A Note from the Principal
Dear Chameleon Families,
As we step into the month of March, we want to wish everyone a healthy and relaxing spring break. Hopefully, we will start seeing some true spring weather soon! When we return, we will be in the home stretch of the school year with just nine weeks remaining. It is unbelievable how quickly this year has flown by!
A huge thank you to everyone who participated in our virtual parent-teacher conferences. We understand that this format is not always ideal, but we greatly appreciate your partnership and attendance. Your involvement is essential to student success, and we are grateful for your support.
With fingers crossed, we hope we are done with snow and bad weather days!
For those looking for ways to be more involved in the school community, we invite you to consider joining our Site Council or PTO. The School Site Council plays an advocacy role, bringing together parents and staff to advise on student learning, educational programs, school improvement planning, and accreditation matters. The Vermillion Site Council meets once per quarter at 6:00 p.m.
We also have an incredible PTO that works hard to support our students and staff. However, they could use additional members to help with their initiatives. If you are interested or have any questions, please reach out! Click to view the Vermillion PTO website.
We look forward to a fantastic last nine weeks of the school year! Thank you for your continued support of our staff!
Mrs. Nash
A Note from the Assistant Principal
Thank you to all of our families who participated in Finn's Challenge for the American Heart Association! Vermillion teamed up with the American Heart Association teaching kids to be healthy and moving, educating them about heart and brain health, and encouraging them to be kind and help others. Coach Trail also taught hands-only CPR during PE to all 3rd and 4th graders!
As a school this is the impact we made during our American Heart Association challenge:
- 510 students and families received heart healthy information
- 41 students and their families learned the lifesaving skill of Hands-Only CPR online
- 230 students learned and practiced Hands-Only CPR
- 40 students and their families learned the warning signs of a stroke
- 21 Students completed Finn’s Mission
- $5,022 was raised for the life-saving mission of the American Heart Association. Many lives will be changed due to your efforts.
- American Heart Association donated $800 in US Games Certificate to buy PE/Recess Equipment
The American Heart Association funds research that creates new medicines to lower blood pressure, fights congenital heart disease in newborn babies, improves nutrition security, trains people in CPR, reduces the number of people who suffer from debilitating strokes, fights for health equity, and so much more! Together, we are fierce — a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Thank you for your support and dedication!
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Megan Hemmerling
Assistant Principal
WatchDOG Volunteer
Sign up to be a WatchDOG today! Simply send an email to jdavis@usd266.com to request the available volunteer dates and reply with your preferred volunteer date. We can accommodate only one WatchDOG per day. You MUST also complete a Volunteer Background Check PRIOR to your scheduled WatchDOG date each school year. Learn more about our WatchDOG Program.
Two different options to complete the Volunteer Background Check (complete only one):
- Self-Pay: Please click here to begin your Self-Pay background check process through the National Screening Bureau. After providing some information about yourself, you will be prompted to pay $24.50 by credit or debit card on a secure system, and you will receive a receipt via email. (The National Screening Bureau uses a secure server and cutting-edge screening technology in order to protect your privacy.)
- District-Paid: Maize Schools does not wish to discourage any potential volunteer from getting involved in our classrooms and with our students volunteers. Please click here to begin the same background process at no cost to yourself, and Maize USD 266 will pay for your background screening.
We ask that our WatchDOG volunteers wear a WatchDOG shirt on their scheduled day. You may purchase a shirt online at the WatchDOG store or we do have a few t-shirts available in various sizes to wear if you do not have one of your own.
From the School Office
End of Day Transportation Changes:
- Please use the car rider line to pick up your child at the end of the day. If it is necessary to pick up your child in the office, we ask that you do so by 3:15pm M/T/Th/F and 2:30pm on Wednesdays.
- For any after school transportation changes you MUST call the office (316-722-0266, press 2) and leave your message on the student pickup line by 2:00pm M/T/Th/F and by 1:00pm on Wednesdays.
Lost and Found Items:
Remember to write your child's name on all clothing, water bottles and lunch boxes so they are easily identifiable and can be returned to your child. All remaining Lost & Found items at the end of the school year will be donated on May 22.
Counselor's Corner
Kindergarten pre-enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year is open from March 1-31. If you have a child who is at Vermillion Elementary right now and will have a Kindergarten sibling here next year, please email either Mrs. Shipman or Ms. Lies with the name of our future Kindergarten student and their sibling's name(s).
Visit our Vermillion Elementary Counselor Website, which has more information and resources. Within this website you will find information regarding our Caring Chameleons. This is a network of Chameleons helping Chameleons within the Maize school district.
Andi Shipman - Counselor for Kindergarten, 2nd & 4th Grades
> Email: ashipman@usd266.com
Greta Lies - Counselor for 1st & 3rd Grades
> Email: galies@usd266.com
Music Matters
Please Mark Your Calendars for Our Upcoming Music Programs:
1st & 2nd Grade Music Programs - Thursday, March 13, 2025
- 6:00 pm All of 1st Grade
- 7:15 pm All of 2nd Grade
Students should arrive in the warm-up area 15 minutes prior to their show time. Please email Mrs. Merkel if you have any question regarding the show.
Kindergarten Music Program - Thursday, April 17, 2025
- 6:00 pm
These performances will be held at:
Maize Performing Arts & Aquatic Center (MPAAC), 1055 Academy Avenue, Maize 67101
3rd & 4th Grade Students:
3rd & 4th grader students are learning to read notes on the staff. We are currently focusing on
notes in the treble clef.
4th grade students are excited to begin our recorder unit using recorders that PTO purchased for us
this year. I have a class set for each 4th grade class so each student will have a recorder
assigned to them to use at school. They will not be bringing the recorders home. If your child
is interested in purchasing a recorder of their own, I am happy to provide you with names of
some quality models.
Students in these grades are also looking forward to our Ukulele unit, Music Madness & Mallet
Madness this spring!
Doreen Merkel (1st-4th) dmerkel@usd266.com
Ethan Jeffries (Kindergarten) ejeffries@usd266.com
Update from Coach
We are busy bowling in the gym. We have also been cosmic bowling with our Govee lights and the new projector system. Be sure and ask your child about the lights used during bowling. We will be gearing up for March madness and our basketball unit after spring break.
SAVE THE DATE! Our field day is scheduled for Tuesday, May 20. We hope to be outside and parents are welcome to join us! If it rains on field day we will be indoors and we won’t be able to allow parents join us due to the gym’s capacity limitations. Be on the lookout for more information regarding field day.
For safety, please have your students wear tennis shoes on PE days. If your child is sick or has been injured, please let me know and I will adjust for them accordingly.
Coach Trail wtrail@usd266.com
Coach Schuette schuette@usd266.com
Library News
The DEADLINE to order your 2024-25 yearbook online is March 26, 2025. The cost per yearbook is $25. Visit inter-state.com/order and enter code: 90890V.
Thank you for supporting the Vermillion Book Fair! Money earned from the book fair is being used to purchase new books for our library. We also raised $316.13 in the coin challenge and this money was used to buy books for children at a local hospital. Students were able to help pick out the books to donate.
Steph Hills, Librarian shills@usd266.com
From the School Nurse
Dental Screenings:
We will be conducting dental screenings this month. This will be done by Dr. Jaclyn S. Blyholder, DMD of Blyholder Family Dentistry. Results will be sent home ONLY if further testing is needed. Screenings are very basic and are not meant to take the place of professional evaluations. Please email me if you would like to opt your student out of any screenings.
Medications and In-Office Stock Medications:
- Under certain conditions medication may be given at school. An Authorization for Medication Form must be completed EVERY school year BEFORE medication can be administered.
- We have over-the-counter stock medications in the nurses office. This includes acetaminophen (chewables & liquid), ibuprofen (chewables & liquid), cetirizine (liquid & dissolving tablets), benadryl (chewable & liquid), and tums (chewables).
- Complete the online 2025 Over the Counter Medication Consent Form. This form can be found in Skyward Family Access/Online Forms. You must complete this form prior to administering these medications.
Skyward Health History:
It is the parent’s responsibility to update health conditions in Skyward and notify the school nurse as needed for any health concerns. You may view our District Health Services for more information.
Nurse Jaime Smith
Email: jsmith@usd266.com
Phone: 316-350-2810 / Fax: 316-722-5020
STEAM Lab News
Students in grades 3rd-4th have been working on lessons in our We Will Build it Better curriculum. 3rd grade learned about graphic design and print shop careers. They had to create and develop their own flyer for their parks opening celebration. They had to use rulers to measure the border around their poster and measure out specific sizes for their accent pieces for their flyer. 4th graders learned about how data centers function and how when they search for something, the information is sent out through the internet and comes back quickly to their device. The students used our Botely robots as an example of how this process works. They also learned about careers in IT and Cyber Security. 1st grade began learning about the earth, sun, moon, and constellations, along with how day and night happen. 2nd grade learned how the water cycle works, and created their own water cycle that we will observe throughout the month of March. They also began learning about erosion and weathering. They had to create a wall to keep wind and water erosion from taking away their hill made out of sand. Kindergarten has been learning about animal architects, and their habitats. We even talked about biomimicry and examples that are found in our everyday life. All grade levels had fun learning about the heart literally and figuratively, by creating hearts with playdough, using merge cube (Augmented Reality) to look at the real heart, engineering heart boat challenge, creating hearts of kindness, etc.
Upcoming in March: Students will be finishing up learning about Earth and Space Science.
I would love to get parents involved with my career bulletin board. I am creating a spotlight board of different careers and would love for anyone to fill out the form, so we can let students know about all the careers our parents/guardians/grandparents at Vermillion hold. My goal is to have a career fair in March or April.
Thank you to everyone that continues to contribute to the STEAM room. We are always looking for recyclable and consumable materials. Please take a moment to check out the STEAM Amazon Wishlist!
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
Melissa Love
Twitter: @LoveSTEAMDream
