VSEO April 2024 Newsletter

What's in this issue Village School Enrichment Organization Newsletter

Athletes making the grade

Contests and awards results

Mark your calendars for upcoming Fine Arts events

ES Intramural Basketball Championship Spring sports highlights

Speech & Debate breaks multiple records

AP & IB Art Exhibition

Pig Coin Challenge Results Are In!

Dear Viking Community,

The start of spring has brought with it a flurry of activity, and much like the eclipse, our journey at Village is a moment of awe and wonder amidst the hustle and bustle of life Read through this newsletter to learn about the awe-inspiring students who make us proud with their remarkable achievements!

Our VHS Speech and Debate Team recently wrapped up the end of the tournament season, breaking multiple records this year, and are preparing for the NSDA Nationals taking place in June Meanwhile, our middle school team is gearing up for their last tournament of the season, the Texas Middle School State Tournament

This time of year is packed with Fine Arts events, so please mark your calendars and save the dates for all the fabulous shows coming up, including the musical "Addams Family," dance showcases from the Vikings Elite Dance Team who recently took home the National title, and enjoy the many music concerts coming up that students are eager to showcase

On the athletics front, our spring sports teams have hit the ground running, with a strong start to the season Additionally, our elementary school students recently wrapped up their first Basketball Intramural League Championship, and the next league to be announced soon

We're thrilled with the success of our new fundraiser, the Pig Coin Challenge! It's been amazing to see how much it has taken off, raising funds for our extracurricular programs while making fundraising fun for our little ones

As we gear up for the much-anticipated Masquerade Gala on April 13th at Hotel Zaza at Memorial City, I invite you to view the 100+ items available on the online auction. This is the first year we've offered online auctions to the entire community, so you don't need to attend the gala to bid on these spectacular items We're incredibly grateful to our generous sponsors and donors who have supported The Masquerade Gala, and we can't wait to see you there as we raise funds to support the Fine Arts Department this year!

Warm regards,

Josephine Hanh Mai VSEO Board President

VSEO Executive Board

Josephine Hanh Mai President

Girija Patel Secretary

Vivian Yeh Treasurer

Annita Junadi EVP of Programs

Donna Anstee EVP of Philanthropy

ABOUT VSEO

OUR MISSION

Asaregistered501(c)(3)nonprofit,theVillageSchoolEnrichment Organization’smissionistosupportTheVillageSchoolintheareas ofacademicsincludingSpeechandDebate,thearts,andathletics beyondtheclassroom TheVillageSchoolEnrichmentOrganization supportsinnovativeprogramsandexperiencestohelpstudents gainalargersenseoftheircommunity

VSEOplaysavitalroleinsupportingover30programsatVillage, ensuringthatourstudentshaveaccesstoresourcesand opportunitiesthatenhancetheireducationaljourney VSEO’s fundraisingeffortsenableustocoveressentialexpenses,including: Costumes,instruments,andequipmentforourfinearts programs

Sportsequipmentforourathleticteams

Guestspeakers,masterclasses,andeducationalworkshops

Localandtraveltournamentcostsforourcompetitiveteams

Hotelandtransportationexpensesforoff-campusevents EverydonationmadetoVSEOisavaluableinvestmentinthe successandwell-beingofourstudents We'reproudtoinformyou thatcontributionstoVSEOareeligibleforcharitabletaxdeductions

VillageSchoolEnrichmentOrganizationEINTaxIDNumber931897524

RAISE MORE FUNDS FOR YOUR PROGRAM

Wearethrilledtosharesomeexcitingideaswithyouregardingwaysto leverageVSEO'snonprofitstatustoraisemorefundsinsupportofour studentsandteachers!Belowaresomeoftheideaswe'vebeenworking on,andwewouldbehappytodiscusshowyoucanraisefundsforyour program:

SpiritNights:Hostspecialthemednightsatlocalrestaurantsor businesseswhereapercentageoftheproceedsgoestowardsthe cause It'safunwayforthecommunitytocometogetherand supportthemission

PartnershipswithLocalBusinesses: Forgepartnershipswithlocal businessestoreceivemonetarydonationsormerchandisethatcan beusedforfundraisingeventsorauctions Thisnotonlybenefitsour organizationbutalsostrengthenstieswithinthecommunity Sales-TaxExemption:Learnhowyoucanuseoursales-tax exemptionwhenpurchasingfoodorproductsforfundraisingevents Thiscansignificantlyreducecostsandmaximizetheimpactofyour fundraisingefforts

InnovativeFundraisingIdeas:Explorecreativewaystoraisemoney, whetherit'sthroughsponsoredeventsoronlineauctions,we're constantlybrainstormingnewideastoengageourcommunityand generatesupport,andwe’dbehappytoshareourideasandalso welcomeanyideasyoumighthave

Ifyou'reinterestedinlearningmoreabouttheseopportunities,please don'thesitatetoreachouttousatvseo@villageenrichorg Wewould lovetohearfromyouanddiscusshowwecanworktogetherto positivelycontributetoourVikingcommunity

ATHLETICS

VIKINGS BASKETBALL

RECEIVES ALL-STATE HONORS

CongratulationstothemembersoftheVikingsBasketball TeamthatreceivedAll-StateHonors!

1stTeamAll-State EvanCochran

2ndTeamAllState MylesHerbert

ES VILLAGE BASKETBALL

INTRAMURAL LEAGUE HOLDS FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP

ThechampionsofVillageSchool’sfirstbasketballintramuralleaguehave beenannounced!Overthepastfewweeks,fourteamshavecompeted fiercely,showcasingtheirskillsandsportsmanship!Thisinitiativewouldn’t bepossiblewithoutthesupportofparents,coaches,students,andthe dedicatedparentswhovolunteeredtocoachtheteams ThankyouSonali MehraSinghforleadingthisinitiative!Withoutherphonecalls, determination,andorganizationalskills,thisseasonneverwouldhave takenplace!Specialthankstothe3rdand4thgradersfortheir participationandtotheparentsfortheirsupportandcommitmentto Saturdaymorninggames AhugeshoutouttoCoachGarySmithforhis leadershipanddedicationtotheprogram VSEOcontinuesourmissiontoprovidefinancial supporttotheathleticsprogramsothatstudentseven intheelementaryschoolcanbenefitbyfunding equipment,uniforms,coach‘sstipend,andtrophies Staytunedforanupcomingintramuralleague–it’sgoingtobe somethingexcitingyoudon’twanttomiss!

ATHLETICS NEWS

VILLAGE ATHLETES MAKING THE GRADE

Congratulationstostudent-athleteMilaRossiniforher outstandingperformancebothonandoffthebasketballcourt! FOX26’sNateGriffinhighlightedMila'sachievementsinhis segment,'MakingtheGrade'Villagestudentsandstaff,cheer teams,thebasketballteam,Vikingmascot,anddrummersall cameouttoshowtheirsupportandcheerheron Waytogo, Mila!

LADY VIKINGS LAX

LadyVikingLacrosseisofftoanexcitingstart!Withteam bondingmealsfuelingtheirspiritsandtwogamesundertheir belt,they'rereadytoconquertheseason Let'scheerthemon toevengreatersuccessahead!LadyVikingsLacrosse Instagram

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL SCORE WIN AT HOME

CongratulationstotheMen’sVolleyballTeamforsecuringa victoryintheirfirsthomegameoftheseason!Here'stoastrong andsuccessfulseasonahead!

SPEECH & DEBATE N E W S

VHS S&D CONTINUES TO BREAK MULTIPLE RECORDS AT STATE

HugecongratulationstoallthestudentswhotookpartintheTFAState Tournament(TexasForensicsAssociation)onMarch7-9 Therewere188schools inTexasand1572individualcompetitors Village’sachievementofhaving27 entriesqualifyforStateistrulyremarkable AspecialshoutouttoSolemei Scamaronifornotonlybecomingthisyear’sTFAStateChampioninOriginal Oratorybutalsoclinching5thplaceintheIndividualSweepstakesAward!Caleb Ansteeplaced3rdinhisincredibleperformanceinHumorousInterp!Tanmay Rai’sexceptionalquick-thinkingskillsplacedhimin4thforImpromptu Speaking!SelinaZhang’stalentanddebateskillsearnedher4thPlaceSpeaker AwardinLincolnDouglas!Villagewasalsopleasantlysurprisedtoreceive8th PlaceinaTeamSweepstakesfortheveryfirsttime!

It’salsoimpressivethatmanyofthecompetitorswerefreshmenand sophomoresandmostadvancedpasttheprelimrounds,showinggreat potentialforthefuture Bigthankstotheincrediblededicationofourcoaches whoplayedapivotalroleinmakingthetournamentahugesuccess!Thanksto theparentswhosupportedtheteamwithfoodandencouragement!

VHS ForensicsInstagram

“S&D revolutionized and changed the trajectory of my life It helped me with college preparedness and the ability to critically think and handle IB It also helped shape who I am as a person as I was able to develop life-long friendships, inner self-confidence, and gain the ultimate power, which is effective communication S&D taught me the universally powerful ability to connect with people and persuade and change hearts and minds ” - Solemei

RECORD BREAKING NUMBER OF STUDENTS QUALIFY FOR NATIONALS

CongratulationstothestudentswhocompetedintheSpaceCityDistricts onMarch21-23andrankedtopthreeintheireventtoqualifyforthe prestigiousNSDANationalTournament It’sanincredibleachievementto qualifyandhavetheopportunitytoattendNatswhichwillbeheldinJune inDesMoines,Iowawith1500schoolsattending,6700competitors,and wellover10,000attendeesincludingjudges,coaches,andspectators This isthelargestgroupVillagehasevertakentoNatsandquitethe accomplishmenttohaveseveralfreshmanstudentsqualify We’realso extremelyproudtwoofourseniorswhohavebeenwiththeSpeechand Debateprogramfor7yearshavequalifiedforNatseveryyeartheyhave competedinhighschoolDistricts!ThestudentsqualifyingfortheNSDA NationalTournamentandwillberepresentingTheVillageSchoolareas follows:

TanmayRaiinForeignExtemp

EmmaKay&KoladeFeyisitaninDuoInterp

JaidanDoshi&RogerSheninDuoInterp

SolemeiScamaroniinOriginalOratory

AdelineMaiinProgramOralInterp

CalebAnsteeinHumorousInterp(notpicturedandauto-qualifiedfrom Nats2023)

ENRICH

www.villageenrich.org

Scamaroni

SPEECH & DEBATE NEWS

VMS WINS SWEEPS AT SPARTAN WARRIOR SHOWDOWN

OnApril6th,theVMSSpeechandDebateTeamcompetedat theSpartanWarriorShowdownMiddleSchoolSpeechand DebateTournamentatJordanHighSchool TheVMSSpeech andDebateteamplaced1stintheOverallTeamSweepstakes Competition!Allstudentsrepresentedtheschoolinsuchfine fashionatthetournament,andthecoachesaresoproudofthe team!GoVikings!Toseethelistofwinners,clickhere

STUDENTS RAISE AWARENESS ON PUBLIC SPEAKING FOR WORLD SPEECH DAY

OnMarch28th,EshaniGaleandBazilLalanitookthestageattheIsmaili JamatkhanaCenterinSugarLandforWorldSpeechDay Theevent, themed'IdeasforaBetterWorld',providedaplatformforourSpeechand Debatestudentstoinspirechangethroughthepowerofspeech AheartfeltthankyougoesouttoVillageparentandWSDambassador, ZakiaLalani,forextendingtheinvitation Throughtheirspeeches,our studentsnotonlyemphasizedtheimportanceofeffectivecommunication butalsosparkedmeaningfulconversationsaboutcreatingabrighter future It'smomentslikethesethattrulyhighlighttheimpactofourVillage communityandtheprofoundinfluenceourwordscanhaveinmakinga positiveimpact FormoreinformationaboutWorldSpeechDay,please visithere.

S&D TEAM WORKS HARD AND PLAYS HARD

Whatanepicdayofteam-buildingfun!Ourmiddleschoolandhighschool teamstradedtheirgavelsandblackbindersforpaintballgunsandtookon thechallengeatUrbanWarzonePaintball!With42studentsandcoaches dodgingpaintballsandstrategizingonthefield,itwasablastwatching thembondandworktogether Wecan'twaitforthenextadventureinthe Fall!

Speech & Debate Showcase, Awards & Banquet - Don’t forget to register by April 23rd!

A R T

VILLAGE COMMUNITY COMES OUT TO SUPPORT STUDENTS’ AP AND IB VISUAL ART EXHIBITION

Thankyou,parents,staff,andstudents,forshowingyoursupportfor studentsintheFineArtsDepartmentandattendingtheAdvanced PlacementandInternationalBaccalaureateVisualArtExhibition The exhibitincludedworkscompletedbystudentsinMr Manning’s AdvancedPlacementTwo-DimensionalArtandDesignclassandMs Bautista’syeartwoInternationalBaccalaureateVisualArtclass The youngcreativesshowcasedinthisexhibitionhavetoiledforyearsto honetheirskillsanddeveloptheiruniqueartisticvoices Ifartis evidenceofthetriumphanthumanspirit,theseworksareno exception

Theworkinthisexhibitionspansawidevarietyofmediaandwas completedbyVisualArtstudentsatTheVillageHighSchool This exhibitionincludesworkbySamanthaAwaritefe,ZhengzeFu,Sloane Hollingsworth,SuhyukLee,XinruoLuo,MirandaMurphy-Rendon, TaylorZhang,MirandaAngelesCollard,Jeongeun(Emily)Cha,Adrian (Filipe)ChavarroSarmiento,Yaqi(Yuki)Chen,EmilyGreene,Ke(Coco) Lyu,AlexaMasson,KolynNguyen,NgocMyDao(Rosy)Nguyen, ManoelaPraxedesThe,LuccaSantosAraujo,HongAnh(Amy)Tran, Zihan(Alinda)Xu,KwongMuk(Lisa)Zhang,andCheJasmineZulaik Toviewavideowalkthroughoftheexhibition,clickhere.

ERS OF THE OCK SHOW TIVE

itejoyinchildrenby edtocelebratethe nts!Today,we'reshining aspotlightonourbuddingyoungartistsandapplaudingthe four3rdGradewinnersoftheHoustonLivestockShowand RodeoCreativeContest2024:JaclynBond,MiguelClaudino, YusufAhmed,andLizaMurai!

Theywereplacedinthetopentriesontherodeoactivityart page,knowingthat10,000entrieswerereceived

Congratulationstoallthestudentswhoparticipatedinthe contestandwhoworkedveryhardontheirprojectsduringArt class

ART NEWS

ALICE IN WONDERLAND FASHION SHOW

Stepintothewhimsicalworldof'AliceinWonderland'asour talentedcostumedesignstudentsunveiltheirfantastical creationsinanenchantingfashionshow Joinustowitnessa showcaseofcreativityandcraftsmanship,andsupportour studentsastheybringthemagicofAliceinWonderlandtolife ontherunway!

COME AND BE INSPIRED

TheVikingsEliteinvitesyoutojointheirSpringshowcase, "Inspired,"aswecelebrateouramazingdancerswhojust broughthomenationaltitles!

“I could not be happier for our Coaches and teammates than I am now We worked so hard, and it was amazing to see all of it pay off Fine Arts at the Village has definitely helped shaped my life goals and plans Mr Polley and Ms Christy have guided me to reach new heights with their incredible expertise, experience, and choreography in the IB Dance curriculum, always inspiring me to explore the various aspects of dance I plan to continue my exploration at UNCSA with a focus on contemporary concert dance ”

-AnnMarie Masters, Senior Captain

SPRING CONCERT

WhatafantasticeveningofmusicwehadattheSpringConcert featuringourtalentedorchestraandmiddleschoolband!From classicalmasterpiecestomodernfavorites,ourstudents showcasedtheirmusicalskillswithgraceandenthusiasm A bigroundofapplausetoalltheperformersandtheirdedicated instructorsforputtingonsuchanimpressiveshow!

dhilarious productionof"TheAddamsFamily" Comespendtheeveningwith Gomez,Morticia,Pugsley,Wednesday,Fester,Grandmaandeveryone's favoritebutler,Lurch!Youhavefourchancestocatchthiscomedy:

April19that7:00pm

April20that2:00pm

April20that7:00pm

April21stat2:00pm

AllperformanceswillbeheldintheBlackBoxTheatre

Ticketsare$1500andcanbepurchasedbyclickingtheattachedlink: TheAddamsFamilyTickets

Pleasenotethattheshowrunsabout2hrs25minutesandisratedPG

IfyouhaveanyquestionspleasedonothesitatetoreachouttoMr Polleyatericpolley@thevillageschoolcom Wehopetoseeyouthere!

SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS

Let'scelebratetheremarkableachievementsandtheboundlesscreativityofourtalentedstudentsandgiveathunderous roundofapplausetoouroutstandingregionalawardrecipients,courtesyoftheFineArtsDepartment! TheScholasticArt&WritingAwardsstandasthepinnacleofrecognitionandscholarshipsforbuddingyoungartists Prepareto beamazedbythetalentshowcasedbythefollowingstudents!KeepaneyeoutfortheGoldKey,SilverKey,andHonorable Mentionswinners,whowillbehonoredinglamorousceremonies AllGoldKeyentriesautomaticallyqualifytocompetefor nationalawardsintheartistichubofNewYorkCity!WewisheveryonethebestofluckandtheVillagecommunityisrootingfor allourtalentedstudents!

EVENTS

FEB 27 - RAISED $150

MAR 19 - RAISED $52.38

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING

APR 13 - THE GALA

APR 16 - CHIPOTLE

MAY 2 - RAISING CANE’S

MAY 10 - PARIS BAGUETTE

FUN-RAISING

PIG COIN CHALLENGE RESULTS ARE IN!

Weintroducedanewfundraisingidea,sparkingaraceamongstudentstoearnpoints!Middleschoolersstrategicallyplacedbillsin thewinninggrade'spiggybanktodeductpoints,whileelementarystudentsstucktothetraditionalmethodoffeedingtheirownpigs withoutdeductions Theexcitementwaspalpableasstudentseagerlycheckedtheleaderboardeachmorning Itwasatightracein ES,andcongratulationstothe4thand6thgradesfortheirimpressiveeffortsincollectingcoinsandstrategizinginthefinaldays Stay tunedfordetailsonthefreedressdayandicecreamcelebration,aswellasthechosencharitybyeachwinninggrade Abigthanksto allstaff,parents,andstudentsfortheirenthusiasticparticipation!

FUN-RAISING

Didyouknowthat65%ofFortune500companiesoffera matchinggiftprogram,andsomecompaniesevendouble, triple,orquadrupledonations!Asa501(c)(3)nonprofit,The VillageSchoolEnrichmentOrganizationqualifiesformost corporatematchingprograms Matchinggiftsareatypeof givingprogramsetupbycompaniesandcorporationsasan employeebenefit Employeematchinggiftsaredonationsan employermakestomatchitsemployees'charitable contributions Afteranemployeedonatestoanonprofit,they cansubmitamatchinggiftrequesttotheiremployerandthe companywillmakeanadditionaldonationtothatnonprofit Matchinggiftprogramsincentivizeacompany'semployeesto givebacktotheircommunityandsupporttheiremployees' philanthropicendeavors

1 Visithttp://krogercom

2 Createorlogintoanaccount

3 Goto“MyAccount”atthetop rightcornerandclickon “CommunityRewards” For mobileapp,clickon“Rewards” then“CommunityRewards”

4 SearchforTheVillageSchool EnrichmentOrganizationorenter codePJ550andClick“Enroll”

EachtimeyoushopatanyKrogersstore,aportionofyour purchaseisgivenbacktouswhichhelpssupport extracurricularprogramsforstudentsandteachersatThe VillageSchool AttheverybottomofyourKrogerreceipt,itwill showyouarelinkedtoourorganization Youmustrenewthe organizationselectioneachyearinAugust ThankyouforsupportingourVillagecommunity!