Message from the Principal

We are almost three quarters of the way through the 2018-2019 school year and students are beginning to look forward to the end of the year. Where has the time gone? I can almost feel spring in the air! OK, perhaps that is wishful thinking with all the snow we continue to get, but according to the calendar, spring is coming soon.

Our second round of conferences are scheduled for Thursday, February 28 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm and Tuesday, March 5 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. Much of our communication is done through electronic means, but I still feel there is nothing better than a face-to-face discussion. I hope you can take time out of your busy schedules and visit VandenBerge during conferences. I look forward to seeing all of you.

I’m hoping that we can finish the year strong and ask that you keep a few things in mind. First, please continue to check your student’s grades in Campus Portal.  Second, monitor your student’s clothing and remember what might be appropriate in other social settings does not necessarily fit the school setting.  Lastly, watch the district calendar and our school website for activities happening at VMS. MCA testing, the talent show, our end of the year dance, field trips and concerts are some of the many things that will be taking place at VMS before the end of the school year.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact our teachers, counselor, social worker and/or administration. Thank you for your help in making VMS the best it can be.

Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) 

Students will be taking the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments in Math, Reading and Science on the dates listed below.  Tests will be administered in the student's regularly scheduled Math, English and Science classes.  Please contact the VandenBerge Counseling Office if your student will not be at school to test on the dates below.

Resources to prepare your child for the MCAs can be found by visiting www.isd728.org/MCA-Tips.  In addition, your child’s teacher will be providing students with information to help them do their best on their tests.

READING

Grades 6 & 7 - April 9 - 12

Grade 8 - April 15 - 18

MATH

Grades 6 & 7 - April 23 - 26

Grade 8 - April 25 - 30

SCIENCE

Grade 8 - May 6 - 9

VMS Students Recognized by School Board

The ISD 728 School Board has a tradition of honoring students who have gone above and beyond during their careers at our schools.  Students are nominated by school teachers and staff for their accomplishments and are invited to be recognized at a school board meeting.   

Congratuations to Jayce Rohde and Wuraola Anjorin on receiving the School Board Excellence in Leadership Award.

Breanna Bode was also recognized by the school board for her first place finish in the "Mayor for a Day" essay contest. 

Valentine's Day Fundraiser

Honor Society students held a Valentine's Day fundraiser in February.  Students purchased roses and had them delivered to friends at school.  The money raised was used to make bouquets, which Honor Society students delivered to 38 residents at Guardian Angels on Valentine's Day.  

Students of the Week

Congratulations to our February Students of the Week!

Hannah Brummer, Richelieu Dubar, Danielle Henrichsen, Madeline Hite, Carly Humphrey, Merveil Kazadi, Kirsten Rivers, Isabel Roiland, Angel Roy, Olivia Seward, Jaelyn Sorenson, Hailey Vinje

AVID

We are currently in the process of recruiting 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students to join the 2019-2020 AVID program at VMS. You might be wondering what AVID is and who is an AVID student.

AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. AVID is a program dedicated to helping students achieve their dreams of going on to higher education after high school. The AVID classroom is made up of students who are in the academic middle; GPA of 2.0-3.5, average to high test scores and most importantly, a desire and determination for learning. An AVID student would likely benefit from learning to stay organized, assistance with work completion, and creating good study habits.

If this sounds like a program that your child might benefit from, ask them to pick up an application packet in the VandenBerge Counseling Office or from any of the AVID Elective teachers (Michalak, Sears, or Weinhold).  Applications are due Friday, March 22nd and can be dropped off in the counseling office or with Mrs. Weinhold.

Feel free to contact Sarah Weinhold or Dave Crocker with any questions.

English

Grade 6 students are working on nonfiction and brushing up on fiction terms. Over the past weeks in class, we’ve covered evaluating arguments, comparing and contrasting texts, author’s point of view and purpose, as well as the different nonfiction text structures. Overall, students interacted with many nonfiction texts to practice the skills we learned in class.  Soon, we will dive into poetry and drama. Students have been doing a great job in completing many books. Please remind your student to always read at home even if they state they have no homework.

Grade 8 students have been working hard on Informational/Nonfiction reading skills. As we wrap up those standards, we will transition to our 8th grade Research Paper. This is a combined writing project between English and Social Studies classes. The students will pick a topic and research, write, and compile a composition on their topic. This project will take place over a 3-4 week period. Each student will receive a calendar of what is occurring each day, along with due dates to help keep them on track. Click HERE to see a copy of the calendar we will follow and continue to check Schoology for daily updates on homework.

Please contact your child's English teacher with any questions!

Math

Greetings from the Math Department!

Grade 6 students are finishing algebra and starting the geometry unit. 6th grade geometry focuses on special angles, 2D and 3D shapes.

Grade 7 students are finishing percentages and starting graphing and equations.  

Grade 8 students are working on graphing linear equations using slope-intercept form.

Students typically have daily practice to work on the skills taught in class that day.  Please use Schoology to keep up-to-date on assignments. Daily work should be completed in FOCUS!  Students are expected to show their work and correct any mistakes made to demonstrate mastery. If you have any questions about daily practice or class expectations, feel free to contact your child’s math teacher.

Math Help is available most days before school.  Please encourage your student to take advantage of this extra time with a math teacher.

Music is in the Air

VMS musicians have a big month coming up in March!

Swing Dance

Our very own VMS Jazz Band will be performing on Friday, March 1st, at Elk River High School for their Annual Swing Dance!  The doors open at 5:30 and VandenBerge takes the stage at 6:55.  Tickets are $10 for adults, $6 for students and seniors. There will also be a Silent Auction and Concessions. Swing Dance Lessons start at 6pm. Come enjoy an evening of wonderful music and dancing!

Band Ensemble Night

Students will be performing in small ensemble groups at VandenBerge on Thursday, March 7th at either 6:30 or 7:45. The 6th grade groups will be performing in the Cafeteria, the 7th grade groups will perform in the Band Room, and the 8th grade groups will perform in the Choir Room.  Mrs Klingelhofer will email the ensemble schedule to parents so you know what time your son/daughter is performing. 

The Jazz Band will also be performing in the cafeteria at 7:15. Please stay after the 6:30 group, or come early to the 7:45 group in order to hear their performance.

*We will need extra help setting up after school on Thursday, as well as taking down after the 7:45 group is done. 

Choir Concert

Come hear the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade choirs perform on Tuesday, March 14th at 7:00.  

Phy Ed

Greetings from the VandenBerge PE teachers!

We are looking forward to starting our swimming unit in March!  This is meant to be a fun, introductory unit for students to improve their skills, no matter what their current swimming level is. We will be working on front crawl, back crawl, sidestroke, breaststroke, front diving, breath control and fun games to play in the pool. Students not comfortable in the deep water will stay in the shallow water.

The PE swimming schedule will be as follows:

March 11 - 18:

1st hour:  Girls from Michalak and Hudak classes

2nd hour:  Girls from Michalak and Hudak classes

3rd - 6th hour:  All students from Hudak classes

March 19 - 28:

1st hour:  Boys from Michalak and Hudak classes

2nd hour:  Boys from Michalak and Hudak classes

3rd - 6th hour:  All students from Michalak classes

Students will need a swimming suit, towel, shampoo/conditioner (if desired), and a bag to bring things home in each night to dry out. Girls with a bikini must wear a dark colored t-shirt over the bikini. Those with a tankini or one-piece suit will not need to wear a t-shirt. Nose plugs are not allowed but earplugs are allowed. 

If a student is not able to participate in the swimming unit, we need a Dr. note excusing them from the unit.  If they need to be excused just for a day or two, they will need a parent note excusing them and will participate on the deck with different exercises. 

Due to class sizes, we would appreciate any parents who can volunteer to come and help supervise in the pool, even an hour or two would help tremendously. Volunteers walk back and forth on the deck and keep eyes on the students while Mrs. Hudak is teaching, they are not required to swim. Volunteers should wear a comfortable, short-sleeved shirt since it is rather warm in the pool area.    A current background check is required to volunteer.

Please email Mrs. Hudak at susan.hudak@isd728.org or call 763-241-3450 x2670 if you can help or have any questions. We look forward to hearing from you!

Science

Grade 6 students are currently studying ENERGY.  This is very fitting for the abundant energy that our 6th graders have!  They are learning how energy exists in different forms and can change from one form to another but is always conserved. 

Grade 7 life science is just finishing the fungus unit and will dig into plants next, just in time for spring planting!

Grade 8 snowing and blowing into the weather unit.  This is our last unit of curriculum before we begin preparing for the 8th grade Science MCAs.

Social Studies

Grade 6 students recently completed Chapter 6 - Northern Lights. They learned about how the state of Minnesota acquired land through a series of treaties with the Dakota and Ojibwe. Students completed a treaty web quest, exploring a timeline on the U.S.-Dakota War of 1962 website.  Class discussions focused on the results and consequences of the treaties for both European-American settlers and the Dakota and Ojibwe. As we progress through the 1800's, we will soon be studying the U.S. Civil War and learning how the war affected Minnesota's settlers and citizens. 

Grade 7 students are excited to be starting our study of World War I. Students will learn what nations were involved, key battles, how the U.S. got involved, the map of Europe before and after the war, and how the war came to an end.  They will work on a small playlist where they can choose from several activities to complete. The project at the end of this unit will be to create a propaganda poster.  After WWI, students will be completing a small biographical research paper on an important figure from the 1920s.

Grade 8 students just wrapped up their study of the Middle East.  Moving in to March, we will be learning research skills as we prepare to write a research paper along with the English department. The directions, rubric and calendar for this project are in Schoology in the "Research Paper" folder.  Parents, please check in with your student to be sure they are on track to complete their paper on time.

Yearbooks

If you want a yearbook, order soon to ensure your student will receive their book during yearbook distribution at school in May.  

The final deadline to order a yearbook is April 12, 2019.

Visit www.jostens.com and search for VandenBerge. Click "2019 Yearbook” to view products and add them to your cart.  Check out online and be sure to enter your email address so you get a receipt for your purchase.  If you need additional help, click HERE for details about how to shop & order

Please contact Morgen Schultz at morgen.schultz@isd728.org if you have any questions about yearbooks.  Thank you!