Vermillion Elementary School
Sept. 2025
Dear Vermillion Elementary School Families,
Thank you for helping us start the school year on such a positive note! We appreciate your partnership and support as students have settled into their routines. Your encouragement at home and teamwork with our staff have made these first weeks smooth and successful.
Drop Off & Pick Up Reminders
Thank you for all of your help with drop off and pick up. If your QR code is not working, please let your child’s teacher know so we can assist you in resolving the issue quickly. Also, we kindly ask that all drivers pull as far down in the lane as possible during both drop off and pick up—including on rainy, snowy, or cold days. Stopping directly at the doorway not only slows the line but also leaves our staff standing outside in unpleasant weather. We know mornings can be rushed, but moving all the way down keeps the process safe and respectful for everyone.
Calling All SUPERHEROES!
Mark your calendars—our Vermillion Elementary Family Night will take place on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, from 5:30–7:00 p.m. Dress as your favorite superhero and join us for free food, books, and math games. It’s sure to be a fun-filled evening for the whole family! Please remember that all children must be accompanied by an adult.
PTO Chameleon Cause
The PTO’s annual fundraiser—formerly known as the Walkathon—will kick off on September 16 and run through October 5. This year’s proceeds will help fund new exterior signage for the school and updated playground equipment! To celebrate, the PTO will host the Chameleon Cause Carnival on Thursday, October 2, from 6:00–7:30 p.m. This free family event will include carnival games, tickets to earn, a prize booth, and tasty treats like nachos, snow cones, and popcorn. More information can be found below. Please remember that all children must be accompanied by an adult.
Fall Party & Parade
Our Fall Party will take place on Thursday, October 31, at 10:00 a.m. We will begin with the parade outdoors (weather permitting), followed by classroom parties. Holding the event in the morning will help with parking, as Maize Elementary School will be hosting their events later in the day. Please note: all guests attending indoors must RSVP and check in through the Raptor system. Last year, a few RSVPs did not register in our system—if this happens again, we ask that you let us know so our IT team can work on the issue. We greatly appreciate your patience and cooperation as we welcome hundreds of guests safely into our building. Please note that we will not be able to accommodate guests for lunch in the cafeteria. You are welcome to check out your child from the classroom and take them to lunch outside of the building.
We look forward to an exciting season full of learning and community events. Thank you for being such an important part of our Vermillion Elementary family!
Warmly,
Jenny Nash
Principal
A Note from the Assistant Principal
We are excited to share that new information about volunteering opportunities at Vermillion will be coming soon! Our school is such a special place because of the support and involvement of our families, and we can’t wait to provide more options for family members to be engaged in our school community.
In the meantime, if you’re looking for a great way to get involved, we encourage you to consider joining Vermillion Elementary PTO. It’s a wonderful way to connect with other families, collaborate with staff, and make a positive impact on our school!
Megan Hemmerling
Assistant Principal
Junior Achievement Volunteer Opportunity
As a volunteer, you will receive a program kit with everything you need for the program and a Junior Achievement representative will walk you through how to use it. If you are interested in be a volunteer, please reach out to Junior Achievement Program Manager, Micah Lewis at micah@kansasja.org.
From the School Office
End of Day Transportation Changes:
All after school transportation changes MUST be called into the office by: 2:00pm M/T/Th/F and 1:00pm on Wednesdays.Attendance:
Be sure to notify the school office of any absences before 10:00am.
- Medical or provider's documentation must be provided within 3 days of an appointment or illness. This documentation can be brought to the school office, faxed (316-722-5020) or emailed to jdavis@usd266.com.
- For recurring visits to a provider, a list of appointments from the provider's office can be brought to the school office, faxed (316-722-5020) or emailed to jdavis@usd266.com.
Counselor's Corner
Welcome back to school! As we start the school year, we want to emphasize our Caring Chameleons initiative. We encourage parents who are in need of assistance or families willing to provide support to fill out our Caring Chameleons Google Form. All submissions are confidential, with only the counselors able to view the responses.
Please reach out to us if you have any questions.
Taryn Clain - Counselor for Kdg, 1st & 3rd Grades
Email: tclain@usd266.com
Greta Lies - Counselor for Kdg, 2nd & 4th Grades
Email: galies@usd266.com
Music Matters
Welcome back to school and welcome back to music class! I am having so much fun sharing music with your children! We have been getting acquainted and experiencing music through songs, chants, body percussion and more. The 3rd and 4th grade students have also been working on some musical cup activities. Please check this spot each month for music updates!
Please add the below music program dates to your calendar and stay tuned for more information as these dates approach.
Music Program Schedule:
3rd & 4th Grade: Tuesday, November 18, 2025
- 6:00pm: 3rd Grade
- 7:15pm: 4th Grade
Location: Maize Performing Arts & Aquatics Center (MPAAC)
1st & 2nd Grade: Thursday, March 12, 2026
- 6:00pm: 1st Grade
- 7:15pm: 2nd Grade
Location: Maize Performing Arts & Aquatics Center (MPAAC)
Quaver:
We LOVE our Quaver music curriculum! In addition to lessons we use in the classroom, it also has an at home feature so that students can explore music through games and activities using a computer, Chromebook or mobile device at home. 1st through 4th graders all have been registered in Quaver for the current school year and they will be bringing home a letter with more details soon. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Doreen Merkel
Update from Coach
My name is Wendy Trail, and I will be your child’s PE teacher. I am excited to have all the kids back in the gym!
Reminders were sent home with students about the importance of safety in the gym. Please make sure your child wears tennis shoes on their gym days. See the below schedule for your child's PE class days. Thank you for keeping our Chameleons safe!
If your child is sick or injured, please email me so I can make adjustments for them.
Coach Trail
Library News
Hello Vermillion Chameleon Families! My name is Mrs. Fischer and I am excited to be your new Librarian. I have been part of the Vermillion team for the last 12 years as a 2nd grade teacher and I look forward to working with all of our students this school year! Students will come to library once a week for an hour. Please see the Library schedule below.
Coming Soon!
Our fall book fair will be held during parent teacher conferences on Thursday, October 16th. Watch for more information as we get closer to this date.
Book care tip: Keep a gallon size zip lock bag in backpacks to help keep library books dry and protected.
Staci Fischer
Medication
If your child will be taking medication at school, please complete the Authorization For Medication / Treatment To Be Administered At School form and turn it to the nurse.
Immunizations:
Just a quick reminder that All immunizations must be up to date. If you have any questions or need to check your child's records, feel free to contact me.
Skyward Health History:
It is the parent’s responsibility to update health conditions in Skyward and notify the school nurse as needed for any health concerns. You may view our District Health Services for more information.
Medications and In-Office Stock Medications:
- Under certain conditions medication may be given at school. An Authorization for Medication Form must be completed EVERY school year BEFORE medication can be administered.
- We have over-the-counter stock medications in the nurses office. This includes acetaminophen (chewables & liquid), ibuprofen (chewables & liquid), cetirizine (liquid & dissolving tablets), benadryl (chewable & liquid), and tums (chewables).
- Complete the online 2025 Over the Counter Medication Consent Form. This form can be found in Skyward Family Access/Online Forms. You must complete this form prior to administering these medications.
Clothing:
Occasionally a student will need clean clothes due to soiled clothing. Please wash and return all clothing provided by the nurse in the blue bag (see picture). Your child can bring the bag to the nurses office.
Thank you for helping us keep our students safe and healthy!
Nurse Jaime Smith
Email: jsmith@usd266.com
Phone: 316-350-2810 / Fax: 316-722-5020
STEAM Lab News
Hello Chameleon families! Mrs. Love and Mrs. Chalashtari are so thrilled about teaching your kiddos STEAM this year. We are looking forward to guiding and helping them grow into collaborative learners. We will be teaching many concepts within the STEAM realm, while also covering all the science standards that your child will need to know for their grade level.
Students began the year designing themselves as LEGO people and creating name tags in a fun and innovative way. The students have been learning to work in teams to prepare them for our activities this year in STEAM.
Kindergarten thru 2nd grade explored our different building tools and STEAM kits that we have within our rooms. They had to create words, letters, and their names with Keva blocks, magnatiles, and playdough. They even experimented with marble mazes, plus plus blocks, and straws. They will be using them throughout the year.
3rd thru 4th grade learned how to collaborate and work as a team with teambuilding challenges. The students have also enjoyed watching our 3D printers print keychains that look like Chameleons for our Chameleon vending machine.
This next month, the students will learn about the Engineering Design Process (EDP), along with learning about different types of engineers and careers, basics of block coding, and complete more EDP challenges.
I would love to get parents involved with my career bulletin board. I am creating a spotlight board of different careers and would love for anyone to fill out the form, so we can let students know about all the careers our parents/guardians/grandparents at Vermillion hold.
Check out the STEAM Amazon Wishlist!
Thank you to everyone that continues to contribute to the STEAM room. We are always looking for recyclable and consumable materials.
Items we are in need of:
- Empty water/soda/Gatorade bottles
- Paper towel/toilet paper rolls
- Empty yogurt, fruit, apple sauce cups
- Straws
- Cans (vegetable, fruit, etc.)
- Tape
- Old LEGOS, magnatiles, blocks, etc.
- Kleenex and Paper Towels
Amber Chalashtari
Melissa Love
Twitter: @LoveSTEAMDream
PTO Camp News
- PTO website (The Camp) PTO events calendar, volunteer opportunities & more
- Email: vermillionpto@hotmail.com
- Facebook: Maize Vermillion Elementary School PTO
*Be sure to tag Vermillion Elementary with #VES