VESTAVIA HILLS ELEMENTARY CENTRAL

Courier MARCH 2017 � Issue 8

IN THIS ISSUE 2 From the PTO President 3 Counselor’s Corner 4 Communication Celebration Camp McDowell Character Club 5 Spring Book Fair Music Notes 6 PIE Media Center Wednesday Chess 7 Lunch Menu VHEC Bumper Stickers

MARCH 1 Budget & Finance Meeting, 9:30 am 3 Character Club, 7:20 am 3-9 Spring Book Fair 6 PTO Board Meeting, 9:30 am 7 Camp McDowell 4th Grade Parent Meeting, 3:30 pm 10 End of Third 9 Weeks 11 Jimmy John’s Community Night 16 General PTO Meeting, 5:00 pm 17 Report Cards Sent Home 27-31 Spring Break, NO SCHOOL

APRIL 3 Students Return 3 PTO Board Meeting, 9:30 am 7 Character Club, 7:20 am 20 5th Grade Musical, 9:30 & 1:30 28 Communication Celebration

FROM THE PRINCIPALS MarianHumphries,Principal&LorieBelski,AssistantPrincipal

Second semester is well underway at Central School! We are fortunate to work in a school system that supports professional development. Research clearly shows that a well-trained teacher is the greatest factor in predicting student achievement. At VHEC, it is a priority to provide the best professional development for all of our teachers. With the financial support of our Board of Education and PTO, VHEC is able to offer a variety of opportunities to continually learn, update, and improve the knowledge and skills of our teachers. These outstanding opportunities also have a direct impact on student learning. We continue to encourage you to become involved in our learning community. Your support is always appreciated. Please continue to visit Central School and join us for lunch or other school functions. We hope you have a relaxing and enjoyable Spring Break! MarianHumphriesLorieBelskiPrincipalAssistantPrincipal

“DO THE RIGHT THING, BECAUSE IT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO!”

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FROM THE PTO PRESIDENT SummerZulanas,PTOPresident

Wow!Onlythreemoremonthsofschool!Icannotbelievehowamazinglyfastthisyearisgoing……. WehadafabulousTeacherAppreciationWeek!WehavesuchanamazingstaffatCentral,andIamgratefulforalltheydoforourchildren.AlissaPadgettandhercrewofvolunteerstreatedthefacultytoafewdaysofpampering.Manythankstothemformakingthestafffeelappreciated.Tocapofftheweek,thefacultyandstaffweretreatedtoafabulousluncheonwithsomewonderfuldoorprizes,manyofwhichweredonatedbyseveralareabusinesses.Wearesoappreciativeofeveryonewhodonatedtotheweek!Also,thankyoutotheparentsandroommomswhoprovidedclassroomcoverageduringtheluncheon. AllisonManersandRachelHarwellarehelpingMrs.HesterorganizeCentral’sSpringBookFair.TheBookFairwillbeMarch3-10intheMediaCenter.MakesuretovisittheMediaCenterduringthatweek! IwouldalsoliketothankthemembersofourBudgetandFinanceCommittee.ThiscommitteemakesdecisionsregardingourPTOfunds.ThecommitteeischairedbyMelissaKaiserandincludesMicheleMorrow,LibbyCrumptonandRuthBean.Thankyouallforyourtimeandefforts! IlookforwardtoseeingeveryoneatthePTOGeneralMeetingonThursday,March16that5:00pminthegym.

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Jimmy John’s Community Night

Saturday, March 11th - lunch and dinner Jimmy John’s will donate a percentage of the sales for the day to VHEC.

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COUNSELOR’S CORNER Kellie Knight and Alla Lewis

February was such a wonderful month at VHEC! Each class was given the opportunity to select a community project for VHEC’s 1st Annual “SERVE MONTH”. Traditionally, Elementary Schools across the United States participate in “Random Acts of Kindness Week” in February. Central students caught the “KINDNESS BUG” and wanted to serve others in the community for an ENTIRE MONTH!!! Classes chose from the following service projects and began working:

*13 classes made “Thank you” baskets filled with candy, treats and goodies for the Vestavia Hills Police Station and Fire Stations 1, 2 and 3.

*2 classes collected donations and dog toys/treats to give to the Birmingham Humane Society.

*5 classes made cards for Chateau Vestavia Nursing home and 1 class delivered these cards after school one day.

*10 classes collected hygiene items to support 1st Light Women’s and Children’s Shelter.

We are so proud of Central students for having such BIG hearts and wanting to show kindness all around our city. We look forward to making this special project even bigger next year! We LOVE having the opportunity to work with your wonderful children! Kellie Knight, 4th Grade Counselor: knightkn@vestavia.k12.al.us, 402.5306 Alla Lewis, 5th Grade Counselor: lewisar@vestavia.k12.al.us, 402-5306

Spring Book Fair March 3 - 10 Parents are welcome to come shop during their child's Library Links lesson.

(More information is available in the flyers that were sent home.)

MUSIC NOTES from Mrs. Donaldson

I am so excited about all the things to look forward to this spring! March is Music in Our Schools Month and we are excited to have the opportunity to share the Arts with you on Thursday, March 16thth at our PTO night. The meeting begins at 5PM. 4THth Graders are very busy preparing for our PTO meeting and look forward to sharing some of the songs we learned that correlate with their Alabama History course of study. We have been studying folk songs and their form in the music room and will be demonstrating with singing, dance, and guitars! Please look for an email to let your homeroom teacher know if your child can participate. 5THth Graders completed their recorder unit and are working toward earning belts! They have done a tremendous job learning to read pitch, rhythms and symbols and have done an amazing job with Recorder Karate and earning belt levels. We have 19 Black Belts so far and have created Silver, Gold and Rainbow Belts to keep giving new challenges to these talented kids. Black Belts will be invited to participate at the March 16thth PTO night! I am very proud of their progress. We have begun our final project together and it is the musical “The Adventures of Lewis and Clark”. We are having a great time learning about these explorers, as well as Napoleon, Thomas Jefferson, and Sacajawea. We will be presenting our musical on Thursday, April 20th. Half the 5th graders will perform in the morning at 9:30 and the other half at 1:30 in the afternoon. Watch the website for those announcements. I hope your spring is filled with music! We look forward to sharing ours with you! Dates to remember: March 16th – PTO Night at 5PM Performing: 4th grade, Honor Choir, Black Belts, Artwork shared April 11th – Honor Choir sings the National Anthem at VHHS vs Hoover Varsity Baseball Game, 5:45 pm April 20 – 5thth Grade Musical “The Adventures of Lewis and Clark” May 4th – Citizenship Assembly, 1:30. Honor Choir will sing and Black Belts will be recognized May 10th – Honor Choir School Concert, 1:30 May 16th – Honor Choir Tour to East and West

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Camp McDowell Jamie Windham, Co-Chair, Camp McDowell

Attention 4th Grade Parents

Camp McDowell Information Meeting Tuesday, March 7th

3:30 pm in the Central Gym Camp McDowell is an overnight trip that your child will be taking in the fall as a 5th grader with his or her class. Please come to hear what a wonderful experience Camp McDowell will be for your child. Chaperone applications will be available at the meeting and will also be available in the office after the meeting. The deadline for the submission of chaperone applications will be Monday, May 1st.

CHARACTER CLUB

Character Club meets before school to encourage and explain to the students about the importance of good character qualities. JOIN US Friday, March 3rd at 7:20am in the gym to hear from Jeremy Horton whom will be sharing with the kids about forgiveness. We hope your child will join us and become a part of this wonderful VHEC tradition!

Amy Pattillo, amy.pattillo@gmail.com and Jamey Vincent, jameycv@aol.com

COMMUNICATION CELEBRATION Jody Seal

VestaviaHillsElementaryCentralCommunicationCelebrationissetforFriday,April28,2017.Duringthisschool-wideenrichmentday,studentswillhearfromspeakersrepresentingvariousfieldsabouthowtheyusecommunicationintheirdailylives.Itisanopportunityforstudentstoseehowtheycanconnectlanguageskillsthattheylearnandpracticeintheclassroomwithreal-worldapplications. Presentersarechallengedtobringtheirlifeexperiencestoour4thand5thgradestudentsinamannerthatreflectsourbeliefthatcommunicationisthecornerstoneforbuildingpositiverelationshipsintheirlifetime.Furthermore,thisgroupofdiverseparentsandprofessionalsareencouragedtobemotivationalforcesinpreparingourstudentsforcollegeandcareer.

Parents,ifyouwouldliketosharewithourstudentsaboutyourjob,volunteerrolesorhobby,pleasesignupathttps://goo.gl/forms/7fLz7KNWc9MtpAKe2.Morning,afternoonandfull-dayspeakingtimesareavailable.Speakerswillbeassignedtoaclassroom,andthestudentswillvisitspeakersin30-minuteintervals.Full-dayspeakerswillhavesevenrotationswhilehalf-dayspeakerswillhavethreeorfourrotations.

Also,becauseCommunicationCelebrationisaspecialdayatourschool,weaskthatthestudentsweardressyclothes.(Girls:dressslacksoradress;Boys:collaredshirtorshirtandtieanddresspants.)

Ifyouhaveanyquestions,feelfreetocontactusatvheccc@gmail.com.MelissaKaiserandJodySealVHECCommunicationCelebrationCo-Chairs

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Vestav ia H i l l s E lementary Centra l Par tners in Educat ion

WeloveourcommunitypartnersatVHEC.

Ifyouwouldliketobeapartner,throughdonationsorinkindservices,pleasecontactCindyCherry@

gcgg51599@bellsouth.nettofindoutthedonationneedsforthisschoolyear.Wewelcomedonationssuchasprizesforourfundraisers,snacksanddrinksforschoolevents,anddoorprizesforourteacherluncheons.

Followingarethewonderfulbusinesseswhohavedonatedforthisyear.

PlatinumLevel: BigColor; Bruster’sIceCream; Chick-Fil-A; Dr.DominiqueV.Backus,Orthodontist; TheDermatology&SkinCareCenterofBirmingham; McDonald’s; Moe’sBBQ; PetroFacialPlasticSurgery&Medspa; YanoskyOrthodontics

GoldLevel:

KidzClosetandMore; Lowe-GoSportswear

SilverLevel: Friedman,Dazzio,Zulanas&Bowling,P.C.; SOCA

Clothing; VestaviaHillsSoccerClub

BronzeLevel: TheBookerFamily; D1Sports;ellensheumakerdesign; EvanWrightPhotography+Design; GiftsFromAto

Zebra; IronTribeFitness; StephanieSteinmetzPediatricDentistry; TigerRockMartialArts; U.S.TaeKwonDo

Academy

WednesdayMorningChess

Wednesday Morning Chess is a popular, school-wide enrichment activity at Central. Everyone is welcome! If you are new to the game of chess, we will match you with a student that can help you learn the basics along with some cool moves to get you started.

When: Wednesday mornings at 7:25 am Where: Media Center What to bring: Chess set and board Why: Because Chess Rules at Central!

We hope to see you there!!! Sponsors:

Mrs.Whiddon(whiddonam@vestavia.k12.al.us)Mrs.Coxwell(coxwellmh@vestavia.k12.al.us)

VHEC Media Center ELIZABETHHESTER

Before starting a Makerspace activity in the Media Center, we inspire students with a book such as The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires about a girl who realizes she does not have to be a perfectionist to make something great. Both fourth and fifth graders have enjoyed making Scribble Bots in the library, which is often the first “robot” that a robotics club makes. This means every student in the school gets the opportunity to see what robotics can mean and experience the joy of making something work with a motor. They also come to the realization that whatever they make does not have to be perfect. We are so thankful to be able to offer these experiences to students and to see their “light bulbs” turn on.

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CentralCourierispublishedmonthlyforstudents,parentsandfacultyofVestaviaHillsElementaryCentral.Editor:TaraThomas,vhecnewsletter@gmail.com

VestaviaHillsCitySchools(VHCS)doesnotdiscriminateonthebasisofrace,color,nationalorigin,sex,disability,orageinitsprogramsandactivitiesandprovidesequalaccesstotheBoyScoutsandotherdesignatedyouthgroups.Thefollowingpersonhasbeendesignatedtohandleinquiriesregardingthenon-discriminationpolicies:DebbieHargrave,Section504/TitleIXcoordinator,at1204MontgomeryHighway,205-402-5100.Forfurtherinformationonnoticeofnon-discrimination,visithttp://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OCR/contactus.cfmfortheaddressandphonenumberoftheofficethatservesyourarea,orcall800-421-3481.

March 2017 Menu March 2017

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

27 French Toast Sticks

Fettuccini Alfredo w/ Twist

Cheeseburger Baby Bakers

Broccoli Parmesan Spinach Salad

28 Pancake Covered Sausage Bites

Jambalaya Breaded Chicken Sandwich

Black-eyed Peas Corn on the Cob

King Cake

1 Scrambled Eggs, Ham & Grits

Chicken Fingers

Baked Greek Tilapia Mashed Potatoes w/ Gravy

Green Peas Baked Tomato Oregano

Rolls

2 Sausage Biscuits

Green Eggs & Ham Hash Brown Casserole

Cinnamon Apples Grape Tomato Cup

Biscuits

3 Cinnamon Roll w/ Smoothie –Parfait

Fish Nuggets w/ Hush Puppies

Chicken Flatbread Baked Fries

Baked Beans Coleslaw

6 Chicken Biscuit

Crispitos

White Bean Chili Spanish Rice

Steamed Corn Pinto Beans

Pico De Gallo

7 Oatmeal w/ Toppings

Beef Tips Hot Dog

Brown Rice w/ Gravy Spinach Supreme

Glazed Carrots Garden Salad

8 Cinni Minis

Pep Pizza Cheese Pizza

Seasoned New Potatoes Green Beans Garden Salad

Veggies w/ Hummus

9 Chicken Poppers & Waffles

Meatball Sub

Italian Dunkers w/ Marinara Parmesan Broccoli

Baby Bakers Caesar Salad

Chocolate Chip Cookies

10 Breakfast Pizza

Hamburger Fish Sandwich Baked Beans Baked Fries

Coleslaw

13 Cheese Omelet

Chicken Fingers Mashed Potatoes w/ Gravy

Green Peas Carrot Soufflé

Roll

14 Cinnamon Roll w/ Smoothie – Parfait

Chicken Pot Pie Corndog

California Blend Sweet Potatoes Garden Salad

Peach Cobbler

15 Pancake Covered Sausage Bites

Honey Baked Chicken Breaded Chicken Sandwich

Green Beans Mac & Cheese

Baked Tomato Oregano Rolls

16 Bagel w/ Cream Cheese

Tacos w/ Fixings Chicken Fajitas

Spanish Rice Refried Beans Steamed Corn Pico De Gallo

17 Bacon (or other meat), Egg & Cheese Croissant

Greek Tilapia Hot Dogs

Au Gratin Potatoes Steamed Cabbage

Garden Salad Fruit Salad

20 Chicken Poppers & Waffles

Scrambled Eggs Sausage Patties

Cinnamon Apples Tater Tots

Grape Tomato Cup Cinnamon Rolls

21 Breakfast Burrito/Wrap

Baked Chicken Cheeseburger

Baked Fries Marinated Coleslaw

22 Homemade Muffin / Bread

Fruit Smoothie

Chicken Fingers Pork Chops

Mashed Potatoes w/ Gravy Green Peas & Carrots

Garden Salad

23 Sausage Biscuit

Cheesy Chicken Flatbread Steamed Broccoli

Sweet Potatoes

24 French Toast (sticks or mini)

Cheese Pizza Baked Fries

Veggies W/ Hummus

VHEC is happy to offer breakfast. It will be served between 7:15 and 7:45 in our dining hall.

Also, we invite you to join your child for lunch. You will find VHEC provides tasty and healthy meals. Fast food is not allowed in our dining hall. If you are having lunch with your child and bring fast food, please eat outside at our picnic area.

VHECBumperStickers

AvailableintheOfficeCostis$3