Principal’s Message
“The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as that every child should be given the wish to learn.”            Sir John Lubbock

 Vandenberg Middle School is committed to the belief that all students can achieve high standards and become life long learners.  A rich tradition of academic rigor with built in avenues of support, enables our students to develop academically, and become socially responsible adults.  A significant focus centers on facilitating a successful transition to high school.   Importantly, the foundation is laid for our students to learn to compete in what is becoming a complex global economy.  As evidenced by No Child Left Behind (NCLB), educating all of our children at high levels of proficiency has become the “battle cry” of government and society in general. Research has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that a quality education radically increases the likelihood of a higher quality of life for our students.  Perhaps most important is the idea that education is the one true equalizer, and as such, knows no color, race or creed.  As Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar famously said “Education is the guardian genius of democracy.”

 Concurrently, teachers at VMS engage students with challenging lessons and opportunities to think critically and demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.  Philosophically, our staff embraces the basic tenets of Professional Learning Communities: 1. Identify what we want students to learn, 2. How will we know when students have learned it, and 3. How do we respond when some students do not learn.  This approach is supported through teacher collaboration, common assessments and targeted student data analysis.  Grade level teams, department teams and student achievement teams all combine to provide your student with a cohesive academic program of the highest quality.

 VMS strives to develop a close partnership with parents, families, and community members.  A positive, supportive relationship between all stakeholders is vital if we are to succeed in our collective vision for the youth of our community. Send us your ideas and thoughts--we always welcome new suggestions to improve our efforts to educate your children.  Please feel free to check out the Support Personnel Accountability Report Card which details our school's efforts to insure success for our students.

Finally, in an atmosphere of fiscal challenge, and high stakes achievement accountability, we at VMS believe that transcending these issues is a moral imperative.  We will continue to strive to provide all students with an educational experience that will allow them to compete with the best and the brightest that our nation can hope to produce. Anything less would be an abdication of our professional commitment as educators.

 As always, thank you for the gift of this community’s children.
Sincerely,
Kathi Froemming