Weekly Update 4/24

 Dear Wines Families,

I know there is a lot of uncertainty, worry, anger, and many other emotions surrounding the financial situation our district finds itself in. Unfortunately, I do not have any new information to share about what will or will not happen as far as next steps or if and how Wines will be impacted. As I said a few weeks ago, I will be transparent with our staff and our community every step of the way. I will say that Wines is very healthy in terms of enrollment and we are anticipating a fairly significant increase in enrollment next year including the addition of a second Young 5's classroom due to such high demand. 

I want to express my deep gratitude to our staff who, understandably, share in the uncertainty and worry. However, they have been absolutely professional from the beginning and have not let this situation impact their students in any way. I’ve never been prouder of this staff in any of my fourteen years at Wines.

Noon Hour Volunteers Needed

Looking for a great way to spend some time at Wines and help our kids out in the lunchroom and the playground? We are looking for noon hour volunteers as our crew has thinned a bit temporarily with vacations and other commitments. This is a very fun job and now that the weather has turned a bit, it won’t be cold! If you are interested, please contact our coordinator Randa Choate at choate.rj@gmail.com.

Last Call: Parent Input for Class Placement Due Today

As we prepare to make class placement decisions for next year, if you would like to provide information about your child to help us in this process, we welcome it. Below is a link to a parent input form. Filling out the form is completely optional. Please be aware that we do not accept requests to be in a specific teacher’s classroom or to not be placed with a specific teacher. Such requests will be deleted and not considered. Below is the link. Note: Today is the final day we will be accepting input.

PARENT INPUT FOR CLASS PLACEMENT

Art Night

Art Night is fast approaching on Thursday May 16th.  Volunteers will be needed to hang art and help on the evening of the event. Please sign up below if you are able to help.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904054CAEAF22A64-49262593-artshow

Science Olympiad Success! 

Our student scientists worked very hard at this year's Washtenaw Science Olympiad event. We want to thank all 60+ of our students for their commitment over the last few months, their parents for the support and all of our coaches volunteering their time to help the kiddos learn. The massive event had 1,700 students from 34 schools. Twelve of our teams received medals this year, including two teams that won their event! Big thank you to Nolan Earle for taking on the role of organizing our teams this year and to our many parent coaches.

Please keep an eye out next year for information on the 2025 Wines Science Olympiad Team!

2nd Grade:

On Target - Honorable Mention

Zip-it - 2nd Place

3rd Grade:

Feathered Friends - 5th Place

Barge Building - 4th Place

iRobot - Honorable Mention

4th Grade:

Potions - 1st Place

The Human Machine - Honorable Mention

Write It/Build It - Honorable Mention

Feathered Friends - 1st Place

On Target - 3rd Place

Aerodynamics - Honorable Mention

5th Grade:

Potions - 5th Place

Call to Action: Wines ROAR Volunteers Needed

The ROAR, our end of year celebration on May 31st, is in full planning mode but we need more help! Specifically, we need to help with:

• Helping coordinate food trucks at the event

• Securing donations

• Raffle execution

• Running games 

The time commitment is minimal: an hour or two every other week leading up to the event and then event day support for set up, event logistics, and tear down. If you have the interest and the time in joining our committee please contact Sarah Lesch at sarahrhenry@gmail.com. 

David

Weekly Update 4/17

 Dear Wines Families, 

Before getting into the news for the week, I want to thank our community for an amazing Auction last Saturday night. It was an incredibly fun evening and it was nice to see parents in a completely different setting than normal. I want to give a HUGE thank you to Jane Lardo who we kind of pulled out of auction retirement to put on the event again this year. Thanks also Liz Martin, Lauren Cunanne, Caroline Smith, Dan Papajcik, Al Tokatlian and all of the parents who helped with art projects, set up, clean up, marketing, etc. And big thank you to everyone who made silent and live auction bids and to all of our wonderful sponsors (please see a list of sponsors and links at the end of this message).

On to this week’s news!

Parent Input for Class Placement

While we continue to focus on all the great things happening at Wines this year, we are actively preparing for next year as well. In the coming days I will be working with our teachers to create class lists for next year. As always, if you would like to provide information about your child to help us in this process, we welcome it. Below is a link to a parent input form. Filling out the form is completely optional. Please be aware that we do not accept requests to be in a specific teacher’s classroom or to not be placed with a specific teacher. Such requests will be deleted and not considered. Below is the link. 

PARENT INPUT FOR CLASS PLACEMENT

We would like to have this information by a week from today Wednesday, April 24th. 

PTO Meeting Tomorrow and Officer Info Session

The April PTO Meeting has been rescheduled for 7pm tomorrow in the library. In addition to our usual agenda, we'll also discuss leadership opportunities for the 2024-25 school year. Want to get more involved in the Wines community? Come learn about the many ways - big and small - you can take part! If you can’t make it in person, check today's email for a Zoom link.

Call to Action: Wines ROAR Volunteers Needed

The ROAR, our end of year celebration on May 31st, is in full planning mode but we need more help! Specifically, we need to help with:

• Helping coordinate food trucks at the event

• Securing donations

• Raffle execution

• Running games 

The time commitment is minimal: an hour or two every other week leading up to the event and then event day support for set up, event logistics, and tear down. If you have the interest and the time in joining our committee please contact Sarah Lesch at sarahrhenry@gmail.com. 

Student Council Gift Drive for Mott Children’s Hospital 

The Wines Student Council is sponsoring a two-week gift donation drive for Mott Children's Hospital. C.S. Mott Children's Hospital is a pediatric acute care hospital in Ann Arbor that is evolving, transforming, and driving the future of children's medicine. There are 244 pediatric beds at Mott and each one is filled with young patients who could use toys or activities to make their hospital stay or procedure a less stressful, more enjoyable experience. See the link below for more information about this effort.

Mott Hospital - Gift -  in Kind

Here are some ways the Wines community can donate to Mott Hospital.  Families can bring in their donations to the boxes that Student Council set up by the office and Lower El. doors.

Mott Hospital Wish List

Families can also follow the link below to make monetary donations online.

Mott donation link

Final Thank You to our Auction Sponsors!

Platinum Wildcat Sponsor: EK's Cheesecakes, Gold Wildcat Sponsor: Papajcik Brothers Tax

Silver Wildcat Sponsors, McNamara Orthodontics, Metzger's German Restaurant

Bronze Wildcat Sponsors: Hella Cocktail Co., Huron Dentistry, Zingerman's Greyline, and the Al-Holou Family. VIP Wildcat Sponsors:Ann Arbor Music Therapy, Newview Therapy, Nicole Haley Photography, Anonymous, the Bo-mont Household, Robert and Carla Cell, the Lardo Family, Erin McKean and Steve Sullivan,  Anna Sampson and Dan Herbert, and the Shirilla Family.

David

Weekly Update 4/10

 Dear Wines Families, 

It’s already been an exciting week. The eclipse on Monday caused there to be a very unique excitement and energy in the building. The weather was perfect and it was fun to experience the rare event with our kids and staff. There is a lot to share today, so please take a few moments to read through this week’s message. 

Reminder: Early Release Today

Dismissal is at 1:00 today

Wines Auction Saturday!

We still have a handful of tickets left for the Wines Auction on Saturday at Zingerman’s Greyline.  Tickets will NOT be available at the door.  If you are thinking about joining us for this adult only evening make sure you purchase your tickets today.  

The silent auction will be live tomorrow at 9:30am, look for a link in your email as well as a book previewing the Live Auction art projects. Remember while anyone can bid through the silent auction web platform, art projects are only for sale at the in person live auction event. 

Auction attendees will receive a separate email with more details about the evening, including that we will now be selling 50/50 raffle tickets via Venmo!  Woohoo!

Thank you to the following sponsors for their support: 

Platinum Wildcat Sponsor 

EK's Cheesecakes

Gold Wildcat Sponsor 

Papajcik Brothers Tax

Silver Wildcat Sponsors 

McNamara Orthodontics

Metzger's German Restaurant

Bronze Wildcat Sponsors 

Hella Cocktail Co., Huron Dentistry, Zingerman's Greyline, and the Al-Holou Family

VIP Wildcat Sponsors 

Ann Arbor Music Therapy, Newview Therapy, Nicole Haley Photography, Anonymous, the Bo-mont Household, Robert and Carla Cell, the Lardo Family, Erin McKean and Steve Sullivan, Anna Sampson and Dan Herbert, and the Shirilla Family.

PTO Meeting 4/18 and Officer Info Session

The April PTO Meeting has been rescheduled for 7pm on Thursday, April 18. We'll meet in the Wines Library and a Zoom link will be sent out ahead of time. In addition to our usual agenda, we'll also discuss leadership opportunities for the 2024-25 school year. Want to get more involved in the Wines community? Come learn about the many ways - big and small - you can take part!

Student Council Gift Drive for Mott Children’s Hospital 

The Wines Student Council is sponsoring a two-week gift donation drive for Mott Children's Hospital. C.S. Mott Children's Hospital is a pediatric acute care hospital in Ann Arbor that is evolving, transforming, and driving the future of children's medicine. There are 244 pediatric beds at Mott and each one is filled with young patients who could use toys or activities to make their hospital stay or procedure a less stressful, more enjoyable experience. See the link below for more information about this effort.

Mott Hospital - Gift -  in Kind

Here are some ways the Wines community can donate to Mott Hospital.  Families can bring in their donations to the boxes that Student Council set up by the office and Lower El. doors.

Mott Hospital Wish List

Families can also follow the link below to make monetary donations online.

Mott donation link

Art Night

Art Night is coming up next month and we are looking for a volunteer to help coordinate this year’s event. Duties include organizing a team to hang artwork and publicity. If you are interested in helping, please contact Mr. Wyse at wyse@aaps.k12.mi.us.

Seeking Local Businesses to Advertise in our School Take Home Folders

National School Folders has been providing the take home school folder for multiple years at zero cost to Wines. Due to ever increasing printing and shipping costs, we are asking for help from our parents in sponsoring ads for the 24-25 school year so that the folders will continue to be free. There are two ways to help sponsor our School Folder:

• Business sponsorship: $350.00 (a discounted ad price) which includes a business ad on your school folder for the 24-25 school year. 

• Personal sponsorship: $75.00 which includes your name on the back of the folder as a sponsor.               

For more information on how to sponsor an ad, please contact our National School Folders representative Bob Lundwall at:

• lundwallbob@gmail.com

• 586-405-1144

Ad Sponsorship Deadline is Friday June 7.

Huron High School NHS Book Bash on Sunday, April 14, from 1-3pm:

Huron is running this event to engage the community for book donations. All books will be donated to Huron students in need and Washtenaw County's Court Involved Youth Schools program, and all monetary donations will be donated to our food pantry, a resource students depend on a daily basis for their everyday meals.

We will be having activities and crafts galore, from bookmark decorating and face painting to cornhole and giant Tic Tac Toe! We will have events from raffles (one donated book = one ticket into the raffle), story time, and a character pageant on a red carpet! This is our first year holding the character pageant!!! Wear a book character outfit to be in the pageant. :)There will be food, beverages, and live music performed by Huron's renowned musicians.  Register here.

PTO Support Update:

Our Wines PTO supports our school community in a myriad of ways. Check out some of their recent efforts below and be sure to follow them on social to stay on top of upcoming events and see highlights all year long:

FB: @Wines Elementary School PTO

IG:  @WinesPTO

David

Weekly Update 4/3

 Dear Wines Families, 

I hope everyone had a nice week away from school last week. As we return and the calendar moves to April, we begin a busy and exciting time of year here at school. 

Wines Auction Less than Two Weeks Away!

Join the Wines community for this ADULT ONLY evening event featuring live and silent auctions, great food and good company on Saturday, April 13th at Zingerman’s Greyline in Downtown Ann Arbor. Tickets are limited at the venue and will sell out. Don't delay, buy tickets today! 

The auction is the PTO’s largest fundraiser of the year with proceeds funding projects that make our school exceptional including field trips, specials classrooms, teacher’s discretionary funds and Curriculum support. In addition to the silent auction there will be a live auction of classroom art projects, a 50/50 raffle, wine toss and everyone's favorite game of heads or tails.

We need your help with silent auction items to help keep Wines amazing! Do you have talents you’d like to donate to the community? Have connections with local businesses or vacation sites? Please email winesptoauction@gmail.com if you can help.

Please consider supporting Wines with an auction sponsorship. Bronze and VIP Sponsorships are still available, and all sponsorship levels include tickets to the event! Please email winesptoauction@gmail.com with any sponsorship questions. Thank you to the following sponsors for their support: Gold Wildcat Sponsor Papajcik Brothers Tax, Silver Wildcat Sponsors McNamara Orthodontics and Metzger's German Restaurant, Bronze Wildcat Sponsor Zingerman's Greyline, and VIP Wildcat Sponsors Ann Arbor Music Therapy, Newview Therapy, Anna Sampson & Dan Herbert, Robert and Carla Cell, and the Lardo Family.

Solar Eclipse April 8

We are pleased to share that every AAPS student and staff will receive a pair of certified eclipse glasses to use on April 8, 2024 generously donated by the Michigan Schools and Government Credit Union (MSGCU). Our schools are well-prepared for the eclipse on April 8 between which is occurring in the Ann Arbor area between 2-4:30pm with the fullest viewable part of the eclipse occurring between 3:15-3:45pm.

Many of our classrooms have planned viewing events and some are planning a practice session with the glasses. We have great curriculum support from the district’s instructional team that is being incorporated into the classrooms. We will be very careful about viewing outside during the peak fullest part of the eclipse. The peak of the eclipse will be passed just before dismissal but we will encourage students to wear their glasses at pickup, on the bus or walking home.

Please help support this message with your children.

Floor Hockey Season is Over

Our Friday Morning Floor Hockey season has come to an end for the school year. I want to thank Anastasia and Todd Yocum who have volunteered to run the program for many years. Their dedication, organization, and enthusiasm have made this an enduring tradition at Wines. As their third child leaves Wines at the end of this school year, we will pass the torch to another volunteer next year. In addition to the Yocum’s, I want to thank Mrs. Knoll for her strong support each week as well as Mr. Mosher who is a weekly participant as well. And thanks to kids from all grade levels who come to school early and participate in the game. We’ll be back at it next winter! 

PTO Support Update

Our Wines PTO supports our school community in a myriad of ways. Check out some of their recent efforts below and be sure to follow them on social to stay on top of upcoming events and see highlights all year long:

FB: @Wines Elementary School PTO

IG:  @WinesPTO

David

Weekly Update 3/20

Dear Wines Families, 

I know the news that was shared last week regarding the AAPS budget was a quite a surprise for our families and our entire community. The Wines staff and I share in that surprise. Unfortunately, this situation leaves us all in a state of uncertainty and, perhaps, worry. Please know that my focus as the leader at Wines is to protect our staff, students, and parents from budget adjustments as much as possible and I am committed to continuing the high level of teaching and learning (and fun!) that our community has come to expect at our school. I make the same promise to you that I made to our staff: I will be completely transparent and share information as soon as I have it. I will be honest throughout this process and I am here for anyone at any time who would like to discuss anything. While our district financial situation will present some challenges and difficult decisions, I am certain that Wines will continue to be the place that we all know and love.  

Report Cards

Report cards will be sent home via secure email on Friday. 5th grade families will receive a second email with your child’s Instrumental Music report. 

Lunches with Love Success!

I’m pleased to report that last week, Wines students donated 554 pounds of food for Lunches with Love. Spearheaded by parent Megan Hastie, every student participated in this community service project where kids learned about food insecurity in our community and they packed lunches for those in need. Thank you, Megan, for bringing this important opportunity to our kids. 

In addition to Lunches with Love, our school did a great job with the Rotary Club/Food Gatherers Food Drive. We filled three bins! 

Wines Auction Event Tickets are LIVE

Join the Wines community for this ADULT ONLY evening event featuring live and silent auctions, great food and good company on Saturday, April 13th at Zingerman’s Greyline in Downtown Ann Arbor. Tickets are limited at the venue and will sell out. Don't delay, buy tickets today! 

The auction is the PTO’s largest fundraiser of the year with proceeds funding projects that make our school exceptional including field trips, specials classrooms, teacher’s discretionary funds and Curriculum support. In addition to the silent auction there will be a live auction of classroom art projects, a 50/50 raffle, wine toss and everyone's favorite game of heads or tails.

We need your help with silent auction items to help keep Wines amazing! Do you have talents you’d like to donate to the community? Have connections with local businesses or vacation sites? Please email winesptoauction@gmail.com if you can help.

Please consider supporting Wines with an auction sponsorship. New this year, all sponsorship levels include tickets to the event! Please email winesptoauction@gmail.com with any sponsorship questions. Thank you to the following sponsors for their support: Gold Wildcat Sponsor Papajcik Brothers Tax, Silver Wildcat Sponsors McNamara Orthodontics and Metzger's German Restaurant, Bronze Wildcat Sponsor Zingerman's Greyline, and VIP Wildcat Sponsors Ann Arbor Music Therapy and Newview Therapy.

Library News

Do you love our school libraries? Join the Friends of the AAPS Libraries!

We meet in person from 5:30-6:300pm at Huron High School. Sign up here to be added to the Friends email list to receive updates and reminders. No need to RSVP. Please come if you are able. There is no Zoom option.

The schedule for the rest of this year's meetings is as follows:

Tues, Apr 9

Tues, May 14

Tues, Jun 11

Our focus for the April meeting will be on good news from the AAPS Libraries. 

The mission of the "Friends of the AAPS School Libraries" is to support and advocate for our district school libraries as we strive for equity across all AAPS school libraries.

Art Night

Art Night won’t be happening until May, but we are looking for a volunteer to help coordinate this year’s event. Duties include organizing a team to hang artwork and publicity. If you are interested in helping, please contact Mr. Wyse at wyse@aaps.k12.mi.us.

Request From Neighbor on Newport Road

Our neighbor across the street from the Newport Road entrance has asked that during afternoon Driveline pickup, cars that are waiting along Newport please not block their driveway. Most days, our cars do this. However, there have been times when parents have stopped in front of the driveway blocking access to their home. Thank you! 

If you are traveling next week, please have safe travels. When we return from Spring Break, we have what I always describe as the sprint to the finish as spring is the busiest time of year here at school. It’s also the most fun time of year! 

David

Weekly Update 3/13

Dear Wines Families, 

There is lots to share today in my weekly communication. I hope you can all take a few minutes to read through this message. 

Literacy Night Tomorrow 6:30-8:00

Wea are looking forward to hosting families tomorrow night for Literacy Night. We have lots of great literacy activities planned and a visit and reading by author Kelly J. Baptist. We hope to see you there. 

Rotary Club/Food Gatherers Food Drive

Our collection has been a little slow for our food drive. However, we have another week left and a great opportunity at Literacy Night. We would love it if everyone who attends Literacy Night can bring a donation.  

Wines Auction Event Tickets are LIVE

Join the Wines community for this ADULT ONLY evening event featuring live and silent auctions, great food and good company on Saturday, April 13th at Zingerman’s Greyline in Downtown Ann Arbor. Tickets are limited at the venue and will sell out. Don't delay, buy tickets today! 

The auction is the PTO’s largest fundraiser of the year with proceeds funding projects that make our school exceptional including field trips, specials classrooms, teacher’s discretionary funds and Curriculum support. In addition to the silent auction there will be a live auction of classroom art projects, a 50/50 raffle, wine toss and everyone's favorite game of heads or tails.

We need your help with silent auction items to help keep Wines amazing! Do you have talents you’d like to donate to the community? Have connections with local businesses or vacation sites? Please email winesptoauction@gmail.com if you can help.

Please consider supporting Wines with an auction sponsorship. New this year, all sponsorship levels include tickets to the event! Please email winesptoauction@gmail.com with any sponsorship questions. Thank you to the following sponsors for their support: Gold Wildcat Sponsor Papajcik Brothers Tax, Silver Wildcat Sponsors McNamara Orthodontics and Metzger's German Restaurant, Bronze Wildcat Sponsor Zingerman's Greyline, and VIP Wildcat Sponsors Ann Arbor Music Therapy and Newview Therapy.

Art Night

Art Night won’t be happening until May, but we are looking for a volunteer to help coordinate this year’s event. Duties include organizing a team to hang artwork and publicity. If you are interested in helping, please contact Mr. Wyse at wyse@aaps.k12.mi.us.

2024 LaFontaine Teacher of the Year

Nominations are being accepted for the 2024 LaFontaine Teacher of the Year through Thursday, March 21st. The Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber and LaFontaine Automotive Group are looking to identify from among many outstanding teachers from across Washtenaw County to serve as a visible and vocal representative of what is best in the profession. Click here for more information and to nominate a teacher.

My Future Fund - Time to Jump Start College Savings

If your student is in 1st through 6th grade, be sure to complete the My Future Fund Release of Information Form by March 19th to be included in the next round of deposits. This is a free program for our students to get a jump start on saving for college and career training. Most students will be automatically enrolled unless they opt out. Some students may be eligible for an additional $475 based on family income. Please visit www.myfuturefund.org for more information.

Spring After-School Classes @ WINES

AAPS Rec & Ed is excited to offer several after-school classes focused on fun, learning, movement, and discovery. Registration is NOW OPEN! Visit www.aarecedonline.com. Scholarships are available! Please call (734) 994-2300 ext. 0 for assistance.

 

David

Weekly Update 3/6

Dear Wines Families, 

It is incredible that we are quickly heading into the middle of March! That means that we are inching closer to the “real” spring (though it already feels like spring outside these days) and it means that we are inching closer to all the wonderful things that happen at Wines as the year begins to come to a close. Speaking of which, there are a few of those items discussed below! 

Reminder: Early Release Today

Dismissal is at 1:00 today. 

PTO Meeting Tomorrow

Please join us for our next PTO meeting tomorrow at 7:00 PM. 

If you aren’t able to attend in person, Zoom information was in today's email.

Girl Scout Cookie Sale Saturday

Troop 40927 will be selling Girl Scout Cookies on Saturday, March 9th from 11:30 to 1:30 at the front of the school.

Happy Literacy Month!

Literacy is all around us, from the way we read stories, to the way we understand and create music and art (visual and music literacy), to the way we learn how to engage in different physical activities (physical literacy). This month, we are celebrating literacy in all its forms in our classrooms, in our special area classes, and as a school community.

Dates for your calendar: 

• Family Literacy Night on March 14, 6:30-8pm (see flyer below)

• Dress Like Your Favorite Book Character on March 22

Rotary Club/Food Gatherers Food Drive: March 4-15

We are again participating in the annual Rotary Club/Food Gatherers Food Drive. In conjunction with this, our students will all participate in our annual PTO sponsored community service project “Lunches with Love” along with Food Gathers next week. Students will pack lunches for those in need in our community. 

Help Needed: Classroom Art Projects Coordinators for Wines Auction

The highlight of the Wines Auction is always the live portion of the auction when projects created by each classroom are auctioned off. We need parents to help organize these in the following classrooms: We are looking for volunteers for the following classrooms: Lynch, Puente, and Mosher. We have other parents who can help with ideas, etc. If you are interested or would like to learn a bit more, please contact Lauren Cunnane at lmbrooks27@gmail.com. 

Auction Save the Date!

Join the Wines community for this ADULT ONLY evening event featuring live and silent auctions, great food and good company. Saturday, April 13th at Zingerman’s Greyline in Downtown Ann Arbor. 

The auction is the PTO’s largest fundraiser of the year with proceeds funding projects that make our school exceptional including field trips, specials classrooms, teacher’s discretionary funds and Curriculum support.

We need your help with silent auction items to help keep Wines amazing! Do you have talents you’d like to donate to the community? Have connections with local businesses or vacation sites? Please email winesptoauction@gmail.com.

We are also looking for people to help with classroom art projects and donations amongst other tasks. Email Jane.Lardo@gmail.com to get involved. We are looking for volunteers for the following classrooms: Lynch, Puente, and Mosher

Art Night

Art Night won’t be happening until May, but we are looking for a volunteer to help coordinate this year’s event. Duties include organizing a team to hang artwork and publicity. If you are interested in helping, please contact Mr. Wyse at wyse@aaps.k12.mi.us.

David