December 2024

We hope that you are reading this after a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday full of time to connect with loved ones. As enter December, we want you to know how incredibly grateful we are to serve such a generous and engaged community. Your partnership is essential as we seek to truly know, value, and support each Falcon. From the amazing engagement during Fall Family Conferences to the enormous amount of food donated during the Mayor's Food Drive to the upcoming first trimester Falcon Top 10, 5th Grade Winter Concert, and Holiday Singalong, we have a lot to celebrate.

December is also a great time to build our empathy muscles. One way to think about Empathy is “understanding and connecting with other people’s feelings.” At VFE, we teach our students that Empathy is a practice that can help us grow strong relationships. And, it is 1 of 3 traits we will focus on throughout the year that helps students Be Kind. Across grade levels, students will be developing skills like perspective-taking, conflict resolution, and leadership.

We encourage you to engage a PurposeFull Family Pursuit that will support your child's growth in recognizing and practicing empathy. One idea is to schedule a family movie night so that you can specifically watch for feelings and emotions. Let everyone know that you’d like them to point out how the characters in the show are feeling and that you will pause periodically to discuss Empathy. As emotions are identified, invite one another to empathize by sharing about a time they felt that way or imagining how they might be feeling in that moment. Another idea is to review the definition of Empathy as a family. Find a time to sit together and celebrate all the ways you have seen each other practice Empathy. Take turns sharing responses to the following prompts or make up your own. What is one way a family member has shown you Empathy lately? Share about a time when you felt like someone really listened to you. Is it hard for you to share how you feel with others? Why or why not?

We look forward to seeing you at the PTO's Holiday Make It and Take it Make It event on Friday. Make it a great day to be a Falcon!

Adam Uhler, Principal & Angela Kelly, Assistant Principal

School is closed for winter break from December 23rd through January 3rd. We will return to school Monday, January 6th. School starts at 10:00am on the 6th.

Please join us for the Holiday Family Make It & Take It Night!

There will be arts & crafts, activities, light snacks and a special performance from the VFE Choir. Please note: Parents are required to stay with their children as there is no supervision.

The event will be at Victor Falls Elementary in the MPR.

All families are invited! This is a FREE Event.

6:30-8:30 pm

The PTO is also hosting a Hygiene drive to support our Sumner-Bonney Lake Family Resource center. Please bring your donated items to the Family Make It and Take it Night. If you bring 3 items, you will be entered into a drawing for a prize.

Suggested Items for the Hygiene Drive:

Shampoo/Conditioner

Hand/Body wash

Deodorant

Toothbrush/toothpaste

Feminine Hygiene products

Liquid Laundry Detergent

Liquid Dish soap

Baby wipes

Student report cards will be sent home on Friday, December 13th. Please call the office if you have any questions at 253-891-4700.

Our students have been working in November on the character trait “Gratitude”, which is choosing to notice and appreciate things in our life, things in others, and things in the world. Let’s talk about the importance of Gratitude! We hear all the time that it is important to say thank you and feel Grateful, but why? Did you know that practicing Gratitude can help us feel happier, healthier, and more positive? Did you know that you cannot feel grateful and have negative thoughts at the same time? Reminding ourselves of what we are Grateful for can also help us when we are feeling sad. Remembering that, no matter what challenges we face, there are still good things to take note of in the world!

Here is our weekly PurposeFull Pursuit for Gratitude: Share with your family what Gratitude means to you and ask what it means to them. Even during the hardest, most difficult times, we can find something to be grateful for.

Candy Cane Gram fliers will be handed out 12/3. This is OPTIONAL.

Wish your friends a happy holiday by sending them a candy cane and a special note. Please return your filled out candy grams with $1 each to the office by December 12th.The candy grams will be delivered to recipients during school on December 20th. Please ask the office if you need additional Candy gram sheets.

Thank you to all of the families who came to the Fall Family Conferences. We enjoyed meeting parents and families to share how amazing our students are doing in school.

If you weren't able to attend a conference, please reach out to your student's teacher as soon as possible to schedule a meeting.

Thank you, Falcons and Falcon Families! Together we donated 1982 cans (not including the late donations after the cans were counted) toward the Mayor's Food Drive. Although we did not meet our goal of 7,000 can, we are proud of the amount of cans we collected to support community members in need. Great job everyone!!!

What’s the final count?

1982 cans of corn

Which means---approx. 3,948 ears of corn

Which means---approx. 3,158,400 kernels of corn were donated

We hope you had a restful and joyful Thanksgiving break with your loved ones! As we transition back to school, we want to remind you of the importance of maintaining regular attendance throughout the remainder of the year. Good attendance is key to your child's academic success, and returning strong after the break can help keep up the positive momentum they've built so far.

Here’s why regular attendance is so important:

1. Consistent Learning: Every school day counts! When students miss school, they miss out on valuable learning experiences that build upon each other.

2. Positive Habits: Showing up on time and ready to learn helps establish strong routines, responsibility, and self-discipline.

3. Stronger Social Connections: Being in school allows students to continue building relationships with their teachers and classmates.

Tips to Help Your Child Return to School After the Winter Break:

• Plan Ahead: Set a routine before school resumes to ensure your child is well-rested and ready to jump back into learning.

• Stay Organized: Help your child prepare their school bag and any homework or projects they may need to bring back.

• Promote a Positive Attitude: Encourage excitement about returning to school by discussing what they look forward to and the goals they want to achieve in the coming weeks.

We understand that there may be challenges, especially during this busy season, but maintaining strong attendance is a team effort, and your support is crucial! Together, we can help your child succeed academically and develop important lifelong habits.

Let’s finish the year strong—attendance matters!

If your student will miss more than 2 days in a row, please call the front office at 253-891-4700 to request a pre-arranged absence form.

Get ready for an unforgettable evening of music as our 5th graders take the stage for their Winter Concert!

📅 Date: Wednesday, December 11
🕒 Arrival Time: 6:40 PM
🎤 Concert Start: 7:00 PM
📍 Location: Bonney Lake High School Performing Arts Center

A Friendly Reminder for Families:
To help make this a successful performance, we kindly ask families to remind their children about the importance of good stage behavior. Please encourage your child to remain focused, stand tall, avoid talking while on stage, and show support for their classmates.

Thank you for your support—we’re looking forward to a wonderful evening of music and celebration!

🎶 Join Us for the VFE Community Sing-Along! 🎶

Date: Friday, December 20
Time: 2:20 PM - 2:50 PM

Let’s come together to celebrate the season with music and community! Our VFE Community Sing-Along is a cherished tradition, and we’re excited to sing uplifting songs and share joyful moments with our students, staff, and families.

Parking Plan:
We expect a large turnout, so please follow these parking guidelines to ensure everyone has a spot:

Use the upper and lower parking lots first. Once full, overflow parking will be in the bus loop:

• Park along the sides and middle lanes (every other lane).

• A volunteer will be stationed at the gate to direct cars.

To ease congestion, we encourage families to carpool or walk. Keep an eye on our social media channels for reminders!

Note: The central area of the bus loop will be blocked off to ensure smooth traffic flow—please follow the posted signs and volunteer directions.

We look forward to celebrating with you at this joyful event. Let’s make it a memorable one!

🎵 Warm Wishes from the VFE Team! 🎵

Thank you for your efforts getting your students to school on time. If you arrive past 10:00 am on Mondays & 8:25 am Tuesday - Friday we kindly ask that you park your vehicle & walk your student into the office to be signed in. Please contact the front office with any questions you may have. 253-891-4700.

To request dismissal changes for your student call 253-891-4700 before 2:30pm.

First Trimester report cards will go home by Friday of the 2nd week in December.

If you need a replacement pickup tag please call Mrs. Evans in the front office at 253-891-4700.

Any changes to your student's account need to be submitted in writing. Change requests can be sent to vfe@sumnersd.org

During this time of year our lost and found fills up fast! Be sure to write your student’s name in their jackets. First name & last initial or first initial & last name work best to help us reunite your students with their missing coats!

Hi parents! We are running low on our supply of spare clothing in the health room, and would be so grateful for any donations of gently used clothing or shoes. Our biggest need is pants for boys and girls, sizes 6-14. Donations of NEW packages of underwear or socks are greatly appreciated as well! Thank you for helping keep our Falcons clean and dry!

We are so thankful for our volunteers, who help make so many things possible! If you would like to be added to our volunteer email list, use the link to sign up. We will use this to notify you of different opportunities throughout the year to be involved with PTO events. We are creating a new volunteer list for the 24/25 year, so please sign up even if you volunteered last year.

Please remember: You MUST be approved through the SBLSD to volunteer.

We look forward to serving the Falcon community with you!

SBLSD Volunteer link

VFE Volunteer Google Form

Here is the December Lunch Menu

If you have information about a threat to student or school safety, please report it. Vector Alert is our district’s tip reporting service. Your report will remain anonymous unless you choose to include your name. All tips submitted are taken seriously and will be acted upon.

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Easy ways to report (District code: 1251):

• Website: https://1251.alert1.us

• Email: 1251@alert1.us

• Call: 253-693-3729

• Text: 253-693-3729

Report tips on:

• Bullying

• Intimidation

• Harassment

• Weapons

• Drugs

• Other

Note: For easy access to the safety tip line, you can always find it at the top of our district’s homepage.

Please check our website for updates.

Email: VFE@sumnersd.org
Website: sumnersd.org/vfe
Location: 11401 188th Ave Ct E, Bonney Lake, WA, USA
Phone: (253) 891-4700
Twitter: @VictorFallsEle1

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