Vienna Elementary

**SAVE THE DATE: MIDSHORE MEALS TIL MONDAY BOWLING FUNDRAISER! ** Join us for a fun-filled afternoon with family and friends! Show off your bowling skills while supporting our mission to end childhood hunger! **Admission Prices: ** - Adults: $15.00 - Kids (12 and under): $10.00 Both ticket prices include bowling games and shoe rental! **Date and Time: ** Sunday, April 27, 2025 2:00 PM – 5:30 PM **Location: ** Choptank Bowling and Billiards 1200 Goodwill Ave. Cambridge, MD For questions, please call 443-225-5678 or email info@midshoremealstilmonday.org. Click the link here for more details: https://bit.ly/4hUvDpS Tickets are available for purchase online or at the door. Additionally, there will be two raffles with a chance to win: a 50/50 raffle and a Restaurant Raffle. The winner does not need to be present. Winning tickets for both raffles will be drawn at the bowling event on April 27th. To purchase raffle tickets, click the link here: https://bit.ly/4hUvDpS or contact Joyce at 443-477-2572

Ready…Set…Register! Online registration for the 2025-2026 school year for PreK-3 through Kindergarten will open on Thursday, April 24, 2025. PreK-3 slots are limited and are only offered at Sandy Hill, Maple, Vienna and Hurlock Elementary Schools. PreK-3 students must be 3 years old by September 1, 2025; PreK-4 students must be 4 years old by September 1, 2025; and Kindergarten students must be 5 years old by September 1, 2025. Kindergarten attendance is mandatory by the State of Maryland. What do you need to register? Proof of age (original birth certificate or passport), proof of residence (lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill), proof of relationship to the student (birth certificate, court order, legal documentation), and up-to-date immunization records. PreK-3 and PreK-4 students also need proof of income for all adults residing in the household (2024 tax return, 2024 W2’s, current paystubs, and proof of additional income—TCA, child support, unemployment). For more information, please contact the school or Julie Lewis, Supervisor of Early Childhood Education at 410-228-4747 ext. 1035 or email: lewisju@dcpsmd.org.

**Vienna Elementary School's PreK Transition Night! ** We invite new and current students entering PreK3, PreK4, and Kindergarten for the 2025–2026 school year to join us for a special event! Enjoy a bus ride, tour the school, and check out your future classroom. Dinner will be provided! Please RSVP by May 12, 2025, using the following link: https://qrto.org/nyxtS2

Happy Easter to all our wonderful Vienna families! We hope you are enjoying this special time with your loved ones. We are excited to share all the memories we captured in pictures from Thursday. We would also like to remind everyone that Tuesday, April 22, 2025, marks the beginning of Autism Acceptance and Appreciation Week! We invite everyone to wear a shade of Blue on that day to help raise awareness and show support for World Autism Month. We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday!

On Tuesday, April 8th, we held a Family Engagement Night for PreK3 students and their parents. The theme of the evening was a pajama party with the book, "Llama Llama Red Pajama." We focused on English Language Arts (ELA), specifically on rhyming and sequencing stories using picture cards. Our amazing PreK3 teacher, Ms. Joy Bradshaw, led the way, helping the children teach their parents about rhyming. After the discussion, the real fun began! Everyone got creative and made adorable llama puppets using markers, glitter, and stickers. It was heartwarming to see parents and children laughing and working together to color and decorate their puppets. Each student took home a goodie bag and a copy of the "Llama Llama Red Pajama" book! Mrs. Julie Lewis, Supervisor of Early Childhood Development, generously provided dinner for everyone after all the activities. We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our PreK3 teacher, Ms. Joy Bradshaw, Mrs. Julie Lewis, and all the wonderful PreK3 students and their families who attended. Your participation means the world to us, and we can't wait for our next adventure together!

Pep Rally on Thursday, April 17th, 2025! Wear your "HOUSE" t-shirt! ( Uniforms are expected if a house shirt is not worn).

There was plenty of fun on April 1st. Nusybah, a witty student in Ms. Perry's third-grade class, decided to play a little prank on her teacher. With a playful grin, she announced, "Ms. Perry, I brought you a brownie!" Ms. Perry was thrilled! Who doesn't love chocolate? Nusybah presented her with an envelope, which turned out to be a clever twist; “Here is your brown E”! 😊 Ms. Perry burst into laughter. What a clever April Fool's joke!

Mrs. Carroll organized an engaging and memorable day for her 2nd-grade students on April 1st. The day's highlight was an exciting discussion about the elusive Sloof Lirpa bird. As she read from a worksheet, Mrs. Carroll captivated her students with fascinating details about this bird, which migrates to our area at the start of April and can be hard to spot. With vivid descriptions of its colors, wings, beak, head, and feet, she painted a picture of the bird's habitat and diet. Again, the perfect time to catch a glimpse of this colorful creature is in the first week of April. After their inspiring indoor session, the students eagerly ventured outside in search of the bird perched in the trees. "Look for bright orange feathers!" Mrs. Carroll urged them. If their search proved fruitless, she had a fun trick up her sleeve: they could sing "Sloof Lirpa" three times in a row, spin around while flapping their arms, and then spin again while singing. To top it off, the students were challenged to spell "Sloof Lirpa" backward on the back of their worksheets. APRIL FOOLS! What a clever and entertaining way to celebrate the start of April! Mrs. Carroll's charm and infectious laughter ensure that learning is fun and truly enjoyable for her students!

**AUTISM ACCEPTANCE AND APPRECIATION WEEK** **Tuesday, April 22, 2025 - We See You: ** Wear any shade of BLUE to show your awareness and support for World Autism Month. **Wednesday, April 23, 2025 - What's Your Passion? ** Wear an outfit or shirt that shows off your favorite interests or hobbies. **Thursday, April 24, 2025 - Uniquely You: ** Celebrate the beauty in the diverse spectrum of the human mind by wearing RAINBOW and/ or TIE-DYE. **Friday, April 25, 2025 - Sensory Friendly Friday: ** Wear your most comfy clothes, use as much natural light in your classrooms and/or wear a favorite pair of sunglasses.

Calling all parents and family members! Would you like to participate in Vienna Elementary's Career Fair? Please get in touch with Mrs. Frost at Frostm@dcpsmd.org or call (410) 943-3775.

Tomorrow, Friday, April 11th, 2025, Wear your "HOUSE" t-shirt to show your school spirit! (Uniforms are expected if a house shirt is not worn).

Let's take a moment to celebrate the exceptional nominees from Vienna Elementary School who proudly represented us at the 2025-2026 Dorchester County Public Schools Awards on Thursday, April 3, 2025. - **Mrs. Jo Ann Dechert** - Teacher of the Year Kindergarten Teacher - **Ms. Joy Bradshaw** - Early Excellence Educator PreK 3 Teacher - **Mrs. Michelle Frost** - Service Above Self Guidance Counselor In addition, we want to acknowledge the incredible women who were nominated for Teacher of the Year but chose not to accept their nominations: -** Mrs. Jennifer Bailey** Special Education Teacher -** Mrs. Kaitlin Carroll** 1st Grade Teacher -** Mrs. Kayla Rider** 2nd Grade Teacher -** Mrs. Susan Thomas** 2nd Grade Teacher -** Mrs. Sherri Todd** PreK 4 Teacher These remarkable educators deserve our admiration and respect. Their relentless dedication and passion ignite inspiration within our community and deeply impact our lives. Let's wholeheartedly express our gratitude for their invaluable contributions to our school! Thank you for being such incredible individuals. We genuinely love and appreciate you!

The Vienna Parents Association will host an Easter Egg Hunt and Book Bingo at Vienna Elementary School on Sunday, April 6th, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Easter egg hunt schedule is as follows: 2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Ages 3 and under 2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. PreK 4 and Kindergarten 3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Grades 1-2 3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Grades 3-5 Students who are not participating in an egg hunt can play book bingo. ALL children will leave with a book! See you then!

What a wonderful Reward Day we had on Friday, March 28th! One highlight was a visit from The Little Farm, which allowed students to see animals up close and personal. The students met a chicken named Rotisserie, Romeo, the temperamental donkey, and Archie the alpaca, who made the students laugh with his funny noises. PreK3, PreK4, and Kindergarten students remarked that the guinea pig and rabbit were velvety soft. One PreK3 student even chased after a duck, which was quite amusing! Interestingly, some of our teachers feared birds and wanted nothing to do with poor Rotisserie. After washing our hands following the Little Farm activity, the students enjoyed cotton candy and popcorn. Additionally, they had the chance to make their very own slime, provided by Creative Space Child Therapy LLC. A big thank you to Mrs. Winn, our school social worker, for organizing this special event! We also appreciate The Little Farm TheLittleFarmDE.com and Creative Space Child Therapy LLC for their contributions for a wonderful afternoon of school-wide fun and learning.

Our "Stand Out Students" for March! These extraordinary students are celebrated for their remarkable qualities, which could include academic achievements, positive attitudes, athleticism, active participation, making good choices, demonstrating leadership, showing kindness, helping others, taking responsibility, and serving as exemplary role models. Join us in applauding their exceptional accomplishments!

Exciting news! Tomorrow, Friday, April 4th, the Positive Behavior Interventions and Support Team (PBIS) will host a reward event to celebrate positive behavior for Term 3. This fun event is for students who have demonstrated being respectful and responsibile while following directions throughout the 3rd quarter that ended on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Get ready for an enjoyable egg hunt and a creative chalk-the-walk activity! Wear your "HOUSE” t-shirt to show your school spirit! (Uniforms are expected if a house shirt is not worn.)

A few weeks ago, Mrs. Margaret Diffenbach’s dad kindly gifted her first-grade class some delightful bunny hats with whimsical ears that move. The students were absolutely thrilled! As spring blossoms around us, we were excited to see these charming first graders joyfully hopping around in their bunny hats and spreading smiles to everyone they encounter. This is just a friendly reminder that Easter is right around the corner, falling on Sunday, April 20th. Spring break is Friday, April 18th to Monday, April 21st. We return to school on Tuesday, April 22nd. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the season with family and friends!

SPRING TESTING IS UPON US! This year’s Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) testing for English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics will begin for all Grades 3-5 students starting April 7, 2025. Grade 3 ELA Testing: April 7-10, 2025 Grade 4 ELA Testing: April 14-17, 2025 Grade 5 ELA Testing: April 28-May 1, 2025 For the ELA tests, there are four sections and 70 minutes per section. Grade 3 Math: May 5-8, 2025 Grade 4 Math: May 12-15, 2025 Grade 5 Math: May 19-22, 2025 For the Math tests, there are four sections and 40 minutes per section. The goal for all students is to earn a level 3 (“proficient”) or level 4 (“distinguished”). The individual, grade level, and school-wide results are used for improving instruction, designing interventions, and scheduling students. The grade level scores also are used to determine a school’s ratings on the Maryland State Department of Education’s yearly “Maryland Report Card”. ***Personal electronics may not be accessed during testing (and should not be at a DCPS elementary school at any time.) Please make sure your student is well rested, on time to school, and encouraged to do their best on these tests! Testing will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. Thank you for your support!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we are excited to announce that the Office of Student Services will sponsor our 5th Annual Mental Health Poster Contest. This contest is open to ALL Dorchester County Public School Students. Just a few pieces of information to share: *All entries are due by April 18, 2025, to our School Social Worker, Mrs. Winn. *All posters submitted will be on display in local businesses in Dorchester County to bring awareness about Mental Health between May 5th – May 30th. Parent permission is required. Please provide information on the submission slip with each poster. *Each school will announce a winner! Each winner will receive a $50 Wal-Mart gift card and public recognition. Prizes will be distributed to winners the week of May 5th. We look forward to your creative entries!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we are excited to announce that the Office of Student Services will sponsor our 5th Annual Mental Health Poster Contest. This contest is open to ALL Dorchester County Public School Students. Just a few pieces of information to share: *All entries are due by April 18, 2025, to our School Social Worker, Mrs. Winn. *All posters submitted will be on display in local businesses in Dorchester County to bring awareness about Mental Health between May 5th – May 30th. Parent permission is required. Please provide information on the submission slip with each poster. *Each school will announce a winner! Each winner will receive a $50 Wal-Mart gift card and public recognition. Prizes will be distributed to winners the week of May 5th. We look forward to your creative entries!