The Winn Word 9.7.26

Greetings Winn Families!

Welcome to Week 4! I hope you had a wonderful weekend full of lots of great family time! The kids have taken the last few weeks getting to know our expectations and understanding how things work at Winn Elementary. Our teachers are starting their curriculum and the kids are working hard.

You Can Do Hard Things!

This is a great time to add in a little after school routine each day. Check in with your child to see how the day went. What was great? What was tricky? What are they most proud of? Spend time just listening and reassuring them that they "can do hard things!" We are working on empowering our students this year by letting them embrace a struggle and learn they can do hard things. It was a big lesson we learned through our book club, "The Anxious Generation," last year. If you have not read that book, don't worry! We have another opportunity coming up beginning in October! If you need a copy of the book, I still have a few left too! (first come, first serve)

Drop Off Procedure Reminders

• We are moving to one lane when you enter the parking lot. We will NOT do a double lane. This allows our friends at FlexTech to park in their back parking lot if they want.
• Kids should be ready to exit your car. Give goodbye hugs at home and make sure backpacks are all set. When you get into the drop off zone, kids should be able to exit the car quickly.
• When you exit the drop off area please DO NOT move until all the cars in front of you move. Passing a car (unless directed by staff) could cause an accident
• Drive slow -5 mph or less as you enter the parking lot. Thank you for keeping everyone safe.

Pick up Procedure Reminders

• Have your pink car tag each day. If you don't have your tag, we will ask you to park in the parking lot until pick up is over at 3:05. Then you will move into the pick up loop and we will check ID.
• Drive slowly - 5 mph maximum
• Make sure your child's car seat is on the passenger side. They will be entering your car on the passenger side.
• If your child can't buckle themselves in once they have entered the car, please move forward out of the pick up line to the back parking lot. You can park there and help your child.
• Practice good human skills- our kids are watching. Staying calm in the parking lot is important. If you have a problem, please call Mrs. Richards to set up an appointment. We all need to work together to keep everyone safe.

Highlights this week:

• Specials this week: Tech/PE

• Monday 9/7 No School

• Tuesday 9/8: Tucked in Tuesday 7:00

• Wednesday 9/9: Birthday: Teagyn (3rd), Winn Parent Club Meeting 5:30 -free childcare!

• Thursday 9/10:

• Friday 9/11:

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

• 9/9 WPC Meeting 5:30-6:30pm
• 9/17 Picture Day!
• 9/25 Home Football Game
• 10/2 Picture Retakes
• 10/2 Home Football Game
• 10/9 Home Football Game
• 10/15-10/16 Parent Teacher Conferences
• 10/23 Home Football Game
• 11/7 Winn Elementary Fall Fest 1:00-5:00pm

At Winn Elementary, we are excited to begin the new school year with a focus on Empathy—one of the core social-emotional skills we nurture through the Capturing Kids’ Hearts program. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, and it plays an essential role in helping our students build strong, caring relationships.

Why Empathy Matters

When children learn to practice empathy, they:

• Develop kindness and compassion toward others

• Strengthen friendships and teamwork skills

• Create a safe and respectful school community

• Learn how to handle conflicts peacefully

Empathy not only helps students succeed in school but also prepares them to thrive in life.

What We’re Doing at School

This month, teachers and staff will be modeling and teaching empathy in daily classroom routines. Through Capturing Kids’ Hearts, students will:

• Greet one another and staff members each day with respect and kindness

• Practice listening to understand, not just to respond

• Use “I feel” statements to share their thoughts and emotions

• Celebrate one another’s successes and encourage each other during challenges

Students will also participate in activities, stories, and discussions that help them “walk in someone else’s shoes” and recognize the feelings of their classmates.

How Families Can Support at Home

How You Can Help at Home:

• Ask your child about a moment during the day when they noticed someone else’s feelings

• Model empathy by listening attentively when your child or others share experiences

• Read books or watching shows together that highlight compassion and then talking about the characters’ choices

• Encourage your child to notice small ways they can show kindness—holding a door, sharing a toy, or including someone new in play

Together, We Make a Difference

When school and home work hand-in-hand, our children grow into caring, thoughtful individuals who contribute positively to the world around them. Thank you for reinforcing the important value of empathy with us this month.

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!

Guys & Dolls Photography

There is no form to fill out or money exchanged on picture day. You will get to see your

student’s picture online with background choices before you order.

Approx.1-2 weeks AFTER picture day you will receive an email from orderschoolpix.com

with a link to your student’s picture *Please note ordering works best on a desktop or

laptop computer*

If you do not receive an email:

1. check your spam and your promotions tab within your email

2. If it is not there going to www.guysanddollsphotography.com

a) Select School/Sports/Dance/Events Tab

b) Select your school or organization

c) Enter your student’s unique passcode for the password (This passcode will be in the

email we send to you. If you do not receive an email, you must contact your school, and

they can give you the information).

d) Enter your email address to order pictures, select BUY PRINTS. Please note there are

separate tabs at the top of the screen for packages, single prints and photo products. All

portrait packages ordered prior to the deadlines will be delivered to the school, unless you

choose to have them mailed to your home. In which case a shipping fee will be applied to

your order.

To avoid price increases you must place your order during the first or second batch sale.

Once the second batch deadline arrives, you will still be able to order pictures. However,

there will be a price increase on prints. All pictures that are ordered after the deadline will

also incur a shipping fee and they will be mailed to the home address you provide when you

place your order.

Please note: Portrait packages ordered after deadlines cannot be picked up at our studio

or delivered to the school.

Any other questions contact Guys and Dolls Photography of Mt. Pleasant

989-772-2167 guysdollsphotography@gmail.com

Are you ready to get involved with the best parent club ever?? Your first step is to get on the parent contact list. WPC will keep you in the loop with a newsletter each month AND you will get the links first to sign up to help our school. Our meetings are once a month for an hour. Child care is provided too!

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!

If you haven't had a chance to watch the "Kindness 101," series with Steve Hartman, you are missing out! These videos are great to watch with your kids. This one is specific to a little boy whose super power is Empathy. Have a watch with your kiddo and then chat with them about what they think empathy means.

Have a wonderful week, Winn families!

Mrs. Richards
Principal, Winn Elementary

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