NCS Family Newsletter

1/2/2025 School Resumes

1/2/2025 Outdoor Learning

1/7/25 - 2/21/25 Swim Unit for both schools

1/9/2025 Outdoor Learning

1/9/2025 VASD Kindergarten Night at Sugar Creek 6-7pm

1/16/2025 Community Gathering 7:35am-8am

1/16/2025 Outdoor Learning

1/17/2025 School Tour 7:45-8:45am

1/20/2024 No School - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day

1/23/2024 Outdoor Learning

1/20/2024 School newsletter info due to Miss Amelia at Noon

1/30/2024 Outdoor Learning

Let's do all we can to help grow our New Century School family.

Upcoming events for us include:

Thursday, January 9th 6-7pm - VASD Kindergarten Night

Friday, January 17th 7:45-8:45am - In person tour

Thursday, February 6th 4-6:30pm - Head Start/Reach Dane night

January Fundraising Update: We have currently raised $2,500 of our annual $30,000 goal. Thank you to all those who have donated to our campaign thus far.

The following is made possible through donations to our fund:

• $8 compensates substitute teachers empowering staff members to attend STEAM curriculum planning days.
• $10 supplies Specials (Art, Music, PE, and the Library) with necessary instructional materials such as art supplies and gym equipment
• $20 enables our ability to plan and execute field trips
• $35 equips our classrooms with educational tools and curriculum including Project Lead the Way’s STEM curriculum and Everyday Math
• $60 ensures continued support for outdoor learning days

*amounts calculated per student*

Any amount moves the needle, and appreciate every contribution to support the school. To make a contribution, kindly choose to use our PayPal donation page @New Century School Community Inc or Send a check made out to New Century School Community Inc, PO Box 930454, Verona, WI 53593. Checks may also be dropped off in the school office. Our PayPal email is: newcenturycommunity@gmail.com Thank you for this support!

Butter Braids and Colectivo coffee, tea, and cocoa are back! Treat your family or friends to a delicious pastry this year, or some hand-roasted coffee! Order forms will be sent home with kids and emailed out in mid-January.

Orders and payments are due by Friday, February 7th. Order forms and payments can be dropped off in the office. All checks should be made out to NCS Community, Inc. You can submit one check for all of your orders, or individual checks from each person who buys from you.

All items can be picked up at school on Friday, February 28th from 2-4 pm. If this doesn’t work for your family, please email Carly to make other arrangements: carlypowers@icloud.com. Small orders can be sent home in students’ backpacks, but Butter Braids will need to stay frozen so they don’t start to rise.

Thanks for supporting NCS! Note- if there are parents interested in taking this over next year, this is the last year for Powers'es at NCS. :)

Join with other families from NCS/VAIS to enjoy a UW Women's Basketball Game. The game is at 2pm on February 23rd and the Badgers will be playing vs. Northwestern.

Tickets will be $5 per/person and we will be purchasing tickets as a group so we can all sit together. Any questions, contact Jessica Hamill (jessica.corine@gmail.com). Sign up here!

NCS and VAIS shared Glow Dance Night in Friday, April 11, 2025 5:30-7:30pm in our school gym!

Join us for a glowing night with DJ Brent spinning tunes on his tables, princesses ready to party with us and free pizza and drinks. Wear your bright white and neon clothes and dancing shoes! Magical treats will also be for sale and kids get to enjoy glitter tattoos and more!

Here is the updated schedule for NCS Community Gatherings in the school gym for the rest of this school year.

There is one update -- the Gathering we had scheduled for February 27th has been rescheduled.

Thursday, January 16th - 7:35-8am

*Tuesday, March 11th - 7:35-8am* *note this new Spring date*

Thursday, May 8th - 7:35-8am

Feel free to go straight through Door 1, on Community Gathering days we by-pass the office.

Where have you been reading? With a sibling? In a sunny spot? On a road trip? Please share a photo by emailing our Library Director, Ms. Roltgen, at roltgent@verona.k12.wi.us You may be featured on social media, in the library, or in a future edition of the newsletter!

Here's a pic of Phong and his sister, reading in the sunshine at home.

I just want to throw out a reminder that after winter break we will be starting the Swim Unit on January 7th - February 21. A few items that the students will need to bring are a swimsuit, a towel, a bag for their wet swimsuit, and goggles if they want. The students should not bring any floating devices or swim toys to the pool. The pool provides those already. If the student forgets any of the items that were listed the pool does have those items for the students to borrow. If any questions please ask. I will send out another reminder after break.

Hope you all have a good winter break,

Mr.Dresen and Ms. Kottemann

The VASD Elementary School Family Handbook is a good resource for families. Families are encouraged to review this information and refer to it throughout the school year. It is also available on our website.

Your school library is happy to provide Sora, a reading app for students that offers age-appropriate e-books and audio books, for all NCS/VAIS students and staff! If your student brings home their school device, they can access Sora by going to Clever and looking under Library Resources.

Here are the instructions for downloading Sora to a home device. Students will use their school email addresses and three-letter passwords (they should know these - if not, Ms. Roltgen can help) to log in.

In library classes, students have learned how to borrow e-books and audio books, place holds, browse the collections, search for titles of interest, check their bookshelf, and personalize their profile. K-1 learners have been enjoying the "Read Along With Me" collection which allows them to see the pictures and watch the highlighted words as a narrator reads the book to them.

Going on a road trip? Sora titles can be checked out and downloaded ahead of time so no internet access is required while using the app. If you have any questions or trouble accessing Sora, please contact our Library Director, Ms. Roltgen, at roltgent@verona.k12.wi.us. Happy e-reading and listening!

We love adult volunteers. Remember that in order to volunteer in a way that you'll be with students, you need a background check. This includes field trip chaperones. Here is the background check form for all volunteers.

This year starts our use of the Savvas program. This meets the standards of the new Wisconsin legislation, which is a requirement for our school, integrates reading and writing, and promotes reading topics across themes. Because it is the same curriculum adopted by the rest of the district, the funding will come from VASD rather than our school funding. Our teachers are amazing and will be assessing how well this program meets our students' and teachers' needs for improvement, growth, and autonomy.

Outdoor learning is planned for Thursday mornings. Adult volunteers are needed! If you have availability, check if there's a time that works for you: Outdoor Learning SignUp Genius

Our students experience having two different classroom teachers throughout the day. It can be confusing for families to know which teacher to communicate with at times. If you are reaching out to your child’s teacher, please include both teachers on any communication.

It is not always easy to decide if your child is sick enough to stay home or well enough to be in school. Children who come to school are expected to participate fully in school activities including recess and physical education. A doctor’s note is required for any activity restriction.

Our most current guidelines are found here.

Have you joined the New Century School Parent Community Facebook Group?

Current and incoming families are welcome to join “New Century School Parent Community” on Facebook. This is a great place to post summer events and pop-up playdates. This is also a great resource for new parents/guardians to ask any questions they may have.

Additionally, please like and follow our New Century School Facebook page here.

If your student is ill, has an early morning appointment, or will be late arriving to school for another reason, in addition to notifying their classroom teacher please make sure that you one of the following PRIOR TO THE START OF THE SCHOOL DAY:

1) EMAIL NCS Attendance: ncs-attendance@verona.k12.wi.us

2) CALL the office at (608) 845-4500

Please do not email the school secretaries directly, we appreciate it! The attendance line/email is the best way to communicate with school.

Our health room helpers have reminded us how an extra set of clothes are appreciated here at school. All students, not just our kinders, run into needing a change from time to time. Milk spills, wet slides at recess, unexpected puddles all lead to a need for new clothes. If you can send a Ziploc bag with a pair of pants, socks and underwear it will come in handy over these next wet months.

And, always, we will happily take your donations of gently used sweatpants and bottoms that have stretchy waists. All colors, sizes, patterns are appreciated.

If you need assistance with lunch costs please visit our Free and Reduced Lunch application for information on income levels and an application for assistance.

Here is the link to a Google Public Calendar with this year’s updated NCS events:

NCS Google Public Calendar

This calendar will be updated continually throughout the year with school events, such as swim, Picture Day, Back to School Night, field trips, parent/teacher conferences, days off of school, Governance Council meetings, and so much more! We hope that this will make things easier for you!

The Bridging Brighter Smiles program is a safe, affordable, accessible way to meet a dental hygienist... right here in Verona Area School District!

Learn more at https://bridgingbrightersmiles.org/

The Sunshine Committee is made up of many amazing family members of students from our schools whose mission is to spread kindness and support for families and school staff. They do this by providing support in the form of cards, meals, gift cards, and other resources to families and staff in need of a little pick-me-up. They also have provided support to our school through stocking those awesome bathroom supply baskets in our staff bathrooms and by helping organize our winter clothes.

For more information and to assist in bringing sunshine to our community please contact Tiffani Roltgen at roltgent@verona.k12.wi.us or Hannah Merryfield at merryfih@verona.k12.wi.us.