Mark your Calendars: Important Dates
October 1-30- Pumpkin Patch @VHE
October 27-31 Red Ribbon Week
October 30 School Picture Retakes
October 31 Book Character Parade
October 31 Fall Parties
Novembr 4 Election Day- No school for students
November 14 Thanksgiving Luncheon
Canaras: 12:40-1:15
Marshall: 12:50-1:25
Rowe: 1:00-1:35
Doblar: 1:10-1:45
Please see below info from VHE:
VHE Musical - Calling all 3rd, 4th and 5th Grade Students & Families
Calling all 3rd, 4th and 5th graders! Theatre season is almost upon us! VHE is thrilled to be embarking on our third musical production and we want to make sure parents and caregivers have all the necessary information ahead of auditions.
Please join Mr. Thomas Freeman, our fearless director, and Shannon Cofrin Gaggero, the Theatre program's parent liaison, for an informational session on Wednesday, November 12th at 3:30 p.m. in the auditorium. This session will be recorded for those who cannot be there in person, but attendance is encouraged.
At this informational meeting, Mr. Freeman will share audition, rehearsal and production dates, provide a program overview and go through expectations for students and families. Shannon will share an overview of the program budget and Theater improvement goals for this year. Please come with your questions, but please note that dates/times of auditions/rehearsals/production are not negotiable!
We are so excited for another great season! See you Wednesday, 11/12 at 3:30 p.m.
Playground Updates
Virginia-Highland Elementary families, get ready for some exciting updates! This week, you’ll begin to see visible progress on our playground as new rubber surfacing is poured and the final pieces of play equipment are installed—both on the main campus and the Pre-K playground. It’s been three years in the making, and we’re thrilled to be getting closer each day to a beautiful, inclusive, safe, and fun play space for all our students. Thank you for your support and patience throughout this journey!
Red Ribbon Week
We’re excited to share that Red Ribbon Week 2025 will be observed from October 27 through October 31 — part of the nation’s oldest and largest drug-prevention awareness campaign.
During Red Ribbon Week, we would love to have students participate by doing the following:
Monday - Wear Red to kick off Red Ribbon week
Tuesday - Team up against bullying. Wear your favorite sports team gear.
Wednesday - Pledge to be bully free. On Wednesdays, we wear pink.
Thursday - Owl-Ways be kind! Spirit Wear! School shirts!
Friday - We've got character & it shows! Wear a book character costume!
We hope you’ll join us in supporting this effort — talk with your children about their choices, help them see how small decisions add up, and encourage them to live in ways that keep their “puzzle pieces” strong and connected.
Calling all 5th Grade Families
Join us on October 30th at 8am in the VHE Auditorium for a meet & greet with Howard Middle School Principal, Mrs. Tekeisha Hollis. Principal Hollis will present on Howard Middle School and she will answer all of your questions about the transition from Elementary to Middle. You don't want to miss this!
Picture retake day
We will have picture retakes on October 30th. If you did not order pictures and you do not have the QR picture day code, go to the Legacy website www.legacystudios.com, and you can search for your child's pictures by their name and student ID number. If you have any questions or need support, please email Holice Wolf at Holice.Wolf@apsk12.org.
Book Character Parade
On October 31st, we want to encourage all students & teachers to wear their "Book Character Costumes" to school. Parents/Guardians - We need your help!
Students should bring a book with them that has their book character in it.
No costumes that depict blood or gore.
Parents/Guardians of Pre-K, Kindergarten & 1st Grades are welcome to join us the morning of the 31st to stay for our Book Character parade that will begin at 8:15am. Our Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st grade students will parade through our building as their upper grade classmates cheer them on! Parents will convene in the cafeteria or gym and our parade will come to you! :) We hope to see you there!
Superintendent's Winter Card Contest
Superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson invites students to design the official Atlanta Public Schools Winter Card. The winning design will be included on the 2025 Atlanta Public Schools winter card distributed by the Superintendent this winter season.
Click the link below for your submission.
Winter Card Contest Submission (Presentación del concurso de cartas de invierno)
Extended Learning Day, November 4th
Virginia-Highland Elementary is a voting site for the November 4th election. Students will not be in the building on this extended learning day. VHE will provide activities for students to do from home. We will not send home student devices. School will resurm as normal on November 5th.
Thanksgiving Luncheon Information for Families
We would like to cordially invite you to join your child for their VHE Thanksgiving Luncheon!
November 13 - Kindergarten, 2nd, 4th
November 14 - Pre-Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, 5th
For visitors, Thanksgiving Luncheon must be pre-ordered via MySchoolBucks by October 31st. The cost is $7. If you do not intend to eat, you can still joing your child at their Thanksgiving Luncheon. Please review the payment link & Thanksgiving luncheon schedule here.
Grade Level Movie Nights
Get ready for a fun night out with your VHE friends and family! We’re excited to host Grade Level Movie Nights right here at school in the VHE auditorium. Stay tuned for upcoming dates, start times, and movie selections—each grade will have its own special evening to enjoy. Parents & Guardians must accompany their child to movie night. This is not a drop-off event.
2nd Grade - Friday, November 14th
PreK & K - Friday, December 5th
1st Grade - Friday, December 12th
3rd Grade - Friday, February 27th
4th Grade - Friday, March 16th
5th Grade - Friday, April 17th
🍿 Concessions will be available for purchase, with all proceeds supporting our 5th graders and their class trip. We can’t wait to see you there!
One Fair Judges
VHE students have been working hard on innovative projects that showcase their curiosity, creativity, and scientific thinking. Your expertise and feedback would play a valuable role in helping them grow as young scientists and problem-solvers.
Event Details:
Date: December 5, 2025 (Friday)
Location: VHE Gym
Judging Times: 8:00-11:00 AM
Role: Review student projects, ask questions, and provide constructive feedback.
If you are interested in serving as a judge, please fill out the google form below.
There will be a follow up email with additional details, including project categories, scoring rubrics, and check-in instructions.
Thank you for considering this opportunity to support our students and our school’s STEAM initiatives. Your involvement makes a lasting impact on our learners and community.
K-4th Grade One Fair
Calling All Young Innovators in Kindergarten through 4th grade - do you enjoy designing and discovering ideas at home? Whether it’s researching a cool topic, building something amazing, or solving a tricky problem, this is the moment to shine. Categories to choose from are science, engineering, social studies and technology.
We would love to have more K-4 students join VHE’s One Fair this December and bring those big ideas to life. It’s the perfect chance to share a creative project and show the world what brilliant young minds can do!
If your child is interested in participating in the One Fair, reach out to Ms. Rhee at young.rhee@atlanta.k12.ga.us for more guidelines and information.
Projects are Due December 2nd.
One Fair will be December 5th.
Georgia Day of Code
Georgia Day of Code is a free, virtual event that introduces computer science and coding skills through engaging learning resources suitable for students of all ages and skill levels. Georgia Day of Code is on December 5th from 9am - 2:30pm
Click the link below for more information.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AWpfU6Pw2hZmKrYvZJXJZ1VsUeHZ0uqy/view?usp=drive_link
Humanities:
CANARAS READING: Analyzing nonfiction texts about voting rights
ROWE READING: Analyzing Story Elements in Fiction Texts
CANARAS WRITING: Writing an informational essay about voting rights
ROWE WRITING: Analyzing Story Elements to improve our narrative writing pieces.
SOCIAL STUDIES: We are in our first history unit. This unit covers the turn of the century (late 1800s-early 1900s) and covers topics such as the Black cowboys of Texas, The Spanish American War, Panama Canal and Immigration!
Current Math Standards:
5.NR.2: Multiply and divide multi-digit whole numbers to solve relevant, mathematical problems.
DOE Video Link: NR.2
2.1 Fluently multiply multi-digit (up to 3- digit by 2-digit) whole numbers to solve authentic problems.
2.2 Fluently divide multi-digit whole numbers (up to 4-digit dividends and 2-digit divisors no greater than 25) to solve practical problems
5.NR.5: Write, interpret, and evaluate numerical expressions within authentic problems.
DOE Video Link: NR.5
5.1 Write, interpret, and evaluate simple numerical expressions involving whole numbers with or without grouping symbols to represent actual situations.
5.MDR.7: Solve problems involving customary measurements, metric measurements, and time and analyze graphical displays of data to answer relevant questions.
DOE Video Link: MDR. 7
7.1 Explore realistic problems involving different units of measurement, including distance, mass, weight, volume, and time.
7.3 Convert among units within the metric system and then apply these conversions to solve multistep, practical problems.
7.4 Convert among units within relative sizes of measurement units within the customary measurement system.
Current Science Standards:
Life Science
S5L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to group organisms using scientific classification procedures.
a. Develop a model that illustrates how animals are sorted into groups (vertebrate and invertebrate) and how vertebrates are sorted into groups (fish, amphibian, reptile, bird, and mammal) using data from multiple sources.
b. Develop a model that illustrates how plants are sorted into groups (seed producers, non-seed producers) using data from multiple sources.
S5L2. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information showing that some characteristics of organisms are inherited and other characteristics are acquired.
a. Ask questions to compare and contrast instincts and learned behaviors.
b. Ask questions to compare and contrast inherited and acquired physical traits. (Clarification statement: Punnett squares and genetics are taught in future grades.)