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.
It's official. Winn Brook's last day of school will be Tuesday, June 18th. Please note that Friday June 14th, Monday June 17th, and Tuesday June 18th will all be EARLY RELEASE days for Winn Brook (8:40am-11:40am) and no lunch will be provided.
The Winn Brook ClapOut for our graduating 3rd and 4th Grade Classes will be held Friday, June 14th, which is the last day of school for the other schools in our district. More details to come from the 3rd and 4th Grade Committees on the ClapOut soon.
Our annual Scholastic Book Fair will be held May 20th-24th in the Winn Brook Gym. This a wonderful event which raises money for our PTA, supports literacy initiatives, and encourages our community to read for the pleasure of it. Books on the teachers' wish lists will also be able for purchase if you would like to give a gift to a classroom. Look for flyers in your students' take-home folders this week.
In addition to shopping at the event, please consider signing up to work a shift at the Book Fair and celebrate this amazing tradition with us! We need veteran families as well as new friends who can learn the ropes and can keep the Book Fair running smoothly for years to come!
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month! Once again the Belmont Celebrates Asian American Heritage (BCAH) organization has generously donated AAPI-related children's books to Belmont Public School libraries to celebrate the rich culture and heritage of the AAPI community. These books have been carefully selected and vetted in collaboration with Belmont teachers and librarians and arrive in Winn Brook's library this week!
We invite you to be a guest reader in the Winn Brook Library and share these wonderful stories and books with our students during their classroom's weekly special! Sign up to be a library guest reader during AAPI month here!
New book titles provided to Winn Brook Library by BCAH in 2024
Multicultural Night is a week from Friday on May 17th and the Multicultural Night Committee could still use volunteers. We'd especially love more families to sign up for cultural performances (singing! dancing! reciting poetry! fashion show! playing music!). Additionally, general support with set up and clean up is always appreciated. Thank you for donating your time and talents to help make this community-building event a fun and educational night for all!
It’s hard to believe, but the Winn Brook PTA is already beginning preparations for next school year.
We are extremely fortunate that we have three current Executive Committee members who are excited to serve together as Co-Presidents for the 2024-2025 term: Meenal Bagla, Libby Weintraub, and Michal Feldman. Their complementary skill sets will be an asset to the community, and the addition of a third Co-President will lend further stability to the exciting transitions next year, including the new school configuration and new principal. We are grateful to Trish Kapur for continuing her role as Treasurer next year.
We are now looking to fill the vacant Secretary and Vice President positions. Anyone is welcome to serve in these roles. If you are interested, please reach out to the current PTA Co-Presidents for more information. We will hold votes for all Executive Committee positions at our next PTA Meeting (June 6th, 7:30pm virtual).
Equally important, we will also be aiming to fill some committee chairs as we prepare for next year. Keep your eyes out for more information in the coming weeks!
Thank you to our wonderful outgoing volunteers, committee chairs, and Executive Committee members for all that you have done to help build a vibrant Winn Brook community!
BPS School Calendar 2023-24
Winn Brook School and PTA Calendar
May 8-10: Staff Appreciation Week Continues!
May 9: 1st Grade Enrichment, Field Trip to Drumlin Farm
May 17: Multicultural Night, 6:30-9pm
May 19: Boston-Belmont Bowling Night, 5pm at Boston Bowl, 820 Morrissey Blvd., Dorchester, MA - All Belmont Public Schools invited for this district-wide event! Volunteer to help here!
May 20-24: Scholastic Book Fair in the Gym
May 28 and 31: 3rd Grade Enrichment, “Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride” In-school Presentation by Paul Revere House
May 29: 1st Grade Enrichment, Author Visit by Jamie Deenihan
May 31: 3rd Grade End of Year Movie Night
June 3: 3rd Grade Field Day during school
June 4: 4th Grade Field Day during school
June 6: Spring Ice Cream Social, 5:30-7pm on the blacktop
June 6: PTA Meeting (Virtual), 7:30pm - Join us for the last one of the year! Help us elect new Executive Committee members and review our annual budget.
June 13: 4th Grade End of Year Dance Party
June 14: ClapOut Celebration for 3rd & 4th Grade Classes outside Winn Brook
June 18: Last Day of School for Winn Brook (Early Release at 11:40am)
On Wednesday May 1st, Winn Brook participated in the annual Massachusetts Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day. In addition to our usual spring festivities (music, balloons, and hand stamps for our students on the blacktop as they arrived), this year we organized a Bike Bus! Over 20 cyclists of all ages met at the Claflin St Parking Lot and safely biked in a group down Cross Street to Winn Brook. More photos are in the Gallery!
Special thanks to Carice Reddien, Co-Chair of the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Committee, for creating and running the Bike Bus event. We hope to make it a regular part of our community's active transportation to Winn Brook - and not just for Walk to School Days! Thank you to our volunteers on the day Jessie Huang, Natalie Sierra, Libby Weintraub, Sarah Boyle, Erika Roberts (Co-Chair SRTS), and Mrs. Sinclair our music teacher for creating the fun mood on the blacktop with her speakers and playlist.
The 3rd & 4th Graders are delighted with their custom Class of 2024 Winn Brook School shirts! A huge thanks goes to Lucinda Zuniga (3rd Grade shirt) and Georgina Lamont (4th Grade shirt) for creating multiple fun designs and taking the final selection to print. The students from each class voted on their favorite and everyone including staff received their shirt in time for the Class Photo Day on May 2nd. Our "First-time Ever 3rd Grade Graduates" and our "Last-time Ever 4th Grade Graduates" have an amazing keepsake complete with their name on the back.
Thank you to Kayla Wiggin and Laura French for organizing, packaging, and delivering the shirts to school. Thank you to our Class Photo Day volunteers from the 3rd Grade Committee (Fitzie Cowing, Chihiro Nishi, and Lucinda Zuniga) and 4th Grade Committee (Lydia Kogler and Georgina Lamont) for helping at Joey's Park for the photo shoots and distributing shirts. Thank you to Amanda Lubarsky for coordinating with Hayward Photography. We can't wait to see the final shots in the yearbooks. Enjoy more candids in the Gallery!
3rd Grade Class Shirt
4th Grade Class Shirt
Come see exciting art from all grades and schools in the Belmont Public School system, including Ms. Lamoretti's students in Winn Brook! Open now through May 21st in front lobby of the Belmont High School.
On Monday May 27th the Belmont's Memorial Day Ceremony & Parade will begin at 11am. Come with the family to honor the men and women who sacrificed their lives for our country. The parade includes marching bands, fire trucks, and police vehicles as well as local community groups. Following a service and wreath laying ceremony at the Town Cemetery on Grove Street, all are welcome to meet at the end of the parade route for games, music, and food trucks.
Join Belmont's first ever Bike Rodeo on Saturday, June 1st, 9am-3pm conveniently located on the blacktop behind Winn Brook School! There will be free bike lights and helmets given to participants! Stop by for the complimentary safety gear, information and tips, as well as games and music. No registration is necessary and the event is free to our community.
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 - 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