PATRIOT PRESS
PLEASANT VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL
PRINCIPAL'S CORNER
Hello PVM community,
It is hard to believe how quickly this year is moving along. We are already at the halfway point with our second semester starting now. With a new semester comes opportunities for a restart. This is the time of the year that students can improve on grades and academic skills and finish the school year in a strong fashion. Remember that attendance is extremely important to achieve this goal. Let’s GO Patriots!
Mr. Maloney, PVM Principal
February Happenings
- 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th
- Second semester begins
- Outdoor school candy fundraiser sale begins 2/3 - 2/21
- 2/3 - 7 National School Counseling Week, let your school counselor know you appreciate them!
- 5th/6th grade activity 2:40-3:40 pm PVM gym
- PTA Family Sweetheart Dance 6-8 pm PV gyms
- Hearing and vision screenings for 5th & 7th graders
- President's Day
- 7th/8th grade dance 2:40-4:00 pm PVM gym
- Battle Ground Industry Fair 5-7 pm at Battle Ground High School
- Outdoor school candy sales end, money is due today.
- 5th and 7th graders will have the opportunity to take the School Climate Survey during school hours
UPCOMING EVENTS
PTA Family Sweetheart Dance, Friday, February 7th 6-8 p.m.
Please note students must be accompanied by an adult, this is not a drop-off event.
SMARTER BALANCED TESTING
SBAC testing this year will occur between April 27th and May 15th. Student attendance during this period is very important. On test days we will be testing the first 2.5 hours of the school day. We strongly encourage families to schedule appointments and vacation to avoid having students miss class during the testing window. We will publish exact dates of testing in a later newsletter, and they will also be available on the PVM website.
Thank you
8TH GRADE FORECASTING FOR PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL - IN MARCH
March 10th- PHS counselors give 8th grade presentation at PVM.
March 17th- 8th grade tours PHS, 9:00 am -12:00 pm
March 17th- PHS open house from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm (parents & students).
March 24th- Forecasting at PVM with PHS counselors.
ANNOUNCEMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS!
Know when your bus arrives with SafeStop bus app
Hello families of Battle Ground Public Schools,
We are excited to share that you can download a new app called SafeStop that will alert you when your child's bus is nearing your stop or when there is a significant delay.
Parents and guardians can download the free app now and begin using it. With SafeStop, you can view scheduled bus stop times and receive notifications when the bus has arrived within a customizable radius from your child's stop. A Map View lets you see the location of the bus as it nears your stop.
SafeStop also allows Cascade Student Transportation, Battle Ground Public Schools' transportation provider, to send notifications through the app about transportation updates. For example, parents could be notified if a different bus is substituted on your route or if your bus is delayed by more than 20 minutes.
App users will not see bus speed, bus path, or planned route paths inside SafeStop, and the app will not provide updates on days when school is delayed two-hours due to inclement weather. The safety of students is a top priority for Battle Ground schools, and only the parent/guardian has access to the student’s information in the app, and no one else will be able to access the information without a student ID number.
SafeStop is a free app that is available on all Android and Google devices via the Google Play Store and on all Apple devices via the App Store. For those using other mobile devices, a desktop, or laptop, SafeStop can be accessed through their website at SafeStopApp.com.
For more information about the new SafeStop app visit www.safestopapp.com. Click here for step-by-step instructions for creating your account and customizing its settings. Please note that you must have your student's Other ID, which can be found in Skyward (Family Access), to access your family's assigned bus stops. Please contact your school office if you need assistance accessing your Skyward account.
The SafeStop app is meant to help you plan around your busy schedule, not to help you arrive at the bus stop at the last second. The app relies on a third-party GPS device on board the school bus, which sometimes is unable to transmit the information every 20 seconds as intended. We strongly encourage you to arrive at the bus stop 5-10 minutes prior to the expected arrival time to ensure you do not miss the bus or slow down the boarding procedure.
If you have any questions about SafeStop or about bus transportation in general, please contact Cascade Student Transportation at (360) 687-7137 or the Battle Ground school district transportation office at (360) 885-6577.
Thank you and have a great week,
Battle Ground Public Schools
You may also view this information on the Battle Ground Public Schools website HERE.
FROM THE NURSE
Attention Pleasant Valley Families:
PVM will be conducting hearing and vision screenings for our 5th and 7th grade students on the morning of February 13th. Please be sure students who wear glasses bring their glasses with them that day. We hope to have as many students in attendance as possible to minimize the need for make up testing.
Thank you.
Battle Ground health brochures contain information on common student illnesses. Please click on the link below to view these helpful brochures.
YEARBOOK - ORDER YOURS NOW!
OFFICE INFORMATION
Hello from the PVM office!
Winter is here, and a weather-related school delay or closure could happen at any time. It is always a good idea to look at your plans in case of a school delay or closure. Please encourage your child to bring and wear their coats and hats when the weather is cold; students are outside before and after school and for recess. If you need assistance in obtaining warm winter wear for your child, please call the school office. (360) 885-5500.
Inclement weather and emergency information:
BGPS sends out parent/guardian phone calls and emails to notify families of unplanned school closures. You may also call the BGPS information line for information on weather/emergency delays and closures.
Information Line: (360) 885-5343 (Updated by 6:00 a.m. on impacted days).
Please use the link below to visit our Weather/Emergency Closures page on the BGPS website for more detailed information about snow bus routes, school late-start times, how we keep you notified of weather or emergency closures, and more.
It is important that we have your current contact information in Skyward, as that is where our system draws data from in order to send out phone calls and emails.
Updating contact/emergency contact information:
Please be sure to update Skyward with any contact information changes. Paper forms sent home for "emergency early release" information are NOT used to update Skyward, that must be done online. Please complete the 2019/2020 Skyward Update if you have not already done so.
You can access the skyward log in page HERE.
Thank you!
Spirit Wear Ordering
No need to wait to show your PV spirit, Pleasant Valley spirit wear is available all year! This year there will be a different coupon every month. The new spirit wear fliers are available at school, and show upcoming coupon specials on the back. You can order online any time at: www.pleasantvalleyspiritwear.com.
A part of the proceeds go to our wonderful PV PTA to support students and staff at Pleasant Valley.
PLEASANT VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL MISSION
We believe ALL students can experience academic and personal growth.
PLEASANT VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL
Office: 360-885-5500
Fax: 360-885-5510
Email: info.pvm@battlegroundps.org
Website: https://pvm.battlegroundps.org/
Location: 14320 NE 50th Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98686
Phone: 360-885-5500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PVMiddle/
BATTLE GROUND STUDENT AND FAMILY HANDBOOK
VOLUNTEERS AND CHAPERONES
The application is online, though, we do need to get a copy of your driver's license at the school office in order to process the background check. Click the link below for more information and to apply.
Once approved, the clearance is good for two (2) years.
We encourage you to get cleared now, as the process can take 7 -10 days and is not always possible to complete in time if you wish to chaperone on a field trip with your child's class at the last minute. Thank you so much for spending time here helping at PVM!
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Issue #10