August 2019

Van Buren Family Newsletter – August 2019

Rock the Block Home/School Relationships Begin at Home

Relationships between home and school are essential to your child’s success. We truly value these relationships and want to do everything possible to have a safe, stress free, and positive start to the school year. We think stopping by for a quick meet and greet to say hello and welcome you to the new school year will be an awesome way to kick it all off! The Van Buren staff plans to stop by your home on Wednesday, August 21 between 1:00- 7:00 pm.

Online Registration Starts Monday, July 8, 2019

All students must complete online registration in Infinite Campus. If you have other students enrolled in the School District of Janesville, you will use the same login information for all of them. If you do not know your password, you can use the Infinite Campus Password App to reset your password, you can call the Registration Help Desk at 608- 743-5047 during the summer or the Van Buren office at 743-7106 starting Wednesday, August 7 for assistance in generating a new password.

Registration Assistance Day

If you need access to a computer please be our guest at the school on our special Registration Day Wednesday, August 15 between 9-11 am and again 4-6 pm. Teachers will not be available this day and classrooms will not be available to visit.

Back-to-School Night

Your family is invited to meet the teacher and see the classroom in an open house Thursday, August 29 from 5:00-6:30 pm. Your child can bring his/her school supplies to put away in a locker, cubby and/or desk.

The FIRST DAY of School

The first full day for students in Grades 1-5 is Tuesday, September 3. Our school day is from 8:15-3:08. Students should arrive no earlier than 8:05 to line up outside their respective grade-level door. Entrance is allowed into the building when the 8:15 bell rings. Kindergarten students were sent a post card with their staggered start date, attending either Tuesday, September 3, or Wednesday, September 4. All Kindergarten students will then come to school together on Thursday, September 5.

School Website & Calendar

Keep current all year long by marking our Van Buren website as a favorite and adding the Van Buren Calendar to your Google calendar.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)

Please join our PTA and get engaged with the many ways they serve our Van Buren Community. You can become a member and attend the regular meetings to contribute in developing the plans. There are many ways to serve and volunteer. You can start by following the Van Buren Elementary PTA Facebook page. Watch for an official invitation to join PTA this fall.

Infinite Campus Parent Portal

All year long, parents can view so much information about grades, attendance, and behavior, plus keep your contact information current through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. If you need your parent username and password, contact the Van Buren office.

Who’s My Child’s Teacher?

One of the number one questions of a child’s summer is in regard to who their homeroom teacher will be. Parents will be able to view the student’s teacher on the Infinite Campus Parent Portal after Wednesday, August 15 once you have registered your child online.

Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC)

We’re excited to continue universal breakfast at no charge to all Van Buren students called Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) starting on Tuesday, September

Please note Van Buren Elementary does not have a Breakfast Club. Students should not be on campus until 8:05 am

Fee Payment

The registration fee for students in Kindergarten through grade 5 may be paid online via electronic check or debit/credit card on the PAYMENT tab in Infinite Campus starting Monday, July 8. If you prefer to pay in cash or paper check, please come to the school office on our Back to School Night to make those payments.

Personalized Learning

Van Buren Elementary defines personalized learning as an approach to learning and instruction that is designed around individual learner readiness, strengths, needs and interests. Learners are active participants in setting goals, planning learning paths, tracking progress and determining how learning will be demonstrated. At any given time, learning objectives, content, methods and pacing are likely to vary from learner to learner as they pursue proficiency relative to established standards. (CESA #1 Institute4pl.org)

With this being our focus, a visitor to Van Buren may see learners doing any of the following:

Goal setting with the teacher,
Demonstrating proficiency through a variety of methods to show their understanding,
Demonstrating collaboration as they share their knowledge on a particular standard,
Monitoring progress towards a particular goal or set of goals,
Reviewing and planning out timelines for learning,
Engaging in work that is unique to their academic needs,
Learning in alternative seating, locations, or with other learners than their age-level peers.

Portrait Day, September 19

Portraits will be taken on this date, If your child is absent on this day, there will be a make-up day, please watch for information to come home.

September 2019

Van Buren Family Newsletter – september 2019

Dear Van Buren Families,

We’ve had a fantastic start to the 2018-2019 school year!

HERE ARE A FEW OF THE AMAZING THINGS HAPPENING AT VAN BUREN:

CHINESE FALL CAMP! Van Buren had the amazing opportunity to host 9 Chinese students and 1 Chinese teacher for an entire week. They joined in with all classroom activities, and we welcomed them and said farewell with a wonderful ceremony, celebrating the United States and China! We hope to do this again, and would love your help as host families.
BUILDING STUDENT LEADERS! Van Buren is a PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) school that promotes and rewards positive behavior through focusing on and developing the strong leadership skills every student has within them. Students are learning and reviewing The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and applying them to their own lives. Our first 2 Habits are BE PRODUCTIVE & BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND. Ask your child about them.
PERSONALIZED EMPOWERED LEARNING! Students have spent time developing SOPs (standard operating procedures) with their teachers, to reinforce our Eagle Expectations throughout the school. Now that expectations and routines are set, students are unpacking standards, learning to create individual academic and behavior goals, and taking a part in monitoring their progress. Students are an active part in their learning and engagement couldn’t be higher!
BOOST GROUPS! To provide additional daily support in Reading and Math for all grade levels, staff has been busy assessing student academic strengths and areas for growth. Using the STAR online assessment, along with other grade level assessments, we have been able to gather baseline data on each student to help us develop small, specific skill groups to BOOST students in the areas they need the most support. Boost groups occur daily, for 1/2 hour in Reading and 1/2 hour in Math. Additional staff members assist to make our groups smaller in size and support student learning at every level.
EAGLE REWARDS! Students earn Eagle Bucks throughout the day as they are “caught being good.” Once a month students can spend their bucks at the SCHOOL STORE, purchasing prizes, or time with staff members. Class rewards consist of Eagle Wings which once 15 are earned, a class chosen reward is earned. Students continue to review and practice daily, our Eagle Expectations; showing respect for themselves, others and property.
SCHOOL CLUBS! We are extending student learning through offering before/during/after school clubs for all to enjoy. Our STEM in the A.M. club (starting in January) will allow students to begin their day stretching their brains as they decode, analyze and apply skills to solve real world problems. YOGA on Thursday mornings gets our kids off to a relaxed and focused start! WALKING club and Flag Football after school keeps our students energized and fit. And, GIRL POWER club will help our girls grow into strong, confident young ladies. Look for more to come on our clubs!
PTA! We’d love for you to join us at our next PTA Meeting on Thursday Nov. 1 at 6:00p.m. in our teacher’s lounge. Our first Scoopie Night at Culvers was a big success! The big Halloween Dance will take place on the evening of Oct. 23.

We are looking forward to meeting with all of you at our Parent/Teacher/Student conferences on Oct. 24 & 25. Remember, No school for students Oct. 24-26.

With Kind Regards,

Mrs. Stephanie Pajerski, Principal

TELEPHONE & AFTER SCHOOL MESSAGES

Thank you everyone for your awesome job of communicating your child’s after school plans. We realize that emergencies and change of plans happen. If you need to call the office to leave a message for your child, please call the office prior to 2:30 p.m. After that time, it becomes increasingly difficult to locate the classroom to give messages.

LUNCH TIMES

KG &1	11:00 - 11:50
4& 5	11:45 - 12:30
2 & 3	12:25 - 1:10

Back to School Picnic

Please join us on Friday, September 20 for our Back to School Picnic. What a great way to kick off the school year!! All of the information you will need is provided on the attached form. Friday, September 20 is also our district 3rd Friday count day. It is very important that all of our VB learners are in attendance on this day, as our school funding is based on the # of students we have enrolled and at school. Picnic time is during student’s regular lunchtimes. We hope to see you at our picnic!!

Wednesday, October 23rd 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM / Conferences (STUDENTS DO HAVE SCHOOL THIS DAY)

OCTOBER 24TH & 25TH -NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

Thursday, October 24th 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM / Conferences Friday, October 25th NO SCHOOL FOR STAFF OR STUDENTS

COATS FOR KIDS

Collection at Van Buren Monday, September 30—Monday October 14, 2019.

Needed: Clean children’s, adults’ winter jackets & coats, snow pants, gloves, scarves, hats & boots. Please no adult dress coasts, sweatshirts, fleece jackets or summer clothing.

Coat Distribution: Saturday, October 26, 2019

9:00—3:00 PM

The Salvation Army (Corner of Glen & Sutherland)

4TH GRADE

It has been HOT in the pod lately at school, but we are beating the heat working hard in 4th grade! We have completed our first set of STAR testing and students have set goals for themselves both academically and behaviorally. Classes have worked hard on creating SOP’s and reviewing classroom expectations.

Field Trips coming up:

November 8th JSOL (all day) --Many chaperones needed for this trip

Chaperoning: Please make sure if you want to chaperone anything this year that you fill out a Volunteer Application.

TAKE NOTE

During the month of September, we will be reviewing concepts and visiting some of our favorite activities from the previous school year. Kindergarten students will be learning about steady beat through movement, singing, and playing instruments. First graders will learn how music is moves and is organized into groups of beats called measures. Second, third, and fourth graders will be focusing on rhythms and reading, playing and composing music. Fifth graders will have music three times a week this year. One music class will be choir, one will be general music, and one will focus upon instrument exploration. Later this month, I will be sending home a note to all fifth graders explaining this in greater detail.

Mrs. Madarik

5TH GRADE

Hi everyone! We are looking forward to another great year. Students have done an awesome job with their initial assessments. Often we get questions about homework, and would just ask that you take time each night to read with your child as well as go through multiplication and division math facts. We will soon begin out Biztown curriculum, which begins to prepare students to be financially literate; we start with what an economy is and the purposes of banking. We would love to have some of you join us as volunteers on that field trip in March!

Kindergarten News

Hello families! We are excited to start the school year. There will be a lot of learning and growing done! Over the school year your child will learn their letters, sounds, and eventually be able to put those sounds together to read. During math this year they will learn all about numbers (count to 100, skip count by 2s, 5s, and 10s, write numbers, etc.). In science, your child will learn how to use their critical thinking skills and in social studies they will learn all about important people, holidays, as well as maps and globes. These are just a few of the academic skills your child will learn. In addition to academic skills, your child will learn important social skills such as sharing and taking turns. At Van Buren we are building tomorrow's leaders! See you in October for parent/teacher/student conferences!

Early Childhood News

Please meet Mrs, Jones

Hi Everyone! My name is Mrs. Jones and I am super excited to be here at Van Buren as the new kindergarten teacher! I am so glad to be staying at this amazing school. I say staying because I did my student teaching placement here last school year and then subbed for a maternity leave after that. I knew I never wanted to leave VB and now I am officially an eagle! I am so excited for my group of kinders this year. We will learn and grow together! When I am not thinking and trying to plan for amazing learning experiences in the classroom, I am playing with my 4-year old son, Leo and my 2-year old daughter, Fiona. Together with their dad and our dog, Rocky, we enjoy most outdoor activities. We bike, camp, fish, swim, hike, and take lots of ATV rides! We stay very busy and I love it that way! I cannot wait to get to know everyone better and complete the team for your child's learning experience here at Van Buren.

Peace and joy, Jenna Jones

1ST Grade

Welcome to first grade! It was great meeting all of you during “Rock the Block” and our Open House! We just know it’s going to be a great year! Some back to school reminders:

Check your child’s take home folder and remove any papers
Ask your child about their day and what they liked best
Remember to check when they have library day and PE day
Please check Class Dojo daily
Please communicate with your child’s teacher on how they will be getting home, especially if there is a change in their routine
Read nightly to your child:)

Thank you for bringing in all of the school supplies to help your child get off to a great start to the year. If you are in need of any supplies, please don’t hesitate to let your child’s teacher know. We are more than happy to help you!

Thank you:)

Mrs. Campion Miss McCool Mrs. Raby

2nd & 3rd

Second and Third grade is off to a good start. We are learning our S.O.P.'s(standard operating procedures). We have reviewed the recess and lunchroom rules. Please remind your child to keep an extra pair of shoes here at school for P.E. and in the future for when we have snow. Both second and third graders are starting to work on Reading and Math PLP time. This is a time when all students get learning personalized to their needs. Please remember that reading to and with your child is important to do every night. Math facts to 20 should also be practiced to master adding and subtracting in 2nd grade and multiplication in 3rd grade. We look forward to a great year. IF you have not already joined your child's class dojo, please join. This is a way we communicate with parents school wide.

Welcome back to the 2019-2020 school year! 3rd grade is going to be a lot of fun this year! We will start the year with a lot of community building. We want to get to know our students - their likes and interests, families and pets, their strengths and weaknesses. We look forward to working with you as well this year! We hope that students find time to read as well as practice their math facts at home. It is expected that by the end of the school year they know ALL of their multiplication facts (up to x10). Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We will communicate mostly through Class Dojo but also phone calls and email. Once again, we look forward to an amazing year!

From the Art Room

Welcome back to a wonderful new school year. I am so excited to have all of my awesome VB students back in the art room. We are all so excited to be creating again. The first few weeks of school will be reviewing expectations in the art room and learning how to get out, care for, and return all of our art supplies and tools. This will ensure that we will have all of the materials we need throughout the whole school year!

PTA will also be having our artists create designs for our Marco’s pizza boxes again this year. More details will go home in October. This year, the Marco’s pizza fundraiser will be held for 3 days...Oct 7-9th.

I also would like to welcome any collectible objects/items to be shared with the art room. Send in items such as brown paper bags, Welch’s plastic juice containers, ice cream buckets and lids, paper towel/ tissue tubes, buttons/beads/gems, plastic baby food containers, or anything you think the students would enjoy creating with. If you’re ready to purge that junk drawer and find anything interesting…. send it our way!

SAFETY ALERT!

Students must not arrive at school before 8:05 a.m. There is no supervision provided until 8:05 a.m. Students must enter the building through their grade level entrance doors unless they arrive at school after 8:25 a.m.

COLD WEATHER REMINDERS

Please dress your child for Wisconsin Winters. Students will be going outside each day unless the temperature and / or wind chill is 0 degrees or below. Students will not be allowed to stay in unless they have a medical excuse from a doctor.

Please label all of your child’s winter outerwear. This includes boots, snow pants, hats, mittens, scarves and jackets.

If you are missing items, please feel free or encourage your child to check the lost and found or by the entrances of the doors they enter in the mornings.

Breakfast

We’re excited to offer a universal program at no charge to all Van Buren students, (BIC).

BIC is served in the classrooms and is free for all students. Each student receives a breakfast snack, milk, and juice. Please note that students should NOT be on campus until 8:05 am.

VISITOR AND VOLUNTEER INFORMATION:

The staff at Van Buren Elementary School would like to inform everyone that visits and volunteers are always welcome here. We would like to remind everyone of the proper procedures.

All visitors are asked to talk to the classroom teacher about your intended visit. Please give 24-hour advance notice when requesting to visit a classroom and state the reason for the visit, we ask that you limit your visit to one hour.

All volunteers are asked to please come to the office and receive a green volunteer application. This form will need to be filled out and returned to the office for principal approval and then forwarded on to the Educational Services Center for a background check. We have many ways to utilize volunteers for anyone willing to donate their time and talents. Stop in the office for an application if interested!

SCHOOL HOURS

Adult supervision is provided on school grounds from 8:05 a.m. until the first bell rings at 8:15 a.m. Students should not be arriving at school earlier than 8:05 a.m. unless they are participating in a special activity (i.e. Safety Patrol, Breakfast Helper etc.) Also, please note, students will not be allowed in the building during inclement weather until 8:05 a.m. unless the temperature and /or wind-chill are 0 degrees or less.

If you have any specific school business, after you drop your child at the outside door, you can use Door 1 to check in at the office.

Students should leave school and playground when dismissed at 3:08 p.m. they should go immediately to after school activities or home.

8:05 Student drop-off
8:15 Students enter (upon bell) 8:20 School day begins
11:05 – 11:50 KG/1 Lunch
11:45 – 12:30 4/5 Lunch
12:25 – 1:10 2/3 Lunch
3:08 Students dismissed

INFINITE CAMPUS PARENT PORTAL

Staying informed with what your child is doing in school has never been easier! You can access much information on the Infinite Campus Parent Portal, such as your child’s attendance and grades. You can keep your contact information current, update your emergency contacts, and pay fees. Here are a few Instructions on specific tasks. Click the links below.

DISTRICT INFORMATION

Child Find Notice - Kimberli Peerenboom

“The school district must locate, identify and evaluate all resident children with disabilities, including children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disabilities.” The school district has a special education program to locate and screen all children with suspected disabilities who are residents of the district and who have not graduated from high school. Upon request the school district will screen any resident child who has not graduated high school to determine whether a special education referral is appropriate. A request may be made by contacting Kimberli Peerenboom, Director of Pupil Services for the School District of Janesville at 743-5061, or by writing her at 527 S. Franklin St., Janesville WI 53548.

Annually the district conducts developmental screening of preschool children. Each child’s motor, communication and social skills are observed at various play areas. Each child is weighed and measured, and the child’s hearing and vision is checked. The information is used to provide the parent with a profile of their child’s current development and to provide suggestions for follow up activities. Parents learn about community services available to them and speak with representatives of agencies serving families. The information from screening is also used to determine whether a child should be evaluated for a suspected disability. When school staff reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability, they refer the child for evaluation by a school district Individualized Education Program (IEP) team. Developmental screening will be a part of the kindergarten screening this Spring. Watch for dates at your local school.

A physician, nurse, psychologist, social worker or administrator of a social agency who reasonably believes a child brought to him or her for services is a child with a disability has a legal duty to report the child to the school district in which the child resides. Before referring the child, the person making the referral must inform the child’s parents that the referral will be made. The referral must be in writing and include the reason why the person believes the child is a child with a disability. Others who reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability may also refer the child to the school district in which the child resides. A referral of a child residing in the School District of Janesville may be sent to Kimberli Peerenboom at the school district address above.”

School District of Janesville

CONFIDENTIALITY OF PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION OBTAINED THROUGH CHILD FIND ACTIVITIES

The School District of Janesville is required to locate, identify, and evaluate all children, with disabilities, including children with disabilities attending private schools in the school district, and homeless children. The process of locating, identifying, and evaluating children with disabilities is known as child find. This agency conducts the following child find activities each year in the form of Early Childhood and Speech and Language Developmental Screenings. This notice informs parents of the records the school district will develop and maintain as part of its child find activities. This notice also informs parents of their rights regarding any records developed.

The school district gathers personally identifiable information on any child who participates in child find activities. Parents, teachers, and other professionals provide information to the school related to the child’s academic performance, behavior, and health. This information is used to determine whether the child needs special education services. Personally identifiable information directly related to a child and maintained by the school is a pupil record. Pupil records include records maintained in any way including, but not limited to, computer storage media, video and audiotape, film, microfilm, and microfiche. Records maintained for personal use by a teacher and not available to others and records available only to persons involved in the psychological treatment of a child are not pupil records.

The school district maintains several classes of pupil records.

"Progress records" include grades, courses the child has taken, the child's attendance record, immunization records, required lead screening records, and records of school extra-curricular activities. Progress records must be maintained for at least five years after the child ceases to be enrolled.

"Behavioral records" include such records as psychological tests, personality evaluations, records of conversations, written statements relating specifically to the pupil's behavior, tests relating specifically to achievement or measurement of ability, physical health records other than immunization and lead screening records, law enforcement officers' records, and other pupil records that are not "progress records." Law enforcement officers' records are maintained separately from other pupil records. Behavioral records may be maintained for no longer than one year after the child graduates or otherwise ceases to be enrolled, unless the parent specifies in writing that the records may be maintained for a longer period of time. The school district informs parents when pupil records are no longer needed to provide special education. At the request of the child's parents, the school district destroys the information that is no longer needed.

Directory data includes the student's name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, photographs, degrees and awards received, and the name of the school most recently previously attended by the student.

"Pupil physical health records" include basic health information about a pupil, including the pupil's immunization records, an emergency medical card, a log of first aid and medicine administered to the pupil, an athletic permit card, a record concerning the pupil's ability to participate in an education program, any required lead screening records, the results of any routine screening test, such as for hearing, vision or scoliosis, and any follow-up to the test, and any other basic health information, as determined by the state superintendent. Any pupil record relating to a pupil's physical health that is not a pupil physical health record is treated as a patient health care record under sections 146.81 to 146.84, Wisconsin Statutes. Any pupil record concerning HIV testing is treated as provided under section 252.15, Wisconsin Statutes.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and section 118.125, Wisconsin Statutes, afford parents and students over 18 years of age ("eligible students") the following rights with respect to education records:

The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of receipt of the request. Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal [or appropriate school official] a written request that identifies the records(s) they wish to inspect. The principal will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. The school district will comply with the request without unnecessary delay and before any meeting about an individualized education program, or any due process hearing, and in no case more than 45 days after the request has been made. If any record includes information on more than one child, the parents of those children have the right to inspect and review only the information about their child or to be informed of that specific information. Upon request, the school district will give a parent or eligible student a copy of the progress records and a copy of the behavioral records. Upon request, the school district will give the parent or eligible student a list of the types and locations of education records collected, maintained, or used by the district for special education. The school district will respond to reasonable requests for explanations and interpretations of the records. A representative of the parent may inspect and review the records.

The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the parent or eligible student believes is inaccurate or misleading. Parents or eligible students may ask [Name of] School District to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the school principal, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the district decides not to amend the record, the district will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and the right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.

The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information in the student's education records, except to the extent that federal and state law authorize disclosure without consent. The exceptions are stated in 34 CFR 99.31, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act regulations; Sec. 9528, PL107-110, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; and section 118.125(2)(a) to (m) and sub. (2m), Wisconsin Statutes. One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosures to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the district as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the school board; a person or company with whom the district has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); or a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, the district discloses education records without consent to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll. Also the district discloses "directory data" without consent, unless the parent notifies the district that it may not be released without prior parental consent.

The right to file a complaint with the U. S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the District to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20202-4605.

Public School Open Enrollment Timelines

The State of Wisconsin has announced the application period for open enrollment (also known as public school choice) begins in February for the following school year. Open Enrollment laws permit children to attend a public school in a school district other than the one in which they live.

The open enrollment application period for the 2020-2021 school year is from February 3, 2020 – April 30, 2020. Parents are encouraged to apply on-line at dpi.wi.gov/open-enrollment. Although on-line application is recommended, paper applications may be obtained from the Department of Public Instruction or any school district after February 3, 2020 and must be delivered (hand-delivery is recommended) to the nonresident school district during the application period. Paper applications to attend Janesville must be submitted to the Open Enrollment Specialist in the New Student Enrollment Office no later than 4:00 p.m. on April 30th (a postmark does not constitute timely submission). Applications turned in prior to February 3rd will be returned as not valid and must be resubmitted after February 3rd but before April 30th at 4:00 p.m.

Enrollment in a requested school or program is subject to space and other limitations and is not guaranteed. Transportation is the responsibility of the parent. Habitual truancy may result in recommendation for the student to return to their home district.

Under School District of Janesville board policy, students who attended the district under open enrollment the previous year are not required to reapply for the following school year.

An application is required for each sibling in the family. For example, if a family has one child in elementary school that has been approved for open enrollment and a new student entering kindergarten next year, the student entering kindergarten must apply for open enrollment in order to attend the School District of Janesville.

Parents will be informed in June whether their open enrollment applications have been approved or denied. The student’s school or program placement will be provided in June.

If you have questions, please contact the Open Enrollment Specialist at 743-5152.

Request for School Transfer/Placement (Intra District Transfers) within the School District of Janesville Attendance Areas

If you move within the School District of Janesville during the school year and wish to remain at your current school, please ask the school office for a Request to Remain in Current School Following Move to New Attendance Area Form (blue). Complete the form and return it to the school office.

Due to Parent Choice:

If you wish to apply to have your student transferred/placed in another school within the district next school year (2020-2021), please ask the school office for a School Transfer/Placement Within the School District Form (yellow). Completed forms will be accepted from December 1 through December 15, 2019 only. Submit your Request for School Transfer/Placement Within the School District Form (yellow) to your home school attendance area office. Parents applying for a Request for School Transfer/ Placement Within the School District will be notified of approval or disapproval by January 15, 2020. Parents applying for a Request for School Transfer/Placement Within the School District for incoming Kindergarten students will be notified of approval or non-approval after they have enrolled their child during the Kindergarten Enrollment period with the New Student Enrollment Office. If you have questions, please contact the school office of your home school attendance area.

Kindergarten Enrollment

2020-2021 School Year

School District Residents

If you have a child turning 5 (five) years old prior to September 1, 2020 and they are not currently enrolled in a School District of Janesville Pre-school for Janesville (P4J) or Early Childhood (EC) program it is time to enroll in the Janesville Public School District. Enrollment will take place at the Educational Services Center located at 527 S. Franklin St. (administration building) in the New Student Enrollment office. You may enroll anytime during the two week period.

Weeks of December 2–6 and December 9-13

7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. M/W/F both weeks
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m Tuesday, December 3, 2019
8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Thursday, December 5, 2019
8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 10, 2019
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m Thursday, December 12, 2019

If you cannot attend the enrollment period please come in as soon as possible to enroll after December 13, 2019. Enrollment in the district is required for participation in orientation. When you enroll, you will need your child’s birth certificate for proof of age, proof of residency (top portion of a utility bill, or current lease) to determine school assignment, immunization records and photo identification. If you have questions on general enrollment, please contact the New Student Enrollment office at 743-5072 or 743-5153 during regular office hours, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Requests for School Transfer/Placement within the School District (yellow forms) for incoming kindergarten students should be submitted through the enrollment process. Forms are available at all schools, as well as at the Educational Services Center. If you have questions regarding this process contact Deen Hartley at 743-5152. The status of requests will be determined by January 15, 2020 if they are turned in by December 13th. If you have a student currently attending a school under a School Transfer/Placement within the School District, it does not automatically qualify your kindergarten student for attendance at the same school; however, siblings are generally assigned to the same school. In order for your kindergarten student to attend the same school as a sibling, you must submit a request during the Kindergarten Enrollment time frame.

If you know of a child in your neighborhood or from community activities that would be entering kindergarten for the 2020-2021 school year, please pass this enrollment information on.

Non-District Residents

If you are a non-resident of the School District of Janesville and have a child turning 5 (five) years old prior to September 1, 2020 and would like your child to attend the School District of Janesville you must also apply for OPEN ENROLLMENT. The timeline for Open Enrollment is February 3 to April 30, 2020. Currently open enrolled non-residents in a P4J or EC program do not need to re-apply. If you have questions regarding the Open Enrollment process, please contact Deen Hartley at 743-5152.

MOVING???

If you will be moving from your current home address please contact Monroe school office at 743-6900 as soon as possible to determine what paperwork you will need to fill out for your child to continue attending his/her current school. Please note: if you are moving to an address outside the School District of Janesville in most cases your child is eligible to continue attending the School District of Janesville as long as you complete the appropriate paperwork within the required timeline.

If you have any questions about school placement for a particular address please contact Open Enrollment Specialist Deen Hartley at 743-5152. The New Student Enrollment Office is open year round.

If you are the parent of an elementary student and will be moving over the summer months when the elementary schools are closed, please contact Open Enrollment Specialist Deen Hartley at 743-5152 or the New Student Enrollment Office at 743-5072 or 743-5153 to complete the appropriate paperwork.

Open Enrollment or Public School Choice

If during the school year, you move outside the School District of Janesville and you wish to remain at your current school please contact the Open Enrollment Specialist at 743-5152 and request a tuition waiver form within two weeks of your move. This will allow you to be eligible to attend your current school for the remainder of the current year tuition free. To continue attending the School District of Janesville after the 2019-2020 school year, you will also need to complete an open enrollment application. Application instructions are provided to the School District of Janesville by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and should be available by late January 2020. This year applications will be accepted February 3 – April 30, 2019.

If you have questions regarding Open Enrollment or Public School Choice, please contact the Open Enrollment Specialist at 743-5152

October 2019

Van Buren Family Newsletter – October 2019

VAN BUREN ELEMENTARY MISSION STATEMENT

Engaging Learners, Building Leaders & Creating Community

1515 Lapham Street - Janesville WI 53546

Phone: (608) 743-7100

Fax: (608) 743-7110

On Our Way to an Amazing Year!

Safety of our students and staff is our number one priority

Always check in at the office before you enter the building or playground before, during and after school. Student pick-up after school is at grade level exits.
Please be patient if students and staff who are in the lobby do NOT let you in when you ring the doorbell. Only office staff is allowed to unlock the door after verifying who you are.
Checking for Visitors is everyone’s job! Stop anyone in or around the building who is not wearing a Visitors Sticker or staff ID badge, and any student who appears too old to be a Van Buren student. Please send them to the office to check in.

OUR EAGLE EXPECTATIONS

Respect Others Respect Ourselves Respect Property

Student Council Theme Days:

Sports Day (October 16th)
Hat Day (November 13th)
PJ Day (December 11th)
Slipper Day (January 15th)
Decade Day (February 12th)
Fancy Dress Up Day (March 11th)
Dress like an Animal Day (April 15th)
Movie Character Day (May 13th)
Beach Day (June 3rd)

Quick Links

PRINCIPAL’S NOTE FROM: MRS. PAJERSKI

Dear Van Buren Families,

We’ve had a fantastic start to the 2019-2020 school year!

This year, we will be sending monthly newsletters to help communicate some of the amazing things happening at Van Buren.

HERE ARE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS:

*CHINESE FALL CAMP! Van Buren had the amazing opportunity to host 15 Chinese students and 2 Chinese teachers for an entire week. They joined in with all classroom activities with their own must dos and may dos, and we said farewell with a wonderful ceremony and video, celebrating the United States and China! Thank you to those staff and VB families who were hosts for the day last Saturday. We hope to get even more families involved next year!

*BUILDING STUDENT LEADERS! Van Buren is a PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) school that promotes and rewards positive behavior through focusing on and developing the strong leadership skills every student has within them. Students are learning and reviewing The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and applying them to their own lives. Our first 2 Habits are BE PRODUCTIVE & BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND. Ask your child about them.

* PERSONALIZED EMPOWERED LEARNING! Students have spent time developing SOPs (standard operating procedures) with their teachers, to reinforce our Eagle Expectations throughout the school. Now that expectations and routines are set, students are unpacking standards, learning to create individual academic and behavior goals, and taking part in monitoring their progress. Students play an active role in their learning and engagement couldn’t be higher!

* BOOST GROUPS! To provide additional daily support in Reading and Math for all grade levels, staff has been busy assessing student academic strengths and areas for growth. Using the STAR online assessment, along with other grade level assessments, we have been able to gather baseline data on each student to help us develop small, specific skill groups to BOOST students in the areas they need the most support. Boost groups occur daily, for 1/2 hour in Reading and 1/2 hour in Math. Additional staff members assist to make our groups smaller in size and support student learning at every level.

* EAGLE REWARDS! Students earn Eagle Bucks throughout the day as they are “caught being good.” Each week, students are recognized during our live Monday morning announcements and once a month students can spend their bucks at the SCHOOL STORE, purchasing prizes, or time with staff members. Class rewards consist of Eagle Wings, which once 15 are earned, a class chosen reward is earned. Students continue to review and practice daily, our Eagle Expectations; showing respect for themselves, others and property.

*SCHOOL CLUBS! We are extending student learning and engagement through offering during/after school clubs for all to enjoy. Currently, Flag Football, Mindcraft Club, and Robotics are underway! Look for more to come throughout the year, such as GIRL POWER, to help our girls grow into strong, confident young ladies, YOGA in the am, SCIENCE Club and more!!

* PTA! We’d love for you to join us at our next PTA Meeting on Thursday Nov. 7 at 6:00p.m. in our teacher’s lounge. There are many ways for you to get involved. Our Monster Mash will take place on the evening of Oct. 29, from 5:30-7:30. Hope to see you there!

*Parent/Teacher/Student conferences are on Oct. 23 & 24. Look for a class dojo message from your child’s teacher to sign up for a time through signupgenius. Remember, No school for students Oct. 24 & 25. Wednesday, Oct. 23 IS a regular school day for students.

With Kind Regards,

Mrs. Stephanie Pajerski, Principal

NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS OCTOBER 24, 25
Wednesday, October 23^rd 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM / Conferences STUDENTS DO HAVE SCHOOL THIS DAY
Thursday, October 24^th 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM / Conferences
Friday, October 25^th NO SCHOOL FOR STAFF OR STUDENTS

We are still collecting clean, children’s coats, snow pants, scarves, hats gloves and boots until October 14^th. There is a barrel located in the front office.

Distribution: Saturday, October 26, 2019

Salvation army Center – corner of Glen & Sutherland from 9:00 – 3:00 pm

Weather Alert

Please dress your child for Wisconsin Winters. Students will be going outside each day unless the temperature and / or wind chill is 0 degrees or below. Students will not be allowed to stay in unless they have a medical excuse from a doctor.

Please label all of your child’s winter outerwear. This includes boots, snow pants, hats, mittens, scarves and jackets.

If you are missing items, please feel free or encourage your child to check the lost and found or by the entrances of the doors they come in. Chaperones are still needed.

PTA Scoopie Nights

November 12 4:00—8:00 pm
December 17 4:00—8:00 pm
February 25 4:00—8:00 pm
April 29 4:00 – 8:00 pm

Kindergarten News

School is now in full swing and the children are learning a lot! We are still practicing school procedures (SOPs) such as emergency drills, walking in the hallway, sitting on the carpet, etc. We are working on keeping self to self. In reading, we are learning that words are represented by letters and sentences are represented by words. We have been practicing the names and sounds of letters and are learning how to write sight words and draw pictures that match ideas in writing. In science, we are talking about the weather and seasons. In math, we are counting and identifying numbers in various ways such as tally marks, ten frames, written numbers, and dots! This month we started lessons with Ms. Flood about social skills. We are truly enjoying having your children in our classes and look forward to seeing you all at conferences at the end of October!

First grade

First grade has gotten off to a great start this year! Students have adjusted well to all of the changes first grade has to offer. We have been reviewing our SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) throughout the school and our classrooms. The students have been learning about what it means to be a leader in school. Also, we have been taking our STAR Assessments for the fall. October will be a very busy month in first grade. We will be discussing fire safety the first week. We will end the month with parent/teacher conferences on October 23 and 24th. We look forward to seeing all of you at that time to discuss your child’s awesomeness! We want to thank you for helping to teach your child responsibility by having them return their take home folder each day! Please feel free to contact us at any time with any questions you may have.

Mrs. Campion, Miss McCool, Mrs. Raby

2nd & 3rd Grade News

During this month, the second and third graders will be continuing to work on reading fluency and comprehension with personalized learning plans or literacy learning centers. It is beneficial for the students to be reading at home on a daily basis. Just twenty minutes a day will help improve a student’s reading fluency. During math time, the students work daily on increasing their math fact fluency with various websites. Please help your child practice math facts with flashcards at home. Thanks for your support!

Fifth grade is currently reviewing place value in math. We beginning our Journeys stories and Mrs. Malchow's class is enjoying their read aloud of Restart. Each class has also started their BizTown curriculum, which helps prepare students to be good financial citizens.

4th Grade News

4th grade is headed on our first field trip to JSOL on Monday, October 14th. Students need good hiking clothes, comfortable shoes and also a sack lunch for the day.

5th Grade News

Fifth grade is currently reviewing place value in math. We beginning our Journeys stories and Mrs. Malchow's class is enjoying their read aloud of Restart. Each class has also started their BizTown curriculum, which helps prepare students to be good financial citizens.

Art News!!

All 3-5 graders just completed an activity called “Draw around the Art Room.” We rotated around 8 different drawing stations and practiced different techniques we can do with each media or tool. 2nd graders just completed art media exploration activity that is similar. They can then use these ideas in their WOW work this year. In the Month of October, we will be creating WOW pieces for our Square 1 Art fundraiser coming up in November.

We have also been practicing using an app called Seesaw. This is a great app that students can use to post their work into a digital portfolio. We will be sending information out to families soon, to connect to our different Seesaw classes. Now they can share their work with you at home and keep it here in their portfolios until art show time in the spring.

Again, I would like to welcome any collectible objects/items to be shared with the art room. Send in items such as brown paper bags, old art supplies, Welch’s plastic juice containers, ice cream buckets and lids, paper towel/ tissue tubes, buttons/beads/gems, plastic baby food containers, or anything you think the students would enjoy creating with. If you’re ready to purge that junk drawer and find anything interesting…. send it our way!

PE News

Hello Van Buren family and friends!

Our students are doing a wonderful job so far in physical education class. We are learning about the importance of physical fitness as well as enjoying various games/activities. During the month of September, our students will take part in two separate units, soccer and football. Each unit is two weeks long and consists of six 30-minute long P.E. classes. In October, our students will learn about physical fitness and balancing a healthy lifestyle while testing our muscular strength and aerobic endurance in fitness testing. 4th and 5th grade students should be on the lookout for a "Flag Football Club" which will start the first week of October! Also, if any families have extra gym shoes that no longer fit their child who would be willing to donate to our "extra gym shoe box" in the gym I would greatly appreciate it.

Go Eagles
Mr. English

Reach Out

Please let us know if there is anything you need to help prepare your child for the 2019-20 school year. We are happy to help!

Winter Sing Program Dates

KG – 8:45 – 9:15
1^st – 9:45 – 10:15
2^nd – 10:45 0 11:15
3^rd – 11:45 – 12:15
4^th – 1:00 – 1:30
5^th – 2:00 – 2:30

Request for School Transfer/Placement (Intra District Transfers) within the School District of Janesville Attendance Areas

Due to Move:

If you move within the School District of Janesville during the school year and wish to remain at your current school, please ask the school office for a Request to Remain in Current School Following Move to New Attendance Area Form (blue). Complete the form and return it to the school office.

Due to Parent Choice:

If you wish to apply to have your student transferred/placed in another school within the district next school year (2019-2020), please ask the school office for a School Transfer/Placement Within the School District Form (yellow). Completed forms will be accepted from December 1 through December 15, 2019 only. Submit your Request for School Transfer/Placement Within the School District Form (yellow) to your home school attendance area office. Parents applying for a Request for School Transfer/ Placement Within the School District will be notified of approval or disapproval by January 15, 2019. Parents applying for a Re-quest for School Transfer/Placement Within the School District for incoming Kindergarten students will be notified of approval or non-approval after they have enrolled their child during the Kindergarten Enrollment period with the New Student Enrollment Office. If you have questions, please contact the school office of your home school attendance area.

Open Enrollment or Public School Choice

If during the school year, you move outside the School District of Janesville and you wish to remain at your current school please contact the Open Enrollment Specialist at 743-5152 and request a tuition waiver form within two weeks of your move. This will allow you to be eligible to attend your current school for the remainder of the current year tuition free. To continue attending the School District of Janesville after the 2018-2019 school year, you will also need to complete an open enrollment application. Application instructions are provided to the School District of Janesville by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and should be available by late January 2019. This year applications will be accepted February 4 – April 30, 2019.

If you have questions regarding Open Enrollment or Public School Choice, please contact the Open Enrollment Specialist at 743 -5152.

MOVING???

If you will be moving from your current home address, please contact Roosevelt school office at 743-7000 as soon as possible to determine what paperwork you will need to fill out for your child to continue attending his/her current school. Please note: if you are moving to an address outside the School District of Janesville in most cases your child is eligible to continue attending the School District of Janesville as long as you complete the appropriate paperwork within the required timeline.

If you have any questions about school placement for a particular address, please contact Open Enrollment Specialist Deen Hartley at 743-5152. The New Student Enrollment Office is open year round.

If you are the parent of an elementary student and will be moving over the summer months when the elementary schools are closed, please contact Open Enrollment Specialist Deen Hartley at 743-5152 or the New Student Enrollment Office at 743-5072 or 743-5153 to complete the appropriate paperwork.

Child Find Notice

“The school district must locate, identify and evaluate all resident children with disabilities, including children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disabilities.” The school district has a special education program to locate and screen all children with suspected disabilities who are residents of the district and who have not graduated from high school. Upon request the school district will screen any resident child who has not graduated high school to determine whether a special education referral is appropriate. A request may be made by contacting Kimberli Peerenboom, Director of Pupil Services for the School District of Janesville at 743-5061, or by writing her at 527 S. Franklin St., Janesville WI 53548.

Annually the district conducts developmental screening of preschool children. Each child’s motor, communication and social skills are observed at various play areas. Each child is weighed and measured, and the child’s hearing and vision is checked. The information is used to provide the parent with a profile of their child’s current development and to provide suggestions for follow up activities. Parents learn about community services available to them and speak with representatives of agencies serving families. The information from screening is also used to determine whether a child should be evaluated for a suspected disability. When school staff reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability, they refer the child for evaluation by a school district Individualized Education Program (IEP) team. Developmental screening will be a part of the kindergarten screening this Spring. Watch for dates at your local school.

A physician, nurse, psychologist, social worker or administrator of a social agency who reasonably believes a child brought to him or her for services is a child with a disability has a legal duty to report the child to the school district in which the child re-sides. Before referring the child, the person making the referral must inform the child’s parents that the referral will be made.

The referral must be in writing and include the reason why the person believes the child is a child with a disability. Others who reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability may also refer the child to the school district in which the child resides. A referral of a child residing in the School District of Janesville may be sent to Kimberli Peerenboom at the school district address above.”

SCHOOL DISTRICT OF JANESVILLE

ANNUAL NOTICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION REFERRAL AND EVALUATION PROCEDURES

Upon request, the School District of Janesville is required to evaluate a child for eligibility for special education services. A request for evaluation is known as a referral. When the district receives a referral, the district will appoint an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team to determine if the child has a disability, and if the child needs special education services. The district locates, identifies, and evaluates all children with disabilities who are enrolled by their parents in private (including religious) schools, elementary schools and secondary schools located in the school district.

A physician, nurse, psychologist, social worker, or administrator of a social agency who reasonably believes a child brought to him or her for services is a child with a disability has a legal duty to refer the child, including a homeless child, to the school district in which the child resides. Before referring the child, the person making the referral must inform the child's parent that the referral will be made. Others, including parents, who reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability may also refer the child, including a homeless child, to the school district in which the child resides.

Referrals must be in writing and include the reason why the person believes the child is a child with a disability. A referral may be made by contacting Ms. Kimberli Peerenboom, Director of Pupil Services, School District of Janesville, at 608-743-5061, or by writing her at 527 S. Franklin Street, Janesville, WI,

CONFIDENTIALITY OF PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION OBTAINED THROUGH

CHILD FIND ACTIVITIES

The School District of Janesville is required to locate, identify, and evaluate all children, with disabilities, including children with disabilities attending private schools in the school district, and homeless children. The process of locating, identifying, and evaluating children with disabilities is known as child find. This agency conducts the following child find activities each year in the form of Early Childhood and Speech and Language Developmental Screenings. This notice informs parents of the records the school district will develop and maintain as part of its child find activities. This notice also informs parents of their rights regarding any records developed. The school district gathers personally identifiable information on any child who participates in child find activities. Parents, teachers, and other professionals provide information to the school related to the child’s academic performance, behavior, and health. This information is used to determine whether the child needs special education services. Personally identifiable information directly related to a child and maintained by the school is a pupil record. Pupil records include records maintained in any way including, but not limited to, computer storage media, video and audiotape, film, microfilm, and microfiche. Records maintained for personal use by a teacher and not available to others and records available only to persons involved in the psychological treatment of a child are not pupil records.

The school district maintains several classes of pupil records.

"Progress records" include grades, courses the child has taken, the child's attendance record, immunization records, required lead screening records, and records of school extra-curricular activities. Progress records must be maintained for at least five years after the child ceases to be enrolled.

"Behavioral records" include such records as psychological tests, personality evaluations, records of conversations, written statements relating specifically to the pupil's behavior, tests relating specifically to achievement or measurement of ability, physical health records other than immunization and lead screening records, law enforcement officers' records, and other pupil records that are not "progress records." Law enforcement officers' records are maintained separately from other pupil records. Behavioral records may be maintained for no longer than one year after the child graduates or otherwise ceases to be enrolled, unless the parent specifies in writing that the records may be maintained for a longer period of time. The school district informs parents when pupil records are no longer needed to provide special education. At the request of the child's parents, the school district destroys the information that is no longer needed.

"Directory data" includes the student's name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, photographs, degrees and awards received, and the name of the school most recently previously attended by the student.

"Pupil physical health records" include basic health information about a pupil, including the pupil's immunization records, an emergency medical card, a log of first aid and medicine administered to the pupil, an athletic permit card, a record concerning the pupil's ability to participate in an education program, any required lead screening records, the results of any routine screening test, such as for hearing, vision or scoliosis, and any follow-up to the test, and any other basic health information, as determined by the state superintendent. Any pupil record relating to a pupil's physical health that is not a pupil physical health record is treated as a patient health care record under sections 146.81 to 146.84, Wisconsin Statutes. Any pupil record concerning HIV testing is treated as provided under section 252.15, Wisconsin Statutes.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and section 118.125, Wisconsin Statutes, afford parents and students over 18 years of age ("eligible students") the following rights with respect to education records:

The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of receipt of the request. Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal [or appropriate school official] a written request that identifies the records(s) they wish to inspect. The principal will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. The school district will comply with the request without unnecessary delay and before any meeting about an individualized education program, or any due process hearing, and in no case more than 45 days after the request has been made. If any record includes information on more than one child, the parents of those children have the right to inspect and review only the information about their child or to be in-formed of that specific information. Upon request, the school district will give a parent or eligible student a copy of the progress records and a copy of the behavioral records. Upon request, the school district will give the parent or eligible student a list of the types and locations of education records collected, maintained, or used by the district for special education. The school district will respond to reasonable requests for explanations and interpretations of the records. A representative of the parent may inspect and review the records.

The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the parent or eligible student believes is inaccurate or misleading. Parents or eligible students may ask [Name of] School District to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the school principal, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the district decides not to amend the record, the district will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and the right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.

The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information in the student's education records, except to the extent that federal and state law authorize disclosure without consent. The exceptions are stated in 34 CFR 99.31, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act regulations; Sec. 9528, PL107-110, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; and section 118.125(2)(a) to (m) and sub. (2m), Wisconsin Statutes. One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosures to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the district as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the school board; a person or company with whom the district has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); or a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, the district discloses education records without consent to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll. Also the district discloses "directory data" without consent, un-less the parent notifies the district that it may not be released without prior parental consent.

The right to file a complaint with the U. S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the District to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20202-4605.

2020-2021 School Year

School District Residents

If you have a child turning 5 (five) years old prior to September 1, 2020 and they are not currently enrolled in a School District of Janesville Pre-school for Janesville (P4J) or Early Childhood (EC) program it is time to enroll in the Janesville Public School District. Enrollment will take place at the Educational Services Center located at 527 S. Franklin St. (administration building) in the New Student Enrollment office. You may enroll anytime during the two-week period.

Weeks of December 2–6 and December 9-13

7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. M/W/F both weeks
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 3, 2019
8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Thursday, December 5, 2019
8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 10, 2019
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Thursday, December 12, 2019

If you cannot attend the enrollment period please come in as soon as possible to enroll after December 13, 2019. Enrollment in the district is required for participation in orientation. When you enroll, you will need your child’s birth certificate for proof of age, proof of residency (top portion of a utility bill, or current lease) to determine school assignment, immunization records and photo identification. If you have questions on general enrollment, please contact the New Student Enrollment office at 743-5072 or 743-5153 during regular office hours, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Requests for School Transfer/Placement within the School District (yellow forms) for incoming kindergarten students should be submitted through the enrollment process. Forms are available at all schools, as well as at the Educational Services Center. If you have questions regarding this process contact Deen Hartley at 743-5152. The status of requests will be determined by January 15, 2020 if they are turned in by December 13th. If you have a student currently attending a school under a School Transfer/Placement within the School District, it does not automatically qualify your kindergarten student for attendance at the same school; however, siblings are generally assigned to the same school. In order for your kindergarten student to attend the same school as a sibling, you must submit a request during the Kindergarten Enrollment time frame.

If you know of a child in your neighborhood or from community activities that would be entering kindergarten for the 2020-2021 school year, please pass this enrollment information on.

Non-District Residents

If you are a non-resident of the School District of Janesville and have a child turning 5 (five) years old prior to September 1, 2020 and would like your child to attend the School District of Janesville you must also apply for OPEN ENROLLMENT. The timeline for Open Enrollment is February 3 to April 30, 2020. Currently open enrolled non-residents in a P4J or EC program do not need to re-apply. If you have questions regarding the Open Enrollment process, please contact Deen Hartley at 743-5152.

Public School Open Enrollment Timelines

The State of Wisconsin has announced the application period for open enrollment (also known as public school choice) begins in February for the following school year. Open Enrollment laws permit children to attend a public school in a school district other than the one in which they live.

The open enrollment application period for the 2020-2021 school year is from February 3, 2020 – April 30, 2020. Parents are encouraged to apply on-line at dpi.wi.gov/open-enrollment. Although on-line application is recommended, paper applications may be obtained from the Department of Public Instruction or any school district after February 3, 2020 and must be delivered (hand-delivery is recommended) to the nonresident school district during the application period. Paper applications to attend Janesville must be submitted to the Open Enrollment Specialist in the New Student Enrollment Office no later than 4:00 p.m. on April 30th (a postmark does not constitute timely submission). Applications turned in prior to February 3rd will be returned as not valid and must be resubmitted after February 3rd but before April 30th at 4:00 p.m.

Enrollment in a requested school or program is subject to space and other limitations and is not guaranteed. Transportation is the responsibility of the parent. Habitual truancy may result in recommendation for the student to return to their home district.

Under School District of Janesville board policy, students who attended the district under open enrollment the previous year are not required to reapply for the following school year.

An application is required for each sibling in the family. For example, if a family has one child in elementary school that has been approved for open enrollment and a new student entering kindergarten next year, the student entering kindergarten must apply for open enrollment in order to attend the School District of Janesville.

Parents will be informed in June whether their open enrollment applications have been approved or denied. The student’s school or program placement will be provided in June.

If you have questions, please contact the Open Enrollment Specialist at 743-5152.

November 2019

Newsletter November 2019

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRINCIPAL-Mrs.Pajerski

Hello Van Buren Families,
Thank you for attending Parent/Teacher/Student conferences. We enjoyed talking with you and sharing the growth your child has made so far this year. At any time you have celebrations, questions, or concerns you'd like to share about your child's education, please do not hesitate to reach out. We value your partnership!

We hope you enjoyed our PTA sponsored Monster Mash. We'd love for you to get involved with our PTA!

Events in the Future:

- November 12 Culver's Scoopie Night 4-8 pm
- November 15 Family Movie Night 6:15 pm
- December 5 PTA Meeting 6:00 pm

The end of our first trimester is November 21, with NO SCHOOL
for students on Friday, November 22. Progress reports will be sent home with your child on December 2, 2019.
With the holiday season approaching, we are focusing on togetherness, friendship, and family. We LOVE parent involvement and welcome you to visit during lunch, read with students in classrooms, attend field trips, or assist in any way you can.

We will not have school on

Wednesday, November 27 - Friday, November 29.

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy time with your family and friends,
Mrs .Pajerski, Principal

Winter Sing Schedule - December 18

Kindergarten - 8:45 - 9:15
1st Grade - 9:45 - 10:15
2nd Grade - 10:45 - 11:15
3rd Grade - 11:45 - 12:15
4th Grade - 1:00 - 1:30
5th Grade - 2:00 - 2:30

Music News

All students will be working on their upcoming Winter Sing. Kindergarten and First grade will be putting on a short musical called The Littlest Christmas Tree. Flakes, is the name of the Second and Third grade show. Fourth and Fifth graders are working on a musical called, Snow Biz. Some students will be bringing home speaking parts in November. If your student has a speaking part, it would be wonderful if you help them memorize their part and practice speaking slowly. Students are asked to dress nicely on the day of the performance. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me
lnmadarik@janesville.k12.wi.us

Parent Engagement Survey

The School District of Janesville is on a continuous journey to make our schools the best places for students to learn, staff to work, and parents to send their children for a good education. In this effort, we appreciate your support. It is important to gather feedback from you to celebrate
successes and identify areas for growth.
Please take a few minutes and complete this Parent Satisfaction Survey to help provide this feedback. Open 10/14 thru 11/8.
SDJParent Satisfaction Survey.

WINTER WEATHER REMINDERS

Reminder, students will not be entering the building during inclement weather until 8:05 a.m. unless the temperature and /or wind-chill are 0
degrees or less. All students should go to the doors they enter each morning.

SPRING 4TH & 5TH GRADE TRACK MEETS

5th Grade - Tuesday,May 19, 2020
4th Grade -Wednesday,May 20, 2020
Rain Date - Thursday,May 21, 2020

Website Translations

We are excited that our website offers a translating feature. At the top right of every page in our website, there is a TRANSLATE button on the ribbon bar. You can choose from over 100 different language options. Simply choose the English option again, once done exploring. Please share this feature with the bilingual members of our Van Buren community.

2nd & 3rd Grades

Second and Third grade have been working hard to set Reading and Math goals this trimester. Every student is working on what they can do
to meet their goal. Remember to read with and to your child 4-5 times a
week.
Third graders just enjoyed a field trip and Second grade is working to plan one soon. Watch for more details to come home.

Remember with colder weather that students need snow pants, boots, hats and gloves. It is a good idea to send a spare set of clothes to
leave in their lockers or cubbies in case they get wet at recess.

Art Class

I'm so excited to share all of our VB artist's work with you this year through Seesaw. I sent home QR codes with all the students at conferences.
Van Buren is piloting a Seesaw version that can have up to 10 family connections. Scan the QRcode and you will get to see all of the wonderful things they are creating at school. If you need a new one...send me a quick message and I?ll print one off and send it home with you child.

Square 1 Art has been collected and shipped out. All 395 pieces of artwork are being printed into one-of-a-kind brochures that will arrive back to Van Buren on Nov 12th!

I'm so excited for you to see their amazing artwork. The square 1 art
fundraiser will run from Nov 12th through Nov 25th. You can order online at square1art.com/shop. Enter in your student's unique code
listed on their personalized brochure. Send me a dojo message if you misplace it and I'll get you your code. All orders will arrive Dec 18th,
just in time for the perfect holiday gift!

The art room will receive 20%of all orders. We have been able to purchase things like ipads, Puzzlet Boards for a swatch out game
teaching color mixing, Ozobots, an amazing acrylic paint center with easels, and tons of art supplies!

This year I'm hoping to enhance my drawing center with more
How-To-Draw books, marker air sprayers, and some really cool tempera paint sticks that the students love called Kwik Stix. Thank you so much for supporting our Van Buren artists.

I also wanted to use a fun new supply in our paper mache center?

CANDY WRAPPERS!

With Halloween just celebrated...save your clean candy wrappers and
collect them up in a plastic bag and send then to the art room! I thought it would be super fun to make some art projects using these brightly
colored, yummy wrappers!

PE News

Hello Van Buren family and friends!
Our students are doing a great job so far in physical education class. We are learning about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and enjoying various games/activities. During the months of September and October, our students took part in various cooperative games and sport-specific units including soccer, football, and physical fitness testing. Each unit was two weeks long and consists of six 30-minute long P.E. classes.

In the middle of October, our students learned about physical fitness and balancing a healthy lifestyle while testing our muscular strength and aerobic endurance in fitness testing. 4th and 5th grade students also had the opportunity to join the after-school flag football club which was a tremendous success!

In the months of November and December, students will participate in the following units: Tennis, Dance/Rhythms, Tumbling, and Gymnastics. Also, if any families have extra gym shoes that no longer fit their child who would be willing to donate to our "extra gym shoe box" in the gym we would greatly appreciate it!
Go Eagles!
Mr. English

1st Grade

The first graders have been very busy with reading, math, and writing. In math, students have been telling time to the hour and half hour, counting 10?s and1?s and working on addition and subtraction facts.

The first grade teachers want to make sure that you are noticing the extra books for reading and sight word cards coming home that can be used to support your first graders learning while at home. If you have access to the internet, websites that may be used at home are
abcya.com and Starfall.com. These are excellent sites for giving extra reading and math practice at home. If you need assistance, the first grade teachers are willing to help out.

The cold weather has approached us quickly. Thank you for sending the children with winter gear. Snow pants and boots are a must when there is snow on the ground. It will be helpful to send an extra pair of socks and shoes to keep at school when they have wet feet. We would like to thank the families for sharing important and helpful information about your child at our fall conferences.
Mrs. Campion
Miss McCool
Mrs. Raby

Non School days in November

Friday, November 22 - Teacher Professional Development
Wednesday, November 27 - Teacher Work Day
Thursday & Friday, November 28 & 29 - Thanksgiving Break

Kindergarten

Kindergarteners are working hard and making friends. October was bully prevention month and we really enjoyed "mix it up lunch". Teachers and students were eager and excited for families to come to conferences so they could enjoy learning about all we have
been up to in Kindergarten. In reading we are starting to practice strategies for listening and recalling details. We are also practicing our sight words in order to increase our fluency! In math, we are practicing counting, writing numbers, subitizing, and measuring. November brings the beginning of the celebration season, therefore we will be focusing on families and traditions.

Early Childhood

What does apple painting, building birds? nests, and camping all have in common? Yes, you may have guessed that those are all fun
activities we have been doing in Early Childhood so far this year! In the EC room, we have been focusing on a letter per week. So far we have done S, A, N, I, T, P, C, K, and H. We have activities, songs, crafts, and play for each letter and sneak in some math, fine motor, gross motor and social skills too. The kids have especially enjoyed putting together puzzles in the tent, freeing the pom poms from their frozen pond, our ABC letter matching train, and all the songs. A surprising favorite has
been our weekly poem/chant with certain students voicing a quick ?again!?Our upcoming letters for November are M, D, and E including
a trip to the Moon and a visit from a local dentist to teach about taking good care of our teeth. It's going to be a marvelously delightful
and exciting November!

4th Grade News

4th graders had a wonderful time learning and exploring on our first field
trip at JSOL! Our next trip is coming up in December...information to come home soon! Looking ahead to trimester 2, our focus will continue on a variety of reading strategies to enhance comprehension and extend skills. In math, we will continue working with operations and algebraic thinking pushing us forward to a heavy focus of fractions! Please continue practicing multiplication facts at home. Having a
firm knowledge base of the facts goes a very, very long way!

December 2019

DECEMBER 2019 NEWSLETTER

Van Buren Elementary School

ENGAGING LEARNERS, BUILDING LEADERS, CREATING COMMUNITY

Principal Greet:

As the weather begins to change and snow starts to fall, students and staff begin to feel the excitement of the winter season! Preparations for our musical performances are underway. Mrs. Madarik, our wonderful music teacher, has been working hard with all of our learners to create spectacular performances. This is a great way to kick off the Holiday Season! Please join us on Wednesday, December 18 to enjoy the shows.

The holiday season is a time of year to give thanks and focus on the most important things in our lives. In education, my “Whats”, things I stand for and believe in, and what drives and motivates me to do what I do, are simple. RELATIONSHIPS! I love children and will do anything to help them succeed. I believe that ALL students CAN learn and have the RIGHT TO LEARN. We all come from different backgrounds and bring different experiences to the table. These experiences shape us into who we are and who we want to be. As an educator, it is my job to find the good in every child, seek out their strengths, and provide opportunities for them to build self- confidence and make a difference in the world. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your child’s life.

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS... Children, along with everyone, need to feel appreciated, important and special. By listening, sharing personal real-life experiences and respecting students, trusting relationships begin to form. My hope is to continue to build genuine relationships with our students and staff, and with all of our families as well. I wish you all a peaceful and relaxing holiday season and look forward to the New Year working with you!

Winter Sing Programs – Friday, December 18, 2019:

KINDERGARTEN – 8:45
GRADE 1 – 9:45
GRADE 2– 10:45
GRADE 3– 11:45
GRADE 4-1:00
GRADE 5-2:00

All performances will be in our Multi-Purpose Room

Winter Weather Reminders:

As the weather continues to change and the cold weather approaches, we have a few reminders for student safety at Van Buren.

• All students go outside each day for lunch recess. Winter clothing is necessary every day. This should include a warm winter coat, hat, and gloves or mittens. Students in K - 5 must have snow pants and boots on in order to go into the snow. Otherwise they will be required to stay on the blacktop.

• If it is raining or snowing heavily in the morning when students come to school they are to go to their grade level door they usually line up at, not the front doors. There are staff members and safety patrol members to let them in and direct them to the location they should be at until the bell rings at 8:15.

• Remember: no student should be on campus until 8:05 a.m.

• Temperature for Indoor Recess - All Janesville School District schools will be consistent about the temperature for indoor recess. The temperature will be “feels like” 0 degrees or actual 0 degree Fahrenheit. Precipitation, icy conditions on the playground, or other unsafe weather situations will continue be a reason to have indoor recess if the temperature is higher than 0 degrees. Robotics Team News:

Congratulations to the Van Buren Robotic Eagle team they are off to sectionals in Waukesha on Sunday, December 15th. Good Luck!!

Art News:

Congratulations to 2 Van Buren Artists who will have their artwork displayed at the south side Blackhawk Community Credit Union. Artwork will be going up in the beginning of December and stay up through the winter season. We also have another Van Buren artist who has her artwork displayed in the Council Chambers at the downtown City Hall in Janesville.

Up Coming Events:

December 10 4^th Graders to Wisconsin State Capital
December 11 Student Council Theme Day – PJ Day
December 13 PTA holiday Hoopla 6:00 – 8:00 PM
December 17 PTA Scoopie Night 4:00 – 8:00 PM
December 23 Winter Break Begins
January 2 School Resumes at 8:15 AM

Classroom Happenings: Early Childhood

Brr! According to the Early Childhood weather forecast, it’s cooling down outside and some of that white fluffy stuff has actually started falling in our classroom. We’ve spent the beginning of December finding snowflakes in our songs and activities. Next week, there are reports that reindeer will be guiding our sleigh of letter, number, shape, and color activities. Finishing up December, there will be a wintery mix of holiday fun. Remember to always bundle up your child with warm clothes as we move through these cold winter months and stay tuned for more updates in the new year!

Kindergarten

Kindergarten students have been working hard on friendship skills and how to be a kind friend. We are continuing to learn about leadership skills at school and in life! Some students have been learning all 26 letters and sounds. We are putting sounds together to spell words and make sentences. Students will continue to read books pointing to words as they read. We will work on telling and identifying details of a story. Students will focus on; numbers 0-20, write these numbers, and use them to add. We will work on numbers that are greater and less. December can be so much fun with holidays and projects, but don’t forget to get lots of sleep and be ready for school each day. We will see you on December 18th at 8:45 for the Winter sing!

1^st Grade

Wow! It’s December already! We have been reading, reading and reading! Please remember to take time each night to read to and with your child! Books will make an excellent Christmas gift! In math, students have been telling time to the hour and half hour, counting money and working on addition and subtraction facts. If you have access to the internet, websites that may be used at home are abcya.com, Startfall.com and Raz-kids.com. We want to remind you that our Winter Sing is Wednesday, Dec. 18th from 9:45-10:15 a.m. It will be a fun day! The cold weather has approached us quickly. Thank you for sending the children with snow gear. Please remember to pack extra socks and shoes to keep their feet warm and dry.

2nd & 3rd

The 2nd and 3rd grade students are working hard on their math facts. This month we will be focusing on Habit #3 - Put First Things First. In this habit we try to prioritize what we need to get done and realize that work comes before play. Food Wise from UW-Extension will be coming into the classroom to teach the students about the importance of nutrition and making good food choices.

4^th Grade

Fourth grade is looking forward to our field trip to the Capitol in Madison on Tuesday, December 10th.

Don't forget the Van Buren Winter Sing is December 18th. The fourth grade performance is at 1PM.

5^th Grade

Fifth graders are working hard on their preparation for their Holiday Sing! We are seeing great growth in basic math facts and are continuing to prepare for our trip to BizTown. Field trip permission slips went out at conferences and we would love to see more of those come back, especially if you are interested in attending as a chaperone.

Request for School Transfer/Placement (Intra District Transfers) Within the School District of Janesville Attendance Areas

Due to Move:

If you move within the School District of Janesville during the school year and

wish to remain at your current school, please ask the school office for a Request to Remain in Current School Following Move to New Attendance Area Form (blue). Complete the form and return it to the school office.

Due to Parent Choice:

If you wish to apply to have your student transferred/placed in another school within the district next school year (20202021), please ask the school office for a School Transfer/Placement Within the School District Form (yellow). Completed forms will be accepted from December 1 through December 15, 2019 only. Submit your Request for School Transfer/Placement Within the School District Form (yellow) to your home school attendance area office. Parents applying for a Request for School Transfer/ Placement Within the School District will be notified of approval or disapproval by January 15, 2020. Parents applying for a Request for School Transfer/Placement Within the School District for incoming Kindergarten students will be notified of approval or non-approval after they have enrolled their child during the Kindergarten Enrollment period with the New Student Enrollment Office. If you have questions, please contact the school office of your home school attendance area.

Open Enrollment or Public School Choice:

If during the school year, you move outside the School District of Janesville and you wish to remain at your current school please contact the Open Enrollment Specialist at 743-5152 and request a tuition waiver form within two weeks of your move. This will allow you to be eligible to attend your current school for the remainder of the current year tuition free. To continue attending the School District of Janesville after the 2019-2020 school year, you will also need to complete an open enrollment application. Application instructions are provided to the School District of Janesville by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and should be available by late January 2020. This year applications will be accepted February 3 – April 30, 2020.

If you have questions regarding Open Enrollment or Public School Choice, please contact the Open Enrollment Specialist at 743-5152.

Spring Track Meet:

4^th Grade Tuesday, May 19th, 5^th grade Wednesday, May 20^th, and Thursday, May 21^st. More information to be sent home.

Lunch Times:

Kindergarten & 1^st Grade 11:00 – 11:50

4t & 5^th Grades 11:45 – 12:30

2^nd & 3^rd Grades12:20 – 1:10

Kindergarten Enrollment - 2020-2021 School Year

School District Residents

If you have a child turning 5 (five) years old prior to September 1, 2020 and they are not currently enrolled in a School District of Janesville Pre-school for Janesville (P4J) or Early Childhood (EC) program it is time to enroll in the Janesville Public School District. Enrollment will take place at the Educational Services Center located at 527 S. Franklin St. (administration building) in the New Student Enrollment office. You may enroll anytime during the two-week period.

Weeks of December 2–6 and December 9-13

7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. M/W/F both weeks
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 3, 2019
8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Thursday, December 5, 2019
8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 10, 2019
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Thursday, December 12, 2019

If you cannot attend the enrollment period please come in as soon as possible to enroll after December 13, 2019. Enrollment in the district is required for participation in orientation. When you enroll, you will need your child’s birth certificate for proof of age, proof of residency (top portion of a utility bill, or current lease) to determine school assignment, immunization records and photo identification. If you have questions on general enrollment, please contact the New Student Enrollment office at 743-5072 or 743-5153 during regular office hours, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Requests for School Transfer/Placement within the School District (yellow forms) for incoming kindergarten students should be submitted through the enrollment process. Forms are available at all schools, as well as at the Educational Services Center. If you have questions regarding this process contact Deen Hartley at 743-5152. The status of requests will be determined by January 15, 2020 if they are turned in by December 13^th. If you have a student currently attending a school under a School Transfer/Placement within the School District, it does not automatically qualify your kindergarten student for attendance at the same school; however, siblings are generally assigned to the same school. In order for your kindergarten student to attend the same school as a sibling, you must submit a request during the Kindergarten Enrollment time frame.

If you know of a child in your neighborhood or from community activities that would be entering kindergarten for the 2020-2021 school year, please pass this enrollment information on.

Non-District Residents

If you are a non-resident of the School District of Janesville and have a child turning 5 (five) years old prior to September 1, 2020 and would like your child to attend the School District of Janesville you must also apply for OPEN ENROLLMENT. The timeline for Open Enrollment is February 3 to April 30, 2020. Currently open enrolled non-residents in a P4J or EC program do not need to re-apply. If you have questions regarding the Open Enrollment process, please contact Deen Hartley at 743-5152.

Public School Open Enrollment Timelines

The State of Wisconsin has announced the application period for open enrollment (also known as public school choice) begins in February for the following school year. Open Enrollment laws permit children to attend a public school in a school district other than the one in which they live.

The open enrollment application period for the 2020-2021 school year is from February 3, 2020 – April 30, 2020. Parents are encouraged to apply on-line at dpi.wi.gov/open-enrollment. Although on-line application is recommended, paper applications may be obtained from the Department of Public Instruction or any school district after February 3, 2020 and must be delivered (hand-delivery is recommended) to the nonresident school district during the application period. Paper applications to attend Janesville must be submitted to the Open Enrollment Specialist in the New Student Enrollment Office no later than 4:00 p.m. on April 30th (a postmark does not constitute timely submission). Applications turned in prior to February 3rd will be returned as not valid and must be resubmitted after February 3rd but before April 30 th at 4:00 p.m.

Enrollment in a requested school or program is subject to space and other limitations and is not guaranteed. Transportation is the responsibility of the parent. Habitual truancy may result in recommendation for the student to return to their home district.

Under School District of Janesville board policy, students who attended the district under open enrollment the previous year are not required to reapply for the following school year.

An application is required for each sibling in the family. For example, if a family has one child in elementary school that has been approved for open enrollment and a new student entering kindergarten next year, the student entering kindergarten must apply for open enrollment in order to attend the School District of Janesville.

Parents will be informed in June whether their open enrollment applications have been approved or denied. The student’s school or program placement will be provided in June.

If you have questions, please contact the Open Enrollment Specialist at 743-5152.

MOVING???

If you will be moving from your current home address, please contact Van Buren Elementary school office at 608-7437106 as soon as possible to determine what paperwork you will need to fill out for your child to continue attending his/her current school. Please note: if you are moving to an address outside the School District of Janesville in most cases your child is eligible to continue attending the School District of Janesville as long as you complete the appropriate paperwork within the required timeline.

If you have any questions about school placement for a particular address, please contact Open Enrollment Specialist Deen Hartley at 743-5152. The New Student Enrollment Office is open year round.

If you are the parent of an elementary student and will be moving over the summer months when the elementary schools are closed, please contact Open Enrollment Specialist Deen Hartley at 743-5152 or the New Student Enrollment Office at 743-5072 or 743-5153 to complete the appropriate paperwork.

January 2020

Principal Message From Mrs. Pajerski
Happy New Year Van Buren Families,
With the new year, our Van Buren family continues to grow! As the largest of 12 elementary schools, our current enrollment is at 409 students. We’re excited to continue our personalized learning path, as we build leaders, give students a voice and choice in their learning, and provide many opportunities for our learners to practice life skills such as; collaboration, problem solving, and time management! Some of the January highlights at Van Buren include:

5th grade students trying out band/orchestra instruments for 6th grade
Girl Power Club for 4th/5th grade girls
EC/K-5th grade students receiving free books through grant money
PTA Coin Wars Fundraiser
Science Club for 4th/5th grade
Martin Luther King Jr Celebration
WenZENday activities
Friday Dance Party & Staff of the Week Announcement
Hope you can join us at our next PTA meeting, Thursday, January 9 at 6:00pm.

Stay Warm,
Mrs. Pajerski, Principal

Kindergarten News
Now that winter break is over and everyone is well rested and ready to learn, Kindergarten will be back to working hard on our goals! In reading, we are working on blending and segmenting words and writing the corresponding letters to spell them out! We are continuing to work on writing, making letters into words, and using capital letters, spaces, and punctuation to make sentences! In math, we are using our counting and number sense skills to make addition equations (number sentences). Ask your student about what math strategies they use to add! As always, we will continue to work on being a great leader, friend, and student.

No School Days
January 20, 2020 - Martin Luther King Day
February 21, 2020 - Staff Development Day
March 4 & 5, 2020 - Conferences

Reading is Fundamental (RIF) and Dollar General Grant Opportunity
During January and February, all of our students get to pick out their own books to keep as part of a grant from Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) and Dollar General. Van Buren and all of the other elementary schools were the recipients of this generous grant. Students will be previewing and choosing their books during their weekly Library visit. What a great opportunity to get some fantastic books in the hands of our students! Thank you RIF and Dollar General! Mrs. Ruff

Cold Weather Reminders
Please note, students will not be entering the building during inclement weather until 8:05 a.m. unless the temperature and /or wind-chill are 0 degrees or less. All students should go to the doors they enter each morning.
Please dress your child for Wisconsin Winters. Students will be going outside each day unless the temperature and / or wind chill is 0 degrees or below. Students will not be allowed to stay in unless they have a medical excuse from a doctor.
Please label all of your child’s winter outerwear. This includes boots, snow pants, hats, mittens, scarves and jackets.
If you are missing items, please encourage your child to check the lost and found or by the entrances of the doors they enter in the mornings.

School Hours
8:05 Student drop-off
8:15 Students enter (upon bell)
8:20 School day begins
3:08 Students dismissed

What time is Lunch?
11:05 – 11:50           Kg/1
11:45 – 12:30           4/5
12:25 - 1:10             2/3

Moving?
If you will be moving from your current home address, please contact the Van Buren school office at 608-743-7106 as soon as possible to determine what paperwork you will need to fill out for your child to continue attending his/her current school.

Early Childhood
Just a little Early Childhood update:
A new month brings about
New activities for our littlest learners. The next
Units for us include a trip to the ocean
And to the forest with bear sightings expected. Get
Ready for lots of adventures in the new
Year because we’re wild about our learning!

Upcoming Spirit Days
January 13-17~ PTA Penny Wars
January 15~ Slipper Day
February 12 ~ Decades Day
March 11~ Dress Fancy Day
April 15 ~ Dress Like an Animal Day
May 13 ~ Dress Like a Movie Character Day

First Grade News
Thank you for all you do to make your child an independent and responsible student..
It has been a great start to the New Year in first grade! We started 2020 with STAR testing in reading and math. We are excited to see how the students have grown since the beginning of the year! Parents will be receiving the test scores at our next conferences.
Students are starting to become independent readers. We are proud of how hard they are working on the reading strategies. The more your child reads the more fluent your child will be in reading. We would like your child to read at least 10 minutes each night. It is also important to ask your child questions about the book that he/she has read.
Please remember to check your child’s take home folder each night for important notes. We also want to remind you to send your childs library books back each week so they may check out new ones.
Stay Warm!
First Grade Teachers

We Put the Fun in Fundraising!
Ways You Can Help the PTA
Attend PTA Meetings
Script Orders
Scoopie Nights
Fine Arts Fair
Family Fun Night
Lifetouch Picture Days

Art News
Happy New Year!
I am so glad to be back in the art room with all of our VB Kiddos! Thank you so much for a successful Square 1 Art fundraiser and supporting our little artists! I hope you all enjoyed the many keepsakes that were ordered. You may continue to order through the square1art.com website, you will just have to pay for shipping and have it shipped to your home.  So far this year we have had 2 donors choose projects funded. The first one was awarded in the end of October and our students got to play with fun drawing materials such as tempera paint sticks and 100 color variety set of super tip markers. Our second donors choose project was funded and we just received some Keva Planks to use as building materials to make sculptures, tunnels, slides, or anything they can think of! I’m so excited to watch them explore!This winter, in the intermediate grade levels, 5th graders will be starting their ceramic tiles for our 5th grade mural wall, 4th grade will be working on drawing texture, and 3rd grade will be starting their sculpture unit! In the primary grades, 2 graders will learn about some different artists and compare and contrast their techniques, 1st grade will continue working with the color wheel and color mixing, and Kindergarten will start to learn to describe and use different types of lines. As February approaches we will be making our Valentine bags. If you have any brown paper grocery bags laying around….send them into the art room. We’ll take them! Thanks again for supporting our Van Buren Eagle artists!
Request for School Transfer/Placement (Intra District Transfers) within the School District of Janesville Attendance Areas
Due to Move: If you move within the School District of Janesville during the school year and wish to remain at your current school, please ask the school office for a Request to Remain in Current School Following Move to New Attendance Area Form (blue). Complete the form and return it to the school office.
Due to Parent Choice: If you wish to apply to have your student transferred/placed in another school within the district next school year (2020-2021), please ask the school office for a School Transfer/Placement Within the School District Form (yellow). Completed forms will be accepted from December 1 through December 15, 2019 only. Submit your Request for School Transfer/Placement Within the School District Form (yellow) to your home school attendance area office.    Parents applying for a Request for School Transfer/ Placement Within the School District will be notified of approval or disapproval by January 15, 2020. Parents applying for a Request for School Transfer/Placement Within the School District for incoming Kindergarten students will be notified of approval or non-approval after they have enrolled their child during the Kindergarten Enrollment period with the New Student Enrollment Office. If you have questions, please contact the school office of your home school attendance area.
Open Enrollment or Public School Choice: If during the school year, you move outside the School District of Janesville and you wish to remain at your current school please contact the Open Enrollment Specialist at 743-5152 and request a tuition waiver form within two weeks of your move. This will allow you to be eligible to attend your current school for the remainder of the current year tuition free. To continue attending the School District of Janesville after the 2019-2020 school year, you will also need to complete an open enrollment application. Application instructions are provided to the School District of Janesville by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and should be available by late January 2020. This year applications will be accepted February 3 – April 30, 2019. If you have questions regarding Open Enrollment or Public School Choice, please contact the Open Enrollment Specialist at 743-5152.
Public School Open Enrollment Timelines
The State of Wisconsin has announced the application period for open enrollment (also known as public school choice) begins in February for the following school year. Open Enrollment laws permit children to attend a public school in a school district other than the one in which they live.
The open enrollment application period for the 2020-2021 school year is from February 3, 2020 – April 30, 2020. Parents are encouraged to apply on-line at dpi.wi.gov/open-enrollment. Although on-line application is recommended, paper applications may be obtained from the Department of Public Instruction or any school district after February 3, 2020 and must be delivered (hand-delivery is recommended) to the nonresident school district during the application period. Paper applications to attend Janesville must be submitted to the Open Enrollment Specialist in the New Student Enrollment Office no later than 4:00 p.m. on April 30th(a postmark does not constitute timely submission). Applications turned in prior to February 3rdwill be returned as not valid and must be resubmitted after February 3rd but before April 30^th at 4:00 p.m.
Enrollment in a requested school or program is subject to space and other limitations and is not guaranteed. Transportation is the responsibility of the parent. Habitual truancy may result in recommendation for the student to return to their home district.
Under School District of Janesville board policy, students who attended the district under open enrollment the previous year are not required to reapply for the following school year.
An application is required for each sibling in the family. For example, if a family has one child in elementary school that has been approved for open enrollment and a new student entering kindergarten next year, the student entering kindergarten must apply for open enrollment in order to attend the School District of Janesville.
Parents will be informed in June whether their open enrollment applications have been approved or denied. The student’s school or program placement will be provided in June.
If you have questions, please contact the Open Enrollment Specialist at 743-5152.

Student council Corner
The Van Buren Student Council members would like to thank all of all students and staff members who generously contributed to our Toys for Tots collection. It was wonderful to see the giving nature of all of our students and families. On Tuesday, December 10th our school community was able to share over 100 donated toys with the Janesville Salvation Army. These items will be given to families in need within our community during the holiday time. Thank you again for your generous support of this activity.

Grade 2 and 3 News
2nd and 3rd grade are excited to be back to school after a great winter break! We have reviewed SOPs and set goals for the new year! All students set an academic goal - an area in school they want to improve upon as well as a behavior goal. Students made a plan as to how they are going to work towards meeting or exceeding their goal! What a great way to start 2020!

Upcoming Field Trips
March 2 ~ 5^th Grade to Biztown
April 30 ~ 5^th Grade to Midway Village
June 1 ~ 5^th Grade to Shedd Aquarium
June 5 ~ 5^th Grade to El Ra Bowl

5th Grade News
Fifth grade field trip slips went out again! Please let your child's teacher know right away if you are willing to chaperone! We look forward to these amazing trips. Fifth graders will soon be taking the STAR test again to monitor progress. They have already done a reading level check as well as a check on fluency and we are seeing great gains!

Physical Education News
If any families have extra gym shoes that no longer fit their child who would be willing to donate to our "extra gym shoe box" in the gym I would greatly appreciate it!

Hello Van Buren family and friends! Our students continue to do a fantastic job in P.E. class. I greatly appreciate their effort and sportsmanship on a daily basis. We are learning about the importance of physical fitness as well as participating in various sports/units. In December, our students had the opportunity to take part in a three-week tumbling/gymnastics unit! During the month of January, we will be practicing our bowling skills as well as floor hockey and basketball. If you have any extra gym shoes that you would be willing to donate to our "extra shoe box" it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much.Go Eagles! Mr. English

Public School Open Enrollment Timelines
The State of Wisconsin has announced the application period for open enrollment (also known as public school choice) begins in February for the following school year. Open Enrollment laws permit children to attend a public school in a school district other than the one in which they live.
The open enrollment application period for the 2020-2021 school year is from February 3, 2020 – April 30, 2020. Parents are encouraged to apply on-line at dpi.wi.gov/open-enrollment. Although on-line application is recommended, paper applications may be obtained from the Department of Public Instruction or any school district after February 3, 2020 and must be delivered (hand-delivery is recommended) to the nonresident school district during the application period. Paper applications to attend Janesville must be submitted to the Open Enrollment Specialist in the New Student Enrollment Office no later than 4:00 p.m. on April 30th(a postmark does not constitute timely submission). Applications turned in prior to February 3rdwill be returned as not valid and must be resubmitted after February 3rd but before April 30^th at 4:00 p.m.
Enrollment in a requested school or program is subject to space and other limitations and is not guaranteed. Transportation is the responsibility of the parent. Habitual truancy may result in recommendation for the student to return to their home district.
Under School District of Janesville board policy, students who attended the district under open enrollment the previous year are not required to reapply for the following school year.
An application is required for each sibling in the family. For example, if a family has one child in elementary school that has been approved for open enrollment and a new student entering kindergarten next year, the student entering kindergarten must apply for open enrollment in order to attend the School District of Janesville.
Parents will be informed in June whether their open enrollment applications have been approved or denied. The student’s school or program placement will be provided in June.
If you have questions, please contact the Open Enrollment Specialist at 743-5152.

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