Windsor Newsletter
Summer 2018
Important Dates!
- July 4th Walk With Us In The Parade
- July 16th Online Registration Opens
- July 26th Registration Assistance Night
- July 31st -August 2nd Kindergarten Jump Start
- August 23rd First Day of School
FREE Summer Lunch At Windsor
For more than 30 years, Des Moines Public Schools has operated a summer food service program, with sites providing free meals to all children 18 years of age or younger. There are a total of 28 meal sites throughout the community planned for the summer of 2018. These sites will serve lunch Monday through Friday between June 4-29 and July 9-27 from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM (Please note all sites will be closed July 2-6.) Visit our web site for more details, including a list of locations.
2018- 2019 Kindergarten Students
If you have a child who will be five on or before September 15, 2018 now is the time to complete Kindergarten Sign Up if you haven’t already done so.
Our building previously hosted Kindergarten Sign Up in April. If you missed this event please contact the Windsor office as soon as possible. If you do not complete Kindergarten Sign Up at Windsor prior to July 13, 2018, you will have to come to the Welcome Center to add your younger student before doing Online Registration for the 2018-2019 school year. Please bring the documentation below to sign up your child for kindergarten:
- Birth Certificate
- Immunization Record
- Photo ID
- Proof of Address
Online Registration Opens July 16th!
Online registration opens on Monday, July 16th. If you have a kindergarten student or have a change of address you will need to upload proof of your address in the online registration application. Proof of address may include:
Utility Bill or Confirmation of Services
Lease or notarized statement from landlord
Purchase Agreement
Mortgage Statement
Polk County Assessors- print copy of web page verifying property ownership
Property tax statement
Vehicle registration
DHS Paperwork
Shelter Stay Verification
You will need to log into your parent portal to access the link to the online registration application. If you do not have your parent portal information, please contact Casey Brown. You can reach her by phone at (515)242-8440 or email casey.brown@dmschools.org
Goodbye Mr. Gilbert
Hi Windsor Families! What a fantastic finish to the school year we had! I absolutely loved working with your children this last couple of months. It is with sadness that I must tell you I be moving across the country. I recently accepted a job in Kennewick, Washington, and will be moving out west in July. I'm excited for the new adventure, but will miss Des Moines and the state of Iowa. Windsor is a fantastic school and I've been so impressed with all of the ability levels of the students. This was my first teaching job and I couldn't have asked for a more supportive group of colleagues and an eager group of students. I wish you and your children the best as they move forward with their education. I encourage you to keep your children involved in music, it is something that will help them express their emotions to the fullest extent.
All the best,
Haviland Gilbert
Goodbye Mr. Hickling
By the time you all see this, word has probably gotten around that I will not be the school counselor at Windsor next school year. It is true. I have accepted the school counseling position at DMPS Central Campus.
Tired sayings like, “It’s not you, it’s me” tend to be thrown around at times like this. But I think this saying is appropriate. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as Windsor’s school counselor. The students are fantastic, the staff is committed to each child’s success, and the parent support is some of the best I’ve ever known. If I had not gotten the position at Central Campus, I would have been very happy to have stayed at Windsor.
My professional background and experience may tell a story of a person who likes to mix things up. I am completing my 26th year in education. During that time, I’ve taught in 2 states, at every grade level, and in the areas of Spanish, music, and now school counseling. My first position in DMPS was at Central Campus as a second school counselor. I really enjoyed my time there. My position was excessed there and due to budget cuts and staff realignments, I embarked on a pretty decent tour of DMPS schools (Willard, Brubaker, Weeks MS, McKinley, and now Windsor). My initiation to elementary counseling was trial by fire but I enjoyed the challenge and ended up loving the elementary school counseling program.
This Central Campus opportunity came open. I applied knowing the competition for this Central Campus job would have been great. It was such a bittersweet moment to make this decision – returning to Central but saying good-bye to students, families, and colleagues at Windsor.
I hope I have been of some help to you and your family during my time at Windsor. I didn’t know what to expect when I came. But I am glad I did come and spend 5 years here with you. I am grateful for my time getting to know students and helping them be the best they can be.
If I can ever be of help now or in the future, I hope you will consider reaching out. And, if you end up going to Central Campus or Academy in middle or high school, please stop by the counseling office to see me. I’d love to catch up with to see the path you’ve taken.
Take good care,
John Hickling, School Counselor
You Can Pay Your Student Fees Online!
School Fee Payment Instructions for Infinite Campus
1. Visit our district website at www.dmschools.org and find the Parents Link at the top of the site.
2. Click the Online Payments link under Links for School Info to get to the Des Moines Public Schools Web Store.
3. Select School Fees.
4. Enter your Infinite Campus Parent Portal User Name and Currently enrolled child’s birthdate (MM/DD/YYYY) to access a list of your student’s fees.
5. Select the fees you would like to make a payment for and click Next Page.
6. Confirm your payment choices and click Go to Checkout.
7. If a new customer, select “I am a new customer”.
a. Enter your email address
b. Click “Sign in”
8. If a returning customer, select “I am a returning customer”.
a. Enter your email address and password
b. Click Sign in
9. Enter your billing information and create a password (if required).
10. Enter your payment information.
11. Verify information for accuracy and select Complete Order.Payment will be processed and Receipt can be viewed and printed.
Need Help?
Forgotten Web Store Password? Click Password Reminder under Services, enter your email address and click the arrow. Your password will be emailed to you shortly.
Forgotten your Infinite Campus Parent Portal Password or no Parent Portal Access? Contact your student’s school building secretary Casey Brown at
Windsor Elementary
Website: https://windsor.dmschools.org/
Location: 5912 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA, USA
Phone: 515-242-8440
Twitter: @WindsorCatsDMPS