Van Wert Elementary

Thank you to all the students who entered the Young Georgia Authors Competition this year. A special congratulations to our three school winners. 3rd Grade - Presley Shepard 4th Grade - Anna Shepard 5th Grade - Hannah Beavers

Congratulations to Phoenix Fawcett for placing 2nd in Horse Care and Noah Ramzanali for placed 3rd in Engineering & Mechanics at the 4-H competition this weekend.

The deadline is this Thursday. Chocolate Chip Cookie Grams for Valentine’s Day The last day to turn in orders is Feb. 6—no orders can be accepted after this date. (money must be turned in with order—CASH ONLY—cookies will be delivered to homerooms on Feb. 12).

📢 Polk School District will Resume Classes on Tuesday, February 4th 📢 Polk School District will resume classes as scheduled on Tuesday, February 4th. All schools and campus locations have been thoroughly sanitized to ensure a clean and safe learning environment for our students and staff. This brief pause has allowed time for students and employees to recover and return, and we appreciate everyone’s cooperation in prioritizing health and wellness. A huge THANK YOU to our phenomenal custodial team for their tireless efforts in preparing our facilities for students to return. Their dedication and hard work help keep our schools safe and ready for learning every day! 🏫 Please see the attached document for wellness guidance to help keep our schools healthy. We look forward to welcoming everyone back tomorrow! ❤️🖤💛

Thank you to Holland Fertilizer Company for donating a propane heater and tank for our car rider workers. It is much appreciated and needed!

Reminder: Our Title 1 meetings and Multicultural Math Night are next Tuesday.

Reminder: Spring Picture Day is February 12, 2025.

Please click below for The Weekly Buzz, 2/3/25: https://secure.smore.com/n/af9d65

Congratulations to these dedicated staff members. They consistently go above and beyond for our students and school! #thriveatthehive #makeIThappen #grind

📢 Important Announcement: School Closure for Deep Cleaning & Illness Prevention Due to the widespread impact of flu and norovirus across our schools resulting in excessive student and staff absences, Polk School District will be closing all schools and facilities and transitioning to a Learn-From-Home day on Friday, January 31, 2025, to allow for deep cleaning of our buildings and additional recovery time for those affected. We currently have 761 students and 63 school-level staff members with illnesses reported which amounts to 10% or more of our student population at each school and a shortage of necessary staff to operate effectively. This decision is not made lightly and as always we will continue to prioritize the health and safety of our students, staff, and community. Extra-curricular activities and after-school events will not be affected. All of our facilities will undergo a comprehensive deep cleaning to help reduce the spread of illness and ensure a sanitized environment for everyone upon reopening. We encourage families to take necessary precautions, including: ✅ Monitoring for symptoms of illness ✅ Practicing good hand hygiene ✅ Keeping sick students at home until they are symptom/fever-free We appreciate your understanding and partnership as we work to maintain a healthy learning environment.

Georgia Department of Education State Superintendent Richard Woods Recognizes Van Wert Elementary for Outstanding Math Growth. Van Wert was named a Math Growth Leaders School.➕ Van Wert Elementary – Math Growth Leader for fifth grade, showing an 18.1-point increase.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Grams for Valentine’s Day The last day to turn in orders is Feb. 6—no orders can be accepted after this date. (money must be turned in with order—CASH ONLY—cookies will be delivered to homerooms on Feb. 12).

Please click below for The Weekly Buzz, 1/27/25: https://secure.smore.com/n/w0rf1

Valentine's Dance

Our fourth graders have BIG news today! We have won the AR GOAT trophy two weeks in a row. Our fourth graders have been competing against Eastside 4th graders while taking AR tests this January, and we are excited to say we have won the last two weeks! Way to go, 4th Grade!

Mrs. Sanders' ELA students enjoyed their tea party after reading "What Was the Boston Tea Party?" by Kathleen Krull.

Correction: Please save the date below for the 100th day of school.

🌨❄️ WEATHER UPDATE 🌨❄️ Polk School District will open with a delayed start on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. The additional time will ensure our buses and facilities are fully operational and warm. This means all bus routes, school openings, and start times will be shifted forward two hours from the regularly scheduled times. For example, a 7:00 AM bus pickup will now be a 9:00 AM pickup, etc. There will be no change in dismissal procedures. We encourage all students to dress warmly for tomorrow's frigid temperatures. Wear layers, hats, gloves, and scarves. Additionally, we urge all of our bus riders to utilize our Here Comes the Bus app to minimize time outside waiting for the bus to arrive. We appreciate your continued understanding and partnership as we take these precautions to ensure the safety of our students and staff during these extreme winter conditions.

Reminder: Pastries with the Principal is this Thursday at 9 am.

🌨❄️ WEATHER UPDATE 🌨❄️ Due to the State of Emergency now in effect and the uncertainty surrounding the possibility for winter weather conditions to develop during the school day, Polk School District will be closed Tuesday, January 21, 2025, as part of our commitment to ensuring the safety of our students and staff. We appreciate your understanding and partnership. Stay safe and warm.