Meet Our New Librarian: Ms. Vandermeuse
Sixth grade homeroom reporter Emery Taylor did a wonderful job interviewing our school librarian and media specialist, Leslie Vandermeuse. Here is Emery’s report:
Martinsville Middle School librarian, Ms. Vandermeuse—better known to students as Ms. V—moved to Martinsville from Minneapolis, Minnesota, when her son started college at Virginia Tech.
Although she misses being able to travel to many different towns and cities within just ten minutes, she shared that the weather here is much more enjoyable compared to Minnesota. There, winter weather could bring feet of snow and temperatures dropping below -50 degrees! Summers, she explained, were also intense, with humidity and temperatures rising above 100 degrees. Seeing students at MMS wearing big coats during school made her laugh and brought back memories of those extreme conditions.
Ms. V also noted that schools in Minnesota were quite different. They had charter schools that served students from pre-K through middle school, and parent-teacher conferences were held twice a year—often requiring a 14-hour day for teachers and staff!
One of the biggest differences in her role as a librarian is that she has had to completely redo the library here at MMS. In Minnesota, students visited the library frequently throughout the day, while at MMS, students come at more scheduled times and do not visit as often.
She shared that she is extremely excited to bring the MMS library back to life and make it a fully functioning and welcoming space for students.
Ms. V also introduced us to a popular Minnesota dish that many of us had never heard of—Tater Tot Hot Dish. This classic casserole is typically made with ground beef, canned cream soup (like mushroom), vegetables, and topped with a layer of crispy frozen tater tots.
When asked to describe Minnesota in one word, she said “home,” and her word to describe Martinsville so far was “hilly.” Considering how flat Minnesota is, that makes perfect sense!
Even though Minnesota will always be “home” to her, Ms. Vandermeuse is excited about this new chapter and looks forward to making a positive impact at Martinsville Middle School.
Overall, her move to Martinsville has brought many new experiences, and she is ready to embrace her new home.
SOL Check-In: Student Voices
As Martinsville Middle School works through the busy and sometimes stressful SOL testing season, our Bulldog Beat reporters—Semaiya Craighead, Miriam Carter, and Nevaeh Daniels (6th grade), Shaurya Mahajan (7th grade), and Selena Stultz (8th grade)—interviewed students to find out how they are feeling about the upcoming tests. Here are their responses:
How are you feeling about the upcoming SOL tests?
Winter, 6th grade: “upset”
Miriam, 6th grade: “nervous and confident at the same time”
Which SOL are you most confident about?
Gabby, 6th grade: Math
Meagan, 8th grade: Algebra
If SOLs were a movie, what would the title be?
Shaurya, 7th grade: “The Most Stressful Day”
Gabby, 6th grade: “Growing Up”
Winter, 6th grade: “The Plague or The End of the World”
Miriam, 6th grade: “Life Lessons”
Meagan, 8th grade: “Scared”
Bulldog Beat Closing – A Year to Remember
As we wrap up this final issue of the school year, we celebrate an incredible first year of Bulldog Beat. What began as a simple idea has grown into a powerful student voice at Martinsville Middle School—one that captures our stories, highlights our people, and brings our school community together.
From interviews and school events to student reflections and creative writing, our homeroom reporters have worked hard to share what it truly means to be a Bulldog. Their dedication, curiosity, and enthusiasm have made Bulldog Beat something very special.
We are so proud of our student reporters for their hard work and courage to step up, ask questions, and tell meaningful stories. This year has been a success, and we are excited to see Bulldog Beat continue to grow in the years to come.
Have a wonderful summer, Bulldogs—and we will be back next year with more stories to tell!
