News from the

Eagle's Nest

Note from Mrs. Schacht

Vaughn Families

Thank you to all who attended Parent-Teacher Conferences before spring break! We appreciate your partnership and support. If you were unable to attend, your child’s teacher will be reaching out to reschedule soon.

We have some exciting events coming up this month! Our first graders will be showcasing their musical talents next week—check the calendar below for your child’s class performance date. We’re also looking forward to our 3rd Annual VES STEM Night on Thursday, April 17 from 5:00–6:30 p.m. here at school. It will be a fun evening of hands-on learning for the whole family!

Just a reminder—students will not have school on Friday, April 18, as our staff will be participating in a professional development day.

Wishing you a great start to April!

Best,
Kendra Schacht
Principal

Has a staff member gone above and beyond for your child or family? If so, please let us know by completing the Staff Shout Out form.

Bentonville Schools also accepts nominations for the district's Extra Mile Award. This award is presented to a current staff member who has provided outstanding service. You can nominate someone by submitted this form. Extra Mile Nomination

Important Dates

You can view events for the year on this master calendar. Please check back frequently for updates as we add events throughout the year.

A Note from Nurse Brittany

Hello Parents!

I cannot believe this school year is almost to an end! It has been a joy taking care of your kiddos. As we look to the next year, I wanted to send out some information for you to prepare. If you have a student who will be 11 years old on or before September 1st, they will need a Tdap vaccination for 5th grade. I will be sending out notices to the students who need this soon. If your student has a medical plan and/or medication here in my office, please make sure to follow up with their doctor over the summer to get a new plan written for the 25-26 school year. If your student had an immunization exemption on file this year, please complete the 25/26 exemption form now to get your letter back and on file. Remember we are in the thick of allergy season, so if your student has allergy issues and needs allergy medication please make sure they are taking their medication. I do not have allergy medication at school. Encourage your student to bring his or her water bottle daily for hydration. And don't forget to have an extra set of clothing in their backpack for accidents and spills. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at

479-254-5506 or bclupny@bentonvillek12.org.

PTO Posts

Our next PTO meeting originally scheduled for Wednesday, April 2nd has been cancelled. If you missed the March meeting you can check out the minutes HERE.

Happy Spring!

VES PTO

Eagles Nest:

Our last Eagles Nest of the year is Friday, April 25th. Be on the lookout for a sign up to volunteer, we need your help to make it happen!

We are excited to introduce our 2025-2026 Vaughn PTO Board!

President: Amanda Koval

Vice President: Jessica Redlin

Treasurer: Kelly Houlihan

Secretary: Jennifer Pacheco

Thank you for serving, we know it’s going to be a GREAT year!!

With your support, PTO was able to donate new sports equipment to each grade in March. Perfect timing for the warm Spring weather!

Updates from Activity Classes

Tales from the Library

Here's what's happening in the library this month!

Our Book Fair will be here soon, running from April 21-25! Don’t miss your chance to shop for exciting new books. The fair will also be open before the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory productions on Tuesday and Thursday of that week, so be sure to stop by!

A reminder for all K-2nd graders—Rainbow Reading Cards must be completed before May 1st to receive an invitation to our Purple Party! Make sure your little ones get their reading done in time!

Our youngest learners are having fun practicing alphabetical order! They are working on organizing books and words in the correct sequence, which helps develop their literacy skills. Second graders are diving into informational texts! They are learning how to answer detailed questions about what they read. This helps them understand key facts and improves their comprehension. Third graders are strengthening their reading comprehension by using context clues. They’re learning how to figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words by looking at the words around them in a story. Fourth graders are exploring the theme of stories. They are identifying the central message or moral of different texts, helping them understand deeper meanings and messages within the stories they read.

Happy Reading!

Art

Hey everyone! It's been a great couple of weeks in art and the artworks have been fantastic! With kindergarten they have been working on a 3D car and road painting, 1st grade has been learning about Greece and doing Greek vases, 2nd has been learning about India and doing Rangoli art, 3rd has been creating a Rene Magritte surrealism painting, and 4th grade has been making treasure maps! Hope everyone has an awesome week and keep letting your artistic light shine!

P.E.

Spring is in full swing! Let's tee off and kick it up a notch! In April, we are focusing on golf swings and soccer skills. We will be learning how to correctly hold a golf club, aim for the hole, and master our golf putts. In soccer we'll be reviewing everything from dribbling and passing, to shooting and defending!

Also, don't forget about the Bentonville Schools Foundation Gold Rush Event on Friday, May 2!

The One Mile Fun Run and 5K race will take place downtown at Lawrence Plaza.

Friday, May 2nd

One Mile Fun Run - 6:30 pm

5 K Run - 7:00 pm

Lawrence Plaza

(In the event of a weather cancellation, a kids only, make-up one mile fun run will be held at Old Tiger Stadium the following Monday, May 5th, at 5:30. Registration fees will not be refunded.)

To prepare for the Gold Rush events, Vaughn will have a running club that will begin Tuesday, April 1st and continue until Thursday, May 1st. Our running club will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Vaughn gym at 2:30. Running club participants must be registered for the Gold Rush, and fill out a health/liability waiver that must be turned into our office. This form and more information will be coming home with your students.

Thanks! Mrs. Mackey, Coach McFadden, and Coach Lavalle

Music Notes

Kindergarten: We will finish up our study on tempo and begin long and short sounds in music. This includes playing non-pitched instruments and Boom Whackers. You can reinforce these concepts through clapping along to your favorite songs and identifying long and short items in your child's natural environment.

First Grade:

Vaughn Elementary is pleased to present a spring musical performance featuring our Fantastic First Grade Students! We will be presenting the musical "EIEI-oops!" Your child is encouraged to dress as themselves OR as their favorite farm animal (or even a farmer). You can dress as simple (pink for pigs, yellow for chicks, etc) or wear something a little extra - the choice is yours! There are a few students who have featured roles (please dress accordingly).

Questions? Email Mr. Timbrel

Performance Schedule

Lasiter and Lizcano

Tuesday, April 8th at 8:15 AM

Wynne, Miner, and Echols

Thursday, April 10th at 8:15 AM

Second Grade: Second grade students will begin a study about the instruments of the orchestra. We are also in rehearsal for a musical, "Music is Amazing!".

Third Grade: Recorders! We are learning the notes A, B, and G. Outdoor concert dates TBD!

Fourth Grade: Recorders! We are learning the notes A, B, and G. Outdoor concert dates TBD!

Save the date!

Willy Wonka Kids!

Tuesday, April 22nd and Thursday, April 24th - 6:00 PM Nightly

Global Connections

Happy April!

As we embrace the month of April, I’m excited to share that we have completed our journey through Asia and are now exploring the fascinating culture of Egypt! The students are having a wonderful time creating secret messages using hieroglyphics, and exploring their new museum. Next, we will delve into the vibrant beats of Africa before wrapping up our travels in Australia. It’s hard to believe that the school year is nearing its end! However, this doesn’t mean we’re slowing down. I have plenty of activities lined up for the remainder of the months. Towards the end of April, our focus will shift to understanding the differences between a country, a state, and a continent. I can't wait for them to continue exploring!

Digital Literacy

Hey everyone! This month, we're diving into the world of algorithms! Understanding how algorithms work can help you make smarter choices online and see what’s really out there!

As always we are practicing our typing skills. Good typing skills make a big difference in how we communicate digitally. The more we practice, the faster and more accurate we get!

Get ready for some fun activities to boost your digital savvy and typing skills! Let’s have a great time learning together.

Across the Grade Levels

Fourth Grade

Ahoy, mateys! Fourth grade is settin’ sail on a grand adventure as we dive into Treasure Island, explorin’ the high seas of storytelling! In math, we be chartin’ our course through decimals, making sure our calculations be shipshape. Science has us taking a deep dive into all the discoveries we’ve made this year—no stone left unturned! And shiver me timbers, we’ve got two excitin’ voyages ahead! We’ll be explorin’ the depths of War Eagle Caverns and embarking on a theatrical adventure with The Paper Escaper at Walton Arts Center. Batten down the hatches, it’s gonna be a thrillin’ ride toward the end of the year! Arrr!

3rd Grade

Third graders have been conducting investigations to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object. The driving question they have worked on answering is "How can we design objects to balance and move in different ways?"

2nd Grade

The 2nd graders have been busy traveling to field trips this month. They performed for students and teachers from other Bentonville elementary schools at Bentonville High School. After their amazing performance of Disco Sensation, they watched other schools perform.

Students took another field trip; where they were treated to a performance of The Ugly Duckling at the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville. The show told the story through music and glow in the dark, life-size puppets. “It was the best day ever!,” said one second grader.

1st Grade

Hip hip HOORAY, on March 6th, first grade celebrated the 120th DAY! First grade students were tasked with finding a unique way to wear 120 objects in a home STEM project! Counting to 120 by using place value understanding is a first grade math standard. They lived up to the challenge with some pretty cute and creative outfits. We're so proud of them for being 120 days brighter!

Kindergarten

This month in kindergarten, our young learners have been diving into the fascinating world of weather and its impact on both us and the animal kingdom. Through engaging activities and lively discussions, students have explored different weather patterns, such as sunny days, rainy weather, and windy conditions, and how these elements influence our daily lives and the habitats of various animals.

One of the highlights of our unit was a hands-on project where students created nests for eagles to protect their “eggs.” This activity not only sparked student's creativity but also provided a fun way to connect their understanding of weather with animal behavior. As we discussed the importance of nests in keeping eggs safe from harsh weather conditions, students worked collaboratively to design and build nests.

Counselor Connections

COUNSELOR CORNER:

Core Value--HOPE

Hope is being able to believe that there is always a reason to smile, even when things seem tough. When we have hope, we do our best to maintain a positive outlook, even in the face of adversity. Hope allows us to find joy and happiness in small moments, reminding us that no matter how difficult life may be, there is always a reason to keep smiling and believing in better days ahead.

Classroom Counseling:

For the month of April, the counselors will be meeting with third and fourth graders to discuss test prep strategies. Our goal is to help them feel confident, ready, and prepared to do their best on on the ATLAS test in May!