Viking View

January is School Board Recognition Month, and the District wants to take the opportunity to recognize and thank trustees for their tireless dedication to the community.

Frisco ISD is thankful for the Board of Trustees, which is made up of community members who volunteer their time to make the education of children in the community a top priority. While they preside at monthly Board meetings as the District’s policy-making body, they spend countless hours behind the scenes donating their time and energy to get to know the names and needs of students, staff and parents.

On behalf of the students and staff of Vandeventer Middle School, thank you for your service. Click this link https://flipgrid.com/11d23240 to access appreciation videos from our faculty and students. A special thanks to Mrs. Hillman and STUCO for organizing and collecting these thoughtful messages.

Monday, January 11

Advisory Schedule

Future Emerson Student Meeting @ Library

• F2F Students
• 1:37 p.m. - 2:09 p.m. (Advisory)

Tuesday, January 12

Viking Time Schedule: Week 1/1st Period

Gain or Lose UIL Eligibility @ 4 p.m.

Future Emerson Student Meeting via Zoom

• Virtual Students
• 1:37 p.m. - 2:09 p.m. (Viking Time)

UIL Band Practice (Cafe)

• 3:50 p.m. - 5:20 p.m.

Chic-Fil-A Fundraiser (Details Below)

• 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Wednesday, January 13

Modified Block Schedule

• Period 1, 3, 5, 7

Viking Time Schedule: Week 1/2nd Period

Scheduling - 2021 Course Cards

• 6th Grade
• Science Classes

Lock Out Drill (3rd)

7B BB VMS vs. Clark @ VMS

• 5:30 p.m./6:30 p.m./7:30 p.m.

8G BB VMS vs. VMS @ Clark

• 5:30 p.m./6:30 p.m./7:30 p.m.

Thursday, January 14

Modified Block Schedule

• Period 2, 4, 6, 8

Viking Time Schedule: Week 1/3rd Period

Scheduling - 2021 Course Cards

• 6th Grade
• Science Classes

TNS/C-Hall

• 3:45 p.m. - 5:54 p.m.

7G BB VMS vs. Clark @ VMS

• Only 2 Games (A/B)
• 5:30 p.m./6:30 p.m.

8B BB VMS vs. Clark @ Clark

• 5:30 p.m./6:30 p.m./7:30 p.m.

Friday, January 15

Regular 8 Period Day Schedule

Viking Time Schedule: Week 1/4th Period

January

18 Student & Staff Holiday

20 7B BB VMS vs. Cobb @ VMS

20 8G BB VMS vs. Cobb @ Cobb

21 7G BB VMS vs. Cobb @ VMS

21 8B BB VMS vs. Cobb @ Cobb

25 Q3 IPR - Assignment Deadline

27 PTA General Meeting

27 "LIKE" Movie - Students Showing via Science Classes

27 7B BB Wester vs. VMS @ Wester

27 8G BB Wester vs. VMS @ VMS

28 "LIKE" Movie - Student Showing via Science Classes

28 7G BB Wester vs. VMS @ Wester

28 8B BB Wester vs. VMS @ VMS

28 IPR Posted in HAC

There has been a recent increase District-wide in the number of COVID-19 cases as evidenced by the COVID-19 dashboard. While we do not see evidence of significant disease spread at the campus, we must all do our part to stop the spread of COVID-19 both at school and in the community.

Keep in mind these east tips on ways we can stop the spread as a community:

• Maintain 6 feet of distance when possible and wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth
• Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol
• Screen your student daily prior to school for signs and symptoms of illness
• Keep your student home if an undiagnosed symptom or illness is noticed
• Be wise with social activity and follow recommendations from the CDC and local health service authorities

The Frisco ISD COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions is an excellent resource as you have questions about how this pandemic has impacted our District.

Starting January 5, Frisco ISD schools will notify parents and staff on a weekly, rather than daily, basis if a student or staff member who was on campus during the infectious period tests positive for COVID-19. Parents and community members can continue to track new daily case reports on the District’s COVID-19 dashboard once the dashboard returns Jan. 6. This change applies only to the general email notification of a COVID-19 case on campus; students and staff who were in close contact with the positive individual will continue to be notified as soon as possible regarding their potential exposure and need to quarantine. Learn more about the District's COVID-19 notification protocols.

Students in Grades 8-11 and their parents are invited to learn more about Advanced courses, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Dual Credit, and Career and Technical Education (CTE) offerings in Frisco ISD. These events will be in a Webinar format and will start at 6:00 PM. Please register for through the link below.

Thursday, January 14th from 6:00-7:30 - Register here

Open referrals for FISD’s Gifted and Talented program are now available. Open referrals will be accepted January 7 through January 21. All paperwork must be submitted by midnight on January 24. If you are interested in having your child screened for our GT program, please contact Kristen Roberts at robertsk@friscoisd.org. If your child is already receiving GT services, your child does not need to be rescreened. For more information concerning this process, please visit the department section on the FISD website and click on the Gifted Education link.

FISD librarians believe that reading is the foundation for all learning and contributes greatly to student success in school. Recent research suggests that print remains the preferred medium for reading. As such, we believe that getting books into the hands of FISD students is critical to increase opportunities for independent reading and academic success.

In order to support literacy development, Frisco ISD has created opportunities for students enrolled in the Virtual Academy to checkout print books from their home campus library and pick them up on designated days and times.

Please review this presentation for specific guidelines for Vandeventer Middle School. Reach out to Mrs. Hon for questions at hona@friscoisd.org.

Please use this link to schedule your lunch visitation. Due to social distancing guidelines, there is a two family minimum for each lunch time.

• Parents will be allowed to eat lunch with their student(s) during the fall semester; however, we are asking parents to notify the administration as least 24 hours in advance.
  
• Parents/guardians are NOT allowed to bring food and/or eat lunch with students other than their own.
• Social-distancing guidelines will be strictly enforced in the cafeteria.
• There will be tables designated for parents eating lunch with their students(s).
• Parents/guardians MUST check-in at the front office to receive a visitor badge.
• Parents/guardians must comply with campus expectations regarding face coverings and social-distancing.
• Students may still receive lunch drop-offs via the grade level coolers/buckets placed outdoors in front of the cafeteria entrance.

The sign-up form is now available to pick-up meals at no cost for the third nine weeks of school. The first distribution day will be Thursday, January 7th and will continue through Friday, March 19th.

Enrolled Frisco ISD students participating in Virtual Academy and non-Frisco ISD children 18 years old and younger are eligible to participate. Five days’ worth of breakfast and lunch are distributed once a week at one of the District’s drive-thru locations. Sign up here.

Please note: Because students have the option to switch to on-campus instruction after each grading period, families who wish to continue to pick-up meals must complete a separate sign-up form for each grading period. That means families who have been participating should sign up again to continue receiving meals.

Students attending face-to-face instruction receive their free meals at the campus when they select a complete meal, which includes a fruit or vegetable. Per USDA regulations, each student/child is allowed only one free breakfast and one lunch per day, so to-go meals may not be picked up by parents of students who are already receiving free meals in the school cafeteria.

Vandeventer Middle School 'Calling all artists! Do you love Art? Do you love culture? If so, you should enter the VMS Multicultural Poster Contest!! The winning poster design will be featured in the multicultural docs.google.com. Click this link for Poster Contest Details.

The Academic Partnership and Community Partnership teams are working on gathering information about virtual service opportunities for students. Click here to view a list of cooperating agencies willing to provide virtual service opportunities.

To capture Vandeventer Middle School related activities and to ensure that all students are included in this year's yearbook, we need your help. Faculty, students, and staff can upload pictures here (password: 415464688). Students who are not allowed to be photographed will be edited if the submission is selected for publication. Adding a photograph to this link does not necessarily guarantee publication. We appreciate your assistance! Deadline is 01/31/2021.

To order a 2019-2020 yearbook, please click here. Deadline is 01/31/2021.

In order to provide the safest and most orderly environment possible at VMS sporting events, please adhere to the following rules:

• Parents should only purchase their allotted number of tickets (up to 3). Attendance at games should be limited to families of participants only. Sharing codes or purchasing more than what is allowed may hinder other families from attending games and could result in a loss of privilege of attending games.

• Family groups should sit together, but 6 feet from other family groups.

• Masks are required at indoor events and encouraged at outdoor events, especially if unable to stay 6 feet apart.

• Families, including younger siblings, should not have the following items or similar items with them: football, soccer ball, tennis ball, volleyball, skateboard, scooter, etc. The items may be confiscated until the end of the event and individuals will be asked to return to their seats.

• Families, including younger siblings, should remain in the stands to watch the games.

• Food and drinks are not permitted in the gym. Bottles of water are allowed.

• Family conduct should promote sportsmanship and reflect our team in a positive and respectful manner. Conversations should be appropriate and profanity is prohibited.

We ask for your continued support in creating a safe environment for our athletes during the pandemic. Potential risks for your family are also a risk for the VMS community. Please consider the following:

• Keep your student home if symptoms are noticed.

• Be forthcoming regarding exposure, potential exposure, or illness with your student and/or family member.

• Be wise with social activity and follow recommendations from the CDC and Health Department. Social activities away from school continue to impact the campus.

Thank you for your support of our FISD athletes, families and spectators – we’ll see you at the games!

We would like to reiterate the importance and expectation of attendance for our virtual academy students. Please make sure your student is adhering to the following expectations:

• Follow the campus bell schedule
• Attend all classes virtually (i.e. Zoom or Google Meets)
• Participate in virtual classes by keeping the CAMERA ON (the teacher needs to see the student's face)
• Stay on the required virtual session until the teacher dismisses the class for asynchronous assignments
• Complete all assignments as directed by the teacher

Virtual students are expected to adhere to all compulsory attendance laws, district policy and campus expectations. Failure to follow these attendance guidelines will be considered a violation of law, and students will be subject to disciplinary action.

STUDENTS WHO DO NOT TURN THEIR CAMERA ON WILL BE MARKED ABSENT. If you are experiencing camera issues with your device, please reach out to our receptionist, Emily Waltz @ waltze@friscoisd.org, to schedule a time to pick-up a Chromebook from the school.

For more information related to attendance, please visit the district's webpage @ https://www.friscoisd.org/about/resources-and-information/school-attendance

If your child is going to be absent from school for any part of or the entire day, please submit the attendance information before 8:30 a.m. via the REPORT AN ABSENCE form by clicking the REPORT AN ABSENCE tab on the top right corner of our campus homepage.

Phone calls are a courtesy, but this form (as outlined below) is the only means for official absence reporting. Parents will be expected to complete the following information by clicking the form from the REPORT AN ABSENCE tab on the top right corner of our campus homepage:

REPORT AN ABSENCE

STUDENT ID - OPTIONAL

STUDENT LEGAL NAME - REQUIRED

DATE OF ABSENCE - REQUIRED

(If absent more than one day, include all days of absence in the explanation on the next field.)

REASON FOR ABSENCE - REQUIRED

(Please include specific information or symptoms; "sick" is not sufficient for our records.)

COVID-19 - REQUIRED
Is this absence related to Covid-19? Yes No

Please provide an email (required) or phone number (optional) where you may be reached.

EMAIL - REQUIRED

PHONE - OPTIONAL

DOCTOR NOTE - OPTIONAL: Upload a doctor's note explaining the reason for your child's absence.

Curricular Clubs: Reach out to the sponsors for virtual meeting dates/times.

National Junior Honor Society - Sponsor Kim Shea

Art Club - Sponsor Leanne Rainey

Academic Pentathlon - Sponsors Kristen Roberts & Jamie Buzan

STUCO - Allison Hillman

Vikings Read Book Club - Amy Hon

Non-Curricular Clubs: Students may provide information related to their non-curricular club to their peers via student created posters, word-of-mouth, and student announcements.

Students and parents will be able to access teacher lesson plans via our campus website by clicking this Vandeventer Website link. Once you have accessed the website, please follow these instructions:

• Find the news section on our campus website
• Click on the eLearning 2.0 button
• Find the teachers and click their name
• Follow the teacher's instructions for synchronous and asynchronous learning

Lesson plans will be posted on our campus website by 8:00 a.m. every Monday morning during 5-day work weeks. During holiday/professional development weeks availability to lesson plans dates/times may vary.

If you have trouble locating the teacher lesson plans, please reach out to your teacher. Teacher emails can be located on the Vandeventer Staff Page.

Students may click the link below if experiencing technology issues (Canvas, FISD login, Student Portal, Zoom). From the main FISD homepage, students must click on the word Virtual under the Instruction button, then choose Technology Resources from the menu on the left side of the screen.

World Wear Project: Please continue to donate your unused and unwanted clothing, shoes, backpacks, and toys.

Vandeventer Spirit Night with Chick-fil-A on Custer & 121 will be next Tuesday, January 12th, from 5pm – 8pm. Come and support VMS. As a reminder, mention the VMS fundraiser when you order.

Attention Parents: Our next PTA General Meeting will be Wednesday January 27, 2021; starting 8:45 a.m. Following the meeting, PTA will be viewing the LIKE movie by IndieFlix production for parents who are in attendance with discussion questions. Your students will be viewing this film during their science class on Wednesday 1/27/21 or Thursday 1/28/21. This is a good opportunity to discuss the implications of social media with your students.

Please RSVP to the general meeting via the link below. The virtual meeting information will be sent out prior to the meeting to everyone who completes the form.

RSVP General PTA Meeting

LIKE, a Film-Based Education Program on Digital Wellness & Social Media: LIKE is an IndieFlix Original documentary that explores the impact of social media on our lives and the effects of technology on the brain. The goal of the film is to inform, educate, and inspire people of all ages to self-regulate. Social media is a tool and social platforms are a place to connect, share, and care… but is that what's really happening?

Join PTA: Parents, teachers, and students, if you have not had the chance to join VMS PTA this year, please join either through the PTA website http://vandevikings.my-pta.org/content.asp?PageID=8 or directly at https://www.joinpta.org/.

Visit http://vandevikings.my-pta.org/content.asp?PageID=6 to purchase Spirit Wear, Yard Signs, and/or Car Decals.

Like VMS PTA Facebook page to see the latest updates vis the following link: https://www.facebook.com/vandeventerpta/

For questions regarding VMA PTA , please contact president.vmspta@gmail.com

Melani Smith, MS, LPC, NCC

Virtual Counseling Office

Student Support Coordinator

smithmela@friscoisd.org

Virtual Counseling Office

Virtual Appointment Request Form

6075 Independence Parkway

Frisco, Texas 75035

Email: vandeventer@friscoisd.org
Website: http://schools.friscoisd.org/campus/middle-school/vandeventer/home
Phone: 469-633-4350
Facebook: facebook.com/VandeventerMiddleSchool
Twitter: @VandeventerMS