November Newsletter 2021
Valley View Elementary School
From Principal Kuhlman
Dear Families,
It is with great excitement and pleasure to inform you that Columbia Heights Public Schools will be hosting a vaccine clinic for children ages 5-11 on November 13th at the Hylander Center. We are strongly encouraging parents and students to take advantage of this. We know COVID has affected us all, but struggle to know how severely it affects each and every student. The physical stress of quarantining when students test positive or have symptoms is very hard on our families, as well as our children. The emotional stress it has on everyone is even worse.
We are just beginning to see how our children are affected and will continue to be affected by the pandemic. Some of our youngest students are struggling with separation anxiety after being home with parents for such a prolonged period of time. Children are having to relearn the rituals and routines of school. Building relationships and positively interacting with peers and adults are challenging for some students and need to be reconstructed, reinforced and deepened. As we get further into our school year, we are realizing how important these needs are for our students as we get into academics. I know we all have different perspectives about the vaccine, but getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent any further learning loss from the pandemic and to allow our children to have a somewhat normal school year.
Our teachers are doing amazing things at school to address the social-emotional and academic needs of our students. I could not be more proud of our staff, students and families. Together we will do amazing things for our students!
Jason Kuhlman
Sweet-Free School Information
Valley View Elementary’s Wellness Policy supports our students health by including more opportunities at school for physical activity and better nutrition. Research demonstrates that eating well and being physically active improves academic achievement. Our goal is to make the healthy choice the easy choice for our students.
Together we can make a difference. Families can help promote a positive learning environment by supporting healthy celebrations and snacks that shift the focus from food to the child.
Our staff will be responsible for most of the Wellness Policy, specifically the policy asks the following of parents and guardians:
- Sweet-Free School: Families are encouraged to pack healthy lunch and snacks. Healthy snacks include fruits and vegetables. Celebrations, including birthday celebrations, should be healthy too. This could include fruit, pencils, stickers, books, etc.…
We appreciate your commitment to the wellness and education of our students.
If you have questions about the policy, please call us at 763-528-4200.
ParentVue
Report cards will be sent home with students the week of November 15th. Additionally, ParentVue signup information will be coming home for viewing future report cards.
1st Grade
First Grade is so excited to be back in person! We have spent the last two months growing our brains in new and exciting ways! Outside the classroom, we have been able to go on two walking field trips. Our first field trip was to Blooming Heights, where we learned about the Apples in the Garden. We were able to pick apples, make apple cider and taste it! Farmer Wes taught us so many things about our beautiful Heights Garden. Our second walking field trip was to Sullivan Park. We were able to walk the lake and see how the trees and leaves change during the Fall Season.
In the classroom, we have been working very hard. In math, we have been learning about different ways to make numbers 1-10 using number bonds and games. In reading, we are getting our Reader’s Workshop set up in our classroom. During this time, we are able to read in small groups with our teachers and working independently as readers and writers. Finally, in science, we are learning about the lifecycle of different insects. We have watched a completed lifecycle of the darkling beetle and the butterfly. We look forward to learning about many more new things this year. Stay tuned . . .
-First Grade Teachers and Students
2nd Grade
Hello Valley View, second grade here! We wanted to update you on all of the learning that has been going on in second grade. We have been learning all about the elements of fiction stories, how to dig deep into the characters that we are reading about, as well as learning to retell the wonderful books that we have been reading. We are becoming experts at writing numbers in MORE THAN ONE WAY! Ask us…expanded form? Base ten blocks? Watch us! Not a problem! We have also been working hard to become responsible writers by using complete sentences, capital letters where they are needed, correct ending marks as well as neat and easy to read writing.
WOW!!! We are learning so much! Stay tuned for more information on our exceptional learning this year…
Music
Hello Valley View Families,
My name is Mr. Chao and I am the music teacher here at Valley View! This is my third year teaching in the district and I’m very excited to be back in person, doing music in the classroom! Now that we are in the classroom for music, there are many different opportunities we are able to do that we just couldn’t do online.
This year, our goal for Valley View music is to get students back to learning the basics. This means that we are learning and exploring different concepts of music that work best in an in-person setting. While we did an excellent job to provide students with quality music education during Heights from Home, it’s very difficult to replace the immediate feedback that we have in person.
Finally, one of the benefits of being in person is that we are able to put our new instruments to use. This past spring, Valley View was awarded the Save the Music Grant which included a new classroom set of xylophones, ukuleles, a new keyboard, boomwhackers, a guitar, recorders, and new music resources for the kids to use. We are very fortunate to have been awarded this grant and are very excited to provide students with more opportunities to experience music.
Best,
Mr. Chao
Math Corps Tutor
Valley View Elementary is looking for one math tutor for the 2021-2022 school year. In Minnesota, nearly half our students are not proficient in math. You can make a difference by giving your time and talent to help students build their skills and confidence!
Tutors work with pairs of students during school hours throughout the school year. No matter if you’re a recent grad, career changer, stay-at-home parent, or retiree, you can make a great tutor. No experience? No problem. Tutors receive great training, so they are well equipped to help students grow.
Ready to be the change for struggling students? Opportunities begin in January 2022. Learn more at Join.ReadingandMath.org. Questions can be sent to Sarah Loquasto at sarah.loquasto@servetogrow.org or 952-260-4901.
PTO Information
Hello Families!
We've had a busy start to the 2021-2022 school year. PTO members helped with the Scholastic Bookfair and Used Uniform Sale during the Family Picnic in September. We cleaned Keyes Park and earned a $100 donation from the Columbia Heights Lions Club in October. We also supplied dinner to teachers during conferences October 27th and will again during the November 4th conferences.
We are holding our Jersey Mike's Spirit nights November 4th and 5th, so plan your lunch and/or dinner at the Fridley location. We will earn 50% of all sales using our school code on those days, so please tell your friends and family and share our posts on social media to spread the word.
The Believe Fundraiser runs through November 5th. Please check your student(s)' packet for an instant winner Golden Ticket and register your student(s) at www.ShopFund.com. Then shop, share with your friends and family, and earn prize entries. Prefer to donate instead of shopping? Each $20 donation equals 1 credit.
PTO Elections for Secretary and Treasurer positions will be held during Zoom meeting on November 18th. Meeting starts at 6 pm. Join our email list to receive the link and agenda. Nominations are taken for these positions through electronic application and “from the floor” prior to and at the November meeting where candidates are announced. The President will also appoint a Social Media Coordinator and a Fundraising Coordinator. Please email us for details about the positions.
Please remember to submit your physical Box Tops to Ms. Shari in the office and scan your receipts with the Box Top app to help raise money for Valley View.
When your children outgrow their uniform clothes you can donate them to the PTO for future uniform sales by placing them in the PTO Uniform Donation bin in the school lobby.
We are looking forward to the new Urban Air fun park gift certificate fundraiser in December. The PTO will receive 20% of sales and gift certificates can be used at any time, including our fun Spirit Night event on February 15th from 4pm to 8pm, so they make great gifts for the holidays.
To stay in the loop about school and PTO activities and to spread the word to other families, please like and share us at www.facebook.com/ValleyViewMNPTO and www.instagram.com/ValleyViewMNPTO.
We are already off to a great start to the school year, so thank you for your support. We look forward to an incredible year ahead.
Samara Bilyeu-Anderson
PTO President
2021-2022
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