October Newsletter 2021
Valley View Elementary School
From Principal Kuhlman
Happy October, Valley View Families!!
I would like to thank everyone for a wonderful start of the year. I could not be more proud of our students and their work on keeping everyone safe. They are doing an amazing job of wearing masks and socially distancing. It's because of this effort we can continue to be in-person. COVID continues to be a big part of our school year, however we are not letting it beat us. To ensure everyone’s safety at school we are asking parents to notify the school as soon as they can if their child is not feeling well. We are continuing to follow MDH’s guidance for quarantine if students are showing signs or having symptoms. Nurse Kelly is always available if you have questions or need some advice on keeping your child home. Our number one priority is to keep your children in school and healthy.
Another big thank you goes out to all of you who made the Valley View Picnic such a success. We are estimating 350-400 people showed up that night. It was truly amazing watching our children and families reconnect and enjoy each other’s company. We are finally reuniting as a school community and building the relationships that help us succeed. I would also like to thank the PTO for taking the time to get our gently used uniforms out to parents and Ms. Shari for putting on another wildly successful book fair. It's great to see books in the hands of children!
During the month of October, we will be hosting our first Parent Academy on the 14th. Parent Academy is meant to help families better understand the educational system. Our Home School Liaison, Kevin Centeno, and myself will be hosting these events. Families are encouraged to attend who may be new to the country, or have questions on how to access our systems. We are striving to help all our parents be informed advocates for their children and themselves. We are excited for this opportunity!
In partnership with a wonderful school community,
Jason Kuhlman
Valley View Night at the CHHS Soccer Game
An invitation for Valley View families to be involved in Hylanders Athletics!
When: Thursday, October 7
Time: Pre-game @ 5:30 pm, Girls Varsity Soccer Game @ 6 pm
Where: At the CHHS Stadium
Free admission! Free popcorn for Valley View students! Chance to win prizes in a raffle! Wear blue and gold!
Special on-field event for Valley View students before the game at 5:30 pm!
Pre-K
Pre-k has been hard at work! We are working on our beginning of the year study. This helps children to transition into school. We are learning how to be at school. Rituals and routines in the classroom are important. The children have been doing great at learning the new school routines.
We are learning so many new things. How to wash our hands, wear a mask and take care of ourselves is a big part of pre-k. We are encouraging our students to work on dressing themselves at home, including buttons and zippers.
We are also starting to practice writing our names and recognizing the letters in our names. We are beginning to learn new songs in pre-k too! Many of the songs help us to remember our classmates names.
Kindergarten
The Kindergarten classes at Valley View had a super September! We were very excited to be together in person. In September, the students got acquainted with their teachers and their classmates, practiced school-wide and classroom routines, and had fun learning and playing together. Thank you for all your hard work in supporting our school and your child’s education. We appreciate you!
Guided Discovery of scissors and glue sticks in Ms. Grimm's class.
Exploring math tools in Mrs. Cahill's class.
Choice time in Ms. Dunckel's class.
Art
September 15th was National Dot Day. It is based on the book, The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. Kids are encouraged to make their mark and see where it takes them.
In the art room, first through fifth graders painted CDs with radial symmetry that will be turned into a hanging mobile/curtain in the library (media center) windows.
Here are photos of our work in progress:
PTO Information
We hope you and your child(ren) have had a wonderful first month at Valley View Elementary. In September, the PTO volunteered at the Family Picnic and Scholastic Book Fair.
If you missed our September meeting and would like to read the notes you can find the link on our Facebook and Instagram pages or online, or request an email with the minutes or the Zoom recording be sent to you by emailing valleyviewmnpto@gmail.com.
Saturday, October 9th, 9 am - 11 am, the PTO will be cleaning Keyes Park. We will have bags and vests available courtesy of the Lions Club. They are also providing Heights Bakery donuts. Please bring gloves, grabbers, or other items you may wish to use for garbage pickup. The Lions will donate $100 to the PTO for our work. You can register to help on our Park Cleanup Volunteer Form or just show up.
Thursday, October 14 is our monthly PTO meeting on Zoom and we will hold elections and make appointments for open positions. PTO meetings are usually the second Thursday of the month at 6 pm. A Spanish-speaking interpreter is available. All meeting dates (and other important dates) can be found on the district calendar here.
Our Fall fundraiser with Believe for Kids will run October 8-October 29. We will offer a hybrid sales option so you can send the order link to friends and family anywhere and orders can be shipped directly to homes. A catalog will be sent home with children and is available online as well.
Keep an eye out for a dinner fundraiser flyer and social media posts before parent-teacher conferences on October 27th and November 4th. If you buy at the designated restaurant during the fundraiser with the school's code or flyer a portion of the sale is donated to the PTO.
When you shop for food, snacks, school supplies, cleaning supplies, and more, please remember to collect GM Box Tops for Education or scan your receipt to raise money for Valley View Elementary:
- If you find a traditional Box Tops clip on a product, you can still clip it and send it to school or drop it off with Shari at the front desk. Make sure each one has a clearly visible product acronym and expiration date. Every valid Box Tops clip is worth 10¢ for your school.
- If you see the blue label on a product, you can use the Box Tops app to scan your receipt. The app will find participating products purchased at any store and instantly add cash to your school’s earnings online.
- PLUS, scan the QR code on specially-marked participating Box Tops products and enter the locker combo found on the package for a chance to win over 1 million Bonus Box Tops or other prizes. One lucky Grand Prize winner will receive $10,000 in Box Tops for their school + $10,000 for themselves. Please note some Box Tops products are not labeled; check their product list for a complete list of participating products. Visit www.boxtops4education.com or www.btfe.com for more information and find the Box Tops app in your app store.
To stay informed, please join the Valley View MN PTO mailing list here, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Thank you for your participation in your child's school.
Sincerely,
Samara
PTO President
Please Don't Come to School if You Aren't Feeling Well!
Help us all stay healthy by not coming to school if you are sick or if a family member has COVID-19. Please do not expose others to harmful germs when you are not feeling well.
If you have these symptoms please do not come to school and please get tested for COVID-19:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headaches
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
This list does not include all possible symptoms, but if you have these symptoms please stay home except to get tested or seek medical care. The Minnesota Department of Health is a good resource for more information.
About Us
All Belong, All Succeed
Email: KuhlmanJ@colheights.k12.mn.us
Website: https://www.colheights.k12.mn.us/VVES
Location: 800 49th Avenue Northeast, Columbia Heights, MN, USA
Phone: 763-528-4200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VVisd13