October 2020 NEWSLETTER

Van Buren Elementary School

A Note from Mrs. Pajerski, Principal

Dear Van Buren Families,
What a start to the 2020-2021 school year! The theme thus far has seemed to revolve around “COVID in Education.” We are so very proud of the safety expectations our students, staff, and parents are following in order to keep us moving forward with face to face instruction!! Below are a few more things to celebrate at Van Buren...
 

 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.
 

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 at Van Buren!
 

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 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.
 

Students earn Dojo Points throughout the day as they are “caught being good.” Each week, students are recognized during our live Monday morning announcements. 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 Van Buren Vision: Engaging Learners, Building, Leaders, Creating Community!
 

We’d love for you to join us at our next PTA Meeting on Thursday Nov. 5 at 4:00p.m. virtually. There are many ways for you to get involved. Our VB Halloween Parade will take place on the evening of Oct. 30, from 4:00-5:30pm. Hope to see you there! *Parent /Teacher/Student conferences are on Oct. 21 & 22. 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. 22 & 23. Wednesday, Oct. 21 IS a regular school day for students.
Van Buren Strong, No Matter the Distance!
Stephanie Pajerski, Principal

1st grade news

First grade has gotten off to a great start this year! Students have adjusted well to all of the changes this year. they have been amazing at wearing masks and following distancing procedures! We have been reviewing our SOP's (Standard Operating Procedures) throughout the school and our classroom. The students have been learning about what it means to be a leader in school. the students worked hard at the STAR Assessments in September. We will be busy learning in October and working at our goals for reading and math, we look forward to sharing your child's strengths and areas to work on at conferences on October 21-22. We want to thank you for helping to teach your child responsibility by having then return their take home folder each day! Please feel free to contact us any time with questions.

4th grade news

We have enjoyed being back in the classroom with our fourth graders! Our classes have created SOP's (Standard Operating Procedures) to help keep everyone safe. Students have been great at physical distancing, wearing their masks and sanitizing their hands and work spaces. We have been busy exploring our new iPads. In math, students are learning strategies to solve multiplication and division problems. We have completed assessments in math and reading to help us see where each of our learners are currently at. We look forward to working with you and your fourth grader this year. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.

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! We are truly enjoying having your children in our classes and look forward to seeing you all at conferences at the end of October.

Early Childhood News

Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year! The Early Childhood program is up and running. We are exploring letters, numbers, shapes, and colors. This month we will also be enjoying the favorites of fall: apples, pumpkins, and insects. We're planning to extend our discovery learning by adventuring on some virtual field trips. As always, we also learn a lot about ourselves and others through our daily play. Happy October!

Music Notes

We are off to a great start in music class. We are holding music outdoors while the weather permits. We are fortunate to have a student teacher joining us in music class. Her name Fiona Schimke and attends UW Whitewater. She has been showing us how to bucket drum! We have been practicing rhythm patterns on our buckets and learning how to do sticking patterns as well. In our outdoor music class, we focus on movement, singing (with masks on), and styles of music.

Weather

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.

5th grade news

5th graders are off to a great start. they have been doing a great job being safe by wearing their masks and distancing when possible. We started a new math program called Bridges. We are excited for the new program and new techniques. In reading we are working on comprehension skills and reading strategies. For social studies we are working on economics and explorers. This trimester's writing, we will be working on a narrative piece. Don't forget to be reading at home and working on your child’s multiplication facts. 2nd & 3rd grade news

The 2nd and 3rd grade teachers are SO excited to be back at Van Buren this fall! We appreciate all that everyone is doing to stay safe while at school. We are wearing our masks, washing and sanitizing our hands and work spaces, and keeping social distant. We are continuing to work on SOPs and review our classroom and school rules. iPads are used daily in class and students are getting very familiar with Seesaw. When we are on our devices, it is important that all students have working headphones! This year we are also learning with a new math curriculum called Bridges. The students are doing a great job getting used to all of these changes.

Art News

How excited are we to be back at school!!! It’s been an adjustment but the kids are doing amazing! Although I started the year off teaching art outside, it has been a bit difficult battling the bees, bugs, and wind and technology issues with all of their art supplies and iPad’s, so I am now teaching art primarily in the student’s reg. ed. classrooms. All students are getting art activities through Seesaw! They are watching pre-recorded demonstration videos that I have converted to be watched right on their IPad’s. This will allow them the practice they may need for any moment in which they may have to pivot to virtual learning from home. They have been getting the hang of it and the more we practice...the better they get!
We have also started our yearly Square 1 Art project that will be used for our Fall art fundraiser. Packets will arrive at Van Buren and sent home mid-November and your “one of a kind” products, if you choose to order, will arrive just in time for the holidays on December 15th. Just a reminder that we will not be taking paper orders this year. All orders will need to be placed online!

I am so proud of the transition all of our Van Buren Students have made back to face-to-face. We are so happy to be here and learning and creating together!
We got this!
Ms. Mory-Art

PE news

In P.E. class, we are enjoying the outdoor weather as much as possible! Students are working on their loco motor and motor skills like throwing/catching and kicking. We are starting to get into our sport-specific units like soccer and football. Students who have P.E. class in the morning are encouraged to bring an extra pair of shoes and socks with them due to the grass being wet in the AM. It is highly recommended! Keep up the great work boys and girls! Go Eagles, Mr. English Moving

If you will be moving from your current home address please contact Van Buren Elementary 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. 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.

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 (2021-2022), 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, 2020 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, 2021. 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 2020-2021 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 2021. This year applications will be accepted February 1 - April 30, 2021.
If you have questions regarding Open Enrollment or Public-School Choice, please contact the Open Enrollment Specialist at 743-5152.

 

Kindergarten Enrollment 2021-2022 School Year

 

School District Residents
If you have a child turning 5 (five) years old prior to September 1, 2021 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 from December 7, 2020, through December 18, 2020, at the Educational Services Center located at 527 S. Franklin St. (administration building) in the New Student Enrollment office by appointment only. Please call (608) 743-5153 or (608) 743-5072.

If you cannot attend the enrollment period please come in as soon as possible to enroll after December 15, 2020. 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.

The window for Requests for School Transfer/Placement within the School District (yellow forms) for incoming kindergarten students are available from December 1, 2020, through December 15, 2020, and 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, 2021 if they are turned in by December 15th. 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 2021-2022 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, 2021 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 1, 2021, to April 30, 2021. 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.

A Message from Mrs. Pajerski, Principal

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 Halloween Car Parade. We’d love for you to get involved with our PTA! Future Meetings:

 December 3 PTA Meeting 4:00p.m.

The end of our first trimester is November 19, with NO SCHOOL for students on Friday, November 20. Progress reports will be available through Infinite Campus for your viewing on November 24, 2020.

With the holiday season approaching, we are focusing on togetherness, friendship, and family. We LOVE parent involvement and appreciate your assistance with our Wednesday home learning experiences.

We will not have school on Wednesday, November 25 - Friday, November 27.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Enjoy time with your family!
 Be Well,
Mrs. Pajerski, Principal

Dates to Remember:

November 2020

• 19 End of Trimester 1
• 20 No School 
• 25 No School
• 26 No School – Happy Thanksgiving
• 27 No School

Request for School Transfer/Placemat (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 (2021-2022), 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, 2020 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, 2021. 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 2020-2021 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 2021. This year applications will be accepted February 1 - April 30, 2021.

 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 2021-2022 school year is from February 1, 2021 - April 30, 2021. 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 1, 2021 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 1st will be returned as not valid and must be resubmitted after February 1st 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.

Kindergarten Enrollment 2021-2022 School Year

School District Resident s If you have a child turning 5 (five) years old prior to September 1, 2021 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 from December 1, 2020, through December 15, 2020, at the Educational Services Center located at 527 S. Franklin St. (administration building) in the New Student Enrollment office by appointment only. Please call (608) 743-5153 or (608) 743-5072.

 If you cannot attend the enrollment period please make an appointment as soon as possible to enroll after December 15, 2020. 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

The window for Requests for School Transfer/Placement within the School District (yellow forms) for incoming kindergarten students are available from December 1, 2020, through December 15, 2020, and should be submitted through the enrollment process. Enrollments are completed by appointment only. 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, 2021 if they are turned in by December 15th. 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 2021-2022 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, 2021 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 1, 2021, to April 30, 2021. 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 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. 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.

5^th Grade News

5th grade has been working hard in October and we are looking forward to November. First, I wanted to say welcome to Mrs. Skorlinski. She is the teacher that took over Mrs. Gross' class. We are glad to have her join our team. Thank you to all who participated in parent teacher conferences. In reading, we continue to work on our reading strategies. We will do another reading level check at the end of Trimester 1. In Language Arts, we will be writing our narrative short story. In Science, Mrs. Giron's and Mrs. Skorlinski's class is still learning about Matter. Mrs. Malchow's class has been learning about oil spills. Social Studies we will be diving into the 13 colonies and then moving into the American Revolution. Be sure to read the hand out you should have received regarding our new Bridges math program. We are in Unit 2 and focusing on fractions (adding, subtracting, common denominators, lowest common multiple, and greatest common factors). Remember students should be reading at home 15-30 minutes a night and practicing math facts for 10-15 minutes a night.

2^nd & 3^rd Grade News

Thank you to all of the families that were able to connect with their child's teacher at conferences, whether it was face to face, Zoom or on the phone. It was great to share out all of the great things we are doing in school and for you to share important and helpful information about your child. It's hard to believe it's November already! With the temperature dropping, it is a good idea to send a sweatshirt to keep at school. The building can be quite chilly. We have been very busy in all curriculum areas; reading, math and writing, along with science and social studies. Our new math series, Bridges, is challenging, but rewarding. Students are demonstrating different ways to come up with their answers. In reading, we are working on vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. It is important for your child to spend at least 15-20 minutes reading at home. Children love to be read to and they love to read to someone. The more your child reads, the better reader he/she will be. Storylineonline.net is a good resource if your child wants to listen to a story. If you have any questions or concerns at any time, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher.
 Thank you! 2nd and 3rd Grade Teachers!

Winter Weather Reminders

Reminder, students will not be entering the building during inclement weather until 8:15 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.

Art News

Hello from the art room! We have been having a blast using Seesaw and posting all of our artwork digitally! Students have been also practicing how to move between their regular class in Seesaw, to their Specials classes. I have been working on making demonstration videos before class and uploading them into Seesaw lesson activities. This way students can work at their own pace, and follow along if they are face-to-face, or at home learning virtually. Students can take their art materials home, but if they don’t have enough preparation time, it may be a good idea to have an extra stash of art supplies at home such as white paper, coloring materials (crayons, colored pencils, markers, watercolor), scissors and glue. I am trying to prepare lessons using these basic art supplies. 4-5th graders received a box of chalk pastels that they can keep from a Donors Choose project I had funded just before school started. They added these to their art kits here at school and are allowed to go home if we pivot to virtual learning. We used them to mix and blend colors in these awesome fall leaf drawings! Lastly, has been sent out!!! All 334 of them. Square 1 art brochures and stickers should be coming home around NOV 15th. This year, we will not be sending in paper orders. Orders must be made online at square1art.com/shop. Your unique order code will be listed on the brochure, or you can email/dojo message me and I can get you your child’s special code! Orders will arrive mid-December, right before holiday break! These, again, can be great holiday gifts!!! Thanks for supporting our VB Artists!
Ms. Mory!

P.E. News

Hello Van Buren Families, In P.E. class, we are enjoying the outdoor weather as much as possible! Students are working on their locomotor and motor skills like throwing/catching and kicking. We recently finished our "football" unit as well as our physical fitness testing where students ran the PACER test! I am so proud of everyone's effort! :) We are looking forward to continuing more sport-specific units throughout the next several weeks. Remember to bring your gym shoes on days that you have P.E. class so you can be as active as possible while keeping yourself safe. Keep up the great work boys and girls! Go Eagles,
Mr. English

1^st Grade News

Thank you for meeting with us for your child's conference in October! The first graders have been very busy with reading, math, and writing. In math, students have been working on addition and subtraction facts and learning about fact families. Please remember to practice a good nightly routine of reading books and practicing sight words. When the iPads go home on Wednesdays, have your child show you some of their favorite learning apps. 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. . Thank you!
First Grade Teachers

Kindergarten News

Kindergartners are working hard and making friends. We enjoyed time with each family for parent teacher conferences to learn more about your family and what 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 with five frames and ten frames, and tally marks. November brings the beginning of the celebration season; therefore, we will be focusing on families and traditions.

Early Childhood News

November brings with it many adventures for EC students.
Our littlest learners will be “camping,”
Venturing to the Moon, and finding out about our favorite
Extinct creatures--dinosaurs! This
Month also
Brings us a great opportunity to think about
Everything we are THANKFUL for in life. I know our EC friends are
Ready for another great month!

4^th Grade News

Fourth graders have really impressed us with following our SOPs to help keep the distance when lining up on dots! They continue to serve as wonderful leaders in this regard! Bridges Math and Number Corner instruction has us focusing on measurements, elapsed time, computational fluency, solving story problems, and multi-digit multiplication and early division. Studies in geography and life science continue this month. Please continue to send students with hats, gloves, and warm coats as our temperatures continue to drop. Keep reading and practicing your math facts!

Music News

Hello Van Buren Families We had lots of fun in our outdoor music class. We enjoyed practicing rhythm patterns on our bucket drums, singing lots of different styles of music including country and reggae, and moving to describe how music sounds. We had to say goodbye to Miss Schimke, our wonderful student teacher as she will be moving on to do her student teaching in the high school band program. We will now be having music class inside our classrooms. We will be doing lots of movement, body percussion, and writing our own music. In addition, we will be learning the names of lots of musical symbols. Happy Fall Everyone!
 

Dates to Remember

• December 23 Winter Break Begins
• January 4 School Resumes
• January 7 Virtual PTA Meeting
• January 18 Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No School

A Message From the Principal, Mrs. Pajerski

Dear Van Buren Families and Friends,
As the weather begins to change and snow starts to fall, students and staff begin to feel the excitement of the winter season!  We feel blessed to continue on with face to face instruction, making connections with our students and doing our very best to keep everyone safe while making learning fun and engaging!!

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!
Warm Holiday Wishes,
Mrs. Stephanie Pajerski, Principal

Early Childhood News

December is here! There are reports that reindeer have been spotted in the EC area and they are guiding our sleigh of letter, number, shape, and color activities for the beginning of December. There is also a wintery mix of holiday fun on the radar, for our EC friends, leading up to winter break. Please bundle up your child with warm clothes (coat, hat, mittens/gloves) and an extra set of clothes as we move through these cold winter months. 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 have been focusing on many reading strategies also. We work on telling and identifying details of a story.  Students will focus on; numbers 0-20, write these numbers, and use them to add and subtract.  We've been working 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.  

First Grade 

Happy December! First graders are working on being good friends and skills to get along with others. In guidance lessons with Ms. Flood, first graders are learning how to identify their emotions and strategies they can use to self regulate their emotions. At home, please try to read three or more times a week with your child. You can also set aside time to practice the 100 first grade sight words shared earlier in the year. In math, practice adding within ten and practice doubles, such as 4+4, 7+7, and 3+3. We are also working to understand and explain the difference between even and odd numbers. The weather is much colder now, so please remember to bring mittens/gloves, hats, boots, snow pants, and winter coats. It is also good to have an extra pair of socks and shoes to keep their feet warm and dry! Enjoy your holiday season Van Buren families!

2nd & 3rd Grade 

2nd and 3rd graders are working hard on their new Bridges math! They are engaged and enjoying the new learning content! 2nd and 3rd graders will begin their mid year reading level, fluency and sight word checks in the next month, so you may hear students talking about this at home. 

4th Grade 

Fourth graders have continued working on reading skills and strategies in a variety of genres. In Math, we have continued to build on our multiplication strategies, review of units of measurements, as well as creating plans to solve word problems. Looking ahead, Bridges will lead us into more division work to understand the operation and utilize strategies. Please remember to dress for the weather. If wearing snow boots to school, please remember a change of shoes for inside the building. 2020 has been an interesting year, but we are learning so much in 4th grade and having fun, too!  

5th Grade

5th grade has been working hard and staying safe. In reading we will be reading about Holidays around the world. The informative writing is this trimester's piece of writing. They have been working on a paragraph giving facts and details about an animal. We wrapped up Matter in Science and we've moved onto the Human Body. We will be learning about the different systems that work together to keep our body running. The students did a great job with their 13 colonies project. We are learning about slavery in the colonies, and getting into the causes of the American Revolution. We continue our Bridges program and just started Unit 3 that works with decimals. Remember to be reading at home, as well as practicing your math facts!

From Mrs. Ruff our Innovation Specialist

Van Buren was once again selected to receive 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 last year, too. Students will each receive three books which will be delivered by classroom teachers sometime over the next several months. What a great opportunity to get fantastic books in the hands of our students! Thank you RIF and Dollar General!

Physical Education

Hello Van Buren Families, In P.E. class, students are working on their motor skills like throwing/catching and their physical fitness skills as well. We are enjoying sport-specific units, and we recently finished our tennis unit in November. We are looking forward to continuing more sport-specific units throughout the next several weeks including tumbling! Keep up the great work boys and girls! Go Eagles, Mr. English

Inclement Weather/Snow Days

As winter 2020-21 approaches, the SDJ is providing details regarding updated plans and notification to parents/guardians in the event inclement weather causes a closing or a delay in starting of school.

The SDJ school calendar has two days built in to accommodate some weather delays/closures. With the onset of the COVID-19 public health emergency in March 2020, the SDJ became a one-to-one district, meaning each student has a device (either an iPad or a Chromebook) that allows them to connect to the internet. With this capacity and capability, the SDJ will allow the first two inclement weather days of the winter season to be just that – ‘snow days’ on which no school work will be required of students. 

If at all possible, the Superintendent will make the determination regarding school closing or delay information the night before, or no later than 6:00 a.m. the day of the closing or delay. District staff will then send out communication to families via the Campus Messenger System (Infinite Campus) by phone call, email, and text message, and post the information to the SDJ web site, SDJ social media channels, and local media outlets.

With a third, and any potential additional inclement weather day this winter season, the SDJ will pivot to online instruction from home. These will be scheduled as such instead of adding additional in-school make-up days at the end of the school year to meet state law required hours of instruction. 

The Superintendent will make the determination regarding school closing and implementing online instruction the day before in order to allow students and staff to prepare, and to ensure students take their devices (and charging cables) home for use the following day. 

Again, district staff will send out communication to families via the Campus Messenger System (Infinite Campus) by phone call, email, and text notifying them of this pivot to online instruction due to inclement weather, and post the information to the SDJ web site, SDJ social media channels, and local media outlets.

It is very important that parents/guardians verify that their contact information is correct in the Infinite Campus system, and that settings are marked appropriately for how they wish to receive school closing information. This is especially important if families have moved or have changed telephone numbers since initially setting up their Infinite Campus account.

Since Infinite Campus may take some time in completing notifications to the more than 10,000 contacts, we encourage families to be checking for details on the SDJ web site homepage ( http://www.janesville.k12.wi.us) as well as the SDJ Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/SDJK12/). In many instances, the information will become ‘live’ on those sites before the Infinite Campus messaging system is able to complete its notifications. Closing and pivot to online instruction information will be provided to local news outlets including the Janesville Gazette, WCLO and the Madison local TV stations, who will post school closings or delay information on their respective websites.

State law ( http://dpi.wi.gov/cal/days-hours) governs the required number of hours of instruction for all school districts in Wisconsin. SDJ calendar information is available at https://www.janesville.k12.wi.us/calendar.

Parents/guardians always have the option of keeping their child home due to inclement weather. Please be sure to call your child’s school to report the decision to keep them home. Your child will receive a principal excused absence. NOTE: the SDJ does not close school early due to an approaching winter storm. This is to avoid sending students to potentially unattended/unsupervised home situations. If parents are concerned about an approaching storm, they are welcome to come to school and pull their student(s) out early if they feel it would be appropriate.

This information is also available at  https://www.janesville.k12.wi.us/about-us/school-closings

The School District of Janesville has a great team that will be clearing sidewalks and parking lots/playgrounds, and keeping the heat on in the buildings as we maintain our promise to prioritize the safety, health, and wellness of our school community.

Kindergarten Enrollment - 2021-2022 School Year 

School District Residents
If you have a child turning 5 (five) years old prior to September 1, 2021 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 from December 1, 2020, through December 15, 2020, at the Educational Services Center located at 527 S. Franklin St. (administration building) in the New Student Enrollment office by appointment only.  Please call (608) 743-5153 or (608) 743-5072. 

If you cannot attend the enrollment period please make an appointment as soon as possible to enroll after December 15, 2020.  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

The window for Requests for School Transfer/Placement within the School District (yellow forms) for incoming kindergarten students are available from December 1, 2020, through December 15, 2020, and should be submitted through the enrollment process.  Enrollments are completed by appointment only.  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, 2021 if they are turned in by December 15th.  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 2021-2022 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, 2021 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 1, 2021, to April 30, 2021.  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.

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 (2021-2022), 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, 2020 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, 2021.  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 2020-2021 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 2021.  This year applications will be accepted February 1 – April 30, 2021. 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 2021-2022 school year is from February 1, 2021 – April 30, 2021.  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 1, 2021 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 1st will be returned as not valid and must be resubmitted after February 1st 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 the 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's School office at 743-7100 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.

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 to 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.

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 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."

A Message from Mrs. Pajerski, Principal

Dear Van Buren Families,
Warmest greetings to you and your family!  We are busy working hard on our second trimester goals.   With trimester two ending on February 18, it will soon be time for parent-teacher-student conferences! This is a great opportunity for you to collaborate with your child’s teacher and hear from your child about the progress they are making!! Conferences will be held on Wednesday, March 3, and Thursday, March 4, 2021.  Look for a message through class dojo to come home soon where you can sign up for a time through the SIGNUPGENIUS link.  Conferences will be held virtually through zoom, as they were in the Fall.  Please take a moment and update any contact information on Infinite Campus so we are sure to have the most up to date phone numbers. 

Progress reports for trimester 2 will be available for your viewing, through Infinite Campus on February 23, 2021.  Please take some time to discuss your child’s progress with them.  Your praise for their hard work and your assistance with goal setting helps motivate our students to do their best in school!

Check out the fun events happening this month at Van Buren.
February 4        PTA Meeting  4:00pm through Zoom
February 9        Culver’s Scoopie Night 4-8pm
February 11       Valentine’s Celebration
February 12       Virtual Learning Day for students  8:30am-1:45pm
February 16       Apple Day - students will participate in fun “apple”        activities & learn new Apple Apps on their iPads
February 19        NO School for students
Feb. 22-March    Scholastic Virtual Book Fair
February 26       February/August Birthday Celebration

Thank you for your continued efforts in getting your child to school on time each day.  We value your partnership in educating your child and preparing them for a bright future.  As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you are having.  I am always here to listen and support you and your child in any way that I can.  Stay warm!  Spring will be here before we know it!!
With
Kind Regards,
Mrs. Pajerski

Please Welcome Mr. Lauer To Our 4th Grade Team
Hello Van Buren Families,
My name is Mr. Jon Lauer and I live in Lake Geneva.  I have three children Jordan (College Freshman), Jaiden (High School Junior), and Justin (pictured, 5th Grade).  Besides teaching, I love to coach and play tennis. Outdoor activities are something I enjoy doing with my family.  

My teaching career started after graduating from Elmhurst College with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education.  I worked twelve years in Illinois and in that time, I also earned a Master’s Degree in Gifted Education from Northeastern Illinois University. 

Since coming to the School District of Janesville for about 14 years, I have worked as a TAG teacher at Harrison, Madison, Jefferson and Washington Schools.  Then I spent 8 years teaching 3rd and 4th grade at Washington School. I did take some time off and returned to Janesville this fall teaching first grade for the ARISE Academy.  

I am very excited to join the 4th grade team here at Van Buren.  Thank you all in advance for letting me work with your children.  I look forward to meeting all of you at conference time. 

Welcome Mrs. Adler Our New Reading Specialist
My name is Jodi Adler and I am the new Reading Specialist here at Van Buren Elementary School. I am very excited to be joining such an awesome team of educators and am looking forward to getting to know all of the students and their families as well. I thought I’d share a little bit about myself, so that you can get to know me better as well. I received my Elementary Education Grades 1-6 license through the University of Wisconsin- Madison.  I went on to complete my master’s degree in reading at UW-Whitewater. In light of my interest in early literacy skills, I returned to UW-Whitewater to obtain a birth-kindergarten add-on licensure.  My previous teaching experiences include: 1^st grade for nine years at Adams Elementary School, Reading Specialist at Harrison for four years, and Kindergarten/First Grade at Harrison for the past ten years! I live in Janesville with my husband David (who is the Assistant Principal at Franklin Middle School) and we have three daughters- Lauren (age 19 who attends UW-Madison), Katelyn, (age 16 at Craig HS) and Morgan (age 10 who is in 5th grade at Harrison). My family has been blessed with awesome school experiences here in Janesville, and I know they look forward to getting to know “mom’s new school” too! Although leaving my kindergarten classroom at Harrison mid-year was definitely difficult, I cannot tell you how excited I am to be starting this position, as early literacy has always been my passion! I can’t wait to become part of the Van Buren family and grow my Eagle wings!

Early Childhood ~ Time for another magical month for our EC kiddos. We’ll be celebrating the “100th” day of school and wishing others a happy Valentine’s Day all in one month! We’re on to letters U for unicorns, V for Valentine’s Day, L for ladybugs, and J for jellybeans this month and, as always, we’ll be pulling shape, color, and number tricks out of our hat too.

Kindergarten ~ In the month of February our kindergarten students will get to celebrate important dates: Valentine’s Day, Presidents day, and the 100th day of school!  We have many fun and educational activities the students will engage in to celebrate these important days but Valentine’s Day will look different this year. We are not permitted to let students bring valentines made at home. We will have alternative, safe options to celebrate that day.  In reading, we will continue to work on reading and writing our sight words. We practice reading stories pointing to words and using reading strategies to help with unknown words. Students are working on blend and digraph sounds.  Counting to 50 or higher, manipulating numbers through 10 (ex: 2 and 8 more is 10), and writing numbers 0-20 and beyond are goals we are mastering this time of year for math.  When the playground snow melts it can get wet and muddy so we appreciate an extra pair of shoes and socks at school.  This helps keep the classroom clean.

1st Grade ~ First grade learners have been working hard since the start of the new year! Please continue practicing sight words and word lists that are sent home each week.  This extra practice really shows in the classroom and is a great way to boost your child’s confidence in reading.  At this point in the school year, we are studying ‘vowel teams’ and blends in words.  Think, “When the first vowel does the talking, the second one does the walking!”  It is a great practice for you to help your child find words with these features in their books at home.

We are building fluency in our ability to add within 20 quickly.  This includes doubles and near doubles equations!  We are also building our speed in skip counting and finding missing numbers on a number line.  Thank you for incorporating this practice in your time at home as well. 

It’s been a great year so far and we can’t wait to keep growing as learners, leaders, and community members!
Ms. Dean, Miss McCool, and Mrs. Raby

 2^nd & 3rd Grade ~ In February, the second and third graders will continue to work on reading fluency and comprehension.  You can help with this at home by having your child read aloud to you as often as possible.  It is also important to have your child retell what they read to ensure that they are comprehending the text. The students should be reading daily at home for 15 to 20 minutes. As the trimester comes to an end, the second and third graders will be completing their opinion paragraphs.  Many students are writing about their favorite restaurant, sport, movie, or teacher.  In the opinion paragraphs, they include reasons and details to support their opinions. Next trimester, the writing focus will be informative writing.  The students will research a topic to write about.  Just a reminder to continue to send winter gear with your child throughout this month so they’re prepared when it snows.  Please continue to check ClassDojo for school and classroom news and updates. 

 4th Grade ~ 4th grade has been celebrating our growth from our recent STAR testing! We are incredibly excited to see so much growth. To keep moving with this trend, please encourage and assist your child with practicing math facts or even logging on to IXL (or other shared class sites) to practice and review a variety of skills! Asking your child about what they are reading and having book talks will help build comprehension! 

Per the district, we will not be bringing in Valentine's as done in the past to help eliminate the sharing of things from multiple homes. Though it will look different, we will still be celebrating in our classrooms! Please continue sending a water bottle with your child as the water fountains are open for bottle filling only!

 P.E. ~ In P.E. class, we are continuing to work on our physical fitness on a daily basis, as well as learning about various sports and activities. In January, we had a 2-week basketball unit, and 2-week floor hockey unit. During the month of February, students will enjoy a 2-week volleyball unit as well as a rock-climbing unit! 
Keep up the great work boys and girls! 
Go Eagles,
Mr. English 

LMC News
Exciting news! Our virtual Scholastic Book Fair is scheduled for February 22 thru March 5, 2021.  More information to come.

Art News
WOW!  I can’t believe we are over half way through the year already!  It sure is going fast.  I’m enjoying every minute with your students face-to-face!  We have been working on some wonderful art pieces to celebrate the holidays as well as finding lots of different types of media such as watercolor, oil pastels, model magic, and shrink art!  We are always reviewing our elements of art: Line, Shape, Color, Value, Texture, and Form.

Our, Square One fundraiser was AMAZING this year!!!  We raised $1090.00 this year.  I couldn't believe it when I saw the email sent to me congratulating our students for such a successful experience.  All of this will be put towards more materials for class such a larger variety of markers (bold, metallic, glitter, neon, etc), pompoms, feathers, acrylic gems, and more scissors and glue (because we seemed to have lost lots of them). Anyone interested in ordering can continue to order through the website at square1art.com/shop.  The deadline for free shipping is over but you are welcome to order at any time.
Thanks for supporting our VB Artists!
Ms. Mory!

PTA News
The PTA continues to look for ways to connect home and school during these crazy times.  We are sending home hearts for students and families to write a note or draw a picture for the Van Buren staff.  We have also asked for donations from families.  We are planning to use any donation to provide the staff with dinner during the March conferences.  Donations are much appreciated especially since we haven't been able to do much fundraising this year.  Thank you to everyone for showing the best staff in town how much you love and appreciate them!

School District of Janesville Bullying Prevention Policy - Link

Congratulations to Mrs. Malchow and Mrs. Jones!
Congratulations to these two hard-working, kids-first, dedicated, nurturing educators!  So very proud of the amazing team we have at Van Buren.
Amanda Malchow ~ School District of Janesville Teacher of the Year
Jenna Jones ~ School District of Janesville Emergent Teacher of the Year!! 

Thank you, VFW Post 1621
Janesville’s local VFW Post 1621 generously donated  bottles of hand sanitizer, masks and disinfectant wipes to classroom teachers. Wow! How very thoughtful.

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 – Students should go to their entrance doors up until 8:25
3:08 Students dismissed
 

Upcoming Spirit Days
February 12 ~ Crazy Hair Day
March 2 ~ Dr. Seuss Day
April 14 ~ Animal Print Day
May 12 ~ Mismatch Day
June 2 ~ Teacher Swap Day

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 2020-2021 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 2021.  This year applications will be accepted February 1 – April 30, 2021. 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 2021-2022 school year is from February 1, 2021 – April 30, 2021.  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 1, 2021 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 1st will be returned as not valid and must be resubmitted after February 1st 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 the 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's School office at 743-7100 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.