Van Meter Community School District

GAMEDAY: Best of luck to our volleyball team as they take on the Albia Lady Dees for the Regional Quarterfinals at HOME! Go Dawgs! 🏐
🕖 7:00pm
📍 Van Meter HS
🎥 fan.hudl.com/usa/ia/van-meter/organization/15612/van-meter-high-school
📈 https://tinyurl.com/2kym32j9
🎟️https://tickets.gobound.com/tickets/events/h202510090925580322ab9b79ac9b24f/checkout
#VanMeter

We are deeply grateful to the Legends’ Night Committee for their generous $105,000 donation toward our new stadium plaza! This remarkable gift, presented last Friday night, was made in loving memory of Van Meter's first-ever quarterback, Mike Sobotka. 🏈💙

The plaza will be a welcoming space for our community to gather and connect, honoring Mike's lasting legacy and love for Van Meter CSD.

Retired LTC David Verdi and SGM 734 Regional Support Group Operations Sergeant Major Debra Verdi recently visited our 7th graders to share a hands-on lesson about Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) in military history.

Students learned how soldiers heat their meals in the field using flameless heaters and chemical reactions.

Thank you, David and Debra, for bringing science and real-world experience into the classroom! 🙌

During National School Bus Safety Week, we’re reminding drivers to keep these safety practices top of mind when near school buses:

✅ Never speed in school zones
✅ Watch for flashing lights
✅ Expect sudden stops near schools
✅ Be cautious during pickup and drop-off times

Your care makes a difference every day—thank you! 🚌

GAMEDAY: Today our volleyball team travels to compete in the Winterset Huskies Volleyball Tournament. Go dawgs! 🏐
🕖 9:00am
📍 Winterset HS
📈 https://tinyurl.com/2fh5p4pu
🎟️ https://tinyurl.com/bdcuekym
#VanMeter

Congratulations to Dane Bernhardt on being recognized as a Commended Student in the National Merit Scholarship Program! 📚

This honor reflects outstanding academic achievement and a commitment to excellence.

Learn more about the program here: https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/interior.aspx?sid=1758&gid=2&pgid=1881

Good luck to our High School Marching Band as they take the field tomorrow morning at the State Marching Festival, performing at 9:10am at Waukee High School. They’ll be striving for their second consecutive Division 1 rating! 🎶

Tickets must be pre-ordered on Bound or purchased at the gate with cash. Credit cards will not be accepted. Admission is $12 for adults, $7 for senior citizens (62+), $5 for K-12 students, and free for pre-school children and younger. 🎺

It’s GAMEDAY! Today, our football team takes on Clarke Community at home for Senior Night. Seniors from football, cross country, and band will all be recognized. Go dawgs! 🏈
🕖 7:00pm
📍 Van Meter HS
🎥 fan.hudl.com/usa/ia/van-meter/organization/15612/van-meter-high-school
📈 https://tinyurl.com/24e89t9s
🎟️ https://www.vancoevents.com/us/DILH
#VanMeter

Happy National Principals Month! 🎉

Thank you to Mr. Cody Tibbetts and Mr. Adam Lamoureux for your unwavering dedication, support, and leadership. You make a difference in the lives of students and staff every day!

Middle School student leaders delivered food drive donations and learned more about how their efforts are making an impact in the community. ❤️👏

Our elementary students had a special visitor this week! Clara Brochhausen, a teacher from Germany, spent two days at Van Meter sharing about German culture, her life abroad, and what school is like in Germany. 🇩🇪

She’s lived in Germany her whole life—except for a memorable year in Iowa as an exchange student in 2014, when she stayed with Mrs. Bachman's family.

Students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade gathered in the PAC to hear her speak, and while there, she even sang to them in German. What a memorable experience for our students! 🎶

GAMEDAY: Good luck to our girls’ and boys’ cross country teams as they compete in the WCAC Meet! Go dawgs! 🏃
🕖 4:00pm
📍 AC/GC HS (Guthrie Center, IA)
🎟️ Cash Only ($5/single person vehicle, $10/multiple person vehicle)
#VanMeter

The next meeting of the Van Meter Board of Education will take place Wednesday, October 15, beginning at 5:00pm in the new board room at the district office. The meeting is open to the public.

GAMEDAY: It’s day two of the WCAC Volleyball Tournament! We’ll take on the Des Moines Christian Lions. With a win, we’ll advance to the championship match. With a loss, we’ll move to the consolation match. Let’s go, Dawgs! 🏐
🕖 4:30pm vs. Des Moines Christian
🕖 7:00pm vs. TBD (championship or consolation match)
📍 Des Moines Christian School
🎥 https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/schools/des-moines-christian-school-urbandale-ia
🎟️ https://www.gobound.com/ia/schools/dmchristian/tickets
#VanMeter

National School Lunch Week is a time to appreciate the nutritious meals and smiling faces that make our cafeterias special places to gather and refuel. 🍏

We’re grateful for our food service team and their dedication to providing balanced meals each day! 😊

Today, we observe Indigenous Peoples Day and honor the traditions, languages, and wisdom of Indigenous peoples. Their legacies continue to influence the world we live in today. 🤝 #VanMeter

GAMEDAY: Best of luck to our varsity volleyball team today as they compete in the WCAC Volleyball Tournament! 🏐
🕖 7:00pm vs. TBD
📍 Des Moines Christian School
🎥 https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/schools/des-moines-christian-school-urbandale-ia
🎟️ https://www.gobound.com/ia/schools/dmchristian/tickets
#VanMeter

Mrs. Sents’ classes joined the Great Apple Crunch on October 8 to celebrate healthy eating and local food traditions! Students sampled different kinds of apples, created apple-based recipes, and prepared healthy snacks. They also learned about local orchards and the region’s connection to the Red Delicious apple. 🍎

Thank you to Jamie Champion of Dallas County AITC, the Wills Family Orchard and Deal's Orchard for donating and supplying apples for all our activities!

GAMEDAY: Best of luck to our football team tonight, who are traveling to take on the Grand View Christian Thunder! Go dawgs! 🏈
🕖 7:00pm
📍 Saydel Community Schools
#VanMeter

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, a time to celebrate the unique talents and contributions of individuals with Down syndrome.

We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where every student feels welcomed, valued, and supported. 💙💛