• Thursday, December 16 - Star Card Hat Day
• Friday, December 17 - No School
  
• December 17 - January 4 - Winter Break
• Wednesday, January 5 - School Resumes
• Thursday, January 6 - Report Cards Go Home
• Thursday, January 13 - Spelling Bee at 2:00 PM in VAMS Cafeteria
• Monday, January 17 - No School

Parents & Guardians,

Our top priority at Van Alstyne Middle School is to provide all of our students with a safe learning environment. In order to do so, we need your help. Please take time to talk about the following things with your child.

• Everyone will be treated with kindness and respect. Name-calling and teasing are unkind. Racial slurs will not be tolerated.
• Students need to understand that saying anything about violence towards the school or others will be taken seriously.
• Students should always keep their hands and feet to themselves. Physical violence will not be tolerated.
• Please talk to your child about the responsibility that comes with social media. Students need to be careful about the things they say on social media, the posts they comment on, and the people they interact with.
• Please know that if a student’s behavior in or out of school disrupts the learning environment, that student could receive a consequence.

We appreciate your partnership at home to help educate your child about appropriate behaviors at school. We encourage students to be kind, respectful, and friendly to all students and staff at all times. You are always welcome to contact the school if you have any concerns.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kelly Moore

Just a few reminders about attendance:

Please send a note giving a detailed description of the reason for the absence within 3 days of any absence. Notes received after 3 days will result in an unexcused absence. Please send a doctor's note anytime your child misses school for an appointment. If your child is absent longer than 3 consecutive days because of personal illness, you must bring a statement from a doctor or health clinic verifying the illness or condition that caused the student's extended absence. If you have any questions, please send an email to vamsoffice@vanalstyneisd.org.

As most of you are aware, school districts around the country have been plagued by students participating in TikTok challenges. These challenges ask students to destroy/vandalize school property, steal things, and do other things that can lead to legal consequences. Our youth are better than that! In an effort to combat the negative challenges on social media, VAISD challenges our youth to make a positive impact in our school and our community. Our youth can do great things! #takebacktiktok #supporteducation #VAISD #KindnessChallenge

Complete the Google Form below if you participated in the VAISD Kindness Challenge! We want to hear about the great things our youth are doing!

• Water fountains — All water fountains will be turned on this year. We still encourage students to bring a water bottle from home if they are able to. There are three water bottle refill stations that are accessible to students. Please make sure your child's water bottle has their name on it.
• Masks are optional
  
• Sanitizing stations — Students will be encouraged to use hand sanitizer throughout the day. Desks will be sanitized between classes.
• Visitors will be allowed — We love our parent volunteers and visitors! Parents and guardians are welcome to come and eat lunch with their child. All visitors will need to check in with Mrs. Twila in our front office where their temperature will be taken.
  
• Restrooms — We have signs posted on all restrooms asking students to limit 4 people at a time. We will also encourage students to wash their hands for 20 seconds before they leave the restroom.
  
• Symptom and Temperature Monitoring — All students will be required to enter through our south entrance (8th grade hallway). This entrance has a camera that checks the temperature of each individual that enters the building. A staff member will be at this entrance monitoring the camera. If someone has a fever, they will be asked to go to the nurse for further evaluation. All faculty and students are required to monitor symptoms and no one is permitted to come to class if they are displaying symptoms.
• Building sanitized nightly
• Buses will be sanitized after each route

Promoting community service is a goal of VAMS! In order to promote and foster serving our community and others, students can earn a community service award at the end of the year awards assemblies to recognize students who give their time, talents, and hearts.

Find opportunities throughout the school year for your child to work on their community service hours. Make sure your child is documenting their community service time on their hour log.

VAMS Community Service Hour Logs are due on Friday, May 1st. Hours are documented digitally. Click the link below to access the digital hour log.

Click on the link below "VAMS Community Service FAQ Flyer" for more information.

Middle School Website: Click HERE to access the VAMS webpage.

Social Media: Want to see what goes on at VAMS during the week? Want to see pictures of students doing awesome things? Want to see what learning looks like on our campus? Be sure to like us on Facebook, Van Alstyne Middle School, and follow us on Twitter at @vamiddleschool

Digital Newsletter: We email parents a digital campus newsletter every Friday. If you are not currently signed up to receive our weekly newsletter, click HERE.

Grade-level Remind Accounts: Please sign up for the appropriate Remind accounts below to help keep you informed. We also recommend having your child sign up as well. Teachers use Remind to communicate important dates and information.

Our clinics must have a Medication Parent Consent Form on file for students requiring medication administered during school hours. This form must be signed by parent/legal guardian. Medication must be kept in the ORIGINAL bottle. (see links below)

Children who have the following symptoms should stay home and not come to school until these symptoms have been gone for at least 24 hours without the help of medication.

• Fever (100 degrees or higher)
• Sore Throat (with fever or swollen neck)
• Persistent Vomiting or Diarrhea
• Rash (with fever and itching)
• Conjunctivitis/Pink Eye (your child can attend school 24 hours after starting medical treatment)

A child with a typical cold, but no fever or green drainage, may come to school.

If a student becomes ill during the school day, he or she must receive permission from the teacher before reporting to the school nurse. If the nurse determines that the child should go home, the nurse will contact the parent.

Click the button below to access the Volunteer Approval Form. We appreciate our volunteers!