The Viking View

In the United States, Martin Luther King, Jr., Day is observed annually on the third Monday in January. The day commemorates the life and work of Dr. King, who was a Baptist minister and prominent leader in the American civil rights movement.

King was born on January 15, 1929. He rose to the fore of the civil rights movement in 1955 with the Montgomery bus boycott that followed the arrest of Rosa Parks, an African American woman who had violated the city’s racial segregation ordinances when she refused to give her seat on a bus to a white passenger. An advocate of Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of using nonviolent resistance to effect social change, King promoted the use of nonviolent means to bring an end to racial segregation in the United States. In 1964 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace for his efforts. He was assassinated in 1968.

Efforts to create a national holiday honoring King began soon after his assassination, although legislation for a federal holiday was not passed until 1983. The first nationwide observance of the holiday occurred in 1986.

Source: https://www.britannica.com/story/martin-luther-king-jr-day

Monday, January 16th

Student/Staff Holiday

Martin L. King, Jr. Day

Tuesday, January 17th

8 Period Day

• Viking Time - ILA Priority

UIL Eligibility - Students May Gain or Lose Eligibility

Course Scheduling 23-24

• 6th Grade Students via Science

Q2 PRIDE Celebration

• 1:31 p.m. - 2:13 p.m.
  

Thespian Club Meeting

• Theatre Arts Room
• 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Rising Viking Night

• 5th Grade Families
• Cafeteria
• 6 p.m.- 7 p.m.

Wednesday, January 18th

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

• Viking Time History Priority

FC Dallas Field Trip

• 6th Grade Only

Band Spirit Night

• 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
• Chipotle (See Details Below)

7 BBB VMS vs. Clark @ Clark MS

• 5:30 p.m./6:30 p.m./7:30 p.m.

8 GBB Clark vs. VMS @ VMS

• 5:30 p.m./6:30 p.m./7:30 p.m.

Thursday, January 19th

Block Schedule (Periods 2,4,6,8)

• Viking Time - Math Priority

FC Dallas Field Trip

• 6th Grade Only

UIL One Act Play

• 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

7 GBB VMS vs Clark @ Clark MS

• 5:30 p.m./6:30 p.m./7:30 p.m.

8 BBB Clark vs. VMS @ VMS

• 5:30 p.m./6:30 p.m./7:30 p.m.

Friday, January 20th

Spirit Day - VMS, Liberty or Emerson Spirit Wear w/ Jeans

8 Period Day

• Viking Time - Science Priority

Winter Band Breakfast

• 7:30 a.m. - 8:15 a.m.

• Boys Athletics 1st & 2nd Periods
• Girls Athletics 7th & 8th Periods

January

23 UIL OAP Rehearsal

24 UIL OAP Rehearsal

25 Band Instrument Drive

25 7 BBB VMS vs, Fowler

25 8 GBB Fowler vs. VMS

26 UIL OAP Clinic

26 Beginner Band Concert

26 PTA General Meeting

26 7 GBB VMS vs. Fowler

26 8 BBB Fowler vs. VMS

28 Fine Arts @ Main Event

My name is Dwayne Spellman, and I am excited to join the Vandeventer Vikings! I live in McKinney and have a wife named Libby and a 4-year-old son named Dawson. Some of my favorite hobbies include golf, slow pitch softball, and reading. I look forward to learning more about our students and their families while finishing this school year off strong!

Our Gifted/Talented Program referral window is currently open. Please review the information below regarding the referral process.

Secondary campus Gifted/Talented teachers will begin taking names of referred students on January 11th, and referral links will be sent to parents/guardians beginning January 12th. Parents must contact Kristen Roberts, VMS Gifted/Talented Lead Teacher, at robertsk@friscoisd.org to receive a referral link.

Mrs. Roberts will email the link to the parent email address that requested the referral. Emailed referral links will become inactive at 3:00 p.m. on January 25, 2023, and no referrals will be processed after that time. Please do not wait until the deadline to complete a referral. All information regarding the testing window will go to the email address that requested the referral.

If you have any questions regarding the FISD gifted and talented referral, screening, or identification process, visit our district website (http://www.friscoisd.org/departments/gifted-education/home) or contact Kristen Roberts @ robertsk@friscoisd.org.

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.

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.

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