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December
Principal Corner
With our holiday break right around the corner, I wanted to make sure the December newsletter made it out to you before students vacate our hallways for 2018. As we wrap up things here in December, there are a few items I want to make sure get addressed/clarified as we move forward into the new year.
Lego League
IJFRL (It's Just Five Random Letters) performed very well at the Lego Robotics Sectional competition this past weekend. They were nominated for the Strategy & Innovation Award, the Teamwork Award, and the Champions Award. They were also nominated and won the Mechanical Design Award, which will be on display in the Lego League area of the library. IJFRL was one of only a few teams at this tournament chosen to advance to the State Championship on February 23rd. The team is comprised of nine Viking Middle School students, and is coached by Mr. Dennis Paquette & Ms. Cora Hinrichs. Pictured below are the members of this year’s team. Congratulations on a highly successful season and tournament!
Winter Weather
I want to stress to all parents/guardians once again the importance of making sure that your student is dressed for the winter weather. With the cold temps of early December, there were many students coming to school with little more than a sweatshirt. I encourage you to remind your student to be dressed appropriately for the much colder weather that January promises to deliver.
End of Day
I want to take an opportunity to clarify end of the day dismissal procedures here at Viking. All students riding a bus home are released from their 8th period classroom at 2:58 pm. All other students (walkers, pick-ups, and those in after school activities,) are released at 3:01 pm. Please be mindful of those release times if you are picking your student up from Viking.
I also want to make sure and remind parents/guardians, as per our handbook, that students not participating in an after school activity are asked to vacate the building by 3:15 pm. Increasing numbers of students, especially on days we are hosting contests, are now hanging around the building, unsupervised, until events begin. On many days, that is not until 4:30. I ask that you make the appropriate arrangements if you want your student to come back and watch middle school games/events.
Screen Time
With our holiday break comes added opportunities for kids to spend time on their devices and be in front of screens. I am hopeful that the weather stays mild, and our students find many ways to enjoy the outdoors and limit their screen time over the break. As we all realize, we live in a digital society, surrounded daily by technology. Experts tell us, however, the goal should be to help kids learn to manage their own time as they get older, and to stay physically active and socially connected as much offline as on. With that being said, I truly hope that you encourage your student to look for ways to enjoy themselves away from social media, and promote time spent in the great outdoors and with others!
I wish you a happy and healthy holiday break, and all the best as we enter the new year!!
Scott Benoy
VMS Principal
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