January to be busy at Valley View |
| December 21, 2012 |
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By Gary Pflueger Principal Valley View Elementary The first half the school year has come to an end! Our focus this year has and will remain keeping Valley View Elementary School safe, civil and productive! Compared to last year at this time, we have shown great progress. In the "safe" category, we have had less physical and verbal conflicts at school and fewer suspensions for these acts. "Civil" behaviors have increased and vandalism has decreased. Our focus on the writing process, the new math program and continued exposure to reading has strengthened the "productive" goal. In addition, attendance has shown improvement. With parental support, the expectations will continue to be raised. Our Student Council has set some great goals for the New Year. To name a few: we will place a Suggestion Box near the office, trash pickup by grade level will be re-established and promoted through the morning announcements. Our talent show will be held in May. As a school project we will adopt the animal shelter. Later in the year, we will collect items to donate. We will deliver May Flowers and cards to the local nursing homes. In addition to these activities, the Student Council unanimously decided to provide some financial support for renovation of the Rex Theater. And finally, to support the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day “Fill the Bus Challenge,” the Student Council will hold a canned food drive January 7 through-17. The wining class will enjoy an ice cream social and a movie. The week before Christmas vacation we held a school-wide Geography Bee. First, each fourth and fifth grade level held a qualifying contest to select the classroom champs. Karrigan Little, Anna Bliss and AJ Fisher advanced from the fouth grades; Victoria Rae, Caleb Pease and Zyla Biggs from the fifth. The contest, which was held on our newly purchased stage (thank you PTO!), came down to Anna Bliss and AJ Fisher. Anna came out ahead with the slimmest of margins. She has earned the opportunity to advance to the Idaho finals through further examination. Good Luck Anna! When we return from vacation, we will enter our core academic push — the meat and potatoes of the school year (bread and butter, for the vegetarians out there). The Core Standards will be hit hard. Please maintain close contact with your child’s teacher; time will fly from this point on! January is a full month! Upon our return January 7, there are a number of exciting special events. “Poetry Alive,” a group out of North Carolina, will lead a school-wide assembly at 2:50 p.m. January 8. Children’s book author Ken Nesbitt will join us January 16 for the day as we expand our experience with the written word. January 22, the BCSD Lunch Program and Idaho Reads join forces for a Night of Fitness, Food and Fun at 6 p.m. in the Valley View gym. Look for more information for all these events! Upcoming Events: 12/21-1/6 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2013 1/7-17 Canned Food Drive 1/8 2:50 Poetry Alive Assembly K-5 1/9 PTO Meeting 4:15 1/10 Student Council Meeting 1/16 Kenn Nisbett Assemblies 9:00 K-2 10:00 3rd-5th grades Parents are welcome to attend! 1/21 Martin Luther King, Jr. NO SCHOOL & Fill the Bus 1/22 Food, Fitness & Fun 6:00 PM in the Gym 1/24 4th Grade Ski Trip 1/29 PTO Math-A-Thon Watch for more information for all of the events listed above! Over Vacation: read, read, read, read and read some more ... then WRITE about it! Also, have fun! |