CREATING CONNECTIONS

The fabric of the Van Meter community is the connections we have between parents, teachers, and children. The Home and School Club strives to tighten these bonds, which form the foundation of your child’s educational experience.

Although our connections may feel different this year as we start off in a virtual environment, the Home and School Club is constantly working on ways to bring us together as a community.

Below you will find basic descriptions of all of our school events and clubs. As the year starts up, we will be continually updating these to reflect our current situation.

SCHOOL WIDE EVENTS 

Back to school night - Join us for Back to School Night, to learn new or updated programs and events for the year. This year our event will be held via zoom on August 20th. Details to come!

Family picnic and movie night - Enjoy a great night watching a movie under the stars with your family. We have delicious food & desert trucks to purchase your dinner, as well as free face painting before the movie and free popcorn during the show. Don’t forget your chairs, blankets and flashlights (for after the movie).

Pumpkin Patch -

Science fair - The Van Meter Science Fair is an opportunity for Van Meter students to use their scientific curiosity, conduct independent research, practice the scientific method, and promote science education, critical thinking, and problem solving skills outside of the classroom by creating and displaying the results of scientific study at the Science Fair Open House.

Book fair – The Bi-Annual Van Meter Book Fair is typically hosted by Scholastic or the Hickelbee’s Bookstore! Our library will showcase teacher selected favorites for all ages. Perfect for gifts and to build up libraries of your child and their classroom. Proceeds will go back to support our library to replace old, very loved books and buy all the new favorites.

The Play -

Bulldog Stampede - The Bulldog Stampede is our school’s annual fun run/walk. It is an upbeat & active event for the entire school community, so come cheer on the kids from the sidelines. The Stampede is run in 2 back-to-back sessions:

  • 8:30-10 am: Grades K, 1, and 2

  • 10:15-11:45 am: Grades 3, 4, and 5

Your child will receive a Stampede T-shirt the morning of the event AND set a personal goal to see how many laps they can achieve in 75 minutes.

The 5 girls and 5 boys who run the most laps in each grade will get the chance to squirt Principal Rauscher on Fun & Field Day. All students will cool down after the Stampede with popsicles provided by the HSC and watermelon and orange slices provided by classroom parents.

Variety Show - 4th and 5th graders get to show the whole school and parents their amazing talents. Budding actors, magicians, singers and more provide the whole School and parents with a morning of entertainment and fun after all their hard work and practice.

PARENT ZONE

New Parent Information - New information coming soon!

LVM Dads - Join in the fun of LVM Dads, a great way to meet up with fellow Van Meter Dads and make a big impact on campus. We organize a variety of fun events throughout the year, from hosting the Fall Family Picnic & Movie Night, setting up Pumpkin Patch, to the BBQ lunch for the kids at Fun & Field Day. Don’t miss out on our social nights, a great way to relax and chat with other Van Meter Dads. Share your email and we will send you information on LVM Dads events throughout the year.

Mom’s Night Out - A fun Van Meter tradition that brings together all the Moms so you can treat yourself to a night out. In both the fall and spring, H&SC will plan a night where Moms can connect with new and old friends.  See you there!

Parents on Campus - The goal of the Parents on Campus program is to promote a positive and safe environment for all members of the Van Meter community during the daily lunch period. As part of this program, parent volunteers assist students at lunchtime by opening containers, encouraging positive behavior and excusing students from the lunch area. In addition, Parents on Campus volunteers help the playground supervisors by solving minor problems and monitoring the play areas until the final lunch recess bell. Staff personnel will always be available to provide guidance and to handle a difficult situation should it arise.

Room Parents – We are fortunate to have such an amazing LVM community.  Parent volunteers are a critical part of what makes every school year at LVM a success.  Being a parent volunteer is an excellent opportunity to support the LVM community, get to know your LVM staff and teacher, and classroom parents and students.  As we embark upon a new, and totally unique, school year our volunteer needs and opportunities have changed.  At this time, we will not have opportunities for many of the familiar classroom and campus roles, like Room Parents, Library and Fun Zone.  Some roles, like Yearbook or Cornerstone will  exist but have yet to be defined for this school year. THIS PAGE CAN LINK TO THE ROOM PARENT PAGE WHERE THERE IS MORE INFO   

Teacher Appreciation - Our Van Meter teachers are the glue to our fantastic school and we strive to make sure they feel the love.  Over the school year, the H&SC plans and hosts 4 lunches for the staff (November, January, March and May). Our Teacher Appreciation chair works with a committee to host the themed lunches with families bringing different elements of each meal.

The Wag - The Wag is Van Meter’s annual fundraiser. Join your friends for a fun night out without your kids while raising money for your school.

SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Classroom Gardens - With the initiative of a few inspired parents and the H&SC, Classroom Gardens has been formally established with the goal to allow all Van Meter children in grades K-­5 to participate in the educational and enriching opportunity of having a class vegetable garden!

Clay Program - Welcome to our volunteer run clay program! We encourage every student to create at least two projects throughout the school year. Our clay curriculum teaches students about several hands on building techniques including: rolling slabs, coiling, pinch pots, attaching clay, adding textures and using tools.

Fun and Field Day - Fun & Field day is a school-wide teacher run spirit day, celebrating the end of the year with teamwork and fun games.  Teachers divide students in teams including K -5th graders, uniting the school across ages for friendly competition and team spirit. Don’t miss this great day… parents are included by helping the teachers run the games stations.

Fun Zone - Van Meter’s FunZone is a Cornerstone extension program, staffed by volunteers who set up and lead games, activities and student enrichment at lunch time.  FunZone offers a place where every student can go and feel welcomed, known and valued. It is a great way to be directly involved with the kids for just an hour a week.  For more information in setting up/leading/tearing down lunchtime FZ activities, please contact: funzone@vanmeterhsc.org  Zones can be set up on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and parents are welcome to volunteer intermittently or on a weekly basis.

Math Fun Club - Join the club where math is fun!  Explore math principles by play games, showing that math can be fun for everyone.  Come play math games with Fisher students and learn along the way. Math Fun Club is open to students 3rd – 5th grades and meets one Friday a month, in the Van Meter Library from 3-4pm. Space limited to first 25 students.

Math Olympiad - Van Meter 4th and 5th grade students are eligible to join this after school parent taught elective to learn more, explore more and have more fun with math concepts. Students learn age-appropriate mathematical concepts that push their creative thinking and problem-solving skills.  While Math Olympiad does actually create enthusiasm for math, it’s not only about the math; it’s about taking on challenges, learning strategies for problem-solving, building perseverance, pushing creativity, and thinking outside the box — skills that are useful no matter what one pursues in life as his or her passion.

Project Cornerstone - Project Cornerstone is a parent led literature-based program to engage students on social and emotional issues. Utilizing Project Cornerstone nationally acclaimed materials, parents are in the classroom monthly to read students character building stories, lead a discussion and facilitate an activity.

Please join us in the classroom to be a Cornerstone reader for your student’s class, reach out to  cornerstone@vanmeterhsc.org