Grizzly Family Newsletter

Thank You for Attending Parent/Teacher Conferences!

Thank you to all of our families who took the time to attend Parent/Teacher Conferences! We appreciate your partnership and the opportunity to work together to celebrate your child’s successes, discuss their growth, and plan for continued learning. These conversations help strengthen the home-school connection and support our Grizzlies in reaching their full potential.

If you were unable to meet with your child’s teacher, please reach out to them directly to arrange a time to connect. We want every family to have the opportunity to ask questions, share thoughts, and stay informed about their child’s progress.

Thank you for being such an important part of our Vandergriff family! 💙

Andrea

OCTOBER

26 DAY 1

ATLAS K-2 ELA Interim (26-30)

FPS Food Drive Begins

27 DAY 2

Pawmart- day 1 see schedule

AP/Principal of the Day- We will have students helping us today (winners from fundraiser).

28 DAY 3

Pawmart- day 2 see schedule

GT Field trip- 3rd/4th

FHS Parade on square

29 DAY 4

30 DAY 5

Bus evacuation drill schedule & Fall Class Parties 1:40-2:25

Encore Schedule

4th 8:40-9:30

3rd 9:35-10:25

2nd 10:30-11:20

Encore Lunch 11:20-11:50

1st 11:55-12:45

K 12:50-1:40

Fall Party 1:40-2:25

NOVEMBER

2 ATLAS K-2 Math Interim (Nov. 2-6)

3 Mt. Kessler- Vann's Class, Leave 9:00, Return 1:00

4 Botanical Gardens- Kindergarten; Leave 8:45, Return 11:15 (will have lunch when return)

4 Mt. Kessler- Thornton's Class; Leave 9:00, Return 1:00

5 Mt. Kessler- Dotson's Class; Leave 9:00, Return 1:00

5 Fall Picture Make-ups

5 Tacos for Life Spirit Night

6 Lady Razorback Game- 3rd/4th grades; Leave 9:00, Return 2:00

9 Children's Book Week

9 Mt. Kessler- Richards' Class; Leave 9:00, Return 1:00

9 True Lit with Dan Santat- 4th grade; Leave 11:45, Return 2:00

11 Veterans Day Assembly 8:30

12 Mt. Kessler- Campbell's Class; Leave 9:00, Return 1:00

12 Fall Family Night- 5:30-7:00

16 Fall Book Fair 16-20

16-19 Fall Academies end this week

18 Grizzly Grub

19 Spotlight Night 3:30-5:30

23-27 Thanksgiving Break

Beginning with the 2027-28 school year, Fayetteville Public Schools will adjust to new feeder patterns. A feeder pattern is the grouping of elementary schools that will attend the same middle school and junior high school. The current feeder patterns split some elementary schools, sending part of their students to one middle school and the remainder to another middle school. It also splits some middle schools when the students move up to junior high, sending some to one junior high and the remainder to another. However, the new 2027-28 feeder pattern keeps all of the students from an elementary school together as they transition to middle school and junior high without splitting them.

For next school year, August of 2027, all Vandergriff Elementary students will continue to attend McNair Middle School and Woodland Junior High School. If you attend Vandergriff but are not zoned for our school, the link below provides more information on how the new feeder pattern might impact you once your child leaves Vandergriff.

As always, parents can request an in-district transfer through the district's standard process if they want their child to attend a school other than the one they are zoned for and if they provide transportation for their child both to and from school.

For more information on the feeder pattern, please CLICK HERE.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Andrea Sego

andrea.sego@fayar.net

Absences

Please let the office, along with your child's teacher know when your child is absent. This will help with communication. Thank you!

Attendance Matters!

As the holidays approach, it is especially important to make sure your student attends school every day and arrives on time. Regular attendance is vital to your child’s learning, academic success, and social development. Every day in the classroom is an opportunity to learn, grow, and build friendships!

Please help us keep the momentum going by making school attendance a priority, even as the holiday season gets busy. Thank you for your continued support and for helping your child make the most of every school day!

During school hours, please ring the bell on the west side. Our office staff will "buzz" you in. If you come on the east side, the office will ask you to go around. Thank you!

Every Day Counts, Every Student Matters!

This month, we’re challenging students to envision future goals and take intentional steps toward who they want to be. We are partnering with you to grow and develop your child’s ability to self-direct. We can model self-direction by celebrating the positive in each day, seeking the good in others, and emphasizing our responsibility to make positive choices.

Conversation Starters:

• What is one way you can be more responsible at home or school?
• What is an activity you want to continue to improve?
• How do you feel when you finish a project?
• What is something you want to learn to do?

Please label clothing, coats/jackets, water bottles and lunch boxes! If they are labeled we can get it back to the student. If your child does lose something, we do have a lost and found. We will also periodically post items on our PTO instagram, @vandypto

Breakfast is FREE for all students this year due to ACT 123.

From the cafeteria to the classroom, pay anytime, anywhere from your mobile phone

or computer at My School Bucks.

October Lunch Calendar

PE/Health Newsletter

Bell Schedule: 8:10-3:10

Students need to be in their classrooms at 8:10.

Dismissal is at 3:10.

First bell rings at 7:55.

Tardy bell will ring at 8:10. Students arriving after 8:10 must report to the office with a parent to obtain a tardy slip before reporting to class.

1. No cell phones during drop off or pick up please.

2. Our doors open at 7:25. If you drop off your child before then, there will not be any supervision.

3. Have students get out of the car on the sidewalk side.

4. If you need to get out of your car to get your child out in the mornings or afternoons, please park in a parking spot to help traffic flow.

5. You must have a green tag in your window to pick up your child in the car rider line. Please keep it in the window UNTIL your student is loaded. This will help our duty teachers.

6. PLEASE DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH MCNAIR's Parking lot!

7. If you are exiting at Mission in the morning, please turn right. This will help traffic flow and keep everyone safe.

8. Please reach out to your child's teacher if you need to speak to them instead of during dismissal while they are on duty. This helps the teacher continue to monitor the students for their safety.

District Handbook for Families- linked here

Click here for the October PTO Newsletter!

Mark your calendar for FALL FAMILY NIGHT, NOVEMBER 12, 5:30-7:00!

Andrea Sego, Principal- andrea.sego@fayar.net

Matt Pledger, Assistant Principal- matt.pledger@fayar.net

Shannon Neves, Administrative Assistant- shannon.neves@fayar.net

Doreen Trenholm, Office Aide- doreen.trenholm@fayar.net

Becca Vest, School Nurse- rebecca.vest@fayar.net

Beth Rogers, School Counselor- elizabeth.rogers@fayar.net

Britton Clark, Instructional Coach- britton.clark@fayar.net

Amanda Davis, Academic Specialist- amanda.davis@fayar.net

Jody Whittle, Technology Specialist- jody.whittle@fayar.net

@vandergriffelementary - Vandergriff official account

@vandypto - Vandergriff PTO News

@vandylib - Vandergriff Library

@vandergriff_art - Vandergriff Art

@dandyvandyhealth - Vandergriff Health

@vandergriff_PE- Vandergriff PE

@fayarpublicschools - Fayetteville Public Schools