The Viking View

If you are interested in becoming a PTA Board Member for the 2022-2023 school year, please reach out to the principal, Stephanie Taylor @ taylorste@friscoisd.org or Teresa Velvaluri @ tvelvaluri@gmail.com. We have plenty of positions still open and ready for you! You may also inquire at the 6th Grade Viking Camp and 7th & 8th Grade Open Campus on Monday, August 8th. Thank you in advance for your commitment to Vandeventer Middle School.

8 Period Day w/ Advisory

6th Grade Expectation Assembly

• Cafeteria
• 1:31 p.m. - 2:13 p.m.

PTA Executive Board Meeting

• Library
• 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, August 16th

8 Period Day w/ Advisory

Chromebook/Charger DIstribution

• All Day via Math Classes

7th Grade Expectation Assembly

• Cafeteria
• 1:31 p.m. - 2:13 p.m.

Wednesday, August 17th

Block Schedule (Periods 1,3,5,7) w/ Advisory

8th Grade Expectation Assembly

• Cafeteria
• 1:31 p.m. - 2:13 p.m.

Thursday, August 18th

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

Secure Drill @ 1:50 p.m.

Friday, August 19th

8 Period Day w/ Advisory

Lockdown Drill @ 1:35 p.m.

Band popsicle Party

• Cafe/FNA Hallway
• 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Saturday, August 20th

• Band All Region Bootcamp
• 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

23 Fall Picture Day via Social Studies Classes

23 Meet the Teacher Night

24 8 VB VMS vs. Clark @ Clark

25 7 VB Clark vs. VMS @ VMS

25 Orchestra Ice Cream Social

25 Fall Play Auditions

26 Fall Play Auditions

29 Viking Time Begins

29 8 FB Hunt vs. VMS @ Liberty HS

29 Fall Play Auditions

30 7 FB Hunt vs. VMS @ Liberty HS

30 Fall Play Auditions

31 8 VB Pearson vs. VMS @ VMS

September

1 7 VB VMS vs. Pearson @ Pearson

2 Staff Development Day/Student Holiday

Over the summer, Vandeventer Middle School student Rudra Ram organized a fundraiser in his neighborhood to raise enough money to buy new toys for the children in recovery at the Children's Health Center in Plano and Dallas. In the scorching summer heat, Rudra went door to door to solicit donations. In the end, $900 worth of new toys were donated. Rudra's efforts have been greatly applauded by the local community and the medical center staff. We are so proud of Rudra!

Keeping your student safe while at school is our top priority. All visitors must show a valid identification at the front entrance before entry to the campus will be granted. Visitors who are not listed on a student's registration documentation will not be allowed entry. All visitors must check-in at the front entrance to receive a visitor badge. District employees with a valid FISD badge, first responders, and delivery companies (e.g. USPS, UPS, FedEx) will be allowed entry as needed. For campus and/or district events (e.g. athletic games, concerts, curriculum nights, etc.) visitors must follow pre-established and communicated campus practices and procedures.

Please help ease the carpool congestion by following the guidelines provided in the diagrams below. Your cooperation is appreciated.

Additional suggestions:

1. Alter pick-up time later when there are less vehicles in the carpool lane

2. Rideshare with a friend or neighbor

Please complete the Vandeventer Middle School Communication Parent Survey linked here. This information will assist us in determining the best ways to communicate with our Viking families. Thank you in advance for completing this 5 question survey.

Meet the Teacher Night

• Tuesday, August 23rd
  
• 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
• 6th-8th Grade Optional Event

Parents/guardians will follow their student's schedule according to the schedule pictured below. Unfortunately, this is not an opportunity to have individual conferences with teachers. Our teachers are prepared to provide our families with important information related to their classroom content and expectations.

Fall Picture Day

• Tuesday, August 23rd
• All Day via Social Studies Classes

Students will be sent home with order forms and information related to picture day next week! Stay tuned for more information related to this important day!

Transportation is available for students who live two miles or more from their assigned school. Please make sure your student knows their bus route and number prior to the first day of school. You do not have to register for your student to ride the bus.

Please visit http://www.infofinderi.com/ifi/?cid=FI04981938917 to look up your bus route and number using your home address. If you have any questions about buses and/or bus routes, please call the FISD Transportation Department at (469) 633- 6140.

Please do not call Vandeventer Middle School for bus route information. All information can be found at http://www.friscoisd.org/departments/transportation/ or by calling the FISD Transportation Department at (469) 633- 6140.

A USDA waiver that extended free breakfast/lunch to all students expired in Frisco ISD the last day of the 2021-2022 school year. FISD resumed charging for meals based on student eligibility for meal benefits starting this summer. For the 2022-2023 school year, breakfast will be $2.00 and lunch will be $3.75 for middle school students. Families who may qualify for free meals due to low income are encouraged to apply here!

Beginning Tuesday, September 6th, parents/guardians will be allowed to eat lunch with their student(s); however, we are asking parents 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.

• Lunch visitors must check-in through the front office and receive a visitor badge. All visitors must receive a visitor’s badge upon arrival.
• Parents will not be allowed to eat lunch with their student(s) during the first few weeks of school (August 10th-September 1st). Students and/or parents should only bring enough food for themselves (no large quantities to feed other students are 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. Door Dash, Uber Eats, etc).
  

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

Standards-Based Practices are a way of thinking about instruction, assessment, and grading that more clearly communicates how well students currently understand the grade-level standards or skills. Standards-Based practices allow parents and students to understand more clearly which of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) students have learned and which ones need re-teaching and/or re-learning. The goal of standards-based practices is for students to take ownership of their learning. When students are involved in the learning process by knowing their strengths and where they need to improve, they can work with their teachers and parents to set meaningful goals, strive to achieve the goals, and experience success.

The Differences Between Assessment and Grading

The goal of Frisco ISD’s assessment and grading system is to communicate current levels of student mastery to all stakeholders.

Assessment

The purpose of assessment is to gather evidence of student learning so that we can provide timely and continuous feedback to students and parents in order to track progress and make informed instructional decisions regarding what needs to be re-taught and/or re-learned. Assessment tools include traditional paper-and-pencil tests, projects, written papers, lab reports, or verbal assessments, but they may also include classroom discussions or teacher observations. Essentially, everything that a student does in a standards-based class provides the teacher with evidence of the student’s learning.

Grading

Grades are one way to provide feedback to students on what they know and are able to do at a specific point in time. Grades should represent the level of knowledge and skills that a student has gained. Reported grades are a necessity for certain processes (eligibility, gpa, rank); however, grades are just one way to monitor a student’s journey to mastery.

Standards Are Rooted in the TEKS

Standards

The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), outline required curriculum for what students should know and be able to do for each course or grade for Texas public schools. These standards are adopted by the State Board of Education after extensive input from educators, parents, business and industry representatives, and employers.

Parents are a vital part of a child’s education and it is imperative that parents are informed regarding educational research and the ongoing evolution of the educational system across the country and in our community. The Frisco ISD administration welcomes parents to be informed participants in the education process and looks forward to continued evidenced-based dialogue.

2022 Topic: FISD Middle and High School Grading System

This fall, learn the “why” behind standards based mindset and grading practices. Explore Grading from the Inside Out by Tom Schimmer along with other FISD parents in a four session book study.

All sessions meet from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

• Monday, September 19th

• Monday, October 24th

• Monday, November 28th

• Monday, December 5th

Apply now: https://forms.gle/dvE9a1svZmnetPsc8

Application closes Friday, August 12th at 5 p.m.

You will be notified on Friday, August 15th of your potential acceptance and receive directions on how to check out a copy of the book and along with the reading schedule.

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 in order to attend future extracurricular events. Students are encouraged to call parents at the beginning of the last quarter 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.

All absences, both excused and unexcused, count toward the state’s compulsory attendance law. When a student's attendance drops below 90 percent but remains at least at 75 percent of the days the class is offered, the student may earn credit for the class or a final grade by completing a plan approved by the principal. All absences can easily be submitted in the form at the top of our campus website. Learn more about the attendance policy.

For the 2022-23 school year, students with a positive COVID test will receive up to five excused absences per occurrence. Parents must submit a picture or copy of a positive COVID test with a date/time indicated. For home tests, take a picture of the positive test next to a digital Alexa or similar devise or with another cellphone displaying the date/time. Students quarantined without a positive COVID test may be excused with a parent note for each day absent, but these parent notes will count toward the eight parent notes allowed by Frisco ISD. All absences will be considered when working through 90% attendance for credit and should be submitted in the form at the top of our campus website.

Frisco ISD utilizes the School Messenger text messaging service on a limited basis to communicate timely information such as school closures/delays or campus emergencies. Not sure if you are signed up? Opt in by texting “Y” or “Yes” to 67587. This system is maintained separately from Remind, which many teachers and coaches use to text message students and parents.

FISD Board Policy requires that each volunteer, chaperone, and/or mentor undergo a background check before working with students. Frisco ISD uses VOLY, a volunteer management system, to complete background checks and to post volunteer opportunities. To work with students on campus, you will need to create a VOLY account by visiting https://friscoisd.voly.org.

You will be prompted to complete the background check during your VOLY account creation process. Keep an eye on your inbox for your background check approval (the process can take up to 3-5 business days). VOLY will send you customized e-mails with opportunities that may interest you for volunteering. Volunteers must complete a background check once every year.

If you need help, email volunteer@friscoisd.org, call 469-633-6860 or complete a ticket through the VOLY support system.

The Gold Card allows those who are age 60 and older and live within the FISD enrollment boundaries to get free admission to most District athletic and fine arts events. The 2021-22 Gold Card is now available and can be picked up on weekdays at the FISD Administration Building (5515 Ohio Drive) or the FISD Athletic Office (6950 Stadium Lane). A picture ID with a home address must be shown in order to receive a Gold Card. More information is available 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