Mammoth Mailing

May –

6-10: TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK!

7: Spring Concert for 3-5 at Windsor Mill Middle at 6:00pm

8: Kindergarten Readiness Workshop - WES - 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

10: Community Partner & Volunteer Luncheon – WES – 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

14: Schools Closed: Election Day:

15: Spring Fling – W.E.S - 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

17: Schools Closed: Asynchronous Learning Day

27: Schools Closed: Memorial Day

June -

7: Kindergarten Farewell/ Picnic

11: 5th Grade Farewell (Information will be forthcoming)

13: School Closes 3 hours Early at 1:00pm

14: Final Day of School: School Closes 3 hours Early at 1:00 pm

19: Juneteenth

Teacher Appreciation Week:

Next Week is Teacher Appreciation Week: May 6th-10th. The administrative team will be doing many special things throughout the week to celebrate our staff and show them how much we appreciate all they do each and every day. We encourage you to individually show your child's teacher how much you appreciate all they have done this school year!

Additionally, any parent, guardian, or community partner that is willing is encouraged to help us STOCK OUR STAFF ROOM with yummy treats, snacks, sweets, and drinks. Please drop any donations to the front office staff. We will make sure they get to our staff lounge. Let's show how much we love and appreciate our Winfield Teachers next week!

School Uniforms for the 2024-2025 School Year

As we close out the 2023-2024 school year, we would like to remind all stakeholders of the uniform policy established by the Winfield community years before. Winfield is a uniform school; students are expected to wear their uniforms Monday-Thursday. Fridays will be a designated Spirit or Dress Down Day. A schedule of Friday dress options will be provided at the beginning of next school year. Additionally, in order to provide more consistency between our feeder pattern schools that require school uniforms, specifically Windsor Mill Middle, we would like to reestablish this expectation for next school year. As this is the final newsletter for the 2023-2024 school year, we would like to send this reminder to allow families to begin planning for the 2024-2025 school year. Please see the listed uniform options for the 2024-2025 school year. Additionally, if you family is in need of support with securing uniforms for next year, please contact our community school facilitator, Mrs. Monique Banks.

Winfield's School Uniform Policy

Winfield Elementary School is a uniform school.

The policy is as follows:

• Shirts: long or short sleeve polos in white, navy, light blue, or yellow only

• Sweaters: (NO hoodies, sweat jackets, or coats during class time) white, navy, or light blue only

• Pants: khaki, tan or navy slacks (no denim jeans or cargo pants)

• Shorts: (summer weather only) khaki, tan or navy, knee-length

• Skirts: (not recommended for PE) khaki, tan or navy, knee-length

• Shoes: black or brown shoes with rubber/non-slip soles OR black, blue, or white sneakers (FLATS for girls-no heels allowed

● Denim jeans, jeggings, leggings, pants with rips or shreds, sweatpants, and/or workout pants are NOT allowed.

● Students must wear closed-toe shoes with a back. Tennis shoes are preferred. Slide-on-Crocs, sandals, opened toed-shoes, flip-flops, bedroom slippers, athletic slides, and shower shoes are NOT allowed.

●Students have the option to wear long or short sleeve polo shirts. They also have the option to wear a long sleeve shirt of any color UNDER their short sleeve polo shirts.

Report Cards for the 4th Quarter:

Fourth quarter report cards will be available through Schoology. We will also send home paper copies in the fourth quarter.

2024-2025 Teacher Assignments:

Included in your child's report card will be your child's teacher for the 2024-2025 school year. Student teacher assignments are based on various data points. Our grouping procedures for the 2024-2025 teacher assignment were done purposefully and made by a team of Winfield staff members. With that being said, requests for change in teacher assignment must be connected to an extenuating circumstance that supports why a class change should be considered. Supply lists for next school year will also be included in your child's report card.

Note to Share Domicile Parents:

*Please note that you will not receive your 2024-2-2025 teacher assignment until your shared domicile paperwork for the 2024-2025 school year is completed. Please contact Ms. Velasquez in the front office to ensure your documents are current and updated.

Lost and Found:

We currently have many items left in our school lost and found. As you come to school for the many events we have scheduled in May, please check the lost and found for items your child is missing. In June, we will donate all unclaimed items to a local shelter.

Fifth Grade Farewell:

Information for farewell will be forthcoming. Please save the date of June 11th for Fifth Grade Farewell!

Summer Programming:

We will host summer programs at Winfield Elementary School from July 8th to August 2nd from 9:15-1:15 pm. These programs are by invitation only. For students that have been invited to summer programming at Winfield, we encourage you to complete your paperwork ASAP and plan to attend as many days as possible throughout the summer!

Monthly Virtue:

Congrats to the following students for receiving the virtue award for determination this month! Check out their pictures in the main lobby!

Winfield Families,

As the 2023-2024 school year ends, I wanted to write a brief farewell to the Winfield Community. After much consideration, I have made the difficult decision to leave Winfield Elementary and Baltimore County Public Schools. Before I depart, I wanted to say a few things:

First and foremost, thank you- from the bottom of my heart. Serving as Assistant Principal at Winfield Elementary for the past seven years has been a source of pride. It has been a pleasure to work with the students, families, teachers and staff here at Winfield. The commitment of the Winfield team is unmatched.

Being an educator has its challenges, but even on the hardest days, the students and staff never failed to make me smile. The experiences and opportunities I have had at Winfield Elementary have been an extraordinary part of my life and career. I look forward to enjoying my next few weeks with the students and I wish them every success in the future!

As I leave, I take comfort in knowing that Winfield Elementary is in good hands with Principal Bisker and the rest of the incredible staff. I wish you all the best of luck and hope our paths cross again.

Sincerely,

Shannon Berger

Assistant Principal

In ISDM, we continue to focus on communication and life skills. We have also been teaching students mindfulness and calming strategies and techniques, including the butterfly self-hug. Additionally, we have continued to use school-based technology, such as Go Talks, IPADs, and core boards to further support student-based communication needs.

We continue to work with the HMH modified curriculum for Language Arts and Bridges Modified Curriculum for Math. We also continue to use the Unique Learning System to supplement instruction.

In Ms. Chochos’ class, students have been focusing on writing their names and using magnet letters to spell their names. They have also been working on alphabet knowledge, important words to know, and matching words with pictures. They have also been reading stories in Unique learning and HMH. In math, students continue to focus on matching and identifying 2 dimensional shapes and one-to-one correspondence.

In Ms. Riggs’ and Mrs. Kinsey’s classes, students have continued their focus on learning about the days of the week, and months and seasons of the year. Also, in Mrs. Kinsey’s class, the focus has been students becoming fierce advocates for themselves. The students have been vocal about their needs and desires. They can articulate if something is bothering them and identify if change is necessary. Additionally, students have been learning about the importance of helping others in school and in the community. They have also been learning how to effectively discuss their feelings in a constructive manner using more words, phrases, and visuals.

In language arts students have been reading stories about helping others in the community. They have also been focusing on learning the alphabet, the sound each letter makes, and how to blend the sounds to read words. Students have also been learning more sight words.

In math, students have been learning about shapes and their attributes, such as the number of sides, number of corners, and number of angles in a shape. Students have also been learning about different kinds of angles.

On April 17, firefighters came to visit with students at Winfield. Students were able to get onto the fire truck, which put big smiles on the kids’ faces. Students got to learn about and see some of the different firefighter equipment, including the firehose and lights. We are so thankful that the fire department came to visit with us! It was a fantastic and fun learning experience.

We look forward to another terrific month of learning, and the continued growth and progress of our students and department.

It’s hard to believe that we are coming to the end of the school year. It has been a wonderful experience watching your children grow!

This month we have been learning about gardens. Our unit is called “Growing Our Garden”. The students learned about the natural resources plants need to grow, the creatures that live in a garden, and how people grow gardens for food. Students even planted seeds and had the opportunity to watch them take root and start to grow.

In phonics, we are building on concepts of letters and sounds as they blend sound into words.

In math, they explored a wide range of shapes and described their attributes. We will end the year in June with the unit, “How We Grown”. Students will have the opportunity to look back over the year and recognize how much they have grown, changed, and learned. We will revisit our favorite books, games, and activities. We will talk about what they will learn in kindergarten and have the chance to visit a kindergarten class!

Please continue to read with your child every day! Also, make sure you check their folders daily for their work and any other information.

As the weather is getting hotter, make sure you fill their water bottles with cold water daily. Please label all water bottles!

Thank you for all your support this year!

It’s hard to believe that it’s already May! All the children have grown so much since September. We are very proud of all their accomplishments!

In Phonics, we have learned all the short and long vowel sounds. We learned about the magic/bossy “e” and how it makes the vowel sound long when it’s at the end of the word. We have almost finished learning all 50 high-frequency sight words.

In Reading, we will read and discuss books to answer the essential questions of “What can I learn when I look closely?” and “How do plants become food?”. We will focus on identifying story elements, including describing the setting. We will sequence the major story events to retell the story using key details. Also, the students will identify the author’s purpose and the central idea of the text.

In Math, we will end the year with Unit 8. This final unit of the kindergarten year prepares students for the work ahead in Grade 1. In the context of explorations about frogs, students build a deeper understanding of subtraction and strengthen the connections between quantity, related number combinations, and written notation to 20. The activities in this unit should help students learn to add and subtract to 5 with fluency, add to 10, and strengthen their understanding of place value by the end of the year.

On June 7th at 10:30am, we will have our end of year closing celebration and picnic. Each class will go outside to enjoy a picnic lunch. More details will come home soon.

It has been a wonderful year working with your children! Thank you for all your help and support.

Ms. Campbell and her kindergarten students celebrated Earth Day by "rolling up their sleeves" and cleaning up the environment. Their work helps to keep our campus safe and clean. They are leading by example. The future is safe in their hands.

Hello Families!

MATH:

In this unit your child will:

Practice efficient math strategies to add and subtract within the range of 0–20

❚ Understand place value within the range of 0–120

❚ Represent numbers using groups of 1s, 10s, and 100

❚ Use models, sketches, and numbers to add and subtract up to 120

❚ Count forward and backward by 1s, 2s, 5s, and 10s on a number line

Parent tip: Understanding place value and its base ten structure is essential to a student’s development of number sense. When students build 2-digit numbers, they quickly learn that counting items one by one is time consuming. In order to build numbers quickly and efficiently, they must think about the value of each digit. Counting 7 bundles of 10 is much faster than counting 70 single sticks. Students understand that 73 is larger than 37 because it is made of 7 tens, while 37 has only 3 tens. Understanding the structure allows them to calculate 2-digit numbers. When they first begin adding 2-digit numbers, they will break or split numbers into 10s and 1s and add the parts together. For example, a student might add 28 and 33 by adding the 10s, adding the 1s, and then combining the results (20 + 30 = 50, 8 + 3 = 11, and 50 + 11 = 61).

READING:

In this unit:

Over the next three weeks, our class will discover that we can learn lessons from the stories we read and hear. We will read a variety of literature, and we will discover that all over the world and throughout time, people have enjoyed listening to and telling stories. Children will also write a personal narrative about someone who helped them overcome a problem

Parent Tip: Make a special time and place to read with your child every day. During this module, as children explore how stories teach us good lessons, try these activities during your reading time together.

• Make a thumbs-up gesture when a character learns a valuable lesson.

• Recommend a good book that you just read to a friend or family member.

• Read a biography and talk about the positive lessons that were learned.

If you plan to volunteer or chaperone any field trips this school year, please complete the BCPS volunteer application and training as soon as possible. Go to www.bcps.org. Click Parent tab, scroll to Family and Community Engagement, then choose BCPS Volunteers. This has to be completed each school year that you volunteer or chaperone. It will remain on file until June 2024. Email or send the completed application and certificate to school. Thank you in advance!

FIRST GRADE FAREWELL PICNIC! June 7, 2024 (More details to come).

Allergy season is upon us and we are accepting donations of boxes of tissues. Please feel free to send donations with your child. It is greatly appreciated.

As always, thanks for your support!

Our trip to the Hippodrome Theater to watch Pete the Cat was enjoyable. The students also enjoyed the in-house experience with the Science Guys.

Our current math unit addresses measurement, fractions, and multi-digit addition and subtraction. The last unit will include a review of place value and three-digit computation. It will also focus on data collection and analysis.

Students are reading informational texts and writing procedural texts about how to complete tasks. They are learning to clearly state the central idea, organize the writing, use details to develop their writing and check for correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar. In our last reading module, students will explore how conditions in different habitats help different animals to survive.

They will then write a short report that tells how an animal’s habitat helps it live and why a different habitat would not be good for the animal.

For word analysis, we will continue to focus on antonyms, synonyms, homographs, homophones, and words with a prefix, suffix, or the same base. We will analyze words with the comparative ending -er; superlative ending -est and irregular comparatives. Students will spell words with the /aw/ and /oi/ sounds and words with the ough spelling pattern.

Thank you for replenishing pencils for our class. Please make sure your child has a few pencils to last the remainder of the year. Continue to check your child’s yellow folder. Read nightly and practice adding and subtracting using the standard algorithm. This will help prepare your child for 3rd grade.

Thank you for all your support! It has been a wonderful year! Wishing you a fantastic summer!

This year has really flown by.

I can’t believe that my 3rd graders are almost fourth graders! We have been busy with MCAP tests. We have finished up ELA and are about to start math. In math we have been working on fractions and the properties of multiplication. We are learning to use different properties to multiply two-digit numbers.

In ELA, we have been mastering our reading and comprehending skills. We have been diving deeper into the stories that we are reading to determine the author’s purpose. We have been learning how to use inferences to help us figure out what the author wants us to infer on our own. We have been learning new vocabulary words to help us with our understanding. Keep reading at home to keep up with these skills!

It is hard to believe that the end of the school year is right around the corner. We are continuing to encourage students to become more independent and responsible when managing their time and completing assignments during class. Many students have stopped completing homework and are not turning in assignments on time or to the best of their ability. We are emphasizing the importance of reviewing the skills and strategies that they are learning in class each night. Many students still don’t know their multiplication facts. We are practicing in the classroom each day but using flash cards at home or filling out a multiplication chart will help them to retain those facts that are needed to master fifth grade math standards. This quarter students will be completing activities that strengthen their higher-level thinking skills, allow for mastery and retention of fourth grade standards, as well as take a sneak peek at fifth grade expectations and responsibilities.

Please encourage your child to stay focused in class, make good choices, and complete their assignments on time. It has been a pleasure getting to know your child and watching them grow as a learner.

For the month of April, students worked on using the standard algorithm for long division. Students then applied this algorithm to many different types of division problems, two-digit divisors, dividing money amount, and dividing large 4-digit numbers. Students also completed our unit on geometry, volume and graphing.

For our last unit, we will combine science and math, by learning about solar energy and analyzing and graphing data about this topic.

Now that we are counting down the days until summer break, here are a few ideas to help support literacy development while enjoying places near Baltimore.

- Check with your public library for events and programs for your children. Events and Programs | Baltimore County Public Library (bcpl.info) The Woodlawn branch Storyville, is a play-and-learn center designed to promote early literacy and school readiness skills for children from birth to age 5. The library has a summer reading challenge for children to earn prizes as they read.

-The Baltimore Museum of Art and The Walters Art Museum both offer free admission as well as drop-in art activities for kids so they can create their own masterpieces. (artbma.org)

-The Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park recounts the history of Frederick Douglass, Isaac Myers and the first black-owned shipyard in the United States. Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park — Living Classrooms Foundation

-The B&O Railroad Museum is perfect for train enthusiasts of all ages. Children can climb aboard and play conductor, as well as enjoy the museum dedicated to indoor play. Thomas the Tank Engine also regularly visits to take families on special rides. The B&O Railroad Museum (borail.org)

As we head into summer, Khan Academy is a fantastic (and FREE!) way for students to brush up on their math skills as they prepare for the next grade. Download the Khan Kids app that looks like this:

Primary students are guided through games for reading and math as well as stories that they will love!

The Early Math Review course on Khan is also a great way to review primary math skills over the summer for primary learners:

https://www.khanacademy.org/math/early-math

Finally, Khan Academy has designed specific courses for students entering 3rd - 5th grades! The courses will guide students through activities that review and prepare them for the material they will cover next year. Help knock off the rust this summer by exploring one of these courses:

https://www.khanacademy.org/math/get-ready-for-3rd-grade

https://www.khanacademy.org/math/get-ready-for-4th-grade

https://www.khanacademy.org/math/get-ready-for-5th-grade

May: PreK-4th Careers

As part of our School Counseling Program, your child’s class will have the opportunity to engage in monthly counseling lessons throughout the school year. The theme for the month of May for Pre-K – 4th will be career. Students will learn about various careers and begin growing an awareness of personal abilities, strengths, skills, and interests.

May: 5th Grade Transition to Middle School

5th grade guidance lessons will focus on the transition to middle school. Students will be able to learn effective study habits, how to open a combination locker, do research on their middle and have questions answered about middle school.

Windsor Mill Middle School Visit

Our 5th graders will be going on a tour of Windsor Mill Middle School. The purpose of the tour is for them to get information about Windsor Mill, tour the school and reduce their anxiety about the transition. We will be leaving Winfield Elementary at 9:30 AM on May 31st and we will return to school at 11:30 AM. Please call 443-809-6695 or email ncarothers@bcps.org if you have any questions. The permission slip will be sent home with students on Monday, April 29th.

Ms. Funmilayo: PreK (Ms. Schwartz), K, 2nd Gr, 4th Gr

Mr. Carothers: PreK (Ms. Katenkamp), 1st Gr, 3rd Gr, 5th Gr

Get ready for summer reading!

Did you know that our School Library has over 1000 eBooks?

The eBooks are for the exclusive use of the WES Learning Community! The eBooks can be read or listened to on any device by accessing the WES Library Catalog. You can find the WES Library Catalog by going to https://search.follettsoftware.com/metasearch/ui/112089 and then by looking for the interactive and eBooks ribbons on the main page!

Don’t want to be tied to a Chromebook or laptop, you can access all the eBooks from our school library on the go with the Destiny Discover App for Apple and Android! Now you can access our School Library and all our eBooks on your phone and tablets! Books available 24/7 from anywhere! Just make sure that when you set the app up that you pick the correct Winfield Elementary. You want to look for: Winfield Elementary School 21244

The Scholastic Book Fair is making a return to Winfield Elementary School!

Our Summer Book Fair will be held from June 3 – June 7!

This is a great opportunity to make a collection of books to enjoy under a shady tree this summer.

More information is coming soon! Keep an eye out for announcements about the fair and how your family can participate!

Check out the Book Fair Website and sign-up for updates! https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/winfieldelementaryschool8

Learning just became easier with Student Accounts — a partnership between Baltimore County Public Library and Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) to give all BCPS students access to library resources including print, audiobooks, downloadable books, and online resources.

Students can check out up to five items using their BCPS Student Account.

For more information about Student Library Cards head on over to BCPL or drop Mr. Robbins an email at DRobbins2@bcps.org and you can find more information here: https://www.bcpl.info/youth/student-accounts

It’s exciting to share that our students and faculty have checked out and read just over 8000 books this year! With a month and a half left of the school year we still be circulating books for our awesome Winfield Readers but as the end of the year draws closer could you look around and start sending back any stray library books that may have been hiding out on your bookshelves, or under a bed, and or hiding in a backpack. Having as many books as possible back in the library helps us make sure we can account for our books and make plans for summer circulation and inventory!

Congratulations to Mrs. Richardson, and the students who participated in the Woodlawn High School Art, Science and Tech Fair. These students represented Winfield with excellence, and their work was on display for the viewing pleasure of participants throughout Baltimore County. Way to go Winfield!

Greetings From Instrumental Music!

The Band and Orchestra are so excited to present their Spring Concert at Windsor Mill MS on May 7th. This concert will begin at 6:00 pm, however, students should arrive - with their instruments and music- at 5:30 pm.

Get ready- they are going to knock your socks off!

Fourth graders are continuing their exploration of the woodwind family. They are learning to make a sound on the clarinet mouthpiece and delve into the other instruments of the woodwind family.

Happy Spring Winfield Family!

On May 23rd, we will host the Annual Winfield Elementary School Field Day, followed by more exciting lessons in June. More information regarding Field Day festivities is forthcoming, however, please plan to send your child to school with an extra pair of clothes that day, as students will compete in water games.

Thank you to everyone for your continued support over this school year!

The end of the year is wrapping up. Just a few reminders as we begin to think about the end of the school year:

5th grade parents: We will be sending home forms for you to have completed at your child's physician and returned to their Middle School. (Physicals to have completed, and to make sure your child is up to date with all immunizations needed for Middle School)

Pre-K parents: We will be sending home letters to all students who are not up to date on immunizations needed for the child to start Kindergarten (i.e. the 2nd MMR and 2nd Varicella vaccinations). Please make sure you have this done prior to the start of the school year next year, to ensure your child can start school on time, on the first day of school.

All parents of students with medication orders this year: We will be sending home letters reminding parents to come pick up the student's medication before school ends. We will attach a medication order form for the doctor to complete over the summer, for next school year, should your child still need medication in school next year. (We require new doctor's order forms to be completed and turned into the nurse, each school year).

As always, please call if you have any questions/concerns about any forms/ documentation your child may need.

Wishing everyone a happy and productive end to the school year and a wonderful summer!

Active Minds Sessions will resume in October when students return in the fall. We look forward to seeing all of you after a restful (and productive!) break! Have a great summer!!!

Congratulations to Winfield Students Who Earned 94% or Higher Attendance for Marking Period 3!!

Students received certificates and were entered into a raffle to win prizes. Parents were also recognized for their child’s achievement. Their names were also entered into a raffle to win prizes.

Spring Fling Event:

Winfield Elementary School will host a Spring Fling Family and Community Engagement event on Wednesday, May 15th from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. Families and community members will engage in academic enrichment, arts/crafts, and sports activities. Dinner will be provided to families that RSVP. An email will be sent out with the link to RSVP. Come out and enjoy this fantastic end of the school year event.

Community School Resource Center:

The Winfield Elementary School Community Resource Center is open and available to students, staff, families, and community members. Resources available include food, shoes, toiletries, uniforms, backpacks, and school supplies.

Hours of Operation:

Monday: (Walk-in) 9:30 – 4:30 pm

Tuesday: (Walk-in) 9:30 – 4:30 pm

Wednesday – Friday (By appointment only)

Food Giveaway Sponsored by Winfield Community Partners

Sponsor: Union Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Reverend Raymond F. Edmonds Jr., Pastor

Location: 8615 Church Lane, Randallstown, MD 21133

Date: Every 1st Saturday of the month

Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm