The Viking View

"Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15.

The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period."

Credit: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/hispanic-heritage-month.html

Please donate to the all-school fundraiser today! If each student donated $35 we can achieve our goal of $35,000. It's not too late! The deadline to donate and be included in the grand prize drawings is Monday, September 26th at 4 p.m.

There are two ways to donate: Cash or check dropped off at the front office or online www.pledgestar.com/vandeventer. If you make a donation online, please note you do NOT need to import all of your contacts. You will be given the option to choose which contacts you want to send a pledge request to and then continue to that next step.

What are we raising money for? FUN activities and programs - like Ninja Nation to celebrate the end of STAAR testing, shirts to celebrate our 8th Grade class, microwaves in the cafeteria, and our many PTA programs such Healthy Lifestyles, SAGE, Father Involvement, etc.

Thank you for supporting Vandeventer PTA!! Please join the PTA today!

Sunday, September 25th

See Something, Say Something Awareness Day

College Day - Wear a college shirt with jeans!

8 Period Day

Advisory Schedule

• Fair Ticket Distribution
  

Evacuation Drill (9-26 to 9-30)

Fundraiser Deadline @ 4 p.m.

Fall Play Rehearsals

• 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

• Panther Creek High School
• 5:30 p.m./7 p.m.

Tuesday, September 27th

8 Period Day

Viking Time

• Priority Day - ILA

Fall Play Rehearsal

• 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Fundraiser Grand Prize Winners Announced

7 VMS vs. Stafford MS

• Panther Creek High School
• 5:30 p.m./7 p.m.

Wednesday, September 28th

Block Schedule (Periods 1,3,5,7)

Viking Time

• Priority Day - Social Studies

PTA Membership Meeting

• Library
• 6 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, September 29th

Block Schedule (Periods 2,4,6,8) w/ Advisory

Viking Time

• Priority Day - Math

IPR Posted HAC

Fall Play Rehearsal

• Stage
• 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Friday, September 30th

Spirit Day - Wear VMS, Liberty or Emerson spirit wear with jeans!

UIL 6-Week Eligibility Deadline @ 4 p.m.

8 Period Day

Viking Time

• Priority Day - Science

October

8 FB Lawler vs. VMS @ LHS

3 Fall Orchestra Concert (When Art & Music Collide)

4 Fall Play Rehearsal

4 7 FB Lawler vs. VMS @ LHS

5 International Walk to School Day

5 8 VB VMS vs. Roach

5 Choir Rehearsal (After School)

5 Beginner Band Concert

6 7 VB VMS vs. Roach

6 Fall Play Rehearsal

6 Fall Choir Concert

7 Student Holiday

7 Staff Professional Learning Day

Congratulations to our newly elected Student Council officers! The results of the elections for the 2022-2023 school year are as follows:

President - Ranveer Awasthi

Vice- President - Grant Paulsen

Secretary - Krish Mehta

6th Grade Representatives - Zynah Budhwani and Braja Yanklewicz

Thank you, Mrs. Hillman for all your hard work in organizing this year's STUCO elections.

Parents/guardians are allowed to eat lunch with their student(s); however, we are asking parents/guardians to notify the administration as least 24 hours in advance by completing this form. There will be a 2 visitor/family maximum per lunch per day on a first come first serve basis. Campus office staff will provide an email confirmation to the requestor if the lunch reservation is approved. The requestor MUST receive this email confirmation to redeem the reservation on the date/time requested.

• All lunch visitors must have a completed and approved background check. Please allow 3-5 business days for this process. Click here for more information.
• Lunch visitors must check-in through the front office and receive a visitor badge. All visitors must receive a visitor’s badge upon arrival.
• Students and/or parents should only bring enough food for themselves (no large quantities to feed other students is allowed). The Texas Nutrition Policy does not allow sharing food.
• If the person visiting a student during lunch is not a parent/guardian, the identity of that person must be established, and he or she must be identified as either a visitor (with prior written, confirmed, parent/guardian permission) or emergency contact person on a student’s registration card/eSchool account.

Additional Cafe Information

• Microwaves will be available in the cafeteria for student use.
• Students may receive parent/guardian lunch drop-offs via the grade level coolers outside the cafeteria entrance. Food drop off services are not allowed - NO EXCEPTIONS (i.e. DoorDash, Uber Eats, etc).
  

For more information about school meals, visit Frisco ISD Child Nutrition Link.

Canvas is a Learning Management System (LMS) used in Frisco ISD. Secondary teachers use Canvas for communication, assignments, discussion boards, quizzes and more. Parents may see some grades in this system, but this is not the authoritative source for grades. Official grades are available in Home Access Center.

Student Resources

• Generating a Pairing Code for Your Parent

• Canvas Overview for Students

• Canvas Student App

• Notification Preferences

• Additional Resources for Students

Parent Resources

• Setting Up Observer Role and Pairing to Students

• Canvas Overview for Observers

• Canvas Parent App Overview

• Notification Preferences

• Additional Resources for Observers

1. School dress code applies at all school events.
2. Students should remain in the stands to watch the games and limit their trips to the concession and restroom areas to halftime and between games. Students are not allowed to loiter/hang out around the concession and restroom area at any time.
3. Students and other spectators are not to bring food or drink into either of the gyms (volleyball/basketball). Bottles of water are allowed in the gym.
4. Once students leave the game, they are not allowed to return.
5. Students’ conduct should promote sportsmanship and reflect their team in a positive and respectful manner. Conversations should be appropriate, and profanity is prohibited.
6. Students should not have the following items or similar items with them: football, soccer ball, tennis ball, skateboard, scooter, etc. Please leave items such as these in the car or at home. These items will be confiscated if brought to the stadium/gym.
7. Students must be picked up no later than 15 minutes after the conclusion of the game to attend future extracurricular events. Students are encouraged to call their parent/guardian at the beginning of the last quarter/last set rather than waiting until the game is over. Administrators will wait with students until they are picked up to ensure student safety, so please ensure that your student has a ride immediately following the game.
8. Students not meeting these expectations may be asked to sit with their parents (if parents are present), or to call their parents to pick them up. Students may also not be allowed to return for future extracurricular events.

Help Protect Your School Community on #SeeSayDay. September 25th is “If You See Something, Say Something®” Awareness Day.

Year-round, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's “If You See Something, Say Something®” campaign works to empower and educate the public – including school communities – on the importance of recognizing suspicious activity and how to report it to law enforcement. "If You See Something, Say Something®" is a national campaign that raises public awareness and reduces the effects of complacency.

We all play a role in keeping our communities safe. It is easy to be distracted during our daily routines such as going to work, school, or the grocery store. As you are going about your day, if you see something that doesn’t seem quite right, say something. For more information: https://www.dhs.gov/see-something-say-something

Recently, there have been threats made to campuses by students via social media. Every threat is taken seriously and Frisco ISD is thankful for its strong partnership with area police departments and emergency services. Watch Frisco Police discuss why words matter.

Please remind your children that while they may be “joking” about having a weapon or

threatening harm to a school campus, the punishment by law is at minimum a Class-A

misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $4,000 and up to a year in jail. The punishment can be as severe as a third-degree felony, punishable by up to $10,000 and two to 10 years in prison. Frisco ISD supports the Frisco Police Department's full prosecution of any individual that threatens harm to our students, staff and campuses.

• [TX Penal Code 22.07 Terroristic Threat]

• [TX Education Code 37.125 Exhibition, use, or threat of exhibition or use of firearms]

Notably, families have the means to report concerns anonymously to the campus 24 hours a

day. Frisco ISD uses the STOPit for students, parents and the community to report any

concerns anonymously via web-based reporting or through the app. Please take a moment to

learn about the STOPit resource.

The community folder area of the District website is full of advertisements and links to information about goods and services that may be of interest to the FISD community. You can find everything from discounts on kids’ camps to volunteer opportunities. The folder does not represent the viewpoint of the District and is not an endorsement of the advertiser, products, or services listed.

Frisco ISD parents have access to the curriculum outline and pacing guides used Districtwide for each core course. The curriculum outlines are created and revised each year by District educators and are rooted in the statewide curriculum standards provided by the Texas Education Agency, called the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS.) Access the curriculum and pacing page

Frisco ISD teachers offer weekly online tutorials in the evenings, saving parents time and money that might otherwise be spent on outside tutors. The tutorials are facilitated by District teachers who have worked with the Teaching and Learning Department to ensure alignment between what happens in the classroom and what is covered in online tutorials.

Find the full list of subjects and tutorial dates/times here.

Ms. Taylor began her career in education in 1997 with Irving ISD after receiving her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Dallas. After several years as a teacher and coach, she obtained her master’s degree in Educational Administration from the University of North Texas and continued in Irving as a middle school assistant principal. In 2006, she transitioned to Dallas ISD where she worked in various leadership roles until moving to the Frisco area five years ago. This is Ms. Taylor's fourth year as the Viking principal, and she looks forward to another great school year!

Elizabeth Murray grew up in Port Arthur, Texas. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Texas A&M University and a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Lamar University. She started her teaching career in 2006 as a 6th grade math teacher at Clark Middle School and then spent the next 14 years teaching all grade levels of math at Fowler Middle School. During the 2021-2022 school year, she was selected as an Administrative Intern for Staley Middle School. Mrs. Murray will be join Vandeventer Middle School this year and she is so excited to be a Viking!

Marla Smith got her start in marketing and public relations, but found her true calling in education with the Dallas ISD in 2002. She taught RLA for 10 years and was a master teacher before transitioning to Central Office and School Leadership for another 7 years. Mrs. Smith earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Howard Payne University and her Masters degree in Education Technology from Lamar University. She has a husband and two teenagers. Mrs. Smith is excited to begin her fourth year at Vandeventer Middle School.

Email: vandeventer@friscoisd.org
Website: https://schools.friscoisd.org/campus/middle-school/vandeventer/home
Location: 6075 Independence Parkway, Frisco, TX, USA
Phone: 469-633-4350
Facebook: facebook.com/VandeventerMiddleSchool
Twitter: @VandeventerMS