🎒 A Day in the Life: Middle School Edition!
Last Friday, our middle school hallways were a little more crowded and a lot more fun! We loved welcoming our families to step into the lives of students for the day.
In classrooms throughout the building, our visiting "students" got a true taste of the middle school experience:
-- Making Music: Families grabbed instruments and joined the band or found their pitch in choir.
-- Scientific Discovery: We saw some impressive teamwork experimenting with density and buoyancy during a science lab.
-- Future Entrepreneurs: Students participated in a Shark Tank competition with some serious innovation on display.
-- Game On: Class was competitive (and active!) with games in physical education.
Thank you to all of the families who joined us and to our students for being such fantastic guides. We hope everyone left with a better understanding of the hard work and creativity that happens in our buildings every day!
We are so proud of our students who stepped up to the plate at the recent Hancock County Math Contest to compete against the top math students from across the county!
A huge congratulations to our top finishers:
Lincoln Williams – 4th place overall! 🏅
Gourav Rohidas – 7th place overall! 🏅
We also want to recognize the hard work and dedication of our other participants who represented us so well:
-- Bree Baldridge
-- Carter Finley
-- Lily Kaufman
-- Sadie Thorla-Lopez
Thank you to high school math teachers Mrs. Rachel Rader, Mr. Addison Carter, and Mr. Andrew Hunter for preparing our students to excel at this event!
Students in grades 1–5 took us on a patriotic journey last night for our America 250 Arts Extravaganza! The elementary gym, stage, and cafeteria were transformed into a gallery of impressive student artwork, while the high school gymnasium set the stage for an unforgettable musical tribute.
The evening began with the presentation of colors by the Marine Corps League Color Guard, followed by a rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" the first graders performed using sign language.
Our fifth-grade masters of ceremonies truly brought history to life, representing five signers of the Declaration of Independence:
-- Miles as Thomas Jefferson
-- Peyton as John Adams
-- Llewyn as Benjamin Franklin
-- Addison as John Hancock
-- Lillie as Samuel Adams
The crowd was treated to a special appearance from Yankee Doodle (Michael), accompanied by his "pony" (Emerson and Daniel) and "Macaroni" (Peyton and Lillie)! 🐎 From fourth graders strumming "Yankee Doodle" on ukuleles to choral favorites like "Stars and Stripes Forever," the talent on display was outstanding.
The night ended on a high note with a fifth-grade finale of "America, My Home" that ended with a shower of confetti being sent into the air. 🎊
Thank you to art teacher Mrs. Jordan May, music teacher Ms. Darci Van Vlerah, and our entire elementary staff for the countless hours of hard work they put into creating this truly patriotic experience for our students!
🚶♂️📬 Out for a walk around town? Heading to the post office? Keep an eye out for our Knights in the Know signs in the town square and on Elm and East Market.
Scan the QR code to stay up to date on all things Van Buren Local Schools — student highlights, district news, and more! 🧡🖤
Want to just sign up here? Subscribe at https://mailchi.mp/vbschools/sign-up-for-knights-in-the-know.
The juniors joined others from across Hancock County today for the third annual Hancock County Junior Mock Interview Day, and we appreciate the professionalism they demonstrated throughout the event!
📋In addition to students having the opportunity to practice interviewing with two area professionals, the first-year apprentices at GROB Systems, Inc., and Tiffin University’s Career Services employees presented sessions about effective interviewing and developing résumés.
Thank you to everyone who donated their time to give our juniors this valuable experience and to Raise the Bar-Hancock County for coordinating the event. ⭐
21 students competed in three different activities designed to develop and measure their communication, collaboration, and leadership skills:
🔹 Work the Room Challenge – students carried on impromptu conversations with judges
🔹 Circle of Doom Challenge – students participated in small-group discussions on a variety of topics
🔹 Action-Based Teamwork Challenge – students worked as a team to solve challenges.
Each round gave students the opportunity to practice real-world communication skills while demonstrating confidence, professionalism, and teamwork.
Congratulations to all of our participants, and a special congratulations goes to Tommy Heintzelman, Camila Ortega-Munoz, and Rikki Sattler for advancing to the final round! 🎉 The remainder of the top 10 included Ainsley Smith, Bryson Reynolds, Caroline Bennett, Daksha Guggllilam, Lilybeth Mimbs, Lydia Kramer, and Thalia Anderson.
Good luck in the finals, Tommy, Camila, and Rikki!
The Knights in the Know signs are on the move! If you are out for a walk or drive on the following streets and see our signs, scan the QR code to sign up for our once-monthly email newsletter so you can stay in the know regarding what is happening in our district:
Byrnwyck Drive 🏡
White Birch Drive 🌳
Hollow Tree Drive 🌲
Magnolia Drive 🌸
Turnberry Drive 🏡
If you would rather join here, visit https://mailchi.mp/vbschools/sign-up-for-knights-in-the-know today!
The ROX (Ruling Our eXperiences) program at VB is making a powerful impact on our students by focusing on the education, safety, and empowerment of girls. Founded in 2006 at The Ohio State University, this evidence-based initiative has reached over 50,000 girls nationwide.
Since Middle School Principal Mrs. Jenn Barrett and MS/HS Counselor Mrs. Allison Limes introduced the program to VB in 2022, they have built a community of 30 ROX alumnae. This year, Mrs. Barrett and Mrs. Limes expanded the program to include both 6th and 7th graders, with eight girls meeting weekly for 20 sessions. These meetings, covering topics like healthy communication, cyber safety, body image, and leadership, were all designed to help girls navigate the unique pressures of being a teenager today.
To ensure the highest quality of mentorship, Mrs. Barrett and Mrs. Limes underwent an extensive three-day training and participate in regular refreshers every three years. We are proud to offer this life-changing experience completely free of charge to our students, as the program is fully funded by grants. While students must apply to participate, the goal remains steadfast: to foster generations of confident girls who control their own relationships, decisions, and futures.
We look forward to continuing this tradition at VB for years to come and appreciate the involvement of our students and staff! ✨
Think First: Encouraging Responsible Decisions Behind the Wheel
Our juniors and seniors recently attended a powerful mock crash demonstration along with other Hancock County students at the fairgrounds. With events like prom, graduation, and summer just around the corner, this experience highlighted the real-life consequences of impaired and distracted driving, reminding our students to make safe choices not only on the nights of these big events but every time they get behind the wheel.
We want to thank seniors Brookanne Busch, David Cavera, Chance Frey, Ginny Lewandowski, Sawyer Moore, Tyler Price, and Aubrey Scherf for acting in the event; School Resource Officer Deputy Matt Crouch for coordinating the event; and all the other first responders who played a role in creating this experience for our students.
If you would like to learn more about this experience for our students, you can read an article about the event from Saturday’s edition of The Courier: https://mynewsonthego.com/courier/Reader/Story.aspx?id=fdc174f1-f1f2-4a9a-af3f-1cb69e1f4d78.
(Pictures courtesy of Sgt. Tom Miller of the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office)
In episode 113, Lydia shares how she is in the career field she chose to pursue during her junior year of high school, why she decided to double-major in Speech and Hearing Science and Spanish and how she uses both of those majors today, why she decided to earn her master’s degree at Arizona State University, and much more.
To watch on YouTube, visit bit.ly/JoustAboutCareers. To listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or other podcast platforms, search Joust About Careers.
Have a great week!
