December Newsletter 2020
Valley View Elementary School
From Principal Kuhlman
Dear Families,
Everything sure is different this year! That is the best way to sum of the year so far. We have experienced many “firsts” already, and anticipate experiencing many more. I would like to thank you for your patience and support as we maneuver through the year. Without you by our side, we could not provide the level of service we are to your children. It takes an entire community to support our students.
As many of you may have heard, we are dialing back our learning supports for students. A small number of identified students were learning on-site, on specified days. However, with the case rates of COVID-19 skyrocketing, we are stopping all on-site learning. The risk it poses outweighs the benefits. The safety of the children, parents, and staff is our number one priority. We know this creates a hardship for some of our students, and for that we are truly sorry. We are working on other supports that we will be rolling out shortly. As we move forward, we ask that if you or your child have been exposed, or contracted COVID-19, you report it to our health office. We are tracking this and will reach out to offer any support we can. If you have questions about getting tested, or if you should be quarantining, please don’t hesitate to call 763-528-4203. We are in this together.
I know COVID is dominating our world right now, but I want to make you aware of some of the amazing things that are happening around Valley View right now. We have some amazing instruction going on in classrooms and in specialists. Our students are engaging in rigorous content in math and literacy. We have teachers working with small guided groups to provide instruction at your child's developmental level. Teachers are working to engage students in social-emotional learning though daily morning meetings and guided opportunities for student interactions. We are purposely building in time for students to interact with each other in small groups. Specialists are engaging students in high quality projects that foster creativity, exercise that engages the entire family, and music that builds skills to fully appreciate music for life. I could not be more proud of our teachers and the effort they are putting in to educate your children.
I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe December,
Mr. Kuhlman
Valley View Family Cookbook
To build community, we are creating a Valley View Family Cookbook and we need your help! During the month of December, we are asking you to submit one recipe that is a family favorite. Click on the link below to share your recipe. Please submit your recipe by December 31, 2020 and we will share the Valley View Family Cookbook in January 2021!
Pre-K
Pre-K has been very busy this fall. Scavenger hunts are a really cool activity for us. Learning our friends’ names and talking with them is new for us. It is a bit different on the computer, but we are making it work. Learning about literacy, math, writing and art are some of our favorites. Especially art! We have gone on a couple virtual field trips. The San Diego Zoo was really great. School is really lots of fun and we look forward to it every day!
Kindergarten
We are ready for second quarter in Kindergarten. As teachers, we are very impressed with the progress the students have made. We have watched the students become more comfortable and independent using Zoom and Seesaw. It is fun to see the great work submitted on Seesaw every day. We thank you for all you do to support your child’s learning. We appreciate it so much!
Science
Hello Valley View families! We have had such a fun and busy start of the year learning about science and the world around us. It’s so exciting to see students working so hard and conducting experiments with the class from home.
Third graders are currently learning about properties of light. Third graders have had fun learning about light, finding light sources around the house, and investigating light with transparent, translucent, and opaque objects! Third quarter we will begin a unit on measurement.
Fourth and fifth graders are spending second quarter learning about force, motion, simple machines, and engineering. They have had a great time using the materials in their supply bags to investigate these topics. Fourth and fifth graders can explore objects around the house that are simple machines for fun family discussions. Third quarter we will explore variables and continue discussing engineering. It’s been so incredible seeing all the hard work being done and working with all students to help them discover how exciting science can be!
Spanish
The focus of Spanish class this year is to practice math strategies that will help students improve their math skills.
There will also be a focus on learning about all of the interesting Spanish speaking countries around the world and their important histories and traditions. Students are encouraged to talk about their traditions from their culture to teach and learn from others.
Any questions about Spanish class can be emailed to simensor@colheights.k12.mn.us.
PTO Information
With winter break on the horizon, the Valley View Parent-Teacher Organization would like to express our gratitude for all the families and staff that make the Valley View community so strong. This year has brought to the forefront new challenges for all of us, and we're so thankful for the support and strength of Valley View. We wish all families and staff a winter break that allows you a chance to recharge and re-energize.
PTO has been busy wrapping up the fall Believe catalog and restaurant fundraisers. A big "thank you" to all of our families and friends who have supported these events, as well as Give to the Max Day.
On December 10th, Panera Bread in Blaine (8601C Springbrook Dr) will host a fundraiser for Valley View PTO. From 4-8 p.m., pick up dinner for online or take-out orders and Panera will donate 20% of sales to Valley View - just mention the fundraiser when you order or enter code Prfund at checkout for online orders.
Better yet, make a night of it and join our virtual PTO meeting on December 10th at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom. Message us on Facebook, join our mailing list, or email us at valleyviewmnpto@gmail.com for a link to the meeting. PTO will also be reaching out to our mailing list and through our social media about other upcoming initiatives, including opportunities for (virtual) family engagement, so "Like" and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on all things PTO!
Lastly, we are currently looking to fill a vacancy in our Vice President position on the PTO executive board. This position assists with presidential duties when needed, chairs fundraising, and manages PTO inventory and equipment. Please consider applying here to run for this position. If we have candidates for the December 10th meeting, we will hold elections at that time.
Have a restful winter break, and stay safe and healthy!
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