Re-entry into the school year has been pleasant, and we are so grateful to our community. We gracefully went about teaching and learning while the modular project was underway, and the wait was worth it! Our new facilities are a nice improvement over the previous structures, and the additional green space is wonderful to have. Now we can enjoy the first 3-day weekend of the school year!

Curriculum Night is scheduled for Tuesday, September 3 at 6 p.m.  Curriculum Night offers a chance to learn more about your child's academic day as well as present you with a variety of ways you can support your student as a volunteer.  Parking is always difficult on this evening, and now that we have lost the lower modular parking lot, it will be more so.  Consider parking your car at Dunwoody High School, and we suggest that you leave your children at home for this event.  We will have multiple classroom sessions to allow folks to visit a variety of classrooms, including specials and Discovery. 

• Curriculum Night begins at 6 p.m.
• First classroom Session  6:35-7:05 p.m. 
• Second classroom Session 7:10-7:40 p.m. 
• Third classroom Session 7:45-8:15 p.m.

This week PTA officers and committee chairs met to discuss procedures and plans for the 2013-14 year. We have a dynamite group of volunteers at our disposal again this year! In our midst are part-time and full-time employees, homemakers, fathers, mothers, work-from-home employees, parents with toddlers, parents with high schoolers, life-long residents of Dunwoody, and volunteers that have crossed an ocean to reach us. We all share a commitment to our children and teachers, and together we are preserving the tradition of excellence at Vanderlyn. We welcome all!

We still need a volunteer to assist in the Organic Gardens. Please give thoughtful consideration to this role. Last year's "retired" Organic Gardens chair has provided detailed instructions on how to manage this committee month-by-month, so no one needs to re-create the wheel. Additionally, classrooms will have parents chaperoning students during Organic Garden visits, so the task is manageable even with children at hand! Think about digging in the dirt, being in the sunshine, watching your work progress and children learning...who can say "no" to this?

We look forward to the Labor Day holiday and getting back to business at Curriculum Night on Tuesday. Have a great week!

We have discovered an additional way you can support the Annual Fund without opening your wallet! Give With Target has launched their second annual campaign to support schools nationwide. Participation is incredibly easy: follow the Facebook link, cast your vote every 4 days, and as the votes increase, so will Target's financial support of Vanderlyn! It's super easy to vote on a smart phone, too! Spread the word to neighbors, grandparents, your students, etc. It's free money for our terrific school!

The Dunwoody Chamblee Parent Council (DCPC) has rescheduled the September 4 meeting to September 11.  Interim Superintendent Michael Thurmond will address the audience as originally planned.  The meeting will take place at Dunwoody High School with refreshments at 8:45 a.m., and the speaker will begin at 9:15 a.m. Come early to get a parking place.

If you are looking for a great way to volunteer in the school and really get to know the kids in their element (eating!), then Lunch Bunch is for you!

We are in great need of volunteers to work 45 minute shifts to help the kids during lunch. This gives our wonderful teachers their much-needed break time during lunch and is part of the reason why Vanderlyn is a great school for teachers...parent commitment!

Volunteers can sign up at their convenience for whatever fits best with their schedule. Volunteer weekly, monthly, or even be on our list as a substitute only! If you are interested, please contact Susan Bolte or sign up for your preferred shifts now on SignUp Genius.   

Thanks for helping Vanderlyn and the kids in this important area of service!

Susan Bolte and Michelle Moore 

Lunch Bunch Co-Chairs,

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.

"Believe, Dream, Inspire"-what does that mean to you?  It's time to once again grab art supplies, cameras and dance shoes and show the world your interpretation of this year's theme for the Reflections Contest.  Students will be able to submit works of art in the following categories:  Musical Composition, Literature, Dance Choreography, Film Production, Visual Arts and Photography.  This year's contest also features separate awards for Special Artists in all categories.  Awards will be given in each grade and category and the 1st and 2nd place winners will go on to compete at the county level, with the possibility of advancing to the state and national levels.  All entries are due at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, October 4.  Please see the Vanderlyn PTA website for further details on entries, including mandatory entry forms and packaging requirements. Please contact jlboss@bellsouth.net or Camilyn Germann with any questions.

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.