This is our 28th and final issue of the Weekly Winnie for the 2023-2024 School Year. We hope you've found the content and regularity of our new PTA newsletter both informative and enjoyable. We are looking for a new newsletter crew for next year. If you have a little time for collecting stories and photos from our community and committees, writing, formatting, editing, etc., we welcome volunteers!
Winn Brook PTA
Opening Remarks
New and Noteworthy
Volunteer with the PTA Next Year!
The PTA runs on an amazing engine of volunteers like you, and we have many opportunities throughout the year for families and guardians to participate and support our students, staff, and school. The year is almost done, but you can volunteer for next year using this form:
Winn Brook PTA Volunteer Interest Form 2024-2025
Click anything and everything that interests you, it is not an outright commitment. The PTA Co-Presidents and Committee Chairs will contact you at a later date to see if you still have availability.
Draft PTA Meeting Minutes
Last Thursday we held our final PTA Meeting of the year. Please see our Draft Meeting Minutes from June 6th, 2024 - it contains links to the slides presented at the meeting including our budget report, highlights from the past year, and initiatives for next year. Thank you to all those who attended so we could have a quorum and vote on various motions and Executive Committee positions.
We intend to vote to approve these Meeting Minutes as final at our first meeting of next school year in October 2024, following any feedback from our community.
4th Grade Party - Tomorrow!
The 4th Graders will have their traditional End-of-Year Party this Thursday, June 13th from 6:15-8:15pm in the Winn Brook Gym! Come celebrate one last time with your classmate before you leave Winn Brook! Fourth Grade Families, please join the fun at 8pm for the End of Year Slideshow documenting this grade's time from K to present at our wonderful school (bring tissues!).
Note: this is a drop-off event but students will need to be signed in and out by a parent/guardian at the Gym entrance off the black-top.
Clap Out - Friday!
The Clap Out is a long-standing tradition to recognize students "moving on" from Winn Brook. This celebration will take place on Friday, June 14th at 11:00am. All Winn Brook families are welcome to line the route and join us in clapping our enthusiastic support for a job well done and to share well wishes for our graduating 3rd and 4th Graders. All students will return to the building for dismissal. Please see the image below (provided by the Principal) for route, viewing areas, and expectations.
Lost and Found - Last Chance!
Please look through the Lost and Found racks at school, or check the virtual Lost and Found here. Anything left at the end of today will be donated to charity. Please contact our Lost and Found committee volunteers here with any questions.
Calendar of Events
June
June 13 - 4th Grade End of Year Party, in the gym
June 14 - Clap Out for 3rd/4th Grade Graduates 11am, dismissal at 11:40am
June 17 - Half Day, dismissal at 11:40am
June 18 - Last Day of School, dismissal 11:40am
August
Stay tuned for Kindergarten Popsicle Playdates at Joey's Park!
September
Sept 4 - First Day of School (1st-12th Grades)
Sept 5 - First Day of School (Half the Kindergarten Class)
Sept 6 - First Day of School (Other Half of the Kindergarten Class)
Celebrating What We Do Best
Spring Ice Cream Social Success
The Ice Cream Social Committee has done it again! By far one of our most popular and best attended annual events, on Thursday June 6th the PTA hosted a huge ice cream social on the black top behind Winn Brook which happily spilled over into the fields and Joey's Park. The weather turned just in time to have a perfect evening together as a community to celebrate our year together. We were so pleased to make this a free event again. We had current students, future students, and alumni students attend with their families.
Thank you to our staff super scoopers who participated! We love having the teachers and Principal making sundaes for their students on such a happy night. Thanks to everyone who made time to join us, and to the many committee volunteers supporting its success. A hearty thank you to our veteran Ice Cream Social Chair Libby Weintraub who was a part of every step from organizing with Moozy's, setting up, whip cream dispensing, to the mighty task of cleaning up.
Staff Appreciation
June 6th was our final Staff Appreciation Treat Day with the theme "Thanks for an Incredible Year!" Their sparkly decorations and on-the-go treats brightened the teachers' lounge.
A huge thank you to all the families who donated such thoughtful and delicious treats for the teachers and staff this year for the monthly treat days. Your generosity created so many positive vibes! The teachers and staff were hugely appreciative and felt so loved. What a great way to make everyone’s day a little better, one treat and one smile at a time. Thank you!
In other Staff Appreciation news, a late request from the Principal was approved by the Executive Board for a full staff luncheon on the last day of school after the students are released. The PTA also decided to add this line item to next year's Staff Appreciation Committee budget. We hope they enjoy the catered luncheon next week, and again next year!
The PTA would like to thank all the families who volunteered with the Staff Appreciation Committee over the course of the year. Additionally we'd like to give an enormous thank you to our Co-Chairs, Portia Thompson, Elisa Perry, and Amanda Lubarsky. They are creative, thoughtful, big-hearted, and perfect in this role.
1st Grade Enrichment
On Thursday May 29th the 1st Graders had an author visit from Jamie Deenihan. In addition to funding the event fully, the PTA also purchased four copies of Ms. Deenihan's “The New Bird in Town” - one for each 1st Grade classroom. Happy reading!
3rd Grade Gift to Safwan
The 3rd Grade Committee sent a copy of their yearbook and class t-shirt to former classmate Safwan in California and wish him the best in school and life!
Around Belmont
Belmont Free Lessons
Belmont Free Lessons is back for summer 2024! BFL was founded in March 2020 with the goal of providing free, additional learning opportunities within our community. We hope to inspire both teaching and learning by serving as a platform for people to learn from others. By sharing our talents with each other, we will continue to become a more united and productive community.
We offer free classes and seminars in a wide range of subjects, taught by local students with strong interest and experience in what they're teaching.
If you are interested in participating in a class or attending a seminar this summer, please complete this Belmont Free Lessons Interest Form so we know how best to serve you. Thank you!
Reminders
Traffic Safety **Updated Links**
The students' safety must be our priority. Every day we see dangerous and illegal driving and parking practices at Winn Brook by drivers in our own school community. Our Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Committee reminds us all to please:
Follow the Winn Brook Arrival & Dismissal Plan and associated map
Use the Student Drop-Off Zone on Sherman Street properly
Never obstruct crosswalks, driveways, intersections, disability spaces, or fire hydrants
Never enter or obstruct any Winn Brook parking lot or driveway
Never idle at school, it’s against MA law. Always turn off your vehicle as soon as you are in park.
Never make U-Turns/reverse direction in the school zone
Obey signage, there are one way streets and No Parking/Stopping areas during Arrival and Dismissal times
Never double-park
Never allow your child to enter or exit your vehicle while in the street
With your cooperation and effort we can ensure a much safer and healthier experience for our walkers, bikers, busers, and drivers alike while maintaining critical access for emergency and first responder vehicles at all times.
Closing Remarks
We would like to thank our warm and wonderful Winn Brook community for another fantastic year. It was full of both beloved school traditions and exciting new firsts, wild successes as well as valuable lessons-learned. This is a special place and each of you have helped keep it so with every hour of time volunteered, every donation made, and every kind gesture offered.
We have been so honored to serve and support you, our students, and our staff as PTA Co-Presidents. Over our many combined years at the school we have worn a number of hats (Executive Board members, Room Parents, Committee Chairs, library volunteers, lunchroom helpers, etc.) but our favorite role has always been just being a proud Winn Brook parent.
Have a wonderful summer! We will miss you all and wish you the best of luck next year. By working together, listening to new ideas, and upholding the school's core values of respect, community, and high expectations, we are more than confident that the PTA, and Winn Brook, will only get better and better for all.
With much gratitude and a few tears,
Erika & Sarah - Your Outgoing PTA Co-Presidents
