Vel Phillips Middle School - Oshkosh

And that's a wrap on the 2025-26 school year! Yesterday, we celebrated our first year of the RCA House System by recognizing top point earners, thanking our sponsors, and announcing the house leaders for the 2026-27 school year. See you in September Phoenix!

Thank you to our favorite social worker for spoiling the retirees with this treat! Mr. Hietpas and Ms. DePeau deserve it! 🎉

As we close out another incredible school year, we also celebrate two remarkable individuals whose careers have left a lasting impact on our school community.

This year, we wish Joe Hieptas and Marni Depeau a happy retirement!

Joe has spent countless years inspiring students as our Technology Education teacher. Through hands-on learning, creativity, and problem-solving, he helped students discover new talents and build skills that will serve them long after they leave our halls.

Marni has been the caring heart of our health office, serving as our school nurse with compassion, kindness, and unwavering dedication. Whether providing comfort, support, or expert care, she made every student and staff member feel valued and safe.

Both Joe and Marni brought tremendous love, energy, positivity, and commitment to their roles each day. Their impact extends far beyond the classrooms and offices they worked in—it lives on in the thousands of students, families, and colleagues whose lives they touched.

Please join us in thanking Joe and Marni for their years of service and wishing them all the best in this exciting new chapter. Your presence will be deeply missed, but your legacy will remain a part of our school for years to come.

Congratulations and happy retirement, Joe and Marni! 🎉❤️

Hello Vel Phoenix! See the link below to the last newsletter of the year! Consider it your one stop shop for all the happenings in our last week of school! Enjoy your weekend!

VPMS Weekly Newsletter VPMS Weekly Newsletter

Mrs. Bohlman’s 6th grade literacy classes finished their “Percy Jackson, the lightning thief” book club unit by creating Greek pottery showing scenes of their favorite part of the book. Students learned about ancient Greek pottery before beginning their project and applied that knowledge to create their own Ancient Greek pot.

🎉 SHOUTOUT TO THE ONRAKA HOUSE! 🎉

Big things are happening at Vel Phillips Middle School! 💙💛

Onraka House showed the MOST GROWTH on our recent i-Ready testing — and that kind of progress doesn’t happen by accident. It takes focus, effort, and a whole lot of heart. We’re so proud of every student who pushed themselves to grow! 📈

To celebrate, Onraka earned a sweet reward: KONA ICE! 🍧 Nothing says “great work” quite like a cool treat on a warm day.

Keep climbing, all students at Vel — you’re showing everyone what’s possible when you put in the work! 🏆

📚✨ Celebrating Literacy Growth at Vel Phillips! ✨📚

We are incredibly proud of the hard work and growth our students demonstrated this year on iReady Reading assessments! Their dedication, along with the commitment of our teachers and families, is making a difference.

📊 Literacy Growth Highlights:

⭐ Grade 6
• 174% median progress toward Annual Typical Growth
• 70% of students met Typical Growth
• 67% improved their placement level

⭐ Grade 7
• 150% median progress toward Annual Typical Growth
• 60% of students met Typical Growth
• 56% improved their placement level

⭐ Grade 8
• 128% median progress toward Annual Typical Growth
• 56% of students met Typical Growth
• 52% improved their placement level

Over half of our students have achieved more than a full year’s academic growth in reading this year! Here is a quick look at what those numbers mean:
📈 Annual Typical Growth: The expected progress a student makes in a single school year based on where they started (100% = 1 full year of growth).
🛣️The Median Metric: To see how the whole group is performing, we look at the "middle student" (half of the students sit above this mark, half below). Like the median of a divided highway.
Because our median student blew past the 100% mark, it means the majority of our students are growing faster than a standard school year—regardless of where they started day one! 📈✨

Across all grade levels, hundreds of students showed meaningful reading growth this school year — a reflection of perseverance, strong instruction, and a school community committed to student success.

We are so proud of our students for continuing to grow as readers, thinkers, and learners every day! 📖💙

Hello Vel Phoenix! Please see this week's newsletter linked below! Reminder there is no school Monday, May 25th! Be sure to stop by and see our Vel Phillips Middle School Band - Oshkosh, WI perform in the the Memorial Day procession if you are able!

VPMS Weekly Newsletter VPMS Weekly Newsletter

Hello VPMS Families please see this week's newsletter linked below! Have a great weekend and enjoy the sunshine!

VPMS Weekly Newsletter VPMS Weekly Newsletter