The Winn Word

It fills my heart with such happiness to see the staff and kids getting to know each other. I see new friendships forming and everyone coming together as Winn Elementary! We have classrooms working together to share experiences like listening to a play or hearing an author read their published book. I see kids helping each other because it is the right thing to do. At Winn, this is something that we all take great pride in. We know everyone and treat everyone like they are part of our family.

My first "Lunch with Laurie" was fun. I had three virtual guests that just "checked in" to share their thoughts. I plan to do a "Lunch with Laurie" on December 19th from 12-1. You can chat with me virtually or drop in and sit down with me.

Thank you for sharing your kids with us! I just wanted to say thank you during this special time of the year where we practice gratitude.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

Mrs. Richards

One of our annual traditions at Winn Elementary each year is a special project that we team up with our Winn Parent Club (WPC) called, "Make & Take." Each classroom gets to make two special crafts that are holiday keepsakes for our families. WPC plans the crafts and we are coordinating the volunteers this year.

The Make & Take activity happens on December 21st in the morning. Plan on arriving to school with your child. The whole activity will last approximately 2 hours.

If you are interested in helping, you need to have filled out an ICHAT form and been cleared to help in school. If you already have one of file for this year, you don't have to do it again. If you don't have one on file, you will need to complete one by December 15th in order to help that day.

We welcome you to be a part of our first Make & Take at our new school! We are so excited to have so many families wanting to be a part of our traditions. Please fill out the form below if you would like to help that day!

Thank you all so much for donating to our Penny Wars this week. The kids have had fun deciding where to put their money. The best part is that the money is going towards helping the Winn Treehouse. This group helps families in Winn and the surrounding community. Our student council will be presenting a "big check" after Thanksgiving to the president of the organization. We are so glad that we can do a community service project that benefits so many families. So, keep up the great work. Check out the pictures below to see our current progress. Remember the class with the most points wins a pizza party for their class!! Penny Wars ends on November 21st!

If your child is sick what should you do:

• If your child is sick, don't forget to call in to school so we can excuse them. This will get your child "excused," for the day.
• You are also welcome to use one of our "blue notes" to write why your child was not at school that day and send it school. This will get your child "excused."
• If you go to the doctors, get an excuse note from them and we can make the day a "no charge" day.
• If you don't call, write a note, or give us a doctor's note, your child will be marked "unexcused," for the day.

What happens if my child misses a lot of school?

We are required to notify you when your child has a certain number of absences. We notify you at 6, 10, 15 and 18 days absent. At 18, you will be referred for "truancy." This means that our truancy officer will reach out to you to discuss truancy. What we do know is the more days students are absent the chances increase for them having academic and behavior problems in school. I often tell kids I am "team school!" We want them here so they can learn and grow as good humans!

When should I send my child to school if they are sick?

If your child is a "little" sick it is okay to send them to school. This means a sore throat, little cough, running nose, etc. We want your child to stay home if they have a fever, are throwing up, or having diarrhea. Remember if your child is home for those reasons, they have to be free of those things for 24 hours before returning to school.

Everyone received a pack of "blue notes" to make your life a little easier. You can use this notepad for a communication tool between home and school.

How do I use the "Blue Note?"

Is your child going to be a pick up instead of a busser? Grab your blue note and fill that section in. Now put the blue note in your child's backpack or in their agenda if they have one.

Is your child riding the bus home with a friend? Grab that pack of blue notes. Now fill out the section on riding home with someone on the bus. Or maybe you are going to have your child go home with someone from the pickup line. Same idea! Grab the blue note and write to us.

Does your child have a dentist appt during the day? Grab your blue note and fill in the section about leaving early.

Blue notes are a great way to communicate and are easy to use. If you need a new set give the office a call!

Each month, we focus on a different learning tool to help build our social emotional understanding using the "Second Step" program. This month we have been focusing on building empathy. Here is a way for you to help us with this at home.

What is my child learning?

Getting along with others helps make our school a happier place. To get along with others, we need to have empathy for each other. Empathy is feeling or understanding what someone else is feeling.

Why is it important?

When we teach our kids the importance of understanding how someone else might feel, we help them see things from a different perspective. It also helps us to learn how to recognize how others might feel.

Ask your child:

What is being a feelings detective all about? A feelings detective is someone that is able to look at a persons body language, the sound of their voice, and the words they are saying to determine how someone might be feeling.

Read together:

Are adults really so different from kids? Choose an adult family member. Each of you complete the following sentences on your own (use scratch paper) using the “feelings” words below. Then compare your answers. If you chose a different feeling word for the same sentence, write your feeling word in one “different” column, and your adult’s feeling word in the other “different” column below. If you chose the same feeling word, just write it once in the “same” column.

Feelings Words: worried, unsure, scared, lonely, happy, sad, serious, frustrated, nervous, joyful, satisfied, stressed, peaceful, relaxed, and excited

• 11/22-11/24 Thanksgiving Break
• 12/8 Report Cards sent home
• 12/21 Make & Take
• 12/22-1/2 Winter Break

Welcome to Winn Elementary! Winn Elementary, in partnership with parents and community, will educate all students to be productive, responsible, lifelong learners. We are so happy that you are a part of our school. If you ever have questions or suggestions, please feel free to reach out to me at school or via email.

Email: lrichards@shepherdschools.net
Website: https://www.shepherdschools.net/
Location: Winn Elementary School, West Blanchard Road, Shepherd, MI, USA
Phone: 989.866.2250