Grades 7 & 8 Winter Dance - Chaperones Needed
The VFMS Student Council would like to invite all 7th and 8th grade
students to the annual Winter Dance.
The Dance will be held on Friday, December 11th, from 7:30-9:30. Tickets cost $5.00 and must be purchased in advance.
Tickets will be sold from Tuesday, December 8th to Friday, December 11th, before school, in the Student Council Corner.
Chaperones Needed! We are in need of 3 - 4 chaperones to assist Mr. Gibson with monitoring the common areas at VFMS during the dance. Don't worry - you will NOT have to interact with your child and he/she may not even see you while you are there! If you are able to volunteer, please email faufiero@verizon.net with your name and contact information.
The dance is semi-formal. Boys should wear a nice pair of pants and a nice shirt with a collar (a tie is not required, but is a nice touch) . Girls should wear a dress, or a skirt with a nice shirt. Please, no shorts, jeans, t-shirts or sweatshirts!
Please contact Frani Aufiero as soon as possible, to volunteer! Further details will be provided to chaperones the week of the dance.
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 VFMS Parents' Network
Dear VFMS parents-
Please join us for "White elephant" Game and Brunch at Taste of Britain on December 9 at 11 AM!
(Taste of Britain is located in West Eagle Village Shops, Eagle Village Shops, 503 W Lancaster Ave, Wayne, PA 19087)
BRING WRAPPED GIFT for about $10 to PLAY the game! |
Panera Fundraiser
Please come on out to PANERA in Gateway on Tuesday, Dec. 15th between 4 pm and 8 pm! Click here for full info.
Plan to share a meal with family or friends, or take home a meal or some baked goods. Members of the VFMS 8th Grade Leadership Seminar will be there to collect your receipts - Panera will donote 20% of your pre-tax bill to help us pay for the Senior Citizen's Prom we host in May. This is a great way to have an easy meal during the busy holiday season AND support a worthy cause. THANK YOU!!
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Principal Meet & Greets!
Attention 8th Grade Parents
Eighth grade graduation will be here before you know it. Over the next few months, both parents and students will have the opportunity to learn about what to expect at Conestog a and the transition to high school. More information and a time line of events will be shared in the coming weeks.
The first of these events for parents is the very important 8th Grade Principal Meet & Greet. Principal Matt Gibson, along with the 8th grade counselors and faculty, will discuss how the school is preparing your child for the transition to Conestoga. In addition, several of the Conestoga High School counselors will be there to answer any of your questions about the course selection process and what you can expect once your child is a student at Conestoga.
The 8th Grade Meet & Greet has been scheduled for Friday, February 5th, at 8:00 a.m. Thank you to the Castleman family for graciously hosting this event which will be held at 495 School House Lane.
Please check our website for RSVP information. In addition, we need volunteers to bring some continental breakfast items. If you can help, please check the website volunteer tab, and let us know what you will bring.
Thank you and we look forward to seeing you on February 5th!
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5th, 6th and 7th Grade Meet and Greets
The PTO is hosting three Meet & Greets in February to give parents an opportunity to chat with Principal Matt Gibson and teachers and staff from their child's grade. Each Meet & Greet will feature a presentation followed by a question-and-answer session, including an update on the curriculum as we approach mid-year as well as specific events and activities coming up for each grade level. These Meet & Greet dates will be posted in next week's Blast - check back soon to sign up to attend! - The 5th Grade Meet & Greet will be held in early February at 1:00 p.m. at the home of Linda Schubert
- The 6th Grade Meet & Greet will be held in early February at 9:00 a.m. at the home of Susan Moyer
- The 7th Grade Meet & Greet will be held in early February at 10:30 a.m. at VFMS and co-hosted by Karen Vadner
The Meet & Greets are hosted by PTO volunteers, and we are in need of volunteers to bring some light refreshments to each meet & greet. If you can help, please check the PTO website under the volunteer tab and let us know what you will bring.
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Filling the Holiday Stockings
Here is a list of suggested holiday toys/gifts for Stockings for Kids by age: (Also, please ensure all gifts are new and unwrapped).
Age 0-1 (Boy or Girl)
Teethers, Rattles, Bibs, Baby Wipes, Lotions, Shampoo, Brushes, Soft Toys, Stuffed Animals, Bath Toys, Socks, Hats, T-Shirts and Sleepers.
Age 2-3 (Boy or Girl)
Dolls, Beanie Babies, Boats, Cars, Books, Little People, Lego Sets, Bath Toys, Socks, Mittens, Caps, T-Shirts and Educational Aid Toys.
Age 4-7 (Girl)
Ink Pads, Stamps, Crayons, Clay, Lego Sets, Jump Ropes, Jacks, Stickers, Hats, Gloves, Beanie Babies, Doll Clothes, Scrunchies, and Barrettes.
Age 4-7 (Boy)
Fun Pad, DVDs, Crayons, Coloring Books, Hand-Held Games, Puzzles, Lego Sets, Action Figures and Baseball Cards.
Age 8-10 (Girl)
School Supplies, DVDs, Puzzles, Books, Scarves, Hats, Gloves, Jewelry, Stuffed Animals, Barbie Dolls, Clothes, Paint Sets, Markers, Colored Pencils, Legos.
Age 8-10 (Boy)
School Supplies, Hand-Held Electronic Games, Hats, Gloves, Airplane Kits, Action Figures, Puzzles, Dominoes, Nerf Footballs and Legos.
Age 11+ (Girl)
DVDs, CD's, Radios, Books, Card Games, Fast Food Certificates, School Supplies, Calculators, Brushes, Combs, Soaps, Lotions and MP3 Players.
Age 11+ (Boy)
DVDs, iTunes Cards, CD's, Electronic Games, Calculators, Books, Card Games, Fast Food Certificates, School Supplies, Baseball Caps and Gloves and MP3 Players.
Thank you to those who have already donated!
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Gift Cards Sale
Do you like to give GIFT CARDS for the holidays? Order gift cards from us, and you will be helping support  the Senior Citizen's Prom the 8th Grade Leadership Seminar hosts in May. You pay face value for the cards, and we receive a percentage to help cover prom costs (the Senior Citizen's come for free!). Click on this order form link to see over 20 different cards you can order. Instructions are on the form. We will place an order on Wednesday, Dec. 9 and Tuesday Dec. 15. The gift cards should be delivered to school before Dec. 23, our last school day before break.
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Upcoming ARCH Events
ARCH offers two programs for parents...  JUST TALK ABOUT IT Thursday, December 10, 2015 (7-9pm) ARCH, along with Conestoga High School, invites parents and teens to join Minding Your Mind in a discussion on mental health education. Topics addressed will include anxiety, depression, self-harm, substance abuse, and the difference between positive and negative coping mechanisms. All Conestoga juniors and seniors will attend this presentation in an assembly on December 10 during the school day. The evening presentation is open to all parents. Teens are encouraged to attend as well. Full info here. PARENTING IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA Monday, December 14, 2015 (morning and evening presentations)
ARCH invites parents to a Screening of Being13: Inside the Secret World of Teens, followed by strategies for navigating this topic with children; the digital citizenship curriculum in T/E and Q&A. Full info here .
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Flite Tributes
Thinking about teacher gifts for the holidays? Consider a FLITE Staff Tribute! Tributes can be made online at
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Beautification Collaboration Project with Penn Charter Friends School
Randy Granger and his design class at Penn Charter are in the process of creating a proposal to enhance the covered pick up structure and area at Valley Forge Mid dle with easily-maintained sculpture, decoration and/or plantings.
The Beautification Project, chaired by Gerry Morgan and Kristin Courtney, with support and funding from the PTO, and guidance and support from Dr. Hickey have been working with Randy Granger since last year on this exciting collaborative project. Dr. Hickey will be spearheading VFMS's student and staff involvement in this creative and collaborative project.
The project will be implemented in phases due to financial constraints. Our budget for the first phase is $2,000. If you would like to provide financial support for this exciting project please see the VFMS website for more information.
If you would like to get involved with the project directly please contact either Gerry Morgan (610 304 5624),
or Kristin Courtney (610 220 1251).
Let's work together to make a difference . . . and to support our students learning about stewardship of their own environment!!!!
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| THIS WEEK AT VFMS |
Tues, Dec. 8th: GR.7/8 Winter Concert Dress Rehearsal, 1:00 PM
Wed, Dec. 9th:
Gr. 7/8 Winter Concert, 9-10:30am
Thurs, Dec. 10th: Gr. 7/8 Winter Concert 9-9pm
Fri, Dec. 11th:
Gr. 7/8 Winter Dance, 7:30-9:30 pm
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| PTO Board Meetings |
Please be advised that we have changed our meetings to the third Tuesday of every month. Meetings are
held in the conference room in the main office at 12 noon and all are welcome to attend. We do not meet in December, so our next meeting will be Tuesday January 19th 2016.
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FLITE AND WHOLE FOODS TEAMING UP
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FLITE is Whole Foods Nickels for Non-profit beneficiary from September 28th through January 17th. Whole Foods in Devon will donate a nickel for every reusable bag. This is a wonderful and easy fundraiser for FLITE. Click here for full details and how to help!
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Shop Amazon/Help PTO
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There is nothing you can't find on Amazon and we know many of you use this site frequently.
But, did you know that by making a slight adjustment to the way you access their website, you could be benefiting the VFMS PTO?
When you shop at AmazonSmile (www.smile.amazon.com), rather than the regular Amazon site, Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price to Valley Forge Middle School Parent Teacher Organization. Bookmark the link http://smile.amazon.com/ch/23-2936863 and support us every time you shop.
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| Box Tops for Education! |
Box Tops for Education
are an easy way to help raise money for VFMS.
Just clip Box Tops
and drop them in the collection box located in the main office.
Help us reach
our goal this year!
If you have any questions, contact
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| Important Numbers | |
VFMS Main Office:
610-240-1300
Attendance Line:
610-240-1330
T/E Transportation:
610-240-1680
T/E District Office:
610-240-1900
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Blast Submissions
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If you have school news you want to have published in the Blast, please write it up exactly how you want it to appear and send it in email to the editor, Lori Benedict, at lori.mb@gmail.com by NOON the preceding Friday afternoon. Blast will go out each Sunday afternoon.
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