J.E. Rhodes Elementary School
Pre K - 3rd Grade
New week = New Vandal Awards!! Congratulations to these Vandals for earning Vandal of the Week & the Music Award! ❤🎶
🎨🎶 Celebrating Arts in Education! 🎶🎨
We are so grateful for our wonderful elementary arts teachers, Mrs. Grace Roach, who teaches art, and Mrs. Jasmine Nicoson, who teaches music. They inspire creativity, encourage self-expression, and make learning fun for our students every day!
Thank you, Mrs. Roach and Mrs. Nicoson, for sharing your talents and helping our students grow through art and music. We appreciate all that you do!❤️
We are so grateful for our wonderful elementary arts teachers, Mrs. Grace Roach, who teaches art, and Mrs. Jasmine Nicoson, who teaches music. They inspire creativity, encourage self-expression, and make learning fun for our students every day!
Thank you, Mrs. Roach and Mrs. Nicoson, for sharing your talents and helping our students grow through art and music. We appreciate all that you do!❤️
🐹🐔🪲 CLASS PETS = BIG LEARNING AT J.E. RHODES! ❤️
There are some pretty special classmates at J.E. Rhodes Elementary who don’t show up on the class roster!
Yesterday, Mrs. Garcia’s second grade class welcomed its newest member — Zoey the guinea pig! 🐹 Mrs. Garcia was able to surprise her students with Zoey thanks to a generous donation from Mr. and Mrs. Hinton, grandparents of Layla Carroll.
And Zoey is already helping make learning a little more fun! The class’s first order of business was putting their letter-writing skills to work by composing thank-you letters to Mr. and Mrs. Hinton for their generous gift. ❤️
Zoey even has an awesome carrying case, which means she can travel around the school with her class. We have a feeling she is going to become a familiar face around J.E. Rhodes!
She even wore her Vandal shirt to school today to greet our Vandal Football players!
All the excitement over Zoey got us wondering... who else has an amazing class pet?
We didn’t have to look far! Mrs. Lawson’s class has a walking stick that keeps students fascinated and is even used to help students with transitions throughout the school day. 🪲
And last — but certainly not least — we’re still pretty excited about our J.E. Rhodes chickens! 🐔🥚 The gals continue to provide us with fresh eggs, while the eggs currently in the incubator even had a “sonogram” this week so students could get a peek at what’s happening inside!
It won’t be long now! Our first graders are getting to experience the entire life cycle firsthand, and if all goes according to plan, those baby chicks should make their grand entrance next week — just in time for Homecoming! 🐣❤️
From writing thank-you letters to practicing transitions to watching the life cycle unfold right before their eyes, these class pets are doing much more than making school fun. They’re creating hands-on learning experiences our little Vandals won’t soon forget!
Who knew some of the best teachers at J.E. Rhodes would have fur, feathers... or six legs? ❤️
#WeAreVan #VandalProud #JERhodesElementary #LearningIsFun #VandalAdVANtage
There are some pretty special classmates at J.E. Rhodes Elementary who don’t show up on the class roster!
Yesterday, Mrs. Garcia’s second grade class welcomed its newest member — Zoey the guinea pig! 🐹 Mrs. Garcia was able to surprise her students with Zoey thanks to a generous donation from Mr. and Mrs. Hinton, grandparents of Layla Carroll.
And Zoey is already helping make learning a little more fun! The class’s first order of business was putting their letter-writing skills to work by composing thank-you letters to Mr. and Mrs. Hinton for their generous gift. ❤️
Zoey even has an awesome carrying case, which means she can travel around the school with her class. We have a feeling she is going to become a familiar face around J.E. Rhodes!
She even wore her Vandal shirt to school today to greet our Vandal Football players!
All the excitement over Zoey got us wondering... who else has an amazing class pet?
We didn’t have to look far! Mrs. Lawson’s class has a walking stick that keeps students fascinated and is even used to help students with transitions throughout the school day. 🪲
And last — but certainly not least — we’re still pretty excited about our J.E. Rhodes chickens! 🐔🥚 The gals continue to provide us with fresh eggs, while the eggs currently in the incubator even had a “sonogram” this week so students could get a peek at what’s happening inside!
It won’t be long now! Our first graders are getting to experience the entire life cycle firsthand, and if all goes according to plan, those baby chicks should make their grand entrance next week — just in time for Homecoming! 🐣❤️
From writing thank-you letters to practicing transitions to watching the life cycle unfold right before their eyes, these class pets are doing much more than making school fun. They’re creating hands-on learning experiences our little Vandals won’t soon forget!
Who knew some of the best teachers at J.E. Rhodes would have fur, feathers... or six legs? ❤️
#WeAreVan #VandalProud #JERhodesElementary #LearningIsFun #VandalAdVANtage
Vandal Cheer: Homecoming themes!!! ❤️🔥🏈📣
❤️ GRANDPARENTS DAY AT J.E. RHODES — DAY 1! ❤️
“A grandparent is a little bit parent, a little bit teacher, and a little bit best friend.” — Unknown
There was a little extra love in the halls of J.E. Rhodes today! 🥰
We kicked off our Grandparents Day celebrations, and judging by these smiles, our Vandals were pretty excited to welcome some very special guests to school. ❤️
And the fun is just beginning! We’ll continue welcoming grandparents by grade level and class through Thursday, September 17. We can’t wait to see even more generations of Vandals together throughout the week!
Thank you to every grandparent and special guest who joined us today. Our kids are loved BIG, and today it showed. ❤️
📸 Enjoy a few candid moments from Day 1!
#GrandparentsDay #JERhodesElementary #WeAreVan #VandalProud
“A grandparent is a little bit parent, a little bit teacher, and a little bit best friend.” — Unknown
There was a little extra love in the halls of J.E. Rhodes today! 🥰
We kicked off our Grandparents Day celebrations, and judging by these smiles, our Vandals were pretty excited to welcome some very special guests to school. ❤️
And the fun is just beginning! We’ll continue welcoming grandparents by grade level and class through Thursday, September 17. We can’t wait to see even more generations of Vandals together throughout the week!
Thank you to every grandparent and special guest who joined us today. Our kids are loved BIG, and today it showed. ❤️
📸 Enjoy a few candid moments from Day 1!
#GrandparentsDay #JERhodesElementary #WeAreVan #VandalProud
Congratulations to our Vandals of the Week and PE All-Stars! Keep up the great work Vandals! ❤🎉
This year, we’re adding a little extra fun to our staff celebrations with a monthly attendance drawing! Staff members who are present throughout the month are entered for a chance to win a special little something extra.
We’re excited to announce Mrs. May as our August winner! 👏✨
Thank you, Mrs. May, for your dedication to J.E. Rhodes. We appreciate you and are so happy to celebrate you! ❤️
We’re excited to announce Mrs. May as our August winner! 👏✨
Thank you, Mrs. May, for your dedication to J.E. Rhodes. We appreciate you and are so happy to celebrate you! ❤️
🎉 We are so excited to celebrate our September Employee of the Month, Mrs. Merritt Brown! 🎉
Mrs. Brown plays a pivotal role in both of our buildings and is loved by so many. She is kind, dependable, and always willing to lend a helping hand with a smile and a positive attitude.
As our Littles’ librarian, she creates a welcoming place for our children, who absolutely adore her! We are incredibly grateful for everything she does and so proud to have her here at J.E. Rhodes.
Please join us in congratulating Mrs. Merritt Brown on this well-deserved recognition!
Mrs. Brown plays a pivotal role in both of our buildings and is loved by so many. She is kind, dependable, and always willing to lend a helping hand with a smile and a positive attitude.
As our Littles’ librarian, she creates a welcoming place for our children, who absolutely adore her! We are incredibly grateful for everything she does and so proud to have her here at J.E. Rhodes.
Please join us in congratulating Mrs. Merritt Brown on this well-deserved recognition!
We’re a little late celebrating last week’s Good News Phone Call of the Week, but we definitely didn’t want to miss the chance to recognize Ellie! 💕
Ellie is such a kind, caring, and thoughtful young lady. She is always well-mannered and respectful, never forgetting her “please” and “thank you,” “yes ma’am” and “no ma’am.” Those little things say so much about her character!
She is also a wonderful helper and a natural leader in her classroom. Ellie is always willing to lend a hand, set a great example for her classmates, and brighten the day with her sweet spirit. We are so proud of the young lady she is! 🥰
Congratulations, Ellie, on being our Good News Phone Call of the Week! Keep being the kind, caring, and amazing leader you are!
Ellie is such a kind, caring, and thoughtful young lady. She is always well-mannered and respectful, never forgetting her “please” and “thank you,” “yes ma’am” and “no ma’am.” Those little things say so much about her character!
She is also a wonderful helper and a natural leader in her classroom. Ellie is always willing to lend a hand, set a great example for her classmates, and brighten the day with her sweet spirit. We are so proud of the young lady she is! 🥰
Congratulations, Ellie, on being our Good News Phone Call of the Week! Keep being the kind, caring, and amazing leader you are!
Give it up for our Vandals of the Week and Art Award Winners! Keep up the great work! 🎉🎉🎉
🐣 THE CHICKEN CHRONICLES | DAY 1 🐣
Are you following our Chicken Chronicles at J.E. Rhodes?! 🐔❤️
Today felt a little like Christmas morning in the first-grade hallway because the countdown has officially begun!
🥚 Day 1 of 21.
Our first graders are beginning an incredible hands-on study of the life cycle of a chicken, which is part of our first-grade TEKS. Today, a representative from each first-grade class carefully placed an egg into our incubator, which is housed in the library so our students can watch, wonder, ask questions, and experience the process together.
And this isn't just a 21-day lesson. Our chickens are staying at J.E. Rhodes! 🐥
That means our first graders won't just study the life cycle in a book—they'll experience it right here at school. They'll watch their chicks hatch, grow, and change throughout the year. By the time these students are getting ready to move on to second grade, the tiny chicks they're waiting on today will be growing up right alongside them—and eventually laying eggs of their own! 🐔🥚
But our favorite part of Day 1 might just be the curiosity and wonder on their faces. ❤️ That spark—the excitement to see what happens next, the questions already being asked, the anticipation of discovering something new—is where some of the very best learning happens.
This is science they can see, touch, experience, and remember.
A special thank you to Brian McCawley for being on hand today to help us get our Chicken Chronicles started!
Now we wait... 20 days to go! 🐣⏳
#ChickenChronicles #Day1 #HandsOnLearning #JERhodesElementary #WeAreVan #VandalProud #VandalAdVANtage
Are you following our Chicken Chronicles at J.E. Rhodes?! 🐔❤️
Today felt a little like Christmas morning in the first-grade hallway because the countdown has officially begun!
🥚 Day 1 of 21.
Our first graders are beginning an incredible hands-on study of the life cycle of a chicken, which is part of our first-grade TEKS. Today, a representative from each first-grade class carefully placed an egg into our incubator, which is housed in the library so our students can watch, wonder, ask questions, and experience the process together.
And this isn't just a 21-day lesson. Our chickens are staying at J.E. Rhodes! 🐥
That means our first graders won't just study the life cycle in a book—they'll experience it right here at school. They'll watch their chicks hatch, grow, and change throughout the year. By the time these students are getting ready to move on to second grade, the tiny chicks they're waiting on today will be growing up right alongside them—and eventually laying eggs of their own! 🐔🥚
But our favorite part of Day 1 might just be the curiosity and wonder on their faces. ❤️ That spark—the excitement to see what happens next, the questions already being asked, the anticipation of discovering something new—is where some of the very best learning happens.
This is science they can see, touch, experience, and remember.
A special thank you to Brian McCawley for being on hand today to help us get our Chicken Chronicles started!
Now we wait... 20 days to go! 🐣⏳
#ChickenChronicles #Day1 #HandsOnLearning #JERhodesElementary #WeAreVan #VandalProud #VandalAdVANtage
🎉 Make Plans to Join the 2026 Vandal Homecoming Festivities! ❤️🤍
Theme: Huntin' for a Vandal Victory!
🏆 HOMECOMING PARADE
📅 Wednesday, September 23rd
🕢 7:00 PM
Have a group that wants to participate? Apply here:
https://tinyurl.com/4rx6z7am
📌 Parade applications due FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19.
✅ Once accepted, parade passes and lineup info will be emailed.
🚫 No walkers — floats only.
🎤 COMMUNITY PEP RALLY & 🔥 BONFIRE
📍 Field across from the Van ISD Administration Building (end of parade route)
Questions: grace.moseley@vanisd.org
🏐🏈 HOMECOMING GAMES
📅 Friday, September 25th
Lady Vandal Volleyball vs. Mabank – 4:30 PM
Vandal Football vs. Atlanta – 7:30 PM
There's no place like Vandal Land! ❤️🤍
#WeAreVan #VandalPride #VandalAdVANtage
Theme: Huntin' for a Vandal Victory!
🏆 HOMECOMING PARADE
📅 Wednesday, September 23rd
🕢 7:00 PM
Have a group that wants to participate? Apply here:
https://tinyurl.com/4rx6z7am
📌 Parade applications due FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19.
✅ Once accepted, parade passes and lineup info will be emailed.
🚫 No walkers — floats only.
🎤 COMMUNITY PEP RALLY & 🔥 BONFIRE
📍 Field across from the Van ISD Administration Building (end of parade route)
Questions: grace.moseley@vanisd.org
🏐🏈 HOMECOMING GAMES
📅 Friday, September 25th
Lady Vandal Volleyball vs. Mabank – 4:30 PM
Vandal Football vs. Atlanta – 7:30 PM
There's no place like Vandal Land! ❤️🤍
#WeAreVan #VandalPride #VandalAdVANtage
Reminder: Friday, September 4th, will be an early release day. School will be dismissed three hours before regular dismissal time.
Monday, September 7th, is a school holiday.
Classes will resume Tuesday, September 8th.
Happy Labor Day, Vandals!❤️
#WeAreVan
Monday, September 7th, is a school holiday.
Classes will resume Tuesday, September 8th.
Happy Labor Day, Vandals!❤️
#WeAreVan
We had some special guest welcome our Vandals this morning! Van Basketball boys kicked off our first Dudes at the Door for this school year!! 🎉🏀
Thank you Coach Wingo for letting us borrow your players for the morning!!
Thank you Coach Wingo for letting us borrow your players for the morning!!
💛 Grandparents Day Lunches Are Coming! 💛
We are excited to welcome our wonderful grandparents and special guests to celebrate Grandparents Day with lunch at our schools!
📅 Please refer to the schedules pictured below to find your student’s class and scheduled lunch day/time.
Because of the size of our cafeterias and the number of special guests we are excited to welcome, our Grandparents Day lunches will be spread across several days:
🍎 Littles (Pre-K–1st Grade): Lunches will take place over two days (Sept 14th & 15th).
📚 Bigs (2nd–3rd Grade): Lunches will take place over four days (Sept 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th).
Spreading our celebrations out allows us to comfortably accommodate our students and all of the grandparents and special guests joining us!
During your student’s scheduled time, you are welcome to bring lunch for yourself and your child, join them for lunch, or simply come sit with them, enjoy some conversation, hear about their day, and spend this special time together. ❤️
⏰ Please allow extra time to check in at the office before lunch. For the safety of our students and staff, each adult visitor will need to be checked in through our Raptor system before joining us for lunch. Following lunch, students will head to recess. Grandparents and guests will not be able to join students on the playground for recess.
We can’t wait to celebrate the grandparents and special people who mean so much to our students! 💛
We are excited to welcome our wonderful grandparents and special guests to celebrate Grandparents Day with lunch at our schools!
📅 Please refer to the schedules pictured below to find your student’s class and scheduled lunch day/time.
Because of the size of our cafeterias and the number of special guests we are excited to welcome, our Grandparents Day lunches will be spread across several days:
🍎 Littles (Pre-K–1st Grade): Lunches will take place over two days (Sept 14th & 15th).
📚 Bigs (2nd–3rd Grade): Lunches will take place over four days (Sept 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th).
Spreading our celebrations out allows us to comfortably accommodate our students and all of the grandparents and special guests joining us!
During your student’s scheduled time, you are welcome to bring lunch for yourself and your child, join them for lunch, or simply come sit with them, enjoy some conversation, hear about their day, and spend this special time together. ❤️
⏰ Please allow extra time to check in at the office before lunch. For the safety of our students and staff, each adult visitor will need to be checked in through our Raptor system before joining us for lunch. Following lunch, students will head to recess. Grandparents and guests will not be able to join students on the playground for recess.
We can’t wait to celebrate the grandparents and special people who mean so much to our students! 💛
🎉🎉 Congratulations to our Vandals of the Week & our Music Award!! Keep up the great work, Vandals! ❤️🎶
💛 WEAR YELLOW FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS 💛
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and on Wednesday, September 2, we’re asking Vandal Land to WEAR YELLOW. 🎗️
For us, this fight is close to home.
On Wednesday, let’s fill our campuses with yellow as a visible reminder that no child fights alone. We wear yellow to support every child fighting cancer, stand with their families, and raise awareness for all those impacted by childhood cancer.
💛 Vandal Land stands together.
🎗️ Wear Yellow. Raise Awareness. Support the Fight.
#ChildhoodCancerAwareness #WearYellow #VandalStrong #WeAreVan
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and on Wednesday, September 2, we’re asking Vandal Land to WEAR YELLOW. 🎗️
For us, this fight is close to home.
On Wednesday, let’s fill our campuses with yellow as a visible reminder that no child fights alone. We wear yellow to support every child fighting cancer, stand with their families, and raise awareness for all those impacted by childhood cancer.
💛 Vandal Land stands together.
🎗️ Wear Yellow. Raise Awareness. Support the Fight.
#ChildhoodCancerAwareness #WearYellow #VandalStrong #WeAreVan
❤️ Happy FriYAY, Vandals! ❤️
We hope all of our Vandal families have a fun, safe, and relaxing weekend! 🎉
Before you head into the weekend, be sure to check out our NEW Bigs & Littles Bulletin! 📰✨
This will be a monthly link throughout the school year for staying connected and in the know! Each bulletin will include:
📅 Monthly updates & pictures from the month
📚 9-weeks instructional information
📣 Upcoming events & activities
❤️ Counselor news, reminders & more!
We are excited to have another way to keep our Vandal families informed about all the great things happening with our Bigs & Littles!
Enjoy your weekend, Vandals! ❤️
https://augustgazette.my.canva.site/the-bigs-littles-bulletin?fbclid=IwcGRvZgFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFrVlQ2RHlSb2s5SndZWUVyc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHtyBXa_-yF59uqU7s_Oi8k_J_nyXWrMSYtMphGYn6pyxnOUTABy0KNyRvHPz_aem_lXg8netl45r1To04MKN0Aw
We hope all of our Vandal families have a fun, safe, and relaxing weekend! 🎉
Before you head into the weekend, be sure to check out our NEW Bigs & Littles Bulletin! 📰✨
This will be a monthly link throughout the school year for staying connected and in the know! Each bulletin will include:
📅 Monthly updates & pictures from the month
📚 9-weeks instructional information
📣 Upcoming events & activities
❤️ Counselor news, reminders & more!
We are excited to have another way to keep our Vandal families informed about all the great things happening with our Bigs & Littles!
Enjoy your weekend, Vandals! ❤️
https://augustgazette.my.canva.site/the-bigs-littles-bulletin?fbclid=IwcGRvZgFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFrVlQ2RHlSb2s5SndZWUVyc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHtyBXa_-yF59uqU7s_Oi8k_J_nyXWrMSYtMphGYn6pyxnOUTABy0KNyRvHPz_aem_lXg8netl45r1To04MKN0Aw
🏆 We have a winner! 🏆
Our Pre-K superstars earned the Golden Footsteps Award this week!
This special award (officially the Awesome Line Behavior Award!) goes to the class that demonstrates what it means to be safe, kind, and responsible in our school hallways.
Our little learners showed everyone how it's done by using their best "marshmallow feet"- walking soft, quiet, and safe wherever they go. We are so proud of their incredible hallway manners!
Keep shining, Mrs. Curry’s Class!🌟
Our Pre-K superstars earned the Golden Footsteps Award this week!
This special award (officially the Awesome Line Behavior Award!) goes to the class that demonstrates what it means to be safe, kind, and responsible in our school hallways.
Our little learners showed everyone how it's done by using their best "marshmallow feet"- walking soft, quiet, and safe wherever they go. We are so proud of their incredible hallway manners!
Keep shining, Mrs. Curry’s Class!🌟
The Big Kahuna Fundraiser is officially underway!
Parents, be sure to check your student’s backpack today for their Big Kahuna fundraiser packet!
As your student sells items, don’t forget to sign their prize tickets and send them back to school. We’ll be handing out prizes every morning, so students will have lots of chances to earn some fun rewards!
Thank you for supporting our students and our school! We’re excited for a great fundraiser!
Parents, be sure to check your student’s backpack today for their Big Kahuna fundraiser packet!
As your student sells items, don’t forget to sign their prize tickets and send them back to school. We’ll be handing out prizes every morning, so students will have lots of chances to earn some fun rewards!
Thank you for supporting our students and our school! We’re excited for a great fundraiser!
