We hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving Weekend! Please excuse the newsletter delay, as we were with our families as well.

1. New and Noteworthy - Dec Staff appreciation treats, School directory, Holiday gift drive, Winn Brook gift card drive, Lost and found

2. Calendar of Events

3. Celebrating What We Do Best - Nov staff appreciation treats, 3rd grade field trip to Concord Museum

4. Around Belmont - Library topping off ceremony, Holiday activities, Belmont wellness coalition parenting group, Webinar: Children's Online Safety and Parental Control Tools, Spring soccer registration

5. Volunteer Links and Reminders

Season's Eatings! Before we head off for winter break, let's pamper our staff one more time.

Please sign up to donate to the December 12 Treat Day here - homemade and store bought food and drink are welcome! Or come early in the morning to help set up.

The 2024-2025 digital directory is now available! No hard-copies will be available this year.

A big thank you to Katy Yang and Michelle Bruno for putting the directory together.

If you have chosen to omit your email or opt-out of the directory, please note that per BPS guidelines you have also opted-out of receiving the digital directory by default. If you would like access to the directory (while still omitting your family information), please contact us at presidents@winnbrookpta.org - and confirm your child(ren) and teacher(s) so that we can verify Winn Brook enrollment.

New this year, Winn Brook is collecting gift cards to support Winn Brook families in need. All donations and recipients will remain anonymous. Winn Brook is still accepting donations through December 11, and will distribute gift cards on December 16. If you have any questions about the program, please reach out to Nurse Carbeck.

To donate a gift card(s), please follow these guidelines:

• Complete this form to donate a gift card

• Gift cards must be physical - plastic or printed, with the value written on the card

• Drop off gift cards at the main office or with your child in an envelope

• Mark all cards to the attention of Nurse Carbeck

The lost and found is piling up! Please search through the photos and reclaim your clothing. Please also label everything - especially items that are likely to be removed off your child’s body - such as coats, hats, and gloves! We do our best to return items to their owner, but can only do so if it is labeled. As a reminder, the link to these photos is at the bottom of every newsletter under “Volunteer Links and Reminders”.

If you need an item sent to your child’s class or have any questions email winnbrooklostandfound@gmail.com

Thank you to Rachel Hardin, Marcia Velencia, Libby Weintraub, and all our kind donors for another fantastic staff treats array. The staff was so excited that they dug-in mid setup! We are so grateful that your generosity continues to provide this welcome pick-me-up each month.

3rd Graders enjoyed a visit to the Concord Museum, learning about archaeology, the Native Peoples, and the Pilgrims. Thank you to 3rd Grade Enrichment Coordinator Katy Yang, 3rd grade staff, and all of our chaperones who made this field trip possible.

The Library is getting ready to add its last structural beam, and everyone is invited to sign it!! Join the fun at the Topping Off Ceremony and make your mark on the new library! 12/6 at 12:30pm.

https://belmontwellness.org/parenting-group/ 

Meetings are always virtual, and all are welcome to join – so please feel free to invite neighbors and friends.

Join us via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81577946616

Wed., Dec. 18 – Sexual Assault. What to do if your child is sexual assault by a student or other person. How to have the conversation, how to support them, how to determine if/what medical and mental health services to seek, whether to report it (or not) to the police, whether to reach out (or not) to the parents of the accused.

Date: December 3, 2024
Time: 7:00 PM (Eastern Time)

Join us for a live webinar designed for Belmont Public Schools families, presented by our online safety partner, Linewize. Gain valuable insights into the digital risks children face today and learn strategies to minimize them. Teodora Pavkovic, Linewize's Director of Wellbeing, will introduce tools like the ABC approach to online safety and the BPS Online Safety Hub. Additionally, Greg Hall, Linewize's Director of Community and former principal, will conduct a live demo of the Qustodio parent app and provide step-by-step setup guidance. The webinar will conclude with a Q&A session, so come ready with your questions!
Register here: Webinar Registration

www.belmontsoccer.com
Spring Registration will open on Friday December 6th, and stay open for 1 month through January 10th (no late registrations after this date!) the Spring season starting on 4/12

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