The Winn Word

February 16, 2025

Hello Families,

I hope this letter finds you enjoying your long winter weekend. It was so fun to see families in the building for our Valentine's Day parties. School parties bring lots of happy memories for our kiddos. It is always nice to have you share in that moment too!

This week we are starting a new unit in our Second Step program. We will be studying the STEPS to solving a problem. Each week we will study one of the "steps." we would take to solve a problem.

Week 1: Say the problem (without blame)

Week 2: Think of solutions that are safe and respectful

Week 3: Explore the consequences of our solutions

Week 4: Pick the best solution

Following a recommendation from our WPC, I am going to share how you can learn right along with us at school. Be on the look out for some quick little video tips you can use at home to help "coach" your child on how to solve a problem at school or at home!

We also have two big events coming up. The last week of February, we are celebrating JoAnn Sharrar, our amazing day custodian. JoAnn has been with Shepherd for 26 years! We will be doing something special each day of her last week of work for Winn. You can get involved in the fun too! We are showering her with cards at school on Tuesday, February 25th. If you want to send in a card too, feel free! JoAnn is such a special part of our school! Thank you for helping to make her feel the love from all of our families!

In March, we are BLASTING off to a fun space themed reading month. "Reading is Out of This World," is going to have lots of cool STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) things for you to do at home. Get ready for lots of reading and learning as we explore our space!

Highlights for this week include:

• No School on Monday, February 17th
• Tucked in Tuesday (early edition 6:30pm due to Board of Education Meeting)
• Western Day - dress up in your western outfits on Friday, February 21st
• Giddy Up Gala - Friday, February 21st from 6:30-8:30pm for your Winn student and one special guest. This night is full of lots of fun for you and your child. Parking this year is going to be by our cafeteria (down in the Flex Tech wing). We will enter the doors on the East side of the FlexTech building. Look for the signs to know where to enter the Giddy up Gala.

With Gratitude,

Laurie Richards

Winn Elementary Principal

This past month, we have been working hard on understanding how to handle big emotions. Each classroom teacher nominated 2 students that were excellent role models with this OR who had a big breakthrough with handling big emotions! We want to celebrate all of our special STAR students this month! Each student got a book from our book vending machine, a special certificate, and a keepsake photo! Congratulations STARS!

Parent Connection: Here's what you can do at home!

We learned a process that you can use at school or at home to help you calm down when we have a big emotions. Here is how you can use this at home.

Step 1- If you notice your child is having a big emotion (angry, scared, disappointed, impatient, etc) remind them the first thing they need to do is use their STOP signal. This could be different for all of us. It might be them just saying "stop" in their head. Some kids say "chill out" or "calm down." Ask your child what their STOP signal is if they have a big emotion that makes them feel like their brain is going to flip.

Step 2- Have your child say the emotion they are feeling. You might have to coach them on this. This process is called "co-regulation." You will help them understand those big emotions by naming the emotion.

Step 3- The last step is to calm down using one of the following ideas. They may use breathing (ask them about their "invisible backpack," counting, or positive self-talk.

Learning this process will help your child regulate those big emotions. If they have a tricky time with this continue to help coach them through the steps. You are already experts in this! You co-regulated with your baby all the time. You might have held them, wrapped them up in a blanket, rocked them, used shhhh, shhh, shhhh sounds, etc. You have been coaching your child about how to help themselves calm down since they were a baby!

If you need more help at home with this, please feel free to reach out to your child's classroom teacher, Mrs. Sellers, or Mrs. Richards.

Creating a Family Social Contract with Capturing Kids' Hearts

At Winn Elementary, we use the Capturing Kids’ Hearts program to build strong relationships and create a positive, respectful learning environment. One of the key elements of this program is the Social Contract, which is a shared agreement about how we treat one another. You can use this same strategy at home to encourage kindness, responsibility, and respect in your family.

How to Create a Social Contract at Home

1. Gather as a Family
   Set aside time when everyone can participate. The goal is for all family members to have a voice in shaping how your home feels.

2. Ask Four Key Questions
   As a family, discuss and agree on answers to these questions:

   • How do we want to be treated by others in this family?
   • How do we want to treat each other?
   • How do we want to handle conflict?
   • How will we hold each other accountable?

3. Write It Down
   Record the responses on a poster or piece of paper. Keep it simple, using words or short phrases everyone understands.

4. Sign the Contract
   Have each family member sign the contract to show their commitment.

5. Display It in a Visible Place
   Put the Social Contract somewhere everyone can see, like the refrigerator or a family message board.

6. Review and Reinforce

   • Regularly revisit the contract as a reminder.
   • If conflicts arise, refer back to it: "Are we following our Social Contract?"
   • Celebrate when family members uphold the agreement.

This process helps children feel heard, builds mutual respect, and creates a home environment where everyone feels valued.

If you have any questions or want more ideas, we’d love to support you! Reach out to your classroom teacher, Mrs. Sellers, or Mrs. Richards for support with your social contract at home.

See example of a classroom Social Contract below

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.

• 2/17 No School for staff/students
• 2/18 Tucked in Tuesday 6:30pm
• 2/21 Western Dress Up Day at Winn!
• 2/21 Giddy Up Gala 6:30-8:30pm
• 2/21 Tri 2 Report Cards Sent Home
• 3/3 March is Reading Month Kick Off
• 3/5 WPC Meeting 5:30pm
• 3/22-3/30 Spring Break

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