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Exploring higher education at Cal State San Marcos 📚🎓On Thursday, our 11th and 12th graders attended a field trip to Cal State San Marcos. Field trips to colleges or universities provide Winston students with a firsthand look at campus life, facilities, academic programs, and support services, helping them become familiar with the college environment. In addition, these trips can expose our students to various academic majors and career paths they may not have considered before, helping them make more informed decisions about their future.

In this issue: Winston students excel with personalized learning and data-driven teaching through Star Assessments; meet new Biology teacher Marissa Wolf; Updated COVID-19 Resource: Decision Table for K-12 Schools; sign up now for The Winston School FAFSA Parent Night Zoom Presentation on Thursday, February 1; Parent Association Executive Function Parent Training, Thursday, February 22, sign-up; Admissions Open House, Thursday, February 29; The Future of Winston is in All Our Hands! Parent Meeting, Tuesday, March 5; and Honoring the Past and Shaping the Future Alumni Event, Wednesday, March 20.

• The 2023-24 Winston Academic Calendar is on our website. Click here.
• View the Winston Public Calendar on our website: Click here.

Thursday, February 1

~ FAFSA Parent Night Virtual Zoom Meeting, 5:00 - 6:30 PM; click here to sign up! Zoom link available here.

Friday, February 16

~ Presidents' Day Holiday - No School

Monday, February 19

~ Presidents' Day Holiday - No School

Thursday, February 22

~ Executive Function Parent Training hosted by the Parent Association, 5:00 - 6:00 PM, The Winston School; click here to sign up!

Thursday, February 29

~ Admissions Open House, 1:30 PM; click here to sign up!

Tuesday, March 5

~ The Future of Winston is in All Our Hands! Parent Meeting, 6:00 - 8:00 PM, The Winston School; click here to sign up!

Wednesday, March 20

~ Honoring the Past and Shaping the Future Alumni Event, 3:00 - 5:00 PM, The Winston School; click here to sign up!

Thursday, March 21

~ Hold the date–Spring Showcase, The Winston School; details to follow.

Winston Students Excel in Star Assessments, Guiding Personalized Learning and Academic Success

Winston students have recently finished their Star Reading and Math assessments, marking two of three assessment cycles within the school year, with the final testing period scheduled for the spring. 

At Winston, significant progress was observed among students in both math and reading from fall to winter. Specifically, 73% of students demonstrated growth in Math, marking a notable improvement of 16% compared to the growth recorded during the same period in the previous year.

In Reading, 67% of students exhibited growth, showcasing an 8% point increase compared to last year's fall-to-winter assessment. Furthermore, an impressive 34% of Winston students made more than one year's progress in Reading during this period, while 26% achieved the same milestone in Math. These results highlight the school's commitment to academic advancement and the positive impact of its educational strategies.

On Thursday, students were treated to their favorite snacks, a recognition assembly celebrating their growth and awarding their progress, and ESLR (Expected Schoolwide Learning Results) reward points. Families will receive a copy of the presentation with the list of students recognized for making a year or more of growth and those on target and above target for Math and Reading. These students were also entered into a raffle for gift cards. 

Name: Marissa Wolf

Title: Biology Teacher

What are you teaching or what is your new role? Biology with Ms. Arelis

What should the students call you? Ms. Marissa

What brought you to Winston? I have lived down the street from Winston for several years, and whenever I asked locals, I was told Winston was an amazing school, so I had to check it out for myself. Everyone was correct; Winston is amazing!

Hometown: Chicago 

Favorite Sport, Book, or Music: One Hundred Years of Solitude By Gabriel García Márquez 

In your free time: In my free time, I am an avid traveler and will be visiting my 49th country next month.

Fun fact: I was featured in a commercial when I lived in Vietnam in 2013 despite having no acting talents. I made $40 and was constantly told by those who had seen the commercial that I had no acting talent; it was fun!

Updated COVID-19 Resource: Decision Table for K-12 Schools

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) recently updated its COVID-19 guidance for schools, shifting to a symptom-based approach for handling cases. Instead of requiring individuals with COVID-19 to stay home for five days, they can return if their symptoms are mild and improving and they have been fever-free for 24 hours. Those who never developed symptoms can continue attending school.

Key updates:

• "Infectious period" is defined based on symptoms and fever.
• "Close contact" is determined by the duration and proximity to the infected person.
• Testing recommendations have changed, with testing now primarily recommended for those with symptoms or higher-risk contacts.



To help school officials synthesize this guidance, the San Diego County Office of Education and County of San Diego public health officials collaborated on the COVID-19 Decision Table for K-12 Schools. This document replaces the COVID-19 Decision Tree and State and County Requirements on Masking, Testing, and Notifications document.

Time is running out to join Ashley Pallisco, Financial Algebra/College and Career Readiness, Transition Coordinator, for The Winston School 2024-2025 FAFSA Night on Thursday, February 1, from 5:00 - 6:30 PM on Zoom and gain insights into the FAFSA/Free Application for Federal Student Aid process and what you need to know. Click on the image above or here to RSVP.

For more information, click here or email Ms. Pallisco at ashley.pallisco@thewinstonschool.org.

Have you reserved your spot yet? Is your student struggling with executive function and self-regulation skills? By parent request, The Winston School is hosting an evening event focused on providing realistic tools to enhance your student's skills. Our staff consists of experts in this field, including Assistant Head of School, Kelsey Garrison, and Admissions and Special Education Manager, John Weber, who will share their valuable insights.

Executive function and self-regulation skills are mental processes that allow individuals to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and manage multiple tasks effectively. These skills are vital for filtering distractions, setting priorities, achieving goals, and controlling impulses, similar to how an air traffic control system manages airport traffic.

Join us on Thursday, February 22, 2024, from 5:00 - 6:00 PM at The Winston School. Click the image above or the link here to RSVP.

Join us for an engaging evening on Tuesday, March 5, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM as we embark on an important journey toward campus modernization, mission and vision planning, and the launch of our WASC Self-Study Year project. We value your input and look forward to collaborating with our dedicated Winston School parents. 

We plan to have our proposed campus design available for viewing. Also, we would like to ask for input into campus facility priorities. This aligns with the school's self-evaluation as part of the WASC process.

Why Your Participation Matters:

Parent engagement during the planning process is vital for several reasons:

✅ Comprehensive Assessment: Your insights contribute to a well-rounded assessment of the school, ensuring we effectively address all aspects of education.

✅ Collaboration: By working together, we foster collaboration and build a stronger sense of community support for our school, developing a shared mission and vision.

✅ Educational Excellence: Your input directly contributes to enhancing educational programs and services and appropriate classroom design that benefits all students.

✅ Stakeholder Involvement: Demonstrates Winston's commitment to involving all stakeholders in the accreditation and remodel process.

Your participation is a testament to your dedication to our school's growth and success. We value your voice in shaping the mission, vision, and campus design for the future of The Winston School.

About WASC:

WASC, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, plays a crucial role in certifying our school's accreditation. This rigorous process involves thorough self-evaluation and reflection on every aspect of The Winston School. This results in recognizing and celebrating our achievements and establishing goals for continuous improvement and growth.

Please mark your calendar, and don't miss this opportunity to be part of our journey towards excellence. RSVP today by clicking here to secure your spot.

Alums, have you signed up yet to join us for a special event that celebrates our rich history and looks ahead to the exciting future of The Winston School? Mark your calendars for the Honoring the Past and Shaping the Future Alumni Event, scheduled for Wednesday, March 20, from 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM. This event is an excellent opportunity to renew old friendships, provide your input on the new campus plans, and support this exciting effort.

Let's come together to celebrate our achievements and embrace the promising future! Click here to let us know that you’re coming! If you have any questions, please get in touch with news@thewinstonschool.org.

The Lunch Bunch visited Seaside Yogurt in Del Mar last week to say farewell to 10th grader Gaby K. before her move to Florida. We will miss you, Gaby!

Mary Sterling-Torretti, M.Ed, M.A.

Head of School

Our Winston staff (and Maggie too!) are ready for the weekend!

Check out our profile to see the great work we do for our community. We want to make sure you have the progress updates you need to support our work with trust and confidence.