Inside this Issue:
Musical Theatre: Cinderella
2
Spirit Day: Twin Day
2
Yearbooks & Recognition
2
50th Anniversary Fun Facts
2
Upcoming Events
2
Reflection Winners - 4th District
3
Restaurant Night: Craftsman Wood Fired
Pizza
3
V-Factor Auditions
3
Van Buren STARS
3
Preppy K & Kindergarten Registration
3
80’s Trivia
3
Outdoor Science School
4
Battle of the Books
4
Cookbook Fundraiser
4
PTA Membership Update
4
50th Anniversary Celebration
5
Cinema City Movie Tickets
6
Box Tops
6
Hello Van Buren Families,
We continue to march through the school year and are
quickly approaching the half way mark! Teachers are
working diligently to help their students master the
many standards of the grade level and develop those
21st century skills. As you know, last year our district
administered the Smarter Balanced Assessment to all
students in 3rd - 6th grade. No scores were recorded
as we “tested the test.” With such a large shift to new
standards and a new assessment system, it was important to ensure that the test was appropriate and
able to measure student achievement accurately.
we realized students would need greater support in
the use of technology for assessment. Therefore, part
of our preparation for the new SBAC is developing
our students’ computer skills. This year your child has
been working each week in the computer lab with our
Computer Instructional Specialist, Debbie Barton, and
the Learning.com program. With this program, students are mastering many new computer skills as well
as increasing their words per minutes typing. These
will be necessary for success on the new assessment
and students are making tremendous progress. Thank
you to Mrs. Barton for her guidance and expertise!
This year, we will again, administer the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), in third through
sixth grade. This test is designed to assess students’
acquisition of the California Common Core standards
for their grade level and their progress toward college and career readiness. District-wide, teachers
have implemented the new math standards and have
worked closely with their students, guiding them to
greater understanding of number sense and problem
solving. Additionally, they have continued to help students better communicate and explain their math
thinking. While we are also moving forward with the
new Language Arts standards this year, we will begin
greater implementation next year.
We are still finalizing our SBAC schedule for this year,
but testing is likely to begin after Spring Break. In the
meantime, I invite you to visit the California Department of Education website at http://www.cde.ca.gov/
and preview the practice test for your child’s grade
level. You will be able to see firsthand what this new
assessment will look like for your student as well as
find additional information to answer questions you
may have. In the coming weeks, keep watching for
more information that will be sent home regarding our
testing preparation and schedule for your child’s
grade level
Additionally, through our “test of the test” last year,
Thank you,
Connie Roe
Principal
A Note From Your PTA
Phil saw his shadow, though who's to say that means anything to us here in
California. For now, February looks warm and pleasant. Yay for us!
A couple BIG activities happening this month: Cinderella performances and
6th Graders heading off to camp. After months of practices, our musical theatre performers will be ready to have you see them shine on stage at Bryant
Ranch Elementary on February 5th, 6th, and 7th. More details on pg. 3. And
the mountains are calling the 6th graders names! They head off to Cedar
Crest on February 17th for four days of outdoor science school. Wish them
luck they don't freeze!
ner or grabbing to go. Thanks for your support! Marshall Burke, our Restaurant Night Chair, is looking into a few more options for the following months,
including Craftsman Wood Fired Pizza, Don Jose's, and Chipotle.
What can we say? Parents and families came through when we didn't think
we would have enough recipes to even put a cookbook together. Cookbook
Chairs Lori Nakashima and Matti Garrow THANK you all that contributed,
even if they/we harassed you continuously for months! We reached the 200+
mark with our last push and due date extension. Now, you have the opportunity to pre-purchase the 50th Anniversary Cookbook for $10. Orders due
February 13th. Forms can be found in the school office or on the school webAlso this month, Battle of the Books takes place on Saturday, February 7th, at site.
YLHS. Good luck to all participants! We have Twin Day and Holiday Class
At our January Association Meeting, we elected our 2014-15 Nominating
Parties on the 13th. The 3rd and 4th graders head over to the Honda Center Committee. Those elected include: Marshall Burke, Patty Danna, Dannessa
for the annual First Flight Field Trip on the 17th, and Talent Show auditions
Taylor, Nikki Gomez, and teacher, Rosemary Pang. The nominating commitwill be in the MPR on the 24th. It's a busy month!
tee will be in charge of selecting individuals to fill the positions of Secretary
and Treasurer. The individuals selected for those positions will be voted in at
Thanks to Cilla Peters and her volunteers for ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL Commu- our next Association Meeting on March 26th.
nity Lunch. This may have been the largest turn-out yet. It's wonderful to see
The 50th Anniversary Celebration preparations are coming along. Please
so many families come out to eat lunch with their students. Our next communi- block your calendars for March 19th. You won't want to miss this! Currently,
ty lunch is tentatively scheduled for late March. Our Hospitality Chair, Chris
we are in need of any old Van Buren site/student/staff photographs that
Boner, always makes/brings the yummiest food for our teachers and staff on anyone may have, to be added to our slide show. Also, be on the lookout for
our Staff Appreciation Luncheon days. Thanks for all you do Chris! The Janu- communication from your room parent regarding entertainment, memorabilia,
ary Math Wall was a great success thanks to Jennifer Fleury, Alissa Syland/or donations for a silent auction to be held to raise funds for a new LED
vester, and their volunteers. I heard the popcorn prize was very popular.
school marquee.
Thanks Kris Lyman for popping corn all day long!
Thanks,
Rubio's is always one of our most popular restaurant days. I always hear that Stephanie Carren
a ton of VBE families are seen in the late afternoon and evening having din- PTA President
Page 2
Van Buren PTA is proud to announce this year’s
theater production
We will be holding four performances at Bryant Ranch Elementary from Thursday February 5th - Saturday February 7th.
There are two different casts this year.
Performances for each cast are as follows:
Red Cast performances
Thursday 2/5/15 at 7PM and Saturday 2/7/15 at 2PM
Blue Cast performances
Friday 2/6/15 at 7PM and Saturday 2/7/15 at 6PM
All Performances have been SOLD OUT!
Martin Van Buren gained the nickname of "Little Magician" for
the skill with which he exploited what came to be called the
'spoils system." He served as a member of the 1820 state constitutional convention where he favored expanding voting rights,
but opposed universal suffrage. Van Buren was also the prime
architect of the first nationwide political party: the Jacksonian
Democrats or Democratic Party, relying on party loyalty and
patronage to prevent contentious sectional issues, including tariffs and slavery, from becoming national crises.
Feb 1965:
 A new, revised, color production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella is broadcast on US television by CBS.
 Chris Rock, actor and comedian, is born in Andrews, South
Carolina.
 The Beatles record 'Ticket to Ride" at the EMI studios in London.
 Malcolm X, 39, African-American Muslim minister and human
rights activist dies.
SPIRIT DAY: February 13th
Upcoming Events: February
February 2-20
Pennies for Patients (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society)
February 5
Musical Theatre Cinderella Red Cast Performance at
Bryant Ranch Elementary: 7:00PM
February 6
Musical Theatre Cinderella Blue Cast Performance at
Bryant Ranch Elementary: 7:00PM
February 7
Battle of the Books at YLHS
Musical Theatre Cinderella Red Cast Performance at
Bryant Ranch Elementary: 2:00PM
Musical Theatre Cinderella Blue Cast Performance at
Bryant Ranch Elementary: 6:00PM
February 10
50th Anniversary Committee Meeting (Teacher's
Lounge): 8:00AM
Class with the largest collection wins a PIZZA party!
Students should turn in their spare change to their classroom
collection box.
February 11
Musical Theatre Cast Party (MPR) 1:15PM-2:00PM
February 13
YEARBOOK & RECOGNITIONS
Now on Sale!
Valentine’s Day Class Parties
Spirit Day: Twin Day
Cookbook pre-sale orders DUE
February 16
NO SCHOOL
February 17
First Flight Field Trip Honda Center(3rd & 4th Grade)
6th Grade off to Cedar Crest Camp
February 20
6th Grade returns
February 24
V-Factor Auditions (MPR) 2:15PM-4:00PM
February 25
Staff Appreciation Snack Day (Nguyen, Shibata-Ellis,
Paradis, San Roman)
50th Anniversary Committee Meeting (Teacher's
Lounge:) 8:00AM
Restaurant Day: Craftsman Wood Fired Pizza
February 27
Minimum Day 12:45PM Release (End of Trimester)
TWIN DAY
Donations from
Feb 2 - Feb 20
Pennies for Patients is instrumental in raising funds for lifesaving cancer
research: To cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

Yearbooks: $20

Recognitions: $5
Flyers available in the school office or school website.
Questions? Contact Stephanie Carren,
[email protected]
Page 3
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Van Buren Elementary Roadrunner News
Reflections Winners and
Recognition for Fourth District
1st Place winners from Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Council:
1st Place - Primary
Aileen Santiago (2nd grade) ~ Photography
1st Place - Intermediate
Ryan Goode (5th grade) ~ Photography
1st Place - Middle
Alana Viary (6th grade) ~ Photography
Our three VBE 1st Place Roadrunners will now be competing
against other 1st Place Fourth District council winners. Winners move
on to the CA State Competition.
Honorable Mentions:
Kirsten Contreras (2nd grade) ~ Literature ~ Primary
Jennifer Koo (4th grade) ~ Visual Arts ~ Intermediate
Our Van Buren STARS Shine!
This student has demonstrated STARS behavior:
Safe
There and ready to learn
Act responsibly
Respectful
Show compassion

Taylor Kline
Congratulations - Keep up the good work!
Preppy K & Kindergarten Registration
Support Van Buren PTA!
Thursday, February 25th
Additional information and flyer will be sent home.
Look out for the flyer in your students Thursday mailbag.
THE V-FACTOR 2014 - 2015
80’s Trivia
AUDITIONS
Did you know that Datsun Motors changed their name
to Nissan motors in 1986?
Tuesday, February 24th in the MPR
2:15pm-4:00pm
Did you know the inspiration for Ariel in Disney's The Little
Mermaid was Alyssa Milano?
Come prepared to show a portion of your act. You do
not need to have your entire act ready, just give us an
idea of what you plan to do. Students are able to leave
right after they audition. Parents should plan on picking
up students by 3:30pm, in case auditions run ahead of
schedule.
Did you know that NBC's Al Michaels called the 1980
Miracle on ice gold metal hockey game?
For Talent Show 2014 questions, please contact:
Nancy Andeel, [email protected]
Did you know the top grossing movie of the '80's was ET
at $435 million ?
The 50th Anniversary Celebration is coming!!
Let's see what you can remember when you visit
the 1980's booth!
Page 4
Page 4
Van Buren Elementary Roadrunner News
6th Grade Outdoor Science
School
Our 6th graders are getting ready to go to camp Feb 17th-Feb
20th at Cedar Crest in San Bernardino Mountains. They will learn
about geology, wildlife, astronomy, and how all living things interact with one another, and how important it is to care for our environment. They will hike, study the night sky through telescopes, enjoy skits, songs, stories, play games, eat all you can eat good food,
and enjoy time together with their friends before they head off to
middle school.
Battle of the Books which is sponsored by the Yorba Linda Library
will be held on Feb 7th. We have 14 Van Buren students divided
into three teams who will be participating and competing with other
students throughout the Placentia-Yorba Linda School District. Each
team is responsible for reading 20 book selected by the library. The competition is held to promote love of reading and
learning and to build teamwork. Winners get Target gift
cards. Participants get to have a party at our library (date to be
announced).
THANK YOU, Van Buren parents, for supporting our fundraising
through popsicle, Mrs. Fields Cookies, Krispy Kreme, Snacks at
Lunch, YogurtLand/Restaurant Night, Raffle Drawings, and Poinsettia sale. We raised $6600 to help send our 6th graders to camp!
Our Van Buren Roadrunner participants are:
Team 101: Kyle Pinto (6th grade)
Justin Le (6th grade)
Ethan Cole (6th grade)
Troy Quach (6th grade)
Team 142:
Alana Viray (6th grade)
Madison Maughan (6th grade)
Jenna Garrow (5th grade)
Justin Reyes (5th grade)
Dane Abbott (4th grade)
Team 143:
Amanda Viray (4th grade)
Lindsay Carren (4th grade)
Sofia Cardenas (4th grade)
Faith Ayala (4th grade)
Layla Melaku (4th grade)
Pre-order your copy now!
Order one for all of the cooks in your family! Proceeds from
this cookbook will go towards the purchase of a new
electronic school marquee.
Cost is $10 until Friday Feb 13 - order forms available in the
office or on the school website.
Prices will increase to $12 after Feb. 13, so order now!
PTA MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
There is still plenty of time to get your 2014-15 PTA Memberships turned in. If you were at BTSN and came
into the MPR, you should have seen our AMAZING MEMBERSHIP TREE. For every parent, guardian, or family member that joins, your student will get a leaf (with their name and grade) attached to the tree. The fun
will be in searching for their leaf.
By December 31st, 2014, we had 330 PTA Memberships. Way to go! Our goal for the 2014-15 school
year is to reach 350 memberships. If we reach our goal, all students will be rewarded with a popsicle
party, so keep those memberships coming in!
Memberships are only $7 per individual. That's a deal! And if you join, you'll be
added to the (mostly) weekly email blast that keeps you updated on current activities happening at VBE.
Extra membership forms can be found in the school office or printed through our
school website, vanburenelementary.org
Membership questions? Contact Lori Nakashima at [email protected]
PTA Membership
Page 5
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Van Buren Elementary Roadrunner News
50th Anniversary Celebration
Enjoy a very special evening
with families and friends at
Van Buren Elementary School
Save the Date
March 19, 2015
Invitation to Follow
Proceeds from a silent auction will fund the purchase of a new electronic school marquee.
Page 6
Box Tops for Education
Box Tops can be turned into the office or Mrs. Laporte. Just glue or tape
10 Box Tops to the half sheet below with the student name and teacher.
Each sheet is entered into a drawing for $10 Target Gift Card!