November 2026

Dear Falcon Families,

As we head into November, our school community is focusing on our monthly character trait: gratitude. Looking around our hallways, we have so much to be thankful for.

We are incredibly proud of our students for working so hard to complete their recent benchmark testing; their focus and effort were truly inspiring. This month brings several wonderful opportunities to connect and reflect with families, our school, and the community. We look forward to partnering with you during our upcoming parent-teacher conferences, and we will take time as a school to honor our heroes on Veterans Day and celebrate Community ahead of Thanksgiving.

In the spirit of giving back, our Falcons will be supporting our community through the Mayor's Annual Food Drive. There will be more information to come soon on this wonderful drive!

We are especially mindful of how lucky we are to have such an involved community. To our incredible parent volunteers, whether you are organizing PTO events, bringing creativity as an art docent, or sitting down to read with our students, thank you for giving us your time and heart. We are equally grateful for open communication and collaborative conversations with our families. This partnership helps our school continuously grow, improve, and become a better place for every child.

Thank you for your continuous support, encouragement, and partnership. We are deeply grateful for each and every one of our families.

Warmly,

Angela Kelly, Principal
Bethany Whisler, Assistant Principal

November 11: No School (Veterans Day)

November 16: No School (Elementary School Grading Day)

November 18-20: Early Release at 11:25 (Conferences)

November 24: Early Release at 11:25 (Conferences)

November 25-27: No School (Thanksgiving Break)

Families should know the content their students are learning. This month, we are focusing on Gratitude. Gratitude is one of our Be Well character traits, and every grade has its own focus to help us Be Well. Click on the Gratitude image to connect to multiple resources about what students learn all year.

On Mondays, we encourage students to wear our school colors to show their Falcon pride! If you are interested in purchasing Victor Falls spirit wear, our PTO has created a store with numerous designs to choose from. You can purchase it here!

We've made some important changes to the Art Docent program this year, including, monthly themes and a new updated google classroom. We want every volunteer to have the updated information before your next lesson.

Here's what we're asking:

1. Check your junk and spam folders for emails from Nicole Deeter.
2. Add to that email to your contacts or safe senders list so future messages come straight to your inbox.
3. If you can't find our email, reach out to Nicole, Alina or Bianca and we'll get the information to you right away.

Thank you for sharing your time and creativity with our students. The Art Docent program wouldn't happen without you!

The Sumner-Bonney Lake School District and staff care about the well-being and academic achievement of each student. We know that daily attendance is one of the most powerful predictors of school success and on-time graduation. Our goal is to have every student at school on time, every day.

State law for mandatory attendance, called the Becca Bill, requires children from age 8 to 17 to attend a public school, private school or a district-approved home school program. Children who are 6 or 7 years old are not required to be enrolled in school. However, if parents enroll their 6 or 7 year old, the student must attend full time. And, school districts are required, under RCW 28.225.020 and RCW 28A.225.030 to take a series of actions when students accrue absences.

Also by law, we notify parents/guardians when their student is absent. If a student reaches a certain number of unexcused absences the school will contact parents/guardians to create a plan to support good attendance. Find information about excuse and unexcused absences, tardies and attendance procedures in the district’s Student & Family Information Guide and Policy 3122 Excused and Unexcused Absences.

On Wednesday, November 4th, students in grades K, 1, 2, 3, and 5 will participate in our annual Vision and Hearing Screening at VFE. Good vision and hearing are essential for academic success, and these routine screenings help us identify potential needs early so every student can thrive in the classroom.

What to Expect

• Vision Screening: Screenings are completed quickly and privately right at student desks using a digital Welch-Allyn Spot Vision Screener, checking for near- and far-sightedness, astigmatism, pupil abnormalities, and amblyopia.

• Hearing Screening: Conducted in a quiet environment using an audiometer with headphones to test tone response at safe sound levels (20 dB).

• Prescription Lenses: If your child wears prescription glasses or contact lenses, please ensure they wear or bring them to school on screening day.

Follow-Up & Questions

If a student does not pass the initial screening, families will be notified and guided on next steps or referrals for further professional evaluation. If you have questions or prefer to opt your child out of the screening, please reach out to our health room staff prior to November 4th.

Thank you for your support in keeping our students healthy and ready to learn!

The Lost and Found is full of sweatshirts, coats, and more! Please remind your students to look in the Lost and Found. All remaining items after conferences will be donated.

Calling all artists! The time has come for our annual STEM Fair and Art Show poster contest. Students of all grades are invited to submit an original piece of artwork to be considered for this year's promotional materials. The winning artwork will be featured on posters and flyers for the event, and the artist will be recognized on district social media and at the STEM Fair itself. Entries must be received at Central Office by Tuesday, November 24th 2026.

Find out more information here!

Our updated School Walking Maps have been updated and posted to our school's website. A huge thank you to the City of Bonney Lake GSIS Department!

Email: VFE@sumnersd.org
Website: https://vfe.sumnersd.org/
Location: 11401 188th Ave Ct E, Bonney Lake, WA, USA
Phone: (253) 891-4700

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