Grass Valley Elementary
School Newsletter • January 10, 2020
From the Principal
Dear Grass Valley school community,
Happy New Year! We hope you all had a fun and relaxing winter break with your families.
As we transition back to our regular routines, it’s a good time to review our rules and expectations. Teachers have been doing this in their classrooms, and we are also focusing school-wide on behavior in the hallways and during line-up/transition times. This means observing the “GVE 3:” Be safe, be responsible and be respectful.
This is also a good time to revisit our school focus on kindness. For January, we are focusing on the character trait of responsibility. This entails encouraging students to find ways to be responsible throughout their day, adding to the overall spirit of kindness in our Grass Valley community. At home, you can encourage this trait by helping your child look for opportunities to add responsibilities around the home and contribute to the household.
We’d also like to remind parents and families about a few important ways you can help your student(s) and our school community.
• First, we've had 835 tardies so far this school year. This is actually good news, as that is a huge improvement over the nearly 1,500 tardies we had at this time last year. So thank you for getting your children to school by 8 a.m.! Arriving on time each day makes a big difference, because every minute adds up. Instruction starts immediately in the morning, and tardies not only mean lost learning time for the late student, they also interrupt the rest of the class in progress. We would love to see this number improve even more in order to maximize learning time.
• Second, we can't say this enough: We need everyone’s help to keep our students safe during drop-off and dismissal times, especially in the parking lot and crossing areas. A particular concern is speeding vehicles near the crossing on Northwest 38th Avenue in front of Lacamas Athletic Club. We could really use the community's support to remember to observe slow and careful speed limits in these locations before and after school. Please model safety by using the marked crosswalks at all times, observing the speed limit and stop signs, and staying off of your phone when driving.
• Now that it's officially winter and lower temperatures loom in the forecast, please remember to send your students to school in appropriate warm clothing — especially a coat.
• If there is any change to your child’s usual dismissal plan, please notify the school office by 1:30 p.m. (11 a.m. Wednesdays). We understand that emergencies come up. However, any dismissal changes that come in after that time are very challenging to accommodate. It’s important for children to have consistency with their go-home plan, so try to make it as consistent as possible.
• If you pick up students at the maintenance lot, please park in designated spaces in our lot, and not along Grass Valley Court. Students who walk home exit to 44th Street or walk down the sidewalk past the buses toward the main entrance of the school. If you want to meet your child who is a walker, please stand at the back gate where the buses enter on 44th or next to the reader board at the main entrance. If you pick up your child near 44th Street in your car, please use Emily Way as your parking and exit route. Be courteous to our neighbors and avoid parking or waiting on their property. Also, do not walk on campus and wait outside the gym.
• Please enter the building only through the front office, and remember to sign in, sign out and wear a visitor badge while in the building.
As we start a new year, we also have some teacher updates to share:
• First, we want to celebrate music teacher Natalie Wilson, who was selected to the 2020 class of the Washington Music Educators Association Hall of Fame. The recognition honors her consistent service to music education through her advocacy and work to champion and foster musical skill in our students. Mrs. Wilson also attends and presents at national conferences, and her connections with professional musicians have enabled some special learning experiences for our students.
• We want to welcome back fourth-grade teachers Kara Curtin and Ahna Jura.
• Teacher Shannon Stewart, who was a long-term substitute for Mrs. Jura this fall, is now supporting us in the library.
Finally, we want to thank everyone who supports our PTA and mention a new fundraiser they are holding this month: a Penny War. Every cent will be distributed to our teachers to spend on supporting their classrooms. See below for more.
We appreciate your help. If you have any questions or concerns, please call either of us at 360-833-5710.
Regards,
T. Sean McMillan, principal
Melissa Hutton, associate principal
PTA News
Starting next week, we're trying something different to support our amazing staff at Grass Valley: a Penny War! Every single cent donated during this fundraiser will be divided up evenly and given to our teachers to spend in their classroom on your students!
Flyers with more information are coming home with students, and classes will be seeing a video or hearing a talk during class explaining how the Penny War works. For more information, please visit our PTA website under Programs & Events.
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING JAN. 30:
Mark your calendars for the PTA General Membership Meeting on Thursday, Jan. 30, at 6 PM in the GVE library. We will be joined by special guest Jennifer McMillan, CSD's social-emotional wellness liaison, who will speak about parenting and the brain.
SAVE THE DATE FOR WINTER BLAST:
Our free annual winter family event, Winter Blast, is coming up Friday, Feb. 7, from 6 to 8 PM. We'll have cocoa and a photo booth, along with dancing and DJ-led games. We're also looking for volunteers to help with decorations, support during the event and cleanup afterward. Please visit our online signup to see if you can help. Thanks!
BOX TOPS COLLECTION PLANNED NEXT MONTH:
Don't forget to clip or scan receipts for Box Tops, as we'll be having another collection campaign in February. In fall alone, we earned more than $600 for our school!
WATER BOTTLES NEEDED FOR ART DISCOVERY:
Art Discovery is still looking for water bottles over the next few weeks. Please bring in your empty 16-oz water bottles and place them in the boxes under the stairs near the office so they can be "up-cycled" into a cool new art project. Thank you!
ART DISCOVERY VOLUNTEER MEETING SET:
The next meeting for Art Discovery volunteers will be Thursday, Feb. 6, at 9 AM at school (room TBA). Please RSVP using our SignUp Genius link.
OTHER WAYS TO KEEP UP WITH THE PTA:
Don't forget that our PTA is on Facebook and Instagram. We've got a handy QR code posted outside the PTA room door — simply scan it with your smartphone and it will take you to our social media sites.
A Note from the Nurse
COMMUNICATION REMINDER: Parents, if you are emailing or using Bloomz to alert your student’s teacher about a health concern, please remember to email the health assistant and school nurse.
· karen.wight@camas.wednet.edu
· janet.bloodworth@camas.wednet.edu
This allows all of us to stay in the loop so we can best support your child in their education and health.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Grass Valley Health Care Team: 360-833-5710
Karen Wight, district RN, Ext: 79895 | Janet Bloodworth, health assistant, Ext: 78075
A note of thanks from Hough Elementary
Dear Grass Valley school community,
We cannot thank you enough for your generosity this holiday season! The support the Grass Valley community shows to Hough Elementary students is incredible! You were able to help nine large families, 21 children and 15 adults have an amazing holiday! The joy on kids’ faces when they returned to school was amazing. They showed confidence and joy as they came to school in new, weather-appropriate outfits. They beamed as they talked about their new toy! We cannot thank you enough for helping create such a positive atmosphere here at Hough. You have brought so much joy into students’ lives who may not have had it otherwise.
It is amazing to see our communities come together for the greater good! Thank you for your generosity and continued support of Hough Elementary! As a staff we do not have enough words to express how thankful we are!
Thanks again,
Hough Elementary Staff
Scene from the Hall
Third grade has snow on the brain! (Then again, don't we all right now?) It's fun to admire how each painting can be similar and yet so different.
January & February Calendar of Events
Penny War fundraiser begins
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 15
January Assembly – 8:15-8:45 AM
Jazz Choir – 12:15-1:15 PM
FRIDAY, JAN. 17
MONDAY, JAN. 20
MLK Holiday – No school
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22
Jazz Choir – 12:15-1:15 PM
MONDAY, JAN. 27
Grading Day – No school
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 29
Jazz Choir – 12:15-1:15 PM
THURSDAY, JAN. 30
Birthday Lunch – 11:05 AM-12:15 PM
PTA General Membership Meeting – 6:00 PM, GV libraryFRIDAY, JAN. 31
Penny War fundraiser ends
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 5
Jazz Choir – 12:15-1:15 PMTHURSDAY, FEB. 6
Art Discovery Meeting – 9:00 AM
FRIDAY, FEB. 7
Winter Blast/PTA Family Dance Night – 6-8 PM, GV gym/cafeteria
MONDAY, FEB. 10
February Assembly with guest Kristin Korb – 1:15 PM
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 12
Jazz Choir – 12:15-1:15 PM
100th Day of School!FRIDAY, FEB. 14
Presidents’ Day Holiday – No school (unless snow make-up day needed)
MONDAY, FEB. 17
Presidents’ Day Holiday – No school
Contact Us
Grass Valley Elementary
3000 NW Grass Valley Drive, Camas, WA 98607
Phone: 360-833-5710 | Fax: 360-833-5711
http://schools.camas.wednet.edu/grassvalley/
Grass Valley PTA: Visit us at http://grassvalleypta3665.weebly.com, "like" us on Facebook and follow gvezebraspta on Instagram.
This newsletter is published monthly during the school year by Grass Valley Elementary and the PTA. You can email the newsletter coordinator, Nancy Nilles, at newsletter@gvezebraspta.org. To add email addresses to the mailing list, contact GVE Head Secretary Aileen Hay at 360-833-5710.