February PTA Newsletter
Hello Vestal Families!
It almost looked like we might get a snow day this week, but instead the kids got a little snow excitement and got to stay at school - maybe the best of both worlds! We have lots of fun coming up this February - movie night, Winter Arts Showcase, pancake breakfast, and of course a PTA meeting coming up on Tuesday 2/11 - we hope to see you there!
Vestal Value of the Month: Patience
At Vestal, we know that patience is more than just waiting—it’s about practicing kindness, resilience, and understanding in moments of challenge. Our children learn patience by watching us, whether we’re taking a deep breath when plans change, listening fully before responding, or showing grace when mistakes happen. By modeling patience in our daily interactions—whether with our kids, teachers, or each other—we help build a school community rooted in respect and care. Let’s take this month to notice and celebrate the small moments when patience makes a difference!
To extend conversations about patience this month, some reading ideas! For fans of Elephant and Piggie books, there’s the excellent Waiting is Not Easy, by Mo Willems, which follows Gerald as he struggles to wait for a surprise from Piggie, teaching young readers about patience through humor and empathy. Vestal scholars working on early chapter books will enjoy Jo Jo Makoons: The Used-to-Be Best Friend, by Dawn Quigley, which follows Jo Jo, a young Ojibwe girl, as she navigates friendships and learns that relationships take time, understanding, and patience to grow and change. For older Vestal kids who love graphic novels, check out Measuring Up by Lily LaMotte & Ann Xu about twelve-year-old Cici, who moves from Taiwan to the U.S., and enters a cooking competition to make her grandmother proud, and learns that mastering new skills requires patience and persistence.
PTA News and Updates:
Movie Night! We will see you tomorrow, Friday, February 7, for this free event: Moana 2! Free popcorn! Optional concessions! Fun for all! See below to volunteer.
PTA Meeting: Please join us on Tuesday, February 11 at 6:30 PM for our January General Meeting! PTA meetings are open to all in the Vestal community. You can join in person or via Zoom. This link will take you to the meeting, or use Meeting ID: 858 3217 6142 . The passcode is 898024 .
Winter Arts Showcase: We can’t wait to see what our kids have been busy creating with Mr. Williams and Ms. Breaux! This event will begin at 5:30 on Thursday, February 13, and does need some volunteers - please see below!
Pancake Breakfast! This will be a wonderful community event on Saturday, February 22, 9-11 AM. There will be lots of pancakes (including gluten-free and vegan options), syrup, coffee, board games to play, and most importantly, time to hang out as a Vestal community. Check out volunteer info below.
Save the Date: Spring Soiree! We are so excited to bring back Vestal’s spring fundraising event, taking place this year on Saturday, April 19. Many more details to come on this event! If you would like to make a donation to our raffle (for example: one game of your season tickets to a sports team, a gift card, merchandise, or items from your small business or art practice, anything else that comes to mind!) don’t hesitate to reach out!
February Volunteer Opportunities:
February 7: Movie nights have been such a blast this year! This month we are watching Moana 2, which the kids picked on Monday. This event is free - we need volunteers to help folks get into the school, make and handout free popcorn, sell concessions, and help with cleanup. Sign up here!
February 13: Mr. Williams and Ms. Breaux need some volunteer help to make sure the Winter Arts Showcase can run smoothly! Sign up here!
February 22: We need some volunteers to help set up for our community pancake breakfast, make pancakes and coffee, and clean up when it’s over. Sign up here!
Ongoing: The kindergarten teachers would love some support at a few times of the day. Check out available shifts to hang out with the kinders here, and if you need to do your free PPS Volunteer background check, please click here.
All current volunteer opportunities can be accessed here: Vestal Volunteer Opportunities.
Thank you for being a part of our Vestal PTA Community. We truly do feel the love and support from all of our volunteers!
February Events and Reminders:
Friday, February 7 - Movie Night: Moana 2, 6:30 PM
Tuesday, February 11 - PTA General Meeting - see above for meeting info, 6:30 PM
Thursday, February 13 - Winter Arts Showcase, 5:30 PM
Monday, February 17 - No school, President’s Day
Saturday, February 22 - Pancake breakfast, 9-11 AM
Wednesday, February 26 - Early release day, 11:50 AM
Thank you for reading, and for being a part of the Vestal community.