VAMS Panther Press Newsletter
January 15 , 2021
Calendar
- Monday, January 18 - No School - Holiday
- Friday, January 29 - Elective Sheets for current 6th & 7th graders for the 2021-2022 School Year available online starting at 6:30 PM (more information below)
- Friday, February 5 - GT Parent Nominations Due (more information below)
- Friday, February 5 - Elective Sheets Due
no school Monday, January 18
School Board Appreciation Month
Spelling Bee Champion
2021-2022 Elective Selections
2021-2022 elective sheets for our current 6th and 7th graders will be available electronically beginning Friday, January 29 at 6:30 PM. A link to a Course Selection Google Form will be shared through the campus newsletter and through Facebook. Every effort will be made to place students in their courses of choice. However, due to class size restrictions or other scheduling conflicts beyond our control, it may be necessary to alter your class requests or to fill classes based on a first-come, first-served basis.
Here are some important things you need to know regarding elective selections...
- Elective slections will be due Friday, February 5
- LIFT class (Learning Interventions for Today) mainly focuses on reading and math intervention while allowing pockets of time to support other STAAR subject areas.
- 7th Grade Parents - please let your child know that office aide, library aide, and yearbook are not guaranteed classes.
- ALL students need to rank their top 4 electives choices
- Please make sure you communicate with your child about their elective selections as they will be able to submit only ONE elective form.
- Students will need to know their student ID to sign up for electives. (Most students already know their student ID as it is PIN number they use for cafeteria lunches.) Check with your child to make sure they know their student ID number. If your child does not know their student ID number, please contact Twila Whitaker at twhitaker@vanalstyneisd.org.
- Later in the spring, our current 8th graders will have meetings to set up their classes for high school.
- Current 5th graders will have elective selections at a later date.
immunizations - attention 6th grade parents
In 2009, the State of Texas began requiring specific immunizations for all 7th graders.
The immunizations that incoming 7th graders need are:
1. Tetanus, Diptheria and Pertussis-containing vaccine (Tdap): All students entering the seventh will be required to have a booster dose of Tdap only if it has been five years since their last dose of a tetanus-containing vaccine.
2. Varicella (Chicken Pox): All students entering the 7th grade will be required to have 2 doses of varicella vaccine. The 1st dose must be received on or after the 1st birthday.
3. Meningococcal Vaccine (Meningitis): All students entering 7th grade will be required to have one dose of meningococcal vaccine.
If your child has already had these immunizations, please send a copy of the immunization record from the health clinic or physician. It must include the month, day and year as well as validation by a physician or public health official.
*Immunization records must be received before schedules will be released for the 2021-2022 school year*
Immunizations are available from your family physician, the Grayson County Health Department 903.893.0131, 515 N. Walnut Sherman, Texas, Collin County Health Department 972.548.5000 N. McDonald St, Mckinney, Texas or local medical/rural health clinics. Please call the health department for hours and availability.
If you have a medical or religious reason that conflicts with these requirements, please contact the school nurse. Information on obtaining a conscious exemption can be found at the following website:
https://corequest.dshs.texas.gov/
Thank you,
Lorie Wilson, LVN
Van Alstyne Middle School
903.482.8878
All state requirements may be found at www.dshs.state.tx.us/immunize
Parent Volunteer Group
GT Nominations
Dear Parents and Guaridans,
Referrals are now being accepted for the Van Alstyne Unique Learners and Thinkers (VAULT) program. VAULT is designed to provide an academic challenge for children who have been identified as gifted and talented through a process of academic testing. Children, who possess the ability to function above their current grade level, or demonstrate outstanding academic performance, should be carefully considered.
Parent and teacher evaluations constitute two of the six assessment parameters used to determine placement in VAULT. Therefore, I strongly encourage that you consult with your child’s classroom teacher prior to requesting a referral to be tested.
Click the link below to access a copy of the VAISD Gifted and Talented Parent Inventory form. This form needs to be completed by a parent or guardian and returned to the school turned into the middle school office. The deadline for parental referrals is February 5th. If you have any questions regarding VAULT, please contact the undersigned at the school.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kelly Moore, Principal
Debbie Cholette, VAULT Coordinator
Texas Retired Teacher Tutoring Program
The Texas Retired Teacher Foundation has implemented a new tutoring service where parents can request tutors for their student(s). This service is supposed to be free or very low cost. Click the button below to learn about this program.
Attendance Reminders
Just a few reminders about attendance:
Please send a note giving a detailed description of the reason for the absence within 3 days of any absence. Notes received after 3 days will result in an unexcused absence. Please send a doctor's note anytime your child misses school for an appointment. If your child is absent longer than 3 consecutive days because of personal illness, you must bring a statement from a doctor or health clinic verifying the illness or condition that caused the student's extended absence.
Panther sports
Thursday, January 14 at VAMS vs. Melissa 5:00 PM
Main Gym - 7A, 8A
Aux Gym- 8B, 7B
Boys Basketball
Thursday, January 21 at Melissa 5:30 PM
Gym 1 - 7A & 8A
Gym 2 - 8B & 7B
**Times and locations are subject to change due to COVID restrictions.**
Coach Voris, Middle School Girls Athletic Coordinator - jvoris@vanalstyneisd.org
Coach Sedlacek, Middle School Boys Athletic Coordinator - dsedlacek@vanalstyneisd.org
COVID-19 Symptoms
In evaluating whether an individual has symptoms consistent with COVID-19, consider the following question:
Have they recently begun experiencing any of the following in a way that is not normal?
o Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees
Fahrenheit
o Loss of taste or smell
o Cough
o Difficulty breathing
o Shortness of breath
o Headache
o Chills
o Sore throat
o Shaking or exaggerated shivering
o Significant muscle pain or ache
o Diarrhea
o Nausea and vomiting
A Note From Our Nurse....
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)
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.
Volunteer Approval Form
Click the button below to access the Volunteer Approval Form. We appreciate our volunteers!
CAFETERIA
Van Alstyne Middle School
Website: www.ms.vanalstyneisd.org
Location: 1314 N. Waco Van Alstyne, TX
Phone: 903-482-8804
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/VanAlstyneMiddleSchool
Twitter: @vamiddleschool