VAIS Family Newsletter

6/3/2026 - Dragon Boat Festival 12:00pm-2pm

6/4/2026 - 5th grade promotion in the library 1:00pm-2:15pm

6/5/2026 - End of year picnic and kickball tournament 5-7pm

6/8/2026 - Device collection day

6/9/2026 - Field Day 8:30am-10:30am

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

6/11/2026 - Last day of school, dismissal 11:30am

6/14/2026 - VASD Mallard's game, first pitch 4:05pm

6/15/2026 - Summer play date at Harriet Park 10am-12pm

7/16/2026 - Summer play date at McKee Farms Park 1-3pm

7/24/2026 - Lake Louie Brewery Fundraiser 5-7:30pm

8/17/2026- Governance Council meeting in the Library

8/26/2026- 5:00pm-6:30pm Back to School Kickoff

VAIS will celebrate Dragon Boat Festival on June 3. We are looking for volunteers to help set up for the event.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050C44A9A828A4FA7-64239205-dragon#/

***PLEASE READ BELOW FOR COLLECTION DETAILS***

• All school-issued devices (Chromebooks and iPads) and chargers for all K-5 students will be collected for the end of the year on Monday, June 8th.

• If your child(ren) opted to take their device and charger home, they will need to return them to school on Friday, June 5th.

• Grades 6-8 students will have their devices and chargers collected on the following dates from Wednesday, June 3rd, through Friday, June 5th. Sites will coordinate with teachers to let students know what specific day they will need to bring those in.

• Items not turned in (fee listed above) or returned damaged will incur a fee

• Please notify your child’s teacher prior to collection if a device is damaged (cracked screen, etc) or if they are missing their charger. These fines will be put into PowerSchool before we leave for summer break.

• Any devices not turned in will be placed in lock mode, will be unable to be used, and will incur the full loss fee.

• We ask students to have them 100% charged before turning them in.

• We will collect them and secure them for the summer.

Please reach out to vasd-techinfo@verona.k12.wi.us with any questions.

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!

Registration for the 2026–2027 school year is now open!
Register by 6/7 and receive $15 off tuition
Celebrate Spanish in every season — join us for a brand-new theme!
Don’t miss this valuable opportunity for your student to build Spanish skills in a fun, interactive bilingual classroom.

Enroll today: https://futuraadventures.com/wisconsin-region/

Hello VAIS staff, students, friends and families! Here is a link to last month's Community Gathering from the VAIS gym on Tuesday, May 19th. You will see the K/1’s will sing a Season Song, and 2nd grade sing an Oceans Song and present calligraphy. The 3rd grade presented a Continents Song and the 4/5's showcased dances from PE classes.

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 is linked here.

It's time for the parents to take the field!

At this year's VAIS End of Year Picnic we'll be having a Kickball Battle Royale! Parents from each grade can sign up to bring their kid's class eternal glory and a giant trophy.

3 inning games

K vs 1, 2 vs 3, 4 vs 5

Winners face off in epic elimination tournament

Final game to determine ultimate champion

Date: 06/05/2026 (Fri.)

Time: 6:00pm - 7:00pm CDT

Location: Fireman's Park

VAIS: VAIS End of Year Parents Kickball at the Picnic!

Summer break doesn’t need to mean a break from our wonderful school community! Current and incoming VAIS families are invited to gather for playground fun together in June, July, and August. See the flyer below for dates and locations.

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.

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

We had an amazing year in the library. Thank you to all our super readers and library lovers!

Congratulations to our student checkout champions!

Renee T. - 224 checkouts - VAIS 4

Brynn M. - 213 checkouts - VAIS 4

Mac R. - 204 checkouts - NCS 4

Special thanks to our surprise guest readers who made our Celebration of Reading and 20,000+ checkouts extra special!

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.

June Library FAQ: How can I access 1000s of free e-books and audio books at home or on a road trip?

Your school library is happy to provide Sora, a reading app for students that offers age-appropriate e-books and audio books, for all NCS/VAIS students and staff! If your student brings home their school device, they can access Sora by going to Clever and looking under Library Resources.

If your student does not bring home their device, here are the instructions for downloading Sora to a home device such as a phone, iPad, or computer. Students will use their school email addresses and five-letter passwords (they should know these - if not, Ms. Roltgen can help) to log in.

In library classes, students have learned how to borrow e-books and audio books, place holds, browse the collections, search for titles of interest, check their bookshelf, and personalize their profile. K-1 learners have been enjoying the "Read Along" and "New Audiobooks" collections which allow them to see the pictures and hear the words as a narrator reads the book to them.

Going on a road trip? Sora titles can be checked out and downloaded ahead of time so no internet access is required while using the app. If you have any questions or trouble accessing Sora, please contact our Library Director, Ms. Roltgen, at roltgent@verona.k12.wi.us. Happy e-reading and listening!

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 here

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!