News and Announcements
2.3.25 - 2.7.25
Coming Up…
Feb 2 - Happy Birthday Mrs. Postigo!
Feb 6 - School Site Council Meeting 3 pm
Feb 7 - Student Council Spirit Day - Crazy Hair/Crazy Hat Day
Feb 7-13 - Sloat Garden Growing Up Green Week (details below)
Feb 8 - Happy Birthday Mrs. Cardamone!
Feb 17 - Presidents Day - NO SCHOOL!
Feb 20 - Happy Birthday Mrs. Himel!
Feb 21/22 - Dine and Donate - Devil and Angel Desserts
Feb 26 - Happy Birthday Mr. Mellinger!
Feb 27 - Science Fair
Principal’s Message:
Happy Black and African American History Month! Many people, like myself, debate whether Black History should be all year or one month. Many agree that we must celebrate all year because of our accomplishments and ability to promote social justice for all while working to address the disparities of African Americans. If that isn't "Greatness," then tell me what is! Obviously, there is more work to do, but let's begin with the foundation. Why do we celebrate "Black and African American History"?
We celebrate Black and African American History Month in February. It is an exciting time of year, and I wanted to send out information on the background and history of Black History Month.
The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society.
As a Harvard-trained historian, Carter G. Woodson, like W. E. B. Du Bois, before him, believed that truth could not be denied and that reason would prevail over prejudice. His hopes to raise awareness of African American's contributions to civilization were realized when he and the organization he founded, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), conceived and announced Negro History Week in 1925. The event was first celebrated during a week in February 1926 that encompassed the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The response was overwhelming: Black history clubs sprang up, and teachers demanded materials to instruct their pupils.
By the time of Woodson's death in 1950, Negro History Week had become a central part of African American life, and substantial progress had been made in bringing more Americans to appreciate the celebration. At mid-century, mayors of cities nationwide issued proclamations noting Negro History Week. The Black Awakening of the 1960s dramatically expanded the consciousness of African Americans about the importance of black history, and the Civil Rights movement focused Americans of all colors on the subject of the contributions of African Americans to our history and culture.
The celebration was expanded to a month in 1976, the nation's bicentennial. President Gerald R. Ford urged Americans to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history." That year, fifty years after the first celebration, the association held the first African American History Month. By this time, the entire nation had come to recognize the importance of Black history in the drama of the American story. Since then, each American president has issued African American History Month proclamations. The association—now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH)—continues to promote the study of Black history all year.
(Includes an Excerpt from an essay by Daryl Michael Scott, Howard University, for the Association for the Study of African American Life and History)
Now it's our turn to make the world a better place! Consider checking out an age-appropriate book from the library to share about the contributions of African Americans. Another idea is to log on to Google to search for the great accomplishments of Black And African Americans. In the words of Dr. Maya Angelou, "When we know better, We do better." Thank you
Our SSC will meet virtually on Thursday, February 6, 2025 at 3pm. Our Safety Plan Hearing is on the agenda. Please plan to attend.
Zoom - SSC Meeting, Meeting ID: 857 7639 0562 Passcode: 381617
District Updates
- Disaster Preparedness Workshop (All are welcome!)
- Join us for our Parenting and Teen Anger Workshop.
- ESL Spring Classes begin today!
- Toddler Class 16-23 Months Flyer
- Anger Management Class Flyer - English
- Anger Management Class Flyer - Spanish
- Parenting Class Flyer - English
- Parenting Class Flyer - Spanish
Top News
TK/K Registration 25-26
Registration for the 25-26 school year is now open. If you are new to Valle Verde, you must register online here first. After completing online enrollment, you must go to the Enrollment Center (1026 Mohr Ln, Concord) on February 3rd to submit your enrollment paperwork. You do not need to make an appointment. If you can’t go on that day, you can go on any date after February 10th.
If your child is currently in TK at VVE, you do not need to register for kindergarten. If VVE is your home school, your child will automatically roll over for the next school year. If VVE is NOT your home school, but you would like to try to stay here for kindergarten, you must submit a transfer request. The Kindergarten transfer request window will open online from February 10th to March 10th. You can get transfer information here
Registration for new students in grades 1st-5th can register after February 10th.
Yearbook Photos Needed
The Yearbook Committee is working hard to make the yearbook full of all the fun times this year, but they need photos. There are many classes that hardly have any photos. If you have photos from classroom activities, field trips, or other school events, please share them to be considered for the yearbook. Class folders were shared with teachers and room parents, so please coordinate with them to get your photos added to the folders. Thank you.
Talent Show
Our VVE Talent Show has been rescheduled for March 19th. Currently, we are only accepting acts from 4th and 5th graders. If your child has a talent they want to share by themselves or with friends, please fill out this interest form here and then mark your calendars to watch our talented youth!
January Garden Wrap-Up
January was a full month in the Garden classroom!
Here's what we were up to in grades TK - 2nd:
Week 1: In TK and Kindergarten, we learned all about the bright orange California poppies that are beginning to bloom and bring a ray of sunshine to our hillsides and school gardens on cold winter days! We discussed the life cycle and made thumbprint poppies for an art project. In 1st grade, we learned about dendrochronology (the science of dating the age of a tree) and tried our hand at counting tree rings! We also drew rings to represent how old we are (1st graders eyes get very wide when you tell them your tree would have over 50 rings!). 2nd graders practiced their scientific illustration and dissection skills as we looked at the parts of a flower up close and studied what each structure looked like. To close out class, all grades tasted something else besides poppies that are orange and plentiful in the winter - navel oranges!
Week 2: In TK - 1st grade, we talked about another seasonal produce - radishes! Students learned about the life cycle and made models of a radish plant. Earlier this year, the TK and Kindergarten students helped plant radish seeds in the root box in our school garden - the students were excited to hear how big their radishes are getting! (Note: if you are interested in seeing what roots look like under the dirt, you can unlatch the root box front cover and peek inside through the plexiglass - please just be sure to relatch it when you are finished!) In 2nd grade, we learned about our local watershed and had fun with an activity called "Pollution Soup", where students took turns adding 'pollutants' to water to see what effect our everyday actions can have on the water system. (Note: no real pollutants were used - we use maple syrup instead of motor oil!). All students finished their lessons with a chance to taste some freshly cut radishes.
Week 3: Thanks to a generous family, we had samples of lupines to observe in TK and Kindergarten! The students learned about the life cycle of a lupine and heard a true story about an amazing woman, "Miss Rumphius" who planted lupines all over her coastal town in Maine and made it her mission to make the world a more beautiful place. The students then did their part to make the world a more beautiful place by helping to scatter wildflower seeds throughout the school gardens. In 1st grade, we did one of Ms. O's favorite lessons, "The Web of Life," where the students participated in an activity that helped demonstrate the interconnectivity of all life forms in an ecosystem. They talked about ways they can help protect the environment and had some great ideas! 2nd graders tried their hands at the engineering process by designing garden signs based on nature. Specifically, they tried to make signs that would hold fast in the ground, like a tree or plant with very strong roots, and then at the end of class, they were able to test their designs out in the school garden. All grades enjoyed tasting dried cranberries at the end.
Week 4: We wrapped up with a celebration of the Lunar New Year and a lesson about rice! All classes learned about the life cycle of the rice plant, talked about ways they enjoy preparing rice in their families, and studied different varieties of rice up close with magnifying glasses. We talked about the importance that rice plays in many cultural celebrations throughout Asia and marveled at the lengthy process it takes for rice to go from seed to kitchen table. At the end of class, students tasted rice pudding. Many asked for the recipe, and it was pretty simple: steamed brown rice, vanilla yogurt. and cinnamon.
We are ending the month with much-needed rain, and I can hear the garden humming. Thank you as always to our tireless parent volunteers and families who donate garden items to our classroom - it's very appreciated! In February, grades 3-5 are back and we will be commencing our month-long unit on nutrition and healthy choices!
Wishing everyone a good weekend,
Ms. O
Sloat Nursery Growing Up Green Weeks
Sloat Garden Center again invites us to participate in their Growing Up Green Weeks fundraiser to benefit our school! During the weeks of Feb 7 - 16 and March 14 - 23, simply shop at any Sloat Garden Center, mention Valle Verde Elementary and the school will receive 10% of purchases back towards school beautification projects and garden classroom activities. The school with the highest participation will receive 20% of purchases back!
Happy gardening!
Previous Info:
Field Trip Drivers
If you intend to drive on a field trip, you must ensure all required paperwork is submitted to the office at least 1 week before the field trip. You must be cleared as a volunteer with the district and then submit the transportation agreement, chaperone form, and insurance declarations page. These forms are required by the district every school year, so if you submitted them last year, you need to resubmit them again. If you have any questions, call the office.
Dine and Donate
Please join us on February 21st and 22nd for a Dine and Donate at Devil and Angel Desserts. 20% of sales will be donated to Valle Verde.
Classroom Volunteers
Please remember that if you sign up to Volunteer in the classroom, or for any on campus activity, you MUST be cleared by the district. There are NO exceptions to this rule. 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.
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.
Spring Fling
Our annual Spring Fling will take place on March 14th. We need all hands on deck to make this a successful event and fundraiser. Did you know that PTA pays for vital positions at VVE, including our reading specialist, garden educator, and instructional assistants? We count on money from this fundraiser to keep these. We need lots of volunteers before, during, and after the event. Please sign up below:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0549A8A82CAAF58-54394034-spring#/
Yearbook Cover Contest for 5th Grade Artists
Calling all 5th grade artists! Get your creative juices flowing because our yearbook cover art contest is happening now!
Deadline: Friday, January 31st
Drop off: VV office Yearbook drawer
Theme: Making Waves
Requirements:
- Include the school name in your design
- Include the school year in your design; it should read: 2024-25
- Include school colors (blue and gold) in your design as much as possible
- Include your name on the BACK of your design (not on the front)
- Use letter size (8.5x11") paper in portrait (vertical) orientation
- Only use *UN-lined* white paper
- Use rich colors and thick lines for best results
Yearbooks
Hey Vikings! Yearbooks are still available for online ordering.
You do not need to order a yearbook for 5th graders, that’s covered by the 5th grade fund.
- Order link: https://www.treering.com/purchase?PassCode=1016608390001729
- Price: $30 including tax.
- 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
- 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
- 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.
- 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: