Vandyke Families,

It is my honor and a pleasure to welcome you to the 2024– 2025 school year! I hope you all have had a relaxing and fun summer break.

I am extremely proud to serve as the Principal of this amazing learning community for my first full year and to continue to support our Vandyke and  Invest Early students ! As has been our vision at Vandyke, we will continue  to increase student achievement by providing a positive learning environment in order to nurture lifelong learners.

I would like to welcome all of our new families, whether you are joining us from another school in the region or have relocated from another city, state, or country. We are excited to share with you all that Vandyke has to offer and believe you will soon feel as we do, that Vandyke, the school by the lake,  is a special place for all students. Our educators, support staff, families, and other education partners are ready to welcome you into the Raider Family!.*

Our teachers and staff are eager to meet their new students and begin this year’s journey with them. The dedicated staff at Vandyke has been working tirelessly to finalize classes and schedules, engage in professional learning opportunities, and update our instructional models, class routines, and expectations, all with the goal of fostering academic success and a true sense of connectedness and belonging for our students. Our primary goal is to ensure student proficiency in core academic subjects, so we will continue to refine Tier I instruction, analyze data, conduct observations, and review classwork to guide instruction and intervention. We will work together to create a solid foundation for our students so that they have the opportunity to become self-directed learners, collaborative teammates, critical thinkers, and responsible citizens. We will continue to offer intervention services for all learners through specialized programs, counseling when appropriate, and the implementation of Tier II and Tier III programs and teaching and learning strategies.

Please be sure to read the ‘Vandyke Parent/Student Handbook’ on our website. Please let me know if you have any questions.

We will be holding our in-person Open House on Thursday, August 29th from 8:00 AM-3:30 PM at Vandyke Elementary School. Your student’s teacher will be contacting you starting August 15th to set up a conference time with you for this day. If you have not been contacted by August 23rd or have any questions, please contact me at 218-245-2510. The district calendar and school supply list along with other important information are available on our school website.

*Information pertaining to the following will be available at Open House.

• Transportation

• Food Service
• Indian Education
• Community Education
• FRAM Application *Please make sure to fill out one of these forms as this contributes to our school funding.
• **Lifetouch Pictures ** **Please have your student get their picture taken even if you do not plan on purchasing a package. ***If you do not want your student’s picture to be published, please make sure to complete a ‘No Photo’ form available in our main office. If you are unable to attend Open House, retake pictures will be available in October.
• Infinite Campus
• Parent Square
• Boys & Girls Club
• Health Services *Please provide our health staff with any changes, additions, or pertinent information for our records**.**

Vandyke’s outstanding educators create the foundation for your student’s academic success. In addition, a large part of the Vandyke Learning Community’s success can be attributed to its active and engaged parents who are involved in the PTC.** **

I look forward to the start of the new school year and to continuing our collaboration of providing your student(s) with an effective and engaging educational experience. As always, we will look to our families to be positive partners in their student’s educational journey. The Vandyke staff has always made a priority of working together as a caring and compassionate learning community with professionalism, teamwork, action, and expertise. We will always put the best interests of our students at the center of our purpose. Join us in ensuring the success of all Vandyke’s students. Stay healthy, stay positive, and stay connected.

Open House will be a very busy time and I would like to present the opportunity to meet you all prior to school commencing. I will be hosting ‘Popcicles with the Principal’ on Wednesday, August 21st from 4:00 PM-6:00 PM at Longyear Park adjacent to the school.  If you have that evening open, I would welcome the opportunity to meet you and celebrate the upcoming school year!

As always, my door is open and our staff welcomes your input. Please feel free to contact me via email or call to make an appointment to speak with me to discuss any ideas you feel will make this the best year yet! ****

GO RAIDERS!

~Ms. Heimdal

Readiness - Respect - Responsibility