Panther Press Table of Contents
- A Note From Mrs. Hansen, Principal
- Administrative Team
- Back-to-School Events
- Boundary Adjustments
- Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
- Stock the Lounge
- Durham Bus Services
- Café (Cafeteria)
- Visitors
- Registration and Fees for 2023-2024
- YMCA Fall Enrollment
- Incoming Kindergarten Information
- Communication
- Birthday Policy
- Nut-Safer Guidelines
- Helpful Links (Supply Lists, District Calendar, VPE Website)
A Note From Mrs. Hansen
Dear families,
We hope the past couple of months have allowed you time to unwind and enjoy fun under the sun with those dearest to you. Our team at Valley Park Elementary is preparing to embark on an excellent year!
As we plan for the start of the school year, we will share pertinent information to help you best prepare for your child or children's learning journey at VPE. We know our students eagerly await to enter their learning home's doors. Some new members are joining VPE this school year, so we hope these fun introductions below will help fuel some of the excitement.
We eagerly welcome the following individuals to the VPE Panther Family!
Rachel Delehanty, 1st grade Chinese Immersion
Guona Sun, 1st grade Chinese Immersion
Emily Mulick, 2nd grade
Caity Wiser, 2nd grade
Melisssa Schneweis, Reading Specialist
Liz Moore, Student Support Liaison
Amy Holovach, School Psychologist
Joan Watson, 3rd grade
Kelly Klein, 4th Grade
Stacy Sales, 4th Grade
Kendyl Nicholson, sub for Brittany Cloud
Polly Shaw, sub for Katie Luschen
Bethany Shonkwiler, Special Education Resource Teacher
Jill Bergee, Instructional Design Coach
Katie Schmanke, Occupational Therapist
Samantha Bashara, Registrar
Leah Bane, Speech Language Pathologist
Hallie Dejmal, Speech Language Pathologist
Jenny Adams, Instructional Para
Michael Burton, Administrative Intern
Emily Gill, Assistant Principal
Rebekah Montgomery, Nurse
Jo Anne Reed, Instructional Para
Libby Staebell, Kindergarten Teacher
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to seeing you soon, families!
Sincerely,
Melissa Hansen
Principal
 |  |  |
Melissa Hansen Principal | Emily Gill Assistant Principal | Michael Burton Administrative Intern |
Melissa Hansen
Emily Gill
Michael Burton
Back to School Events
We are so excited to see our school community back on campus soon! Back to School events are just around the corner, and we would like to share our plans for welcoming everyone back.
Class Placement Email: Monday, August 14, 4:00 PM
Parents/guardians will receive a notification letting you know who your child has for a classroom teacher at 4 PM on August 14th.
Meet and Greet: Monday, August 14
- 4:30 PM-5:15 PM Last names A-L
- 5:15 PM - 6:00 PM Last names M-Z
Meet and greet is an event where you will have the opportunity to walk your child into the school, see their classroom, meet their teacher, take pictures, and see their new learning space. Meet and Greet is not required, but it will be an excellent opportunity for adults to enter the building with their children.
First Day of School (Grades 1-5): Wednesday, August 16: 8:50 AM - 3:35 PM
Kindergarten Orientation: Wednesday, August 16
Our Kindergarten staff is prepared to invite our incoming students in with their parents for a session to explore their new surroundings, meet new friends, and, hopefully, calm any fears or anxieties. The parents will have an opportunity to ask questions, take pictures, and get to know a few children in the class. Following the schedule below, families should expect to attend orientation according to their last name:
- Last names: A-F, 9:15 - 10:15 AM
- Last name: G-O, 10:45 - 11:45 AM
- Last name: P-Z, 1:15- 2:15 PM
First Day of School (Kindergarten): Thursday, August 17: 8:50 AM - 3:35 PM
Back-to-School Night: Thursday, August 24, 5:30-7:00 PM
Back-to-School Night will take place on Thursday, August 24. This event is where you will have the opportunity to learn more about your child's classroom and receive pertinent information that will enable you to navigate the year easily. Additionally, you will learn how to volunteer with the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) and contribute to your child's classroom events for the school year.
- Session 1: 5:30-6:10pm
- Session 2: 6:20-7:00pm
Boundary Adjustments
Board approves boundary adjustments for 2024-25 school year
At the June 12 Board of Education meeting, the board approved the 2022-23 Facility Planning Committee’s report, including boundary adjustments that address elementary school enrollment and building capacity issues. The approved boundary adjustments impact several schools to keep contiguous attendance areas.
Boundary adjustments approved for the 2024-25 school year include:
- Deer Creek boundaries will be adjusted to attend Overland Trail Elementary.
- Sandstone Creek, Savoy, and Plaza Gardens boundaries will be adjusted to attend Harmony Elementary. This adjustment will also include a change in feeder pattern to Harmony Middle and Blue Valley Northwest.
- Glen Abbey & Villas of Chapel Green and Highland Villas and Highlands Creek boundaries will be adjusted to attend Prairie Star Elementary. This adjustment will also include a change in feeder pattern to Prairie Star Middle and Blue Valley High.
The committee's work, including documents, maps, and presentations, can be found on the district’s website.
Durham Bus Services
Durham Bus Services. You can also sign up for text message alerts for your student's bus.
General Reminder for Visitors During the School Day
Parents and Caregivers,
Our office staff wants to share a general reminder that all elementary schools in the district utilize the buzz-in entry system for visitors during the school day. Visitors will need to come to the front of the school. At the front entrance, visitors will press the buzzer, show government-issued photo identification, and state the purpose of their visit each time they visit the school. If you arrive without identification, the office will seek the administration's approval for entry.
We ask that guests not hold the door open for another visitor once they have been buzzed in. Instead, allow the door to close for visitors to go through the above-mentioned procedures. We appreciate the support of our safety procedures.
Registration and Fees | 2023-2024
Elementary school registration for the 2023-24 school year is open and online now for all students. Registration is required annually and is the time to update your child’s information and pay fees. Completing registration confirms that your child will attend school for the 2023-2024 school year. Thank you for providing important information as part of the registration process. For more registration information, visit www.bluevalleyk12.org/registration.
Thank you,
Samantha Bashara
Registrar
913-239-7601
Communication
Attendance
- Email: attendancevpe@bluevalleyk12.org
- Phone: (913) 239-7605
School Office:
- Phone: (913) 239-7600
Nut-Safer Guidelines
Blue Valley (BV) School's Nut Safer Guidelines for daily snacks will be implemented throughout the school year.
· Classroom snacks must be from the Nut Safer list.
· Nut Safer seating is available in the café during lunch.
We appreciate your support as we work to be preventative with food safety measures to ensure student and staff safety.
The complete Nut Safer Foods and BV Guidelines can be found here.
Mrs. Hansen - Principal
Office Staff
- Julie Bachert: Administration Assistant/Bookkeeper
- Samantha Bashara: Administration Assistant/Registrar/Attendance