Jefferson Elementary

🍪🎉 Congratulations to Mrs. Sather – Our Quarter 4 One Smart Cookie Award Winner! 🎉🍪 Mrs. Sather goes above and beyond every single day — advocating for her students, supporting families, coaching Special Olympics, and jumping in wherever she’s needed, always with a smile. Even with a full plate, she leads with grace, kindness, and a great sense of humor. We’re so lucky to have her as part of our VCPS family! 💙 Thank you for all you do — you truly are One Smart Cookie! 🍪👏 And a special thank you to Wild Prairie Bakery for sponsoring the cookies! 🍪💛

🎨 History Made! 🏆 Congratulations to Cheska Flores, who is the first-ever North Dakota student artist to receive the Sid Crawford Waterfowl Conservation Award! This national honor is only given to senior student artists who win Best in Show in their state and place at the national level. We’re so proud of Cheska for this incredible achievement and well-deserved recognition!

📢 You're Invited – Referendum Informational Meeting on May 14 Come join us for an evening of conversation and questions about the proposed new school building. 🗓️ Wednesday, May 14 🕡 6:30 PM 📍 Jefferson Elementary School – Gym 🚪 Please use Door H3 After the session, you're welcome to stick around for a tour of the school. Want to learn more ahead of time? 📌 Check out our FAQ: https://www.hiliners.org/o/vcsd/page/frequently-asked-questions 📌 Try our Tax Impact Calculator: https://www.hiliners.org/o/vcsd/page/tax-impact-calculator Can’t make it? No worries—there will be more chances to ask questions before the June 10 vote. Reach out anytime at 701-845-0483 or vcps.referendum@k12.nd.us.

🎉 Congratulations to our 2025 Honorees! 🎉 A big shoutout to the 2025 VCEA Friend of Education recipients, the mini-grant recipients, and our 2025 Teacher of the Year! We also celebrated the well-deserved retirement of Deb Beilke — thank you for your years of dedication! 💙 Thank you to everyone who attended the 2025 Retirement and Achievement Program. Your support helps make these moments extra special!

🎶🐰 Bunnies: A Hoppin’ New Musical! 🐰🎶 Mark your calendars! On Thursday, May 8th, all Jefferson kindergarten classes will be performing their spring musical in the Jefferson gymnasium. 🕑 Showtimes: 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM 📍 Location: Jefferson Gymnasium Come support our kindergartners as they sing and dance🎤✨

🎉 You’re Invited! 🎉 Come check out the amazing creativity and ideas at our Genius Hour Showcase! 📍 Washington Elementary 📅 Wednesday, May 8 🕣 8:45 – 9:15 AM Stop by to see what our students have been working on — you’ll be inspired by their curiosity and innovation! 💡📚

📢 Referendum Informational Meeting – May 8, 2025 Join us for an evening Q&A session about the proposed new school: 🗓️ Thursday, May 8 🕡 6:30 PM 📍 Washington Elementary Gymnasium 🚪 Use Door E1 Tours of the building will be available after the meeting. 📌 FAQ Page: https://www.hiliners.org/o/vcsd/page/frequently-asked-questions 📌 Tax Impact Calculator: https://www.hiliners.org/o/vcsd/page/tax-impact-calculator If you can’t attend, there will be more chances to get informed before the June 10 vote. Questions? Call 701-845-0483 or email vcps.referendum@k12.nd.us.

🎉 Congratulations to our published VCHS writers! ✍️ Four VCHS dual-credit English students have been recognized and published in VCSU’s literary magazine, The Forge! 📚 (L–R): Abby Wangrud – Honorable Mention Faith Schmidt – 1st Place Brenna Storly – 2nd Place (Not pictured: Kailee Nielson – Honorable Mention) We’re so proud of these talented students for their creativity and achievement!

2025 Valley City Public Schools Teacher of the Year

🎶 Join us for an evening of music at the Spring Band and Choir Concert, featuring talented students from Washington Elementary and Valley City Junior High. 📅 Date: Monday, May 5, 2025 🕖 Time: 7:00 PM 📍 Location: HAC (High School Activity Center) Come support our young musicians as they showcase their hard work and dedication. We look forward to seeing you there! 🎵

👏 Shoutout to our April 2025 Jr. High Students of the Month! 👏 We’re proud to recognize these outstanding students from Valley City Jr. High: 🌟 7th Grade: Camden Larson & Rylee Gray 🌟 8th Grade: John Oakland & Kaitlyn Wangrud These students were chosen for showing strong character, working hard, being honest and dependable, showing up, and staying active in school life.

📚🍎 National Educators Appreciation Week is coming up! 🍎📚 The Times-Record wants to highlight the amazing teachers and staff in Barnes County — and they need your help! 💬 Share a message of appreciation for a teacher or school staff member who’s made a difference in your life or your child’s. 🗓 Deadline: Noon on Wednesday, May 7th 📰 These shout-outs will be featured in next Thursday’s paper! Submit your message here 👉 https://www.times-online.com/site/forms/teacherappreciation/teacher_appreciation/ Let’s show our educators how much they mean to us! 💙

🎉 Happy National School Principal Day! 🎉 Today we’re celebrating the amazing principals who help make our schools a great place to learn and grow. Thank you for your leadership, support, and all the hard work you do every day! ⭐ Becky Goven ⭐ Chad Lueck ⭐ Travis Peterson ⭐ Rob Hunt We’re grateful for all you do to make our schools a great place to learn and grow! 💙📚

🎶 Washington Elementary 6th Grade Concert – "Summer Camp"! 🎶 Join us on May 1, 2025, for a fun-filled performance by our 6th graders! 🎤🎼 📅 Showtimes: 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM 📍 Washington Elementary 🎥 Watch it live on the Hi-Liner Activity Network using this link: 🔗 https://www.youtube.com/@valleycityhi-lineractiviti9057 Come support our talented students as they bring "Summer Camp" to life! ☀️

🎨 Come Check Out the 7–12th Grade Art Show! 🎨 We’re excited to invite you to the VCPS Art Show on Thursday, May 1 from 5:00–7:00 PM at Valley City Public Schools! Come walk through and see all the awesome work our students have created this year — featuring art from: Junior High (Quarters 1–4) High School Art 1–4 Community Art classes It’s a great way to celebrate all the creativity and hard work from our talented students. Hope to see you there! 🎨🖌️

📣 Reminder: Nominate a Teacher Today! We’re looking for your help to choose the 2025 Valley City Public Schools Teacher of the Year! 🍎 Since 1983, this award has honored outstanding teachers, counselors, and librarians who make a real difference. 👉 Submit your nomination here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FWQ8LYT Nominations are open through Wednesday, April 30. Help us celebrate the amazing staff who make VCPS a great place to learn!

🎶 Concert Season is Here! 🎶 We have a lot of exciting performances coming up — mark your calendars! 🎺 Tonight! Senior High Band & Choir Concert – "Spring of '25" 📅 Tuesday, April 30 🕖 7:00 PM 📍 Hi-Liner Activity Center (HAC) 🐰 Thursday, May 8 Kindergarten Musical – "Bunnies: A Hopping New Musical" 🕑 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM 📍 Jefferson Elementary Gym 🏕️ Wednesday, May 1 6th Grade Musical – "Summer Camp" 🕑 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM 📍 Hi-Liner Activity Center (HAC) Come out and support our talented students — you won’t want to miss it! 🎤🎼

📬 Absentee Ballots Mailing Out May 1! Valley City Public Schools will begin mailing absentee ballots on May 1 to those who have completed and submitted their absentee ballot application. If you still need to apply, you can find the application and full instructions here: 🗳️ https://www.hiliners.org/o/vcsd/page/voting-absentee Completed applications can be returned by mail, in person, via secure dropbox, fax, or email. Reminder: Absentee ballots must be returned or postmarked by 5:00 PM on June 9, 2025, to be counted. Questions? Contact Jackie Cordie at 701-845-0483.

🎉 Big Congratulations to Sarah Lerud! 🎉 We’re excited to share that Sarah Lerud, a teacher at Valley City Jr/Sr High School, has been named the 2025 Barnes County Teacher of the Year! State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler honored 47 educators across North Dakota for their outstanding work — and now, Sarah is in the running for North Dakota Teacher of the Year, which will be announced this September. In the words of Superintendent Baesler, “All North Dakotans should be grateful for the work our educators do to help develop our state’s new generations of citizens.” We couldn’t agree more! We’re proud to have Sarah representing VCPS — thank you for all you do for our students and school community! 💙🩵🤍 https://www.nd.gov/dpi/news/baesler-celebrates-2025-nd-county-teachers-year