The Final Countdown

 

Countdowns... I usually like countdowns until Christmas. But I am usually not a person who likes a countdown at the end of the school year. Every day of the year is a day to be together and a day we can make a difference for students and each other. However.... this is a different year and as much as we love our students and each other I think I am not alone when I say that when this school year is officially over I will breathe a sigh of relief. Are there silver linings to this crazy year? Absolutely. But it has also been the weirdest, hardest, longest year I can imagine. I hope next year will be normal or as close to it as possible! 

With this in mind I am embracing the final countdown. There are exactly 47 student days left in this school year, and 48 days for teachers. WE CAN DO THIS. This is our light at the end of the tunnel. 

My hope is that we can find as much joy as possible in these final 48 days. That we can laugh. Eat lunch in the sunshine. Enjoy our students and each other. They may not be an easy 48 days but I promise that I will do everything I can to remove obstacles and take things off your plate so you can not only survive, but thrive. So far this year there has not been a single problem we have not been able to solve together. Last week threw me for a little loop- I am used to having a problem and bringing you as many ideas to consider in solving it together. This week was different, but I have always said my brain is like a toaster. Give me a problem, some feedback, and a little time and an idea or two usually pop up like a waffle! 

This weekend I came up with some ideas that I think will help us to move forward. I would like to meet with teachers from 1:00-1:30 on Tuesday to share my thinking with you and get your feedback before seeking approval at the DO. 

I have faith that it will work out. What I don't want is for you to spend the last 48 days worrying or feeling upset. We just have to figure it out. So I'm on it :)

I hope you had a great weekend and Easter!

April 6 / 8 Picture Days! In person and also drive up will be available both days in the afternoon for Distance Learners. We will start with Kindergarten and your class will be called to come down to the library.

April 9-- Happy birthday NAN!

April 9th - Classified & Certificated Employee Recognition Forms Due Click here or check your email

April 20 TK/Kinder Family Info Night - more info to come
April 22 Poetry Jam and Slam

9 Nan Williams
16 Tracey Matheson
20 Jennifer Pelletier

Add your Gold Stars here!

POETRY JAM AND SLAM!

Students, Staff, & Families: It’s time for the 11th Annual Poetry Jam and Slam! This year the event will be held virtually via a Poetry Jam/Slam Webinar on April 22nd beginning at 6:30pm for the TK-5th grade performances, with the middle school and high school performances immediately to follow.

SIGN UP HERE: Google Sign up Form 
The deadline for sign ups is April 5th and the deadline for posting videos will be April 12. The videos have a 3-minute limit and we are keeping last names off the Flipgrid to protect online privacy.

We have set it up as a Flipgrid (which hopefully most of you are familiar with) to make it easy for the students to record their poems. They will need to select TK-5 OR 6-12 as their topic.
https://flipgrid.com/2021winterspoetry

Click Here for the Flyer For More Information and to view all of our Sponsors.

Participant Prizes for individual or small group (2-4 students) poems will be a $5 Kona Ice gift certificate sponsored by Winters PTA. Whole Class Participants (TK-5) will receive a size upgrade to Kona Ice, sponsored by Kona Ice Winters. 6th-12th grade will perform in a slam beginning at approximately 7:15 to compete for a variety of local gift-cards! In addition, 6th-12th will also compete for gift card prizes with a separate middle school and separate high school competition. The top 6 middle school students and the top 6 high school students will receive a Target Gift Card from First Northern Bank and Winters Friends of the Library, a free personal pizza from Pizza Factory Winters, and a free drink from Steady Eddy's.

Please feel free to reach out if you have questions to Mrs. Rodriguez @ orodriguez@wintersjusd.org.