All of our art students apply Elements of Art and Principles of Design to help them understand the value of art in the world around them. Our students will incorporate a variety of cultures and mediums and even use fairy tales in their levels of art.  Some of the art mediums include drawing, painting, sculpture, textiles and clay. Students will discover connections between different subject areas such as social studies, science, language arts and math, reinforcing material learned in their academic classrooms.

There will be multiple opportunities for students to display their artwork, including exhibits at the Frist Center for Visual Arts, Williamson County Libraries and other art exhibition spaces. Some students will also be able to display their work at a variety of art festivals.

The Winstead School Counseling program follows the ASCA standards for school counseling. It consists of a variety of services and activities, including individual and group counseling, parent and teacher consultation, classroom guidance, information services, referral assistance to other programs in the community, and student testing. During the beginning guidance lessons of the school year, students were reminded about being a bucket filler wherever they are.

A bucket filler is a tangible way to teach students about respect and kindness. The idea simplified is that we ALL have invisible buckets that hold our positive thoughts and good feelings about ourselves. We feel happy when our bucket is full and sad and lonely when it is empty. Your words impact other people’s buckets because you can either use kind words and compliments and do nice things and it fills their bucket or you can say mean things and ignore others and make fun of people and disrespect rules and it takes out of their bucket (called a bucket dipper).

We have discussed treating others with kindness and recognizing that each person is a part of a diverse local and global community. We will continue our discussion with respect of self, others and community and how we work towards responsibility within those areas as well. During this year, students are learning life skills that are necessary for social and emotional growth. These include anger management, emotional awareness, decision making, self-concept, friendship skills, and character traits.

Winstead students visit the library as part of the Special Class rotation. Students may check out the following number of books per grade level: Kindergarten-one book, First and Second- two books, Third through Fifth-three books. As part of their library visit, they will also receive library instruction.

Students have daily access to the library where they may return or renew their books and check out new ones. Books may be renewed one time and then must be returned for others to enjoy.

There is not a fine for overdue books. If a student has an overdue book, checkout privileges may be denied until the book is returned. Books that have not surfaced in 30 days are presumed to be lost. A bill with the cost of the book will be sent home. If the book is found and returned, we will issue a refund. Books damaged while checked out to a student will be assessed by the librarian to determine whether repairs can be made. A damage bill with replacement costs will be sent home for books damaged beyond repair.

We offer a Fall and Spring Book Fair. We celebrate Read Across America the last week in February or first week in March.

Through singing, playing instruments, and creative movement, students at Winstead Elementary School experience the joy of music. Our Music Room is equipped with a wonderful, large assortment of pitched and unpitched classroom percussion instruments. Students in Kindergarten, Second Grade and Fourth Grade perform in a music program during the school year. These performances are a great way for students to share some of what they have learned during music class, as well as gain experience performing for an audience on a stage. The performances are always tied to the educational curriculum from the classroom standards. Recorder lessons are a part of the 5th grade curriculum. We look forward to sharing our love of music with your child at Winstead.

As a program, we will strive to develop your students’ motor and spatial awareness skills, cooperative skills, fitness level, and present your children with activities and games that they can do for their entire life. We offer a Fall Run Team and Spring Run Team in the mornings to all students at Winstead, with information coming home in your child’s purple folder with appropriate dates. You are welcome to join your child on our annual Field Day, which takes place every May.

Winstead has its own closed-captioned TV News station! Any Fifth grader is encouraged to apply. Ms. Brandi Sobanski is in charge of our morning show. Send an email to Ms. Sobanski stating that your child can participate and that you commit to getting them to school by 8:30 A.M. during their rotation. Based on the number of applicants, the length of time will be determined, but typically, students work on the morning show for three to four weeks and rotate off. The last month of school, a few Fourth graders will be selected by Ms. Sobanski to practice so they can begin the following school year.

Sponsor: Ms. Sobanski

Cost: $0

Winstead Run Team is offered to all students at Winstead in the fall and spring and meets before school on Monday and Wednesday mornings from 8:00 A.M. until 8:40 A.M. All students will be supervised by a teacher and walked into the building together at the conclusion of the event.

Run team is an opportunity for parents and students to enjoy morning exercises on our track. Each student will be given bracelets each time they complete a lap. Once the student completes a certain number of laps, they will be given a toe token. Here is a breakdown of how each grade level will be given tokens: 

Kindergartern/First Grade- 10 laps (two miles)
Second/Third Grade- 15 laps (three miles)
Fourth/Fifth- 20 laps (four miles)
We will also keep you informed of any upcoming races that students may attend in the fall and spring that will allow them to compete for individual awards if they choose to participate.

Run team will be held on our outdoor track on top of the hill. If we have inclement weather conditions such as rain, sleet, snow, or unsafe temperatures, word will be sent out as soon as possible or email Coach Whipple or Coach Klingensmith to confirm. If it is raining at the time of run team we will cancel. Our unsafe temp is 32 degrees. If it goes below that, we will have to cancel run team.

Sponsors: Coach Whipple and Coach Klingensmith

Cost: $0

Second- Fifth Grade students: Do you want to jump rope? Fill out and return the form from your purple folder. There is no online form for this activity.

Jump Rope Team meets on Fridays. This is a before-school team that will meet in the gym from 8:15 A.M.-8:40 A.M. The students will be released at the 8:40 A.M. bell to get ready for school. We will have a gym door open for them to use to come in each morning as the main school doors will be locked.

Tennis shoes are a must for safety. Class activities will include instruction and demonstration in single rope, partner tricks, long rope skills, group games and double dutch. There will be no charge for jump rope team. Space will be limited to 40 students. Please fill out and return the sign-up form from your child’s purple folder to Coach Whipple. He will send a response email once he gets the contact information confirming a spot in jump rope team.

Sponsor: Contact the office for more information.

Cost: $0

Student Council is for Fifth grade students at Winstead. Students must fill out an application for a leadership position. Students meet monthly and will be in charge of charitable projects for our school. Applications will be given out by your child’s teacher. Contact your child’s teacher for more information.

Sponsor: Contact your child’s teacher for more information.

Cost: $0

If your Fourth or Fifth grade student would like to join safety patrol, simply send an email or note to Kathy Wells, our school principal. Mrs. Wells has to approve each member. All members are expected to make good decisions at school. They help with car riders only in the mornings from 8:20 A.M. until approximately 8:40 A.M. There will be an adult with them before they can go outside to help. Safety Patrol will be divided into teams with a weekly rotation. Officer Steve Craft will be supervising.

Sponsor: Contact the office for more information.

Cost: $0

The Paw Patch is Winstead’s school store. Each grade is assigned a day for shopping. The shopping day schedule for grade levels is below:

Pre-K/Kindergarten/First Grade-Monday

Second Grade- Tuesday

Third Grade- Wednesday

Fourth Grade- Thursday

Fifth Grade- Friday

Children should report to their classroom to check in with their teacher before going to the school store. Store hours are 8:30 A.M.- 9:00 A.M. each day.

Williamson County Schools is proud to offer Kindergarten-Fifth Grade Spanish classes at many of our elementary schools.

Visit the Elementary World Language site to learn more about this program.