News and Announcements
9.16.24 - 9.20.24
Coming Up…
Sep 16-25 - Parent Teacher Conferences / See Early Release Schedule Below
Sep 19 - Dine and Donate at The Kebab Shop (see attached flier)
Sep 22 - Happy Birthday Mrs. Mohebbi-Bazyar!
Sep 24 - First PTA Meeting - 7 pm **Note date change!
Sep 26 - Happy Birthday Mrs. Ware!
Sep 27 - Viking Fun Run (details below in PTA section)
Oct 7-11 - Fall Recess (No School)
Principal’s Message:
We are about halfway through September. September 15th is the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month, which ends on October 15th. During this time, we celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Central America, South America, Spain, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Let's continue to learn about one another as we celebrate our diversity at Valle Verde Elementary together. Please share additional information that you have about Hispanic Heritage Month as we look to connect our families in the Valle Verde Community.
As a community, we have discussed and highlighted several topics to date, including Student Assessment Schedules, Chromebook Distribution and Expectations, Math Instruction and Math Experiences, School Safety, Staff Vacancies, and Independent Study Contracts. You will find some of the notes below.
The following baseline assessment windows were recently completed: ESGI - TK/K, mClass for Kindergarten - 2nd-grade rd grade students in ELA/Reading, and iReady in the area of ELA for our EL/Emerging Bilingual students in grades 1s- 5th grade. Our 3rd- 5th grade classes completed their baseline assessments using Illuminate, STAR, and McLeod assessments. We are also just completing SEL Surveys for all grade levels. Ensure you note your child's progress in specific areas discussed during the Parent/Teacher Conferences beginning next week. This information is key when planning for goal setting in academic areas.
We will continue to have monthly emergency drills, and I will send updates to parents after we have a drill so that you know where additional support is needed.
Independent Study Contracts require the teachers to have at least two weeks notice to prepare the contracts. To initiate a contract, please email Tracy (mirandat@mdusd.org) with the requested travel dates.The work must be returned by the due date to receive full credit. If the contract is not completed, the absences will be unexcused. Please let me know if you have additional questions regarding the information shared this week.
Today, our 4th and 5th-grade level students participated in the 2024-2025 Student Council Election process. All of the candidates did a fabulous job of sharing their speeches! Students were prepared with speeches, props, and slogans! It takes preparation and courage to give a speech in front of an audience, and our students did not disappoint! Before the announcement of the Student Council Officers, I spoke to the group, and I let them know that regardless of the outcome, they should all celebrate because they all represent greatness! They celebrated together in the MUR during the announcement as a true example of their camaraderie and respect for one another. Our candidates will continue to work toward making Valle Verde Elementary the best school ever. Student feedback is encouraged this year as we build more opportunities for students to have input in school-related matters.
Congratulations to the 2024-2025 Student Council Officers!
President- Luke C.
Vice President- Silas S.
Treasurer- Spiro T.
Secretary - Ben C.
I am confident that our Student Council representatives and I will work collaboratively to foster the best school experiences for all. I'm excited to work with them this year!
"Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better."
Dr. Maya Angelou
Top Info For the Week:
Weekly Reminders:
We will be starting a Weekly Reminder section of the Vikings Voice to remind parents of things that we have received a lot of questions on this week, or stuff that did not go according to protocols.
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Students are not allowed to carry medication on them (even over the counter meds or cough drops) at any time without proper paperwork in the office.
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Students are not allowed to have their cell phones/smart watches on during the school day. If your student texts you from class, we would appreciate your cooperation to remind them to go to the office and not just text them back. We can’t enforce the rules without your help. If a student continues to not follow policy, their phones/watches will need to stay in the office during the school day.
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You must be cleared by the district office to volunteer on campus in any capacity. Please do not sign up for Fun Run or any volunteer activity until you are cleared.
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Parents must sign in at the office any time they are on campus during the school day. Also, please remember adults may NEVER use student bathrooms. Please use the restroom in the office if needed. Thank you.
Parent / Teacher Conferences - STARTING 9/16!!
Mark your calendars now because Parent/Teacher conferences are starting on Monday. Here is the schedule:
9/16-9/25
TK/K - All students will be early friends and attend from 8:05-12:15
Grades 1-3 Dismissal time: 12:50
Grades 4-5 Dismissal time: 12:55
Please note you MUST make arrangements for your child to be picked up or go to VVCC. Children are not allowed at Parent/Teacher conferences, and are not allowed to roam the campus while you are attending. Thank you for your cooperation.
Weekly Attendance and Tardy Updates:
Tardies (unexcused) this week: 57
Average Daily Attendance: 97.64%
When students are more than 30 minutes late it counts towards their truancy total, not towards their tardies. Every 3 events equals 1 truancy full day absence. If your child comes in late from a medical/dental/ortho appointment, they must bring a doctor’s note for the tardy to be excused. Thank you!
Office Donations
Thank you to all the parents who have donated candy for our office staff candy jar. The teachers and staff have been enjoying it while they prepare for upcoming conferences. If you happen to grab an extra bag while you’re at the store, we would still appreciate more donations very much!
Classroom Volunteers
We want to remind you that if you sign up to Volunteeendam, or any on campus activity, you MUST be cleared by the district. There are NO exceptions to this rule. We see some names on the Sign Up Genius lists for the Fun Run that have not been cleared. Please get your paperwork in ASAP so you have time to be cleared before the event, or you will be deleted from the sign up. Forms are available on our website, or in the office. If you have any questions about what is needed, or need to check the status of your TB, please contact the office.
5th Grade Camp
We are currently short of the donations we need for our kids to go to 5th grade camp. If we do not receive enough donations, camp will need to be canceled and no students will be able to go. If you have not made a donation yet, you can do so by making a check payable to MDUSD and giving it to your child’s teacher. You may also pay in cash, but we are unable to process credit card payments at this time.
Previous Info:
**New Date for PTA Meeting**
Please note the date of the PTA meeting has changed. Due to the Presidential Debate and the fall recess, the September and October meetings will be combined and occur on September 24th at 7 pm. It will be on zoom. The zoom link will be sent out on Konstella.
Books for Bundts
VVE is proud to partner with Nothing Bundt Cakes for their Books for Bundts program. From September through May your child can track their reading and if they reach 400 minutes in a month, they can take their tracker to the Nothing Bundt Cakes store and receive a free bundlet of their choice, and a certificate. Pick up a tracker from your teacher, or the front office. This is a great way to encourage your child to read.
Students Can’t Carry Medicine at School (even over the counter)
A reminder that students are not allowed to have medicine in their backpack at any time without proper paperwork in the office. This includes over the counter medications and even cough drops. This is to ensure student safety for all of our students. If your child needs to take medication during the school day for a temporary problem, a parent or guardian may come to the office and we will call the student down so the medication can be administered. Thank you.
Covid Tests
People have been popping into the office asking for Covid tests. Unfortunately, we do not have any more in the office, but we did want to let you know that the government will be offering 4 free tests for each household starting at the end of September. You may click on this link to get yours https://aspr.hhs.gov/covid-19/test/Pages/default.aspx and you may also find free testing sites there as well.
Chromebook Issues
If your child has an issue with their chromebook (doesn’t charge/won’t turn on/broken etc) please have them bring the chromebook to the office. We will exchange it for a loaner and sent it to our I.T. department to have it assessed. If they can fix it we will then return it to the student and take the loaner back. If they can’t fix it, they will assess a fine if there was damage, and then issue them a new one. We highly recommend getting chromebook insurance, which you can purchase for the year. Please use this link to purchase insurance. If the chromebook is damaged or lost, and you do not have insurance, you will have to pay for it.
Viking Fun Run Donations and Volunteers!
The Viking Fun Run is Friday, September 27, 2024! Time to lace up those shoes and bring out the Viking spirit! The Viking Fun Run raises critical funds for our school while promoting fitness and healthy habits. Proceeds raised by the TK-3rd Grades benefit Valle Verde PTA’s Viking Fund, which fully funds our Instructional Aides, Reading Specialist, STEAM Lab Educators, and technology platforms. Proceeds raised by the 4th and 5th Grade will benefit the 5th Grade Activity Fund, which sends students to outdoor education camp and fund graduation expenses.
Viking Fun Run Donations:
Below is the link for Fun Run donations. This year we will have class prizes for highest earning classes and overall school prizes if the entire school meets or achieves our goal. More details to come on the prizes!
https://app.99pledges.com/fund/vikingfunr
Viking Fun Run Volunteers:
Parents are critical to the success of the Viking Fun Run! Whether dropping off supplies, signing-up for a station, or attending the day of the run to show Viking spirit - - we appreciate your help and support! See links below to sign-up for the appropriate time-slot.
Grades: 2/3 linked here
Grades: TK/K/1 linked here
Grades: 4/5 linked here
Yearbooks
Hey Vikings! Yearbooks are now available for online ordering; and there is currently a 10% discount for orders placed before October 31st.
You do not need to order a yearbook for 5th graders, that’s covered by the 5th grade fund.
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Order link: https://www.treering.com/purchase?PassCode=1016608390001729
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Price: $30 including tax. Price before 10/31 is $27 including tax
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If you have not previously placed an order or are new to the school, you will be prompted to create a login and enter your student(s) information
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Please enter your child's name, grade and teacher. This is especially important when distributing yearbooks at the end of the year as they are sorted by grade level and teacher
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On the portal, you can upload school related photos (stations, centers, field trips, etc.) for yearbook consideration. Group photos of kids (pairs, trios, entire class) are preferred.
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Yearbooks sell out every year! Don't miss out!
Please join the VVE PTA! Register today for the 2024 - 2025 school year. All information an be found at our newly designed website here: