VFE Falcon Family Newsletter
May 2023
Principal's Message
Dear Falcon Families,
Welcome to May! This month is full of celebration and excitement as we recognize the great work of our staff and kids and start to peek ahead to the end of the school year. The second week of May is Teacher Appreciation Week at VFE. We are thankful for the PTO leading this week's celebration.
Most of us remember a key educator in our lives that spoke life into our hopes and dreams, helped us believe in ourselves, and challenged us to learn more than we thought possible. From learning to love school while in Kindergarten with Mrs. Schurmer to learning to read with Mr. Nepean to finding his niche in Mr. Hunter's art classes, to learning to think critically and independently in Dr. Carter’s class, Mr. Uhler is thankful for the incredible teachers who took the time to love, care and serve him. We know many of you have similar stories from your own life. And, we have no doubt that your kids have stories about the impact of the adults at Victor Falls. We encourage each of you and your kids to take time in the coming weeks to express their thanks. Thank you for continuing to partner with us!
May is also the month when we build our creativity muscles and celebrate our Asian American and Pacific Island American community members' heritage. We encourage you to dig into the PurposeFull Family activities shared below. Students will be learning more about Asian American and Pacific Island culture in SEL lessons this month.
Make May an incredible month to be a Falcon!
Wade Jerdee, Assistant Principal & Adam Uhler, Principal
VFE PTO Art Night May 19
1st & 2nd Grade Concerts
State Testing Schedule May 9, 10, 11, 16 & 18
Kindergarten Registration Open
Welcome to the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District! Do you know a child who will be five years old on or before August 31? Maybe it's your neighbor, friend or even your own child. Now’s the right time to enroll next year’s kindergarten students. The sooner you enroll, the better we can keep you informed. Get information on what documents you need and how to enroll -- the process is all online at sumnersd.org/register.
To help welcome new kinders and their families, each of our elementary schools created virtual tours, which includes a school tour and staff introduction. Watch our video here.
Ready to start the kindergarten registration process? Visit our Enrollment page for details on the three-step registration process.
Kindergarten Screening May 11 & 18
Kindergarten Screening will take place 3:30-5:30 pm on May 11th & 18th.
- If you have submitted your enrollment paperwork for Kindergarten, Ms. Vaughan, our registrar, will reach out to your family soon to schedule your screening.
- If you have not yet submitted your enrollment paperwork and have screening questions, please contact our school office at 253-891-4700.
New Hawk & New Wolf Nights
Mountain View Middle School is hosting New Wolf Night, Tuesday, May 23. See the flier below for more details.
Calendar Reminders--New Last Day of School
Memorial Day Weekend: School will be in session on Tuesday, May 30. This is a weather make-up day from when schools were closed on December 1.
Graduations: To help support graduation attendance for staff and families, the entire district will have a two-hour early dismissal instead of the normal Monday two-hour late start on Monday, June 12.
Last day of school: Due to the February 14 weather-related school closure, the last day of school is now June 22 with a half-day/early dismissal.
View a complete list of key dates for the 2022-23 school year.
PurposeFull Family
NEW Parent Square Coming in August!
In August, the district is switching from SchoolMessenger to ParentSquare for its robocalls, emails, text messages and more! This is a big transition with a big payoff for a number of increased features and functionality that will greatly enhance and streamline family communication and engagement. Here are just a few key ParentSquare features we’re especially excited for:
One tool for all communication formats
Supports 106 languages with real-time, two-way translation
Families choose communication format (text, email, voice calls) and timing (immediate or digest)
Right At School
We are excited to announce a new partnership with Right At School, a nationally-recognized school enrichment provider for before- and after-school care for elementary-aged students at all of our elementary schools and the Sumner Early Learning Center starting with the 2023-24 school year.
About Right at School: Right at School provides families flexibility in enrollment options and a comprehensive enrichment curriculum to keep students engaged while they participate. Students will have a healthy snack, engage in dynamic fitness activities, student-driven projects, team building, leadership development, and have the opportunity to complete homework assignments.
Program highlights:
Open from 6:30 am to 6 pm
Flexible schedules and pricing options
Tuition discounts available
Childcare available during breaks, non-school days, and summer
Please visit Right at School’s SBLSD website for more information, including program offerings, curriculum, registration and billing, electives, camps and more.
When to Keep Your Student Home
We all have days when we are not at our best physically or emotionally. Please send your student to school even if your student has...
vague complaints, without other signs of illness.
emotional upset that does not constitute a mental health crisis
Please keep your student home if they...
are too sick to participate in normal school activities
need a level of care or observation not manageable at school or childcare
create an unhealthy or unsafe environment for others
- cough, diarrhea, fever, flue, vomiting, eye infections, rash
- Please keep your child home until they are free of these symptoms for at least 24 hours without the use of medication. If you have any questions, please call the office at 253-891-4700 or refer to the district website. https://www.sumnersd.org/domain/1274
- Here is the link to a more detailed list. https://tinyurl.com/mpmtfmpr
Upcoming PTO Events
Staff Appreciation Donations
Thank you to all the parents who donate items to the Staff Appreciation Days planned by the PTO! They couldn't plan such elaborate and fun staff appreciation meals without the help of our parents! We appreciate you!
Watch D.O.G.S Update
Here is the link for more information about being SBLSD Volunteer:
https://www.sumnersd.org/volunteer
The Volunteer Portal will take you directly to the application.
Family Assistance
We have resources to help families in need. Would a weekend food bag, clothing, or meal support during the holidays for your student be helpful? Please send an email to the school counselor at courtney_arbaugh@sumnersd.org to assist you with getting support.
Key Dates
Please check our website for updates.
Upcoming Important June Dates:
6/5 General PTO Meeting
6/9 PTO Family Fun BBQ Event
6/12 EARLY RELEASE @1:10pm - no late start
6/12 BLHS & SMS Graduation
6/16 Kindergarten Promotion event- AM
6/16 5th Grade Moving up Ceremony-PM
6/19 NO School- Juneteenth
6/21 Feild Day
6/22 Last Day of School- Half Day, early release @ 11:40 am
For other key dates, check your mailbox soon for the 2022-23 school year calendar.
Victor Falls Elementary
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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