May 2026
Dear VCMS 8th Grade Families and Students,
In January, we provided a letter to our 8th graders outlining important transition and celebration events taking place in the Spring. Part of our work at VCMS is to ensure a smooth transition for our students into the high school. As a result, the following has been planned to support our current 8th graders in the areas of scheduling, knowing their resources and understanding the next steps for High School:
- The guidance department has been actively working on course selections with our 8th graders in preparation for scheduling.
- Freshmen Orientation has been scheduled for Thursday, August 27 at the High School.
The most important aspect of our culminating events for the 8th graders is that they have various opportunities to celebrate together as a class and to be with their classmates. In addition to the annual class trip and 8th grade dance, we will be hosting a traditional awards ceremony in the high school auditorium where student award winners will be recognized for their accomplishments, the class as a whole will be acknowledged for their perseverance, and students and family members will view a memorial photo slideshow. Seating is by ticket only and two tickets will be issued to each student due to the auditorium’s capacity limits.
The following is a summary of the June events that are planned to celebrate the Class of 2026:
- June 5 will be the 8th grade class trip to Lake Compounce.
- June 12 will be the 8th grade dance @VCMS from 6-9pm. More information to follow regarding any requests for early releases on this day. Students must be present for 4 periods to attend a school event.
- June 24 we will host the 8th Grade Awards Ceremony. This will take place during our half day starting at 10am. More details and tickets (2 per student due to capacity restrictions) will be forthcoming and provided to each family in the next few weeks.
Please reach out to the 8th grade team leaders with specific questions. Blue- michelle.dezemo@vcsdny.org, Green -norise.robinson@vcsdny.org, Gold – nicole.glodich@vcsdny.org. Additional information will be provided for each event.
We are looking forward to celebrating and supporting our students in these upcoming events.
Sincerely,
Jayme Ginda-Baxter