Virginia Avenue Charlotte DeHart
August-September, 2019 Principal's News
Welcome to a New School Year
VACDES Community:
It is a exciting to begin the 2019-20 school year. This summer we stayed very busy at VACDES preparing for the new school year--making enhancements to our facility, ordering new materials, hiring staff, and holding successful summer programs for our rising 1st-4th graders as well as for our incoming Kindergarten students.
As we begin the new year, VACDES is launching two new exciting programs in Kindergarten, while, at the same, grades Pre-K and grades 1-4 continue to innovate in fabulous ways to meet all children's needs.
In Kindergarten, we are launching our Dual Immersion program. Through this program, students will be taught in Spanish 50% of the day and in English 50% of the day. The program will continue up the grades as our Kindergarteners move into grades 1-4. The goal is that they will emerge from VACDES at the end of 4th grade grade with bilingual skills in Spanish and English. The rest of the kindergarten students will be in our Kinderlab class. In this classroom, students will be taught by two certified teachers. Through collaborative teaching, the teachers can group the students and provide instruction in innovative ways.
Our focus on teaching the whole child in every grade continues. All children want to be active, artistic, mathematical, successful with STEM, readers, writers, and musicians. Our aim is that all students will meet or exceed grade and age-level standards in all areas.
If there is any way I can help your child have a successful year, please contact me at the school office at 540.665.6300.
I look forward to all of the adventures to come in 2019-20.
All the best,
Dr. Bryant, VACDES Principal
Some Important Dates to Know
- August 5--Meet the Teacher Day, 2-6 p.m. Free haircuts will be available for students.
- August 8--First Day of School
- August 30 and September 2--No school for students (Teacher Professional Development Day and Labor Day Holiday)
- September 10--First PTO meeting of the year. All are invited. Please enter the building through the bus loop door on the Van Fossen Street side.
- September 24--Back to School Night, 6-7:30. All families are invited to meet the entire VACDES staff and then participate in informative sessions by grade level.
School Office Hours
How to Make the Most of the Start of the School Year
- Establish a bedtime and waking up time and stick to it. Your child needs a lot of sleep to be rested and successful in school.
- Take time to talk to your child every day, 1:1 if possible. Your child craves your attention. Even a little bit of time--whether it's right after school, at dinnertime, at bedtime, or in the morning, makes a big difference. When you talk with your child, you help your child develop social skills such as taking turns in conversations and listening carefully to what others say.
- If you are concerned about your child, please reach out to the school. We are here to help.
- The very most important thing you can do is make your child feel like you love her or him just as he or she is. THAT is the basis for a new year of success!
Hats off to a successful 2019-20 school year!