Parents as Partners

Welcome Back Winand Families!

Happy New Year! We hope everyone had a wonderful and restful winter break filled with joy and memories. As we return to school for a new year, we want to extend a warm welcome back to our students and families.

The start of a new year is always a time for fresh energy, new goals and enthusiasm. Mr. Day and I are committed to providing a positive and engaging environment where every student can thrive, and we are looking forward to all the wonderful experiences during the remainder of the year.

We thank you for your continued support and are excited to work together to make the rest of the year a success for our students.

Ms. Ramos and Mr. Day

BCPS Cell Phone Policy

2024-2025

Cell Phone Policy
While students may bring personal phones to school, the phones should not be used during class time or used inappropriately at any time during the school day. Failure to follow these rules will result in disciplinary actions against your child. We understand there are a number of reasons why parents/guardians have their children bring phones to school, however, they are a distraction and cause significant disruption to the learning environment. Please let your child know that cell phones and school time don’t mix and students who violate the cell phone policy will receive consequences.

As a reminder, students may have their cell phones on school property and during school-sponsored activities; however, students may not use their cell phones until the end of the instructional day.

Effective teaching and learning can’t happen when students are breaking the rules and distracted by their devices. Thank you for your support in reinforcing our cell phone policy at home.

For additional information and resources, visit these sites:

• For Android phone users – Family Link and Digital Ground Rules https://safety.google/families/parental-supervision/
• For iOS phone users – Parental Controls
• Cellphones and Devices: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers

Regular attendance is closely linked to academic success. Students who attend school regularly are more likely to keep up with their assignments, understand the material, and perform well on assessments. Missing school can lead to gaps in learning and make it challenging for students to grasp essential concepts.

If your child is absent, please send in a note upon their return to school.

At Winand Elementary, the goal is 96% attendance; please help us achieve this goal and provide students the foundation they deserve.

January counseling lessons are all about character.

* PreK and Kindergarten – Students will read the story Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen by Howard Binkow to learn ways to learn the importance of whole body listening. These skills are designed to improve peer relationships and school success.

* First Grade - Students will listen to the story Quiet Please, Owen McPhee by Trudy Ludwig to lead a discussion about whole body listening and to practice using active listening strategies at home and school.

* Second Grade - Students will listen to the story My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook to identify self-control strategies and to improve coping and communication skills.

* Third Grade - Students will read the story Cliques Just Don’t Make Cents by Julia Cook to teach students strategies for persevering through social challenges. They will also identify individual positive character traits to celebrate differences. These two topics will be tied together to highlight the importance of creating an inclusive school community

* Fourth Grade – Students will identify differences between fixed and growth mindsets. They will then engage in a class activity to practice identifying the different mindsets. Using a growth mindset helps students build confidence and courage when faced with new challenges and to demonstrate resilience when they struggle.

* Fifth Grade - Students will read the book The Technology Tail by Julia Cook to learn about strategies to safely use the internet, social media and other technology.

Greetings From Nurse P.!

Just a reminder to parents/guardians with students who are in Pre-K 4, 1st and 4th grades, Vision and Hearing Screening will take place January 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th, 2025. Parents will only receive notification of screening failures. If your child already has glasses, please make sure they have them in school.

If there are any parents who did not receive a blue Discretionary Medication Consent Form for discretionary medications at school, please let me know, I will be happy to send one home.

As many parents are aware, cold, flu and Covid season is here. If your child is not feeling well or has a fever, please keep them at home until the fever is gone for 24 hours without using fever reducing medication. It is so important to try to minimize the spread of illness, as others may be more susceptible to severe illness when infected.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s health, please feel free to reach out to me. My email address is Npugliese@bcps.org, or call school. I wish every family a happy, safe and healthy holiday season!

Nicole Pugliese, RN

January 2025

2-Schools and Offices Open

9-Team BCPS Day~ Wear Blue to Support

20-Schools and Offices Closed-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

24-Schools Close 3 Hr. Early (1:05 p.m.) 2nd Marking Period Ends

29-Schools Closed for Students- Systemwide PD Day for Teachers

February 2025

6- Report Cards Available Online at the End of the Day

17-Schools and Offices Closed-President's Day

25-STEM Night-PTA Sponsored

March 2025

4- Math Night 5:30 p.m.

18-Reading Night 5:30 p.m.

25-Maryland Day

31-Schools Closed for Students-Systemwide PD Day for Teachers

April 2025

4-School Closes 3 Hr. Early (1:05 p.m.) 3rd Marking Period Ends

11-Spring Break Begins at the end of the day

22-Schools Reopen 9:10 a.m.

25- Pre-K and Kindergarten Conference Day-No School for Pre-K 3, Pre-K 4 and Kindergarten; Teachers are on duty

28-Pre- K 3's and Pre-K 4's Confernece Day-No School for Pre-K 3's and Pre-K 4's. ; Teachers are on duty

May 2025

16- Schools and Offices Close 3 hrs Early at 1:05 p.m.

26- Schools and Offices Closed-Memorial Day