Vista View Family Bulletin
March 20-31st, 2023
UPCOMING EVENTS
March 20th - First Day of Spring!
March 20th - Chess Club 4-5pm
March 22nd - Computer Club DLS Rm. 8-9AM LAST DAY!
March 27th - March 31st - NO SCHOOL-Spring Break
April 3rd - Chess Club 4-5pm
April 4th - Media Specialist Appreciation Day, GOTR 4:10-5:30pm
April 6th - GOTR 4:10-5:30pm
April 10th - Chess Club 4-5pm, PTO In-Person Meeting 6:30 Media Ctr.
April 11th - GOTR 4:10-5:30pm
April 13th - GOTR 4:10-5:30pm
April 14th - 4th gr. Field Trip to REM5 VR Lab: 9:30-12:15 Kramer, 10:30-1:45 Dempsey, 12:45-3:30 VA.
April 17th - Chess Club 4-5pm Last Day!
April 18th - GOTR 4:10-5:30pm
April 20th - Severe Weather Drill 1:45pm, GOTR 4:10-5:30pm
April 21st - NO School
NO SCHOOL MARCH 27TH -31ST FOR SPRING BREAK!
STREAM Fair Project Video
Our Annual GERTENS plant sale is back! Order now, plant availability is limited!!!!
Lost & (Not Yet) Found
Each year, an abundance of clothing and misc items (lunch bags, hats mittens, etc) are left unclaimed. Please remember to label all clothing and items so that we may return the lost articles to their owner. Any items that remain at the end of the school year will be donated to a charity.
Parents are welcome to come check for lost items at the end of the school day.
PTO Update
The Bookfair was a great success. The PTO was able to give away nearly 50 free books to students and had about $4,000 in sales. This will result in the PTO earning about $2,000 in Scholastic dollars for next year!
Movie night will be moved from April 7th until after Ramadan in respect of our Muslim students and families. More info to come.
The Gertens plant sale is the final fundraiser of the year and last year netted $2,700. This year's sales might be less due to Foundation 191 also doing a districtwide Gertens fundraiser. Please order your plants as soon as possible as some things might sell out.
The PTO then went through the rest of their budget line by line. They are trying to wrap up GAGA pit decisions which is a bit challenging due to an unexpectedly high cost of ground surface which is not required and might require them to purchase a smaller pit. They are hoping to wrap up that decision asap. Other items that the PTO reviewed for their support were: New Walkie talkies for the school, Brainpower in a Backpack, the Jean Lingbeck Library Fund, Patrols to Nickelodeon, Yearbooks, Planners, 5th Grade Sendoff, and Field Day snacks.
Cindy shared about the role of Anh Thu and MRC tutoring as part of Americorps week and the PTO shared their thanks for her service.
The next PTO meeting will be an in-person meeting at Vista View on April 10th at 6:30 in the Media Center. All Vista View families are welcome to come and learn about PTO. Childcare will be provided and our cultural liaisons will be there.
Cindy Crawford (She/Her/Hers)
Community Iftar Dinner
Yearbook orders are open!
Be sure to place your order today!
Don't miss your chance to order your copy. It's the best way to remember this year's events, classmates, and friends.
Yearbooks are on sale now for $18 until March 13th, 2023. Follow this link and reserve your copy today!
https://www.balfour.com/minnesota/burnsville/vista-view-elementary-school
Preschool Information & Registration & Early Childhood Screening
Early childhood screening: https://communityed.isd191.org/early-childhood/early-childhood-screening
An Early Childhood Screening is a required step to complete before starting school. Screening may be completed anytime between the age of 3 years and the start of Kindergarten. Children are screened according to their specific age. There is no need to wait to screen, thinking that your child will be better prepared. Our goal is to support children and make sure they are ready for learning on their first day of school.
Preschool: Click on the link for Neighborhood school to register for preschool at Vista View. There are other options for families at Diamondhead as well.
https://communityed.isd191.org/early-childhood/preschool#Registration
Community Food Information
Community Food Calendar: Would your family benefit from a free meal or an extra bag of groceries? Check out the monthly Community Food Calendar to see where you can find free food resources in the area.
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GOTR- "Girls on the Run"
Feb 1st - GOTR registration opens (for all locations), online only @ gotrmn.org.
April 4 - June 2 GOTR VV Spring season, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:10 pm - 5:30 pm.
Friday, June 3rd Final 5K at Fairgrounds at 6:30 p.m.
GOTR Coaches Needed!
Transform Lives! Become a GOTR coach for spring 2023. Dates are March 27-June 3/4.
- No experience needed
- 100% of training & materials are provided
- No need to be a "runner"
- All genders are welcome to apply
For additional information, click HERE
If you are interested in coaching for Vista View, use this link http://gotrmn.org/coach or contact Cindy Crawford at ccrawford@isd191.org.
Clothing request
Community Education
Check out the many opportunities available through our Community Education Department.
Important Reminders/Information
Food & Nutrition Services Department
We are proud of the many healthy meals served in our district cafeterias. All meals served meet USDA dietary guidelines and are planned by a registered dietitian to provide students with the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for key nutrients and calories. We feel strongly that students who eat school meals consume more fruits and vegetables, are more accepting of trying new foods, have better connections with peers, and are more ready to learn.
Students must have enrollment paperwork completed prior to starting school. Each student will have a meal account created and use an individual meal account and personal identification number (PIN).
The PIN remains the same from year to year. New students will be assigned a PIN at the school open house or the first day of school, after enrollment paperwork has been processed.
Breakfast and Lunch Menus and Nutrition
Detailed information can be found on the Food Service webpage of the district’s website
https://www.isd191.org/ Menus are posted at https://schools.mealviewer.com/ and list nutritional information and common allergens. A hot entrée, cold sandwich and salad choice are available daily.
- All grains offered are whole grain rich.
- Reduced sugar and reduced sodium foods and beverages are offered, as available.
- A variety of fruits and vegetables are offered every day.
- Skim or 1% milk is offered and one serving is included with each meal.
- We use low-fat cheese, reduced-calorie salad dressings, mayonnaise and sour cream.
“Offer vs. serve” regulations requires students be offered (rather than served) 5 required food
components comprising the full lunch meal. Students may choose 3, 4, or 5 lunch food components based on preferences instead of having to take some of each food. Students will be offered 3 required food components at breakfast and must choose at least 3 of the food items. Students are required to take 1⁄2 cup fruit or vegetable at each meal. Federal regulations require meals priced as a complete unit.
Students must pay the full price even if they did not choose the complete meal. Students are
encouraged to take all of food items offered to provide a nutritionally balanced meal for the best price.
Meal Prices for School Year 2023-2024
- Current Student Meal Prices: Breakfast $1.60; Elementary Lunch $2.80; Secondary Lunch $2.90.
- Prices may or may not change each school year and are subject to school board approval.
- Your child may qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Breakfast and Lunch are FREE for students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Parents are responsible for purchases made prior to students qualifying for meal benefits. Money must be in meal accounts prior to making meal and food purchases.
- Due to state legislative funding, all Kindergarten students are eligible to receive FREE breakfast.
- A single milk or extra milk may be purchased at an a la carte price (currently $0.50) per half pint. Jan 2023
Payments and Account Balance Statements
Meal and food purchases are expected to be prepaid before service. We currently use PayPAMs as a parent’s tool to manage student meal accounts, where parents may make online payments with a credit/debit card or checking account, view account balances, monitor purchases and set up an email alert when the meal account reaches a specified amount. To set up a PayPAMS account, go to https://paypams.com Payments may take 24-72 hours for funds to be routed to the student accounts at the individual schools. There is no transaction fee for making online payments.
Checks may be sent to school with the student and should be written out to ISD #191 Food Service. We discourage cash payments, however, if used, payments will be accepted in a sealed envelope. Include the student's first and last name and PIN on the memo line of the check or on the outside of the envelope. Payments may also be mailed to the district office. All schools have payment collection boxes placed in the Food Service area for receipt of payments. Teachers may also collect payments brought in by students and provide them to the Food Service Department.
Cash or coins are not accepted on the serving lines. A student with a meal account balance of less than zero dollars is expected to bring meals from home until their meal account balance is replenished.
Application for Educational Benefits
Educational benefits, including free or reduced-price meals, are available for children who qualify. To determine eligibility, an Application for Educational Benefits must be completed each school year and submitted to the District Food Service Office for review and approval. The current school year
application becomes available in August each year.
Parents or guardians may complete the 2023-24 Application for Educational Benefits online through links on the school district’s website. Follow the easy to use, step-by-step screens to enter student and household information. Applications are also available online at the district’s website and at each school’s main office and school kitchen, and are available in multiple languages.
It may take up to 10 days for an application to be reviewed and a written response sent to the parent or guardian. Applications may be completed at any time throughout the year. Families receiving MFIP, Food Assistance (SNAP) or FDPIR may be directly certified by the State of Minnesota to receive free meals and may not need to complete an application. Families must send money with their student in order to purchase meals until it is determined the family will receive the benefit of free or reduced price meals.
Studies confirm our belief that well-nourished students have better attendance, are more attentive, and have more energy to succeed at school. Please call the District Food Service Department at (952) 707-2051 if you have questions or concerns. We hope you choose us for your child’s nutrition!
Food & Nutritional Services Positions Available
Be Valued. Be Vital. Shine Onward in District 191.
Help sustain and brighten the lives of students and staff by joining the One91 team as a food and nutrition services employee. You’ll be inspiring and feeding future world leaders! Positions are available at several schools across the district, as well as on-call substitutes to work as needed. You’ll learn a variety of cooking and food safety skills, meet new friends and have fun! Best of all, you won’t have to work nights, weekends or holidays. If you’re a parent in the district looking for part-time work and a schedule that matches your student’s schedule, we’d love for you to join our team. You can apply online at www.isd191.org/careers. If you have questions or need more details, please call 952-707-2032. If you need assistance when applying, please call 952-707-2009.
About Vista View Elementary
We Are Vista View!
Vista View is a safe, welcoming place to learn where all students are valued, challenged, and supported by our families and staff so that every learner experiences academic and personal growth.
Hours
9:15 - 3:55 (Students may arrive starting at 9:00 am)
Email: vistaview@isd191.org
Website: https://vistaview.isd191.org/
Location: Vista View Elementary School, County Road 5, Burnsville, MN, USA
Phone: (952)707-3400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vistaview191
Twitter: @VistaViewElem