BULLDOG BRIEF
PERSONALIZED. INNOVATIVE. GLOBAL.
Future Facilities Plans
This city of Van Meter has been working with developers on the possibility of putting in a housing development in the vacant land north of Crestview for several years. The district has been informed of those discussions regularly. Though we have no authority over what developments are approved in the community, we have been adequately informed of most developments that take place in our district.
Our district is growing. 2009 was my first year in the district and we had just over 600 students. In 2020, with the addition of preschool and TK, we will have close to 1000 students. We have closed open enrollment (with a few exceptions) to help mitigate that growth, but as the city has issued tax abatements that grew out Crestview, and the cities of West Des Moines and Waukee continue to add developments in our direction, more and more residents have moved and will continue to move to our district. This puts pressure on our facilities but is something that we are doing our best to manage. We are in a great position financially, but because of bonding capacities and debt limit statutes, we are only able to get so much funding for projects. This limits what we can do in the short term. As we continue to gain more residents and commercial property we will have more options to purchase more land for future schools.
Our mission is to personalize learning for each student's success today, and tomorrow. That mission hasn't changed and won't change with more students in our buildings. We are ready to serve all students and we will do our best to maintain the quality learning environment we have worked so hard to develop.
If you ever have any questions, it is easiest to reach our admin team via email at deron.durflinger@vmbulldogs.com, cody.tibbetts@vmbulldogs.com, and adam.lamoureux@vmbulldogs.com
Have a great summer and GO DAWGS!
Summer Office Hours
Open Gym Guidelines
Summer Sports Start June 1
A PDF version of our guidelines is attached below. Please be sure to read the guidelines and expectations prior to attending any summer events. It is each spectator's and player's personal responsibility to following all established expectations. Let's all do our part to make this a great experience for our players. GO DAWGS!
Summer Sports Schedules
Once on the site, you can view the schedules by each sport, each level, weekly, or monthly. Click on the date of the specific event for more details and game information.
The schedules are subject to change, so please be sure to check the site regularly.
Another great site for learning more about Van Meter sports is Varsity Bound. Be sure to check it out for up to date stats for our teams and teams throughout the state.
If you have any questions, contact the coaches or Mr. Roberts at rick.roberts@vmbulldogs.com
Summer Lunch Program Ending on June 12
20-21 School Year Registration
Thanks for getting your children registered for the next school year and have a great summer.
20-21 School Calendar
If we start early, it could be on Wednesday, August 12 in a hybrid learning model and run through Thursday, August 20. In this example, 1/2 of our students would attend each day in person, and the other 1/2 of our students would attend virtually. They would then switch the next day as shared below:
Aug. 12- Group A in person and Group B virtually
Aug. 13- Group B in person and Group A virtually
Aug. 14- No School/Teacher PD
Aug. 17- Group A in person and Group B virtually
Aug. 18- Group B in person and Group A virtually
Aug. 19- Group A in person and Group B virtually
Aug. 20- Group B in person and Group A virtually
Aug. 21- No School/Teacher PD
Aug. 24 and until further notice- All students attend in person
We are gathering input from our SIAC and we are considering a variety of options of blended learning.
The first two weeks of school would give us the opportunity to prepare for implementing this type of learning environment on a more consistent basis if it is required later in the school year. No final decision has been made, but strong consideration is being given to using this model prior to having all students attend on Monday, August 24.
It may be close to July before we are able to make a final decision on the start date and any changes that may be occurring to the 20-21 school calendar. Of course, any modifications we make are subject to further changes later in the summer and into the next school year. We realize this isn't convenient for families, but do understand we will do all that we can to notify families as soon as possible.
Thanks for your patience as we work to develop a calendar that most benefits student learning.
Kindergarten Roundup
Continuous Learning Reminders
There are summer learning opportunities available to our students. If interested, review the linked websites to learn more.
Mental Health Support
We know and understand that these are challenging times. Everyone's lives have been altered and it is challenging for all of us. If what is being asked of students is requiring too much time, let us know and we will find ways to provide more support or make adjustments to what we are asking kids to do. We just really want to put them in the best position to be successful academically, but we ultimately want to make sure our students are healthy.
Please reach out if your kids are struggling mentally. We have a great team of counselors and they would be glad to provide support if needed.
Jayci Kuhns- Social Worker, jayci.kuhns@vmbulldogs.com
Sara Cook- Elem. Counselor, sara.cook@vmbulldogs.com
Melanie Hopkins- Sec. Counselor, melanie.hopkins@vmbulldogs.com
Athletic Website and Schedules
Contact Us
Email: firstname.lastname@vmbulldogs.com
Website: www.vmbulldogs.com
Location: 520 1st Avenue, Van Meter, IA, USA
Phone: (515) 996-2221
Facebook: https://facebook.com/VanMeterSchools/
Twitter: @vanmeterschools