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Winchester Weekly
Back to School 2023-2024
Winchester Purpose & Mission
Winchester is a Leader in Me school with a common purpose to inspire students to be critical thinkers and problem-solvers who demonstrate responsibility for themselves and respect for others.
Learning together, Leading forever!
Dear Winchester Families,
Hello Winchester Families!
Welcome to the 2023-24 school year! It is with great joy and anticipation that I extend a warm welcome to each and every member of our school community! As we embark on our new school year we are excited to kick off the year with the student selected theme of "Winchester is the Best Place to Bee"!
We take pride in being a Leader in Me Lighthouse school, committed to fostering a culture of learning, leadership and growth. Our mission, "Learning Together, Leading Forever", resonates deeply with our shared values and aspirations. We continue to focus on developing leadership skills through The Leader in Me. In addition, we aspire to develop 21st-century skills, foster a safe, positive, and nurturing environment for children, and maintain the highest expectations for our students and ourselves.
The Winchester staff is talented, hardworking, and committed to ensuring all students receive a strong academic foundation. We remain united in our dedication to inspire our students to be critical thinkers and problem solvers who demonstrate responsibility for themselves and respect for others.
We look forward to working together; staff, students, parents, and community, to continue the legacy of excellence established at Winchester.
I would like to extend my gratitude to our families for your continued support, involvement, and partnership in your child's education. Your active involvement is an integral part of our success, and together, we will continue to create a supportive environment that enables each student to thrive both academically and socially.
Here's to an exceptional school year filled with learning, leadership, and boundless possibilities! Welcome again to the 2023-24 school year!
With warm regards,
Kelly I. Lindsay, Ed. S.
Principal
Keep informed of current information by accessing the Winchester website:
http://winchester.northvilleschools.org/
You can also find us @WinchesterElem on X (formerly Twitter)
The first day of school is Tuesday, September 5th. First bell rings at 8:41 AM and school starts at 8:46 AM. Drop off begins at 8:35 AM. Students will be allowed to enter the building at 8:41 AM each morning. The school day ends at 3:45 PM.
Upcoming Dates
August 29 - August 31:
Medication Drop Off Dates
(see times below)
August 30:
~New Family Orientation 5:30-6:00 PM
~ Open House - Kindergarten - 5th Grade 6:00-7:00 PM
September 5:
~ First Day of School - Full Day of school 8:46 PM - 3:45 PM
~ Annual Online Registration Due
September 12: First PTA Meeting/Welcome Back 7:00 PM
🍃🏵 🍃🏵 🍃🏵 🍃🏵
Meet Our New Staff
Please help us in welcoming 5th grade teacher Kaitlyn Calero.She is a graduate of Michigan State University and has six years experience teaching in Saline Area Schools. She is married and has two children. She is excited to join the Winchester community and we are thrilled to have her!
Welcome to Margaret McNair our English Language Learner Teacher. She has been teaching in Northville since 2015. She taught high school French for 9 years and is now shifting to elementary ESL! She is excited to be a part of the Winchester team. She has a 13 year old daughter; loves to travel, play volleyball, and hang out at the pool in the summer. They are also big Marvel & Star Wars fans! Lately, she has been trying to learn Spanish and pick up pickleball.
We would also like to welcome Madison Martino, our newest paraprofessional. She is a proud Spartan with an Engineering degree from Michigan State University. She loves traveling, sports, and reading. While being a Nanny for the past 3 years she discovered her love and joy for being around children. She is looking forward to a school year full of learning and adventure.
Important Events
Back to School Open House
Open House 6:00-7:00 PM
The purpose of these events is to welcome students and families into the building. Classroom visits are informal. The New Family Orientation will include a brief presentation as well as time for questions. If you are not attending the New Family Orientation you are welcome to come anytime between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM to meet your child's teacher and see the classroom. We can't wait to see you!
Wednesday, Aug 30, 2023, 06:00 PM
Winchester Elementary School, Winchester Drive, Township of Northville, MI, USA
Class Placement
Class placements will be accessible through the MiStar ParentConnection Portal on August 25, 2023 after 4:00 PM.
https://sisweb.resa.net/Northville/ParentPortal
We know how excited everyone is for the start of the school year and looking forward to seeing who their teacher is for this year. Thank you for your patience as we work through the complex class placement process and teacher assignments.
Online Annual Registration Now Available for 2023/24 School Year
All new and returning families: It's time to fill out your required online Annual Registration!
Every year, all families (including those who recently enrolled) are required to fill out the digital Annual Registration for each student. Families may complete these forms through MiStar ParentConnection. After logging in to your Parent Portal account, click the RED Annual Registration at the top right of your screen. Then select Register Now to the far right of your student’s name to begin the process.
Through this process you will be asked to update your student’s emergency contact information, home address and health information, review our technology use policy and student handbooks, learn more about PTSA/PTA, access the web store and much more.
Need Help? Many of the most commonly asked questions can be found on our FAQs page (located in the upper right-hand corner of ParentConnection.) If you have further questions, please email the helpdesk at parentportal@northvilleschools.org
Registration deadlines:
- All NHS students must have the annual registration completed before Transition Days the week of Monday, August 21, 2023.
- All Hillside and Meads Mill Middle School students must have the annual registration completed before Transition Days starting on Thursday, August 24, 2023.
- All elementary students and Cooke School students must have the annual registration completed prior to the start of school on Tuesday, September 5, 2023.
Medication Drop Off
We recommend you drop off medication and forms to the school office before school starts. Below are the times you can drop off medication and signed forms to the school office:
Tuesday August 29th - 9.00 AM - 1.00 PM
Wednesday, August 30th - 11.00 AM - 1.00 PM
Wednesday, August 30th during Open House - 5:30 PM - 7.00 PM
Thursday, August 31st - 9.00 AM - 1.00 PM
Please call the office if you would like to drop off medication at a different time, to ensure someone will be in the office at that time.
Reminder, we cannot accept medication without signed forms.
School Supply Lists
Bus Transportation
Bus assignments will be available before the first day of school in Parent Connection https://sisweb.resa.net/Northville/ParentPortal
School Breakfast and Lunch Program
The Northville Public Schools provides a breakfast and hot lunch program for interested students.
This school year, Northville Public Schools will be providing free breakfast and lunch meals to all pre-K through grade 12 NPS students, regardless of free or reduced lunch availability.
Families must preorder breakfasts and lunches for preschools and elementary students. Orders must be in by 7am for all students for breakfast and lunch. The system will not allow you to order after the time listed above. For your convenience, meals can be preordered up to 30 days in advance. To avoid any issues, we recommend ordering the night before.
Funding for the Michigan School Meals Program was included in the 2023-24 School Aid Bill approved by the state legislature. Under this program students can receive free breakfast and lunch meals each full school day. In addition to these free meals, students may purchase a second breakfast or lunch meal, snack items or a separate carton of milk, as desired.
In order to operate the program successfully, we are actively seeking additional Food Service staff members to work in our kitchens. If you or someone you know are interested in joining the Food Service team, please contact our Food Service department at 248-344-3690.
Finally, please be aware that the Michigan School Meals Program will supplement the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, meaning that parents of students who would otherwise be eligible for free or reduced meals should continue to submit applications for free or reduced meals for their students. Even though meals will be free this year, it is vitally important that parents who meet, or believe they may meet, the free and reduced income guidelines, submit an application to ensure maximum benefits for their students and the District. Some of these benefits include:
- Athletics and activities discounts for student fees associated with participating in athletics and activities programs
- SAT, ACT and AP test discounts for academic testing
- College application discounts for college application fees
- Discounted internet access services
- Federal, state and local school funding for school budgets
- Summer EBT
Society of Readers
Winchester’s Society of Readers program is ready to go!
For those families who might not know, the Society of Readers program has a long history at Winchester. It was started many years ago as a way to promote reading outside of the school day. As with any developing skill, progress comes with practice.
Important Links and Info
Slide Show - this is the slide show from the video in case you would like to review it.
September Calendar - Students will get a paper copy from their teacher, but here is the link.
Schoology Course - Your child will be automatically enrolled. No code is needed. Check your child’s Schoology dashboard.
New This Year!
Students have the opportunity to earn the pennant pictured above. Watch the video below to learn how.
If you have any questions about the SOR program please contact Mrs. Rush at rushka@northvilleschools.org.
News from the PTA
JOIN THE PTA FOR THE ‘23-24 SCHOOL YEAR.
Hello Winchester Families!
We hope everyone had an amazing summer! It is hard to believe that September is right around the corner! The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Board has been meeting this summer and we are ready to have another wonderful school year filled with student programs and community events.
The Winchester PTA is dedicated to promoting the welfare and well-being of our students, both academically and personally. We believe that a strong partnership between parents, staff, teachers, and community members is essential in providing the best possible elementary experience for our children. We invite you to join us in our mission to enhance educational opportunities. Your involvement, ideas, and support are invaluable to us, and together, we can make a lasting impact on the lives of our children.
We are gearing up for another year and invite you to participate in the following:
JOIN THE PTA! Membership costs $12 for one adult or $20 for 2 adults and you will receive a printed Winchester Directory. Remember, PTA memberships are annual and need to be renewed each year. No time commitment is required!
DONATE TO Invest in Your Child. This is our main fundraiser and it allows us to host all of the events and programs we run throughout the year. Without the financial support of our members, we would not be able to bring these programs to Winchester. Your donation is tax deductible. The first 25 donations will receive a Winchester mug!
ATTEND THE FIRST PTA MEETING Tuesday, September 12th in the Dragon’s Den (Multipurpose Room) where you will meet the board, other parents and hear Winchester updates. A Parent Meet and Greet will begin at 6:30PM and the PTA meeting will begin at 7PM.
Is your student interested in talking about their favorite PTA programs? Reach out to WinchesterPTAPresident@gmail.com if interested. We would love to showcase what is important to our students.
Did you know that you can earn money for Winchester when shopping? Kroger, Busch’s, Office Depot/Office Max, and General Mills Box Tops will donate a percentage of your everyday shopping directly to our school. It takes only a few minutes to sign up & every dollar counts. Busch’s does require you to update this every calendar year, so take a look to ensure you are still enrolled.
There is no right or wrong way to be involved - anything you can give, whether it's time or money, it's an investment in your child. We invite you to join because we can do more together than apart. How will you PTA? We look forward to partnering with you this year!
Go Dragons!
Winchester PTA Board
#YouBelongInPTA
Cub Scouts
Cub Scouts is fun for the whole family. It provides hands-on learning opportunities that puts kids in the middle of the action and prepares them for today – and for life. Anyone interested in Cub Scouts
please send an email to: cubmaster@northville903.mypack.us.
District News
Winchester ❤️ Back-to-School
Website: http://winchester.northvilleschools.org/
Location: 16141 Winchester Drive
Contact Us: (248) 465-2400
X (Twitter):@ WinchesterElem
Office Hours: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM