Dear Falcon Families,

Thank you for making the first half of the 2022-2023 school year such a success. As we look to the second half of the school year, there are a number of exciting events and celebrations. Starting February 7, we get to welcome the class of 2036! There are details about Kinder registration below. Throughout the month of February, we also get to learn about and celebrate the contributions of influential Black figures in American life including, Mae Jemison, Michael Jordan, Misty Copeland, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Serena Wiliams, and Maya Angelou.

In addition, this time of year brings the Winter Benchmark--the well-child check for our students' reading and math skills. We are seeing great growth in our reading outcomes with over a 12% improvement in Kinder, a 13% improvement in 1st, and a 17% improvement in 2nd grade, while 86% of 3rd grade, 80% of 4th grade, and 94% of 5th grade students meet the reading expectation. While we haven't met our school-wide goal of 95% of students scoring in Tier 1 yet, if this growth trend continues, we will meet or surpass this goal by the Spring Benchmark. Please see the details of each of these events along with some exciting news from the PTO in each section of the newsletter.

Make it a great day to be a Falcon!

Wade Jerdee, Assistant Principal & Adam Uhler, Principal

Registration is open for winter READY! for Kindergarten sessions! See below for the session dates or visit sumnersd.org/ready.

READY! for Kindergarten is a free program that offers age-appropriate targets, training and tools for parents and caregivers of children birth to age five that ensure success in school.

Register here: www.readyforkindergarten.org/sumner

The Bright Star Theatre Group performed live for us on 1/27 for our Black History Month assemblies. To learn more about the theatre group and the performance check out the following link. https://www.brightstartheatre.com/tour/tour-2023-01-16/

Kindergarten-2nd grade watched a performance about African Folktales and 3rd-5th Grade watched a performance about Freedom Songs.

Thank you to the VFE PTO for supporting us with this!

In addition to the Bright Star Theater performances, VFE is celebrating Black History Month by collaboratively researching and presenting prominent figures in American life. Kindergarten is researching the life of astronaut Mae Jameson. First grade is researching the life of Michael Jordan and his impact beyond basketball. Second grade is learning about Misty Copland (see the pictures below). Third grade is digging into the contributions of astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson. Fourth grade is learning about Serena William and her contribution to society on the tennis court and beyond. and Fifth grade is researching and presenting about the impact of Maya Angelou. Students will be sharing what they learned at Morning Meeting on Friday, February 17 and 24. We encourage you to ask your student what they've learned about the person their grade level is researching.

Check out our newest jam session with Mr. Payne!

https://youtu.be/k_XWl2lusjw

Studies show that missing more than 10% of school can negatively impact a student’s long term success. At Victor Falls, we are committed to supporting families so that students can be at school and learning. Of course, there are times when a student will be sick, or have an appointment. If that is the case, please communicate with the office the morning of an absence. Please help us to set students up for success by helping your student be here before 8:25 every day.

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!

February's Staff Appreciation will be on the 17th. If you would like to contribute, please use the Signup Genius link.

One of the great parts of our location is that we are set within a neighborhood. But, for those commuting to campus by car and our neighbors living on 188th, our location and traffic create real challenges. While we cannot control that we only have one egress, we can do some things to help our neighbors: We can be mindful of where we park. And, we can make sure we are not blocking any of the driveways on 188th.

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.

Please check our website for updates.

For other key dates, check your mailbox soon for the 2022-23 school year calendar.

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