Dear Venable Families:

Welcome to 2017-2018! Thank you for accessing your child’s back to school information online.

We are excited about having our school family reunited in a few weeks for what we are sure is going to be a fantastic school year. We plan to build on all the great work we started last year with writing, problem solving, and communicating our learning through student-led conferences. We are also launching school-wide expectations and Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS) for all students.

We want to extend a warm welcome to our new families. We hope that you will find Venable a vibrant place characterized by strong, caring relationships between staff, students and parents. We are hosting a new family orientation on Monday, August 14 from 5:15pm-6:00pm for any families who did not attend a kindergarten camp orientation. All are welcome.

Open House is on Monday, August 21 between 1:00pm and 3:00pm during the partial solar eclipse! This is a drop-in event; come any time during that time frame to meet your child’s teacher, drop off supplies, complete online paperwork via PowerSchool (if you haven’t already done so), and view the partial solar eclipse. Special eclipse-viewing glasses will be on hand for you to enjoy while you’re here.

We have new student t-shirts this year designed by a former Venable student. They will be on sale at Open House. Student shirts are $8. We will have a few adult shirts on hand for $10, but will be collecting online orders for adult shirts through September 1 so that you can order exactly what you’d like.

Please make sure you also access the following documents to help you get ready for the school year (click on hyperlinks):

1. This letter as a PDF for easy printing
2. Frequently Asked Questions
3. Important Dates to Remember
4. Venable Safety and Security
5. PBIS Behavioral Expectations Matrix
6. Meals application (mailed to you; must be completed and returned by Aug. 25)

Please access your child’s bus route in PowerSchool on or after August 19. We will have paper copies available during Open House as well.

Our Welcome Back Potluck and Clothing Swap will take place the same evening as Back to School night, with a new and improved set-up to facilitate serving and eating more efficiently! More details will come, but please mark your calendars for September 14 for both events. Please also start saving your children’s outgrown fall and summer clothes for the clothing swap (no adult items, please). (To add Venable events or Charlottesville City Schools holidays to your e-calendar, follow these links.)

We are glad you are a part of the Venable community. We encourage you to become an active member of the Venable Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). PTO meetings will be held on the 2nd Mondays of each month from 6pm-7pm. Childcare and pizza will be provided. There are plenty of other ways to be involved at the school; just ask! As well, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us. We are here to help.

Sincerely,

Erin Kershner & Valeta Paige,
Principal & Assistant Principal