VAIS Family Newsletter

4/1/2024 Resume classes after Spring Break

4/5/2024 NCS/VAIS Library Turns 5!

4/5/2024 Tai Chi for VAIS students in the afternoon

4/8 - 4/12/24 National Library Week

4/8/2024 VAIS Governance Council Meeting 6:30-8:30pm, VAIS Library

4/12/2024 Guest Readers for National Library Week

4/19/2024 Tai Chi for VAIS students in the afternoon

4/23/2024 VAIS Chocolate Shoppe Fundraiser: 4pm - 9 pm

4/26/2024 Tai Chi for VAIS students in the afternoon

5/3/2024 Tai Chi for VAIS students in the afternoon

5/10/2024 VAIS Spring Concerts

Do you like meeting new people? Do you have young student (kindergartener, first grader, or 4K student)? Do you like organizing events? Have a knack for social media? We need your help!! The Community Outreach Committee needs new committee members for the 2024-25 school year. We need your help as we try to ensure our kindergarten class is full!! If interested please attend the next Community Outreach meeting of 2023-24 on Tuesday, April 16th at 7:30pm via Zoom.

Unfortunately, enrollment throughout VASD is down for 2024-25 kindergarteners, which includes VAIS’s next kindergarten class. VAIS still has several open spots so if you have any new neighbors move in or hear of anyone still looking for kindergarten spaces for next fall, PLEASE encourage them to contact Sally Parks for any questions.

The VAIS Governance Council makes the high level or “big picture” decisions concerning the day-to-day operations of VAIS. The Governance Council generally meets on the 2nd Monday of the month. The next meeting is Monday, April 8th at 6:30pm in the VAIS Library. The agenda will include the director’s report and committee updates. Coming to a meeting this spring is a great way to see if you want to participate in Governance Council for the 2024-25 school year (more information about elections coming soon). For more information, please join us on the 8th or email us at gc@vaisverona.org . Thank you for your time and consideration!

Join us at Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream - Fitchburg, where 20% of sales will be donated to our school, on April 23 at 4pm.

After our treat, we can head over to McKee Farms park for a playdate.

Please join us on Friday, April 26th, for a fun night out playing EUCHRE! With chances to win prizes and help raise funds for VAIS!

The event will be held at the Holiday Inn Verona, with doors opening at 6pm for Learn to Play Euchre Sessions and Registration, the tournament will start at 6:30! Come early to check out the 50/50 raffle items as well as silent auction baskets to bid on. Bidding starts at 5:30pm.

COME HUNGRY! Even if you don't play Euchre, food, beverages and treats will be available for purchase with all proceeds going directly to the school. Our food sponsors are Chick-fil-A, Panera Bread and Costco...yum!!

The cost to play is $15 per player or $30 per pair. Register today at https://bit.ly/RegisterVAISEuchre2024 or contact Amy at 608-219-0775 or vaiseuchre@vaisverona.org to reserve your spot!

This event is open to the public so please invite your friends and family to join in on the fun! We look forward to seeing everyone there!

The VAIS FUNdraising Committee

Save the date! VAIS families are invited to the Verona Hometown Days parade. Sunday, June 2 at noon, our VAIS float and dragons will line up on the parade route and be ready for walking at noon. We need an adult volunteer to be the lead on the 2nd. Anyone able to volunteer can email Kelly Gibson at kelly@thegibsonhome.org and/or Paige Jany at plwallac@gmail.com.

As you read through the 2024 Summer School course offerings (linked below) with your child, you will find a list and description of courses for grades K to 12. Online registration for courses will open at the following times:

• Thursday April 4 at 4 PM for high school seniors
• Monday April 8 at 12 PM for K-5 students
• Monday April 8 at 2 PM for 6-8 students
• Monday April 8 at 4 PM for 9-11 students

When registering your student, please make sure that you are selecting courses based upon the grade your child will be ENTERING for the 2024-25 academic year. You will need the Power School Parent Portal to do this, email Miss Amelia for your log in if you have not yet set that up.

Help fill your child’s summer with learning, discovery, and fun. Consider taking advantage of these summer opportunities for students in the Verona Area School District.

Click here to go to the summer school website to view the 2024 Summer School Course Catalog

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 note from a medical provider is required for activity restrictions.

Please use the following Verona Area School District guidelines to help in decision making (attached here).

Celebrate our library with dress up days, guest readers and tons of book-themed activities!

Guest Readers are needed for National Library Week on Friday, April 12. Sign up here!

Our Spring Concerts are on their way! We are sending both schools' information so that friends and family who wish to support both schools have these dates on their radar. All concerts will be in the VAIS/NCS school gym, and you are able to walk straight through Door 1 on concert day. We hope we see you at these celebrations of learning.

VAIS Music Concert, Friday, May 10th:

2/3: 8am-9am

4/5: 9:10-10:10am

K/1: 10:20-11:10am

NCS Music Concert, Wednesday, May 8th

4/5: 8am-9am

2/3: 9:10-10:10am

K/1: 10:20-11:10am

From Common Threads Family Resource Center: My name is Rebecca Ryan and I am the School Director here at Common Threads. We are hosting a Neurodiversity Resource Fair here at our center on Saturday April 6th from 9-11am and would love for you to join us!

This resource fair is open to all families, friends and children so please stop by!

Public Health Madison & Dane County is partnering with Madison Metropolitan School District and SSM Health this spring to offer two more school vaccine clinics to get students up to date on their school vaccines ahead of the 2024-25 school year. These clinics will take place on Saturday, February 10th and Saturday, May 11th 2024. Both clinics will be from 10am to 2pm at the Holtzman Learning Center in Madison. It is highly encouraged that appointments are scheduled through the website listed on the flier attached. Vaccine Clinic

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

VAIS Public Google Calendar

This calendar will be updated continually throughout the year with school events, such as swim and gym days, library days, 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!

Have you joined the VAIS Facebook Groups?

All Current families are welcome to join “VAIS Parents Group” on Facebook. We will be posting events and pop-up playdates in this group. This is also a great resource for new parents/guardians to ask any questions they may have. Please also like and follow our VAIS School Facebook here, or take a look at our website here.

We’re asking for your help to keep all children safe near and on Main Street. Our city is growing, our schools are growing, and Main Street is at times very busy. We have, combined, nearly 1,000 elementary students attending our three schools here on Main Street, including many students who are walking or biking in the area. Our close neighbors on this campus, Core Knowledge Charter School and Badger Ridge Middle School, have an additional 1,200 students. We need your help to keep each and every child safe, and that means:

• Recognize that you are in a school zone, and please follow the posted speed limit.
• Be aware that this area is populated by … children. They are small, not as careful as they should be, and need all of us adults to keep them safe.
• Accept that a school zone will naturally result in times when there is a great deal more traffic.
• Increase your awareness around crosswalks for pedestrians and bikers.
• Be on the lookout for buses. We support our drivers at Sugar Creek, New Century and VAIS! They are trying their best to get their riders to and from school on time and safely.
• Please obey crossing guards. We are so lucky to have the great team we do, including Laurie and Rhonda, pictured above.
• Conditions will generally deteriorate as we move into autumn and then winter, as our world becomes darker, snowier, and colder. It is imperative that drivers give themselves more space and time to stop in the event of an emergency.
• We team with the Verona Police Department. They know our concerns, our suggestions, and our busy times, and they have been good partners.
• Drive like every child you see was your own child.

Thank you for your cooperation.

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.

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/

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.

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

1) EMAIL VAIS Attendance: vais-attendance@verona.k12.wi.us or

2) CALL the office at (608) 845-4500 (If you are making a change after 11:00 am the same day, then please call the office).

Please do not email the school secretaries directly if possible.

Ms Holland-Barry needs volunteers to make costumes for the Spring Music Concert. This year, the students will wear animal headbands during the performances.

Please sign up to make headbands at home with paperstock or thick material.

Guest Readers are needed for National Library Week on Friday, April 12.

Sign up here!

Interested in getting to know our kiddos and helping to build community within our schools? Do you have a couple of hours to spare occasionally or is your time flexible enough that you can come once a week? We would love to have you assist in our lunchroom.

All volunteers will need to be background checked through the district here. **We are especially in need for help on Tuesdays at this time.**

Please complete this short survey with your availability.

Volunteers keep the library running smoothly and our 9,583 books organized.

They are so appreciated! Please consider signing up for a one-hour shift on our updated Sign Up Genius link.

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.

Sign up here to support the snack pile in the teacher workroom, canned drinks and packaged snacks are always welcome.

For more information and to assist in brining sunshine to our community please contact Shannon Ratchman at Shannon.Ratchman@lls.org.