Weekly Update
October 13, 2022
Dear Winnona Park Community,
Now that the weather is starting to cool down a bit, please consider turning your car off if you are waiting for the carpool line to begin in the morning and afternoons. Roll those windows down and enjoy the beautiful fall weather.
Sincerely,
Greg Wiseman
Principal, Winnona Park Elementary School
Tomorrow’s Community Circle - Second Grade Families
We invite parents of 2nd graders to Community Circle tomorrow morning. Gather by the cafe door near the pond after drop off and you will be let in from there.
Parent's Night Out on Saturday, November 5th from 6:30 pm - 11 pm
It’s a fun, community building night out with a purpose! It’s time to leave the kids at home and gather up for a Parents Night Out Benefiting WPES on Saturday, November 5th from 6:30pm -11pm at The Oak House in Avondale Estates (a secret adult arcade). Tickets are $40 per person, and are on sale now at ourschool.support/WPES2022 Get your tickets today, come out and have a good time while benefiting our school and community!
Read-a-Thon Shout-Out
A big shout-out to our students who read 36,886 minutes during our Read-a-Thon! Thank you to families, friends, and neighbors who have already contributed to this fundraiser. If you have not had a chance to contribute yet, we are collecting funds through October 21st! We have raised 70% of our goal, but still have a ways to go. You can support an individual child’s campaign or use this link to make a donation directly to the PTA- https://winnonaparkpta.org/product-category/read-a-thon/. The Read-a-Thon is one of our most important school fundraisers, with proceeds supporting many PTA initiatives at Winnona Park, including teacher stipends, diversity committee events, and free yearbooks for all students.
Fall Book Fair is the week of October 24th
We are so excited to have our parent volunteers back in the building. Please use this link to sign up for a volunteer spot. The time slots might change slightly as the teachers have not signed up yet. If you bring your student to one of the early morning cashier spots, I will have a special place in the librry for them to hang out until they can go to their classrooms. Please email me if you have any questions. Ilene Zeff - izeff@csdecatur.net.
Student Photos Coming Soon - Week of October 24th
Families, please mark your calendars for school pictures during the dates of October 24-26th. Lesley Cortright, parent of former WPES students, and owner of Wander Photography, will be on campus to photograph the students and classes of Winnona Park! For more information about Lesley or to see her work, please visit www.wanderphotography.com. All individual and class proofs will be available for purchase online; details to come for your child's specific photo date, as well as ordering and retake information.
Does Your Child Dismiss as a Walker?
Just a reminder that parents are to line up in a single file in front of your child’s teacher as they enter the pavilion to be dismissed. We want the transfer of our kiddos from teacher to parent as seamless as possible. When parents are lined up it just makes the transfer that much safer.
Also remember to use the change of dismissal form if someone new is picking up your child. This information is given to teachers daily so they will be expecting a new face in the dismissal line.
Visitors and Volunteers Entering Winnona Park
We have recently added options at the Checkmate Kiosk (the laptop on the cart by the front door) for guests to sign-in and sign-out when visiting or volunteering at Winnona Park. So if you are coming to be a mystery reader or something of that nature, please sign-in as a guest, ring the doorbell, then come into the office to get a badge that identifies you as a visitor. When done, return the badge to the office, walk out the front door, then sign-out on the kiosk.
If you are simply dropping an item off at school, just ring the doorbell and someone will retrieve your item.
The PTA Fundraising Committee Needs You!
We are looking for 3-4 volunteers available to support our fundraising efforts for our first annual Parent’s Night Out, benefiting WPES. The role would include obtaining raffle and auction items, securing donations, assisting in organizing volunteers and ticket sales ahead of the event on Saturday, November 5, 2022. If interested please email adriana@aalevents.com
SAVE THE DATE - FALL PARENT'S NIGHT OUT BENEFITING WP PTA SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 6:30 pm
We are back! Save the date for the PTA’s Fall Parent's Night Out benefiting Winnona Park’s PTA, our biggest fundraiser of the year! Book your babysitter now and join us on November 5 from 6:30-11pm. This year’s event will feature games, some fun competition, great food, adult beverages and plenty of music to ensure a Winnona Park Rocks good time! Further details to come!
Do you have a Change in your Dismissal Plans?
Plans change and emergencies happen. If something comes up that changes your child’s normal dismissal routine, please complete this form by 1:00. Do not email your teacher, just complete the form. You will find this form under each teacher’s email signature and on the WP website under “Families>Dismissal.”
Show your WPES Spirit!
At WPES we wear our support every Friday! Make sure your family gets your Spirit Wear before it's gone! Numerous adult and kids t-shirt options plus kids hoodies for the cold weather to come! Please include your child’s name and teacher in the notes section when checking out.
The online store is available at https://winnona-park-es-pta.square.site/
Join the Fabulous WP PTA
The WP PTA Rocks! As you can see from the events above, they are super-involved in all back to school activities and much, much more. The PTA works to enhance the educational experience of all Winnona Park students by supporting teachers and staff, organizing fundraisers for items not covered by the school budget, and planning and hosting community-building events. Through fundraising efforts, the PTA supports many offerings and initiatives including classroom libraries, teacher and parent grants, field trips and guest speakers for all students, facility enhancements, and various community-building events. Click here to view the PTA welcome letter to learn so much more about the WP PTA.
CSD News and Announcements
Superintendent Search - Virtual Input Meeting
Thank you to all of the community stakeholders who participated in the community engagement session that was held on September 28 for the superintendent search. GSBA will conduct a virtual community input meeting via Zoom on October 24 from 6-7:30. The information for the meeting is below:
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZErcuutrT8uH93BsKyIlb33Ifd0lpA_qi5b
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Special Education Meeting ~ Family Support Program
Ms. Nicole Brickhouse, Family Support Manager for InCommunity, will share information about Family Support Funding and an overview about InCommunity Organization. The City Schools of Decatur's Special Education Department is excited to welcome this wonderful well-established organization to our district.
Who is eligible to access funding.
Individuals ages four and up with a diagnosed developmental disability living in Georgia at home with their families, and are not currently receiving a NOW/COMP Waiver, are eligible for Family Support Services. *Funding is disability based, not financial needs based.
Target Audience: Parents of students with an IEP Pre-K through 12th Grades
Date: Oct 20, 2022
Time: 6-7 pm
Virtual Meeting RSVP here or email Cheryl Grant at cgrant@csdecatur.net
Connection Sessions
Connection Sessions are conversations between CSD's Equity Director, various invited guests, and the CSD POGM* community. During each session, community members are introduced to a person who is integral to supporting the school system while we discuss thoughts, interests, and concerns regarding City Schools of Decatur. Each session uses a racial equity lens - always asking the question - "What does race have to do with this?"
These sessions may not always have the answers, but they provide an opportunity for members of Decatur's POGM community (as well as all others) to explore perspectives, pose questions, and share thoughts.
Each meeting starts at 6 pm. Access it by using the following link: https://tinyurl.com/2yuj2tbs.
October 17th, 2022 - Billy Heaton, Principal, Talley Street
November 14th, 2022 - Courtney Burnett, Chief of Staff, CSD
December 19th, 2022 - Karen Newton-Scott, Principal, FAVE
* People of color, despite being minoritized in the US, are a global majority. Thus, previously entitled BIPOC Connection Sessions, the name of this event is now Connection Sessions for POGM (People of the Global Majority). There is conflict regarding the use of the term BIPOC and this article details many relevant concerns. In short, the term BIPOC, which stands for Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Color, elevates some cultures over others in a way that does not reflect the respect each culture deserves.
District-Wide Intervention Information
If you have questions about interventions, please contact Erica Godfrey, District Intervention Specialist & MTSS Coordinator, at egodfrey@csdecatur.net. You can register for Super Saturdays here.
Community Partner Announcements and Updates
Madison Avenue Soapbox Derby
COME WATCH THE DERBY ON RACE DAY!
Join us as a spectator on Saturday, October 15th, for a day of family-friendly fun to watch the race! Check out the full schedule here. Food and beverages available for purchase - all proceeds from this year’s event go to support the Friends of Refugees family literacy program!
Decatur Education Foundation
You only turn 20 once! Come celebrate our 20th Anniversary with us at Soiree in the City on Saturday, November 12th from 6-10 pm. Here’s the perfect excuse to get dressed up and go out on the town at one of the hottest new event venues in Atlanta, 42West. We’ll enjoy a seated harvest dinner by Little Farmhouse Cafe, live music from Maxwell Street and a full array of cocktails and mocktails. Tickets are now on sale at www.decatureducationfoundation.org/soiree. Business sponsorships are still available! Contact leah@decatureducationfoundation.org for more information. Let’s cut a rug and enjoy an evening on the town for a great cause: our kids!
Meaningful volunteer opportunities available! DEF is seeking volunteers to be tutors and mentors! Tutors are needed to help students from 2nd – 8th grades for one hour per week. We are also gearing up to re-launch our AIM Scholars mentoring program in January, for which we need 20-30 adult volunteers. If you would like to learn more about these programs and sign up, please visit www.decatureducationfoundation.org/mentoring
Season of Giving
A Season of Giving/Christmas Decatur is back to its traditional method of neighbors purchasing gifts directly for local children and seniors!
To apply for assistance, please complete an online application at https://aseasonofgiving.org/application/ by October 28th.
If you have any trouble with the form, questions, or concerns, please email us at aseasonofgiving@decaturga.com or leave a message on our voicemail (404.378.8068).
If you do not need assistance, we would love your help!
Donors will purchase gifts from an individual wish list specific to a child (through 8th grade) or senior citizen. If you would like to be a donor, please complete our online form.
If you would like us to do the shopping for you, please donate directly at https://legacydecatur.org/give/ and select A Season of Giving!