Can you believe it’s already October? Time flies when you’re learning amazing things!

It has been another wonderful week at Valley View. Our students are growing more confident in their routines, building friendships, and working hard each day. It is so much fun to walk through the building and see all of the learning, laughter, and excitement happening in our classrooms.

As we head into a new month, we are looking forward to all of the fun, learning, and special moments October will bring.

A Morning Drop Off Reminder: For the safety of all of our students, please have your child remain in the car until it is time for students to enter the building. Thank you for helping us keep our morning arrival safe and running smoothly.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and partnership. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Ms. Mallory Emmons

Principal

Please make sure to email vvattendance@portlandct.us if your child will be absent or if there is a change of dismissal/transportation plans. Please do NOT send messages directly through ParentSquare to the office. The email should include your child’s first and last name, name of teacher, reason for absence, and the date or dates of absence. Please make sure the email is sent the night before or the morning of the absence to ensure the office staff, nurse and teacher are aware. Please make sure the office is aware of all transportation updates regarding your child.

Busing in the Portland Public Schools is provided by M&J Bus. Bus route lists are posted here: https://www.portlandctschools.org/bus-routes The bus lists identify each stop's pick-up/drop-off time and location.

 

On a typical day, when all drivers are present and there are no abnormal road conditions, we expect that the routes will pick up and drop off students at times identified on the bus lists, give or take ten minutes.

 

If parents/guardians need real-time information about the whereabouts of a bus, please call M&J Bus at (860) 342-2217. The dispatcher at M&J Bus has real-time access via radio to all bus drivers.

Your child’s school works with Community Health Center, Inc. School Based Health Center program to provide health services (behavioral/mental health) services to your child during the school day. This means they won’t miss as much class and you don’t need to miss work to support their health care needs. 

Lean more about the services offered at your child’s school and enroll today at SBHC1.com! Interested families can also seek this service through the link or through our school website.

 

Happy Friday!

  

A flu vaccine reminder letter for pre-k students went home last week.  Thank you to those who have submitted proof of vaccination.  This is a state mandate and all pre-K students do need to be vaccinated between now and December 31st.  Please call me if you have any questions regarding this.

Vision screening and hearing screening are done in the fall.These are state mandated tests, meaning the school must provide them but if you would prefer your child not be screened for any reason, please send me an email letting me know.   When the vision screening is scheduled with the Lions Club, I will send home more information.  I start the hearing screening in November.   We do kindergarten and first grade per state mandate but we also try to screen our preschool students as well. If you any questions just give me a call. 

We did have another case of lice in first grade and one in kindergarten.  If your child’s class was affected you received a note from me.  Please check your child regularly as lice can spread quickly and please notify me if you find nits or lice and treat your child, that way I can be proactive in checking your child’s class.  I appreciate all the communication and cooperation!

Have a wonderful weekend!  Enjoy the Portland Fair.

 

Mrs. Karen Rettich

Valley View School Nurse

Phone 860 342 3226

During library classes, we have been learning about finding “just right” books using the parts of the book to help us find out if we are interested in the book or not.  We look at the cover, the title and pictures inside to help us choose the book we want to bring home each week.  Hopefully, parents or family members can help students read their choices at home!  We also had a book scavenger hunt in the library to check to see if first grade students knew where to find certain books. Our winners were Edernise and Jameson and our second place finishers were Arianna and Delia.  Congratulations!  

Our first birthday book club was a success! We have 15 beautiful new books for the Valley View Library!  Thank you to all who participated.  We are looking forward to our next birthday book club on October 28th for November and December birthdays.  Emails have been sent out.   If your child would like to participate in our next one and you didn’t get an email, please send me an email or message on Parent Square.  

Please see attached for the spooky story writing contest that the Portland Public Library is participating in.

Finally, I am going to share our library stats as often as possible. See the picture below.  We are up to 21 overdue books.  If you or your child is having trouble keeping track of the A-E special schedule, please have them keep their library bags and books in their backpacks daily - take them out to read them and then put them right back in.  That way, they will always have them ready to return.  Our 100% club on our board is classes who have ALL returned their books that week.  Thanks for helping your child keep track of their library book(s)!  

Thanks for all your support!  Happy Reading!

Melissa Thorpe

Library Media Specialist

This week first graders learned about the American modern artist Alexander Calder. After viewing some of his famous mobiles made of metal, wire and glass, they created their own versions from acetate and sharpie markers, take a look!

Mrs. Julie French

Visual Art Teacher

Breakfast is FREE for all students. If your child should be eating breakfast at school, let them know they need to come see me in the Cafeteria before they head to their classrooms. 

Secondly, milk is included in any complete meal. However, if your students wish to purchase milk to have with their lunches from home it costs 60 cents. In addition to purchasing milk your children will have the opportunity to buy other items throughout the school year. Thursdays will be our designated "Snack Day" In order to purchase milk or snack, students must have a positive balance in their student lunch account or cash can be sent in to school.