The Winn Word 10.25.26

Welcome to Week 11!

Happy Full Moon and Halloween week. We are looking forward to a full week of learning and a lot of Halloween fun on Friday. Please take a look below at Halloween costume guidelines and parade information for families.

Fall Fest is coming soon! We are in desperate need of volunteers and classroom donations for baskets. 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!!

If you can help us we would appreciate it so very much. Any donation big or small will help!

K families donate: Gift cards (stores, restaurants, local places)

1st grade families donate: Craft/Art things - anything that encourages creatvity

2nd grade families donate: Scratch off lottery cards

3rd grade families donate: Holiday fun - any holiday

4th grade families donate: Family fun things - movies, games, yard games, puzzles, etc.

5th grade families donate: Blue & Gold - BlueJay Pride

Highlights this week:

• Specials this week: Music/STEM

• Monday 10/26:

• Tuesday 10/27:

• Wednesday 10/28:

• Thursday 10/29:

• Friday 10/30: Birthday: Ivan - Activities: Halloween parade 12:30 (parking lots closes at 12:25), Halloween parties begin after 1:00.

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

As we prepare for the upcoming school board election, we encourage all parents and community members to get to know the candidates. Video interviews with each candidate are now available on our district website.

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!

Capturing Kids Hearts Self Directed Week 4

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

This week, all BlueJays focused on Self-Direction. Being self-directed means showing self-control, making positive choices, and taking responsibility for actions. Here’s what each grade studied and how you can support your child at home:

Kindergarten – Directing Myself

• In class: Students practiced Freeze Dance to learn they can tell their hands, feet, and words what to do.

• At home: Play Freeze Dance or Red Light, Green Light. Talk about how stopping shows self-control. Ask, “What’s one way you were self-directed today?”

1st Grade – I Control My Actions

• In class: Students learned Think. Choose. Do. to help them stop, think before acting, then make a good choice.

• At home: Practice the motions (Think – point to head, Choose – thumbs up, Do – make a muscle). Use real-life moments (spilled milk, sharing toys) to guide them through Think–Choose–Do. Celebrate when they pause before acting.

2nd Grade – I Am Self-Directed

• In class: Students reflected on how well they self-direct at home, at school, and with friends. They wrote “I can” statements to set goals.

• At home: Encourage your child to post their “I can” statements somewhere visible. Ask, “How did you show self-direction today?” Share examples of times you had to stop and think before making a choice.

3rd Grade – Drugs Are Not Cool! This Is Cool!

• In class: Students imagined their future selves and identified positive, drug-free activities that help them become who they want to be.

• At home: Ask your child to show you their “Adult Me” drawing. Make a list of family activities that are “cooler than drugs” (sports, art, music, helping others). Share choices you made as a child that helped your future.

4th Grade – Think Fast

• In class: Students learned that quick decisions require self-control. They practiced deciding if actions made things “better” or “worse.”

• At home: Play the “Better or Worse” game by giving real-life scenarios. Encourage your child to think of three strategies to use in the moment (count to 5, take a breath, walk away). Share a time you used self-control quickly.

5th Grade – The Power of Positive Thought

• In class: Students discovered that positive thoughts shape positive actions using the Think. Choose. Act. strategy.

• At home: Ask your child, “What’s one thing you want to bring about?” (like a goal). Draw the Think–Choose–Act circles together for a real-life goal. Write encouraging notes to each other to reinforce positive thinking.

Together, our BlueJays are learning that self-direction means leading themselves with positive choices, self-control, and responsibility—skills that will help them now and in the future.

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/School Appropriate: Please don’t include any toy weapons in the costume. Make sure that the costume follows our school dress code (EX: KPop Demon costumes that may not cover a child's torso or be to short)

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