VAIS Family Newsletter

5/1/2026 - Last day to sign up for Teacher Appreciation

5/1/2026 - Therapy dog, JoJo, visits library in morning

5/5/2026 - Sugar River Fundraising day 11am - 9pm

5/5/2026 - BRMS & SOMS visit here for 5th graders

5/7/2026 - RESCHEDULED - BRMS open house 5-7pm - RESCHEDULED

5/11/2026 - Savanna Oaks Middle open house 5:30-6:30pm

5/13/2026 - 4/5's present Opera for the Young for 4/5 families

5/14/2026 - Incoming kindergarten/new student orientation 6-7pm

5/15/2026 - All library books due back to school

5/15/2026 - 4/5's Safety Patrol celebration at school

5/15/2026 - Euchre Tournament & Fundraiser 6-8pm

5/18/2026 - Governance Council meeting in the library 6:30-8:30pm

5/19/2026 - Community Gathering 7:35-8am, short thank you following the community gathering for volunteers

5/20/2026 - Verona Public Library visits in the morning

5/20/2026 - Core Knowledge Middle open house 6-7:30pm

5/22/2026 - Verona Public Library visits in the morning

5/22/2026 - Special guest readers in library in the afternoon

5/25/2026 - No school for Memorial Day

5/26/2026 - Family newsletter information due to Miss Amelia 3pm

5/26/2026 - Badger Ridge 6th grade open house 5-7pm

5/30/2026 - Girls on the Run 5k at VAHS 9am

5/31/2026 - Hometown Days Parade, line up 10am

6/1/2026 - Governance Council meeting in the library 6:30-8:30pm

6/4/2026 - 5th grade celebration in the library 1-2:15pm

6/9/2026 - Field Day

6/10/2026 - Kindergarten Celebration 1:20-2:20pm

6/11/2026 - Last day of school, dismissal 11:30am - report cards go home

Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, VASD will embed Special Education leadership directly within each school through an Associate Principal role. This leader will work closely with the Principal to ensure strong support for students and staff.

New Century School and Verona Area International School will share an Associate Principal with Glacier Edge Elementary. We are excited to welcome Briana Gustafson into this role. Ms. Gustafson has served as an Assistant Director of Special Education for VASD. She is familiar with the unique setting of each charter school and is a strong supporter of the educational opportunities we provide all students. We are excited to bring her expertise and experience into this new role.

A Message from Associate Principal Briana Gustafson

Dear Glacier Edge, New Century School, and Verona Area International School Families,

I am thrilled to be stepping into the role of Associate Principal for our three wonderful school communities. While some of you may know me from my recent work as the Assistant Director of Special Education or as a parent of two VASD students, I am excited to transition into a role that allows me to work even more closely with our educators, students, and families to support the growth of all our students.

I began my career working with individuals with disabilities in the community, and my passion for education has continued to grow through my work as a special education teacher and administrator. Since 2018, I have served in the Verona Area School District as a special education leader, supporting students, staff, and families across our elementary schools.

I am deeply committed to our mission of accelerating outcomes for every learner. I look forward to continuing this work by working alongside educators to ensure our students have access to high-quality instruction and meaningful learning experiences every day, while building strong, supportive systems across our school communities.

I can’t wait to see what we will achieve together in the 2026–2027 school year!

Warmly,
Briana Gustafson

In music class, VAIS/NCS students have been studying the genre of opera and preparing for a performance of The Elixir of Love, with Opera for the Young on May 13th at 9:30am in our school's gym. Sixteen 4th and 5th grade students will be joining the professional opera singers and performing in the chorus! Thirteen 4th and 5th grade students will be performing in the side-stage chorus. All other K-5 students are encouraged to participate in singing from their audience seats and they have been learning the songs and movements. Due to space limitations, only 4th and 5th grade parents are invited to come to this performance.

We are proud to share that Yingying Reiter, VAIS Grade 4/5 Mandarin teacher, was invited to present as a 2025–2026 Innovation Grant Recipient at the Wisconsin Association of Colleges of Teacher Education Spring Conference on April 17, 2026.

During her presentation, Yingying showcased the Monkey King play she directed and originally presented during the VASD Chinese Lunar New Year Showcase.

This project was a true district-wide collaboration, involving VAIS, Sugar Creek Elementary School, Core Knowledge Middle School, Verona Area High School, and UW–Madison student teachers.

Her presentation highlighted the strength of VASD's Mandarin program and the power of innovative, cross-school teamwork. It received enthusiastic applause from education professionals across the state.

Congratulations to Emily Tan and Renee Timm! Both students have received statewide awards for their outstanding academic achievements in Chinese language learning.

Renee Timm, a 4th grader at VAIS, and Emily Tan, a 5th grader at VAIS, have been nominated by Mrs. Reiter and earned the 2026 Excellence in Chinese Learning Awards from the Wisconsin Association of Chinese Language Teachers (WACLT). Join us in celebrating these two amazing students!

Tuesday, May 19th from 7:35am-8am in the VAIS school gym

This is our last Community Gathering for the year, and we're so excited to see you! We will also celebrate our volunteers throughout the year after this Community Gathering.

Feel free to go straight through Door 1, on Community Gathering days we by-pass the office.

Join us for the Verona Area School District night at the Madison Mallard's! The first pitch is 4:05pm and all families are welcome.

Vouchers for free tickets went home in Friday Folders before or on Friday, April 17. Vouchers can be redeemed four different ways:

1. Order online via QR code on the flier we sent home or this link here. There is a $2 online processing fee per ticket.

2. Call the Mallards at 608-246-4277. There are no fees if you call.

3. Mail flier you received in Friday Folders to the Mallards, 2920 N Sherman Ave, Madison, WI 53704. There are no fees if you request tickets through the mail.

4. Bring the flier you received in Friday Folders to the Mallards office, before the night of the game, and they can reserve your tickets. There are no fees at the box office window.

If you can't make the game on June 14, these same vouchers for free tickets can be used on July 29 with the Night Mares or July 30 with the Mallard's.

If you need more vouchers for your family, please have your student stop by the office to grab another flier. We have a few more to share, and we can't wait to see your whole family there!

Please consider donating snow boots, snow pants, thick winter jackets, and waterproof winter gloves that your child has outgrown. That will help us prepare for winter recesses next school year.

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who helped make our mattress fundraiser a success. Sharing the information over social media and spreading the yellow signs around town really helped. We were able to earn over $1,000 for our school!

Please help us celebrate the wonderful staff at our school! Sign up here to bring snacks and drinks for the lounge.

Sign up for Teacher Appreciation Week

Tuesday, May 5th - 'Taco 'bout the 90s' Taco Bar

Wednesday, May 6th - 'All that and a bag of chips' Restock the pantry

Thursday, May 7th - 'Suga suga how'd you get so fly' Dessert day

We need your support to say 'Thank you' for everything our teacher's do throughout the year. Please review the open spots and sign up as you are able. Item drop will be based on the date/time indicated within the slot you sign up for to the NCS/VAIS office. Sign up deadline, Friday, May 1st.

Just a reminder, Sugar River Pizza - Verona has your meal planning covered on Tuesday, May 5.

10% of all purchases, all day, will be donated back to VAIS! Reservations are highly recommended if you plan to dine in!

Join us on Sunday, May 31 to walk in the Verona Hometown Days parade. We will gather on S Nine Mound Rd between 10am and 10:30am. Parking can be busy and you may need to park a few blocks away, so please arrive early. Wear VAIS shirts or colorful apparel. Students and parents will walk the parade route handing out candy and flyers. Scooters and/or bikes as well as wagons (for riding or hauling candy) are welcome if the route is too long for younger students. Bring a reusable bag to carry your portion of candy.

Sign up to donate candy or walk in the parade: VAIS: VAIS Hometown Days Parade

Friday, June 5th 5-7 PM End of Year Picnic at Fireman's Park

Join fellow VAIS families for some fun at the park with a potluck and parent/guardian kickball tournament! Sign-up genius for food and beverages and for teams to come.

Stock up on gift cards for end-of-year and graduation gifts, groceries, gas, dining, summer fun, and MORE! 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!

4. Respond to the confirmation email to coordinate pickup from the VAIS office or pickup or delivery in Fitchburg or Verona.

HOW TO ORDER:

- Email your order to raiseforVAlS@gmail.com:

- by Wednesday, May 13th to get them by Wednesday, May 20th; and/or

- by Friday, May 29th to get them by Friday, June 5th!

- Payment can be made by cash, check payable to VAIS Foundation Inc., or Venmo @vais-treasurer (last four digits 8903).

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.

In honor of exceeding our big goal of 20,000 library book checkouts this school year, we are celebrating with schoolwide storytimes throughout NCS and VAIS on Friday, May 22, from 1:45 - 2:10 PM. We invite you to consider sharing your enthusiasm for books with your child's classroom! Sign up here.

Who would be a good fit for this opportunity? Anyone who can hold a book up to show the pictures while reading with lots of energy, expression, and maybe even some silly voices.

If you need book suggestions, please contact our school librarian, Ms. Roltgen, at roltgent@verona.k12.wi.us The NCS/VAIS Library has a lot of new books that would be perfect for read alouds!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Books with older copyrights may contain problematic language, stereotypes, insensitive cultural references, and/or all white characters. If using a book from home, please preview carefully, and carefully consider whether the book is inclusive.

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 a weekly volunteer for all lunches on Fridays. 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.

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 Thursday, May 7 @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

Hello! As we prepare to wrap up another amazing year in library class, I am in need of the following donations:

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.

May Library FAQs: What does the end-of-the-year library schedule look like? What is "summer checkout?" Do you charge fines for lost books?

Schedule: Library classes continue all the way through June 10, so we have a lot happening over the next several weeks. The last week of regular school year book checkout will be May 4-8. All library books are due back on Friday, May 15. We will have countdowns posted around the school building to show how many books are still checked out. Last year, we lost 46 books (RIP). How low can we go this year? Students love engaging in this challenge to find all the library books under the bed, in their classrooms, and in other mystery locations! Verona Public Library will be visiting classrooms to share information about their summer reading program, and we'll celebrate 20,000+ checkouts with surprise guest readers throughout the building on Friday, May 22.

Summer Checkout: Summer checkout (up to 10 books) is available to all NCS/VAIS students. This is a great way for students to practice responsibility by keeping books safe, dry, and loved over the summer months. Students must return a signed permission slip (extra copies available in the front office) by Friday, May 15, to participate in summer checkout. Summer checkout books will be sent home May 27-June 10. They must be returned in good condition by Friday, September 4. Graduating 5th graders can return books to their Verona/Fitchburg middle schools at the start of the school year.

Fines: Unfortunately, for those 46 missing books from last school year, we do have to charge replacement fines. Library-bound books are expensive with prices ranging from $20 to $50 per item. Families are welcome to contact me (roltgent@verona.k12.wi.us) to work out a plan to pay for missing items. Fines from this school year will not be assessed until the end of May, so in the meantime, please continue looking for lost items.

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

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.

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!