Winchester Weekly
September 3, 2021
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!
A Message from Mrs. Lindsay
We are looking forward to seeing all of our students on the first day of school, Tuesday, September 7th! We have been working extremely hard to get the building ready for this school year. We are thankful for the generous support of our community that has allowed our building to undergo an amazing transformation. We are also appreciative of all those that have worked on the building over the summer including a variety of contractors, our custodial crew, and the NPS maintenance department in order to get the building ready for school!
Additionally, our teachers have worked extremely hard the last four days to get their rooms ready for the start of the year. We cannot wait for you to see it when you come to Open House on September 13th and 14th!
We are excited to start the school year and see all of our students back in the building this year!
Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!
Sincerely,
Kelly Lindsay
P.S. Below is a sneak peek of some of the work that has been going on!
Upcoming Key Dates
~ First Day of School
~ Annual Online Registration Due
September 10:
First PTA Meeting 9:00 AM
Winchester Spirit Day - wear red or your favorite Winchester shirt!
September 13: K-2 Open House
September 14: 3-5 Open House
September 17: Heritage Festival
Annual Online Registration
Every year, all families are required to fill out the digital Annual Registration for each student. Families may complete these forms through ParentConnection. Through this process you will be asked to update your student’s emergency contact information, home address and health information, review our technology use policy and student handbooks, learn more about PTSA/PTA, access the web store and much more.
This process needs to be completed on a desktop or laptop computer, unless you download the MiStar App available in the App Store.
Need Help? Many of the most commonly asked questions can be found on our FAQs page (located in the upper right hand corner of ParentConnection.) If you have further questions, please email the helpdesk at parentportal@northvilleschools.org.
ANNUAL REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED BY ALL FAMILIES
PRIOR TO THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
Winchester Return to school plan for families
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures - Please Watch
Carpool Reminders
For the safety of our students we need to bring awareness to the proper use or "etiquette" of the carpool drop off lane. Parents it is for everyone's benefit that we need everyone to follow these instructions. Also, please do not get upset when staff enforce carpool etiquette.
- Pull ALL THE WAY forward to the front of the carpool lane before dropping children off or picking children up.
- Try to stay BUMPER TO BUMPER in the carpool lane, don’t leave space between cars
- Drop off all children at one time.
Bus Transportation
Durham Transportation Services, our transportation provider, is currently updating bus route information this week in Parent Portal. All bussing information will be finalized on Friday, September 3rd with adjustments being made throughout the week. All families utilizing school transportation should review their students' transportation information this weekend before the first day of school on Tuesday, September 7th.
COVID Safety and Mitigation Plans
As we come together in learning this year, it is important to remember to perform at-home self-monitoring using the COVID-19 Daily Student Symptom Screening Tool. This screener serves as a daily reminder that children who are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 (or ANY illness) need to stay home from school. This is an important measure that will help prevent or reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our schools. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in using this screener each school day. In addition to the daily screener students and staff are required to wear masks while indoors.
Open House and New Family Orientation Information
Monday, September 13, 2021
- Kindergarten, 1st Grade, and 2nd Grade
- 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
- New Family Orientation 5:00-5:30 PM
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
- 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, and 5th Grade
- 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
- New Family Orientation 5:00 -5:30 PM
The purpose of these events is to welcome students and families into our buildings. Classroom visits are informal. The New Family Orientation will include a brief presentation as well as time for questions. If you are not attending the New Family Orientation you are welcome to come anytime between 5:00 and 6:30 to meet your child's teacher and see the classroom.
Winchester PTA
Teacher Appreciation Snacks
Back to School! Pack a snack for your teachers! To show the staff our appreciation the Winchester PTA would like to begin the year off welcoming the teachers back with snacks for the teacher's lounge! We are looking for parents to volunteer to drop off bagels, doughnuts and coffee on the first day.
Also, we know they would appreciate snacks for the lounge such as chips, popcorn and granola bars. These can be dropped off anytime in the rubbermaid tote at the front of the school during the first week.
Winchester PTA Welcome Back Meeting!
Friday, September 10th at 9:00 AM in the Dragon’s Den (Cafeteria)
Join us to learn about how the PTA supports our students and teachers. Would you like to be more involved? Come and find out about the many opportunities to support our school. Kindly note that masks will be required in the building. Please follow the signs to enter the building near the Dragon’s Den. The main entrance will not be accessible for the meeting.
Become a Member of the PTA
Welcome Students, Families, and Staff! We are excited to begin the 2021-2022 school year and are already hard at work planning activities for our students and families to enjoy. Our Winchester PTA mission is to support and lead parent, teacher, and student efforts toward the best educational experience possible. We coordinate student enrichment activities and social events that enhance our students’ school life and bring the Winchester community together.
What does the Winchester PTA provide?
● Family programs and Community events
● Junior Enrichment Series (enriching and interactive presentations during the school day)
● Teacher stipends to enhance classrooms and lessons
● Field Day, March is Reading Month, Book Fair
● Yearbook
● Student directory (only available with PTA membership)
How do we raise money for this?
Invest in Your Child is a donation to the Winchester PTA, which gives you the opportunity to support our students and staff directly. Through the generous donations of our Winchester families, we can provide a variety of enrichment programs, activities, and family-centered opportunities.
How can I get involved?
● Please join our Welcome Back PTA meeting on September 10th at 9:00 AM where you will hear from our Winchester Principal and PTA officers. This is a great way to learn about the different committees and ways the PTA supports our Winchester community.
● Visit https://winchesterpta.memberhub.com/store, where you can purchase a PTA membership and donate to the Winchester PTA Invest in Your Child fundraiser (bundled and non-bundled options are available) as well as purchase a 2021-22 yearbook. PTA membership includes access to a student directory and voting privileges in the Winchester PTA.
● Check out our Winchester PTA website for more information on our organization and the ways you can get involved.
The PTA runs on the volunteer energy of our families, and we would love to have you join us! We have opportunities to match with your interests, talents, and time. It takes an entire community of volunteers to pull off this magic! If you have any questions, please reach out to Stephanie Smith, PTA President, at winchesterptapresident@gmail.com.
Winchester Elementary Spirit Wear
Every Friday is Winchester Spirit Day. Show your Winchester pride by wearing your favorite Winchester shirt!
If you would like to purchase Winchester spirit wear, you can now purchase your items online in 3 easy steps:
1. Scan the QR code or go online to https://winchesterelementary2021.itemorder.com/
2. Choose your items and add them to your cart
3. Securely checkout with your credit card
Online Store Deadline: Thursday, September 30th, 2021 (11:59pm EDT)
Suggested School Supplies
Please see the link below for our suggested school supplies. The supply lists are simply suggestions of helpful items and are strictly voluntary, as we provide the necessary supplies and materials for your child’s successful school experience.
Yearbook
Winchester Elementary yearbooks are now available to order in our PTA Store! Please order by December 31st to help us accurately determine the full order quantity. Yearbooks are $17 each (includes shipping to the school and MI sales tax). If you’d like to help build our yearbook, please contact the PTA Yearbook Committee at winchestermiyearbook@gmail.com.
Be sure to take First Day of School pictures because September newsletters will share instructions to submit them for yearbook inclusion!
Society of Readers
Winchester’s Society of Readers program is ready to go! For those families who might not know, the Society of Readers program has a long history at Winchester. It was started many years ago as a way to promote reading outside of the school day. As with developing any skill, progress comes with practice.
To participate, print out the September calendar below and record the minutes each day that your child reads outside of school. (For beginning readers, you can count the time that you read to them! Listening and learning from an adult reader is so valuable.) At the end of the month, total the time spent reading and record it on the bottom of the calendar. Have your child bring the calendar to school and give it to his/her teacher. Be sure to note the monthly reading goal for each grade level listed on the page.
For more information, please see the informational flyer below. You’ll also want to watch the video below to learn about the special recognition students that meet their monthly grade level goal can earn.
To find reading calendars for the rest of the year, please visit your child’s Society of Readers Schoology course.
If you have any questions about the SOR program, or would be willing to volunteer to enter reading minutes at the end of each month, please contact Mrs. Rush at rushka@northvilleschools.org.
Lunch Program
School lunch if free for all students for the 2021-22 school year!
Families must preorder lunches for preschools and elementary students. Orders must be in by 8:30 AM for elementary students to receive a lunch that day. The system will not allow you to order after the time listed above. For your convenience, meals can be preordered up to 30 days in advance. To avoid any issues, we recommend ordering the night before.
Class Link
ClassLink provides a single location for students and staff to access necessary apps, services and websites. By using the ClassLink Dashboard, users will only need to log in with their NPS account and will automatically be logged into the listed platforms.
Log into ClassLink at my.classlink.com/nps.
In the ClassLink Launchpad, students will access Schoology, their Google Drive, various learning resources and applications that their teacher may utilize for learning. Parents may also access MiStar through students’ ClassLink Launchpad.
Schoology
Northville Public Schools is continuing to use Schoology, an integrated learning management solution that provides course management, mobile learning, and support for system-wide communication. Schoology enables our students, parents and teachers to engage with learning materials and their school community from the classroom and beyond. We look forward to continuing to use Schoology in our classrooms this year to enhance connectivity and communication across our district.
You will use the same login credentials you did last year. If you are new to the district, you and your child will be given login credentials prior to the start of the school year once schedules and class assignments are finalized to access the district’s Schoology system. Please make sure that your email address is accurate and updated in your student’s MiStar account.
Parents - Check out Schoology
A video introduction to how NPS will use Schoology is available online. Parents can test out the platform by logging into Schoology using the following sign in credentials:
username: npsparent
Password: student1
Select Northville High School in the “School Code” dropdown
Parent intro video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz1VX20PtmQ
Girl Scouts
Calling all girls interested in Girl Scouts!
We will be meeting on the Winchester Kindergarten Playground
Wednesday, September 15th at 6 PM
Come & get more information, as well as speak to current scouts.
We can not wait to meet you!
Please contact Laura Paredes with any questions lamarlau@gmail.com
Cub Scouts
Cub Scouting is fun for the whole family. It’s hands-on learning and achievement that puts kids in the middle of the action and prepares them for today – and for life.
Anyone interested in Cub Scouts please send an email to: cubmaster@northville903.mypack.us.
- Food Service Assistant: Please visit www.northvilleschools.org click on the "Employment Tab" and select "Current Job Openings" for more information.
- Substitute Teachers, Paraprofessionals, Para Educators: Substitute employment opportunities can be found through educational placement services at EDUStaff. Northville Public Schools uses this service for placement of teachers, K-12 Paraprofessionals, Para Educators and Office Support. If you are interested in becoming a Substitute, please visit www.edustaff.org/ or call (877)974-6338 for more information.
Northville Youth Network (NYN)
Northville Youth Network (NYN) provides valuable programs and services to the Northville Community such as education and awareness, referral services and case work services. As part of the ongoing Social Emotional education NYN provides to our community, they have included resources that are available for parents! Please check out NYN's Mindfulness and Resilience resource templates as well as all of their other offerings! Be sure to check back in the future as their templates will be updated throughout the year (https://www.twp.northville.mi.us/your_government/departments/NYN)
Northville Public Schools is hiring the following part-time positions:
- Food Service Assistant: Please visit www.northvilleschools.org click on the "Employment Tab" and select "Current Job Openings" for more information.
- Lunch/Recess Monitor: Please contact the school principal for more information.
- Substitute Teachers, Paraprofessionals, Para Educators: Substitute employment opportunities can be found through educational placement services at EDUStaff. Northville Public Schools uses this service for placement of teachers, K-12 Paraprofessionals, Para Educators and Office Support. If you are interested in becoming a Substitute, please visit www.edustaff.org/ or call (877)974-6338 for more information.
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
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