The Winn Word

Greetings Winn Families!

Happy Sunday! I hope you had a TON of fun at the Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival this weekend. The kids were so excited this past week. They have been working hard gearing up for big tests like MSTEP and NWEA as well enjoying some time outside in the sunshine. So far testing season finds us in pretty good spirits. The kids are ready to persevere and show everyone what they have learned this year. Check your teacher's newsletters for the days of the tests and help your kiddo by getting a good night's sleep the night before. You can talk to them about this being like "game day." It's okay to have a little butterfly" feeling in your belly. Just assure them they got it and to hit it out of the park!

This week, we are continuing our Capturing Kids Hearts focus, Perseverance. The big idea this week is CELEBRATION! Each teacher has nominated TWO students to be STAR students for perseverance. These kiddos might be role models in their class or maybe someone that has really shown a great effort this month with perseverance. Keep talking about perseverance at home and model for them what it means to not give up - even when it gets hard! If your child is playing ball this Spring you can use the sport as an example. We are creating STRONG BLUEJAYS who aren't afraid to try and fail because every time we fail we learn. We "fail forward." It's like climbing a mountain isn't it? It's hard, but we can do it! Thanks for your help!

Highlights this week:

• Friday- School Lunch Hero Day! Help celebrate our amazing ladies in the cafeteria on Friday. Melissa, Maggie, Anjle, and Cathy do some many things for our kids. If you want to write a special card from home they would love that!
• Friday- Poetry Slam Day for Mrs. Dusenbery's and Mrs. Grove's class. The Slam is from 1:00-2:00pm. Arrive a little early so you can check in at the office. The event will be held in our library!

With Gratitude,

Laurie Richards

Winn Elementary Principal

We are thrilled to share some exciting news — Winn Elementary and the ENTIRE DISTRICT has been recognized as a "Rising Star" by Capturing Kids’ Hearts! This national honor celebrates schools that are making outstanding progress in creating a culture where students feel safe, connected, and valued. There were only 15 districts nationally that won this honor!

Over the past year, our staff has embraced the Capturing Kids’ Hearts process, which focuses on building positive relationships and fostering strong social-emotional learning. Whether it’s through morning greetings at the door, Social Contracts in every classroom, or meaningful connections with every child, we’ve seen the impact of this work every day.

Being named a Rising Star means we’re on the path toward becoming a Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Showcase School — a goal we’re proudly working toward. This recognition is a testament to the commitment of our teachers, the support of our families, and most importantly, the incredible heart and effort of our students.

Thank you for being our partners in creating a caring, respectful, and connected school community. Together, we’re building a place where every child feels they belong and every voice is heard.

Miss Emery and Miss Brooklyn took over the Morning Opening show to talk about becoming princesses for the Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival. These two girls were great examples of perseverance for the whole school. Congratulations to first grade princess, Emery and first runner up second grade princess, Brooklyn. We are so proud of you girls!

This month we have been talking about Autism Awareness. We celebrated how we are all unique today by painting our own triangles on the gaga pit. We saw that each of us are special in our own way. We also saw that all of us together created a beautiful piece of art! Thanks to Mrs. Ballard, Mrs. Sellers, and Mrs. Yeagley and Ms. Christi for creating this memorable experience for our kids!

Take a minute to read the Winn Parents' Club newsletter for April. The WPC is looking for parent volunteers to help at Field Day. There is a link on the newsletter to sign up to help. Click the newsletter below to open up the links to "click"

• 5/5-5/9 Teacher Appreciation Week
• 5/12-5/16 BOGO Scholastic Book Fair
• 5/21 Music Concert 1st 6:00pm, 2nd 7:00pm SHS Auditorium
• 5/22 Music Concert 3rd 6:00pm, 4th 7:00pm SHS Auditorium
• 5/26 No School Memorial Day
• 5/28 Music Concert K 6:00pm, 5th 7:00pm SHS Auditorium
• 6/2 Field Day!!
• 6/5 Last Day of School (1/2 Day) Dismissal at 11:00

Here is our Winn Elementary Parent and Student Handbook for 24-25. It is filled with lots of useful information about our school.

Each day, we do a "launch" with our lessons. Capturing Kids Hearts taught us that it is important to leave our learners with something to think about as they move through their day. Today, I am offering you this launch. Watch this short video with your kiddo this week. Talk to them about perseverance and what they learned this month. We are creating strong and determined kids together one step at a time!

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