Solar Eclipse!
Happy Birthday, VAIS Library!
Governance Council Nominations
The VAIS Governance Council is made up of elected volunteer parent representatives who serve as the governing body of VAIS. Responsibilities include the annual budget, the charter, curricula modifications, overseeing the other committees, etc. The GC meets monthly from August to June on one Monday evening a month. The council consists of up to 5-10 parent representatives serving 2 year terms.
There are 3-5 vacancies for 2024-2025 that we need to fill.
This email is a call for candidates. If you are interested in joining the Governance Council, please nominate yourself by emailing me at BranB1@gmail.com a 1-2 paragraph bio about yourself and why you are interested in running. We have had some nominations so far for our VAIS Governance Council, but we don't want to exclude anyone who might still be thinking about it. Therefore, the deadline has been extended until Friday, May 3rd at 12:00pm (noon). Voting will then begin on Monday, May 6. We'll send out an email to the school on May 6 with voting instructions and voting will still close on the 12th.
If you are on the fence about nominations for GC or want more information, please don't hesitate to reach out to me or any other members.
All new members will be invited to sit in on the June 3rd meeting, which is the last meeting of 2023-2024. Your term will officially begin on July 1 with the first meeting in August. Attendance at every meeting is not mandatory but we do need to reach quorum.
In summary, if you would like to be included on the ballot, please send me your bio.
As a personal note, I have served for 2 years now, going on 3, and I find it very rewarding, interesting, and an opportunity to learn more about VAIS and staff.
Thank you very much,
Brandon Braithwaite, branb1@gmail.com
VAIS GC Secretary, 2023-2024
Kindergarten Enrollment Update
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.
Verona Hometown Days Parade - June 2nd
We are also looking for a coordinator for the Day of the Parade. All prep work will be done by Community Outreach coordinators, but they are not available for the actual day of the event.
Summer Playdates
We've planned a few play dates for the summer, so the kiddos (and parents) can get together. These will be low-key, so come when you can and stay as long as you'd like. We hope to see you there!
Thursday, June 20th @ 1pm - Badger Prairie Park
Friday, July 19th @ 10am - McKee Farms Splash Pad
Friday, August 23rd @ 3pm - Fireman's Park Splash Pad
Chinese Language Speech Contest Winners
Congratulations to Berri, Henry, Natalie, and Isadora! We are so proud of our VAIS 4/5 students for their outstanding performances and receiving statewide awards at the 21st Annual Wisconsin Chinese Language Speech Contest.
Berri Mueller, a 4th grader at VAIS, secured 2nd place in the contest organized by the Wisconsin Association of Chinese Language Teachers (WACLT). Henry Kokalj, also in 4th grade at VAIS, achieved 2nd place in the same competition. Natalie Callies, another 4th grader at VAIS, took 3rd place in this prestigious event. Isadora Callies, a 5th grader at VAIS, excelled and clinched 3rd place as well.
Great job to all the talented participants!
Badger Ridge Middle School Open House
Badger Ridge Middle School welcomes all incoming BRMS 6th graders to an Open House!
Thursday, May 2nd from 5 - 6:30pm
Meet teachers and administrators, see the layout of the school and have some fun with free music and snacks. This event will be Open House style so if you only have a few minutes to visit, we'd love to meet you!
Is your child well enough to be in school?
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).
Vaccine Clinics
Holzman Learning Center
May 11
10am-2pm
Mendota Elementary
October 7
12-4pm
Holtzman Learning Center
October 19
10am-2pm
Public Health Madison & Dane County is partnering with Madison Metropolitan School District and SSM Health this spring to offer three 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 out in the community. It is highly encouraged that appointments are scheduled through the website listed on the flier attached. Vaccine Clinic
Check out our online VAIS Public Google Calendar
Here is the link to a Google Public Calendar with this year’s updated NCS events:
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!
VAIS Facebook
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.
Bridging Brighter Smiles
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/
Need assistance with lunch costs?
Attendance
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.
Staff and Teacher Appreciation Week
Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up on May 6-10, and we're excited to shower our wonderful staff with gratitude and support. There are a number of ways to participate:
Amazon Wishlist - Purchase any item, then coordinate with the staff member listed in the item comments to handle dropping off the item(s) at school!
Chalk the Walk - Come anytime Sunday May 5 to decorate the front walk with appreciative phrases and drawings in chalk!
Staff Food - Donate snacks to the staff lounge or help pay for a catered lunch! A signup link will be shared shortly via email/social media.
Words of Appreciation - Can you share an anecdote about how a staff member has impacted your or your student, or write a short message about how much you love our amazing VAIS/NCS staff? Use this form to submit a note, or help your student submit one, and we'll use your messages to "heart attack" teachers' doors with encouraging notes!
Thank you for helping us show how much we care during this Teacher Appreciation Week! Please direct questions to Diana Shelton (VAIS, dianafshelton@gmail.com) or Hannah Bassetti (NCS, hannah2419@gmail.com).
VAIS Field Day
This year's Field Day will be Thursday, May 30th from 11:30am - 1:30pm. We'll be outside if the weather is nice, and we're ready! Mr. Dresen has a ton of fun planned! Volunteers are needed to help make this day a suggest.
Click the link on the picture or the link below to sign up for a spot. There will be six stations with two adults each, and if you can't make it, we would appreciate a case of water for the big day.
Parent Volunteers for Dragon Boat Festival - June 3
Summer Mentorship Program for Incoming Kindergartners
We are restarting our mentorship program for new incoming kindergarten families. The objective of this program will be to pair a current VAIS family with an incoming family. They will act as a resource for any questions the new family may have. If you are interested, add your name to this spreadsheet.
Lunchroom Volunteers
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.
Library Volunteers
Your school needs YOU! Please consider signing up to help shelve library books, create displays, repair items, and assist with schoolwide and classroom project prep. No prior library experience necessary and no long-term commitment required. We are especially in need of help during inventory week, May 20-24. Thank you so much for considering! ~Ms. Roltgen, NCS/VAIS Library Director
Sunshine Committee
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 brining sunshine to our community please contact Shannon Ratchman at Shannon.Ratchman@lls.org.
Madison Mallards School Appreciation Night
Both schools are invited to School Appreciation night! Last week, we sent home two voucher codes for tickets at the Mallards game on Wednesday, June 19 and first pitch is 6:05pm.
When you book two grandstand tickets like normal, use these codes and the total is zero. There is only a small fee if you book online, but if you call the office, mail in the form or buy them at the box office there's no fee. If you do not see this flier in the backpack or folder from last Friday, please email mcconnea@verona.k12.wi.us and we'll send a fresh one home.
