The Viking View

Monday, April 17th

8 Period Day

• Advisory Schedule
• Sign-Up for Viking Time
• Drop-Off Chromebooks in Testing Rooms

Advanced Tennis Tryouts

• During P.E. Classes (All Day)
• Liberty High School @ 4:30 p.m.

Musical Rehearsal

• Stage
• 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Boys Soccer VMS vs. Clark

• Lebanon Trail High School
• 5:30 p.m./7 p.m.

Tuesday, April 18th

STAAR Reading (8th Grade)

8 Period Day

• Viking Time

Musical Rehearsal

• Stage
• 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Liberty High School Tennis Tryouts

• Liberty High School Courts
• 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 19th

STAAR Reading (6th & 7th Grade)

• Make-Up STAAR Reading (8th Grade)

8 Period Day

• Viking Time - 8th Grade Only
• 6th & 7th Grade Remain in Testing Rooms

Musical Rehearsal

• Cafe
• 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Thursday, April 20th

Make-Up STAAR Reading (All Grades)

8 Period Day

• Viking Time

Musical Rehearsal

• Stage
• 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Emerson High School Swim Tryouts

• Natatorium
• 5:15 p.m.

Girls Soccer VMS vs. Clark

• Lebanon Trail High School
• 5:30 p.m./7 p.m.

PTA Board Meeting (Interested Board Members)

• Bella Bella Mozzarella
• 6 p.m.

5th Annual Science Night

• Liberty High School
• 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Friday, April 21st

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

8 Period Day

• Viking Time

Musical Rehearsal

• Stage
• 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

• Liberty High School
• 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

PTA FEF Scholarship Night

• Rough Riders Game
• 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 22nd

Earth Day

FISD Solo Ensemble Competition

Tech Theatre Art Rehearsal

• 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

April

24 Musical Rehearsal

24 Boys Soccer Fowler vs. VMS @ LHS

25 STAAR Science (8th Grade)

26 STAAR Social Studies (8th Grade)

26 Musical Rehearsal

27 STAAR Make-Up Day (Science/SS)

27 General PTA Membership Meeting

27 Pop-Up Vertical Art Show

27 Musical Performance

27 PTA Banquet @ Reedy High School

27 Girls Soccer Fowler vs. VMS @ LHS

28 Musical Performance

The 2023 STAAR administration will begin Tuesday, April 18th and extend through Wednesday, May 3rd. This year all STAAR assessments will be provided to students online, utilizing their district issued chromebook. During these three weeks of STAAR administration, all students will be attending 8 class period days. We will not be holding modified blocked days on Wednesdays or Thursdays, during these three weeks of STAAR administration.

There are several things you can do to help your child have a positive testing experience:

• Please do not schedule doctor or dentist appointments on testing days.
• Make certain your child gets plenty of rest, eats a good breakfast, and arrives at school on time.
• Students are required to be in their testing room promptly by 8:15 AM. We will begin releasing students from their designated morning location shortly after 8 a.m.
• Student will eat lunch in the cafeteria following their STAAR assessments. Lunch deliveries or other drop offs will NOT be permitted on STAAR testing days.
• Students will need to bring their FISD issued chromebook, fully charged and their charger the day before testing. Students will leave their chromebook and charger in their testing room each Monday of testing week to ensure technology is ready and available on testing day.
• Students who receive oral administration will need wired headphones. AirPods or other wireless headphones are not allowed during state testing.
• Students may bring pencils, a lunch, a clear water bottle and a book to read after testing. Students may also bring a dry snack in a sandwich-sized plastic bag (Individual items must be unwrapped and no messy foods like Cheetos).
• The campus will be closed to visitors on testing days.

The district policy regarding cell phones and electronic devices during STAAR testing states that cell phones, smart watches and all electronic devices are banned from classrooms, hallways and restrooms during STAAR testing administration. A student discovered to be in possession of a cell phone or electronic device, once testing has begun may be subject to disciplinary action and the test in progress will be marked “no score”.

The district has also provided campus’ information regarding STAAR Testing and HB 4545. HB 4545 requires Texas school districts to provide supplemental accelerated instruction for any student who did not perform satisfactorily on the STAAR grades 3-8 or STAAR EOC assessments. HB 4545 requires supplemental accelerated instruction for students who do not pass (i.e., does not have a passing score) STAAR. State law makes it clear that students may not opt out of tests, including standardized tests. More information is provided in this link STAAR Testing and HB 4545.

Please take note of all upcoming 2023 STAAR testing dates:

• April 18th: 8th Grade Reading STAAR
• April 19th: 6th & 7th Grade Reading STAAR
• April 25th: 8th Grade Science STAAR
• April 26th: 8th Grade Social Studies STAAR
• May 2nd: 8th Grade Math & Algebra 1 EOC (Including Geometry & Algebra 2 Students)
• May 3rd: 6th & 7th Grade Math

All students will take the Math assessment aligned with the course they are enrolled. All Geometry and Algebra 2 students will take the 8th grade Math STAAR on May 2nd.

Thank you for all you do for the students, faculty and staff at Vandeventer Middle School.

Congratulations to Coach Jaime Siess for being recognized as Vandeventer Middle School's 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year and as one of the Top 5 secondary teachers for the district!

It was a very exciting and competitive oral competition on Wednesday night. Congratulations to the winners of the Citizen Bee in a Box Region 10 Competition. The top two winners will advance to the State Competition on April 25th and compete for a $500 gift card and bragging rights. Great Job!

First Place Yutika Pathak from Pioneer Heritage MS - $100 gift card

Second Place Arnav Aggarwal Vandeventer MS - $50 gift card

Third Place Sahana Narasimhan Vandeventer MS - $25 gift card

Both Yutika and Arnav will move on to State Competition and represent Region 10 and FISD.

Congratulations to the Viking Choirs on their performance at the Pride of Texas Choral Festival yesterday! Both ensembles (Beginning Treble & Bella Voce with Tenor Bass) received 1st division ratings!

Last week, many orchestra students participated in the Frisco and Vandeventer Solo and "Ensemble Music Evaluations. Students performed pieces for professional musicians and were evaluated on various aspects of technical and musical proficiency. We are ecstatic to announce that Vandeventer Orchestra students were widely successful, earning a total of One Hundred and Three 1st Division Medals!

Orchestra Award Summary:

• 66 Non-Beginner 1st Division Medals (100% of Vandeventer students who participated received the top score)
• 7 Honorable Mention Certificates (Top 10% - Students receive a medal and a certificate)
• 2 Best in Room Trophies (Top 2% - Students receive a medal, certificate, and trophy)
• 37 Beginner 1st Division Medals

We are so proud of our dedicated Viking Orchestra students, how hard they work, and how they represent Vandeventer Middle School. A big thank you to the parents, teachers, piano accompanists, and private lesson teachers who help support our young musicians!" Chase

Come out and see Vandeventer Fine Art's collaborative musical, Beauty and the Beast Jr.! Performance dates are Thursday, April 27th and Friday, April 28th at 6:30 p.m. Doors will open at approximately 6 p.m. Tickets are cash only, sold at the door. $5 for students, $10 for adults. Under 5 get in free. We hope to see you there!

Dates:

June 5-8
June 12-15
June 19-22
June 26-29
July 17-20
Times: 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Cost: $240

Location: VMS Gyms

Requirements: Complete the waiver linked here: http://bit.ly/3lSxPXY and email it to Coach Park (Girls Athletics) at parkd@friscoisd.org or Coach Casares (Boys Athletics) at casaresa@friscoisd.org.

More information can be found at https://friscoisd.store.rankone.com/Camp/List#

All parents and secondary students are invited to the Frisco ISD Administration Building on April 20, 6-7:30 p.m. to learn about the fentanyl crisis and the resources available to help keep the community safe.

• RSVP & Ask a Question

Why it matters: According to the Centers for Disease Control, within the last two years, teen overdose deaths related to Fentanyl have tripled. Over half of all overdose deaths are related to Fentanyl use.

Details: Panelists look forward to engaging the community and providing resources to help keep families safe. If you cannot attend, watch the live stream at http://friscoisdtx.swagit.com/live

The annual student registration process begins in April for current students, including current Pre-K students. Parents and guardians should watch their email April 4th-14th for an invitation to indicate enrollment intentions for the 2023-24 school year. Families cannot register until they receive the email with the unique snapcode. Learn more about the 2023-24 registration season. Questions? Contact the front office if you do not get an email by the 14th.

Frisco ISD will survey 4th-12th grade students, parents and staff between April 12-26, 2023.

The goal: Frisco ISD wants honest opinions, attitudes and perceptions about Frisco ISD and the campus to identify gaps and alignments of stakeholder perspectives to inform the improvement planning processes across the District.

How: Each campus will administer the student survey in a timeline and fashion that works best for their student community during school hours. (It will take no more than 10 minutes.) Parents can find the student questionnaire and an opt-out link on the District website. Parents will receive a direct email on the afternoon of April 12 with a link to the survey. The survey will close Wednesday, April 26 at 11:59 p.m.

The next Board of Trustee Election is on May 6th. Please register to vote by April 6th to make sure that you are set to vote in the next cycle. Here are some helpful links:

• Check your registration status

• Print a voter registration application

• Request an application from your county elections administrator

Submit or deliver the application to the county voter registrar!

Mark your calendar for the Vandeventer Middle School end-of-year activities and events:

Tuesday, May 9th - 8th Grade Field Trip (Zoo)

Wednesday, May 10th - Senior Breakfast; Vandeventer MS Library @ 7:45 a.m.

Friday, May 12th - Pep-Rally/Ninja Nation (All Grades/All Day Event Sponsored by PTA)

Tuesday, May 16th - 6th Grade Award Assembly; Vandeventer MS Gym @ 9 a.m.

Tuesday, May 16th - 7th Grade Field Trip (Rough Riders)

Tuesday, May 16th - 8th Grade Award Assembly; Liberty High School Auditorium @ 6 p.m.

Wednesday, May 17th - 7th Grade Award Assembly; VMS Gym @ 9 a.m.

Thursday, May 18th - 8th Grade Celebration Day

Friday, May 19th - 8th Grade Walk

The above referenced list is not all inclusive. Athletics, fine arts, and some clubs and organizations may also have end-of-year activities for student participants. All dates/times are tentative and will be confirmed in late-April or early-May.

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