VAIS Family Newsletter

2/5/2025 Deadline for NCS/VAIS UW Badger Basketball tickets

2/6/2025 School tour 7:45-8:45am

2/6/2025 VASD Kinder Outreach Night, Head Start 4-5:30pm

2/7/2025 Lunar New Year Parade in the afternoon

(we will try to stream this on our Facebook page)

2/8/2025 Lunar New Year Celebration, Verona Library 9:30-11:30am

2/10/2025 Futura Spanish classes resume

2/12/2025 VASD Battle of the Books, Verona Area High School

2/13/2025 Tai Chi begins

2/14/2025 Charter School request form closes for incoming families

2/17/2025 No school *potential make up day if we run out of snow days*

2/18/2025 4th and 5th graders to the Capitol

2/20/2025 School newsletter info due to Miss Amelia by noon

2/20/2025 Family conference night 3-6:30pm

2/23/2025 NCS/VAIS UW Badger basketball game 2-4pm

2/24/2025 Virtual Governance Council meeting 6:30-8pm

2/28/2025 All school field trip to the Overture Center to see the Peking Acrobats

• Ways you can help this recruitment season:

  • Post a VAIS yard sign outside your home
  • Sign up to volunteer at recruitment events - tours and international festival: VAIS Tours, Mini school & Booths
  • Help out at our Lunar New Year Storytime at Verona Public Library: VAIS: Lunar New Year Storytime
  • Tell everyone about our recruitment events:
  • February 6th 7:45am-8:45am - In person tour
  • February 6th, 4pm-5:30pm - Head Start Outreach Night
  • February 8th, 9:30am-11:30am - Lunar New Year at the Library

  • March 8th, 9:30am-5:00pm - International Festival Booth

  
  

• Share your VAIS experience with friends and social media. Link to our website (https://www.vaisverona.org/) , this article about our school's ranking: VAIS ranks #7 among Wisconsin elementary schools | News | veronapress.com or our video tour: Verona Area International School Video Tour

Show your school spirit and spread the word about our incredible school by getting a yard sign! Let’s come together to showcase our vibrant community and attract new families.

How to Participate:

1. Purchase a yard sign.

2. Proudly display it in your yard or a highly trafficked area.

3. Take a photo with your sign and share it on social media.

4. Tag a friend and invite them to share their sign too!

VAIS signs can help us reach more families and showcase what makes our school special!

Lunar New Year at the Verona Public Library will be February 8 from 9:30 to 11:30am

We are thrilled to share this vibrant Chinese holiday with our community! This year we will celebrate the Year of the Snake.

Save the date, spread the word and sign up to help: VAIS: Lunar New Year Storytime

Join with other families from NCS/VAIS to enjoy a UW Women's Basketball Game. The game is at 2pm on February 23rd and the Badgers will be playing vs. Northwestern.

Tickets will be $5 per/person and we will be purchasing tickets as a group so we can all sit together. The deadline to order is February 5th. Any questions, contact Jessica Hamill (jessica.corine@gmail.com). Sign up here!

The deadline to purchase NCS/VAIS tickets is Wednesday, February 5.

Tuesday, March 4th

6:15 to 7 pm

VAIS cafeteria

$5 will be raised for every adult who attends the meeting

Free pizza and childcare (K-5) provided

RSVP with Katie Bhandare at katiejbhandare@gmail.com

Facebook event is here: https://www.facebook.com/share/14MdBkTbCJ/

Join us at the VAIS booth at the International Festival at the Overture center. The festival will have amazing performances, food booths and vendors from cultures around the world. Help us spread the word: VAIS: Tours, Mini school & Booths

Saturday, March 15th, 10am - 4:30 pm

VAIS Cafeteria

A portion of all proceeds goes to VAIS

Respond on our Facebook event online: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BmW7RgsaD/ (share this on your personal pages and help spread the word!) or email katiejbhandare@gmail.com with questions.

VAIS and NCS shared Glow Dance Night on Friday, April 11, 2025 5:30-7:30pm in our school gym!

Join us for a glowing night with DJ Brent spinning tunes on his tables, princesses ready to party with us and free pizza and drinks. Wear your bright white and neon clothes and dancing shoes! Magical treats will also be for sale and kids get to enjoy glitter tattoos and more!

To help with the future of the school, the VAIS Governance Council (GC) is in the process of setting up a new VAIS Foundation for receiving FUNdraising money. This Foundation is almost established and will be a 501c3 to benefit the future of the Verona Area International School. There will be a formal announcement once it is established and a brainstorming session for the parent community to decide ways we can collectively raise funds for the school.

FUNdraising has currently raised 65% of our annual goal of $23,000. There are many ways you can help to support the school.

We would like to remind families that our Enrollment Window is open for next school year until February 14, 2025. If you know of new families that are interested in VAIS, please direct them to our school website and our Facebook page for more information or have them contact us directly.

Kindergarten siblings of current scholars get priority in the lottery, however they still must enter the lottery! Enrollment is not guaranteed. If you have an incoming kindergarten student and you would like them to attend VAIS, it is important that you complete the VASD 25/26 New Student Enrollment Form (if they have not attended VASD Pre-K or our school before) and the Charter Application (All Grades) by February 14th. These forms do not need to be filled out for any returning VAIS student at any other grade level.

Public Health Madison & Dane County is partnering with VASD, Madison Metropolitan School District and SSM Health again in a month to offer another school vaccine clinic to get and keep students up to date on their school vaccines. This clinic will take place at the below time and date in Madison.

Saturday, February 8 – 10am-12pm – at Holtzman Learning Center

Saturday, May 17 - 10am-12pm - at Holtzman Learning Center

We recommend that people schedule an appointment. Scheduling is very simple through the website below, and there is important information in the appointment confirmation and reminder emails to help families prepare for the clinic so that it’s a faster and more positive experience for everyone.

Find more information on the attached flyer, or via publichealthmdc.com/schoolclinics.

Spanish Class Resumes in February! Did you miss registration in the fall? We currently have space available to add your student to the class roster! Looking for an exciting way for your child to learn Spanish? This 8-week adventure, ¡Vamos con los animales!, is just what they need! From “visiting” a pet store to exploring a family farm, the zoo, the ocean, and the rainforest, students will learn new vocabulary, conversation skills, and cultural facts—all in Spanish! Join us for a wild journey!

Please note: Students enrolled in the Full Year session, which started in the Fall, do not need to re-enroll. Enroll today! https://futuraadventures.com/wisconsin-region/

Where have you been reading? At a park? In a cozy spot? At the library? Please share a photo by emailing our Library Director, Ms. Roltgen, at roltgent@verona.k12.wi.us You may be featured on social media, in the library, or in a future edition of the newsletter!

Here is Kennedy reading with a furry friend at Fitchburg Public Library's Read to a Dog program. You can sign up for this program by calling 608-729-1762 or stopping by the Youth Services desk the next time you visit the Fitchburg Public Library.

We need your help keeping our arrival and dismissal going safely and smoothly. Our car lane is set up to be “Drop and Go”. This means you drop your child off and proceed. If you need additional time, or want to get out of the car yourself, then we ask that you please park in the lot and help your child cross at the crosswalk.

If you are using the car lane near the building entrance, then we ask that you follow this process:

• Pull up as far as you can to drop off your child. Please do not stop at Door 1 when there is a line of cars waiting. This prevents others from being able to drop off in a timely manner.
• Do not block the crosswalk.
• Students should enter and exit with their school materials on the sidewalk side of the vehicle. We want to keep this process as brief as possible as there are other families waiting in the car line.
• Please do not park in the car lane.
• If your family needs additional time to unload, then you are welcome to park in the lot and walk your child across the crosswalk.

Thanks for your help and cooperation!

Your school library is happy to provide Sora, a reading app for students that offers age-appropriate e-books and audio books, for all NCS/VAIS students and staff! If your student brings home their school device, they can access Sora by going to Clever and looking under Library Resources.

Here are the instructions for downloading Sora to a home device. Students will use their school email addresses and three-letter passwords (they should know these - if not, Ms. Roltgen can help) to log in.

In library classes, students have learned how to borrow e-books and audio books, place holds, browse the collections, search for titles of interest, check their bookshelf, and personalize their profile. K-1 learners have been enjoying the "Read Along With Me" collection which allows them to see the pictures and watch the highlighted words as a narrator reads the book to them.

Going on a road trip? Sora titles can be checked out and downloaded ahead of time so no internet access is required while using the app. If you have any questions or trouble accessing Sora, please contact our Library Director, Ms. Roltgen, at roltgent@verona.k12.wi.us. Happy e-reading and listening!

The Swim Unit is from January 7th - February 21. A few items that the students will need to bring are a swimsuit, a towel, a bag for their wet swimsuit, and goggles if they want. The students should not bring any floating devices or swim toys to the pool. The pool provides those already. If the student forgets any of the items that were listed the pool does have those items for the students to borrow. If any questions please ask.

It's time for everyone's favorite fundraising game of chance! Toss in $10 per square, and get ready for the opportunity to WIN BIG during this year's Superbowl on Sunday, February 9, in NOLA. This is a great fundraising ask to extend to family and friends to make watching the big game that much more fun!

Please fill out the linked form and then choose cash or Venmo as your payment option. Payment must be received before squares are confirmed. Once all 100 squares are purchased (they go fast!), you will receive a copy of the Superbowl Squares board. If any quarter's score of the Superbowl ends in your numbers, you win as detailed below OR you donate your winnings back to VAIS and win even bigger (our undying admiration)!

Quarter 1 = $100 Prize

Quarter 2 = $100 Prize

Quarter 3 = $100 Prize

Final = $200 Prize

The VASD Elementary School Family Handbook is a good resource for families. Families are encouraged to review this information and refer to it throughout the school year. It is also available on our website.

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).

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.

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, we appreciate it! The attendance line email is the best way to communicate with school.

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.

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, 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!

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/

Family volunteers help make VAIS the vibrant place it is and are so appreciated! Please consider signing up for one or more of the opportunities below. If you plan to volunteer in ANY capacity in the building this school year, NOW is a great time to take a few minutes to fill out the required background check form so you are ready to go when asked. Please note background checks must be completed no later than 1 week prior to the event. Once passed, this background check is valid for 2 years.

Sign up to volunteer at our recruiting events. We need parents to share info about our school at tours, minischool, and kindergarten night.

Our upcoming tours are the first opportunities to help out:

Tour: VAIS teachers and staff will guide a tour of our school and explain our immersion program.

Thursday, February 6 at 7:45am

Interested in helping recruit new families to VAIS? Have ideas to get the VAIS name out in the community? Join our Outreach committee meeting on February 18, 2025 at 7 pm at Verona Public Library

Join a committee and support VAIS! Volunteers are key to our success and it's a super rewarding experience. Opportunities include: Governance Council, Family Engagement, Community Outeach, FUNdraising and Budget. To get involved, email jennifer.tzeng@live.com.

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.

Canned drinks and packaged snacks are always welcome in the teacher's workrooms, feel free to drop those off any time.

For more information and to assist in bringing sunshine to our community please contact Tiffani Roltgen at roltgent@verona.k12.wi.us or Hannah Merryfield at merryfih@verona.k12.wi.us.