The Winn Word 10.4.26

Welcome to Week 8!

Happy Homecoming Week!! Make sure to check the calendar to see what kids wear each day for Spirit Week. We also want to invite everyone to walk with our WPC on Friday at the Homecoming parade. Come represent Winn Elementary and have fun!! Remember anyone K-2 student walking in the parade MUST have an adult with them in the parade. See you at the parade!

Highlights this week:

• Specials this week: PE/Art

• Monday 10/5: PJ Day! Wear your PJ's to school today - Birthdays: James (2nd)

• Tuesday 10/6: Color Wars K=Green, 1st=Purple, 2nd- Blue, 3rd-Black, 4th-Yellow, 5th- Pink- Tucked in Tuesday 7:30pm

• Wednesday 10/7: Dress Like Your Favorite Movie Character - 5:30 pm Winn Parent Club Meeting (Free Childcare Provided)

• Thursday 10/8: Wear Your Favorite Sport or Team Colors - First Grade Field Trip to Anderson & Girls Farm

• Friday 10/9: Wear Blue & Gold & Shepherd Gear! Birthdays: Briella (3rd), World's Best Popcorn Day! All Winn Student Field Trip to SHS Gym For Elementary Pep Assembly, SHS Football Game 7:00pm

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

• 10/15 Kick off Event: 5:30pm Raising Resilient Kids (SHS Auditorium)
• 10/15-10/16 Parent Teacher Conferences
• 10/23 Home Football Game
• 10/28 Trunk of Treat at Odyssey 4:00-6:30pm
• 11/7 Winn Elementary Fall Fest 1:00-5:00pm

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!

DID YOU KNOW?

School meals are free in Michigan—but your Education Benefits Form still matters!

Even though students can receive FREE breakfast and lunch, we still need families to complete the Education Benefits Form.

Why? Because this information helps determine the amount of Title I and other funding our school receives.

Title I funding helps support things like:

• Extra academic support and intervention

• Additional teachers and staff

• Learning materials and resources

• Family engagement opportunities

• Programs that help ALL students succeed

Every completed form helps us make sure our school receives the funding and resources our students deserve.

📝 Please complete your Education Benefits Form!

Free meals feed our students.
Your form helps fund their education.

Please go back into your Final Forms and fill out the EDUCATION BENEFIT FORM. We need all families to do this. Even if think you wouldn't qualify, please fill it out. This year, we got several thousand more dollars for our Title I program because we identified more families in need with those forms.

Thank you for your help!

Here is what we are studying this week in Capturing Kids Hearts:

Kindergarten – Self-Directed Learner

• Students learn that being self-directed means doing the right thing without being told.

• Emphasis: responsibility for actions (cleaning up, following directions, making kind choices).

1st Grade – Self-Direction as Self-Control

• Focus on self-control: telling your body what to do and what not to do.

• Emphasis: thinking before acting, showing restraint, and setting a good example for others.

2nd Grade – Taking the Initiative to Make Good Choices

• Students recognize themselves as leaders who can act proactively.

• Emphasis: being proactive, making choices without waiting for instructions, committing to “What Self-Directed Leaders Do.”

3rd Grade – What Is a Self-Directed Leader?

• Students explore the qualities of a self-directed leader.

• Emphasis: decision making, knowing right from wrong, and making good choices even when difficult.

4th Grade – The “Self” in Self-Direct

• Students focus on emotional awareness and understanding the difference between self-control and self-direction.

• Emphasis: choosing responses instead of letting emotions dictate actions, recognizing they have the power to choose.

5th Grade – Think, Choose, Act

• Students learn a decision-making framework: THINK → CHOOSE → ACT.

• Emphasis: independence, problem-solving, and trusting themselves to make the best decisions.

Click the picture below to read about how you can help at home :)

This past month, each classroom teacher at Winn Elementary had the special opportunity to select two students to be recognized as STAR Students. These students were nominated for demonstrating one of the most important Capturing Kids’ Hearts traits—Empathy.

Empathy means showing kindness, understanding, and care for others. Whether it’s lending a helping hand, listening to a classmate, or showing compassion during a tough moment, our STAR Students have set a wonderful example for all of us.

Each student got to pick a special book from the book vending machine! They also received a certificate to commemorate this big honor!

We are so proud of their efforts to make Winn a place where everyone feels valued and supported. Please join us in congratulating our STAR Students for being shining examples of empathy in action! 💙

If you haven't signed up for conferences, please click the picture below to sign up. We have in person or virtual options available on both days. Our goal is to connect with 100% of our families during conferences.

Highlights: Book fair open during conferences!! Come do your conference and then go shopping!

If you need help signing up, please reach out to your classroom teacher or call the office.

We look forward to seeing you soon to celebrate your child's progress so far!

Raising Resilient Kids in a Screen-Filled World

Join us for a free family engagement series focused on helping children develop healthy relationships with technology. Licensed professional counselor Tracey Galgoci will share practical strategies for managing screen habits, strengthening family connections, and supporting children’s emotional well-being.

Free activities for elementary-aged children will be available, along with books, incentives, and prize drawings for participating families. Reading the featured book is not required to attend.

Use the links below to meet Tracey, learn more about the sessions, and register.

Have you been noticing the social media campaign about attendance? All over our region, we have been working to focus on the importance of kids coming to school each day. At the beginning of the year, you were all given a special magnet for your fridge. Our goal is "Strive for Five," this year. But, what does that mean??

The graphic above will help you understand how absences are being counted this year. Every time your child is not in school, we want you to call the office and communicate the reason why. Once it is "communicated," with us, we will determine if it is "excused." If you do not communicate with the office, it will be be marked as "absent," which means that it is unexcused and will count towards those 5 days.

We will have an automated call that you will receive when we have not heard from you. Please contact the office, if you receive one of those calls.

Thank you for partnering with us this year. We are TEAM SCHOOL and we want you to join us in ensuring that your child gets the best Winn has to offer by being in school every day all year!

Have a Winn Elementary School student that wants to participate in the Homecoming Parade? Check out the details below!

Date: Friday, October 9th

Time: Arrive to line-up between 4:30 & 4:45 pm. The parade begins at 5:00 pm.

ALL K-2 STUDENTS NEED AN ADULT TO BE WITH THEM FOR THE ENTIRE PARADE PLEASE

Our route is the same as we did last year. We will meet at the soccer fields (7570 S Shepherd Road, Shepherd, MI 48883). The parade continues through the student/atrium parking lot and won’t stop until we get to the baseball parking lot. The parade ends there. You will meet us there and pick up your child from that lot.

***If you will NOT be participating in the parade with your child, please ensure they have a specific adult watching after them that has your contact information in case of an emergency. There is no childcare provided by WPC during this event.***

We will have a truck and trailer for K-2 students to sit on. 3-5 students will be walking in the parade. Don't forget to bring some candy to throw too!

Feel free to decorate wagons and strollers to walk alongside the float! Make signs! Have fun with it! Bring that blue and gold spirit!! Can't wait to have lots of fun representing Winn Elementary for Homecoming.

Can you believe it? Winn Elementary's Fall Fest Fundraiser 2026 is not that far away! November 7th will be here before we know it and we can't pull off our ONE AND ONLY FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR without the help of our community! If you are interested in helping on the Donations Committee, Decorations Committee, or the Games Committee- please fill out this form!!

https://forms.gle/p87G2vESSXmVXyTTA

Interested in helping the day of? That's cool! We won't have that sign-up out for a little bit. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for announcements!

See less

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