Congratulations on completing the first week of the school year! It has been easy to slip into the familiar routine of school at my house, and it appears that everything was operating smoothly at Vanderlyn, as well. Even with the temporary housing of the fourth and fifth grades in the building, the students and teachers look happy to be back in their routines.

The Annual Fund drive is well underway, and our collections are on target with last year's numbers. The PTA greatly appreciates the support of those families who have made contributions already. If you have not yet done so, please carefully consider your willingness and ability to make a gift to the school. As we have consistently stated, the PTA leadership pledges to be careful stewards of the Annual Fund.

Last year the PTA was able to fund several projects, including the completion of the kindergarten fence, the build out of the science lab and courtyard classroom, the purchase of desktops and laptops that will accommodate two classrooms with up to 35 students, and the purchase of the dance floor which will protect the health of our young dancers and allow Ms. Teyf to expand on the instruction. These projects are in addition to our standing commitments, such as teacher stipends, teacher training, iXL, academic competitions, grade level productions, and so forth. The Vanderlyn community can be proud of how we have come together to provide for a superior learning environment.

One item worth noting on your calendar is Curriculum Night, which is scheduled for Tuesday, September 3 at 6 p.m. Please do not let this event pass without attending because it falls on the Tuesday after Labor Day, and we don't have school on Labor Day. If you're like me, you'll think that Tuesday is Monday just because it is the first day of our work week!

From my perspective, we are positioned to have another successful year. We have great volunteer leaders in place, and your support is important to our students and teachers.

Have a terrific week!

Julia LeDoyen and Christine Kelemen 

PTA Co-Presidents

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 

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. 

The PTA is looking for one volunteer to fill one last open committee chair position.

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!

Please contact Christine Kelemen to volunteer or make inquiries.

The Grounds committee wasted no time by initiating the first clean-up event of the year Saturday, August 10. The grounds were looking refreshed as students, teachers and parents returned to campus for the first school day of the 2013-14 year.   

Acting as excellent stewards of PTA funds, the Grounds co-chairs solicited donations for this project from area retailers.  Home Depot donated 50 bales of pine straw and Ace Hardware provided weed control and yard debris bags.  The rest of the project was completed by Vanderlyn families that pitched in to beautify our campus on the last weekend of summer. Thank you to these terrific folks!

If you are interested in helping with projects like this in the future, or if you have a relationship with a retailer that may be able to provide significant donations to our Grounds committee, please contact co-chairs Sarah Parrish and Dawn Weterrings.

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!