Vienna-Finley Voice
August 18, 2017 Issue 2
Happy Birthday to YOU!
Tessia Coomer
August 12
Makena Basham
August 13
Shelby Crone
Charlie Garcia
August 15
Briana Bowles
August 16
Peyton Hunter
August 17
Tonia Huffman
Emmitt Zeigenbein
Coming Soon...
August 22- Extra Recess Dance Party if you return your solar eclipse glasses!/Purple Day
August 23- Hearing Screenings/Boy Scouts during lunch/White Day/5:30 Meet the teacher in Mrs. Dulaney's Class
August 24 @ 6:30 Boy Scouts Meeting in Gymnasium/Black Day
August 25- Black Day
Eclipse Information
Plans for Monday are as follows: We ask that no parents come to observe the event at Vienna-Finley with their students. Due to the timing of the eclipse,, it would cause congestion during dismissal.
*Students with signed permission slips will be instructed and practice wearing the glasses.
*Any student who does not comply during the practice or actual event will immediately lose the privilege to participate.
*Students will be instructed and given directions prior to dismissal. All students/staff will be reminded NEVER to look at directly at the sun without proper protection and not to remove or look around the protective devices.
Parents have three options for Monday, August 21:
1) Students can be picked up between 11:30 and 1:00 and taken for the afternoon for a 1/2 day excused absence. This will count against perfect attendance.
2) Parents can choose to keep their child home the whole day and 1/2 day will be excused and 1/2 will be a parent waiver. This will also could against perfect attendance.
3) Parents can opt not to sign the eclipse waiver; however please be advised that the eclipse will still be in occurrence during dismissal. Students and staff have been told the dangers of looking at the sun without protection and will be reminded of this at dismissal.
NASA Safety Infomation
Looking directly at the sun is unsafe except during the brief total phase of a solar eclipse (“totality”), when the moon entirely blocks the sun’s bright face, which will happen only within the narrow path of totality (https://go.nasa.gov/2pC0lhe(link is external)).
The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” (example shown at left) or hand-held solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun; they transmit thousands of times too much sunlight. Refer to the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Reputable Vendors of Solar Filters & Viewers(link is external) page for a list of manufacturers and authorized dealers of eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers verified to be compliant with the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard for such products.
- Always inspect your solar filter before use; if scratched or damaged, discard it. Read and follow any instructions printed on or packaged with the filter.
- Always supervise children using solar filters.
- Stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer before looking up at the bright sun. After looking at the sun, turn away and remove your filter — do not remove it while looking at the sun.
- Do not look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars, or other optical device.
- Similarly, do not look at the sun through a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewer — the concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and enter your eye(s), causing serious injury.
- Seek expert advice from an astronomer before using a solar filter with a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device. Note that solar filters must be attached to the front of any telescope, binoculars, camera lens, or other optics.
If you are within the path of totality (https://go.nasa.gov/2pC0lhe(link is external)), remove your solar filter only when the moon completely covers the sun’s bright face and it suddenly gets quite dark. Experience totality, then, as soon as the bright sun begins to reappear, replace your solar viewer to look at the remaining partial phases.
Outside the path of totality, you must always use a safe solar filter to view the sun directly.
If you normally wear eyeglasses, keep them on. Put your eclipse glasses on over them, or hold your handheld viewer in front of them.
Note: If your eclipse glasses or viewers are compliant with the ISO 12312-2 safety standard, you may look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed Sun through them for as long as you wish. Furthermore, if the filters aren't scratched, punctured, or torn, you may reuse them indefinitely. Some glasses/viewers are printed with warnings stating that you shouldn't look through them for more than 3 minutes at a time and that you should discard them if they are more than 3 years old. Such warnings are outdated and do not apply to eclipse viewers compliant with the ISO 12312-2 standard adopted in 2015. To make sure you get (or got) your eclipse glasses/viewers from a supplier of ISO-compliant products, see the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Reputable Vendors of Solar Filters & Viewers(link is external) page.
Important: If you plan to take your child out for half of the day, please pick him/her up between 11:30-1:00. If you come to pick your child up, you will not be permitted to come into the building or participate in the school wide event due to the timing and dismissal.
Tentative Vienna-Finley Calendar
Updated School Calendar 2017-2018
How can you access this newsletter?
Popcorn Fridays!
The funds generated are donated to a different local agency each month.
Welcome to Vienna-Finley!
Drop-Off & Pick-Up Procedures
Dear Vienna-Finley Families,
The start of the year is hectic. One helpful reminder is that breakfast is served from 7:30-8:00 AM. Students need to arrive with enough time before 8:00 AM to finish eating, so they are not late to class.
Drop-off/pick-up lines can be time consuming. To help quicken the lines, we've found a few suggestions that really help the process move more smoothly. We are asking for your help us with this as we set up a successful new year.
Drop-Off: Students can be dropped off from 7:30-8:00 AM. Please pull all the way forward to the first available designated areas. We don't want children walking in the grass, because it's sometimes slippery and we can't supervise them as closely. Once you pull into the drop-off/pick-up numbered area, we would like the students to exit the car independantly. We will have staff there to assist them. There are red and green lines on the sidewalk. We ask the students to walk on the green lines, as they in a safer area and away from traffic. As you pull around the building, please have your student(s) have their backpack/lunch box and belongings ready, unbuckle (please help them learn how to do this independantly, if they can't already), and give goodbye hugs/kisses prior to pulling into your numbered drop-off area. This will help speed the line tremendously for everyone.
Pick-Up: During the pick-up process, everything operates basically the same only in reverse. Please remain in the three lanes once they are available as that helps get traffic off of the highway. Please pull all the way forward to the end of the three lane lines. Once Mrs. Barrett signals you forward from there, you will go into a single lane again. Pull all the way forward to the marked pick-up areas. Again, please encourage students to get into the car independantly so that you can move forward. If you need to assist in buckling your student, please pull forward around the corner so that other students can be placed in their cars.
Thank you so much for assisting with making these smooth transitions.
Students of the Month!
Important: Girls Elementary Volleyball Coaches Meeting
When: Monday, August 21st, 2017
Where: SMS West Gymnasium
Who: all coaches
Breakfast of Champions
Our amazing cafeteria staff prepares a delicious breakfast for our students every morning. Breakfast is available from 7:30-8:00 each morning. If your child plans to eat, please try to have him/her at school before 7:55, so they have ample time to eat without being late to class.
Make The Most of Your Messages
Please set up your voicemail if you haven't already. It can be overlooked, but makes it difficult for us to reach you. When staff needs to contact you about your child, often they are unable to leave a message if your voicemail isn't set up. In the case of an emergency, we may need to get in touch with you.
Stranger Danger
We've all heard it..."Stranger Danger," but can the safety and security of our school be at risk if we don't make sure that we all help? We realize that the safety of our students is our top priority. All visitors need to go through the office, no matter the time of day. If you notice someone picking a child up, please direct them to the office and do not invite them into our school through alternate doors. The safety of our students is important and we appreciate your help.
Picture This...
We take many pictures at Vienna-Finley. We use those pictures to celebrate all of the amazing experiences your child is having at school. We will promote these activities on the school website, on the schools' Facebook page, in the Giveaway, Good News Chronicle and the Vienna- Finley Voice Newsletter. If you do NOT want your child's photos included in these promotions, you must provide your request in writing to Mrs. Barrett as soon as possible.
Let's Get Connected!
We like to send home communication, newsletters and reminders often via email. Please call the office and have Mrs. Graves add your email address to your Harmony Family Access account if you haven't already. If you do not have an email address and would like help setting one up, we would be more than happy to assist you. Many people have email on their smart phones and that works great for home/school communication too! Just let us know how we can help. We would love to share the great things happening at VFES with you!
You can also connect through our new Parent Canvas group. Simply visit https://scsd2.instructure.com/courses/2791. This is a great resource for parents that includes calendars, newsletters, safety information and policies.
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