VAMS Panther Press Newsletter

• September 25-27 - 8th Grade Reading 1st Quarter Test (given in class)
  

• Tuesday, September 26 - Fundraisers Due
• Wednesday, September 27 - See You at the Pole at 7:15 AM
• Thursday, September 28 - Progress Reports available in Parent Portal
• October 2 & 3 - 6th & 7th Reading 1st Quarter Test (given in class)
• Monday, October 2 - Custodian Appreciation Day - We love our custodians! Let our custodians know how much you appreciate them!
• Tuesday, October 3 - Pep Rally @ 3:00 in the main gym - Parents and community members are welcome to attend! Parents and guests can enter through the west gym doors. - We will be on a pep rally bell schedule this day, which impacts grade level lunch times.
• October 4 & 5 - 6th-8th Math 1st Quarter Test (given in class)
• Friday, October 6 - 6th-8th Science 1st Quarter Test (given in class)
• Friday, October 6 - VAMS Halloween Dance (organized by parent volunteers) from 6:00-8:00 - free admission (more information below)
• Saturday, October 7 - VAISD Fall Festival from 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM in the high school parking lot.
• Monday, October 9 - 6th & 7th Social Studies 1st Quarter Test (given in class)
• October 9 & 10 - 8th Grade Social Studies 1st Quarter Test (given in class)
• Wednesday, October 11 - House Games from 1:15 PM - 3:30 PM - Kona Ice will be available for purchase! (more information below)
• Friday, October 13 - End of 1st Quarter

Other Important Dates:

• Pep Rally Dates - Oct. 3 @ 3:00 PM, Oct. 31 @ 1:30 PM
• Student Dance Dates - Dec. 8, Feb. 9, May 10
• Student Dance Times - 6th Grade Dances are 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM and 7th & 8th Grade dances are 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM. Only VAMS students are allowed at dances.
• 8th Grade Dance - Friday, May 17 from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM. This dance is for 8th grade VAMS students only.

Thank you to those who have been selling cookie dough! Cookie dough will arrive and be ready for delivery in late October or early November. We appreciate your support! Fundraiser order forms and money are due Tuesday, September 26. Money raised from the fundraiser helps us to provide our students with Star Card incentives, additional technology, house games supplies, Teach Like a Pirate Day supplies, and other fun things.

Below is information on the prizes students can earn selling cookie dough and a couple of pictures of the stuffed animal prizes that we are giving away! Every time your child sells 2 items, they can fill out a small ticket (see picture below) to enter into a daily drawing for a stuffed animal prize!

2023-2024 Van Alstyne Middle School yearbooks are on sale now! Click the link below to purchase a yearbook. Yearbooks are $45 until December 1. Costs will go up after December 1. You can also send $45 cash or a $45 check made out to VAMS.

https://tinyurl.com/VAMSYB2324

Our parent volunteers are organizing a Halloween Dance! The dance will be on Friday, October 6 from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM. The Halloween Dance is for VAMS students only. If you are interested in helping with the dance, please contact Toni Bramley at tdb1399@gmail.com. If you would like to sign up to volunteer or donate items, then please click the following link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080B4EA4AC2CAB9-student

On Wednesday, October 11, our students will have an opportunity to purchase a Kona Ice in the afternoon during House Games. If you would like for your child to purchase a Kona Ice, then send $3-$5 with them. 25% of the proceeds go back to our school to support our teachers and students.

If you need to communicate any attendance questions or issues, please email the following email address vamsoffice@vanalstyneisd.org.

UIL has a No Pass No Play eligibility rule that governs students participating in school-related extra-curricular activities. This pertains not only to middle school athletes, but to all school-related extra-curricular activities in which students compete, including but not limited to: athletics, cheerleading, showing animals, choir, and band competitions, etc. Here is a brief explanation...

The FIRST ELIGIBILITY CHECK will be on Friday, September 22nd. Any student failing at that time will not be eligible to participate in any UIL club or team. After the September 22nd eligibility check, all other eligibility checks will be made at the end of each 9 weeks. If a student is passing all subjects at the end of a nine weeks grading period, he/she will remain eligible to participate in extra-curricular activities until the end of the next nine weeks grading period. A student who fails any subject for the nine weeks becomes ineligible to participate in any extra-curricular activity at 3:00 the Friday following report cards.

Students can regain eligibility if they are passing all classes at the following times: at the end of the three weeks reporting period, at the end of the six weeks reporting period, and at the end of the nine weeks grading period. They will regain eligibility at 3:00 the Friday after progress reports or report cards come out.

What: Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)

When: Friday mornings at 7:15

Where: Mr. Pierce's classroom (Outdoor Science Room #2)

Who: Any 6th, 7th or 8th grade student. You do not have to be an athlete to attend.

Join Remind for announcements and updates: https://www.remind.com/join/fh86a2 or text the message @vamsfca to 81010.

The local food pantry (Feed My Sheep) has gracious volunteers who donate each month for the Weekend Backpack program. This program sends a bag full of food home each Friday with students who are signed up. If you think your family would benefit, please pick up a copy in the front office (various languages provided) or complete the form attached and return it to Nurse Wilson at lwilson@vanalstyneisd.org .

The parent/guardian will need to return the bottom portion of the flyer to Nurse Wilson to receive this service.

All volunteers, including parents, have to fill out a Volunteer Approval Form to have a background check before volunteering (ex: attend field trips, volunteer on campus, help with testing, etc.). This form must be filled out EVERY school year. The entire process, from submitting the form to receiving approval, can take as long as two weeks. This process must be completed before being approved to volunteer. If you have students at multiple schools, only one application is required.

Click the button below to access the Volunteer Approval Form. We appreciate our volunteers!

Our top priority at Van Alstyne Middle School is to provide all of our students with a safe learning environment. In order to do so, we need your help. Please take time to talk about the following things with your child.

• Everyone will be treated with kindness and respect. Name-calling and teasing are unkind. Racial slurs will not be tolerated.
• Students need to understand that saying anything about violence towards the school or others will be taken seriously.
• Students should always keep their hands and feet to themselves. Physical violence will not be tolerated.
• Please talk to your child about the responsibility that comes with social media. Students need to be careful about the things they say on social media, the posts they comment on, and the people they interact with.
• Please know that if a student’s behavior in or out of school disrupts the learning environment, that student could receive a consequence.

We appreciate your partnership at home to help educate your child about appropriate behaviors at school. We encourage students to be kind, respectful, and friendly to all students and staff at all times. You are always welcome to contact the school if you have any concerns.

Students are allowed to bring cell phones to school. They are allowed to listen to music and play games on their cell phones before school, during lunch, and after school. Students must keep cell phones out of sight and turned off (not on silent) during the school day. Please reinforce this rule with your child so they are well aware.

Also, please do not allow your child to call or text you from school using their cell phone for any reason, including to come pick them up when they do not feel well. Proper procedure is to report to Nurse Wilson and allow her to use her training to make that determination. Misuse will result in confiscation of the cell phone and the parent will be required to come pick up the phone. If the student continues to misuse their cell phone, the student will be required to check their cell phone into the office each morning.

As a parent, you have the right to bring food to your child. However, to be in compliance with federal law, you are not allowed to bring in food for a child other than your own (for example, bringing a pizza for your child and his/her friends). This also includes bringing cupcakes and snacks on your child's birthday. To be in compliance with law, we cannot offer them during the lunch period. Therefore, the only time we could legally do that is during class time; which is not something we are going to be able to do as the students are busy in their classes and we do not want to disrupt the learning environment.

You are certainly welcome to bring your child a lunch. Since there are classes going on during each lunch period, we are not able to call students over the intercom to come and pick up their lunch from the front office. If you drop off a lunch for your child, there is a bookshelf in the front office for you to leave your child's lunch. There are sticky notes and markers to label their lunch. You will need to text your child to let him/her know they have a lunch in the front office. Your child will see the text when they are allowed to turn on their phone at lunch. We will not accept food deliveries.

The district dress code is enforced. Please ensure that your child is in dress code each day to limit class disruptions.

Dress Code

• Shorts, skirts, and dresses must be at least fingertip length.

• All outer garments must have sleeves (cap sleeves are permitted). “Spaghetti straps” or “tank tops” are not allowed. Shoulders must be covered.

• Footwear must be a style that ensures safety and does not present a distraction. Teachers may restrict (designate) the kind of footwear needed for that class in order to meet the safety standards for the instructional activity. House shoes are not permitted.

• Garments that are cut inappropriately are not permitted.

• Holes in jeans are allowed in jeans, but skin cannot show through the hole above the fingertip. Oftentimes, students will wear leggings under their jeans or have patches behind the hole.

• Pajamas are not allowed.

• Blankets and pillows are not allowed.

All garments should meet the standard of modesty: (Modest: observing properties of dress and behavior, moderate: avoiding extremes of behavior or expression, observing reasonable limits; Webster’s 7th Collegiate Dictionary).

Anything form-fitting, such as spandex shorts, bicycle shorts, tights, leggings, and leotards, may only be worn under shorts or skirts that meet the school dress code.

• Midriffs, cleavage, and undergarments should be covered at all times.

• Tops must overlap the waistband of the pants; midriffs should not be seen even when arms are raised above the head.

• All students must have hair that is neatly groomed, out of the face and a natural color.

• No Mohawks or designs in hair.

• Goatees, beards, mustaches, and other facial hair must be short, neatly groomed, and natural in color.

• Students may not wear hats, headgear, or sunglasses in the building during the school day.

• Wallets with dangling chains and dangling or oversized jewelry are prohibited at school.

• Male students may not wear earrings, ear studs, or anything else in the ear.

• Jewelry for face/body/tongue piercing may not be worn at school except pierced earrings for females. No spacers.

• Students may not wear garments or bring items to school that display pictures, emblems, or writings that are lewd, offensive, vulgar, or obscene; and/or advertise or depict tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, drugs, or any other objects or ideas that in the principal’s judgment may be expected to cause disruption of school activities or interference with classroom and other normal school activities.

Parents and guardians, when you have emergency concerns about one of our students outside of school hours, please call the Van Alstyne Police Department. Oftentimes, our staff do not check email outside of school hours and the goal is to provide immediate assistance to the student or family. Some examples of emergency concerns would be: students claiming self-harm, students sharing suicidal thoughts or suicidal attempts, or any other situation where a student would be in danger and needs immediate help/assistance. Rather than emailing staff or submitting a StopIt App report, please call 911 or call The Van Alstyne Police Department at 903-482-5251.

When visiting our campus this year, we will have safety procedures in place. After pushing the button at the front door, you will need to provide the following through the speaker.

1. Full Name

2. Valid Picture Identification

3. Student’s full name and reason for visiting the school

Once in the building, you must provide your picture identification to the receptionist at the front desk. It will be scanned, a badge will be made, and identification will be held in the office. When you leave, you will need to walk back through the office to pick up your identification. We appreciate your cooperation while we try to keep our students and staff safe.

Free and Reduced Applications are now open for the 2023-2024 school year. Complete only one application for all the students in the household if you feel that you are eligible.

We love our parent volunteers! Our parent volunteers help organize student events, host teacher appreciation luncheons, and support our school. If you are interested in volunteering, please Paige McDonald at paigemcd1323@gmail.com or check the VAMS Panther Parents Facebook Page.

Promoting community service is a goal of VAMS! In order to promote and foster serving our community and others, students can earn a community service award at the end of the year awards assemblies to recognize students who give their time, talents, and hearts.

Find opportunities throughout the school year for your child to work on their community service hours. Make sure your child is documenting their community service time on their hour log.

VAMS Community Service Hour Logs are due on Wednesday, May 1st.

Click on the link below "VAMS Community Service FAQ Flyer" for more information.

It is important for us to provide avenues for parents to stay informed. Here are the communication tools we use at VAMS to ensure you know what is happening throughout the school year.

Middle School Website: Click HERE to access the VAMS webpage.

Social Media: Want to see what goes on at VAMS during the week? Want to see pictures of students doing awesome things? Want to see what learning looks like on our campus? Be sure to like us on Facebook, Van Alstyne Middle School.

Digital Newsletter: We email parents a digital campus newsletter every Friday. If you are not currently signed up to receive our weekly newsletter, click HERE.

Grade-level Remind Accounts: Please sign up for the appropriate Remind accounts below to help keep you informed. We also recommend having your child sign up as well. Teachers use Remind to communicate important dates and information.

Our clinics must have a Medication Parent Consent Form on file for students requiring medication administered during school hours. This form must be signed by parent/legal guardian. Medication must be kept in the ORIGINAL bottle. (see links below)

Children who have the following symptoms should stay home and not come to school until these symptoms have been gone for at least 24 hours without the help of medication.

• Fever (100 degrees or higher)
• Sore Throat (with fever or swollen neck)
• Persistent Vomiting or Diarrhea
• Rash (with fever and itching)
• Conjunctivitis/Pink Eye (your child can attend school 24 hours after starting medical treatment)

A child with a typical cold, but no fever or green drainage, may come to school.

If a student becomes ill during the school day, he or she must receive permission from the teacher before reporting to the school nurse. If the nurse determines that the child should go home, the nurse will contact the parent.

Please know that all incoming 7th graders and new 8th grade students must have a physical on file and Rank One paperwork completed prior to participation. If you have questions please contact:

Coach Ingram, Middle School Girls Athletic Coordinator - kingram@vanalstyneisd.org

Coach Sedlacek, Middle School Boys Athletic Coordinator - dsedlacek@vanalstyneisd.org

The graphic above shares new rules for our athletic venues. Please help us by going over the prohibited items with your students before attending the games.

Seating:

Panther Blue Seats - The blue seats are reserved for Season Ticket holders for Varsity games. We appreciate your cooperation in allowing Season Ticket holders to occupy their reserved seats.

Prohibited Items:

In conjunction with the UIL and for the safety of our guests and employees, the following are prohibited:

• Backpacks
• Outside food or drink (bottles, cans and beverage containers of any kind*)
• Abusive, foul or disruptive language or clothing
• Alcohol
• Animals (except service dogs to aid guests with disabilities)
• E-cigarettes/Vaporizers/Tobacco
• Balls (including but not limited to footballs, soccer, and lacrosse)
• Firearms or weapons of any kind
• Any other item or action deemed dangerous or inappropriate

*exceptions will be made for those with medical requirements or special needs.

Post Game:

The field of play is limited to participating athletes, coaches, trainers and officials. At no time will fans be allowed to enter the field area. (before, during or after.)

Website: www.ms.vanalstyneisd.org
Location: 1314 N. Waco Van Alstyne, TX
Phone: 903-482-8804
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/VanAlstyneMiddleSchool
Twitter: @vamiddleschool