The Weekly aWESome
February 2, 2024
Celebrations
Thank you Mrs. Muller!
Next week is National School Counselor Week! We appreciate Mrs. Muller and all she does for the Windsor Community.
One Book, One School
This week we will be listening to chapter 5 in Astrid and Apollo. It is the last chapter so you will be discussing your thoughts of the book and what you learned.
On Friday you will have a celebration with your buddy class.
Next week, we are going to celebrate the completion of One Book, One School with a visit from the author and a special day each day.
Congrats on finishing such a great book! Our students have been avidly checking out other books in the Astrid & Apollo series from the library!
Learn more about author V.T. Bidania at her website - https://www.vtbidania.com/
At the end of the read aloud we are going to have a week long school-wide celebration.
Windsor Loves to Read Week February 12-16
End of One Book, One School Celebration
Use what you have at home, no need to buy anything new for this - Creativity is preferred!
Monday - Under water day - Dress Up ideas: anything blue, fishing, or underwater plants & animals.
Tuesday - Winter Wonderland - Dress up: anything white, clothes they wear to bundle up
Wednesday - time you were brave or tried something new -Dress Up: anything to represent something you’ve tried (sports, etc.), or even an object that helps you be brave (example: superhero cape)
Thursday - Twinning Day - Dress Up: Match a friend or teacher!
Friday -Norski colors & Book character prop day (they will make these in the library) - Wear what they made in the library (will be in student's cubbies) and Norski colors.We are so excited to celebrate Windsor's love of reading!
School Bus Driver Appreciation Week- February 12-16
Did you know that the second full week of February is School Bus Driver Appreciation Week? Our bus drivers work hard to get our children to and from school safely, and they always greet our kids with a warm smile. So, why not have your children show their appreciation? They could draw a picture, make a card, or simply say “Thank you”. Let's make sure our bus drivers know how much we care!
School-Home Connection
Stop and Name Feelings
It's okay to have strong feelings. But when you have strong feelings, it can be hard to think about what to do. You can get back in control by calming down. The first step is to use a stop signal to catch your own attention and tell yourself to stop. You might say, "Chill out", "Stop", or "Relax". Next use your feeling detective skills to name your feeling. When you recognize your feelings, the thinking part of your brain can start to manage them. Take a moment to decide what stop signal you will use this week.
Need to Know
Valentines Day
We care about all students and have adopted a practice of not celebrating exclusionary holidays such as Valentine's Day. Please do not send Valentine's cards, candy, treats, trinkets, etc... of any kind to school.
Rain Garden Project
WPTO Movie NIght
The Windsor PTO would like to invite you to a Movie Night on Friday, February 9th. This is a free event for all of our Windsor Elementary families. We will be showing two movies at the same time, so you can choose which movie you would like to watch. Please register through the link below.
School Calendar- 24/25
HERE is the school district academic calendar for the 24-25 school year.
WPTO Staff Meal
The WPTO will be providing staff with a meal during conferences and is looking for volunteers for setup and clean up. The signup will be coming out soon--thank you for considering!
Social-Emotional Learning
Life Skills Class
We are finishing up our lessons on the brain and "Flipping Our Lids." 2nd grade is learning about the sense of interoception or how we feel on the inside and why it is important to notice and report how we feel on the inside.2nd grade will have a unit on bullying after their interoception lessons. Kindergarten, 1st and 3rd grade will start a new unit on Bullying.
Here is a link to my lessons
Regulation Strategies
Looking for regulation ideas for your children at home? Check out these 6 strategies from Pathways to Success.
Skills for Learning
This month, our schoolwide theme is skills for learning: listening, focusing attention, using
self-talk to stay on-task, and being assertive when asking for help with a learning task. In
our morning announcements and school assembly, we’ll be reminding students of these
skills, which help students be successful learners.
Second Step lessons teach skills for learning. The following Home Links describe why
these skills are important and including fun activities to do with your child to practice them.
We hope you enjoy them!
Please tell your child’s teacher if you’d like more suggestions about supporting skills for
learning at home or have questions.
Character Trait of the Month
PTO
The Windsor Parent Teacher Organization (WPTO) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to partner with the teachers and staff at Windsor Elementary School to strengthen our school community, encourage parents to actively participate in their children’s educational experience, and inspire students to achieve their full potential to learn, socialize, and grow. You can find more information about how to get involved here.
The next WPTO meeting: Thursday, February 8th, 6:15-7:15 p.m.
Join us in person at Windsor Elementary or virtually.
Please help us spread thanks to all the generous 2023 Sponsors for their support! Enjoy Local!
A special thank you to WISCO Real Estate Services, the Signature Sponsor of the WE Run! Learn more about WISCO Real Estate Services here.
Flyers
Deforest's Winter Musical
Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the baddest of them all? Find out by purchasing tickets for DeForest's winter musical - Disney's Descendants!
Descendants is making its way to the DAHS Performing Arts Center February 8th-10th at 7:00 PM and February 11th at 2:00 PM. There will also be a special senior citizen and DASD staff appreciation performance on February 7th at 4:30 PM - free admission for senior citizens and $5 admission for DASD staff.
Purchase tickets for February 8th-11th at: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?ticketing=dpac
Worth Repeating
Indoor/Outdoor Process
Questions to answer...
What is our philosophy/belief about going outside?--When in doubt...we go out
Who calls indoor?--Office
When is it called?--5 minutes before
Why is it called?--Rain/Cold temps/lightning
What is the temperature that we call? 0 including windchill
Where do we get our temp information from (website)--Weather.com enter the zip code
How often do we check the temp?--5 minutes before recess
What if there is rain?--Office decides with kid’s safety in mind
What happens if the weather changes in the middle of a recess?
Who makes the decision? People outside on duty collaborate by radio.
How do we let kids know? Blow whistle to let kids know/Call kids in
How do we let teachers know? Office will get communication from outside via radio.
Morning Drop Off
Do not drop students off in the parking lot by pulling up to the median and letting them out. This is not safe and has potential to cause huge traffic problems. Students can be dropped off by parking and walking to the crosswalk or going through the drop off line.
After School Supervision
School dismissal is at 2:40 with the expectation that your student will either take the bus home or will be picked up. We do not have supervision if you are running late. Staff may have meetings or prepping for the next day, as well as want to get home to their own families. We ask that if you are running late you make other arrangements for your student.
No Dropoff in Bus Lane
It has come to our attention that there has been several cars that are dropping off students in the bus lane (south parking lot). This lot is reserved for buses only. For safety, please drop off your students at the front of the building (where the flag pole is located).
School Directory through Skyward Family Access
Please click here for directions on how to access the School Directory through Skyward Family Access, as well as how to opt your student(s) into the directory.
DeForest Area School District- There's an app for that!
You can now keep up with the who, what, when, and where through the DeForest Area School District app on all mobile devices!
Scan the QR code or download the DeForest Area School District app from your app store. With our new app, you can:
- Keep up with all of our latest news, information and announcements
- Subscribe and receive push notifications right on your phone to announcements, calendars, and news
- Contact teachers, staff, and administration
- Access school menus, Skyward, and more
- Receive daily and weekly updates and reminders
- Help promote school safety through the SpeakUp-SpeakOut TipLine
Extra Clothes and Weather Appropriate Outerwear Reminder
Students of all grades may need to change into extra clothes/shoes for a variety of reasons during the school day (lunch/milk spill, accidents, mud or snow on the playground depending on the season). If you could keep a change of extra clothes in your child's cubby or backpack, that would be great, as we have a limited supply of extra clothes in the health office.
Also, it's already getting to be that time of year when the temperature drops in the mornings but warms up throughout the day. Please send weather appropriate outerwear (jackets, hats, gloves, etc) to keep your child warm for outdoor recess. We go outside unless it's raining or the wind chill is below zero. Thank you!
Reporting Attendance
To report attendance, please use one of these options: Text (608) 501-2485, Call (608) 842-6313, or email wesattendance@deforestschools.org. All attendance lines are available 24 hours a day. Please text, call, or email before the start of the school day if your child will not be attending school, will be late, will be picked up early, or will have a change in transportation home. Please indicate the reason why your student will be absent or late. Thank you!
Contacting Kobussen
If you need to contact the bus company, it's generally best to call during non-route times which are from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Raptor
Raptor is our school safety software that enables schools to screen visitors and volunteers. You will need to bring in your driver's license the first time you come into the school, and the office will scan your license. They will print out a visitor badge that you will wear while in school. Once the office scans your driver's license the first time, the next time you come in, the office just needs your name to print off your badge. Thank you!
Volunteers
District policy requires that a criminal background check be completed prior to volunteering. This includes parents who plan to attend field trips with their child. The background check is good for 3 years. The volunteer background check can be completed by filling out the following form: Background Check.
Substitutes Needed!
DeForest Area School District is excited to partner with Edustaff to provide substitute staffing for the district’s schools and we are looking forward to a great school year!
Edustaff will provide substitute teachers, paraprofessionals, recess aides, nurses, and secretaries to DeForest schools. We are looking for passionate subs who enjoy working with youth and want to give back to their community. Anyone interested in becoming a substitute in DeForest Area School District can apply online at Edustaff.org.
For more information regarding becoming a substitute with Edustaff, please email Riley Huebsch at rhuebsch@edustaff.org, visit www.edustaff.org, or give us a call at 877-974-6338.
DATES
LINKS
Por favor, contáctame si tiene alguna pregunta sobre esta información. Puede comunicarse en español al tel 1-833-611-1664.
Thov hu rau kuv yog koj muaj lus nug. Hu 1-833-611-1664 tuaj tiv tauj kuv rau lwm hom lus.
Please contact me if you have any questions. Call 1-833-611-1664 to contact me in another language.