Message from the Principal

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

Throughout 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. Our PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) curriculum has received accolades from district staff and parents, and we received one of the highest scores on our evaluation from the state PBIS program. One of our goals this year was to send out 3,800 positive referrals, and we are currently at 4,102 for the year. Our students turned in over 88,928 PRIDE tickets that they earned by following our Ready, Responsible and Respectful rules. This crushed our goal of 80,000 tickets! While our 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!

Students will be turning in their Chromebooks, charging cords and hot spots (if checked out) on Thursday, June 6. Please make sure your student brings in all of the necessary items and returns all library books, so he/she is not assessed a fee in RevTrak. 

Our annual Talent Show, Ice Cream Social and Yearbook Signing will take place on Friday, June 7. Students must have all library books and Chromebooks turned in, have all fines paid and have completed all assigned detention in order to participate in these activities.

With this being the last Vibe for this 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!

Summer Eats Minnesota

Hunger Impact Partners, a non-profit organization working with the Minnesota Department of Education, is promoting free summer meals for kids across the state. We want to make you aware of the Summer Eats Minnesota mobile app so together we can increase participation in this important nutrition program for kids. Please share the information with friends and family!

Simply search Summer Eats Minnesota and download the free app via the Apple Store or Google Play Store on your smartphone (see app image below so you know what to look for).

All kids up to age 18 can locate the nearest site, show up at the right time and eat. No registration or prior sign-up is necessary. There are free serving sites across the state at schools, parks, recreation centers, community centers and libraries.  It is important to know summer meal sites are added weekly and times/days of operation do change, so check the mobile app regularly to get the most up-to-date information.

You can also check out the Summer Eats website for helpful information about the program or call Hunger Impact Partners at 612-338-5551 for more information.

Exploration Day

On Friday, May 17th, students at VandenBerge Middle School participated in Exploration Day. Exploration Day is a day for students to explore places and events that they might not normally do. It provides students with the opportunity for new experiences.

Students were able to choose from a variety of activites, including: AirMaxx, Base Camp, Bunker Park Stables, Mississippi River Cruise and James J. Hill House, Feed My Starving Children, Mall of America, River City Extreme, The Minnesota Science Museum, St. Cloud State University,Target Field, Twin Lakes Fishing, and Vertical Endeavors. Two events, Iron Chef and Make a Milk Jug Raft, were also hosted at VandenBerge.

Our students and staff really enjoyed the day - check out the smiles in the pictures below!

Minnesota Math Corp

Make a difference in your community and join our team as a math tutor!  Minnesota Math Corps is looking for math tutors to give their time and talent to help kids become successful in math.

Tutors work one-on-one or in small groups with students during school hours between January – June. No matter if you’re a recent grad, career changer, stay-at-home parent or retiree, you can make a great tutor. No experience? No problem. Math Corps provides comprehensive training in strategies proven to help students learn, so tutors are well equipped to help students grow.

Perks as A Tutor

• Receive a stipend every two weeks
• Earn up to $4,200 for college tuition or student loans. Tutors 55 and older may gift the award to their child, grandchild, stepchild or foster child.
• Free health insurance and child care assistance for those who qualify.

Ready to be the change for struggling students? Click HERE to learn more about being a tutor.  Questions can be sent to join@servetogrow.org or call 866.859.2825.

Mile Run - Rollerblades Prize Winner

Phy Ed students had an opportunity to win a pair of Rollerblades, helmet, knee pads and elbow pads that were donated by Rollerblade.  Students who improved their mile run time by 10 seconds or more were able to put their name in the drawing for the prize.

Congratulations to our winner, Sadie Goggleye!

Young Authors Conference

On May 30th, a group of grade 6 - 8 students went on a field trip to Bethel University for the Young Authors Conference. The students attended a keynote address and three interactive writing sessions led by local authors and writing professionals. Students were encouraged and challenged to become better writers. They left the conference with a greater passion to write and a new set of strategies to further their writing journeys.

Students of the Week

Congratulations to our May and June Students of the Week!

Emma R. Anderson, Natalie Barringer, Lillie Beaudry, Kendall Cole, Trevor Crow, Skylar Fursman, Rya Kangas, Lauren Lee, Renae Murrell, Julia Pobuda, Mary Potts, McKenna Rother, Katya Schmidt, Chelsie Thom, Gabrielle Welch

2019-2020 School Supply List

The 2019-2020 school year supply list is available by clicking HERE.

School supply donations are always greatly appreciated, particularly the 3-inch binders and dividers that can get worn out as the school year progresses. Case-It type binders (example shown below) are the most durable and work great for students to keep their schoolwork and Chromebook contained for carrying around the building. We would love to have a small supply of these binders to share with students in need. 

Donations can be dropped off in the counseling office during open house next August.  

AVID

The AVID Site Team at VMS would like to thank all the families that came to our Celebration Night. It was a great way to celebrate the year and honor the hard work our students do during their AVID classes.

Congratulations to our 8th grade AVID students who completed their middle school AVID elective. We wish them the best of luck in high school!

We are currently not accepting new applications for AVID, but if you feel this program is a good fit for your child, watch for emails next fall about recruitment and availability. Please contact Sarah Weinhold sarah.weinhold@isd728.org with any questions.

Take a look at some of the fun our AVID students got to experience throughout the school year!

English

Grade 6 students are working on fiction short stories, mythology, and legends. Throughout the rest of the year, students will be working on writing, reading, and communicating with their peers on the tasks we complete in class.

Grade 7 students have been working on their Greek Story slide show.  This is a summative assignment and is due next Tuesday, June 4th.

Grade 8 students worked hard on their MCA tests. We are proud of the work they have done here at VMS! As we transition to the end of 4th quarter, students are working on a Fiction review with "Flowers for Algernon". This is a great short story to end the year. 

Please keep reminding your child to complete assignments and communicate with their teacher if a scheduling conflict occurs and work cannot be completed on time. Deadlines get tight at the end of the year. Please check Schoology and Parent Portal regularly for homework and grade updates as projects are due and tests are coming up. Continue to encourage your child to read over the summer to keep up their reading stamina as they move on to high school.

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

From the Health Office….

End of Year Reminders

Medications:  If your child currently has a supply of medications in the school Health Office, they will be sent home before the end of the school year.  If you would like to pick them up, please notify Health Services. No medications will be kept in the Health Office over the summer and will be properly disposed of if they are not picked up.

Immunizations:  Please remember that all children are due for immunizations before 7th grade.  It is the law that children are up to date on their immunizations, allowing for certain specified exemptions, to participate in school or after school activities.  For more information on immunizations, please visit our Health Services website.

Health Issues:  The School Health Offices are closed over the summer.  If your child is diagnosed with a new Health Condition that we need to be aware of in the fall, please leave a message at your child’s Health Office or contact the Manager of Health Services at 763-241-3433.

Have a safe and wonderful summer, and know that we truly love caring for your children and look forward to next year!  Here are some tips for keeping your children safe this summer.

Media

In the Media Center, we have started our inventory process. Did you know that completing inventory helps us identify gaps in our collection? We can tell which items need repair or replacement as well as get a clear picture of which materials are used throughout the school year. Inventory is just one piece of information used to help us determine which areas of our collection need additional resources.  

In addition to inventory, we are in our initial stages of analyzing the circulation data for the school year. We finished off the year with a total of 9,753 books circulated. That's about 12 books for each student. This is an AMAZING number for a school our size and a 42% increase over the past two years. We are clearly doing something right when it comes to supporting reading at VMS!

The Media Center isn't just a place to find books to read, we also offer resources for brain breaks, challenges and just plain fun. Our Media Center is a hub of activity in our school. Here are a few photos of activities in the Media Center during 4th quarter.

Music

On May 10th, we had a field trip day with our 8th grade Band and Choir students.  First we performed at The Bee Hive Senior Living Center, followed by a trip to Zimmerman Middle School where we had an Exchange concert.  It was a great day of music enjoyed by all!

Social Studies

Grade 6 students just finished the Flour, Timber and Iron unit and started learning about the booming Minnesota cities. We'll complete our year with students creating a slide show to present to their peers.  They will select from one of these three chapters: World War 1, Boom and Bust, or World War II.

Grade 7 students learned about the Cold War through Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire" song. The song lyrics were divided up and students focused on groups of names/terms to create a brief presentation. To end the year, students are learning about the Civil Rights movement. 

Grade 8 students wrapped up learning about Europe, which included the European Union, Brexit, Population Pyramids, and Russia. They will finish the year focusing on the United States and creating another Map of the Mind. They will draw a map of the world from memory and compare it to the maps they created at the beginning of the year. 

Yearbooks

A very limited number of yearbooks are left to be purchased online until all books are sold. June 7th is yearbook signing day, so if your student wants a yearbook, please purchase as soon as possible!

You can purchase these book online by clicking here: VandenBerge MS Yearbook