Upcoming Dates
June 2 Minds in Motion morning performance, 9:30am (3rd grade attends) at MLK-PAC Parent Input letters due June 6 Field Day, grade level rotations 3rd grade, 8:15-9:15 4th grade, 9:20-10:20 2nd grade, 10:25-11:25 Kindergarten, 11:30-12:30 1st grade, 12:35-1:35 June 7 3rd Grade picnic at Washington Park, 11:00-1:30pm Greenwood/Minor to Fry's Spring pool, 10am-1:30pm June 8 2nd grade picnic at Washington Park, 10:45am-1pm Hunter/Houchens Tea School-Wide Meeting, 1pm June 9 4th Grade Promotion, 9:15am in classrooms; 10am in auditorium Last Day of School (dismissal at 12:00pm) June 22 Kindergarten Camp #1, 9am-11am June 29 Kindergarten Camp #2, 9am-11am Want More Dates? Access the Venable Parent Calendar at the Charlottesvilleschools.org website with the most up-to-date information about what's going on. Field Day Plan 2017
Given the poor weather we've had recently for outdoor events (Boogie on the Blacktop was a scorcher!), we have decided on a Field Day rotation plan that will allow us to accommodate all students and also have indoor options, if needed. Please see the rotation schedule above and let Ms. Martin know if you are interested in helping out! Field Day is scheduled for June 6. PBIS: Positive Behavior Intervention Supports
Parents may remember brainstorming during supper at STEM Night about how Venable would look, sound, and feel in the ideal state. The ideas were collected and combined with input from staff to help us create a set of school-wide behavioral expectations that we will use to help guide us next year. Our PBIS team has been working hard this year to develop these expectations, create a matrix that further defines what these expectations look like in various parts of the school, and develop lesson plans that teachers will use in the beginning of the year (and ongoing) to teach, practice, and reinforce the expectations. More to come next year, but we thought you'd be interested to know that our PBIS expectations will be: As an All-Star Team, we will practice:
Our PBIS team members include Mr. U, Ms. Lowe, Ms. Traci Martin, Ms. Driggs, Ms. Curreri, Ms. Jacobs, Ms. Greenwood, Ms. Paige, and Ms. Kershner. Thank you to this great team for all the work already put in and yet to come! |
Goodbye to a Few More All-Stars
We have a few more staff who are leaving us next year, and we want to thank them for their significant contributions to our school. Nikki Adams, our Early Childhood Special Education teacher, will be pursuing her doctorate at the University of Illinois next year. We wish her the best of luck as she dives even more deeply into researching early childhood special education. We know she will continue to make a difference for our youngest students. Nicole Driggs, our speech teacher and Golden Apple award winner this year, is also moving to a colder climate, but headed north to Maine. After a trip to Kennebunk last summer, she and her husband decided their dream was living on the Maine coast, and they are making that dream a reality. Ms. Driggs starts her new job the Monday after school gets out, working in a private practice in Maine. We will miss both of these fantastic special educators. Student Contest: Congratulations, Jigisha!
We had over 25 entries in the t-shirt design contest and a lot of wonderful artwork to choose from. Congratulations to Jigisha. Her design, pictured below, will be on the 2017-2018 Venable t-shirts! Congratulations, Published Authors and Artists!
The Unfinished Jigsaw is an annual publication of literary and artistic talent from across the school division. The following students had their original work selected for publication this year. We are very proud of them!
Looking Ahead to 2017-2018
It's hard to believe, but after SOL testing this month, we will be working on the transition to next school year. We use a thoughtful, deliberate process to place students into classes each year. This process includes input from specialists as well as homeroom teachers about academic and social needs of the students. It is a big puzzle and parents are a part of the puzzle. In order to help us make the best placement decisions for your child, please put in writing to Mrs. Kershner your answers to the following questions about each of your children. (Please put your answers for each of your children on a separate sheet of paper or separate email. This helps Mrs. Kershner stay organized!):
You may choose to send your responses through email or on paper through June 2 (please note the earlier deadline this year). |