December Newsletter 2022
Valley View Elementary School
From Principal Kuhlman
Dear Families,
The holidays have many meanings for each and every one of us. It’s a time to gather with friends and families to celebrate. These celebrations hold amazing learning opportunities for our Valley View community. We believe our individual beliefs and celebrations help bring us together as a school community, as we learn about each other and our cultures. Students and staff have been encouraged to share their individual cultures and celebrations with each other as a way to enhance our school community and bring us together.
As we gather together during this holiday season I encourage families to share family stories and memories with their children. Oral story telling is a great way to pass down family traditions and history to future generations. It is so important our children know where they came from. The rich cultures and traditions that make our families so special, also help our children navigate the future.
The Valley View community is a very unique learning community. The work ethic and dedication of students, staff, and parents is unparalleled. It takes each and every one of us working together to impact our students. Our Valley View community is changing the lives of children, and how they will impact society in the future. Each and every one of you makes a difference, and in turn, makes the world a better place. Thank you for all that you do!
Happy Holidays!
Jason Kuhlman
Pre-K
We can’t believe it is already December! Pre-K has been very busy finishing up assessments for our fall report cards. We have been trying very hard to learn to dress in all of our winter gear. Every year when we start getting winter gear on it takes about 25 minutes. Our goal is to have that down to 5-7 minutes. Practicing at home is a great way to accomplish this.
The order we dress is: Shoes off, snow pants, boots, coat, hat, and last mittens.
We had our first pajama day last month. The children loved it! It is always nice to dress in our comfy clothing. Speaking of clothing, we will be starting our clothing study soon. Children will learn all about different types of clothing. They will learn how to wash and pick appropriate wear.
In the half day Pre-K, we welcomed our new class pet. His name is Hank the Tank. He is a bearded dragon. He loves all the attention he gets from the children. Hank likes to visit other classrooms too. He will be visiting full day Pre-k soon!
Kindergarten
In kindergarten, we are learning about trees! We had the opportunity to explore trees around Valley View, plant our own kindergarten tree located by the bus hub, and also make apple cider. At Valley View, we have a wonderful partnership with Blooming Heights, the Columbia Heights Public Schools’ Garden. As part of this partnership, Wes who is an agricultural specialist, came to Valley View and shared about how to make apple cider. We even had a chance to taste apple cider! It was so fun to learn about trees and the next time you are at Valley View, check out our 2022 Kindergarten Sugar Maple Tree!
1st Grade
First Graders are hard at work! This month in Math we are working on subtraction. We are learning about different strategies and tools to use to subtract. We are having fun using the number line, ten frame, and drawing pictures to help us. We are also working hard in Reading and Writing. We are reviewing our letter sounds, learning our sight words, sounding out words and writing them, and having fun in our reading groups with our teacher and friends. We are excited to see how much we grow this year in first grade!!
Music
Hello families!
Music has had a wonderful start so far this year full of jam-packed singing and instrument playing fun! We’ve been pretty busy!
PreK and Kindergarten are in the process of exploring different sounds and movements through music and imagination!
1st and 2nd grade are currently warming up their singing voices preparing for their Winter Concert on Thursday December 15th at 4:30pm! We hope to see you there!
3rd grade are practicing reading, singing and playing songs with 16th note rhythms!
4th grade are practicing reading note names and are preparing themselves for recorders; their first instrument they can take home!
5th grade are reviewing note names and most of them are honking away on band instruments with our band teacher, Mr. Hanson!
Later this year, we are looking to begin a 5th Grade Honor Choir. The 5th Grade Honor Choir will be a district-wide group of 5th graders invited from Valley View, Highland and North Park to sing together. More information will come in January. The goal for the group is to give students more opportunities to experience music and give them a different taste of what music looks like at middle school. If you have a 5th grader who is interested, feel free to reach out to me.
Mr. Chao
FREE December Parent Seminar
Setting Limits and Boundaries: Establishing Success for Children at School/Child Care. Focus age: 10 years and under
Monday, December 12 6:00-7:00pm at the Family Center
One of the most difficult parts of being a parent is knowing when to say no. The thing that’s happening when a child hears “No” is that they’re learning boundaries. Boundaries are important for young children to learn from parents. During this adult only workshop, we will understand the importance of setting boundaries for children early on and what is expected of them at home, school, and with friends. Results for children include: building character and helping gain self-control, which allows them to regulate their behavior, so it is socially acceptable. Spanish Interpreter available during workshop.
**Limited child care is available, pre-registration required by calling 763-528-4517 before 12:00pm on Friday, December 9, 2022.
PTO Information
The PTO strives to enhance the school experience for every student by encouraging family involvement, building a sense of community and supporting the staff through volunteering time and fundraising efforts. We would love to have you join us at our next meeting on January 12 at 6pm in the Valley View school library.
Email valleyviewmnpto@gmail.com with thoughts or questions, or to be added to our newsletter.
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