1. New and Noteworthy - PTA meeting (10/8), Website redesign call for help, Sibling photo day (10/30), Lost and Found, 3rd Grade Committee kicks off, Lunch Volunteers, Library Volunteers

2. Calendar of Events

3. Celebrating What We Do Best - Room Parents assigned, Staff Appreciation, Trimming Hedges

4. Around Belmont - Help shape the future of BPS, Halloween celebrations

5. Volunteer Links and Reminders

This year’s first PTA meeting will be Tuesday Oct 8, at 7pm in the Winn Brook cafeteria. Please join us to learn more about the work our PTA does to support the school and community, help brainstorm ways to increase inclusivity in our programs and events, and meet/get to know other parents and caregivers. THE MORE THE MERRIER - come and bring a friend (or come and make a friend!).

Please enter through the blacktop.

Light, seasonally themed refreshments will be served.

Our Winn Brook PTA website needs some help! We’re looking for volunteers to help with the website redesign, both content and layout, which is done fairly simply through an easy-to-use platform called Thrillshare - no coding required! The PTA exec board will be here to help. If you’re interested, might be interested, might possibly help with this if we begged you, PLEASE indicate your interest here.

We are happy to offer the opportunity for Winn Brook students and their siblings (any age!) to have pictures taken together by Everett Hayward, owners of Hayward Photography. This will take place Wednesday, October 30th, after school. Note this is an extra-early dismissal day so Winn Brook will be released at 11:40, and you will have time to go home, have lunch, get ready for pictures and come back to Winn Brook, where pictures will be outside on school grounds.
There isn't a sitting fee and prices are comparable to school pictures. This year you will be emailed a gallery code so you can see and choose from several options of pictures to buy. If you want these pictures, please sign up for a time slot here.

Thank you to our Lost and Found chair Hilary Bent-Mullings for keeping everything organized! Play “eye spy” with your kids to identify any personal items. Photos of the Lost and Found will be updated every 1-2 weeks. Any unclaimed items will be donated after one month. The link to Lost and Found photos will be in every newsletter under “Volunteer Links and Reminders”.

This year, our third graders embark on their final journey at Winn Brook! In past years, students celebrated a series of events, and we want to continue this tradition for our current class. To make this happen, we need YOU! We are looking for many parent volunteers to form a Third Grade Committee to plan these exciting events and special keepsakes for our graduating students. Committee volunteers will be involved in organizing fun activities, including a Halloween Party and Bingo Night, and designing custom Winn Brook third grade t-shirts and a unique yearbook. To fund these activities, we will be organizing fundraising efforts, such as a fall bake sale and a spring raffle. Your skills, experience, and time are valuable to us. If you have a desire to contribute, we would love your help! 

Please reach out to Leanne Langmaid (leannecorsino@gmail.com) to get involved in the Third Grade Committee. 

Volunteer here to help our staff with lunch in the cafeteria. All volunteers must be CORI checked; please reach out to Denesia Campbell at the front office to fill out a CORI form.

The link for Lunch Volunteers will be in every newsletter under “Volunteer Links and Reminders”

There are TWO Exciting ways to volunteer at the library this year. 

Class time volunteer - volunteers come into the library when your child’s class attends to assist with checking in and checking out the books, reshelving  books, tidy up! (fix displays and straighten shelves). Training & orientation will be provided in several ways. This is a work in progress, so please be on the lookout for information.  I hope to have a written summary completed, short video and in-person training. PTA Sign-Up Genius links to volunteer should have been sent by your Room Parents. We also have a complete list here (and will also be in every newsletter under “Volunteer Links and Reminders”). Here is a “training manual” for you to get a sense of what’s expected.

Friends of the Library - Friends of the Library assist with longer term projects. The projects range from arranging seasonal displays, shelf reading & weeding, signage for bins and bookcases… a variety of projects to tap the creative and strong (books are heavy) WB spirit! Some of these projects can be completed at home or worked on anytime during the school day. You can pick & choose what projects you would like to help out on. Reach out to Doreen Cameron, library aide at WB, directly to be included on the Friends of the Library email list, dcameron@belmontschools.net

Thank you to all who volunteered!!! Room parents have been assigned (by random number generator) for each classroom. You can find the list here (and in every newsletter under “Volunteer Links and Reminders”). Ideally, there will be two room parents for each class, so if your child’s class has just one and you would be willing to help out, please reach out directly to that room parent. 

There are currently two (2) opportunities to help shape the future of Belmont Public Schools (BPS).

Portrait of a Graduate - We are actively engaging our community in developing a Portrait of a Graduate, a collective vision that articulates our aspirations for every student in Belmont. Our Portrait of a Graduate will serve as North Star for our schools, bringing our community together with a shared vision. See BPS's email "Help Design Belmont's Vision of a Graduate" from 10/2/24 for more information.

Strategic Planning Advisory Committee - Belmont Public Schools has established a strategic plan that will guide district improvement over the next few years. This plan is anchored in the newly-formed mission, vision, and core values and is organized around 3 key strategic priorities. See BPS's email "BPS Strategic Planning Advisory Committee" from 10/2/24 for more information.

There are many more Belmont events to explore:
Belmont Voice Community Events
Belmont Public School Community Events

Libby Weintraub & Meenal Bagla & Michal Feldman

Winn Brook PTA Co-Presidents

presidents@winnbrookpta.org