Dabney Discussion V6I5
School News from the Veterans Park Elementary Principal
Molly's Message...
Please note that all FCPS schools and offices will be closed for the two weeks of winter break (December 19 - 30). Students will report back to school on Tuesday, January 3.
No matter what you celebrate and/or observe Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa we hope that your family is blessed with health and happiness this holiday season!
Upcoming Events
- December 2 - SPIRIT & Hat Day / Woot Woot Wagon Celebration
- MAP Window Opens - December 5
- Fourth Grade STEM Bus - December 6-7
- PTA Meeting - December 8 @ 7:45 am (VPE Library)
- SBDM Meeting - December 12 @ 3:00 (VPE Conference Room)
- Wellness Wednesday & Family Focus Night (Panera Fundraiser) - December 14 @ 4-8 pm
- Fourth & Fifth Grade Winter Parties - December 15
- Ugly Sweater Day- December 15
- End of Second Nine Weeks - December 16
- MAP Window Closes - December 16
- Movie & Popcorn Treat for Students - December 16
- Winter Break - December 19- December 30
- Classes Resume - January 3
- Fourth & Fifth Grade Honors Assembly - January 5
- SPIRIT & Hat Day / Woot Woot Wagon - December 6
- Report Cards Sent Home - January 6
WEEKLY FLASH CHANGES
Every Friday throughout the school year, we send out the VPE FLASH. This provides information for the upcoming school week and other announcements. We have made some changes to our Flash in that you no longer have to sign up for it and it will be sent out Fridays via Dojo message and Infinite Campus email. Families will just want to click on the link for the weekly updates for the upcoming school week.
PLAYGROUND FUNDRAISER
Dear Veterans Park Elementary Families and Community Partner,
At Veterans Park Elementary we are committed to making sure that our students have a wonderful environment in which they can learn, grow, and play. We are excited to announce that after 25 years, we are getting a new playground that will be safer and more accessible for all children.
By April of 2023, we need to raise $100,000 to meet our fundraising goal which will allow us to include additional playground equipment, sunshades and a Pour-N-Play Rubber Bond surface in the playground construction. This surface option will allow our playground to be handicap accessible, and be a safer solution for all children that will last for 30+ years.
This is where you come in! Will you join us in working toward this goal? A donation of any amount will help us ensure that the playground at Veterans Park Elementary is a safe place for students to play for many years to come. Families and community partners have the opportunity to be a part of the playground forever through sponsorship. Sponsors will be recognized at the groundbreaking event upon playground completion, and be included on a plaque that will remain on the playground for years to come. Sponsorship will be recognized at the following donation levels:
Platinum - $10,000 +
Gold - $5,000 +
Silver - $2,500 +
Bronze - $500
Your involvement makes a difference! When partners make an investment in local schools like Veterans Park Elementary, the entire community benefits. Please consider helping us lay the foundation for a safe place for students to play. If you are interested in donating, please contact Molly Dabney, VPE Principal or Heather Robbins, VPE PTA Representative and we can discuss next steps.
We hope to hear from you soon, and look forward to partnering with you to make a difference at Veterans Park Elementary!
Sincerely,
Molly Dabney
Veterans Park Elementary Principal
859-381-3161
molly.dabney@fayette.kyschools.us
Heather Robbins
PTA Representative
WINTER MAP TESTING
During the month of December, VPE students will be taking the MAP Test in the areas of Reading & Math. This is the second time that students will be taking this assessment. MAP, or the Measure of Academic Progress, is a computerized adaptive test that helps teachers, parents, and administrators improve learning for all students and make informed decisions to promote a child's academic growth.
If you would like to read up on MAP Growth please visit the following link: https://www.nwea.org/map-growth/
MAP reports will be sent home with your child in January with the second nine-week report cards. Please get in touch with your child’s teacher if you have questions about their scores.
Last Day Movie Treat - Disney's Moana
COUNSELOR'S CORNER... SCREEN TIME
What’s a parent to do about screen time?
We see them everywhere, right? Screens in our pocket, at work, at school, in the car, in the living room, in the bedroom, in every room! It feels like they’re always on and lately, it feels like a child is always the one watching. We see them everywhere, right? Kids on tablets/phones in restaurants, grocery stores, cars, waiting rooms, parks…the list just keeps growing. Adults, unfortunately, can be just as bad or worse. So what do we make of this new phenomenon and what effect is it having on our children?
In my 15 years of providing family and child therapy, no issue has seen a greater rise in importance than screen time. It’s the question I always ask during my initial session and as each year passes, the responses are less and less surprising. With few exceptions, most parents report that their children spend between 2-5 hours/day in front of some type of screen. On weekends, it’s closer to 4-8 hours/day. Nationwide, the averages are worse. Given that our increased access to screens is relatively new, there are few longitudinal studies available to help us understand how this is affecting children. However, the data available so far isn’t promising.
First, we need to clear the air about words and terms…
For the purposes of this article, “screen time” is a term used that includes (but isn’t limited to) electronic media via phone, tablet, TV, video games, VR, and computers.
Categories of Social Media (Common Sense Media)
Passive: mindlessly watching videos or shows, scrolling, vegging out
Interactive: playing games, problem-solving
Communication: video-chatting, using social media
Content creation: making digital art or music, coding
What we’re learning….
Average screen time/day (CDC)
8-10 year olds - 6 hours
11-14 year olds - 9 hours
15-18 year olds - 7 hours
Passive or interactive consumption accounts for approximately 75% of time spent of screen time with YouTube being the overwhelmingly preferred activity (Common Sense Media).
Children on average spend almost 1 hour/day on video games alone (ADDitude).
That number rises to 3 hours/day if children have video games in their bedrooms.
Bottom Line: Excessive screen time has been positively correlated to negative effects on sleep, social skills (impatience and low reciprocity), academic performance, obesity, and behavior issues.
Sooo…what can we do? Answers adapted from (Medline)
Avoid media time altogether for children ages 2 and younger.
Make technology, like any human activity, have a time and place.
Set up a Screen Time Schedule.
Aim for 1 hour or less of screen time/day for Elementary children.
Establish lengthy screen-free times during the day.
Avoid TVs, computers & Video games in bedrooms all together.
Avoid at all costs any unrestricted and unsupervised access to YouTube and YouTube Kids. Neither are to be trusted as providers of age-appropriate content for children.
Don’t leave TV’s on as background noise. This is especially true for “helping” children fall asleep.
Do not allow TV watching during meals or homework.
Do not let your child eat while watching TV or using the computer.
Decide which programs to watch ahead of time. Turn off the TV when those programs are over.
Suggest other activities, such as family board games, puzzles, or going for a walk.
Keep a record of how much time is spent in front of a screen. Try to spend the same amount of time being active.
Be a good role model as a parent. Decrease your own screen time to 2 hours a day.
Challenge your family to go 1 week without watching TV or doing other screen-time activities. Find things to do with your time that get you moving and burning energy.
Balance! Balance! Balance! Screen time should have a balanced place in everyone’s life and even more so for children.
Boredom is not bad! In fact, it fosters creativity, imagination, and the ability to entertain themselves. If boredom leads to negative behaviors, then parents discipline accordingly.
Rewarded vs Entitled
Approach screen time as a reward instead of constant entertainment that they’re entitled to have.
I’m a parent. I have three children ages 8-12. I get it. However, as parents, we need to be a step ahead of what’s “out there” waiting for our children to see. The problem is that change is happening faster than we are accustomed to and therefore what’s clear is that a laissez-faire approach to screen time is neither wise nor responsible. We owe it to our children to do better and I believe education is a good start. However, while becoming aware of the trends and habits and dangers of children and screen time is an essential first step, it’s not enough. We as parents must put that information into action and set and enforce informed, reasonable and balanced limits and expectations for our children and their screen time. My sincere hope that this article is as sobering and informative as it is helpful and practical. Should you ever want to discuss this information in greater detail or meet with me in person to address concerns with your child, I would love to connect with you.
Paul Barth, LMFT
LOST & FOUND
DECEMBER SPIRIT PROJECT
END OF SECOND 9 WEEK GRADING PERIOD
UGLY SWEATER DAY
HOLIDAY DELIVERIES
PARENT VOLUNTEERS
Just a reminder that when we have parents in the building we need to following the following protocol:
Parents and guardians do not need to be approved volunteers to eat lunch with their child, attend conferences, performances, etc.
Parents DO need to be approved volunteers to go on field trips, assist with teams or clubs, etc.
WHEN TO KEEP A STUDENT HOME SICK?
Student Absences & Make Up Work
Absence due to illness: Fayette County Board policy reads that a student has the number of days absent plus one day to turn in missed work due to illness or any other excused absence.
Requests for missed work due to illness: Parents must call the school office before 8:00 a.m. in order for work to be prepared by the teacher on the day of the absence. The teacher will, when requested, deliver the work to a sibling or neighbor; otherwise, it will be placed in the homework tub outside the office. Homework pick-up is available each day until 6:00 p.m. outside the office.
Make-up work from absences other than excused absences: Teachers are not required to prepare work before a known absence such as a family vacation or sports competition. Teachers may choose to send work only if convenient. Any work that is given in advance to the student must be turned in the day the student returns to school in order to receive credit. A student will receive make-up work when he/she returns to school. The student will have the number of days absent plus one day to turn in missed assignments.
Extenuating circumstances will be decided on a case-by-case basis by the teacher and/or principal.
CAFETERIA UPDATES
Negative Balances
Please remember that VPE is no longer a free feeding site and students who have not applied for free and reduced lunch will be charged for all meals (breakfast and lunch). When students accrue a negative balance families will be receiving letters indicating the amount owed. If you have questions please reach out to Robin Lund our cafeteria manager at robin.lund@fayette.kyschools.us or if you need help to apply for free and reduced lunch contact Nicole Love our Family Resource Director at nicole.love@fayette.kyschools.us
Lunch With Your Student
Families & Parents are welcome to join their students for lunch this school year. So as not to displace a student from his/her class, we ask that parents eat at the round tables (in the cafeteria or front hallway) with only their child. Please note that VPE’s wellness policy does not allow fast food lunches or soft drinks for you or your child in the cafeteria. Please help us promote healthy living by not bringing in outside fast food. Finally, for safety’s sake, strollers may not be in the cafeteria during lunch.
Paying for Lunch
Send lunch money to school in a labeled envelope. Lunch accounts may be accessed at My School Bucks - https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/login/getmain?requestAction=home Accounts can be paid and monitored from this site.
JOIN THE PTA
We need you! Join the PTA!!
The Veterans Park Elementary PTA is working hard to ensure this year will be great. Please consider joining today. All are welcome to join: parents/caregivers, grandparents, community members, and businesses. Our membership website is https://vpe.new.memberhub.store. With the processing fees, it's $5.68 per individual member. Your dues will go toward advocacy at the local, state, and national level as we speak up and out regarding the best interests of our students. Our goal is the same as always -- 1 member per student enrolled at VPE. The advocacy of the PTA as decision-makers navigate safety and other standards in ou. PTA has a seat at many tables, and by supporting PTA, we're ensuring we have a voice there too.INFINITE CAMPUS PARENT PORTAL
Did you know that parents can access Parent/Campus Portal to update telephone numbers and emergency contacts? This is also a great way, once your student is in 4th grade or above, to follow their grades and assignments!
Visit: Infinite Campus / Overview for information on how to sign into and set up Parent/Campus Portal. There is also an app available for your smartphone.
Direct link to the FAQ’s:
Transportation Safety
Transportation is one of the biggest worries for a teacher and making sure students arrive and get home safely. We are welcoming & dismissing close to 800 students on a daily basis and we need to ensure that every child gets to school and their home safely. Please help us by following these procedures:
Do not make unnecessary afternoon transportation changes, and only make changes during the school day in the case of an emergency.
All changes in transportation must be in writing and before 1:30 pm….please don’t email your child’s teacher with changes because they can’t be honored. Please email vpetransportation@fayette.kyschools.us to make a transportation change.
Parents please stay in your cars during arrival/dismissal and allow for staff to help students in and out. It is for your safety too!
Be a good role model and only cross at the crosswalk!
Do not drop students on Clearwater Way and please wait until you reach the sidewalk to allow students to get out of the car on the sidewalk side only.
We can not have cars in the bus loop until after all buses have arrived which is typically at 7:20ish therefore, if dropping students prior to 7:20 please use the parking lot side to drop off students.
A helpful hint….there isn’t a line in the car line at 7:20 but tends to be one at 7:40! Come early to keep from having a tardy!
Absences/Tardy- Excused?
Two Steps to an Excused Absence!
If your child is absent, please call the school at 381-3161 before 7:30 am. An automated absence call will go out to all absent students at 10am.
For an absence to be excused, it must be followed up with a written excuse within 3 days. FCPS Board Policy does not allow us to accept notes after this time and absences will remain unexcused. Remember, when you take your child to a doctor or dentist, get a note.
See all the details in the FCPS Code of Conduct.
What is an Excused Absence/Tardy?
Death of an immediate family member
Illness of Student: Parents have a total of 10 notes to write for student's illnesses. After 10 cumulative absences due to illness students are required to present a written statement from a medical professional for each additional absence for the school year in order to be excused.
Religious Holidays & Practices
Medical & Dental Appointments
Family Emergencies: limited to three cumulative absent events per school year, as approved by the Principal.
Family Vacations & Trips are NOT Excused Absences!
PTA MEETINGS - IN PERSON OR ZOOM
This year we will be offering PTA meetings on two platforms - in person and on Zoom. They are scheduled for the second Thursday of each month at 7:45 AM in the VPE Library or using the following Zoom link: https://fcps-net.zoom.us/j/99018941544
WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED…
Twitter - @vpepatriot
Instagram - vpeinaction
Infinite Campus - Attendance, weather calls & more! https://fayetteky.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/fayette.jsp
Email: molly.dabney@fayette.kyschools.us
Website: http://www.veterans.fcps.net/
Location: 4351 Clearwater Way, Lexington, KY, USA
Phone: 859-381-3161
Twitter: @vpepatriot