5th, 6th and 7th Grade Meet and Greets
The PTO is hosting three Meet & Greets in Februar y 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. - The 5th Grade Meet & Greet will be
hosted by Linda Schubert on Thursday, February 11th at 1:00pm (1579 Salomon Ln, Chesterbrook)
- The 6th Grade Meet & Greet will be held Wednesday, February 3rd at 9:00 a.m. at the home of Susan Moyer (688 Thomas Jefferson Rd, Wayne)
- The 7th Grade Meet & Greet will be held on February 8th at 10:30 a.m. at VFMS and co-hosted by Karen Vadner and Nikki Serafim
The Meet & Greets are hosted by PTO volunteers, and we are in need of volunteers to bring some light refreshments to each meet & greet. Please click the following links below to RSVP and/or sign up to help.
5th grade RSVP
6th grade RSVP
7th grade RSVP |
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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 Conestoga 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 RSVP in advance here.
Please check our website for RSVP information. In addition, we need volunteers to bring some continental breakfast items. If you can help, please click here, and let us know what you will bring.
Thank you and we look forward to seeing you on February 5th!
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News From School
Parking Lot Safety
When dropping off or picking up students at any time of day, please be very aware of all pedestrians, especially in the parking lot and bus circle areas. We have many students that walk and ride their bikes to school, therefore please consider your driving speed when entering and exiting the school property and stop for pedestrians at all crosswalks.
Additionally, please encourage your students to be aware of vehicles as they enter and exit the school and to use designated crosswalks.
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Lost and Found
Encourage your students to stop and look at our lost and found, which has been moved to the main lobby. Items not claimed before winter break will be donated.
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Direct Donation Campaign 
We are off to a great start with our Direct Donation Campaign! We've had 83 generous families donate roughly $6700! This means we are 22% towards our goal of $30,000 to fund our next iPad purchase. We are very thankful to those 83 families who have shown their support and we are hopeful there are many more of you out there who can lend a hand!
Don't forgot, your donation is tax deductible and if you want claim it as a deduction this year, your donation must be made no later than 12/31/15.
There are two easy ways donate: send a check made payable to the VFMS PTO into the VFMS office marked "VFMS PTO Direct Donation Campaign" or click on this link to take you to the VFMS PTO website where you can make a donation through Paypal.
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Assembly For Students Grs. 6-8 on Thursday, January 14th
TEMS and VFMS have invited Mr. John Halligan to return to our schools to relay his own tragic experience as  a father whose 13 year old son, Ryan, took his own life in 2003, after experiencing severe bullying by peers both in school and online. His story is riveting and powerful, and reminds students that there is a face, a person, and a heart on the other end of the computer screen. We encourage parents to visit a website named for his son for more information. Because of the sensitive nature of the topic, we wanted to inform you about it in advance. We encourage you to ask your child about the presentation and discuss it together. If for any reason, you would prefer that your child not attend this presentation, please send a written note or email to your child's guidance counselor prior to January 14, 2016.
Mr. Halligan will also be holding a special presentation for adults in the Valley Forge Middle School auditorium on Thursday, January 14, 2016 from 7:00 - 8:30 PM. Mr. Halligan will share his story, cover the lessons learned regarding how to deal with bullying, cyber bullying, and teen depression and will share strategies to take preventive actions with your own children. For more information, click here.
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5th and 6th Grade Bowling Party
The VFMS Student Council is hosting its annual 5th and 6th grade Bowling Party to be held on Thursday, January  28th! It will take place after school from 3:00-4:30 at the Devon Bowling Lanes. Some information you need to know:
-Transportation will be provided to the Devon Lanes, but students will need to be picked up at the lanes by 4:30. -There will not be transportation back to VFMS.
-Permission slips will be made available at school starting the week of 1/18. Students can pick up a permission slip at lunch.
-Tickets will be sold from Wednesday 1/20 through Tuesday 1/26. In order to get a ticket, students must bring the completed permission slip, and $10.00 (cash or check made out to VFMS) to the student council corner in the morning before homeroom. The $10.00 ticket is good for 1 ½ hours of bowling. Snacks, drinks and games are not included. Space is limited, so get your tickets early. The proceeds from this party will go to the VFMS Student Council.
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Sleep and the Adolescent Brain
Sunday, February 21, 2016, 2-4pm
at the Radnor Middle School Auditorium
Chronic sleep loss in adolescents is one of t  he most concerning public health issues in the nation today. Nationally renowned pediatric sleep expert Dr. Judith Owens, CHOP psychologist Dr. Katherine Dahlsgaard, and West Chester Area School District Superintendent Dr. James Scanlon will address the causes and implications of sleep deprivation in adolescents, and what we can do to help them. Click here for further information and to RSVP now.
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| THIS WEEK AT VFMS |
Wed. Jan 13th: 8th Grade Science Fair Thurs. Jan 14th:
-Grade 8 TCHS Tour, 9am -"Ryan's Story" Assembly, 1:30 pm Grs. 6-8 Fri. Jan 15th:
Spelling Bee, 8am
REMINDER: NO SCHOOL MONDAY JAN 18th
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
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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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Wayne Art Center Updates
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The Wayne Art Center has a variety of upcoming events and news!
Interested the Winter 2016 Children's/Teen's classes? Click hereInterested in entering artwork into an exhibition? Click hereYouth artists 2-12 click here to find information on submitting for the art exhibition. Interested in Birthday Parties? The Wayne Art Center does that too!
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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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