January PTA Newsletter
Hello Vestal Families!
We at the PTA hope you had a wonderful winter break and we are so happy to welcome you back to Vestal in 2025! This month is a busy one, with a PTA meeting, a delicious profit-sharing night at East Glisan Pizza, the beginning of the new SUN term, and some days off, including an opportunity for local action on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Read on for details!
Vestal Value of the Month: Perseverance
Let’s take a moment to appreciate the perseverance of the students at Vestal. They work hard every day, to learn, to stretch their knowledge and capabilities, and to be good community members to one another. This month is a great time to point out and discuss perseverance in our kids and in others. Activists and organizers need perseverance because social justice doesn’t happen quickly or easily! Artists need perseverance because inspiration can come and go. Athletes, teachers, community leaders, all kinds of workers, parents and family members - who else can your kid think of who taps into their perseverance in their day to day life?
Younger Vestal kiddos may find the book Stuck by Oliver Jeffers to be a very silly example of a person who doesn’t give up. Graphic novel enthusiasts will enjoy The Night Librarian, by Christopher Lincoln, in which kids persevere for the sake of their beloved library, and for the love of reading! We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices, is a beautiful collection of essays, stories, poetry and more, with contributors such as Jason Reynolds, Jacqueline Woodson, and Kwame Alexander. Many beautiful and inspiring examples of perseverance to be found in there!
PTA News and Updates:
East Glisan Pizza Profit Sharing Night - Monday January 13! We are so excited to be partnering with this beloved neighborhood pizzaria to raise funds for the PTA. On Monday 1/15 from 5-9 PM, 15% of all profits from dine-in and self-take out orders will be shared with the Vestal PTA. East Glisan is located at 8001 NE Glisan, and take out orders can be made by calling (971) 279-4273 or visiting eastglisan.com
PTA Meeting: Please join us on Tuesday, January 14 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. Please email vestalelementarypta@gmail.com for the Zoom link and passcode.
A note from the Montavilla Neighborhood Association: The Montavilla Neighborhood Association, in conjunction with the other District 3 neighborhoods, is helping make people aware of a survey Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition is conducting. They want to help define the community priorities and share the results with the newly elected District 3 members of City Council. The survey is open to anyone who lives and/or works in any of the 19 neighborhoods of District 3 and will end Jan. 31st. More information and a survey link can be found here.
Thank You!: We want to give a huge thank you to everyone who volunteered, showed up, and shopped the Scholastic Book Fair in December! The fair was a big success and we are so happy and grateful to see the Vestal library supported!
Green Team Updates:
MLK Day of Service: Please join us in local action for our grounds clean up MLK Day of Service on Monday, January, from 10 am - 12 pm. We'll meet under the covered area in the community garden. We will have access to some tools/trash buckets & grabbers, but you can bring your own as well. We'll have snacks, water, coffee, etc. Hope to see you there!
Mid-Year Green Team Meeting: We'll be having a virtual Green Team meeting on Tuesday, 1/21 from 7-8 pm to discuss some upcoming events and share some partner updates. Please join us via the same Zoom link and passcode that we use for PTA meetings (email vestalelementarypta@gmail.com for those details if needed!).
Winter Walk & Roll to School Day: On Wednesday, February 5th we'll be again celebrating Winter Walk & Roll Day! We will have Safe Routes to School swag available at the bike racks 7:45-8:00 for participating students. (Yes, we'll have donut holes for this one!) Sync up with friends in your neighborhood to walk or bike together, or join us at 7:40 at the Montavilla Mini Farm (NE 78th & Oregon). Hope to see you there!
January Volunteer Opportunities:
See details above on our MLK Day of Service grounds cleanup!
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!
January Events and Reminders:
January 13 - East Glisan Pizza profit sharing night
January 14 - PTA general meeting
January 20 - No school - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Community Care Day 10 AM - 12 PM
January 21 - SUN term begins
January 27 - No school - grading day
January 28 - No school - professional development day
Thank you for reading, and for being a part of the Vestal community.