Message from Ms. Bridget

April is a beautiful month on our campus as our garden, wildflowers, and trees begin to flourish! The month is also full of so many important and exciting events: kindergarten swimming lessons, the 3nrd Annual Butterfly Festival, our school play Alice in Wonderland, more field trips, and the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (or STAAR) test. Registration for next year is open again, and we have set a goal of having 100% of students registered by May 1! Please let us know how we can support your family in completing preschool or grade school registration for school year 2025-2026.

Your principal,
Ms. Bridget

bridget.farr@austinisd.org

512-414-2390 ext. 59454

Growing Our Team at the AISD Career Fair!

Student Auditions for the School Play!

We are so excited to have the Missoula Children’s Theater (MCT) back at our school this year with the production of Alice in Wonderland! There are roles for students from Kindergarten through 5th grade. Approximately 50-60 Winn Montessori students will be cast to appear in the show. Up to four (4) students will be cast as Assistant Directors. There is no guarantee that everyone who auditions will be cast in the play. Classroom guides will bring students to the audition and students must stay for the entire two-hour session.

All rehearsals will be during the school day, but students cast in the show must be available for the 6:00pm performance on Saturday, May 3!

Look out for a sign-up flyer in your child's backpack next week!

Register for Next School Year by May 1!

Our goal is to have 100% of students registered and enrolled for next school year by May 1. All current families wishing to attend next school year must complete their required annual forms to save their spot. Preschool families will have an additional eligibility form to complete.

Please use this link for step-by-step instructions to complete your annual forms. You can also call Mr. Juan at 512-414-2390 for 1:1 support with enrollment.

How to Complete Annual and Preschool Forms for the 24-25 School Year

Mr. Juan, Parent Support Specialist — Celebrating Mr. Juan during Parent Support Specialist Week!

Preparing Your Student for the STAAR Exam

In April, students all across Texas will take the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness test to see how they perform on grade-level skills in math and reading. Students in 5th grade will also be assessed in Science. Students can take the test in English or in Spanish and, if needed, are able to use Montessori materials or other aids to help them solve problems during the exam.

Students are no longer required to attend summer school or be retained if they fail the exam, but we want all students to do their best so we know how we better need to support students in their learning. We also use a variety of other assessments to help us get a clear picture of each child's academic skills.

In order to give our students a calm testing environment, visitors will not be allowed on campus during testing days.

You can help your student prepare for STAAR testing days by:

Making sure they get a good night's sleep
Encourage them to eat breakfast at home or at school
Let them share their worries or anxieties about the test
Encourage them to take their time and do their best, even on questions they might not know
Remind them that this test will help their teachers know how to help them grow.
Please make sure that your child is on time for school.

You can explore the STAAR test as a parent here: https://www.texasassessment.gov/practice-tests.html

Winn Montessori Campus Expectations

Click here to learn all about our school expectations, including uniforms, absences, volunteer opportunities, and even birthdays (Montessori celebrations without snacks)!

We are growing strong readers!

Hi Winn Montessori families! We can't believe there are only two months left of school! It has been such a gift meeting all of you this year and getting you more involved in supporting our special little school. Thank you for all your support!

The green team has been working hard this spring to plant the veggie garden, maintain the pollinator garden, and prep for a BIG community workday on Saturday, April 12 for Keep Austin Beautiful Day! We will be focusing on beautifying the front of the school that hasn't had much attention in the last few years. Please sign up to help (adults get a free t-shirt!) to make the day a success.

We also have THREE fun school traditions coming up in late April and May that could use community support. First is the Montana Children's Theatre week (week of 4/28) where the organization helps us put on a school play in just a week's time. The PTA has traditionally provided housing for the two MCT staff members who run the program. If any families who live close by have an extra bedroom or two that they're willing to open up to these folks, please email president@winnpta.org.

Then we have Staff Appreciation week in early May and Circle of Games field day later in the month. Both of those events will need monetary support from the community to happen, so please continue to donate via Givebutter. We will provide meals, chair massages and gifts for each staff member at Winn to show our gratitude for all they give to our students. And for Circle of Games, we are aiming to raise an additional $1500 to rent equipment to make the day a success.

Thank you for continuing to support the PTA's fundraising efforts. 100% of the funds we raise go right back to the school to fund programs that district funding doesn't cover. We couldn't do it all without you!

If you're interested in becoming more involved in the PTA, we will be holding executive board elections on Thursday, May 15. Look for more information from us in upcoming communications. We'd love to have you join us!

Upcoming events:

Sunday, April 6, 9 AM: Regularly-scheduled garden day & playdate (will be prepping for KAB day)
Saturday, April 12, 9 AM: Keep Austin Beautiful Day! Sign up to help beautify the front of our school!
Thursday, April 17, 4 PM: SPIRIT NIGHT at St. Elmo Brewery where 10% of sales go to the PTA!
Saturday, April 26, 10 AM: Butterfly Festival
Week of April 28: Missoula Children's Theatre week!

April Newsletter