News from the

Eagle's Nest

Note from Mrs. Schacht

Vaughn Family,

December is here, bringing the joy of the season and the excitement of learning! While we look forward to celebrating the VES traditions of the season with students, we remain committed to prioritizing learning and growth in all that we do. We continue to focus on growing every eagle, every day.

This month’s newsletter includes upcoming events, highlights of recent learning in each grade, and a preview of what students are exploring in activity classes. On December 19th, classes will celebrate together with Winter Parties. Parents and student contacts are welcome to join the class parties. The party schedule is located below under Important Dates. Please remember that all visitors must check in at the office and be prepared to show a driver’s license or state-issued photo ID.

I also want to take a moment to emphasize the importance of attending school daily and on time. When students arrive on time and are ready to learn by 7:30, they set the tone for a successful day of learning and growth. Every minute counts, and we appreciate your support in making regular, punctual attendance a priority for your child.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership.

Kendra Schacht

Principal, Vaughn Elementary School

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

See the calendar at the end of this page to view events scheduled throughout the year.

December Events

December 2, 4, 6 - PTO Holiday Shop
December 3 - 4: MAP Testing - Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades
December 9th & 11th: MAP Testing - 3rd and 4th grades
December 10 - VES Spelling Bee - Qualifying 3rd & 4th Grade students
December 10 - Cookies for Santa - PTO sponsored event
- 4:30-5:30 - Last Names A-K
- 5:30-6:30 - Last Names L-Z

December 19 - Class Winter Parties
- 8:30-9:10 - Kindergarten (This is an update from last month.)
- 9:20-10:00 - 2nd grade
- 11:10-11:50 - 3rd grade
- 12:00-12:40 - 4th grade (This is an update from last month.)
- 1:10-1:50 - 1st grade

December 23 - January 3 - Winter Break: No School

January Events

January 6 - Students return to School
January 20 - MLK Holiday - No School
January 23 - PTO Meeting & Family Bingo Event (5:30 - 6:30)
January 29 - Class Pictures
January 31 - PTO Eagles Nest

Parent Resources

A Note from Nurse Brittany

Hello Parents!!

It is December and the cold weather will be upon us. Please make sure your student has a change of clothes in their backpacks and that it is weather appropriate. Please make sure your student has a water bottle daily to stay hydrated. National Handwashing Week is December 1-7th. Please encourage your student to wash their hands often especially before meals and after using the restroom. I wish you and your family a Healthy and Happy Holiday season!

PTO Posts

COOKIES WITH SANTA:

Join us on Tuesday, December 10th for Cookies with Santa. This is a fun and free event for our VES families!

If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to vaughnptopresident@gmail.com

HOLIDAY SHOP:

Our annual Holiday Shop is scheduled for the first week of December! Your student will have the opportunity to shop for loved ones and friends. If you did not receive the shop form please use the link below as these are key to a successful shopping experience 🙂

Holiday Shop Form

Counselor Connections

COUNSELOR CORNER:

Our value this month is service. Service is about lending a hand to help someone else, whether

they’re a friend, a neighbor, or a stranger. It’s the small acts of kindness that make a big

difference in someone’s day.

In November our students focused on having empathy for others. We made empathy glasses to remind us all to through the world through someone else's eyes.

Snack Packs

If you are interested in signing your child up for our snack pack program please fill out the form below or email msnow@bentonvillek12.org.

https://forms.gle/sJegUZnkB4YsCL8C9

Updates from Activity Classes

Tales from the Library

Happy Holidays from the Library!

As we head into December, we are excited about the learning opportunities for all our readers!

Book Character Ornament Challenge! This holiday season, we are excited to announce our Book Character Ornament Challenge! Any student who creates and brings in a homemade ornament inspired by a book character will receive a special treat the day before winter break. Please note: Ornaments will be displayed on our library tree and will not be returned, but will be cherished as decorations for years to come! We can’t wait to see all the creative ornaments inspired by your favorite book characters. Thank you for supporting our library!

Here’s a look at what our students are focusing on this month:

Kindergarten and First Grade: Our younger readers are learning about sequencing a story. They'll explore how events in a story happen in a specific order and how understanding the sequence helps with comprehension.
2nd Grade: Second graders are working on retelling key details. They will practice summarizing stories and highlighting important events in their own words to build their storytelling skills.
3rd Grade: Our third graders are learning how to identify the central message of a story. This means looking beyond the plot to discover the deeper meaning or lesson that the story teaches.
4th Grade: Fourth graders are diving into retelling key details that are inferred from a story. They will practice understanding subtle hints and clues within the text to tell a more complete version of the story.

Happy reading and have a wonderful holiday season!

Art

Hey everyone! We are having some great artworks come out of the art room these past couple of weeks!

Kindergarten is still working on their multimedia Dinosaurs, 1st grade is learning about Jean-Michel Basquiat, 2nd grade is printmaking, 3rd grade is making a close up pastel dragon eye, and 4th is making a Picasso superhero or cartoon character. I'm ready to see their finished works for sure! I hope everyone has a great day!

Music Notes

Kindergarten: We will be listening to and identifying music with beat patterns of 2, 3, and 4. We will relate these patterns to march, waltz, and 4/4 time. Many holiday songs provide wonderful examples of each of these time signatures.

First Grade: We will be learning more about pitch, intervals, and melodies. The holidays present many songs for us to explore and enjoy together!

Second Grade: We will be playing music using the Pentatonic scale and then learning about the Baroque Period of music.

Third Grade: Third-grade students will continue learning the basics of reading music in preparation for learning how to play the recorder.

Fourth Grade: Fourth grade students will be reviewing articulation/diction, identifying tricky tempos, and learning about timbre (the quality of sound).

Global Connections

Greetings!

I am so excited to embrace this beautiful season and show the children some of the colder places around the world, especially with the chilly weather outside to get the “full effect.” This month, we have explored castles in Western Europe and delved into the fascinating history of various historical sites that are hundreds, if not thousands, of years old. The students have shown great curiosity and enthusiasm as they learn about these incredible landmarks and the stories behind them. We will be visiting Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, and hopefully many more exciting destinations as we continue our journey! As we move forward, I look forward to introducing more winter-themed lessons and activities that celebrate the season.

Digital Literacy

This month in Digital Literacy, we have been focusing on essential skills such as keyboarding, coding, and internet safety. Our students participated in exciting activities like Glow Typing, which made learning to type fun and engaging! Additionally, we emphasized the importance of being safe on the technology highway to ensure our students navigate the digital world responsibly. We are excited to continue building these vital skills with your support!

P.E.

Hello Vaughn Families!

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving break! We are excited to start working on our basketball skills in Physical Education in the month of December! Our youngest Eagles in Kindergarten, First, and Second grade will be learning the basics of dribbling, bouncing, and passing skills. Our older Eagles in Third and Fourth grade will be perfecting their dribbling and bounce pass skills, and also learning some basketball teamwork strategies. We have lots of fun basketball activities planned! We can't wait!

- Coach LaValle, Mrs. Mackey, and Coach McFadden

Across the Grade Levels

4th Grade

The 4th grade recently competed in the 1st annual VES Reading Challenge sponsored by Champions for Kids. These students dedicated themselves to reading 60 minutes outside of school each week, maintained excellent attendance, and demonstrated our core values of integrity, collaboration, cooperation, problem-solving, and compassion.

Congratulations to our amazing 4th-grade students who completed the Reading Challenge! Their hard work and commitment were rewarded with special prize boxes, generously provided by Champions for Kids. Thank you, Champions for Kids, for supporting our students and encouraging a love for reading!

3rd Grade

Third grade students have been learning about adaptations in Science. Students rotated between classrooms to complete hands-on activities to support their learning. Students found that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, and some cannot survive at all.

2nd Grade

Second graders learned about different ways seeds are dispersed. They made fictional animals called fluffadoos to mimic the way seeds stick to animal fur and are moved to a different location.

1st Grade

Students in Mrs. Lizcano's first grade class have been working hard to demonstrate kindness and respect in the hallways, and their efforts have paid off! After earning their 20th hallway compliment, their class was rewarded with a special visit from our beloved therapy dog, Charlotte!

We’re so proud of these first graders for their hard work and dedication to being kind and respectful in the hallways.

Kindergarten

Our Kindergarten students are currently focusing on chaining letters together to build words. This foundational skill is crucial as it helps them understand the connection between letters and sounds. Additionally, they are learning some of those tricky words that cannot be sounded out but must be recognized by sight. These words are essential for developing their reading fluency, and we encourage students to memorize them. Thank you parents for your continued support in reinforcing these concepts at home. Encouraging your child to practice reading and recognizing these words will greatly benefit their progress.