VMS ELKS Roundup

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we approach the end of the 2024 year, we want to take a moment to update you on important happenings in our middle school community. December is a busy month, filled with exciting events and activities, and we look forward to finishing the year on a high note.

Winter Break
Winter break will begin on December 23 and run through January 1, 2025. We hope this time provides students with a well-deserved rest and an opportunity to recharge for the second half of the school year. Please note that school will resume on January 2nd.

Spirit Week
We are excited to announce that our school will be hosting Spirit Week from December 16-20th. Students are encouraged to participate by dressing up each day according to a different theme, such as Pajama Day, Festive Sweater Day, and more!

Lockers
A quick reminder to help our school stay organized and keep personal belongings safe: Students should store their binders, books, Chromebooks, and other materials in their lockers rather than leaving them in the halls or common areas. This will help keep our school clean and ensure that nothing gets misplaced. We appreciate your support in reinforcing this message with your child.

Thank you for your cooperation and for helping to maintain a positive and organized environment for all students!

Holiday Travels: A Message From Our Attendance Office

Please submit your holiday and all other attendance requests as soon as possible so we can process them in a timely manner.

Visit Campus Portal and use the top left Menu button to access More > Absence Requests

1. Select the student(s) you are reporting absence.

2. Use the Excuse dropdown list to choose the reason the student(s) will be absent.

3. Choose an Absence Type for full day, arrive late, or leave early.

4. Enter the absence Day and Time. If a full day, enter the first and last day the student will not be at school (can be the same day).

5. Enter Comments about the reason for absence.

6. Choose Submit button at bottom when finished

OR

Attendance Line: 763-241-3555

• Please include the following information in the message

• Student first/last name (and spelling if calling)

• Student grade

• Reason for the absence

• Name of person reporting absence (must be a parent/guardian)

Thank you and have a wonderful holiday season!

End-of-Month Reminders
As we approach the end of the month, please remind your child to stay on top of any upcoming assignments, projects, and exams. Encouraging your child to finish strong will help them feel more confident as they head into the new year. Teachers will be available for extra help and clarification if needed.

We hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season. Thank you for your continued support of our middle school community. We look forward to an exciting and successful 2025!

Amanda Ohlgren, Principal

VandenBerge Middle School

Direct: (763)241-3443

Extension: 2601

Amanda.Ohlgren@isd728.org

English

Drysdale: Book report (green sheet) due December 20th. Create short stories December 9-20

Art/Music/Elective

Band: Band Concert at ERHS Zabee Theater, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 6:00 pm

Art: Finish up work on Perspective Drawing

English

Boche: “A Christmas Carol” multiple choice & written response tests 12/18 & 19

Math: Unit 4 math test will be happening soon

Social Studies

Southward/Hart: Finishing up Civil War Unit, with a small project the week before winter break!

PE/Music/Elective

Band: Band Concert at ERHS Zabee Theater, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 7:00 pm

Art: Finish up Surrealism Collage

World Language: Students are beginning French and will test before winter break.

English

Drysdale: Book reports due December 20. Suspense stories due December 20. Get a copy of The Outsiders by S.E Hinton by January 2nd

Math

Linear Algebra finishing Chapter 3. Test will be Wed., Dec 11. All practice work should be completed and turned in.

Art/Music/Elective

Band: Band Concert at ERHS Zabee Theater, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 7:00 pm

World Language: Students are beginning French and will test before winter break.

Art: Finish up work on magazine mosaics and Start painting.

Please plan on attending this event on Wednesday, December 4th. It will be held in the ERHS Zabee Theater from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm.

Please review the Freshman Registration Letter for all the additional details.

Additional resource: ERHS Course Registration Information Website

Incentive Day
To celebrate the hard work and effort of our students heading into the winter break, we will be holding an Incentive Day on December 20th. This is a special celebration the last two hours of the day filled with fun activities for students who have completed their assignments and met behavioral expectations. To participate, students must have two or less missing assignments by 3:00 pm on Monday, December 16th. Students with more than 2 missing assignments will spend the incentive time completing missing work.

Please encourage your child to stay on top of their assignments and finish any outstanding work by the deadline.

Donations for Incentive Day Activities
To help make Incentive Day even more fun, we are in need of art and craft supplies. If you have any extra materials such as markers, glue sticks, paper, beads, or any other craft supplies you would be willing to donate, we would greatly appreciate it. These items will be used for various hands-on activities during the day. Please drop off any donations at the front office or have your child bring them to school.

Parent & Guardian Education Letter for ALiCE Drill #5

Bouquet certificates available in the Main Office, cash only.

Check out the Special Edition Newsletter focused on the Anxious Generation.

Parenting for Digital Wellness

Managing Screen Time: Parents Helping Kids Balance Their Mobile Device

We've received some questions from families looking for support in paying their school fees. As a reminder, families that qualify for educational benefits can have fees waived. They need to apply if they haven't already. Please direct families to www.isd728.org > services > food service > Application for Education Benefits. Each school office should also have printed copies available for families, but submitting the application online will result in a faster processing/response time.

Our lost and found has grown in the last few weeks. Please have your student stop by our lost and found located in the lunchroom.

We encourage parent involvement in our school community. Keep an eye out for an email from Sarah Holmgren.

If you're interested in volunteering for various events and activities throughout the year, please email our Parent Liaison, Sarah Holmgren at sarah.holmgren@isd728.org.

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