The Winn Word

February 9, 2025

Hello Families,

We had some great conversations last week at our Winn Parents Club meeting. I was able to share our perception data survey results you filled out in December and January. After looking at the areas where we needed to improve, we came up with some great ideas together:

• Lunch with Laurie will have a learning element to them. Each time I will talk about something from Capturing Kids Hearts to help our families learn more about it at home. Topic chats will be 15 minutes long so you can drop in and listen for a bit.
• Make a connection between learning and the real world. We are going to invite different family members in to talk about their job and how it relates to school. We want kids to understand that the learning they receive now leads to lots of different professions.
• We are going to invite students to make short videos we can share teaching about the strategies we are learning in Second Steps.
• We are going to invite in different speakers for families to hear about timely topics.
• We are going to develop a common communication policy so parents know how teachers will communicate with them about school.

As we head into this big Valentine's week at school, I am sharing some home-school connection learning about Kindness from Capturing Kids Hearts (CKH). Check out the "Kindness Challenge," in the newsletter this week to help highlight kindness at your house for the month of February (and beyond!).

Other highlights this week include:

• 5th graders are headed to the CMU Stem lab on Tuesday
• Valentine's Day parties on Friday
• 1/2 day on Friday - 11:00 dismissal
• No School for students or staff on Monday, February 17th

With Gratitude,

Laurie Richards

Winn Elementary Principal

During the month of February, Capturing Kids Hearts (CKH) focuses on Kindness—a small act that can make a big difference! Teaching children to be kind helps create a positive school environment and builds important lifelong social skills.

Why Kindness Matters

Kindness is more than just being polite; it teaches empathy, respect, and the importance of community. Studies show that acts of kindness improve children's emotional well-being, increase confidence, and even boost academic performance.

How We’re Promoting Kindness at School

• Cool Kid Alerts: During morning opening, students and staff can give shout outs to each other for following our Winn Promise.

• Good Things: Each morning every classroom practices "good things." This is a moment when teachers let kids share the good things that are happening in their life.

• BlueJay Brag: We have a special note that we give students when they do something amazing academically or social-emotionally. The staff member writes it on the note and the student brings it home to you!

How You Can Encourage Kindness at Home

• Model Kindness: Children learn by example. Show kindness in your everyday actions—whether it’s helping a neighbor, saying “thank you,” or being patient.

• Recognize and Praise Kindness: Acknowledge when your child does something kind. Saying, “That was really thoughtful of you!” reinforces positive behavior.

• Read Books About Kindness: Stories help children see the impact of kindness. Some great books include Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud and Kindness is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler by Margery Cuyler.

• Practice the Kindness Challenge: I have attached a special BINGO card Kindness Challenge for you. How many can you cross off this month? Want to print it? Click the document below to print at home.

Together, we can make kindness a habit that lasts a lifetime! Thank you for supporting our efforts to create a caring and compassionate school community!

Take a minute to read the Winn Parents' Club newsletter for February. If you click the picture it will take you to the minutes for our past meeting.

The BlueJay Wellness Center, located at 238 S. Chippewa Street in Shepherd, is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Please note that the center is closed for lunch; it's advisable to call ahead if you need your child seen as a walk in. You can reach them at 989-567-9034.

cmdhd.org

The center provides primary and preventive health services for individuals aged 3 to 21 within the Shepherd School District. Services include comprehensive health assessments, vision and hearing screenings, immunizations, treatment of acute illnesses, health education, and mental health care. Services can be billed to health insurances if applicable, and no eligible person will be denied services based on insurance status or ability to pay. Staff can assist with Medicaid enrollment.

cmdhd.org

As of February 6, 2025, the BlueJay Wellness Center is open for business.

• 2/14 1/2 of school. Dismissal at 11:00am
• 2/17 No School for staff/students
• 2/21 Western Dress Up Day at Winn!
• 2/21 Giddy Up Gala 6:30-8:30pm
• 3/5 WPC Meeting 5:30pm

Here is our Winn Elementary Parent and Student Handbook for 24-25. It is filled with lots of useful information about our school.

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