The Winn Word 10.18.26

Welcome to Week 10!

I hope you have had a wonderful Fall weekend. Thank you to all who attended conferences and our Scholastic Book Fair! We had a great turn out.

This week we have a very special "invitation" only event. On Tuesday from 5:30-6:30 we are hosting our annual Title 1 Family Night. (See the Flyer Below)

• Session 1: Classroom teachers are hosting sessions to help you learn strategies to help your child that are specific to your grade level for session one. Your grade level teachers are focusing in on easy ideas to do at home with your kiddo.
• Session 2: The second session is going to be a "you pick" where you will choose what you are interested in. Those sessions are all about family strategies like; making a social contract, learning about the zones of regulation, gamifying fun at home, and much more!

Fall Fest is on it's way and so are the raffle sales and collections. Thank you to all of the families who are out selling raffle tickets! When you run out, turn your stubs/money in to the office to get more tickets to sell. Keep sending in the donations for our baskets if you haven't donated anything yet. Each grade level donates specific items (see below). These items are put into cool baskets to use at our "basket drops." Fall Fest is our one and only fundraiser for the year. We appreciate your help in making it the most successful one yet!!

Highlights this week:

• Specials this week: STEM/Tech

• Monday 10/19: Safety Patrol Meeting - New jobs today

• Tuesday 10/20: Title 1 Parent Night 5:30-6:30, Tucked in Tuesday 6:30pm

• Wednesday 10/21:

• Thursday 10/22: Fire Drill #3 practice

• Friday 10/23: Birthday: Grayson (3rd), 7:00pm SHS Football game

Each week I will publish who has a birthday. We try very hard to celebrate on your child's real birthday or as close as we can get to it. If your child has a summer birthday, we celebrate 1/2 birthdays beginning in January.

NEW PROCEDURE

If you would like to come and sing/celebrate with us that morning, you will need to:

• Check in the OFFICE between 7:30-7:40 to have your name tag printed via Raptor (district safety requirement)
• Walk to the cafeteria - birthdays begin at 7:45

Have a wonderful week!

With Gratitude,

Laurie Richards
Principal, Winn Elementary

• 10/28 Trunk of Treat at Odyssey 4:00-6:30pm
• 10/30 12:30pm Halloween parade - line the Winn and Flex Tech parking lots. We will parade through both lots! Be there by 12:25. Lots close at 12:25.
• 10/30 Immediately following parade, Halloween classroom parties
• 11/3 No School - Professional Development Day
• 11/7 Winn Elementary Fall Fest 1:00-5:00pm
• 12/17 Make & Take Event at Winn (Take the Day Off and Come to Winn to Help as a Parent Volunteer)
• 11/25-11/27 Thanksgiving Vacation
• 12/21-1/1 Winter Vacation

At Winn Elementary, we are committed to building strong relationships through the Capturing Kids’ Hearts program. One of the key practices we model for students is giving affirmations—kind words that recognize and celebrate the good we see in others. Affirmations build trust, strengthen our school family, and remind everyone that their efforts matter.

We’d love for you to join us in spreading positivity! We invite you to give affirmations to our amazing Winn staff. It could be a teacher, paraprofessional, office staff, custodian, food service worker, or anyone else who has made a difference for your child or family.

Please take a moment to fill out this quick Google Form below to share your affirmation.

Your kind words will be shared as shout-outs so our staff knows how much they are appreciated.

Thank you for helping us live out the Capturing Kids’ Hearts values and for encouraging those who give their hearts to our children every day!

Here is what your kids are learning this week from Capturing Kids’ Hearts Week 3: Self-Direct

Theme: “Lead yourself to who you want to be.”

This week, BlueJays across all grade levels are learning how to become self-directed learners—students who make good choices, show self-control, and lead themselves toward success. Here’s what each grade is focusing on and how you can help reinforce these skills at home.

Kindergarten – Directing My Thoughts

In class: Students are learning to do the right thing even when they want to do something else. They are practicing positive self-talk like, “That’s okay, maybe next time.”
At home: Encourage your child to use positive self-talk when things don’t go their way. Example: “We can’t go to the park today, but maybe tomorrow.” Model saying, “That’s okay, maybe next time.”

1st Grade – Do the Right Thing

In class: Students are learning that self-control means doing the right thing even if others are not.
At home: Ask your child, “What’s a time today you chose to do the right thing?” Celebrate small examples, like cleaning up toys without being told. Give them chances to practice making their own good choices.

2nd Grade – Be an Upstander, Not a Bystander

In class: Students are learning how to prevent bullying by choosing to help others, not just watch. They are practicing being upstanders.
At home: Talk about what it means to be an upstander. Ask, “If you saw a friend being left out, what could you do?” Role-play simple responses like, “Come play with me,” or “That wasn’t kind.”

3rd Grade – Do the Next Right Thing

In class: Students are learning to resist peer pressure and follow a simple plan: Know. No. Go. (Know right from wrong, say no, and walk away.)
At home: Ask your child, “What would you do if a friend wanted you to break a rule?” Practice the Know. No. Go. steps together. Reinforce that it’s better to walk alone than with a group making poor choices.

4th Grade – Think It Through

In class: Students are learning to pause and consider the consequences before reacting.
At home: Share times you’ve had to “think it through” before making a choice. Ask your child, “What might happen if…?” (For example, if they don’t study for a test or if they speak out when angry.) Praise them when they show thoughtfulness before acting.

5th Grade – The Self-Sticky Note

In class: Students are learning how thoughts “stick” and how to replace negative self-talk with positive affirmations.
At home: Write encouraging notes together and place them on a mirror, notebook, or fridge. Help your child “unstick” negative thoughts by replacing them with something true and positive: “I can do hard things,” “I am a good friend,” or “I am enough.”

Parent Tip of the Week

Self-direction starts with small daily choices. At dinner or bedtime, ask your child:
👉 “What was one choice you made today that showed self-control?”
👉 “What is one choice you can make tomorrow to lead yourself in the right direction?”

Dear Families,

Here is all the information you need to know about our school's celebration of Halloween!

TIMELINE OF EVENTS FOR HALLOWEEN

• Parents can come to the parking lot and get their perfect parade watching spot until 12:25pm. Last year we had a FULL HOUSE! We loved it!! Let's fill our parking lot again with families to watch our parade!
• After lunch, students will put on their costumes in their classrooms with their teachers & support staff. We ask that parents remain outside of the building due to the school security process.

• 12:25pm parking lot closes.
• 12:30pm Winn Elementary Halloween Parade! Wave to the kids and take pictures!!

PARENTS ENTER BUILDING AFTER PARADE

• Immediately following parade, all parents can enter the building. This is a big process! Remember you need to have an approved "IChat" form on file to be admitted into the building for classroom parties. You will need your driver's license to check in. When you exit the building, please come through the office and sign out.
• Afternoon - Halloween parties! Your classroom teacher will give you information about the party timeline and the needs in the classroom. If you would like to help with the party please feel free to reach out to your child's teacher. Our parties are different at each grade level. Many of our upper el classrooms enjoy some yummy treats and relax with friends while they watch a movie which is a special occasion in our "big kid" rooms. Our K-2 classrooms often need lots of help with all of their party games & treats.

In the event of a rainy Halloween, our parade will be in the elementary gym.

Thank you for your cooperation! We are looking forward to a safe, fun, & spooky day at school!

🎃 Keep it Spooky, Not Scary: No costumes with violent or bloody images. Please do not dress in any characters that are inappropriate for school. If you have a question, please call your child's teacher or the office.

👁️ Masks and Makeup: During the parade, masks that cover the eyes and face are fine, as long as your child can see clearly. Please save makeup for the big night at home. Remember, learning is still happening at school.

🧥 Safe Costumes: Make sure your child’s costume doesn’t have anything hanging below the wrist or ankle to avoid tripping or getting things caught when we go on our parade.

🎒 Easy-to-Carry Props: If your child has props, they should be easy to manage, especially if they take the bus. Props must be appropriate for school (no knives, wolverine hands, etc)

🚫 No Weapons: Please don’t include any toy weapons in the costume.

One of our amazing "Winners" did something pretty special. Jax Cole was a MYWAY State Qualifier in wrestling. Hard work pays off! Jax we are so proud of you!

Brynn, Maggie, and Hudson reached a HUGE goal in their 4th grade classroom. This year all 4th graders are participating in the 40 Book Challenge. It's not just about reading 40 books though. The kids have to read a wide variety of genres to get to their 40 books. It often takes the whole year for kids to reach this lofty goal. Brynn, Maggie, and Hudson reached a special milestone on the way to their 40 books. They got to 20 books this past week. In honor of that milestone, they received a special certificate and a pretty cool bookmark! We are so proud of these kids for working so hard!!

Thank you for sharing your child with our family here at Winn. Our motto at Winn is "Everything a Kid Needs." We focus on both academic excellence and creating good humans! I am here to serve you. If you have questions/concerns or need help in any way, please feel free to reach out to me.

Email: lrichards@shepherdschools.net
Location: 418 West Blanchard Road, Shepherd, MI, USA
Phone: (989) 866-2250
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/winnelementary