Director’s Corner
Dear VASA Students, Parents & Guardians,
February was Black History month and the children in several of our classrooms learned about the historical contributions made by black men and women throughout history.
We owe the celebrations of Black History Month, and more importantly, the study of black history, to Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Born to parents who were former slaves, he spent his childhood working in the Kentucky coal mines and enrolled in high school at age twenty. He graduated within two years and later went on to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. The scholar was disturbed to find in his studies that history books largely ignored the black American population and when blacks did figure into the picture, it was generally in ways that reflected the inferior social position they were assigned at the time.
Woodson, always one to act on his ambitions, decided to take on the challenge of writing black Americans into the nation’s history. He established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now called the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History) in 1915, and a year later founded the widely respected Journal of Negro History. In 1926, he launched Negro History Week as an initiative to bring national attention to the contributions of black people throughout American history.
Woodson chose the second week of February for Negro History Week because it marks the birthdays of two men who greatly influenced the black American population, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. However, February has much more than Douglass and Lincoln to show for its significance in black American history. © 2000–2009 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease
Please take a look at the Infoplease website it has a lot more wonderful information to share with your children.
The children will be getting a visit from Parker tomorrow morning to talk about how fun reading can be and on Friday, VASA will be having its second Pep Rally!
It is hard to believe today is the first day of March; time does fly when we are having fun!
As always, thank you for your support!
Ms. Fuerte
Spotlight Grade: 6th Graders
The 6th grade students have been working hard all year, but have really amped it up this trimester. Every student participated in the VASA Science Fair. I am extremely proud of them for the work that they did. Three of the students – Melani Rocha, Destiny Cha, and Cecilia Soto – will be continuing on to the Regional Science Fair in March.
March is quite the busy month for 6th Grade. We will be traveling to San Francisco on the 16th to see the Tutankhamen Exhibit at the de Young Fine Art Museum, as well as visiting the UC Berkeley campus. When we return to VASA, we will be transforming our classroom into our own Ancient Civilizations Museum that will be open to both the school and the public. The specific date of the museum will be announced shortly.
Before any trip or museum can happen, however, we need YOUR help! We are so grateful for everyone who bought an Otter Pop (or 2 or 3) during our Fall Fundraiser. We are now asking that you come to our CAR WASH on Saturday March 13th! Tickets are available from any 6th grade student for $5. If in the event of rain, we will post a new date and honor all tickets that are purchased. Thank you so much for helping us have the BEST 6th Grade Year!
Mrs. Skibbie
VASA Garden & Campus Clean-Up Day
Help beautify our campus and prepare our garden for spring!
Please bring any tools you may have: shovels and hula hoes are most helpful.
Donations of flowers and plants will be accepted during the week or day of the clean-up.
We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, March 5th from 1-3 p.m.
Show Kids ‘U’ Care
Delight in their discoveries.
Surprise them!
Give them space when they need it.
Congratulations….
We would like to congratulate Vincent Valadez on being accepted to attend Edison Computech. Way to go Vincent!!
St. Patrick’s Day Grams
The St. Patrick’s Day Grams will be delivered to the classrooms on March 17 at the end of the day.
All sales go directly back to VASA Classrooms! This fundraiser is sponsored by our very own VASA Parent Organization. Sales begin March 8-11th by 4 p.m. Grams will not be accepted after 4 p.m. on the 11th.
Thank you for your support!
VASA After School Program (ASP)
As a reminder, those After School Program parents who are making payments need to make them on a regular basis. Please bring all payments to the office and our staff will make sure you receive a receipt as verification. ASP greatly appreciates your continued support.
Box Top Fundraiser
Keep collecting Box Tops and when your envelope is full bring the Box Tops in (keep the envelope at home to keep collecting)!
Our last Box Top Check was $209.94. Great Job!!
Thank you and keep collecting!!
Peach Blossom
VASA will be performing on Thursday, March 18 at 12:30 p.m. It is on the Fresno State Campus. More information will come soon! If you have any questions please call the office.
Attendance, Tardies, & Absences
Your student’s attendance is very important. If they are missing school they are missing instructional time. If your child is sick they must have a doctor’s excuse in order for the absence to be an excused absence.
If your child is sick and will not be in school you must call the office before 10 a.m.
If you are requesting homework for the day missed you must request it before 10 a.m. and it will be available for pick-up in the office between 3 and 4 p.m. that day.
If your student has poor attendance you will be receiving a call to schedule an appointment with Ms. Fuerte. We want to help you in any way we can.
If your child is going to miss more than 2 days we can put them on an Independent Studies contract.
Cub Scouts Information
Calling all Cub Scouts:
Come to our meeting on Friday at 4:30 in room 5A.
We are going to be working on our Marbles Belt Loop, as long as weather permits.
If you have marbles please bring them, if you don’t come anyway and we will loan you some.
Please bring your parents with you so I can talk to them.
Scout Leader,
Marjy Carver
485-2229
After 6 pm
VASA Donors:
The Bertha & John Garabedian Foundation
Bonner Family Foundation
Fresno Regional Foundation
VASA Community Partners:
African American Museum
Arte Americas
Fresno County Library
Fresno County Office of Education
KVPT (Valley Public Television)
About Valley Arts and Science Academy…
The visual and performing arts enhance student learning by stimulating non-verbal awareness, creating a common bond, and making school more human.
Works of art stimulate verbal skills through discussions and writing.
Singing and/or playing music together, dance, and the dramatic arts are shared experiences that reinforce and enhance each student’s understanding of language, mathematics and cultures.
