It’s that time of year again — Pop Tab Collection Time! 
We’re asking our Pirate families and community to help us collect pop tabs now through May 8th. These small tabs make a BIG impact, and our students love being part of this meaningful tradition!
Here’s how it works:
• Students will collect pop tabs in their classrooms
• Pop tabs are collected and weighed monthly
• Grade-level progress will be shared so everyone can follow along
• The grade level that collects the most will earn a pizza & pop party during the last week of school 
Here is a short video explaining why we collect pop tabs, we also shared this with our students to help them understand the purpose behind the project.
Thank you to our amazing Pirate families and community for supporting our students and helping make a difference — one pop tab at a time! 
LEGO Club is Back! Calling all builders and creators! Join us after school on Wednesdays for LEGO Club, where students will build, create, explore, and learn using LEGOs.
Who: Students K–8
When: 3:15–4:45 PM
Dates: March 4, 11, 18, 25 & April 8, 15, 29, May 6
No class April 22
Where: Mrs. Wallin’s Room 217 & the Cafeteria
Cost: $50
Registration required by February 13.Forms were sent home with students—if you need another copy, please pick one up in the office.
Payment can be made by check (payable to VPS), cash, or through JMC.
Please return all forms to the office!
Let’s build something awesome together! 
Calling All Pirate Families! Do you have an old recorder lying around at home? Consider donating it to the school! We’re always in need of recorders so all our 3rd and 4th graders can have an instrument to learn and play.
How to donate:• Drop it off in the front office, or
• Send it with your student and have them turn it in to Mr. Sterriker
Thank you for supporting music education in Pirate Country!
Innovator Spotlight Earlier this year, Verndale Public School STEM teacher Mrs. Wallin applied for the Innovator of the Year classroom grant—and while she didn’t take home first place, we are incredibly proud to share that she placed SECOND overall 
Her application beautifully captured what innovation looks like at Verndale: creativity, curiosity, and a willingness to take thoughtful risks for students.
Mrs. Wallin shared that inspiration can strike anywhere—on a hike, in nature, through conversation, or simply by imagining what’s possible with a collection of materials. Once an idea sparks, she develops a plan, adapts it for different age levels, aligns it to standards, and pilots it with students. Student feedback plays a critical role in refining each lesson, and she embraces both successes and flops as valuable parts of the learning process—just like the engineering design process she teaches.
One innovative practice she highlighted is her Trailblazers Outdoor STEM class, which transforms Minnesota’s natural spaces into hands-on learning environments. Through activities like hiking, camping, snowshoeing, ice fishing, geocaching, and outdoor survival challenges, students apply STEM concepts, problem-solving, and critical thinking in real-world settings.
Students design and build their own equipment—such as snowshoes, sleds, fire starters, fishing rods, kites, and more—using limited materials to foster creativity, engineering skills, and resourcefulness. Trailblazers also has a strong social-emotional impact, helping students build confidence, perseverance, collaboration, and leadership while developing a deeper connection to learning and the outdoors. 
We are so proud of Mrs. Wallin for representing Verndale Public School and for the incredible innovation she brings to her classroom every day.