A Look Ahead
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May
13 Field Day, Grades PK to 2
14 Field Day, Grades 3 to 5
21 1st and 2nd Grade Awards
Day
22 3rd and 4th Grade Awards Day
23 5th Grade Awards Day
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| Do You Have One HOUR?? | The Field Day committee needs several more volunteers to assist in setting up the day's events at 7:15 a.m. this Tuesday, May 14. Please follow the Sign Up Genius link to volunteer or email committee chair Erika Harris. Please, please, please help if you are able!
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PTA Co-Presidents' Message
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I love going on vacation, but getting ready for vacation takes work! Any parent can attest to the huge effort that preparing for an out-of-town trip requires. Wrapping up the school year kind of feels the same!
Amazing things have been going on at Vanderlyn! Most importantly, we celebrated our teachers last week during Teacher Appreciation Week. Our teachers are cut from a different cloth, and their excellence pays dividends in our students. Thank you to all the students and families that expressed appreciation and gratitude. A loud, reverberating "Thank you" is also extended to our Teacher Appreciation Chairs, Paige Ackaway and Melanie Gracey, for leading this outstanding committee for the last two years. This committee is at work every week, not just during Teacher Appreciation Week.
Our final Book Fair concluded last week. This "Buy One, Get One" event is tremendously popular. Thank you to our Committee Chairs Sandi Sherman, Kim Sims and Kelly Ballard for bringing this event to Vanderlyn! We all know this is a busy time of year, and we appreciate all of the volunteers that supported the book fair and presumed summer reading!
My kids may wear out the fantastic Field Day shirts before the event! Be sure to have your child's shirt clean and ready to go on Monday and Tuesday! Committee chairs Erika Harris, Bridgette Uhde and Cami Mitelman have done a fantastic job coordinating a volunteer corps and lots of moving parts to make this day happen. I have said before that our Vanderlyn PTA is far bigger than Field Day, but I suspect that if our students remember one PTA-supported activity, it may be this event!
We are also fortunate to have three grade level productions these last weeks of school. Our productions always demonstrate that our children are amazing and capable when we challenge them! Thanks to our tremendous Specials Staff and production chairs Christine Kelemen, Debbie Wade, Lyn Brown, Melissa Humphries, Lucia Urtusastegui and Ann Maurer.
Of course, learning and teaching continues to take place in the midst of all the above! We have had recent field trips that the students have enjoyed. These trips have been planned for many months, and currently our field day chairs are already at work planning for the 2013-14 school year. Field trips create magical learning moments, and they begin with our committed chairs Lucia Urtusastegui and Veronica Pinell McNamara.
Likewise, the Literacy Committee hosted a Poetry Alive workshop which was enthusiastically received by students of all ages at Vanderlyn. Thank you to Mrs. Pansini and Literacy Chairs Jill Hodges and Sherrill Pettitt for bringing this event to our students.
And finally (cue the music), thank you ROOM PARENTS! You keep us on track year round, involving us in the classrooms, keeping us informed, and stepping in when needed. Room parents are unsung heroes!
Thanks for reading! Be sure to read the rest of Viking Views--there is important news this week!
Julia LeDoyen and Courtney Kuriger
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Mrs. Hendrickson Makes a Difference!
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Congratulations to Georgianna Hendrickson, Kindergarten teacher at Vanderlyn Elementary School, chosen as one of Georgia United Credit Union & Star94 Radio's Top Five "Teachers Make a Difference" Award Winners!
As part of Georgia United and Star94's commitment to stronger schools and stronger communities, this educational credit union and metro Atlanta radio station teamed up again this year - to reward teachers who make a difference in the lives of students and their parents.
More than 400 entries were submitted by parents as nominations of a teacher who has made a difference in their life. From those responses, were chosen the Top Five winners, each of whom will be recognized with a reception and lunch at their school the week of May 6-10. Each Top Five teacher will also receive a $500 cash prize and a $250 prize for her school; one Grand Prize winner will also be awarded a $2,000 scholarship towards his or her Continuing Education studies.
"My favorite part of teaching is getting to know the unique personalities of each child in my class every year, and loving and nurturing their little souls. I also love their parents as much as I do them. The most important word in teacher is "each." It's absolutely amazing to me how they are all so special and different. I especially love kindergarten, because it is truly a garden of beautiful children all blooming at different times. Teaching and learning is so much fun at this young age. "
Parent Molly Peled had this to say about Mrs. Hendrickson: "There aren't many teachers like Mrs. Hendrickson. She is the warmest, kindest, sweetest person I know. Mrs. Hendrickson teaches from the heart, she makes sure that every student of hers feels safe and loved. She not only teaches her students to read and write beautifully, she teaches them to be good human beings. She teaches them manners, she teaches them to care for one another, to care for their families and for the world they live in. She teaches them all of this through songs and games. I myself am a teacher. She by far is my role model and I thank God my son has her for a teacher. Thank you, Mrs. Hendrickson!!!!"
Georgianna's teaching career in a nutshell: "I graduated from Oklahoma State University with a B.S. in Elementary Ed. I'm certified Pre-K through 8th. I also have my Gifted endorsement. I am certified in Kansas, Missouri, Maryland, New Jersey, and Georgia. I have taught Pre-K, K, lst, and 2nd grades for a total of 28 years. I've also taught 5 year olds in Private Pre-K's and was a Music teacher in a Private Pre-K." To view Georgianna's complete biography, click here.
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| School Council News | |
Congratulations to our newly-elected parent representatives: Shari Bayer, Jeff Rosenberg, Susan Tallent, and Kathryn Wilson. These parents will serve on school council for the next two school years, from 2013-2015. Thank you to all of the candidates for expressing an interest in serving on our council.
The School Council meeting scheduled for May 20, 2013, has been cancelled. Meeting dates for next year will be announced in August.
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Yogli-Mogli Spirit Day
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Join Vanderlyn students and families at Yogli Mogli the afternoon and evening of our last day of school, May 23! Yogli Mogli is donating 20% of sales back to Vanderlyn at this last spirit event of the year. What a great way to start your summer!
Let's make this event really count! Encourage other students and families to meet you at Yogli Mogli on May 23!
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Lost and Found - Please Check!
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Parents, please check the Vanderlyn Lost & Found as soon as possible! The Citizenship Committee will begin cleaning out Lost & Found the week of May 13. Anything unclaimed will be donated to the Dekalb International School.
If you have any questions or would like to help clean out Lost & Found, please contact Suzanne Baisier.
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Celebrate Your Student!
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Vanderlyn's Awards Days are coming! Mark your calendar to attend this event where your student will be recognized for the learning, effort and growth that transpired this school year.
May 21 - First Grade, 8 a.m.
May 21 - Second Grade, 9:15 a.m.
May 22 - Third Grade, 8 a.m.
May 22 - Fourth Grade, 9:15 a.m.
May 23 - Fifth Grade Celebration, 8:30 am
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Science Olympiad
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A huge "Thank You" goes out to Mitra Saha and Kim Sims for all their hard work in organizing the Science Olympiad team this year. Lots of time and energy went into planning Vanderlyn's participation in the competition on April 27. Additional "Thanks" to Manju Dhiman, Karen Baker, Beth Balga, Nicole Jasper, and Mr. Hughes for their efforts in making this year's team a huge success. There will be a presentation of the awards at the Awards Day ceremonies later this month.
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Vote for Vanderlyn's Organic Garden to Win a Seeds of Change Grant!
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 Please vote for Vanderlyn's Organic Garden to win a Seeds of Change "Share the Good" Grant.
Go to https://www.facebook.com/seedsofchange/app_589705354373524 on FaceBook to vote for our garden to win up to $25,000. Vote daily until the contest ends on May 17, 2013. Please contact Tina Wilkinson at tinaw@wilkinsons.com if you have questions.
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Community News: What's Happening Around Dunwoody?
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 Be sure to check out Vanderlynpta.com website to discover opportunities in the area for summer fun and camps! These items are posted regularly to our website as we reserve Viking Views for school-specific news.
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Quote of the Week
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"Now and then it is good to pause in our pursuit of Joy
and just be Joyful." Anonymous
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Annual Fund
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| Suggestions |
If you have a suggestion, comment, question or idea for the Viking Views, please send it to vikingviews@yahoo.com.
Viking Views' deadline is 12 NOON on MONDAY for the same week's issue. When there is no school on Monday, submissions must be sent the Friday before by noon. All articles must be brief and in writing as an email or and email attachment (.doc file). Please send to
Sincerely,
Jennifer Nail
Viking Views Editor
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What's Happening in Vanderlyn's Special Area Classes?
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2013 Remaining
Progress Report Dates
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5/23/13
2nd semester report card
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Dance Camp
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SUMMER DANCE CAMP
with MRS. TEYF
Where: St. Luke's
Presbyterian Church
Dunwoody, Georgia
When: June 24 to June 28
Hours: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m,
DAILY
What: Hip Hop, jazz, ballet,
arts and crafts, water games, dance games and a fabulous show for family and friends on Friday afternoon!
Who: Girls and boys
ages 4 to 14
REGISTER SOON! SPACE IS LIMITED!
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COACH DWYER'S SUMMER
ADVENTURE CAMPS
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Sign up for
Coach Dwyer's
Summer Adventure Camps!
Several weeks are available to fit into your summer schedule.
For more information,
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Vanderlyn Student Directory
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The Directory Committee is busy preparing for the 2013-2014 Student Directory. We want to make sure all information is as accurate as possible and need your assistance. Please review your family contact information in this year's directory. If everything is accurate, then you don't need to do anything! If you would like to make changes or request that your family contact information is added, please fill out the Vanderlyn Student Directory form and we will ensure your information is updated for next year.
Click here for the Form
Thanks in advance for your assistance!
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School Supplies - CHECK!
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Vanderlyn PTA will once again offer the service of purchasing school supply kits online! By clicking the link below you can purchase your child's customized school supply kit to be delivered directly to the school. You will no longer have to go to stores to shop for school supplies....just pick up your kit at Meet and Greet(the day your child meets his/her teacher this August) and carry the box directly to the classroom.
Let's make starting the fall semester a little bit easier!
*This is not a fundraiser*
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