October 3, 2007

Quote of the week:

"We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us."
  
--Joseph Campbell

Winton Woods High School News:

• The Winton Woods Homecoming Parade will be October 12 before the Homecoming football game between the Winton Woods Warriors and the Milford Eagles. Student groups affiliated with each school are welcome to participate in the parade. It's lots of fun and a good way to show your Warrior spirit!

 The parade will begin at 6:15 p.m. at Winton Woods Intermediate School (not the  elementary building as previously stated) and then proceed west on  Waycross, right into Central Park and on to Charlie Fredrick Stadium.

Any groups interested in participating should contact Amy Murrell at 742-4823 or alm@cinci.rr.com. Hope to see you all there!

• Winton Woods High School will host Stringfest on Tuesday, October 16.  A combined orchestra of approximately 120 students from Winton Woods, Northwest and Colerain High Schools will perform at 7 p.m.  Families and community members are welcome to this free event.

• A representative from the U.S. Naval Academy will be at Winton Woods High School on Friday, October 5 to talk to top juniors and seniors.  The representative has informed College Counselor Kevin Jones that he will be able to offer scholarships on the spot.

• Members of the Hispanic Fund Scholarship committee (a national organization) will also be at the high school on Friday, October 5 to meet with Hispanic students about the requirements for applying for and receiving a scholarship from their organization.

• Is it the shoe department at Kohl's? Nope. It's just room 122 at Winton Woods High School.

It is, however, all about shoes this week for English teacher Maria Luckey's students. Her English 10 students are writing shoe narratives. Students have been given the task of interviewing the owner of a pair of shoes—not just any shoes—a pair of shoes that have traveled on an 'interesting' journey. Perhaps these shoes have been in Iraq, or to ballet class; perhaps they have walked the streets of London, or gone scuba diving. After gathering research, students will write narrative essays, personifying the shoes. They will develop skills in writing dialogue, characterization, developing setting, and including sensory details.

This week, students will also "walk" in the shoes of holocaust survivors depicted on the Oprah Winfrey show featuring Ellie Wiesel and 9/11 victims, as well as many others. This lesson kicks off Luckey's classroom motto for the school year: "Storyteller, Storyteller, spin me a yarn," and the class theme: "Don't judge a man until you walk two moons in his moccasins."

Luckey explains, "I believe when we hear someone's story, and we walk in their shoes, then we're less likely to judge. When we look toward the needs, feelings, and cares of others, we become more humane and kind toward others. This all comes back to the classroom, these lessons cause my pupils to be more understanding of their classmates. Ultimately, a better learning environment means that more learning takes place."

Winton Woods Middle School News:

• Winton Woods Middle School is proud to announce its Students of the Month for September 2007. These students were nominated by the teaching staff because of the quality of their work, their efforts in class, their responsibility level and behavior at school, their attitude, and their relationship to their peers and teachers. September Students of the Month are: 7th graders Hakeem Collins and Taylor Kinley; 8th graders Maria Diaz, Ryan Childers, Jacey Billups and Nick Marck.

• Winton Woods Middle School parents are invited to attend the school’s first parent-teacher conference night on Thursday, October 11 from 5:00 – 8:25 p.m.  Parents should contact the middle school counseling department at 619-2442 to schedule an individual conference with your child’s teacher.  If this date does not work for your schedule, feel free to contact your child’s teacher directly via email or phone. Parents may also have their student’s counselor arrange an alternate conference date.  Mrs. Goins serves students who last names begin with A-K; Mrs. Sterwerf serves students whose last names begin with L-Z.

• Middle school golfers will compete in a 7th grade vs. 8th grade Scramble on Thursday, October 4.  The golfers will compete in contests of fun and skill and then cook hot dogs to end their day.  

• Parents should have received their student’s progress reports, which were mailed on Monday, October 1.

• Members of the Winton Woods Middle School Orchestra and Director Jonathan Welch have added a fall concert to their schedules. On Tuesday, October 23, orchestra members will dress up in musical costumes to perform at this fun-filled concert. More details to follow.

• Winton Woods Middle School’s seventh grade choral concert is Tuesday, October 9 at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium.  
 

Winton Woods Elementary School News:

• The autumn third grade Reading Ohio Achievement Test was Tuesday, October 2.  Thanks to our parents for their help in getting our youngsters to school on-time, well-rested, well-fed and ready to go!  The test was successfully administered and results should be back by late November.

• Winton Woods Elementary School is joining Winton Woods Intermediate School in accepting “The Rumpke Recycling Challenge.”  There will be a 30-minute assembly in the gym to explain this great program that helps the environment.  WWES students will be competing against other schools from all over our region, and there are cash prizes and incentives for the winning schools.  This green competition at WWES began October 1.

The Recycling Challenge takes very little effort on the part of parents and teachers.  We ask that families and community members bring in aluminum cans to help our cause.  Thanks to Ms. Cornelssen and Mrs. Greene for their efforts in coordinating this program with Rumpke Recycling.

• WWES’s first Fun Friday is Friday, October 5.  Fun Friday is intended to recognize and thank our many students who excel academically and conduct themselves in an excellent fashion day-in and day-out.  The criteria for Fun Friday include: no tardies to school, no unexcused absences, all homework turned in on time, no disciplinary referrals, and no checks or color changes for poor behavioral choices for the past calendar month.  Fun Friday will take place from 2:45 - 3:15 p.m. in the gym.  Third grade Fun Friday will be this Friday, October 5; fourth grade Fun Friday will be Friday, October 12.  Teachers will notify students who have met the criteria for participation in this event. 

• WWES’s inaugural Accelerated Reader Ice Cream Social and Reading Night is Thursday, October 18 from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.  All families are invited to attend this fun evening with our students.

• The WWCS Community PTA Walk-a-Thon is Friday, October 12.  WWES students will go to the playground (or the gym if weather is inclement) for their specials time instead of their usual location.  Please encourage your child to obtain as many sponsors as possible for this easy school fundraiser.  More information will be coming home this week including information about student prizes.   

• The Student of the Month Luncheon for September is Thursday, October 4 at 11:30 a.m.  Students selected for this honor will be treated to pizza, pop and ice cream to recognize their achievements. 

• Yearbooks are on sale now.  Thanks to Ms. Conrad for all her work on our WWES yearbook!  Please contact her for further information or questions you may have about this.  Information and order forms will be coming home this week for the 2007–2008 WWES school yearbook.

• The WWES Book Fair is October 15-19. Stay tuned for more details.

Winton Woods Primary News:

• Primary North and South Math Night will be celebrated at Primary North on October 19 from 6:30-7:30 p.m.  This is an opportunity for parents to participate with their children in hands-on math games and activities.  Please join us for a fun-filled evening of learning!
• Primary North and South are celebrating Fire Prevention Week, which begins on October 8.  Members of the Springfield Township and Greenhills Fire Departments will be teaching about fire safety, fire equipment, and safe escape routes.  The departments bring a demonstration “smoke house” for the students to experience and also have them practice how to “stop, drop and roll.” 
• District Support Specialist Crisinda Puetz will begin a four-week program with kindergartners at WWPS on how to handle difficult situations and anger. The program is entitled “How to get the Angries Out.” 
• Ms. Robertson’s and Mrs. Bauknecht’s kindergarten classes are beginning an exciting new reading program with Crisinda Puetz, Winton Woods District Family Support Specialist.  Ms. Puetz will bring her therapy dog, Cora, to WWPN each week for this program. Cora and Ms. Puetz are members of the Therapy Pets of Greater Cincinnati and certified through the Delta Society. You can visit that website at  http://www.deltasociety.org.

Cora will allow each student to read to her for 7-10 minutes, on a rotating basis.  After reading a story to Cora, the child is then asked to help the dog understand the story (this allows the child to practice enunciation and reading comprehension). 

With this program, students are more willing to read to the dog because they aren’t judged and are convinced the dog is listening to them.  The program also helps improve self esteem, decrease absenteeism, improve students’ literacy skills, improve reading scores, respect animals, and have fun reading.  If you are interested in more research about Reading Dogs, please visit http://www.therapypetsofgreatercincinnati.org/read.htm.

Winton Woods Community PTA News:

• Winton Woods Primary North and South will be holding their fall Book Fairs for students from November 5-9.

Primary North
If you are interested in helping or would like more information, please contact Media Assistant Karen Emmons at 619-2390 or emmons.karen@wintonwoods.org.

Primary South
A parent coordinator is needed to help organize and assist with the Book Fair. Training will be provided.

Books will be delivered on Wednesday, October 31 and will need to be set up and ready to go for the students on Monday, November 5.

If you can help in anyway or would like more information, please contact WWC PTA Vice-President Bobbie Johnson at mjohnson2@fuse.net or 544-3080.

• The Warrior Walk-a-Thon will take place at each of the four elementary-aged buildings on Friday, October 12.  Pre-schoolers will participate on Thursday, October 11. This is the Community PTA's main fundraiser for the year.  PTA hopes to eliminate brochure sales through having a successful walk-a-thon event.  Students are asked to get pledges to support the schools and then walk on the playground while volunteers hand out popsicles, mark lap cards and have fun with the kids.

Parent volunteers are needed at various times throughout the day at each building.  If you have some time to share, please contact walk-a-thon chairperson Angela Colyer at 742-9389.