Wines  

Did you know you, friends, and family members can earn money to support Wines with everyday purchases?

• Minted.com - Use Wines’ code ‘FUNDRAISEWINES’ at minted.com and enjoy 20% off at checkout ALL YEAR , Wines PTO receives 10% of all purchases! Share the code!

• Grocery Store rewards programs - Link your Busch’s, Kroger, and Ann Arbor Farms account to Wines for community rewards. Instructions here. 

• Boxtops - Boxtops educational savings is now digital! Use the iOS or Android app to scan your receipt to earn savings for Wines PTO. 

• Corporate Matches - Double your donations with your company.Reach out to winesptotreasurer@gmail.com if you don’t see an eligible match.  

Curious what the PTO spends money on? Check out our ‘About us’ page at ptowines.org or drop by for our next PTO meeting! 

It's Time to Submit your GREAT IDEA for Wines!

Do you have a great idea to support and benefit the Wines Community? The Great Ideas Grant program is an opportunity for Wines students, parents, and staff to turn a great idea into a funded program. Examples of past funded grants include birdfeeders, grade-level sensory items, four square court, technology for listening centers, playground balls, upgraded sandbox, ukuleles, and more! Submit your Great Idea Grants Application Form by Dec 5th! Recipients will be announced before the holiday break. 

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

Wines Equity Committee Meet & Greet 11/14

Are you interested in learning more about the Wines Equity Committee? This group of staff and community caregivers are committed to building an inclusive school environment. As a staff, we meet monthly to discuss ways to incorporate student belonging and identity into the everyday at Wines. Last year, we opened the committee to parents and caregivers who are interested in participating in this work. We welcome more interested caregivers to join us this Friday morning at 8:00 AM in the Wines Library for an informal meet and greet. Come meet the committee, hear what we're all about, and find out how you can get involved!

A large group of kids across all grade levels at Wines have been participating in an after school drama club. They are now ready to perform! See the flyer above for show times right here at Wines next weekend.

Need Family Support? 

With changes/delays in SNAP benefits and the holiday season coming up, we know that there are families in our community who could benefit from some financial support. I’m thrilled to announce that incredible PTO has made funds available to support our community. This support is completely confidential. If your family can benefit from this support, please contact me directly at deyoung@aaps.k12.mi.us. 

David

Weekly Update 11/5

 Dear Wines Families, 

It’s hard to believe we are into November already and it’s a busy time around Wines. Thank you again for your patience and understanding with the changes to our pick up and drop off procedures during the Miller Rd. closure. We will continue to begin Driveline at 3:35 daily. Our goal is for the period between 3:35 and 3:45 to be Young 5’s and Kindergarten pick ups (and siblings). If you have students in grades 1-5, please try to avoid the parking lot until 3:45 if at all possible. 

PTO Meeting Tomorrow at 9:00 AM

Our PTO will be hosting a morning PTO meeting tomorrow in the Wines conference room. 

SCIENCE AND BUILDERS FAIR Tomorrow! 

Last chance to sign up. Deadline is today at 5:00 PM. 

Here is the link to the registration page!

Picture Re-Takes Nov. 11

If your child missed picture day or if you would like their pictures re-taken, next Tuesday is Picture Re-Take Day. If you were not satisfied with your pictures, please have your child bring their original picture package back to school on Tuesday. If you missed Picture Day and would like to order prints, please go to www.inter-state.com/order. Our school’s code is 0116JXD. 

In collaboration with Food Gatherers, Wines will be participating in a food drive starting next week. You can see the needs in the flyer above. In addition, if you would prefer to make a financial donation to support our drive, please go to: https://give.foodgatherers.org/campaigns/41973-wines-elementary-pto-food-pantry.

We are once again holding a coat drive here at Wines. Last year we collected over 200 coats for those in our community in need. If you have a coat to donate, there is a collection box in the front lobby. 

It's Time to Submit that GREAT IDEA You Have Been Thinking About All Summer!

Do you have a great idea to support and benefit the Wines Community? The Great Ideas Grant program is an opportunity for Wines students, parents, and staff to turn a great idea into a funded program. Examples of past funded grants include birdfeeders, grade-level sensory items, grade-level curriculum materials, technology for listening centers, playground balls, yoga calm supplies, ukuleles, and more!

Grant submissions are accepted using the Google Form linked here:

Great Idea Grants Application Form

It's the same application whether you are submitting an idea as a student or teacher/parent. You will see that you will have the option to select who you are in the form. Grants will be selected by a Wines committee of parents and the number of grants awarded will depend on the cost of projects submitted. The deadline for applications is December 5, 2025 with grant recipients announced before the winter break. Don’t let a great idea go to waste! Submit now! Submit several! We look forward to hearing from you. Student submissions are highly encouraged! Teachers, kindly share this with your classrooms! We know there are a lot of creative ideas out there. For questions or more information contact: Anu Huntley at anu.agrawal.huntley@gmail.com.

Wines Equity Committee Meet & Greet 11/14

Are you interested in learning more about the Wines Equity Committee? This group of staff and community caregivers are committed to building an inclusive school environment. As a staff, we meet monthly to discuss ways to incorporate student belonging and identity into the everyday at Wines. Last year, we opened the committee to parents and caregivers who are interested in participating in this work. We welcome more interested caregivers to join us on Friday morning, November 14, at 8:00 AM in the Wines Library for an informal meet and greet. Come meet the committee, hear what we're all about, and find out how you can get involved!

Is Your Child Interested in Learning the Hindustani Language?

A group of Wines parents are interested in starting an after-school class in Hindustani. They are partnering with the University of Michigan’s Language Learning Department and would like to gauge interest among our community. If you have interest, please fill out the form below: 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe7lkxVqWKqyhvTFiBJViDVNaoW0rE52oN9uMJnpJIu6bfw2g/viewform.

Need Family Support? 

With changes/delays in SNAP benefits and the holiday season coming up, we know that there are families in our community who could benefit from some financial support. I’m thrilled to announce that incredible PTO has made funds available to support our community. This support is completely confidential. If your family can benefit from this support, please contact me directly at deyoung@aaps.k12.mi.us. 

David