Winchester Elementary
November 27, 2020
Winchester Purpose & Mission
Winchester is a Leader in Me school with a common purpose to inspire students to be critical thinkers and problem-solvers who demonstrate responsibility for themselves and respect for others.
Learning together, Leading forever!
Upcoming Key Dates
November 27: DIY Holiday Kit Orders Due
November 28: PTA Student DIrectory Information Due
November 30: Second Semester Selections Due
December 2: Parent Teacher Conferences 4-7 pm
December 3: Half Day - Parent Teacher Conferences 1-7 pm
December 4: Half Day - Parent Teacher Conferences 1-4 pm
December 11: PTA Holiday Scavenger Hunt Begins
December 13: PTA Holiday Scavenger Hunt Ends
REST, RELAX, AND REJUVENATE!
Dear Winchester Students, Parents, and Staff,
All Winchester Elementary students, families, and staff are encouraged to use our breaks to rest, relax, and rejuvenate. We believe that breaks should be a time to Sharpen the Saw, reconnect with our families, and enjoy some special “down time” with family and friends. Therefore all students AND staff will be free of academic-related work during the following dates:
- Thanksgiving Break (Wednesday, November 26 - Sunday, November 29)
- Winter Break (Saturday, December 19 - Sunday, January 3)
- Mid-Winter Break (Saturday, February 13 - Tuesday, February 16)
- Spring Break (Saturday, March 27 - Sunday, April 7)
On the return day from each respective break, there will be no homework, assignments, projects, or papers due and no quizzes or tests. We hope you and your family consider the upcoming Thanksgiving Break a chance to rest, relax, and return to school rejuvenated!
Important Adjustments to our In-person Learning Plan
In addition there is an anticipated week of full Virtual learning the week following the December winter recess, from January 4, 2021 through January 11, 2021.
The following chart outlines the overall plan for high school, middle school, elementary school, and our Cooke Center program from November 30, 2020 through the end of January, 2021, barring any significant changes in the risk level for COVID-19:
Second Semester Student Selections due Monday, November 30th
On Tuesday, November 17, 2020, the Northville Public Schools Board of Education unanimously approved the continuation of the District’s current COVID-19 Extended Learning Plan options available to students and families at each level for the second semester, which begins on February 1, 2020.
Families will have the option to either continue with their current selection(s) of a full virtual or in-person scenario or elect to make a change for the second semester. Forms for designating which option families select for each student will be available early next week, and are due back no later than Monday, November 30, 2020, so that the District has adequate time to plan accordingly, based on the number of families electing in-person or virtual options.
In making the decision to continue the options currently available, the Board considered the results of the November 2020 Parent, Staff and Student Input Surveys, along with weighing a number of factors, including instructional delivery, support for students with special needs, social and emotional health and well-being, health and safety measures, health department guidelines, and operational considerations. The in-person scenarios approved at each level allow for ongoing implementation of each of the required safety protocols outlined in the Michigan Safe Schools Roadmap and reviewed by the Wayne County Health Department.
Parents/families across the District’s programs may elect a Full Virtual/Distance Learning option for second semester, OR an in-person scenario as follows:
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Elementary students attend full time, Monday through Friday, in-person in smaller cohort class groupings that may include rotating teachers;
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Middle School students attend school on a hybrid schedule every other day, rotating between in-person core content (Math, Science, ELA and Social Studies) courses and virtual learning for elective courses. Students enrolled in self-contained special education classrooms (ASD/Cross Categorical) attend full time.
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High School students also attend school on a hybrid schedule every other day, rotating between in-person instruction and virtual learning. Students enrolled in self-contained special education classrooms (ASD/Cross Categorical) attend full time
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Cooke School students attend school full time, Monday through Friday.
Parents will receive the Official Parent Designation of Schooling Election form on or about Monday, November 23, 2020, via the email address provided in MiStar, our Student Information System. You may review and/or update your student’s account in the MiStar Parent Portal. Completed digital election forms are DUE by November 30, 2020. Parents/families who do not elect an option by November 30, 2020, will be enrolled in the scenario that the student participated in during the first semester as a default.
Please note the following:
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Families may not change their selection mid-term, absent a change resulting from a mandate, order or Board approved change in format.
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Every effort will be made to maintain as much consistency as possible, however, be aware that there may be necessary changes in class groupings and/or teacher or other staffing assignments in order to accommodate changes in enrollment in virtual or in-person options.
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Families selecting in-person instruction are required to comply with physical distancing, mitigation, and screening requirements, including abiding by the requirement to wear a mask as outlined in the district’s COVID-19 Response and Preparedness Plan.
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Families are required to immediately report to the school principal if a student tests positive for COVID-19, any other household member tests positive for COVID-19, a student has been in close contact with a person who tests positive for COVID-19, a parent suspects a student is positive for COVID-19, or if a parent suspects a student has been in close contact with another person who may be positive for COVID-19; along with abiding any requirement to quarantine based on guidance from the local or state Department of Health and Human Services.
We anticipate that the current learning plan options will remain in place throughout the second semester, unless there are any significant changes in health and safety guidelines or risk levels that would allow for a full return to school, or conversely, necessitate a shift to virtual learning for a period of time. The Northville Public Schools COVID-19 Extended Learning Plan will continue to be reviewed by the Board of Education on a monthly basis.
If you have questions regarding your learning option selection, please contact the Office of Instruction at 248-344-3520, or send an email to NPS@northvilleschools.org, and your message will be forwarded to the appropriate office for a response. Thank you for your partnership as we work together with our students, staff, families and community to promote the learning, safety, health and well-being of all.
Sincerely,
Mary Kay Gallagher
Superintendent
Conferences
Parent Teacher Conferences will be held via Zoom as follows:
Wednesday, December 2nd: 4:00-7:00 PM
Thursday, December 3rd: 1:00-3:00 PM and 4:00-7:00 PM
Friday, December 4th: 1:00-3:45 PM
This is an opportunity for you and your child’s teacher to discuss:
Your child’s progress in academic areas
Your child’s personal behavior and attitudes
Your child’s group behavior and attitudes
Your child’s work habits
Any other concerns or questions you may have about your child’s school success.
Classroom teachers will be sharing links to their SignUps and their Zoom link for conferences. Friday, November 20th a Sign up Genius will be shared via email to all families that contains links for teachers at Winchester.. Please make sure you are signing up for a slot with your child's teacher by checking the teacher's name above the sign-up slots to be sure you are on the correct page.
Several virtual teachers working from other buildings will have their own sign-ups and will be sending them to you.
We are looking forward to seeing you at conferences!
Thank you,
Winchester Staff
Nutrislice Lunch Program Update
Northville Public Schools food service department, will continue to provide FREE meals for all Northville Public schools during virtual learning. Meals can be ordered through the nutrislice link under the food service tab on the districts website or by clicking here. Parents should choose the Online Learners Menu. You will be able to select a pick-up date and time between 11am and 12:30 to pick up meals for your NPS student(s). ALL meals should be picked up at Northville High School in the West parking lot (Athletic entrance).
PTA STUDENT DIRECTORY
The PTA is working on the 2020-2021 Winchester Elementary Student Directory. The Winchester PTA provides each family who joins the PTA with a student directory as a part of their membership. For 2020-2021 we will be publishing this as an online directory. We MUST have your information AND signature by November 28th. Without this signed form, your student’s information will NOT be included in the school directory.
Questions? Email Beth Moore at winchesterptavp1@gmail.com.
DIY Holiday Kits
As we are approaching the holiday season, we are excited to announce that the Winchester PTA Board has partnered with the AR Workshop in Ann Arbor to bring the perfect opportunity for you and your family and order fun DIY ornaments/signs kits, which can be a creative gift for the holidays or just a great craft project for you and your kids to enjoy at home.
Not only would these kits make a great gift for the holiday season, but you would also be supporting a local business, which is co-owned by a parent of two students in the NPS district. In addition, a percentage of your order will be donated to Winchester PTA if we hit a target of over 25 kits. Please help us reach our goal so that we can continue to support student enrichment activities and social events that enhance our students’ school life.
We cannot do this without your support.
How to Order
To order your fun DIY kits:
· You can follow this link: https://www.arworkshop.com/event/?loc=annarbor&ev=202531, or
· Scan the barcode included in the attached flyer.
Important Dates
The fundraiser will be open from Nov. 13th and run it until Nov. 27th.
Kits will be delivered to the school by Dec. 9th (for in-person students, the kits will be passed to them in their classrooms; for virtual students, the parents can pick up at the door).
Thank you to Mrs. Lindsay and the amazing Winchester Staff for making this possible.
There is a shipping option if you chose to deliver the kits directly to your home.
The kits will be packaged in plastic boxes and are safe to handle.
If you have any questions reach out to Caroline Keros, PTA President at winchesterptapresident@gmail.com or
Monika Cami, Vice President at winchesterptavp2@gmail.com
Holiday Teacher Appreciation
My Green School Art Contest
The U.S. Green Building Council-Detroit is announcing its Michigan Green Art Contest for the 2020-2021 school year! Show that your school is a Green School by participating.
Attached is the flyer with information on how to participate and the link to the US Green Building Council Detroit Region Green School Art contest is here:
https://greenschoolcommittee.org/our-programs
Applications are due, by email, at 11:59 pm on March 31, 2021. Winners will be announced in mid-April.
Any student in the state of Michigan in grades K-5 is welcome to apply to the My Green School Art Contest, regardless of what type of school they attend (public, private, charter or homeschool!) Artwork can be submitted by a teacher, parent, friend or guardian. Due to school closures, parents and families are encouraged to support their student in creating an original piece of art at home! Applications may only be submitted electronically to avoid potential exposure and reduce the burden on frontline postal staff.
Have fun creating and Go Green and Stay Green!!
2020-2021 Winchester Yearbook Orders
Winchester Elementary Yearbooks are now available to order! Please order by December 31st to help us accurately determine the full order quantity. Yearbooks are $17 each (plus the Balfour site adds a $1 handling fee per transaction). This includes shipping to the school and MI sales tax. Full details of how to order are in the attached file. The yearbook will include all Winchester students (in-person and virtual). Questions can be directed to winchestermiyearbook@gmail.com.
Submit Pictures for Yearbook
Please submit First Day of School pictures, Winchester PTA Drive-in Movie pictures, and any other school activity pictures (Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Nuts About Science, etc.) for yearbook inclusion. Details of how to submit pictures are in the attached file. Images need to be high-resolution and in JPEG format.
The Yearbook Committee will review all photos & determine final yearbook content. We cannot guarantee that all submissions can be used in the book. Some pictures we are not able to use due to low picture quality, but we do make every effort to utilize all submissions. We need and appreciate all picture submissions as these make up a large part of our yearbook each year. Please submit only high-resolution photos that are school related activities/clubs. We welcome pictures from in-person and virtual students.
7 Habits at Home
This week's 7 Habit challenge is Habit 5: Seek First to Understand and then to be Understood. Think of someone in our family who is a great listener. What makes them a great listener. or Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw Read a book together as a family.
Students are encouraged to share a photo of your completed activity or of your family working on the habit together! You can send your pictures to Mrs. Bush, School Social Worker @ bushje@northvilleschools.org or Mrs. Lindsay @ lindsayke@northvilleschools.org to be included in the morning announcements.
The document with all 20 weeks of activities is available here .
Holiday Scavenger Hunt
Pre-K Openings
Overbooked
Office Hours
Our office is open from 8:00 to 4:30.
Contact us at (248) 465-2400
Website: http://winchester.northvilleschools.org/
Follow us on Twitter: @ WinchesterElem
Would you like something included in the Winchester Weekly?
Please email: sandra.presher@gmail.com by 4pm Wednesday with the
information you would like included.