Viking View

Please help us celebrate Black History Month by submitting a 30-60 second video each week based on the criteria below. The top video entry will be entered into a contest at the end of February fir a HUGE prize! Good luck, and thank you in advance for your submissions!

Week 1: January 25-29

Create a video for our flipgrid explaining what Black History Month means to you (Deadline: Friday, January 29th @ 4 p.m.)

Week 2: February 1-5

Choose a famous African-American and post a video explaining his/her contributions to America. (Deadline: Friday, February 5th @ 4 p.m.)

Week 3: February 8-12

Recite a children's book, poem, or other piece of literature that highlights Black History Month. You may also write and recite your own poem. (Deadline: Friday, February 12th @ 4 p.m.)

Week 4: February 15-19

Draw and post artwork, sing or play a musical selection, or perform a dance that celebrates Black History Month. (Deadline: February 19th @ 4 p.m.)

Monday, February 8

Advisory Schedule

Q4 Learning Environment Change Window Opens

UIL Theatre Art Practice (Stage)

• 3:50 p.m - 5 p.m.

Tuesday, February 9

Viking Time Schedule: Week 1/1st Period

VMS Cheer Parent Meeting (Virtual)

• 6:30 p.m.

UIL Band Practice (Cafe)

• 3:50 p.m. - 5:20 p.m.

Emerson HS Cheer Parent Meeting (Virtual)

• 6:30 p.m. (See Below)

Wednesday, February 10

Modified Block Schedule

• Period 1, 3, 5, 7

Viking Time Schedule: Week 1/2nd Period

GT Testing (All Grades)

• 7th & 8th Grade 8:25 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
• 6th Grade 12:03 p.m - 3 p.m.

UIL Theatre Art Practice (Stage)

• 3:50 p.m - 5 p.m.

7B BB Nelson vs. VMS @ VMS

• 5:30 p.m./6:30 p.m./7:30 p.m.

8G BB Nelson vs. VMS @ Nelson

• 5:30 p.m./6:30 p.m./7:30 p.m.

Thursday, February 11

Modified Block Schedule

• Period 2, 4, 6, 8

Viking Time Schedule: Week 1/3rd Period

GT Testing (All Grades)

• 7th & 8th Grade 8:25 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
• 6th Grade 12:03 p.m - 3 p.m.

Lockdown @ 9 a.m. (2nd Period)

UIL Theatre Art Practice (Stage)

• 3:50 p.m. - 5 p.m

UIL Choir Practice (Courtyard/Cafe)

• 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m..

TNS/C-Hall

• 3:45 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.

7G BB Nelson vs. VMS @ VMS

• 5:30 p.m./6:30 p.m. (2 Games)
  

8B BB Nelson vs. VMS @ Nelson

• 5:30 p.m./6:30 p.m./7:30 p.m.

Friday, February 12

Regular 8 Period Day Schedule

Viking Time Schedule: Week 1/4th Period

Q3 2nd IPR (Assignment Cutoff)

Q4 Learning Environment Change Window Closes (11:59 p.m.)

February

15 Student/Staff Holiday

16 UIL Band Practice

16 Liberty HS Dance Parent Meeting

17 7B BB VMS vs. Roach

17 8G BB VMS vs. Roach

17 Liberty HS Cheer Meeting

18 7G BB VMS vs. Roach

18 8B BB VMS vs. Roach

18 UIL Choir Practice

18 VMS Cheer Parent Meeting

19 IPR Posted (Regain Eligibility)

As we celebrate Black History Month, I feel that it is important to note contributions of African Americans who paved the way in healthcare and made valuable contributions to society.

Eager to encourage greater equality for African Americans and women, Mary Eliza Mahoney pursued a nursing career which supported these aims. She is noted for becoming the first African American licensed nurse. When she was in her teens, Mahoney knew that she wanted to become a nurse, so she began working at the New England Hospital for Women and Children. The hospital was dedicated to providing healthcare only to women and their children.

Our school will be conducting vision, hearing, and Acanthosis Nigricans screenings on Friday, February 19, 2021 for all face to face students in 7th grade per Texas State law. Screenings will take place through your student’s Science classes. If your student wears glasses or contact lenses, please be sure to remind them to bring them on the day of the screenings.

Information pertaining to screenings for our Virtual Academy students in 7th grade will be forthcoming.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact NUrse Teeling @ teelingh@friscoisd.org.

Parents and guardians who want to change their child’s learning environment can update their selection February 8-12. Families will continue to have two choices for learning in Frisco ISD: on-campus or virtual instruction. No action is required by parents who wish to maintain the same learning environment.

New selections will go into effect for the fourth nine weeks of school, which begins March 22. Please keep in mind, the instructional environment change period may potentially impact your child whether or not you request a change.

Changes will be accepted via the Student Portal through 11:59 p.m. on Friday, February 12. Click here for more information, including instructions for how to request a change.

Submission Packet

The North Carolina SweetPotato Commission (yes, sweetpotato is actually one word!) is hosting #TeachSweet, a social media contest running from Jan. 15-Mar. 15, 2021 for teachers and homeschool parents all over the country. Get a chance to win the grand prize of a $500 classroom shopping spree and $500 cash by teaching about sweetpotatoes!

To participate in the upcoming contest, you just have to follow these four steps:

1. Go to https://ncsweetpotatoes.com/curriculum/ and pick a lesson plan appropriate for your student(s)

2. Use the lesson plan and take a photo or video of you implementing an aspect of the curriculum (i.e. student project of sweetpotatoes growing in classroom or at home, reading a book virtually to your classroom over Zoom)

3. Post the photo to your Instagram, Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #TeachSweet and tagging the NC SweetPotato Commission (@ncsweetpotatoes). Please make sure your post is public so you can be entered to win!

4. Sit back and wait for the winner to be announced!

The last day to post is Mar. 15, 2021 and the winner will be announced in late March 2021.

Thank you for your interest and good luck!

https://ncsweetpotatoes.com/curriculum/

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!

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.

VMS PTA is looking to fill the following positions on the Executive Board for 2021-2022. Please email the Nomination Committee at committee.vmspta@gmail.com with your contact information and position you are interested in serving. Students of current executive board members are “graduating” to Liberty High School next year and will not able to stay on in their current positions.

President

1st VP Membership

2nd VP Fundraising

Treasurer

World Wear Project: Thank you for continuing to donate your unused and unwanted clothing, shoes, backpacks, and toys.

Frisco Family Scavenger Hunt: Frisco Council of PTA will be hosting a Scavenger Hunt on Monday, February 15th from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can drive around Frisco with your family or participate in the "hunt" from the comfort of your home. Registration and entry fee of $25 per family is required to participate. Please be sure to register by February 7th. Vandeventer receives a 20% donation for ever entry. Register at https://my.cheddarup.com/c/the-scavenger-hunt-for-advocacy

Healthy Tip this week! Everything in moderation.

When you feel stressed, it’s easy to binge eat your new favorite snack of the week. However, eating large portions at once isn’t a healthy habit. Try to keep track of the different food groups you are eating and the portion size. If you feel hunger pains throughout the day, prepare smaller portions of snack foods. Eating smaller, healthy portions of snack foods throughout the day will help you focus and keep your energy up.

Healthy Snack Food Contest!

Sweet, salty or savory? Everyone has a weakness for snack food. Share your favorite healthy snack to (HealthyLifestyle.vmspta@gmail.com). The PTA board will choose a submission once a month and it will be posted in the newsletter and PTA facebook group.

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/.

We have LOTS of spirit wear in stock! 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

I’m on the HUNT for Advocacy! Frisco Family Scavenger Hunt Rules

1. Registration and entry fee required for participation

• $20 Early Bird Registration Fee (Jan. 5th - 18th)
• $25 Regular Registration Fee (Jan. 19th - Feb. 7th)
• One entry fee covers your entire family
• 20% of the entree fee goes to your kid(s)’ school(s)

2. The HUNT may be done completely from home (virtually), in person or a combination of both

3. All answers and photos must be submitted by 3:00 pm on the day of the HUNT

• NO late entries will be accepted

4. Any family may participate given they register and pay the entrance fee

5. All registered participants will have access to the HUNT’s private Facebook (FB) page

6. Each registered family will get a Swag Bag, available for pick up at the school of the participants choosing

7. Clues will be posted starting at 8:00 am, Monday, February 15 on the HUNT FB page

• Some clues will be released at different times during the day

8. Points will be awarded for the following:

• PTA Members automatically get 2 pts each
• b. each correct clue answer gets 1 pt
• Each qualifying photo gets 1 pt
• Extra credit creativity points - 1 pt per clue as awarded by the judges

9. Qualifying photos - only one photo per clue will be counted per family

• Photos have to be posted the HUNT FB page during the actual HUNT to be counted
• posting a photo to the HUNT FB page, the user gives the PTA, at all levels, permission to reuse the photo in future marketing events

10. Creativity points will be awarded for photos or answers that are deemed unique and creative by the judges

11. A total of 3 pts per clue are available - 1 for correct answer, 1 for accompanying photo and 1 for creativity

12. Two grand prizes will be awarded after all points are tallied:

• Virtual Top Prize awarded to the team who turns in all the correct answers first
• In Person Top Prize awarded to the team who collects the most points and turns all the correct answers

13. There will be a cash prize awarded to the School with the MOST ENTRIES

14. There will be a cash prize awarded to the School with the MOST COMBINED FAMILY

POINTS

15. Spots prizes will be available on a finders basis - you find it, you keep it! Virtual spot prizes will be randomly awarded throughout the day and will be available for pick up at your child’s school

16. Raffle tickets will be awarded for each set of 10 clues answered correctly

17. Schools may earn 1 raffle ticket for each social media, or internal school communications to post/send promoting the HUNT

• The schools must submit proof of the promotion to earn raffle tickets

18. Prizes will NOT be awarded on the day of the HUNT. Once all points have been tallied, the

winning families will be posted to the HUNT FB page

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

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.

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.

The VMS yearbook class has launched a website to answer yearbook and portrait questions. There are also surveys on the site for optional student participation. Please click here to visit.

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.

As a reminder, 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.

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.

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.