Dear Parents,

Whew! This has been very busy week! Registration Day was the smoothest it's ever been! Thanks to our wonderful staff and PTA volunteers who worked relentlessly on making sure that the registration process was operationally efficient. Meet & Greet was also a HUGE success! It was very exciting to see such a great turnout of parents and students. Our teachers really enjoyed meeting their new students and parents and giving them a sneak peek into their classrooms. The sound of joy and laughter that filled the schoolhouse this week was a welcome delight, and it warmed my heart to see the excited anticipation of school in the eyes of children.

Our community is growing which has caused unexpected changes in our school enrollment. After Registration Day, we experienced a spike in the number of Kindergarten and First Grade students. As a result, we proactively added an additional class to each of these grade levels to ease overcrowded classrooms prior to August 12 in an effort to minimize the impact on student transition. We took great care in appointing familiar Vanderlyn staff, Mrs. Knorr and Ms. Carroll, to serve in a short-term role until a permanent placement can be made. My number one priority is to move expeditiously to fill these two positions with the same excellence and quality of teachers we currently have on our staff. Meanwhile, we are committed to going above and beyond in providing our students with a typically superb beginning-of-year experience. I appreciate your patience as I search for the best fit for our students.

Teacher and student placements have been carefully planned. A request for a homeroom change is not optional as class sizes have been balanced and each student has been assigned to an excellent teacher who will provide an optimal classroom experience. I am proud of our teaching staff and student population and the value that each brings to our school. As a school community, we must work together to make teaching and learning our primary focus and embrace experiences that will allow our students to become global citizens.

My staff and I have been planning every detail in preparation for a smooth opening of school. As we prepare to open our doors on August 12, I am reminded of the teamwork that has made it all possible. I am proud of how our staff and teachers have worked collaboratively to devise a transition plan to accommodate our 4th and 5th grade students. When discovering our registration numbers reflected overcrowded classrooms, our teachers worked together to transform rooms to accommodate the new Kindergarten and First Grade classes. In addition, Vanderlyn boasts the finest PTA ever! They work collaboratively on behalf of the staff and student body to support our school vision. We are proud to be VANDERYLN and continue to stand strong as an educational powerhouse! Please know that my primary focus is to lead this school in initiatives that will continue to grow our legacy as a leader in the district, state and nation as one of the finest learning institutions of the 21st Century!

Your Proud Principal,   

Mrs. Crenshaw

The Vanderlyn PTA highlighted the theme "....and ACTION" at registration this week, and we hope you noticed. The giant scene marker, replica movie cameras and popcorn tubs were chosen to get your attention. It is through our collective action that we can maintain our standard of excellence at Vanderlyn Elementary.

Our Annual Fund is key to the strength of our organization. It is the backbone. And if the Annual Fund is the backbone, then volunteerism is the muscle.

The programs and improvements that the PTA supports are carefully chosen. The PTA bears a responsibility to every student, teacher, and local member by safeguarding the funds and spending them wisely. The PTA leadership pledges to be careful stewards of the funds collected in the PTA Annual Fund.

That being said, we need our parents to pledge to support the PTA through volunteerism. There has been a shift in the availability and willingness of volunteers, and the shift is large enough to impact some of our programs. Additionally, several of the initiatives that PTA supported last year, such as the STEM lab and Outdoor Classroom, have created an increased need for helpers. We have a variety of ways to volunteer at school, and many of these roles are suitable for folks with limited time or an inflexible work schedule. I bring this to your attention only because the old assumption that there is an abundance of willing volunteers is no longer true.

The Executive Committee is proud to have partnered with the school's administration in running another smooth registration. First Vice Presidents Laurie Goldstein and Jodi Rosenberg deserve all of our gratitude for thinking through all the details that made the day a success. Additionally, the EC is grateful to all of our volunteers for sharing your time with us the last week of summer.

We look forward to another successful school year. Please partner with us again or for the first time, and take ACTION to maintain Vanderlyn's excellence!

Have a great week!

Julia LeDoyen and Christine Kelemen 

PTA Co-Presidents

Please be advised that the School Bus routes and numbers have changed. Please be sure to check the DeKalb County School Website for the most up-to-date information. 

This is your last opportunity to place an order for spirit wear. We will not have any stock available to purchase at a later date. Don't miss out on this last call! Orders will be delivered to your child's homeroom class. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery.

Send in your order with a check to your child's homeroom teacher by Tuesday, August 20. Make checks payable to Vanderlyn PTA, and mark Spirit Wear on the envelope. Go HERE to print an order form (or be certain to indicate the descriptive name of your order as well as the size).  

If you have any questions, please contact Randi Siegel or  Kristi Poltrack. 

Gold Vintage Design T-shirt       $12

Blue Dri-Fit Shirt                      $12

Girl's Polka Dot Fitted T- Shirt   $12

Blue Hoodie Sweatshirt             $24

Blue Tie Dye T-Shirt                 $14 

The PTA is looking for two volunteers to fill open committee chair positions.

The Organics Garden committee currently has one experienced committee chair, but also seeks an additional chair to oversee this important initiative at Vanderlyn. The Organic Gardens committee works with teachers at each grade level to incorporate the organic garden into the existing curricula for Social Studies, Math, Science, and Health. Most volunteer work is done during the school day, working directly with students and teachers during March through November. The aim is to help the teachers achieve the academic goals they already have by providing hands-on learning opportunities that bring lessons to life. No prior gardening experience required, just a willingness to play in the dirt!

The STEM Committee is newly created, and will be charged with managing the STEM lab. This committee will receive funding for the purchase of materials and augmenting the resources. Additionally, the committee will support Vanderlyn's staff in hosting monthly STEM days. Again, this committee will serve in a supportive role to the staff, rather than leading the STEM campaign.

Please contact Christine Kelemen or Julia LeDoyen to volunteer or make inquiries.

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.

Thanks in advance for your assistance!