VAIS Family Newsletter

2/2/2026 - No school, all staff Professional Development Day

2/5/2026 - Incoming student school tour 7:45-8:45am

2/6/2026 - Banner contest submissions due to the office

2/7/2026 - Lunar New Year Celebration

at the Verona Public Library 9:30-11:30am

2/9/2026 - Futura Spanish returns after school

2/9/2026 - Governance Council Meeting on Zoom 6:30-8:30pm

2/12/2026 - Battle of the Books at VAHS

2/13/2026 - VASD Lunar New Year Celebration at BRMS 1-2pm

2/15/2026 - VASD charter lottery closes

2/16/2026 - No school, staff wellness day

2/25/2026 - Family newsletter info due to Miss Amelia

2/26/2026 - Family conferences 3-6:30pm

4/24/2026 - Spring Dance 5:30pm-7:30pm

Here's a reminder that the swim unit continues until February 20th. A few items that the students will need to bring are a swimsuit, a towel, a bag for their wet swimsuit, and goggles if they want. The students should not bring any floating devices or swim toys to the pool. The pool provides those already. If the student forgets any of the items that were listed the pool does have those items for the students to borrow. Sea you there!

You can find a link to a feedback survey located on the sidebar of our online menus or at this direct link.

We've got a second mini space for warm weather gear, and we'd love a little help. If you have smaller sizes in snow pants or snow suits, waterproof gloves or mittens, boots that are more likely to fit Kinder through 3rd grade feet, we'd love to add them to this collection. Donations for this winter gear, and any gym shoes size 1 or 2 you might have, we'd love to see them here in the office. Thank you in advance for sharing!

For the past eight years, the Verona Area Education Foundation (VAEF) has partnered with the City of Verona to create and install street pole banners downtown and on Verona Avenue. For 2026, new banners will fill in gaps along West Verona Avenue to replace the current banners which have become weathered over time. This year's theme is "Hometown Helpers and Heroes". The deadline has been extended to February 6, 2026. Additional information and applications are available at this link or here: https://www.verona.k12.wi.us/community/vaef

It's recruiting season!

Ways you can help this fill our next kindergarten class:

• Share your VAIS experience with friends and social media. Link to our website (https://www.vaisverona.org/) or share this video
• Post a VAIS sign in your yard
• Help out at our Lunar New Year Storytime at Verona Public Library
• Tell everyone about our recruitment events!

School Tour - February 5th 7:45-9am

Volunteers and staff will guide a tour of the building, explaining our program.

Https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050C44A9A828A4FA7-59608734-vais#/

We need volunteer at our Lunar New Year at the Library! We will celebrate the Year of the Horse with the community on February 7th from 9:30 to 11:30am with story times, crafts and student performances.

We need a lot of volunteers to run this community event! Please sign up for a craft station, greeter or food delivery.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050C44A9A828A4FA7-61324367-2026

Join us for our annual Spring Showcase on February 13 from 1-2pm in the Performing Arts Center at Badger Ridge.

Students from VAIS and mandarin learners in middle and high school will perform Chinese songs and dances in celebration of Lunar New Year.

VAIS International House of Pancakes will be on Feb 21st at the ART House 360 at 401 West Verona Ave

More info to come!

Parent meeting:

April 2nd 6 pm to 7 pm

Badger Ridge Cafeteria

Mattress sale:

April 18th 9-5 pm

Badger Ridge Cafeteria

Join us for the NCS/VAIS Hawaiian Luau Spring Dance on Friday, April 24th 5:30-7:30pm! There will be a dj, dancing, drinks, and treats! More information and volunteer sign up to come soon!

Help advertise VAIS with a yard sign! Place the sign in your yard or a high traffic intersection to help spread the word about VAIS. This year yard signs are available for free!

Please email jennifer.tzeng@live.com to get your sign!

When you purchase gift cards through our school, a percentage of every card comes back to fund our students' Chinese language immersion school at no additional cost to you.

HOW IT WORKS:

1. Choose from hundreds of retailers - groceries, restaurants, clothing, Amazon, gas, and more! See the full list at https://bit.ly/VAISGiftCards

2. Pay the face value of the gift card - no fees!

3. The school receives a percentage back automatically!

HOW TO ORDER:

- Email your order to raiseforVAlS@gmail.com.

- Payment can be made by cash, check (payable to VAIS Foundation Inc.), or Venmo (@vais-treasurer).

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VAIS!

We have a Facebook page and web site that is administered by the VAIS Governance Council separate from the VASD Facebook page and web site. All Current families are welcome to join “VAIS Parents Group” on Facebook. We will be posting events and pop-up playdates in this group. This is also a great resource for new parents/guardians to ask any questions they may have. Use the QR code to join or take a look at our website here.

Family volunteers help make VAIS the vibrant place it is and are so appreciated! Please consider signing up for one or more of the opportunities below. If you plan to volunteer in ANY capacity in the building this school year, NOW is a great time to take a few minutes to fill out the required background check form so you are ready to go when asked. Please note background checks must be completed no later than 1 week prior to the event. Once passed, this background check is valid for 2 years.

Are you looking for ways to help out? Is your time flexible enough that you can come once a week? We would love to have you volunteer in our lunchroom. We are looking for weekly volunteers for Mondays and Thursdays. This is a stellar way to get to know the students of both schools and help in building on our awesome community. All volunteers need to complete a background check through the district here.

Please complete this form and reach out to reach out to Miss Jenni at: gumienyj@verona.k12.wi.us with questions.

We’re gearing up for a joyful season of events—and we’d love your help! Whether you enjoy sharing about our school, supporting student fun, or celebrating cultural traditions, there’s a place for you to shine.

Interested in helping recruit new families to VAIS? Have ideas to get the VAIS name out in the community? Join our Outreach committee meeting on Tuesday, February 10 @7:30pm at Verona Public Library.

The Sunshine Committee is made up of amazing NCS and VAIS families whose mission is to spread kindness and support for families and school staff. They do this by providing assistance in the form of cards, meals, gift cards, and other resources to families and staff in need of a little pick-me-up. Interested in signing up to help or nominating a family or individual? Please contact Miss Amelia at mcconnea@verona.k12.wi.us

Where have you been reading? In a treehouse? At the dentist? On vacation? Please share a photo by emailing our Library Director, Ms. Roltgen, at roltgent@verona.k12.wi.us You may be featured on social media, in the library, or in a future edition of the newsletter!

Here is our very own Ms. Digmann's 6-month-old nephew Diego enjoying a baby best seller about bugs.

In library classes, we spend time asking inquiry questions, finding answers to those questions, and fostering curiosity. In that spirit, we'll feature a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) each month.

February Library FAQ: What happens when students return public library books to the NCS/VAIS Library?

We often receive public library books in the book return at school. Since we cannot identify who placed them in the bin, we drop them off at Verona Public Library as soon as possible. Public library books will never be handed back to students or families at school because we cannot verify they belong to them, but no need to worry as we have a wonderful partnership with Verona Public Library. When we drop off their books, we also ask if they have any of ours!

Verona Rec is offering a new afterschool program beginning in 2026!

This program is for kids in grades K-5th and will be held at the new Verona Community Center. We'll encourage health and wellness through play and physical activity both outside and inside with a variety of activities each day.

Find out more about Verona Rec Afterschool: https://www.veronawi.gov/943/Verona-Rec-Afterschool

Register: https://secure.rec1.com/WI/verona-wi/catalog

We’re excited to share that Girl Scouts In Action is starting this fall at the Boys & Girls Club!

Tuesdays, 4:30–5:30 PM
Boys & Girls Club
Hands-on activities, career exploration, leadership development & more!
Free to join

Please help us spread the word by sharing the attached flyer with families. We’d love for more students to take part in this opportunity!

SAVE THE DATES - VASD Summer School has announced its session dates! Stay tuned for upcoming details about registration. VASD Summer School is a free program available to all incoming kindergarten through 12th‑grade students. Learners can explore a wide range of engaging enrichment courses designed to spark curiosity and keep skills growing over the summer.

Session A: June 22 - July 2, 2026

Session B: July 6 - July 17, 2026

Summer School - Verona Area School District

If your student is ill, has an early morning appointment or early pick up, or will be late arriving to school for another reason, in addition to notifying their classroom teachers please make sure that you contact one of the following PRIOR TO THE START OF THE SCHOOL DAY:

1) EMAIL VAIS Attendance: vais-attendance@verona.k12.wi.us or

2) CALL the office at (608) 845-4500 (If you are making a change after 11:00 am the same day, then please call the office).

Please do not email the school secretaries directly, we appreciate it! The attendance line email is the best way to communicate with school.

To ensure student safety, all chaperones for off-site events and trips must have an approved VASD Volunteer Background Check. It's never too early to complete one of these forms for trips next year, even if you might only be able to help out once or twice!

If you are considering chaperoning field trips or any off-site events, please ensure your background check is approved in advance. This process is completed online using this link, and approval typically takes 7–10 days. However, there have been instances where processing takes longer, so we encourage you to complete it as soon as possible if needed. Please reach out to reach out to Miss Jenni at: gumienyj@verona.k12.wi.us with questions.

Here is the '25-26 VASD Elementary School Family Handbook . It is a good resource for families. Families are encouraged to review this information and refer to it throughout the school year. It is also available on our website.

Our social media is a great resource to find information in real time. We post upcoming events, special spirit days, Sign Up Genius links and more. We especially love to share happy faces and creativity happening here at school. Please help us increase our engagement with following our page, liking a post or two, and even leaving a comment. Each of those steps helps our school to pop to the top of your feed and help you reach the information you need.

VAIS on Facebook

VAIS on Twitter / X

And bookmark our school website, which tells you more about school closures, menus and more.

If you need assistance with lunch costs please visit our Free and Reduced Lunch application for information on income levels and an application for assistance.

Our school office maintains a school calendar for families and the public. Here is the link to a Google Public Calendar with this year’s updated events: VAIS Public Google Calendar

This calendar will be updated continually throughout the year with school events, such as swim, Picture Day, Back to School Night, field trips, parent/teacher conferences, days off of school, GC meetings, and so much more! We hope that this will make things easier for you!

It is not always easy to decide if your child is sick enough to stay home or well enough to be in school. Children who come to school are expected to participate fully in school activities including recess and physical education. A note from a medical provider is required for activity restrictions.

Please use the following Verona Area School District guidelines to help in decision making (attached here).