Hello!

Third quarter has come to an end, and we are on the last leg of the school year. It is always amazing to me how fast the time goes. Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions or concerns. 

In 2012-2013, our staff implemented the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports system or PBIS. One of the tenets of the program is to look for the positive behaviors our students exhibit and reward them for what they are doing right. We give students positive referrals (positive messages sent home to parents) as well as PRIDE tickets they can turn in for different incentives. To date, teachers have written 3,443 positive referrals, and our 527 students have turned in 66,989 PRIDE tickets for a variety of incentives. We crushed our goals of 3,000 positive referrals and 50,000 PRIDE tickets! WOW! In contrast, our behavior referrals are currently at 175. As you can see from the table below, since implementing the PBIS program, our behavior referrals have decreased dramatically. Research tells us that by continuing to focus on the positive, educating the students on what is expected and re-teaching when necessary, we will continue to have a positive atmosphere for students to learn and thrive.

As always, thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to work with your children. We thoroughly appreciate having each and every one of them bless our classrooms. Take care, and have a great month!

Stress and Anxiety Awareness Presentation

VandenBerge will be hosting a Stress and Anxiety Awareness Presentation for parents and staff on Monday, May 15 from 6:30 to 7:30 in the VandenBerge Middle School Media Center. Cindy Lovelette, from Empowering U, will be our guest speaker to educate us on stress and anxiety.  She will leave us with coping skills to help us relax, focus and think more positively in order for us to be more successful in our daily lives. We hope to see you there! More information about Cindy and her message can be found at www.empoweringu.co .

Exploration Day

May 19, 2017

Please help your student remember to bring appropriate items for the day.  Items needed vary by activity.  If lunch is not included in the activity your student chose, please be sure he/she brings one to school that day.

Yearbooks for Sale

Yearbook signing day is June 2.  We still have a few yearbooks left to sell for $30.  If you still need to order a book, please follow the link from the VMS website to purchase your book through Josten's.

If you are not sure if you ordered a yearbook, please contact your child's RALLY teacher or email Sarah Weinhold at sarah.weinhold@isd728.org.

Make a Difference! Experience life-changing growth as a

Minnesota Math Corps tutor in Elk River Area Middle Schools  in 2017-18!

Make a difference in the lives of Elk River Area Middle School students who struggle in math by serving as a Minnesota Math Corps tutor in 2017-18! Whether you want to explore a career in education, re-enter the workforce or give back to your community, you can make a difference as a tutor.

As a tutor, you'll see a student's progress – in their test scores, in their other school work and in their confidence as they build their skills. Last year, Reading Corps and Math Corps provided direct services to more than 30,000 children in more than 700 schools across the state.  We’re helping more kids reach their math potential, and you can be part of it.

Minnesota Math Corps tutors receive extensive training and support from onsite coaches. Tutors are paid a living allowance and are eligible for an education award of up to $5,800 to pay tuition or repay qualified student loans. Tutors 55 or older may gift the award to a child or grandchild.

If you or someone you know might enjoy making a difference in the lives of Elk River Area Middle School students, learn how to get involved at www.readingandmath.net. Positions start in August for the 2017-18 school year.

Questions? Contact Hannah Balder at hannah.balder@servetogrow.org or 612-206-3047.

From Health Services...

Beat the Rush - Get your Student’s

Sports Physicals and Immunizations

In preparing for the 2017-2018 school year, it is important to complete the appropriate medical information for your child as soon as possible.  Immunization and Sport Physical dates that we have received are posted on Parent Portal. Immunization requirements reflect the current school year only.  Requirements for the 2017-2018 school year will be posted on July 1.

For requirements and appropriate forms that need to be completed by your medical provider, please refer to the Health Services webpage.

March/April Students of the Week

Maverick Almich, Mackenzie Creighton, Lucinda DeMars, Elizabeth Doran, Gavin Durfee, Dylan Haataja, Jayna Hager, Benjamin Hawley, Luke Hevey, Alexia Hovda, Linkin Huber, Taylor Ives, Ava Johnson, Kalia LaValley, Brady McAdams, Steven Ryabikov, Gracyn Schmitz, Molly Stroh, Jerome Uche, Jason Wingard and Kalau Wuanti

Physical Education...

After swimming in the pool, working on archery, and roller skating, we have moved on to outside activities.  We've been having so much fun!

We have many things to be thankful for at VandenBerge!  Thank you to our wonderful chaperones that provided extra eyes to make our swimming unit safe, and thank you to those that donated extra funds,  so everyone could skate.   We are a family here at VandenBerge!

World Language...

Third quarter flew by in World Language! Eighth graders completed the quarter by performing fashion shows featuring their newly acquired French clothing vocabulary. The classroom turned into a runway, and the kids were so engaged. We had feathery boa scarfs, fur vests and crazy hats!   It was so much fun! Seventh graders ended the quarter by planning and "taking" a trip to a country of their choice. They created a travel log stating what they did each day, what they saw, what they ate, etc. The logs were amazing to read through. They were all very creative. I'm sad to see this group of kids move on to their next quarter class, but I'm looking forward to fourth quarter!

Science...

Grade 6 - The focus is on forces and motion!  Last week we studied Bernoulli's principle by designing and constructing paper airplanes that we tested outside.  We collected data on their flight distances.  This week we are constructing simple machines with Lego's and are using them to demonstrate mechanical advantage.

Grade 7 - We are currently dissecting crayfish and will dissect frogs next!  The purpose of the dissection is to focus on the differences between vertebrates and invertebrates.

Grade 8 -  Students are completing the Science MCA test.  This state test focuses on all middle school science standards including 6th grade physical science, 7th grade life science and 8th grade earth science.  The students have been doing very well, and we are proud of their accomplishments.  

Student Council...

Student Council finished a month long food drive in March! Students collected 327 pounds of food! During that month, all food and money donations were matched by an outside agency which means VandenBerge's contributions helped out even more! The Council is now working on our Beach Party.  The Beach Party will be held Friday, May 12 from 6:00-8:00 at VandenBerge.  There will be open gym, dancing and music, a hang out space and more!  Concessions will be available.  Tickets can be purchased before school for $5 or at the door for $7.

Student Council sponsored Pajama Day on Friday, April 7.  What fun!

VMS staff supports Autism Awareness Month. 

Acceptance is Powerful!