November 14, 2007

Quote of the week:

The deepest urge in human nature is the craving to feel appreciated.
--William James

District News:

• Months of hard work have paid off for two Winton Woods City School music teachers who have received their National Board Certification. Winton Woods High School Band Director Dani Ashbrook and Winton Woods Intermediate School Music Education teacher Amy Halt have joined an elite group of teachers who have achieved this high honor. National Board Certification (NBC) is a voluntary, advanced teaching credential that goes beyond state licensure. 

Since 1987 more than 55,000 teachers have achieved National Board Certification. As of January 2007, Ohio is ranked fifth in the United States for total National Board Certified teachers. Congratulations to both teachers for this outstanding accomplishment!

• The Munich Sister City Association of Greater Cincinnati is seeking high school students ages 15-18 for its 14th Annual High School Exchange program.  High school students are partnered with students form Munich, Germany, and exchange two-week home stays.  Munich students visit Cincinnati from March 16-28, and Cincinnati students visit Munich from June 25-July 7. The estimated cost is $1,800.  For more information or for an application, call Natalie Fischer at 513-673-1721 or contact munichexchange@hotmail.com.

• The Winton Woods community is invited to attend the district’s Annual Financial Outlook presentation on Tuesday, November 27 at 7:00 p.m. in the high school library.  Information will be shared regarding how our schools are funded.

• The district will be honoring staff and community veterans at a Veteran’s Reception on November 16 at 7:00 p.m. in the high school library.  Following the reception, veterans and their guest will be given complimentary seating at the Winton Woods High School fall play, It’s a Wonderful Life.  All staff and community members who are veterans are invited to participate.  Please R.S.V.P. to Gina Burnett at 619-2301.

• Free Chinese language and culture classes are being offered to parents whose students are currently taking Chinese classes (grades 3 and 4) and to parents and Varsity Ensemble students who will be traveling to China in the spring. Classes are Thursday, November 15, 29 and December 6 at 7:00 p.m. at the Winton Woods Board of Education office.  To register, call Gina Burnett at 619-2301.

• There will be no school from Wednesday, November 21 though Friday, November 23.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Winton Woods High School News:

• Winton Woods High School will present its fall play, It's a Wonderful Life, from Thursday, November 15 through Saturday, November 17 at 8:00 p.m. in the Winton Woods High School auditorium.  Tickets are $7.00 for general seating and will be available before each show.

It’s A Wonderful Life is the story of George Bailey, who is visited by his guardian angel on Christmas Eve so that he can see what the world would be like if he had never been born.
 
• As of November 6, the Winton Woods Educational Foundation (WWEF) has received over $87,014 in pledges and contributions toward the Winton Woods High School Varsity Ensemble’s March 2008 trip to China to sing at "A Choral Salute to the Beijing Olympics."  Recent pledges include $4000 from the local Ronald McDonald Charities and $500 from Kroger. 

“We have reached a critical benchmark along the road to China,” said Choral Director David Bell.  “The amount we needed to raise for each Varsity Ensemble student to only have to pay $1000 was $83,335, and we have now exceeded that.”  Bell added that any additional funds raised at this point for the trip will lower the cost of each student’s trip below $1000.  “Our communities have been so supportive, and we are so grateful!” said Bell.

• ‘Tis the season for singing for the members of the Winton Woods High School Varsity Ensemble. Beginning November 30 with a performance at Light Up Greenhills, the group will perform at various events throughout the Cincinnati area.

“We are proud to again have been invited to perform at CCM’s Feast of Carols,” said Choral Director David Bell. Varsity Ensemble will be singing music of the season, including two pieces by modern British composers and two pieces by American composers. That performance will take place on December 1 at 5:00 p.m. in Corbett Auditorium on the UC campus. Tickets are available through the UC box office. (See attached flier.)

Other seasonal performances include:
• Greenhills Community Church Craft Show, Friday, November 30 at approximately 7:30 p.m., 21 Cromwell Road in Greenhills
• Glendale “Houses of Hope” Gala and Auction benefiting Shiners Burns Hospital on Saturday, December 8 at 5:00 p.m.
• Singing Christmas Tree on Sunday, December 9 at 6:00 p.m. at Dayspring Church of God in Forest Park.
• Winton Woods Board of Education meeting on Monday, December 10 at 7:00 p.m. at 1215 W. Kemper Road.
• Arden Courts Anderson on Tuesday, December 11 at 7:00 p.m.
• Winton Woods High School Choir and Orchestra Concert on Wednesday, December 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the Winton Woods High School auditorium. Community members are invited to attend this free concert which will feature the Halleluiah Chorus. Alumni from all choruses are invited to participate.
• Greenhills-Forest Park Kiwanis Christmas Dinner at Molloys, December 20 at 7:00 p.m.
• Forest Park Women’s Club Christmas Party at the Forest Park Senior Center, December 20 at 8:00 p.m.
In addition, Bell will be taking a group of 20 VE students to the Fox 19 studios on December 3 to tape a segment which is projected to air on Christmas morning.  Channel 5 is also planning to visit VE this week.  
• Winton Woods High School presents “A Party Affair,” an opportunity to start your holiday shopping while supporting the high school’s Varsity Ensemble. Representatives from Pampered Chef, Mary Kay, Warm Spirit, Silpada Jewelry, Massage Therapy, Wild Tree Herbs, Tastefully Simple and more will be on hand for your shopping enjoyment. “A Party Affair” will take place on Saturday, November 17 from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at Winton Woods High School. 

• Students in Lauren Sabour’s World Affairs class are working on exhibits for their Museum of Human Rights, an annual event that will be presented in December at the high school. The exhibits are based upon the rights addressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document that acknowledges the basic rights that every human has regardless of the rules set by their government.  The 36 students are researching cases in which people are still being denied basic rights such as safe water, freedom of religion, freedom from slavery, right to education,  and the right to seek asylum, among others.  

The museum will be open in the Winton Woods High School library on Wednesday, December 12 and Thursday, December 13 during the school day. It will also be open on the evening of December 13 from 6:30-9:00 p.m. during the band concert.

• It’s Warrior Madness time again at Winton Woods High School! Join us on Tuesday, November 20 at 7:00 p.m. in the gym for performances by the pep band, drill team, cheerleaders, step team, drumline and boys and girls basketball teams.  The “Battle of Sexes” competition will feature select members of both teams. In addition there will be a slam dunk contest, a $100 half court shot, and great door prizes.  Admission is $1 or three canned good items.  All money and canned goods will go to S.O.U.L. Ministries for their holiday assistance program.  Come join the fun!

Winton Woods Middle School News:

• Winton Woods Middle School presented its Fall Sports Awards on Wednesday, November 7 to athletes participating in football, cross country, golf and volleyball. Awards presented included:
  Cross Country:   Most Valuable Runner - Meghan Stifel
                 Warrior Award - Mark Higgins
  Golf:            Best 8th grade Average - Zach McCorkle
                  Best 7th grade Average - Kevin Sand
                  Warrior Award - Michael Spalding
  Volleyball: Most Valuable Player - Paige Allen
                  Most Improved Player - Kamari Cobb
                  Warrior Award - Tamera Scott
  Football:        Warrior Award - Aaron Kemper
                  Defensive MVP - Curtis Galloway
                  Offensive MVP - Carlos Gray
                  Get It Done Award - Jalen Crenshaw
                   Most Outstanding Award - Marques Graves

• Students in Patty New’s art class are busy making a difference in their school and community with their “Make a Difference Day” projects using printmaking techniques. Besides the art being created, students are visiting leukemia patients, raising awareness and understanding of AIDS, making art with and for area foster children, and addressing racism.  Look for these “make a difference” posters throughout the hallways at Winton Woods Middle School.

• Members of the Winton Woods Middle School Jazz Band will be opening for the Women in Jazz concert on Saturday, November 17 at the Woodlawn Recreation Center.

Winton Woods Intermediate News:

• Winton Woods Intermediate School will have its Student of the Month luncheon on Tuesday, November 20.  The students will enjoy a pizza luncheon with Principal Tonya West Wright during their regularly scheduled lunch time. The following students have been selected as Students of the Month for November: Jaylen Lynn, Emma Bedan, Anna Clark, Matthew Smith, Brandon Pointer, Danchelle Fain, Jazmine Edwards, Cody Perkins, Quani Rice, Karen Onianwa, Breyanna Haynes, Bria Frierson, and Wilson Harris.  The Intermediate School values the positive impact that these students have made.  We appreciate the support and influence that the parents/guardians make each day as they encourage their students to do their best to make the world a better place.

• Each week students are selected from each pod as “Warriors of the Week.”  Warrior tickets are randomly selected from each pod, and those ten students are called down to the office to receive their prize on Friday afternoon.  On November 16, we will draw 20 Warrior tickets, and these students will win a portable digital radio with an alarm clock.  On Tuesday, November 20, we will have an additional drawing to recognize those students who continue to earn Warrior tickets for their hard work.  We would like to thank the PTA for donating these terrific prizes.

• Band, Orchestra, and Choir students are preparing and anxiously anticipating their first concert of the year on Tuesday, December 11.  This concert will be held at Winton Woods Intermediate School at 7:00 p.m.  Please mark your calendars to join us for this exciting event.   

• WWIS sets high academic and behavioral expectations for all students.  We encourage parents to regularly check student plan books for updated information from all staff members.  In addition, we remind all parents to regularly check student performance on Progress Book through the district website, www.wintonwoods.org. This tool provides current information on student grades and is updated weekly.  If you have not received your password, please contact the technology department at 619-2350.

• In order to support the academic performance of all of our students, we are continuing to use our Enrichment/Intervention time to work with our students.  Our staff is focused on developing our intervention programs, which will require that some students be removed from their enrichment program for this assistance as needed.  We are excited to be able to offer exciting enrichment programs to our students, but must be sure that our students are receiving the additional academic support.

• WWIS is planning for our holiday celebrations in December.  Student Council, staff members, administrators, and parents are working to plan these events and will share details with everyone as soon as possible.  Our major celebrations will take place on Wednesday, December 19.
 
Winton Woods Elementary News:

• Winton Woods Elementary School’s "Eat Lunch with a Hero" Veteran's Day Observance was a great success with 47 veterans, police officers and firefighters attending.  

This week is Veteran's Education Week (as well as American Education Week).  Please carve out some time to talk with your student about the service of those who have "stood in the gap" for all of us.  Also, check out the Veteran's Day wall in the elementary school lobby. The wall is made-up of paper "bricks" with the name of each of our veterans on it, along with a picture, rank and branch of service.  We'd love to post your brick as well if you are or a family member is a veteran.  Please call 619-2490 for further information.

• Fun Friday for fourth grade for the month of October is scheduled for  Friday, November 16 during our school-wide Intervention and Enrichment time.  Fun Fridays are intended to recognize and thank those students who do exactly what they are supposed to do each and every day—many times even exceeding our expectations (as we recognize through the “V.I.W. Brag Book”).

Incentives are a critical part of our overall school-wide discipline plan and help to shape the culture of our building in a positive fashion.  Students must meet all of the fairly stringent criteria to qualify for Fun Friday.  The criteria include all homework turned in, no unexcused tardies to school and no disciplinary referrals to the office, detentions or other disciplinary actions during the past month (e.g. card turns or check marks).  We have so many great kids here and good things going on. It is critically important that we take time to recognize them.

• The WWES Dad's Club for November will meet this Saturday, November 17 from noon to 2:30 p.m.  We'll be skating at Skatetown USA, located on State Route 747 just south of Union Center Boulevard in West Chester.  The flyer that went home this week has incorrect directions on the reverse side.  Please be sure that you disregard the directions on the back of the flyer.  Our apologies for any confusion this may have caused.  We'll see you at Dad's club!

• WWES has gone green!  The school’s new Student Recycling Club collects aluminum cans and helps with processing them for collection.  Every Thursday, students are asked to bring in cans and drop them off in large bins on their way into school.  WWES is participating in the "Rumpke Recycling Challenge" and is competing against other schools from all over our region.  Please send in cans every Thursday to help our cause.  Thanks parents and a big thank you to Recycling Club sponsors, Ms. Cornelssen and Mrs. Greene.

• The Winton Woods Elementary School fourth grade Select Chorus will be performing at the Forest Park Tree Lighting Ceremony on December 3 at 7:00 p.m.  This event will take place at the Forest Park Fire Station on the corner of Winton and Kemper Roads.  Please bundle up and join us for an evening of musical warmth and winter memories.

Winton Woods Primary News:

• Both Primary schools would like to thank all the students and families who purchased books at the Fall Scholastic Book Fair.  It was a great success for everyone.  Students were given the gift of reading and the proceeds from the Book Fair will help to purchase library books for the Primary schools. 

Special thanks goes to the parent and Full-Circle volunteers for the much needed help in coordinating and helping the students at the Book Fair. In addition, students who purchased a book from their Teacher's Wish List will be presented with a Good Character hand for their act of kindness. The hands will be added to the Wall of Good Character.   Primary North sold a total of $2911.00 worth of books, with a $1455.00 book profit.  Primary South sold $2221.00 worth of books, with a $1005.00 book profit.  Thank you supporting the Primary Schools. "A Reader Today is a Leader Tomorrow."
• Students from Primary North and Primary South enjoyed an evening out with their families at Family Math Night on Thursday, October 18.   Families participated in math activities that were planned by both schools’ teaching staffs.  Some of the activities involved graphing, money, measurement, pentagrams, and estimation.  Each activity had materials that the families could take home.  A huge thank you to all the families who attended, all the staff members who helped with the evening, and the Winton Woods High School students who volunteered their time to make Family Math Night a success.

• The Primary schools will be recognizing our students for academic progress and good behavior in the first grading period.  The First Quarter Award assemblies will be on Thursday, November 15.  Grade 2 will be at 9:30 a.m.; Grade 1 at 10:15 a.m. and kindergarten at 11:00 a.m.  Morning and afternoon kindergarten will be in classrooms.   Parents are more than welcome to attend!  Please watch for awards in reading, math and writing progress as well as perfect attendance and good citizenship.