Village Leadership Academy

Don't Miss Out!
Tomorrow is our Fundraiser Night at Cafe Zupas. Mention Village Leadership Academy to the cashier if you order in-restaurant or enter Fundraiser25 at checkout online or via the Cafe Zupas App! 4:00pm-9:00pm.

Today is a Snow Day! Please stay safe and warm. We plan on seeing everyone tomorrow!

It is time for the annual VLA FOOD DRIVE!
We are supporting the CityHope Food Pantry. It is located across the street on Fairview. They have been wonderful neighbors to us and we want to support those that are in need right now. This food drive is open to students, their families and all of Treasure Valley. Anyone can drop off non-perishable items at VLA's front office. Thank you for your support as we strive to be leaders in our community through service.

We hope everyone had a "Turkey-Riffic" Thanksgiving break. We are excited to see our students and staff back at VLA for fantastic week ahead!

VLA just completed their first season with Girls on the Run Idaho - Treasure Valley. Twice a week, after school, our dedicated girls and volunteer coaches participated in lessons that blended physical activity with life skills development that will enable our girls to adapt to whatever comes their way. Last week they ended the season with a 5K with all the Girls on the Run participants in the Treasure Valley. Families were also invited to participate. Throughout the past few months, leadership skills increased, Wildly Important Goals were met, self confidence grew and their was a strong connection in a team setting. These girls demonstrated their leadership skills throughout the experience. Thank you to our volunteer coaches. Their leadership is greatly appreciated. Congratulations to all of our girls. Thank you Girls on the Run Idaho - Treasure Valley!

Photos from Back Gate Studio's post

Happy Veterans Day. Today is November 11th and we are thankful for the current and former members of our military who have felt a personal duty to protect our way of life through their service to our country.

We know that many of our VLA families have members, past and present, share in this honor and deserve our recognition and thanks.

In observance of Veterans Day, many of our classrooms have been teaching on the history of Veteran's Day, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and how to respect and fold the US Flag.

THANK YOU to those in our community at Village Leadership Academy for your service and sacrifice to protect our ability to continue developing today's leaders.

The Village Leadership Academy middle school had an exemplary time at the Boise State Mathematics Invitational! The students that participated spent the day solving complex math problems, getting to know students from throughout the area, and touring the beautiful BSU campus. We are especially proud to share that they earned an award for results in problem solving. Students were led by our amazing middle school math teacher, Ms Kernin.

The VLA Family Math Party was a great success. Thank you to all the families who attended. Mr X, the Math Magician, provided students and families great insights and fun into the world of math.

Picture day is this THURSDAY! Don't miss out on ordering your child's school picture.

Students should wear their school uniforms OR wear dress up attire for picture day.

All orders must be placed online. Please see the instructions below to order pictures: All pre-orders must be placed by October 13, 2022.

Go to parkerportraitsonline.com Enter the code that was sent home with your student before Fall Break. If you lost your code, please reach out to Mrs. Daigle for your child's code.

With the Access Key you will be able to personalize your child's picture, change picture sizes, templates, backgrounds, and build a customized package.

All order placed by October 13, 2022, will be delivered to the school. Late fees and shipping will apply to late orders.

Enjoy Fall Break! We will see everyone back in the classroom on Monday, October 10th.

Kiss The Pig.MOV

Thank you to the PTO for a successful Farmstead Night. It was a fun evening for our VLA families. One of the highlights was the Kiss the Pig event. Mrs Cox (1st grade teacher) was chosen as the lucky participant to meet the cute little piggy. With our VLA families cheering her on, she successfully kissed the pig!

Kiss The Pig.MOV

Come join VLA families & staff this Thursday evening at Lowe Family Farmstead. 4:00pm - 9:00pm. Mention Village Leadership Academy when purchasing tickets and we will receive $1.00 towards our fundraiser. See you there!

Donuts with Grown-ups was a huge success last Thursday morning before school. Thank you to all the volunteers, those that donated donuts and juice. Also, thank you to all the grown-ups that came with the students they love. We are already looking forward to next year!

Come join us at VLA! We have a few openings in our free, full-day kindergarten class. Our excellent kindergarten program has small class sizes, hands-on learning, strong academics and leadership activities that interest your child.

We know that positive relationships with teachers and classmates is key to your child knowing they belong, building confidence and academic success. Our leadership based curriculum encourages understanding and managing emotions, setting and achieving positive goals, empathy for others and establishing and maintaining positive relationships. Teachers encourage children to work with partners and in small groups to help each other, share ideas, and make friends. We strive to respect children's ideas and work hard to build trusting relationships with families. We know that families are the most important people in your child's life.

Kindergarten is such an important time in your child's life. At VLA your child will see kindergarten—and school—as a fun, fair, great place to learn. Together, we can enjoy the many learning opportunities ahead! Call or email for more information. Our teachers and students are ready to welcome your child today! (208)336-2000 or [email protected].org or https://villageleadershipacademy.org/

Today's the day! Fundraiser! Panda Express for lunch or dinner. Just make sure you visit the one on Milwaukee.

We are happy to introduce Ms Cynthia Randall as our additional 2nd grade teacher. Since her hiring early this summer, she has been working hard to prepare for an amazing school year. Here is a little info on Ms Randall.

"I am entering my 10th year as a teacher and am so excited to be a member of the Village Leadership Academy family! I started my teaching career in Los Angeles many years ago but left to create a children's online educational company. After years of great success, I decided to leave and work in another industry. I finally hit a point in my life where I thought, "What do I want to do for the rest of my life? What makes me whole?" I instantly realized, teaching was the only career I have ever had where I LOVED each and every day! I instantly left my job and rediscovered what I loved so much about teaching. It was the best decision I ever made! The next question was, "WHERE do I want to spend the rest of my life?" So, in 2020, I scooped up my kitties and made my move to Boise. Another great decision! When I am not teaching, I am playing with my kitties, watching game shows, or riding my bike. My teaching style comes from how I actually learn best: a lot of fun, a lot of movement, great information, exploration, teamwork and leadership ! I see my role as a teacher is to provide students with the right tools and then watch what each one chooses to build!"

Monday is the first day of school! Many of the incoming fifth graders met their teacher at Back to School Night. For the rest of us, please welcome Ms Amber Purvis. We are so excited for her to join us at VLA.

"Hello! My name is Amber Purvis. I graduated from Boise State University with my bachelors in Elementary Education with an endorsement in history. I have lived in Idaho my entire life. I spend my time off reading, knitting, and exploring forests. I’m looking forward to this school year. It is going to be great!"

VLA is thrilled to introduce one of our 2nd grade teachers, Lucia Davis.
"My name is Lucia Davis (she/her), and I will be teaching 2nd grade this year at Village Leadership Academy! I graduated from Boise State University in May 2022, and I am thrilled to start my teaching career at the Village. I am originally from Sweet Home, Oregon, and I came to Idaho as a BSU swimmer, where I learned the values that help make me the person I am. I fell in love with education my freshman year of college, and knew that this was what I was meant to do. I value community and inclusivity in my classroom, and strive to make it a safe space where we can learn and grow both individually and as a team. I hope all who walk through my door feel respected and loved!"

One month from today will be the first day of school! We want you to meet some of our new staff, so we will post their picture and information in the coming weeks. Today we start with first grade, Miss Katelyn Franklin. Mrs Cox and Miss Franklin are excited about this upcoming school year.

Message from Miss Franklin:
Hello, VLA students and families! My name is Katelyn Franklin, and I am so excited to be teaching 1st grade for the 2022-2023 school year! I just moved to Meridian from Northern California with my boyfriend. This will be my very first year teaching. I studied at California State University, Chico. I have teaching credentials in Multiple Subject Education and Special Education. I have been getting to know my new environment and falling in love with Idaho’s natural beauty. In my free time, I enjoy being outdoors, cuddling up for a movie with my two cats, Apollo and Daisy, and talking on the phone with my parents who are still in California. I am so looking forward to the upcoming school year and meeting all of the students!

Wishing everyone a happy 4th of July!

In honor and gratitude to our VLA school board members, June 2022 is School Board Appreciation Month in Idaho. This annual event provides each of us with the opportunity to honor the important role and dedication of our local school board members and express our thanks and gratitude for their public service.

School Board Recognition Month honors the countless hours of service made by our unpaid elected volunteers who serve our school. These leaders give their time and energy to tackle budgets, oversee the management of VLA, and serve our students, teachers, staff, administration and families. THANK YOU!
https://youtu.be/kTHj5JWU6bQ

8th grade graduation is a special tradition at VLA. On the last day of school we gathered family, friends and students to honor and celebrate our graduates. Each grade level presents the 8th graders with "Gifts from the Heart". That can include songs, poems, pictures and handmade gifts. Miss Coles kindergarten class presented them with a Leadership Survival Guide. It was full of decorated hearts to remind them how loved they are, along with a few other things. Mrs Affleck's kindergarten class presented them with paper airplanes to help them soar into the future. These are just a few examples. We love our graduates and wish them a happy future as they venture into high school. We are grateful for the positive impact they have had at VLA.

Field day tomorrow and 8th grade graduation on Thursday. Plus, the last day of school is on Thursday. It is a busy, but exciting week at VLA. We have had a successful year and now it is time to celebrate our accomplishments. We wish our young leaders and families a wonderful and safe last week of school.

It is hard to believe we are approaching the end of the school year. VLA students and families have so much to celebrate from this school year. To help us celebrate, we have several end-of-year events coming up that you are invited to.
May 26th: School Carnival & Art Auction (after school)
May 30th: No School (Memorial Day)
June 1st: Field Day
June 2nd: 8th Grade Graduation
June 2nd: Kinder Celebration
June 2nd: Report Cards
June 2nd: Last Day of School
August 15th: First Day of School

***Enjoy the pictures from Mrs Cox first grade class. They show a brief snapshot of some learning this school year.

Village Leadership Academy

We have spots available in our Kindergarten class for fall 2022. We look forward to helping your child discover their genius!

Village Leadership Academy Village Leadership Academy is a tuition-free public charter school designed in collaboration with parents and educators to serve our community and develop the next generation of leaders. We are a school centered on cultivating critical thinkers & confident leaders. Village Leadership Academy is loca...

The fifth grade class at VLA has completed their service learning project for this school year. Their project focused on the needs of our local community. The CityHope Pantry, which is one of our neighbors, was in need of food cans and other dry food items. The whole school was invited to participate, with weekly collections from the 5th grade students. As a school, we collected a total of 3,345 items, significantly beating our goal of 2,001 items. The pantry volunteers were grateful for our donations because they were low on food. Thank you to our VLA students and families for donating generously.

It is National Teacher Appreciation Week! At VLA we have amazing teachers and staff who work hard for our students and families. Take time this week to thank them for their amazing work and dedication. They are leading these young minds to become kind, respectful, proactive and brilliant human beings now and in the future. These pictures spotlight just a few of our teachers and staff sharing their positive energy on a daily basis.

VLA recently held their Leadership Day. This event is held annually and is student-led. The planning process takes several months, which provides students an opportunity to practice and develop their leadership skills. This event highlights successes from the school year, as well as builds trust, unity and community. The ultimate goal of our Leadership Day is to communicate each students worth and potential so clearly that they are inspired to see it in themselves.

VLA Middle School students had the opportunity to learn the paper art of marbling! Steve Pittelkow is an artist and bookbinder from Florida that came for a week of art. Steve teaches marbling and bookmaking extensively at book arts centers and at colleges and universities throughout the US and Europe. Each middle school class and the MAC classroom had the opportunity to explore and create marbled paper. Students marbled over 300 pieces of paper in multiple techniques! Many thanks to Steve for his time, materials, patience, and creativity!

Did you know there is an 8th Habit?
It is FIND YOUR VOICE AND INSPIRE OTHERS TO FIND THEIRS.
When you combine your talent, passion, and conscience in a way that meets a need in the world, you find your voice. Once you find your voice, you are able to help others find their voice. How have you inspired others to find their voice? At VLA we continue to use our service learning opportunities to help with the needs in our community. Be watching for updates on several of our recent service activities.

Find Your Voice and Help Others to Find Theirs.

Families: Please don't forget that we return to school from Spring Break on Monday, April 4th. We look forward to seeing everyone! Please don't forget the essentials on Monday:
**To wear school appropriate uniform items.
**To pack a good lunch (or order a lunch), snacks, and a water bottle.
**To be on time for school: Start Time is at 7:45am for 6th-8th and 8:15am for K-5th.
**Please pick up your students on time as well. Release times are 3:45pm for 6th-8th unless they are waiting on a younger sibling and 4:15pm for K-5th.

Spring Break is the perfect time to focus on Habit #7: Sharpen the Saw. VLA encourages maintaining a balance between body, mind, heart and spirit. Do you have a favorite way to keep your "saw sharpened"? Please share below. We wish all of our staff, students, families and community members a safe and happy spring break. We will be back in class on Monday, April 4th.

It is Student-Led Conference time at VLA! Student-Led Conferences give students, families, and teachers the perfect opportunity to have a purposeful conversation about learning.

The Leadership Notebooks are used as the cornerstone of the Student-Led Conference. Our student-leaders will report their progress on academic or personal goals, scores, grades, reflections and assignments they have collected throughout the year.

These conferences provide our student-leaders an opportunity to practice organization and communication skills. Selecting work samples and preparing Leadership Notebooks prior to conferences takes time, practice, and skill. Students hone their communication skills when they role-play conferences, anticipate questions, prepare answers, and conduct the conferences.

Engaging students in the educational process is an integral piece of student leadership and development. After all, the ultimate leadership role for students in our Leader in Me School is to be the leader of their own learning.

Kindergarten-8th grade: March 17-18, 2022
If you have not scheduled your conference time, please reach out to your student's teacher.

Celebrating Read Across America Week at VLA brought out the fun of dressing like your favorite book character, spending time with our reading buddies in K-2nd grade and fun with Cat in the Hat. We love books and reading! Readers are leaders!

Village Leadership Academy just completed their first season of middle school basketball. We are proud to have a boys team and a girls team. Both teams are led by our amazing PE teacher, Coach Porter! We appreciate all the support from our VLA community. We are already looking forward to next year.