Vermillion Elementary School

Dear Chameleon Families,

It has been nice to be back in our normal five day a week routine and to have some wonderful outdoor weather for recess! This week will bring a lot of fun with our Family Night and Chiefs Spirit Week followed by Kindness week and Valentine's Day parties. It is also Counselor Appreciation Week and we would like to thank Mrs. Shipman and Mrs. Chapin for all that they do for staff, students, and families. They are amazing!

Thank you for your continued support at our annual VES BINGO Night. I was sad to miss this year's event but heard it was an amazing success as usual! Thank you to the VES PTO for organizing this event and to all of our staff and volunteers who helped make this evening a success.

Our Building Leadership Team has been focusing on two main goals for 2023-2024. These goals are to ensure that Capturing Kids Hearts is being fully implemented to provide students with a safe and welcoming environment and also to focus on engaging students in their learning. We appreciate the parent feedback we received through the Capturing Kids Hearts Survey that was sent in December. This data will be used to continue to drive our goals and focus. We will be looking at this data along with attendance and academic data at our upcoming Professional Development Day.

Please note that Monday, February 12th we will not have school for Professional Development. Thursday, February 22nd we will be hosting Parent Teacher Conferences from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Due to conferences, students will not have school on Thursday, February 22nd or Friday, February 23rd. If you have not yet received a conference sign up, one will be coming soon from your child's teacher!

Our Valentine's Day Parties will take place on Wednesday, February 14 from 1:45-2:45pm. An auto-dialer has been sent with the online RSVP form. Guests will be admitted to the building starting at 1:30pm and will pickup their visitor stickers in the cafeteria upon entry.

We are always in need of subs for our paraprofessionals when they are unable to be at school! If you or someone you know wants a work schedule that is flexible and aligns perfectly with your elementary child, this is the job for you! Please contact Megan Hemmerling at mhemmerling@usd266.com if you are interested.

We appreciate your continued school support!

Sincerely,

Jenny Nash

Principal

Visit our school website at www.usd266.com/ves

Connect with Mrs. Nash at jnash@usd266.com or 316-722-0266.

Vermillion Elementary School is located 501 James Ave. in Maize.

FEBRUARY

• 2/6: 1st Grade Music Program (6:00pm at Maize Performing Arts & Aquatics Center)
• 2/6: 2nd Grade Music Program (7:15pm at Maize Performing Arts & Aquatics Center)
• 2/8: Family Night (5:30pm - 7:00pm at Vermillion Elementary School)
• 2/12: No School (Professional Development Day)
• 2/14: Valentine's Day Classroom Parties 1:45-2:45pm (admittance at 1:30pm)
• 2/15: Spring Pictures for Individual/Class
• 2/16: PTO Carousel Skate Spirit Night (5:00-9:00pm)
• 2/22: No School, Parent/Teacher Conferences (8:00am - 8:00pm)
• 2/23: No School
• 2/26: PTO Sweet & Savory Fundraiser Begins
  
• 2/26: PTO Pizza Ranch Community Spirit Night (4:00-8:00pm)

• 3/6: PTO Crazy Hair & Hat Day
• March 8-15: No School, Spring Break
• 3/19: PTO Meeting (Vermillion STEAM Room - 6:30pm)

Visitors:

With the increase in safety and security in our schools, we are requiring everyone to show their driver's license when picking up your child from the school office. When entering the school building as a visitor everyone will go through the Raptor security check system. Visitors will have an ID printed sticker that they will be required to wear while in the school during school hours. Your profile remains stored in the system for the school year and the system automatically updates based on your license information. Therefore, if we have scanned your driver’s license before, you are already in the system and we will simply input your name to print a badge.

We appreciate your understanding with helping us maintain the highest level of security for our staff and students.

Student ID Card & Lanyard:

Students are required to wear their District-issued student identification card at all times during school hours. ID cards shall be affixed to a District-issued school-specific lanyard, and worn so that the ID card and lanyard are visible. The ID badge is necessary for breakfast, lunch, and library check-out in addition to aiding safety/security.

If a student has lost their ID badge and/or school issued lanyard one will be issued to them and students will incur the cost of $3.00 each for replacing lost or damaged ID cards and lanyards. The replacement cost will be added to your child's Skyward account. Please reference the student handbook or contact the office if you have questions.

Before/After School Car Rider Line Process:

Please review our Before School Drop-off and After School Pick-up Procedures, Traffic Flow Map and watch our Car Rider Line Instructional Video. If you need a QR code please contact the school office.

End of Day Transportation Changes:

• If you need to pick up your child at the end of the day and it's not urgent, please use the car rider line to pick up your child. If it is necessary to pick up your child at the end of the day, we ask that you please pick up by 3:15pm M/T/Th/F and 2:30pm on Wednesdays.
• For after school transportation changes you MUST call the office and leave your message on the student pickup line by 2:00pm M/T/Th/F and by 1:00pm on Wednesdays.

Thank you to everyone that has made donations to our teachers! We greatly appreciate your support. Here is a link to all VES wish lists. Teachers will continue to update these throughout the year.

Learn more about our WatchDOGS program. You can view the WatchDOGS Monthly Volunteer Calendars to find a date or more that works with your schedule to volunteer (only ONE WatchDOG per day). You may also view the WatchDOGS Daily Schedule. Don't forget to complete the Volunteer Background Check, which must be completed each school year.

We ask that our WatchDOGS volunteers wear a WatchDOGS shirt on their scheduled day. It is recommended to purchase a shirt from the online WatchDOGS store. We do have a few T-shirts available in various sizes to wear on your scheduled day if you do not have one of your own.

Our Capturing Kids Heart word of the month for February is KINDNESS. To celebrate, we are having a Kindness Week the week of February 13-16. Be looking for more information soon on our fundraiser and spirit days for this week - we are sure to have lots of fun and practice great kindness!

Mrs. Chapin NEEDS YOUR HELP! with support for our Caring Chameleons! This is a network of Chameleons helping Chameleons. Vermillion Elementary Counselors are often notified of families in need of basic necessities. There are many caring Chameleon families who want to help but do not know what the needs are. Caring Chameleons can anonymously match needs with available donations. We are in desperate need of more provider families as many of our previous providers have moved on to the Intermediate buildings. We greatly appreciate your contributions!

As school counselors, our goal is to get to know all of our students and help them achieve their best. During September, we had guidance lessons on our Capturing Kids Hearts program and also talked about bully prevention and strategies. We are getting to know our VES Chameleon students in the lunchroom, small lunch groups and friendship groups. To learn more information about our counseling program and lessons each month, check out our counselor site: VES Counselors

Feel free to reach out to either one of us with concerns or questions!

Jolene Chapin - Counselor for Kindergarten, 2nd & 4th Grades

Email: jchapin@usd266.com

Andi Shipman - Counselor for Kindergarten, 1st & 3rd Grades

Email: ashipman@usd266.com

Valentine, it's no mystery how proud I am of our first and second grade performances at their music programs. We lost several rehearsal days due to the snow days, but they didn't let that stop them from working hard and rocking their performances! Thank you to our amazing Vermillion staff and parents for helping to make sure our students had a successful experience.

Please mark your calendars:

Kindergarten Music Program

Thursday, April 18, 2024

• 6:00pm (NEW start time!)

Location: (MPAAC) Maize Performing Arts & Aquatics Center (1055 Academy Avenue, Maize)

THIRD GRADE: We are finishing up a unit on dynamics. Have your child give you a sample of the Fort/Piano song or maybe Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

FOURTH GRADE: We have been working on sixteenth note patterns through singing, reading rhythm patterns and playing patterns on drums and other rhythm instruments.

Quaver:

We LOVE our Quaver music curriculum! In addition to lessons we use in the classroom, it also has an at home feature so that students can explore music through games and activities using any computer or mobile device at home. Currently our 1st – 4th grade students are all registered for this year and should have brought home a parent letter with more information earlier in the school year.

Accessing Quaver: Go to www.quavered.com/log-in/ and log in using a Username & Password. The Username (also known as Quaver name) is the same as your child’s nine digit Maize Student ID number which was included in the letter referenced above. The password is: music123. If you have trouble remembering the student ID # or have any difficulty logging in, please e-mail me at the address below.

Prize Box: I'm currently looking for pencils to restock my prize box. Music themed or any other theme you think students would enjoy. They can be wooden or mechanical pencils.

Doreen Merkel (1st-4th)

dmerkel@usd266.com

Ethan Jeffries (Kindergarten)

ejeffries@usd266.com

Please take a moment to view the P.E. Amazon Wishlist.

Coach Trail

wtrail@usd266.com

Coach Schuette

schuette@usd266.com

Our Spring Book Fair Carnival will run from February 13-22. Be sure to stop by the Library during Parent/Teacher Conferences on Thursday, February 22.

Don't forget to order a school yearbook! Place your online order thru inter-state.com/order

and enter code: 82467R. The price per yearbook is $25.00 and the deadline to order is March 22, 2024. Yearbooks will be delivered to students before the end of the school year.

Steph Hills, Librarian

shills@usd266.com

Health Screenings

Dental screenings were conducted at Vermillion Elementary on Friday, February 2 by Mark W. Schuyler, D.D.S.. All students were screened and results will ONLY be sent home if further screening is needed. Screenings are very basic and are not meant to take the place of professional evaluations.

Flu Season Information

Flu season is approaching. Get your flu vaccine now! Vaccination is recommended for everyone 6 months and older. Symptoms of the flu can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Some people with the flu will not have a fever.

What is the flu? Influenza (the flu) is an infection of the nose, throat, and lungs caused by the influenza virus. There are many different influenza viruses that are constantly changing. The flu is spread when an infected person coughs sneezes or speaks and sends the flu virus into the air. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his eyes, nose, or mouth. The best defense against the flu is washing your hands often!!

Please keep your child home if they are exhibiting any of the following symptoms: fever over 100 degrees, headache, general aches and pains, fatigue and weakness, continuous coughing, chest discomfort, vomiting, and/or diarrhea. Fever MUST be gone without the use of a fever reducing medication (i.e. Tylenol (Acetaminophen) or Motrin (Ibuprofen)) for a full 24 hours before student is to return to school.

Medication

Any prescription medication prescribed by a doctor must have a medication form completed by a parent/guardian and the prescribing physician. Parents/guardians may bring the medication to school with the signed medication form.

• The medication must be in the original container.
• The medication must be current. Expired medication will not be administered.
• The medication must be age appropriate. Any medication for a person older than the child will require a signed form from the doctor.
• All prescription medications require a signed form from the doctor.
• All prescription medications must have the pharmacy label with the student's name on the bottle box.

• Over-the-counter medication (page 68 in the handbook): With signed parent consent, Maize USD 266 is making select over-the-counter medications available to students through the school nurse’s office. Students are no longer allowed to carry medication with them. This helps the district better monitor medication in schools and keep students safe. A consent form will be made available to parents via Skyward Family Access.

Select to access all Health Forms for Maize students

Nurse Jaime Smith

Email: jsmith@usd266.com

Phone: 316-350-2810 / Fax: 316-722-5020

Students have started learning about Earth and Space Science this quarter. 4th grade is researching different types of natural resources and recording news reports about their research. 3rd grade has been learning all about clouds and have been working on stop motion animation with clouds by using Google Slides. 2nd grade focused on weathering and erosion, they had to prevent wind and water erosion on their beach. 1st grade has been learning about the earth, sun, and moon. They will also get to explore space on one of their field trips. Kindergarten has been meteorologists all month long, by recording and predicting the weather. They even recorded their own forecast.

As February approaches all the students will continue to work on Earth and Space Science, by using Stop Motion Video.

Thank you to everyone that continues to contribute to the STEAM room. We are always looking for recyclable and consumable materials.

Items we are in need of:

• Empty water/soda/Gatorade bottles
• Paper towel/toilet paper rolls
• Empty yogurt, fruit, apple sauce cups
• Straws
• Cans (vegetable, fruit, etc.)
• Tape

Please take a moment to view our current STEAM newsletter. And check out our Amazon Wishlist!

Melissa Love

mlove@usd266.com

Twitter: @LoveSTEAMDream

Become a PTO member/volunteer - it's FREE! If you are interested in supporting our students and staff, please complete the online PTO Volunteer Enrollment Form or you may email the Vermillion Elementary PTO at vermillionpto@hotmail.com.

BINGO Night Fundraiser Recap:

On January 12, 2024, Vermillion PTO hosted its 7th Annual Family Bingo Night with Raffle Baskets. Ninety-nine families participated in the event, and 412 people were signed up to play. Families enjoyed 10 rounds of bingo, pizza, and snacks. They also had the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win one of thirty-six raffle baskets.

Thanks to the help and generosity of our donors, we were able to raise over $4,600, before accounting for expenses, that will be used to help support the students and staff at Vermillion. Thank you to those that joined us for the evening! A very special thank you to all our donors of raffle baskets and bingo prizes, parent and teacher volunteers, bingo and raffle committee members, Mr. Dome, Dr. Botts, Mrs. Shipman, Mrs. Love, Officer Gabel & team, Tony Hansard, and the MIS & MSIS Kay clubs. Our generous donors are listed in the Google Slides Presentation. We hope you will tell them “Thank you!!” next time you see them or visit their businesses!

In preparation for next year’s Family Bingo Night, we invite anyone who has unused/leftover holiday gifts, baskets, bows, or other filler items that could be used in raffle baskets to turn them into the school office. We greatly appreciate your support!

Upcoming Spirit Nights and Events:

• February 16: Carousel Skate Night is from 5:00-9:00pm (312 N. West St). You can choose to pay for Skating, Skating and Playzone, or a combination of Skating/Playzone/Arcade! The class with the most students coming between 5:00-6:00pm will enjoy a pizza party that night from 6:00-7:00pm at the skating rink. A portion of your fee will come to the Vermillion Elementary PTO.
• February 26: Pizza Ranch Community Night Event is from 4:00-8:00pm (21st & Tyler location only). Dine in or Carry out and a portion of your bill will come back to Vermillion Elementary. Please be sure to tell your server or cashier that you are with Vermillion Elementary BEFORE you tip with a credit card or you may tip with CASH! If you dine in the restaurant, you will get to enjoy our Vermillion teachers, staff and other volunteers who will be your servers! All tips given will go directly to our PTO! If you would like to help at this fundraiser, please sign up HERE.
• Spring Fundraiser Save the Date! We will start our “Sweet and Savory” Fundraiser on February 26 and sales will end on March 10! We will be selling Carriage Crossing Pies as well as Yoder Meats Meat Sticks! Please watch for more information!

Be a Part of the PTO:

The PTO thanks everyone for attending our November meeting and congratulates Mrs. Mile’s class for winning the cookie party drawing. Be sure your class has a representative at our next PTO meeting on January 9, 2024 so they are in for the drawing of our next cookie party! Signup here to be a part of the PTO: Vermillion Elementary School PTO - Cheddar Up.

PTO is looking for assistance for several of our annual fund raising committees. If you are interested, please contact PTO at vermillionpto@hotmail.com.

Additional Ways to Support the PTO:

Check out the corporate fundraising partnerships we have with Casey’s, Box Tops and Coke Gives. PTO / PTO (usd266.com).

PTO can be reached at:

• Email: vermillionpto@hotmail.com
• Facebook: Maize Vermillion Elementary School PTO
• Website: maizevermillionelementarypto.com

*Be sure to tag all the fun you are having at VES with #VES