MVES Newsletter

February

4- Domino's Spirit Night

5- Class and Club Pictures

7- Vision Screenings (KIndergarten, 3rd Grade & any new students)

11- 3rd Grade to EMU: Any Given Child Program 9:30 – 11:30

Report cards and Parent/Teacher conference forms were sent home with students today. Please be sure to check your child's backpack!

We were just awarded a grant from the VDOE to pilot a “Let Grow” program at MVES for all of our students!

Think back to your childhood: remember the joy of playing outside; the frigid afternoons spent building legos or being absorbed in another hobby; or even the time something went wrong and you had to figure out how to handle it… and you did! In late elementary school, I remember kicking a soccer ball so hard against my fence that it cracked a wooden board almost in half. I quickly tried (and failed) to nail the board back together before my mom got home from work. While she was upset I broke our fence, she was proud of me for taking the initiative to try and fix it (all before youtube existed and I had yet to take middle school shop class). 😀 For many reasons, kids don’t get as many chances these days to do things on their own and, according to the Let Grow organization, “that makes it hard for them to stretch and succeed, or even bounce back from disappointments.”

The Let Grow organization was co-founded by Jon Haidt (author of Anxious Generation) because screens are “experience blockers” and “when kids do something new on their own, big things happen (because) both generations get a burst of confidence (and) worry gets replaced by pride and joy.” We’re talking about homework assignments where kids are making breakfast, climbing a tree, running an errand, etc.

Since it can be hard to let go, the Let Grow experience just provides a little push. Of course you and your child(ren) will discuss what their projects will be. Start thinking now (and be prepared for a lump in your throat) as you give your kids the gifts of responsibility, resilience, and joy! Here’s a quick video to kick things off

https://youtu.be/GNtsYn0I9jQ?si=f19aOvaUvK7SEbeh

Congratulations to Noah Cassel for winning last week’s Geography Bee! It was a close battle and went down to the wire. I’m grateful that our kids are learning that geography starts in their backyard and that this place, our place, has tremendous value! Congrats to all of our finalists!

Help provide the teacher meal for Conference Day on 2/18. Sign up to provide a part of the meal, setup/clean, or donate and the PTO will purchase needed items.

🎶🎨 STEM & Fine Arts Night
Mark Your Calendars!

🌟 Theme: My Appalachia 🌟

Date: February 25, 2025
Location: MVES

Event Schedule:

🎵 Music Performance: 5:30 - 6:00 PM
🖼️ Art Show & STEM Rotations: 6:00 - 7:15 PM

Join us for an evening celebrating creativity and innovation!
Explore student projects, enjoy musical performances, and witness the beauty of Appalachia through Art, Music and STEM.

This event is funded by a Grant from Partners Excavating and REFI.

Jan. Week 3: Matter - Gassy Balloons!

Observation: When I buy balloons at the store, they are flat. But when I get them home, I can blow them up, they will float and I can play “Keepy Uppy”!

Question: What will happen if I try to play “Keepy Uppy” outside?

Materials:

• 3 balloons

• A warm place (near a heater), a room temperature place, and a cold place (outside, in the fridge or freezer).

Investigation:

• Blow up all three balloons to about the same size and tie them off. (Have an adult help with this if needed.)

• Place each balloon in a place with a different temperature.

• Wait 1 hour.

• Compare the three balloons.

Results:

• Draw what you see in the table below!

• Take a picture and submit it to your teacher on SeeSaw!

Reflection:

• Why do you think the balloons look different? Do you think some balloons lost air even though they were tied up?

Reference

https://courses.fizzicseducation.com.au/blog/50-ideas-to-teach-students-about-states-of-matter 6/11/24

Yearbook Online Order

The Duke Dog Reading Program is back for the 2024-2025 school year! The reading goal for students in grades K-3 is 5 books and the goal for students in grades 4-5 is 3 books. Once students have reached their goal, parents fill out the submission form at dukedogreading.com and students will receive 3 digital tickets for each of the following games, which admit the student and 2 additional guests to this season's Duke Dog Reading JMU Basketball Games:

Women's Basketball: February 15th, 2025 vs Old Dominion

More information can be found in the attached parent letter!

If your child is going to be absent from school, please call the office at 540-438-1965 or email mvesattendance@rockingham.k12.va.us. If you are planning to take a vacation or your child will be out of school for an extended period of time, please contact the office. Thank you!

All transportation changes must be made by 2:00pm. Please contact the office at 540-438-1965 or you may send an email to mvesattendance@rockingham.k12.va.us with your change. If you’ve notified your child’s teacher please be sure to notify the office as well.

The parent portal is an online portal accessible anywhere on the web that parents can log in to and see all of their children in one place, their grades, assignments, scores, attendance, schedules, and teacher comments for each school your children attend.

Parents need to contact the school to get access information to create an account in PowerSchool.