VFE Falcon Family Newsletter
June 2023
Principal's Message
Dear Falcon Families,
From the VFE Community Night at the Mariners game to our first Art Night to our students giving it their all as they completed spring assessments, May was full of opportunities to make connections, celebrate our community, and show the impact of our work together. The early returns on our benchmark assessments show encouraging signs of growth in ELA and math. Thank you for encouraging your student to strive for success each day!
As we enter June and are in the closing stretch of an incredible year, we need your help to finish strong. Please continue the routines that help your child be ready to learn each day. Continue to make time each night to read with your child. And, continue to celebrate the growth your child is making. If possible we also need your presence at school events. Please take advantage of the opportunity to help at Field Day, the Family BBQ, Staff Appreciation, or chaperoning one of the upcoming field trips.
Thank you for being such an engaged and supportive community. We appreciate your grace and grit as you've walked alongside us in rebuilding and refocusing our community over the last year so that each and every Falcon is known, valued, and supported.
Make it a great June!
Wade Jerdee, Assistant Principal & Adam Uhler, Principal
PurposeFull Family
Registration Open!
Registration for the 23-24 school year is open! Please visit www.sumnersd.org to complete your students application today!
Do you know a child who will be five years old on or before August 31? Maybe it's your neighbor, friend or even your own child. Now’s the right time to enroll next year’s kindergarten students. The sooner you enroll, the better we can keep you informed. Get information on what documents you need and how to enroll -- the process is all online at sumnersd.org/register.
To help welcome new kinders and their families, each of our elementary schools created virtual tours, which includes a school tour and staff introduction. Watch our video here.
Ready to start the kindergarten registration process? Visit our Enrollment page for details on the three-step registration process.
A Parenting Guide to Starting School
Registration for the 23-24 school year is open! Please visit www.sumnersd.org to complete your students application today!
Mr. Payne Surprised with the Elevate Award
Music teacher Ryan Payne was rocking out with his students during Modern Band rehearsal at Victor Falls Elementary last month when he was surprised with some special guests.
Staff from WGU Washington, an online nonprofit university, presented Ryan with the WGU Elevate Award for contributing to a culture of inclusivity and belonging. WGU Washington presents the WGU Elevate Award to people whose work creates pathways to opportunity for others.
Ryan certainly does that for his students. He joined the VFE crew in September and has since launched the Modern Band program at Victor Falls. The program is a hit for students. Not only does it teach them the fundamentals of musical performance, but they find a place to belong.
“To see students grow, to see them making connections, to see them wanting to be a part of something, you can’t put a price on that,” Ryan told Kelly Hanson, host and producer of KING-TV’s web-based series, Local Lens.
Local Lens was there to capture the surprise. Watch the video below and see what students had to say about Mr. Payne and Modern Band!
Calendar Reminders
Memorial Day Weekend: School will be in session on Tuesday, May 30. This is a weather make-up day from when schools were closed on December 1.
Graduations: To help support High School graduation attendance for staff and families, the entire district will have a two-hour early dismissal instead of the normal Monday two-hour late start on Monday, June 12.
Last day of school: Due to the February 14 weather-related school closure, the last day of school is now June 22 with a half-day/early dismissal.
View a complete list of key dates for the 2022-23 school year.
Successful PTO Art Night
Mr. Jerdee Update
Volunteers Needed--Family BBQ Night 6/9
Staff Appreciation for June
June Staff appreciation is coming up on June 13th. If you are able to contribute, please use the Sign Up Genius link.
General PTO Meeting
Monday, June 5th @4:15 in the VFE Library.
Playground Update
NEW Parent Square Coming in August!
In August, the district is switching from SchoolMessenger to ParentSquare for its robocalls, emails, text messages and more! This is a big transition with a big payoff for a number of increased features and functionality that will greatly enhance and streamline family communication and engagement. Here are just a few key ParentSquare features we’re especially excited for:
One tool for all communication formats
Supports 106 languages with real-time, two-way translation
Families choose communication format (text, email, voice calls) and timing (immediate or digest)
Lost & Found
Right At School
We are excited to announce a new partnership with Right At School, a nationally-recognized school enrichment provider for before- and after-school care for elementary-aged students at all of our elementary schools and the Sumner Early Learning Center starting with the 2023-24 school year.
About Right at School: Right at School provides families flexibility in enrollment options and a comprehensive enrichment curriculum to keep students engaged while they participate. Students will have a healthy snack, engage in dynamic fitness activities, student-driven projects, team building, leadership development, and have the opportunity to complete homework assignments.
Program highlights:
Open from 6:30 am to 6 pm
Flexible schedules and pricing options
Tuition discounts available
Childcare available during breaks, non-school days, and summer
Please visit Right at School’s SBLSD website for more information, including program offerings, curriculum, registration and billing, electives, camps and more.
Attendance
Health Room Reminders
Please send your student to school with a water bottle. The nicer weather has increased dehydration.
If your student is in Kindergarten or 1st grade, please pack a spare change of clothing in your student’s backpack.
Spring time can mean allergies for most people in the PNW. Please do not send your students with allergy medication to consume at school. If you would like to have your medical provider sign off on a medication at school order, please get into contact with Ms. Luciana. Phone: 253-891-4700 Email: luciana_roorda@sumnersd.org
OSPI deems students able to have sunscreen in their backpack and they may use it at school. Please remind your students not to spray their sunscreen on others and not to spray it in their eyes, nose, or mouth.
Family Assistance
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.
Key Dates
Please check our website for updates.
5/31 Watch DOGS Wrap up event 5:30-6:30pm
Upcoming Important June Dates:
6/5 General PTO Meeting
6/5-6/9 Food Drive & Spirit Week
6/9 PTO Family Fun BBQ Event 5-8pm
6/12 EARLY RELEASE @1:10pm - (School Starts at 8:25am)
6/12 BLHS & SMS Graduation
6/14 Celebration of Reading-Book Exchange
6/15 Falcon Top 10 Assemblies
6/16 5th Grade Moving up Ceremony-9:15-10:15am
6/16 Kindergarten Graduation Ceremony - 1-2pm
6/19 NO School- Juneteenth
6/21 Field Day K-2 8:30-11am, 3-5 12:30-3pm
6/22 Last Day of School- Half Day, early release @ 11:40 am
For other key dates, check your mailbox soon for the 2022-23 school year calendar.
Victor Falls Elementary
Email: VFE@sumnersd.org
Website: sumnersd.org/vfe
Location: 11401 188th Ave Ct E, Bonney Lake, WA, USA
Phone: (253) 891-4700
Twitter: @VictorFallsEle1
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