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.
Belmont Public Schools (BPS) reminds us about an important opportunity to get involved in the hiring process for a permanent Principal for Winn Brook. After a screening team process narrowed 7 initial applicants down to 3 candidates, Superintendent Geiser had an opportunity to meet them last week. From there, 2 finalist candidates have emerged: Jennifer LaMontagne; and Leslie West.
The parent/guardian public interview will take place TONIGHT Wednesday, March 20th from 6:30-8:00pm (~45 minutes for each candidate), in the Winn Brook Cafeteria.
The Superintendent of Belmont Public Schools is coming 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. Join us at 6:30pm this Thursday, March 21st in the Winn Brook Library for the discussion. All are welcome.
Be sure to wish Ms. Cindy a happy Crossing Guard Appreciation Day! The PTA delivered flowers and many families presented her with homemade notes and thank you cards expressing their gratitude for helping keep our Winn Brook students safe, to and from school, every day.
The Spring Session of our popular Extracurricular Program is here! Class previews are available now at winnbrook.recdesk.com and registration opens at 9pm on Thursday, March 21st!
Extracurriculars provide an opportunity for Winn Brook students of all grades and interests to enjoy low-key, non-graded classes either before or after the school day. The program is coordinated by PTA volunteers and all funds generated go directly to the PTA to support school priorities. If you are new to Winn Brook or Extracurriculars, please read the full description of Spring Extracurricular program posted March 19th, which includes some helpful FAQs along with instructions to set up your registration account.
Questions? Please reach out to Lydia Kogler, Extracurriculars Chair at winnbrookptaextra@gmail.com.
If you have a 3rd Grader, you should have received an email last week from from their teacher with regard to the yearbook and class t-shirt. Please be sure you have submitted this form by Friday, March 22nd; this way our 3rd Grade Committee will know the exact name/nickname your child prefers in the yearbook and on the back of their class t-shirt (and what size shirt they want to receive!).
After 4 long years, STEM Night (formerly Math Night and Science Night) is finally returning to Winn Brook on Thursday, March 28th, at 6:30pm! Thank you to all our community members who have volunteered to run demo tables and teach kids basic science concepts.
Additionally, we will have some special guests presenting at STEM Night including Lego Prime teams from FIRST Lego League Robotics! Come see their robotic Lego scorpion and duck and see our Winn Brook children modify their programs to change the way the robots behave!
If you have questions before the event, please contact STEM Committee Chair Katy Yang. We'll see you next week!
Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, April 2nd! No matter where or which way you vote, stop by the 4th Grade Bake Sale to purchase some yummy treats for a great cause. The Bake Sale will be located in the 1st floor lobby just outside Precinct 8's polling location in the Winn Brook gym - enter the school through the Cross Street door. All proceeds go to support the 4th Grade committee activities like class t-shirts, end of year activities, and their yearbook.
Calling all 4th Grade Parents! Sign up here to donate baked goods (homemade or purchased) and sign up here to donate your time by working a shift between 7am-8pm during the event.
4th Grade Bingo Night is tomorrow - Thursday, March 21st 6:30-8pm. While the kids are busy making their rows, adults will have an opportunity to see the Superintendent's presentation upstairs, so drop your kiddos off for Bingo Night in the Cafeteria and then head right up to the Library!
Please see the attached flier for additional information. There will be prizes, snacks, and mystery Bingo callers! We still need just a few more volunteers, please sign up to help at Bingo Night here.
Packets were sent home with students last week which included an Original Works brochure of product offerings, instructions for the Make-A-Gift fundraiser, pricing guide, Order Form, and blank piece of paper for your child's artwork (see photo below).
There is still availability to attend our FREE after school art session Friday, March 22nd from 2:50pm-3:50pm. Please click here to sign up. There is no cost to participate in an art session and no requirement to submit an order, all art making supplies will be provided.
Anyone can participate in Make-A-Gift from home (just follow all directions!). Place your order by Friday, March 29th! Just return these three items to school in the clear plastic sheath provided : 1) a completed Order Form, 2) your original artwork, and 3) payment. Payment options include:
We can't wait to see what the students create!
96%!! This is how close we are to reaching the 4th Grade Raffle fundraising goal. With just a week and a half to go, will YOU make the donation that puts us over the top? Buy your tickets for a chance to win your favorite baskets today!
BPS School Calendar 2023-24
Winn Brook School and PTA Calendar
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 21-25: Extracurriculars Spring Session Registration - Registration Opens 9pm on March 21st
Mar 22: Make-A-Gift Art Session - Stay after school for an hour to make some original art with friends. Signup here!
Mar 28: 3rd Grade Enrichment - Visit from Author David A. Kelly
Mar 28: STEM Night (formerly Math and Science Nights)
Mar 29: Make-A-Gift Orders Due! (include completed Order Form, check, and original artwork)
Mar 31: 4th Grade March Madness Basket Raffle - Drawing of Winners
April 2: 4th Grade Bake Sale on Election Day
April 2 & 4: 2nd Grade Enrichment - Field Trip to Discover Museum
April 4: PTA Meeting - 7:30pm in the cafeteria
April 8: Winn Brook Bedtime Stories - Google Meet, 7-8pm
April 11: 3rd Grade Bingo Night
April 12: 4th Grade Enrichment - Giles LaRoche Art Workshop, in school event
April 25: Monthly Staff Treats "Springtime Flowers" from the Staff Appreciation Committee
**Date Change - The district-wide Boston-Belmont Bowling event has been changed from April 28th to May 19th, 5pm at Boston Bowl and is open to all Belmont Public Schools and their families.**
Last Sunday, five students (Nico Bitter, Orhan Kurt, Ethan Liu, Andrew Lubarsky, and Ottavio Parent) from Winn Brook competed in the K-5 category of the Hurvitz Cup, the state team chess championship run by Massachusetts Chess Association. They had a great start by winning three games and tying the fourth in the first round against The Learning Project. In the following two rounds, the newly formed team of youngsters faced two of the toughest opponents in K-5 category, Bridge School and our very own Chenery Upper Elementary, and lost. They won their last game against J.A. Crisafulli Elementary. Recently formed, our team won two out of four matchups and finished with 2 points in the tournament. Orhan Kurt was awarded a medal for winning three out of four games. The team is now eyeing other tournaments, including next year's Hurvitz Cup, with more experience under their belt. Congratulations to all our participants, and special thanks to Oguz Kurt for organizing our team for the event! More photos are in the Gallery.
On March 13 & 14th the Staff Appreciation Committee made the teachers' lounge look like it was at the end of a rainbow with their "So Lucky to Have You" themed monthly staff treats! See more photos in the Gallery.
On February 27th, 4th Grade students returned from winter vacation and were treated to an enrichment workshop called "Keeping Cool: Green Engineering" in our very own Winn Brook library. Presented by the Discovery Museum, students were challenged to solve an insulation design problem requiring deep understanding, teamwork, and creativity. The problem was meant to mirror a challenge that is faced by the world’s engineers and thinkers today in creating sustainable solutions for the future. A fitting question to place in the hands of our graduating class before they advance to higher grades and responsibilities! Good job everyone, and thank you to the Enrichment Committee for organizing this event! See more photos in the Gallery.
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
March 21, 2024
Winn Brook PTA
6:30 PM
Winn Brook School Library
March 26, 2024
Butler PTA
6:00 PM
Remote - Zoom
Passcode: 213517
Who is the most outstanding teacher at Winn Brook this year? Please use this form to nominate them for the Outstanding Teacher Award! The FBE’s Outstanding Teacher Awards are given annually to one teacher at each Belmont public school based on nominations from parents, students (including high school and middle school students), and community members. There isn’t much time left before the nomination period closes on March 20th, so please submit your nomination today.
Come and be involved in the District's Strategic Planning process which will guide district improvement and growth over the next several years. There will be additional opportunities to engage with this process, but it is particularly important for the Steering Committee to hear from as many elementary level families as possible as early as possible.
A Message from Meg Moriarty - School Committee Chair and Winn Brook Liaison: A Strategic Planning Steering Committee has been formed to lead this process and to facilitate Community Forums so that we can gather input on the district’s mission, vision, and core values. Members of the Belmont Community are invited to participate in this important process and provide input on the mission, vision, and core values of Belmont Public Schools.
Next week the Chenery Upper Elementary School (CUE) is having its inaugural Science Night. It's a two night affair, Wednesday, March 27th and Thursday, March 28th, both from 6pm to 8pm, in the cafeteria.
The CUE PTO wanted to invite the lower elementary schools! Especially the rising 4th and 5th Graders (Winn Brook's current 3rd and 4th Graders). This is a nice way for these students to get into the school building and see what they might do next year.
It is a low key event with presentations of teams of students and pizza and snacks for sale. Families are welcome to join one or both nights.
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