That's a wrap!  We have reached the end of the 2017-18 school year and it has been an awesome year at VandenBerge.

As we look back on the year, the teachers have put in countless hours preparing themselves to present information that will best meet the academic and social needs of the students. We have completed the first year of our 1:1 initiative. Teachers and students have taken this opportunity to learn together with this new technology. Students will be turning in their Chromebooks, charging cords and hot spots (if checked out) on Wednesday, June 6. More information on Chromebook collection will be sent out soon. Please make sure your student brings in all of the necessary items so he/she is not assessed a fee in RevTrak.  

Our PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) curriculum has received accolades from district staff and parents. One of our goals this year was to send out 3,500 positive referrals and we are currently at 3,701 for the year. Our students turned in 80,870 PRIDE tickets that they earned by following our Ready, Responsible and Respectful rules, which far exceeded our goal of 60,000. While the staff is continually seeking ways to make VandenBerge the best it can be, our students always go above and beyond our expectations. What is happening at VMS is fabulous! It truly is great to be an Elk at VMS!

With this being the last Vibe for the 2017-2018 school year, I would like to thank everyone who helped make VandenBerge the best it can be this year. The support you have shown our staff has been great, and your involvement in activities throughout the year has been greatly appreciated. Without the extra time many parents put in, both here and at home, we would not be able to accomplish what we do with your children. 

Thank you for all you do to help us educate, inspire and empower your children and for giving us the opportunity to work with them. We enjoy the life and energy they bring to the building and to our lives! Take care and have a safe summer!

Chromebook Collection

The time has come to collect Chromebooks from our students.  We will be doing collection on June 6th during Rally.

Please read the Chromebook Collection Procedures and ensure your student comes to school on June 6th with their Chromebook and charger.

Minnesota Math Corps

Great news!

VandenBerge Middle School will once again have a Math Enrichment Tutor next year to work with students who need more support to catch up to grade level in math.  Math Corps tutors are AmeriCorps members and do not replace teachers.  Every year, the program sees real growth in its students. Here's what you should know:

We are now recruiting throughout the district for our Math Enrichment Tutor(s), who will serve at our school for 11 months, beginning in August. Tutors implement a research-based curriculum to pairs of sixth graders who are just below proficiency in math (Tier II children). They tutor students 90 minutes per week to grow their skills towards becoming algebra-ready by eighth grade. Math Corps provides our school with the expertise of an outside math consultant (Master Coach) who provides support and oversight by visiting the school regularly.

Please help spread the word about these open Math Enrichment Tutor positions.  If you know someone who might be interested - a graduating college student, a friend in career transition, a grandparent or stay-at-home parent - please direct them to www.readingandmath.net to learn more and apply. We would love to have them at VandenBerge Middle School! 

Exploration Day

Students had a great time on Exploration Day 2018!  Check out pictures from some of the trips.

Students of the Week

Jacob Burggraff, Addison Geiser, Railin Gonzalez, Emma Harder, Steven Hembre, Coralee Johnson, Scarlett Jost, Leah Komonash, Hailey Jussila, Andrew Palm, John Palmer, Cody Rasmussen, Sam Rueckert, Destiny Scharf, Jenna Tykwinski

Health Services 

Medical Action Plans

Action plans (allergy, asthma, diabetes and seizures) allow school personnel to respond quickly to treat your child, minimize classroom disruption, potentially eliminate emergency room visits, and assist your child's quick return to the classroom.

In preparing for the 2018-2019 school year, it is important to complete the appropriate medical information for your child prior to the school year starting. Each action plan must be signed by a physician and parent/guardian.  Action Plans must be updated annually to ensure accurate information.

Go to Health Services for the appropriate forms to be completed by your medical provider.

Art

Each school year, ISD 728 Art teachers select works of art to be included in a district-wide display in the hallways and conference rooms at the District Office.  This year, I had the pleasure of selecting works of art from VMS students, Rylee Donald and Emma Reynolds.  These art students were invited to an awards ceremony where they were presented with a recognition certificate and handshake from Superintendent Bittman.  Congratulations to Rylee and Emma!

Rylee is pictured below with her portrait, which is now displayed at the ISD 728 District Office. Emma was unable to attend the recognition ceremony but her art project is pictured below.

It has been a great school year with so much happening in the art room.  Students have been working hard and are now winding down for the finish of the school year.  I hope you all have a fantastic summer break, and I look forward to seeing everyone again in the fall!   

AVID Celebration Night

Thank you to all our families who came out to support the VMS AVID program on Celebration Night. We love working with your children and are very proud of the success they have had this school year. 

We are excited to we have six new AVID students joining the program for the 2018-2019 school year.  We wish our 8th graders the best of luck as they transition to the AVID program at Elk River High School.

English

Grade 6 spent the last quarter focusing on Drama, acting, close reading, and test readiness.  Many of my sixth graders shine when acting!  Please encourage your students to keep reading over the summer.  Thank you for a wonderful year with your wonderful students!

Math

Thanks to our students and parents for a great year.  Students are encouraged to continue practicing their math skills over the summer.  A few options/resources are provided below but there are many more to be found on the internet.  

http://www.scholastic.com/parents/blogs/scholastic-parents-learning-toolkit/online-summer-math-programs

http://www.summerskills.com/summerskillsbooks/math_books

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/5-apps-to-boost-math-skills-over-the-summer

Hope everyone has a great summer!

Media Center

Thanks to all the families who participated in our fundraiser!  We were able to raise $670 in donations and books for our media center.   

In addition, we also received a very generous donation of 50 new books from a former VMS student, Emily Elveru.  Emily wrote to us, "Reading (and Mrs. B's English class) contributed greatly to where I am today."  Today, Emily works for Parents Magazine in New York.

Find time for some summer reading!

Music

Thanks for a wonderful year in band!  What a joy it was working with your children.  Thanks for your continued support for the Arts in our District!

20 Important Reasons for Music in our Schools

Science

Grade 6 is ending the year with a final covering all topics for the year.  This test was completed last week.  This week we are applying our skills to create Rube Goldberg contraptions.

Grade 7 is ending the year with the completion of the Human Body Systems and will be finishing the Ecology and Environment unit.

Grade 8 completed the State MCA tests.  The students did very well and we are all very proud of them.  We are ending the year by researching an interesting location on Earth and presenting the Geology, Meteorology and cost of visiting these sites.  Our goal is to promote the students taking the information that they have acquired this year and applying it to future interests and goals.

Social Studies

Grade 6 students have been learning about Minnesota's involvement in World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II.

Grade 7 students are wrapping up the year learning about and preparing a group project about the Cold War Era, followed by the Civil Rights Movement. 

Grade 8 students have learned about all the continents.  They finished up their study by learning about Africa and focusing on apartheid. Students worked on one final break out box in the Media Center to wrap up the unit.  The last few days of school, students will be creating another Map of the Mind and will compare it to the maps they made last fall.  It is amazing to see how much they have learned and grown in their mapping skills.