Dabney Discussion V8I3 - October

October - Parent Conference Month

October 7 - SBDM Meeting @ 3:00 pm (VPE Conference Room)

October 11 - End of First Nine Week Grading Period, Spirit & Hat Day/Woot Woot Wagon

October 16 - Wellness Wednesday & Family Focus Night

October 17 - Fall Conference Night @ 3:00-7:00 pm

October 22 - SBDM Committee Meetings @ 3:00 pm

October 28-November 1 - Red Ribbon Week

October 31- Book Character Day, Book Character Parade @ 9:45 am - Bus Loop

November 1 - Spirit & Hat Day/Woot Woot Wagon

November 5 - No School - ELECTION Day

The end of the first nine weeks will be ending on Friday, October 11th. Report cards will be sent home on Friday, October 18th for intermediate students. Those students in primary grades will have their progress reports shared with them during fall conferences. Please note that VPE gives letter grades for students in grades 4-5 and grades K-3 receive standards-based grades.

VPE Grading Scale

90 - 100 A

80 - 89 B

70 - 79 C

60 - 69 D

59 and below F

We are thrilled to announce our new safety tracker — a website where you find up-to-date information on situations impacting the safety of the school community, emergency procedures, and more. Simply visit fcps.net/safety.

Providing a safe environment to work, learn, and grow is a priority for Fayette County Public Schools.

Since 2018, we have added 83 mental health specialists, doubled our number of police officers and school nurses, and secured every school entrance.

To learn more about safety improvements in our schools, watch this brief video.

We are grateful to everyone who makes the safety tracker possible and to those who help keep our schools safe.

The following clubs will take place every Wednesday from 2:35 p.m.-3:45 p.m. from October 16 - November 20. Clubs are offered to students in grades 2-5 only. There are no clubs for students in grades K and 1. Signing up online DOES NOT guarantee your child a spot in the club. Names will be drawn randomly from the list and those students will be notified if they are enrolled in the club. This is NOT first come, first serve. Club sign ups will begin on October 9 will end on Friday, October 11th at 8:00am. Late sign-ups will not be accepted.

Board Game Club: Are you up for a little friendly competition and want to learn some new board games? If so, then join Ms. Pugel for a board games group after school! This club will be open to up to seven fourth or fifth grade students.

Card Game Club-In this club with Mr. Barth, students will have the chance to experience fun and challenging card games. This club will be open to up to seven students in fourth or fifth grade.

Lego Club: In this club, students will build on creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking skills and cooperation in order to use Legos to build solutions to various engineering design challenges. This club is open to 12 students in grades 2-3.

Coloring Book Club-Coloring Book Club allows students to come together and create beautiful artwork while relaxing and meeting new friends! The coloring books/sheets will be provided, but your student is welcome to bring their own from home if they'd like. This club is open to students in grades 2-4.

Random Acts of Kindness Club (RACK)-The Community Kindness Club is all about making a positive impact at school and neighborhood. We take on projects like making thank you cards for nurses and firefighters, coloring pictures for nursing home residents, and spread kindness around the school. It's a place where students can share ideas, work on cool projects, and make new friends while doing something kind! This club is open to students in grade 2-5.

Cooking Club-In collaboration with 4-H, VPE will host a cooking club for students in grades 3-5. Students will learn baking and cooking skills and put them to use creating some delicious (as well as some healthy 🙂) treats! This club is open to 10 students.

Minecraft Club-Calling all builders! Minecraft Club is an afterschool group for students to work through Minecraft activities and challenges that are fun and creative. We will use our school issued Chromebooks to complete challenges and designs using Minecraft Education. All levels are welcome! This club is open to students in 4th and 5th grade.

We are in need of someone to be our keynote speaker during our annual Veterans Day program on Monday, November 11th @ 1:00 pm. If you know someone or have a family member who might be someone we can tap for this position please reach out to Crystal Peters and Molly Dabney (crystal.peters@fayette.kyschools.us and molly.dabney@fayette.kyschools.us).

In celebration of reading and in conjunction with Red Ribbon Week, VPE will have Book Character Day on Thursday, October 31. Students may come to school dressed as their favorite book characters. Guidelines for the book character day are as follows:

• Students should bring a copy of the book their character is from to school that day.

• Characters/costumes must be from elementary-age-appropriate books.

• Costumes may not involve blood or other horror-type elements.

• Color in the hair, face painting, and hats may be worn; however, masks will not be allowed.

• Costumes may not be revealing in nature … may not be see-through material, low cut, or tight fitting.

• Tights and leotards are acceptable if covered with a tutu, skirt, or shorts.

• The costume must allow students to take care of personal needs, sit at desks, and participate in school and classroom activities throughout the day.

• Rule of thumb … if there is a question about appropriateness, it is probably best not to wear it.

Parents are invited to come watch the students as they parade around the bus loop at starting @ 10:00 a.m. We ask families to stand on the outside of the bus loop and classes will come out and walk two laps before returning to class.

Congratulations to Dr. Kelly Gorbett on being selected for the Best Practices award for Fayette County Public Schools at the 2024 Kentucky Association for Psychology in the Schools (KAPS) conference. Dr. Gorbett has been a school psychologist for over 16 years and currently serves Veterans Park Elementary and the Fayette County Preschool Center. In addition to serving as the school psychologist at these schools, she has supported work and her colleagues as it pertains to English Language Learners, Autism, MTSS, and professional development and collaboration. We are so thankful and proud to have Dr. Gorbett as part of our FCPS team.

Just a reminder that VPE & FCPS have a make-up work policy if your child should be absent, sick or misses school. Please reference the below VPE SBDM Policy with regard to make up work:

Absence due to illness: Fayette County Board policy reads that a student has the number of days absent plus one day to turn in missed work due to illness or any other excused absence.

Requests for missed work due to illness: Parents must call the school office before 8:00 a.m. in order for work to be prepared by the teacher on the day of the absence. The teacher will, when requested, deliver the work to a sibling or neighbor; otherwise, it will be placed in the homework tub outside the office. Homework pick-up is available each day until 6:00 p.m. outside the office.

Make-up work from absences other than excused absences: Teachers are not required to prepare work before a known absence such as a family vacation or sports competition. Teachers may choose to send work only if convenient. Any work that is given in advance to the student must be turned in the day the student returns to school in order to receive credit. A student will receive make-up work when he/she returns to school. The student will have the number of days absent plus one day to turn in missed assignments.

Extenuating circumstances will be decided on a case-by-case basis by the teacher and/or principal.

Our goal each day is to ensure the safety of our students. Below are some reminders regarding building safety:

Visitors:

Must enter through the front of the building

MUST provide a valid picture ID - every time

State the purpose of the visit

Wear a visible visitor sticker while in the building

Sign out when leaving the building in the office

Arrival:

Please do NOT enter the bus loop until after the buses have dropped off around 7:20 am. Staff members will be assisting students in getting out of cars each morning to help the line move faster. Pull all the way forward to help get as many cars in the loop as possible. Only turn right into the bus loop and exit left along with only turning left into the parking lot and exiting right.

Car Tags:

Parents picking up in the car line must have a visible Veterans Park-issued tag. If you do not have a tag, you will be asked to go to the office to pick up a new tag before picking up your child.

Late Pick-Up:

If you are running late to pick your child up from school you will be asked to enter through the front office and sign your child out with a staff member.

Kindergarten Parents:

FCPS requires anyone picking up a Kindergarten student to present their ID. Thank you for helping with this safety procedure.

Transportation is one of the biggest worries for a teacher and making sure students arrive and get home safely. We are welcoming & dismissing close to 800 students on a daily basis and we need to ensure that every child gets to school and their home safely. Please help us by following these procedures:

• Do not make unnecessary afternoon transportation changes, and only make changes during the school day in the case of an emergency.

• All changes in transportation must be in writing and before 1:15 pm….please don’t email your child’s teacher with changes because they can’t be honored. You may send in a handwritten note, or email us at vpetransportation@fayette.kyschools.us

• Parents please stay in your cars during arrival/dismissal and allow for staff to help students in and out. It is for your safety too!

• Be a good role model and only cross at the crosswalk!

• Do not drop students on Clearwater Way and please wait until you reach the sidewalk to allow students to get out of the car on the sidewalk side only.

• We can not have cars in the bus loop until after all buses have arrived which is typically at 7:20ish therefore, if dropping students prior to 7:20 please use the parking lot side to drop off students.

A helpful hint….there isn’t a line in the car line at 7:20 but tends to be one at 7:40! Come early to keep from being tardy!

If your child needs to take medication at school, the following is required:

• Medication Authorization form signed by the parent. Stop by the office to fill one out!

• Medication must be in the original prescription container. The information listed on the container must include the student’s name and the prescribed medication.

Other medical issues include asthma and allergies…

If your child has an allergy, asthma, or other medical conditions that require special adult attention and/or medication while at school and you have not completed a medical information packet, please come by or call the office immediately.

Call our Nurse with questions.,

859-422-0025 ext 27202

Two Steps to an Excused Absence!

1. If your child is absent, please call the school at 422-0025 before 7:30 am. Please know that even if you call in, you will still receive an automated call about your child's absence.

2. For an absence to be excused, it must be followed up with a written excuse within 3 days. FCPS Board Policy does not allow us to accept notes after this time and absences will remain unexcused. Remember, when you take your child to a doctor or dentist, get a note.

See all the details in the FCPS Code of Conduct.

What is an Excused Absence/Tardy?

• Death of an immediate family member
• Illness of Student: Parents have a total of 10 notes to write for students' illnesses. After 10 cumulative absences due to illness students are required to present a written statement from a medical professional for each additional absence for the school year in order to be excused.
• Religious Holidays & Practices
• Medical & Dental Appointments: Be sure to grab note from the doctor's office!
• Family Emergencies: limited to three cumulative absent events per school year, as approved by the Principal.

**Family Vacations & Trips are NOT Excused Absences!

This year we will be offering PTA meetings on two platforms - in person and on Zoom. They are scheduled for the second Thursday of each month at 7:45 in the VPE Library or using the following Zoom link: link:https://fcps-net.zoom.us/j/99018941544

VPE loves to have volunteers helping throughout the school day, attending field trips, and helping out in the building. Any and all adults accompanying a school group while on a field trip must first undergo and pass the background checks required for all FCPS volunteers through the volunteer application system. This applies to listed chaperones, volunteers, and anyone who travels separately to join the group at the respective venue. If you plan on coming to help in the building or on a field trip at any point in the future when allowed you will need to complete the following background check: https://apps.raptortech.com/Apply/MjAwOmVuLVVT

Parents don't need to be approved to eat lunch with their child, attend parent/teacher conferences or attend evening events. All other activities will require you to be an approved volunteer. These background checks are good for four years.

Newsflash - Weekly SMORE newsletter will be emailed to families on Friday afternoons via Infinite Campus.

Twitter - @vpepatriot

Instagram - vpeinaction

Infinite Campus - Attendance, weather calls & more! https://fayetteky.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/fayette.jsp

Email: molly.dabney@fayette.kyschools.us
Website: http://www.veterans.fcps.net/
Location: 4351 Clearwater Way, Lexington, KY, USA
Phone: 859-422-0025
Twitter: @vpepatriot