Meeting Matters Thanks to everyone who attended the Friends of the Village School Meeting on Jan. 8th and helped in the planning of the ideas and events shared in this newsletter.

Meeting minutes are available on the FVS website page at www.vsnb.org/fvs.

The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 7 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the

school library. Child care is always provided. We’d love to see new and familiar faces alike at the meeting. We have a few significant remaining events to plan, such as the Lego Competition, the Staff Appreciation Luncheon and the End of Year Hike & Potluck.

If you aren’t an FVS participant yet, or if you have ideas and suggestions, email friends@vsnb.org.

MO RE DETAILS ABOUT THESE EVENTS WILL BE POSTED AT WWW.VSNB.ORG/FVS

ContradanceFriday, Feb. 1

This community event is open to dancers of all ages and

experience, including beginners. Please join us in the school gym from 6:30-8

p.m. for an evening of fun and entertainment! Admission and refreshments are free. Baked

goods or snacks are welcome.

Students and their families are invited to explore the winter night sky with Bennington

College Astronomy Professor Hugh Crowl and Head of the Village School Tim Newbold at 6:30 p.m. at Bennington

College. RSVP required. Full details at www.vsnb.org/fvs.

Thank you to Leslie Koelker for volunteering to do a Zumba evening for the

community. All ages and levels of experience will be welcome. This event is still

being shaped. We’d love your ideas regarding timing and

having a potluck dinner.

Cosmic AdventureFriday, Feb. 8

Friends of the Village School Newsletter JA N . / F E B . 2 0 1 9 | W W W.V S N B . O R G / F V S

Next FVS Meeting: Thursday, March 7 from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Winter Carnival 2019

A huge THANK YOU to all who participated in this year’s very successful Winter Carnival. The school was buzzing with activity and filled with happy kids and families enjoying STEM activities, face painting, the bounce house, video game tournaments, prizes galore, and fun carnival food. On top of being a wonderful, exciting fundraiser, the event also gave us the opportunity to showcase the school to many visitors. We greatly appreciate the hard work put in by faculty, staff and MANY volunteers. Thanks, especially, to Tammy Carpenter and Rachel Maher who, once again, donated an incredible amount of time and their talents to make this event so amazing! Check out the photos at www.vsnb.org.

ZumbaFriday, April 5

W W W.V S N B . O R G / F V S

Library Volunteer(s) NeededAre you interested in helping out at our school library? Volunteer assistance would be appreciated in the library covering and shelving books once a week, or even once a month, and possibly for other library events. Please reach out to friends@vsnb.org if you or someone you know would like to help.

It’s the last Box Tops campaign of the school year, and we would love everyone’s participation! Box Tops are each worth 10 cents, and they can add up quickly with your help. Please deposit Box Tops and/or completed collection sheets in the Campbell’s Soup bin next to the school’s main office. For more details or to download a collection sheet, visit: www.boxtops4education.com/about.

Earn Cash for Our School

Got Spare Change?Students in Catie Kwak’s Event Planning Electives Class organized a student-driven fundraiser to help pay for the school’s new stage curtain. Each class, as well as the main office, has its own coin can for collecting spare change. The students welcome everyone’s extra coins—and you can check out the thermometer in the lobby to see how the fundraiser is progressing.

The Village School is celebrating reading in March with a number of special events. The Scholastic Book Fair will take place Feb. 25-March 1, and there will be a Fantastic Friday on March 1 themed around Dr. Seuss’s birthday. In the evening, we are inviting students, families and friends for readings of beloved Dr. Seuss books and Seussian snacks. This event will kick off a monthly book club—one designed for our younger students and another for our older students. If you would like to participate in the book club and/or have ideas for fiction or nonfiction books to read, please send them to friends@vsnb.org. Stay tuned for more details about the Book Club Kick Off.

Book Club Kick Off Fri., March 1st

Grandfriends Day: Fri., April 26We have a wonderful afternoon planned from 1-3 p.m. for students to spend time with their grandparents and/or special guests and share in the Village School of North Bennington experience. The afternoon starts with a classroom visit, followed by

refreshments in the gymnasium, and ends with a school-wide assembly and student performances celebrating Earth Day and family. We would love FVS volunteers to help at the “welcome table,” serve as “friends” to students, as well as contribute refreshments

(coffee, tea, fruit, donuts, or baked goods). If you can lend a hand, please contact co-chairs Sue Maguire and Erin McKenny friends@vsnb.org.

After School Enrichment Program - March 11 - April 11Instructors are needed for the next session of the After School Enrichment Program. If you have a skill or passion you would like to teach or know someone who might be interested, please reach out to Rachel Maher at rmaher@vsnb.org. Classes can be geared toward the age group of your choice and generally run once a week from 3-4:30 p.m. and a stipend for teaching and expenses is available.