Address: Winn Brook Elementary School 97 Waterhouse Rd, Belmont, MA 02478
Contribute to the Winn Brook PTA online by using the Pay Pal Button below. Donations are tax deductible.
Join us for the PTA's annual Skate Night this Friday March 1st from 7 to 8:30pm! This year's Skate Night will be held just next door at the John A. Ryan Arena at 1 Paramount Place in Watertown. Details are on the attached flyer. Participation is free and open to all Winn Brook families of all skating abilities. The snack bar will be open and accepts cash as well as credit cards. Rentals are NOT available, so please bring your own helmets and skates.
The 4th Grade Committee has put together over a dozen enticing gift baskets for their upcoming class fundraiser. Go here to preview the gift baskets before the site goes LIVE on Monday March 4th. Purchase raffle tickets any time throughout March for all of the gift baskets you hope to win. This raffle is open to all, so feel free to share the link with friends, neighbors, grandparents, etc. Winners will be drawn March 31st! Good luck!
Due to snow days and unforeseen school closings, some Extracurricular classes were canceled during this Winter Session. The Extracurricular Committee is working hard to make-up those classes whenever possible. Please go to the Winn Brook Rec Desk Calendar to check the schedule for the remainder of the Extracurricular Winter Session.
Due to an unexpected school closure, we had to reschedule Movie Night, but the wait is almost over! Be sure to join us in the cafeteria on Friday March 8th for a free showing of "The Super Mario Bros. Movie." Doors open at 6:15pm, movie begins at 6:30pm. Bring the entire family! Please see our *new* volunteer sign-up sheet to help on the night of the event.
Superintendent Geiser will visit us on Thursday March 21st at 6:30pm for a presentation in the Winn Brook Library. Join the conversation with the Superintendent to talk about where we are in the budget process and what is on the horizon this spring. Included will be the themes that came out of the Superintendent's Report of Entry Findings as related to the FY25 budget. Dr. Geiser is delivering this same presentation all around Belmont in the next few weeks, so if this date does not work for you - please see the full list options under the "Around Belmont" section of this newsletter below.
BPS School Calendar 2023-24
Winn Brook School and PTA Calendar
Feb 28: Belmont Wellness Coalition - Monthly Parenting Group 7-8pm, join in the community conversation via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81577946616. This month's topic is Teen Defiance/Resistance.
Mar 1: Skate Night - Free Admission, John A. Ryan Arena, 7-8:30pm
Mar 4: 4th Grade March Madness Basket Raffle Goes Live Online! Buy tickets here!
Mar 8: Movie Night - Winn Brook Cafeteria, 6:15pm Doors Open, 6:30pm "Super Mario Bros. Movie" Begins
Mar 14: Monthly Staff Treats "So Lucky to Have You" from the Staff Appreciation Committee
Mar 18-22: Make-A-Gift Art Making Days - Stay after school for an hour to make some original art with friends. Details and signups to come!
Mar 20: Crossing Guard Appreciation Day organized by the SRTS Committee
Mar 21: 4th Grade Bingo Night - Winn Brook Cafeteria, 6:30-8pm
Mar 21: Presentation by Superintendent Geiser - Winn Brook Library, 6:30-8pm
Mar 28: STEM Night (formerly Math and Science Nights)
Mar 31: 4th Grade March Madness Basket Raffle - Drawing of Winners
Our Winter Session of Extracurricular courses is going so wonderfully that we wanted to share some photos of the Winn Brook students enjoying their after school classes yesterday - music, art, athletics, and mindfulness... and that was only Tuesday afternoon!
K-1st Graders in Rhythm Kids
3rd-4th Graders in Intro to Sewing
K-1st Graders in After School Sports
1st-2nd Graders in Happy to be ME!
Photo credit: Laureen Federico, Extracurricular Monitor
Superintendent Jill Geiser is making the rounds to all seven Belmont Public Schools and other locations with an important presentation before the Town Election in April. To reach the largest audience, each venue has agreed to open their doors to the public on the night they host the Superintendent so that any Belmont family can attend, regardless of the school their children attend. If a date works better for you at a different location than Winn Brook - feel free to attend!
Join the conversation with the Superintendent to talk about where we are in the budget process and what is on the horizon this spring. Included will be the themes that came out of the Superintendent's Report of Entry Findings as related to the FY25 budget.
Date
Host Organization
Time
Location
Feb 29, 2024
Burbank PTA
6:00 PM
Burbank School Cafeteria
March 7, 2024
BMS PTO
6:30 PM
Belmont Middle School
March 13, 2024
Beech Street Center
10:00 AM
BHS PTSO
7:00 PM
Belmont High School Auditorium
March 14, 2024
Chenery PTO
Chenery Upper Elementary (CUE)
Large Community Room
March 21, 2024
Winn Brook PTA
Winn Brook School Library
March 26, 2024
Butler PTA
Remote - Zoom
Passcode: 213517
Belmont Youth Hockey Association (BYHA) invites you to their annual fundraiser on Friday March 1st, 7pm at the VFW in Cambridge. Get the kids a sitter and come support the BYHA while having a great evening out! Purchase fundraiser tickets to the event here.
Registration is open March 1-March 15th for the The Foundation for Belmont Education (FBE) Spelling Bee! A registration link will be available on our website, on our Facebook and Instagram, and sent out on Thursday, February 29th. Please plan your team of 3-4 team members, and create your team name before registering. Visit our website to learn more about this hugely popular event!
The FBE has partnered with Jayne’s Flowers to Spread a Little Sunshine throughout Belmont! Surprise someone with a beautiful pot of daffodils ($15 each), which FBE volunteers will hand-deliver anywhere in Belmont. Orders start in March and delivery will happen every Wednesday, March 20th - April 10th.
Belmont Recreation is excited to announce the following spring/summer registration dates and when Underwood Pool memberships go on sale:
Go to their website to view available programming and register online.
Tickets are going fast for the spring musical "Something Rotten!" presented by the Belmont High School Performing Arts Company March 14-16th. Come enjoy fantastic local theater in our beautiful BMHS Main Auditorium. Tickets are $15 in advance/$18 at the door for adults and $10 for students/children.
Learn more here and buy your tickets today!
The PTA runs on an amazing engine of volunteers like you, and we have many opportunities throughout the year for families and guardians to participate and support our students. If you haven’t already, the best place to start is by completing our Parent Volunteer Interest Form.
Here are some ways you can get involved today:
Donate to the PTA - Each fall we hold an Annual Appeal, but donations are welcome any time of year and directly support our students, staff, and school. Checks, PayPal, and Venmo are all accepted. Learn how to contribute to the PTA and the ways your donation makes a difference at Winn Brook here.
Donate to the Backup Clothing Closet - Keeping our backup clothing closet well stocked is especially important for Nurse Carbeck who needs changes of clothes for students every day due to spills and accidents that happen at school. To help, first sign-up to donate backup clothing here then launder and package the item in a Ziploc bag, label the size on the outside, and deliver it to the front office.
Purchase and Wear Winn Brook Swag - Head to our Winn Brook Swag Square Site and get outfitted today with long-sleeve t-shirts, flannel pants, hoodies, and beanies to show your Winn Brook pride all year. All purchases support the PTA's 3rd Grade Committee, order now while supplies last!
Volunteer in the Lunchroom - **NEW DATES ADDED** The cafeteria needs up to 3 lunchroom volunteers per lunch period. This is a fun way to visit with the kids in the middle of the school day and help provide much needed (and appreciated) coverage for our staff.
Volunteer in the Library - there are two ways to help in the Winn Brook library:
Sign up to volunteer during your child’s weekly library class. You'll help your child and their classmates check books in and out at the circulation desk plus shelve returns to help our librarian.
Friends of the Library - This separate group of volunteers work on special projects as requested and as needed by the librarian. Some tasks can be done at home while others will be completed in the library itself. Email our librarian Doreen Cameron if you are interested in being a part of the new "Friends of the Library."
Volunteer with the Welcome Committee - Would you like to help welcome and orient families new to Winn Brook, to Belmont, maybe even new to the country? Please fill in this Companion to New Winn Brook Family form and we’ll be in touch if there is a match that could use your support and companionship!
Volunteer with the Staff Appreciation Committee - Help keep our staff nourished, pampered, and cared for while they support our kids by signing up to bring in Monthly Teacher Treats.
Volunteer with 3rd or 4th Grade Committees - Have a third or fourth grader and it is their final year at Winn Brook? It’s not too late to get in on the fun and event planning for our "graduating" students! Check out all the ways you can pitch in on the 3rd Grade Committee or 4th Grade Committee to make their last year here special and memorable.
Visit our Lost and Found online! Check our regularly updated photos of Lost and Found items then stop by the school to collect your things before they are donated to charity. Anything clearly labeled will be returned to the student's classroom by our Lost and Found Committee volunteers.
The students' safety must be our priority. Every day we see dangerous and illegal driving and parking practices at Winn Brook by drivers in our own school community. Our Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Committee reminds us all to please:
Follow the Winn Brook Arrival & Dismissal Plan and associated map
Use the Student Drop-Off Zone on Sherman Street properly
Never obstruct crosswalks, driveways, intersections, disability spaces, or fire hydrants
Never enter or obstruct any Winn Brook parking lot or driveway
Never idle at school, it’s against MA law. Always turn off your vehicle as soon as you are in park.
Never make U-Turns/reverse direction in the school zone
Obey signage, there are one way streets and No Parking/Stopping areas during Arrival and Dismissal times
Never double-park
Never allow your child to enter or exit your vehicle while in the street
With your cooperation and effort we can ensure a much safer and healthier experience for our walkers, bikers, busers, and drivers alike while maintaining critical access for emergency and first responder vehicles at all times.
Weekly Winnies (the PTA weekly newsletter you are currently reading!) will be emailed to you every Wednesday with updates on events, volunteer opportunities, school happenings and more.
Winn Brook Listserv - sign up for the Winn Brook Listserv to receive important correspondence from both the school and your PTA.
PTA Website & Calendar - The PTA Events Calendar and PTA News & Announcements on our website are current! Check regularly.
Room Parents - each classroom has 1-2 volunteer Room Parents who act as liaisons between the classroom teacher, PTA, and parents/guardians. Look for emails from them! Check here if you aren’t sure who your Room Parents are this year.
Erika Roberts & Sarah Boyle
Winn Brook PTA Co-Presidents
winnbrookptapresidents@gmail.com