October 25, 2007

Quote of the week:

Human potential, though not always apparent, is there waiting to be discovered and invited forth.
--William W. Purkey

District News

• Teachers who are interested in participating in the Munich Teacher Exchange program are asked to contact Karen Muse at the Hamilton County ESC for an application.  Dianna Rieth, Winton Woods Elementary, and Craig Filipkowski, Winton Woods High School, have participated in the past.

Winton Woods High School News:

• Rollo Dilworth, the conductor/composer who will be directing the Varsity Ensemble in China at A Choral Salute to the Beijing Olympics, will be visiting VE on Thursday, October 25. Dilworth, who is in town to address the Urban League Conference, will to work with students on their music for the China performance. 

Miami University music professor William Bausano also visited Varsity Ensemble this week. 

• Video of a recent Cincinnati Enquirer visit to Varsity Ensemble is available at http://opera.cincinnati.com/Netcasts/flashplayer.asp?GUID=http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20071018/VIDEO05/71018023/

• Congratulations to Winton Woods High School freshman trombone player Corey Stewart for making the Southwest Regional Orchestra!  

Winton Woods Intermediate School News:

• Children’s International Summer Villages (CISV) offers cross cultural and peace education programs all over the world that prepare individuals of all ages to become active contributing members of a peaceful global society.  Parents at Winton Woods Elementary School are invited to come and discuss an amazing travel opportunity for their 11-year-old students.  

If you are interested in learning more about, please contact the office at Winton Woods Intermediate (619-2450) as soon as possible.  You can also learn more about this organization online by visiting cincycisv.org.  

• Thanks to all families who attended Curriculum Night on Wednesday, October 17.  The teachers shared their expectations in each classroom and parents left with valuable information.  

• The Scholastic Book Fair was held at Winton Woods Intermediate School from October 15-19.  Students attended the Scholastic Book Fair with their teachers during the school day and also had the opportunity to visit the Book Fair on Curriculum Night.  The students were so excited about buying new reading materials.   We would like to thank Ms. Genice Peterson for all of her hard work setting up the Book Fair.  Mrs. Cindy Weaver and Mrs. Mary Stallworth also helped to make this a successful event.

• Winton Woods Intermediate School will celebrate student achievement on Wednesday, October 31.  Those students who have earned all As and Bs, in addition to having a clean disciplinary record, will be invited to this celebration.  This event is being planned by our newly-elected Student Council members. 

• Congratulations to the following students that were selected “Warriors of the Week” for October 15-19:  Diego Sanchez, Malik Jeffries, Ciara Cheatham, and Anthony Doxie. 

Winton Woods Elementary School News:

• Check out our classrooms' decorated fall pumpkins at bigg's at the Cincinnati Mills Mall.  Each of our classrooms decorated or painted pumpkins to participate in a competition in cooperation with bigg's, one of or business partners.  You can stop by anytime to vote for your favorite pumpkin.  You may vote once per visit between now and October 31.  If you spend up to $50 in groceries, you get two votes per visit, and if you spend more than $50 in groceries, you get three votes per visit.  Just ask for a copy of your receipt.  Our kids did some great pumpkins—check them out at bigg's!

• Our inaugural Accelerated Reader Ice Cream Social and Reading Night on October 18 was a great success!  Thanks to all who attended and to the staff members who helped make it happen.  We had a great turnout and a wonderful time was had by all.

• Phase I of Operation Letter Storm is now complete.  The letters the students wrote to our nation's troops are amazing.  Thanks to all of the students and teachers involved in this.  I have no doubt that we will have made some soldier's day somewhere. 
 
• The Winton Woods Community PTA Walk-A-Thon was a success.  I wanted to take a brief moment to thank all of our wonderful volunteers who made this event run so smoothly.  Be sure to encourage your student(s) to collect and turn in their pledges now.  They are due Friday, October 26.

• Fall Harvest Parties will be Friday, October 26.  Per the Student Handbook, which is located in each student's plan book, parties are held three times a year during the last 30 to 45 minutes of the school day and are organized by room parents.  Our parties will take place during our I & E time. 

Friday’s party is not a Halloween party.  As many of you know, we have a variety of diverse religious and cultural beliefs in our school system, and many of our students and parents could be placed in an awkward or negative scenario by a school-wide Halloween celebration.  In addition to other problematic issues, this leads to an unnecessarily high absence rate on days parties are scheduled and on Halloween, if it is strictly observed.  For this reason, a fall harvest party is planned.  The activities will not include dressing up in costumes or walking in parades or things of this nature. There are room parties planned by the classroom teacher and the WWC PTA room parent.  I might however, expect candy and other sweet things to play a part.  Families should have received a flyer about room parties at the end of last week. These were sent home with each student. 

• A PTA committee of room parents met two weeks ago and decided to hold our parties at Winton Woods Elementary on Friday, October 26 for our Fall Harvest, on Thursday, December 20 for our Holiday Party and on Thursday, February 7 for our Chinese New Year party.  All of these parties will be held the last 30 to 45 minutes of the school day. 

Students will be permitted to exchange valentines on Valentine's Day or do fun things on St. Patrick's Day, but parties for the sake of a party will be restricted to the three parties described above. 

An exception to this is if a teacher or a teaching team has a celebration related to curricular content planned or if a teacher or teaching team has a feast for positive behavior for the students who earn it over a period of time, etc.  Instances like these are perfectly acceptable as they are exceptions and are linked to instructional reasons.  The parties described in the handbook and here are parties strictly for the sake of partying.   If you have questions about this, please feel free to call the school's main office at 619-2490.
 
• First quarter ends on Friday, October 26.  Report cards will go home with students on Wednesday, October 31.
 
• The October “Student of the Month” luncheon is planned for Thursday, November 1 at 11:30 a.m. in the library.  Family members of nominated students are more than welcome to attend. 
 

Winton Woods Primary News:

• The Primary schools would like to thank our families and friends for sponsoring the primary students in the Walk-A-Thon fundraiser this month.  Walk-A-Thon money is due by Friday, October 26.  After money is collected, the students will be able to redeem their Walk-A-Thon money for great prizes. 

• The Primary Halloween Party and Alternative Harvest Party are scheduled for Friday, October 26.  For safety reasons, students will not be changing in the restrooms but will be putting their costumes on over their clothes just before the party.  The Halloween Parade will start at 2:15 p.m. on the playground.  Parties will begin after the parade. The Alternative Harvest Party at Primary North will be held in the Music Room at 2:15 p.m.

• The Primary Family Math Night on October 18 was a great success. All the parents and students enjoyed a fun-filled night of math activities. A special thank you to the volunteers who helped with the math activities.