From Principal Kuhlman
Dear Families,
We hope this newsletter finds you well as we enter the beautiful month of November! This is an exciting and busy time at our school, with many activities and events planned. Below are some important updates and reminders for the month.
Important Dates:
- November 4: Flex Learning Day-Students Zoom with their teachers at 8:30
- November 5: No School
- November 6 and 14: Conferences by appointment from 3:00-6:30
- November 6-8 and 14: Fall Book Fair
- November 12: PreK-2nd Family Morning Meeting at 7:30-8:30; Parent Academy at 8:30-9:30
- November 13: 3rd-5th Family Morning Meeting at 7:30-8:30; Parent Academy at 8:30-9:30; PTO at 4:30 pm
- November 27-29: No School
Parent-Teacher Conferences- November 6 and 14:
We look forward to seeing you during our Parent-Teacher Conferences. This is a valuable opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher and discuss their progress. Please make sure you have scheduled your meeting time through the online link that was emailed to you. If you need assistance, contact the school office. Schedules are very tight for the classrooms, so please arrive a little early to help us keep on schedule. If you show up at a different time you may be asked to come back at a different time to be respectful of other’s scheduled time.
Family Morning Meetings- November 12 and 13:
We invite all parents to join us for our special Morning Meeting in classrooms on November 12 (PreK-2nd) and November 13 (3rd-5th) at 7:30 AM. Our students are excited to have parents come into their classrooms to see Morning Meeting. Morning Meeting is a way to welcome students into the classroom and build relationships with their fellow classmates and teacher. It’s also a time to work on Social-Emotional Learning. Parents will meet in the media center with Principal Kuhlman and Mr. Kevin to talk about school in general and what parents can expect in the classroom. At 7:55 parents will be sent to classrooms with their children. Coffee and pastries will be served to parents.
Reminders:
- Dress for the Weather: As temperatures drop, please ensure your child comes to school with warm clothing. This includes a jacket, hat, and gloves for outdoor recess. We go out to recess everyday unless the temperature is 0 degrees or below.
- Lost & Found: Please remind your child to check the Lost & Found for any missing items. Lost and Found will be displayed during conferences as well. Please check these tables if your child is missing anything. Unclaimed items will be donated at the end of the month.
- School Supplies: If you have not paid for your school supplies yet, we will have a station set up for you to pay at conferences.
We’re excited for all the wonderful activities planned this month and are grateful for your continued support. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.
Warm regards,
Jason
Art
We've been busy in the art room!
In September, we made leaves for our community tree. Then, each grade level started their first individual project. We are starting to wrap up some of them and you will see pictures in your student's Seesaw account. All projects will be kept at school until the end of the year for our Valley View Fine Arts Night. The artwork will be sent home in a portfolio near the end of the year.
I'm excited for another year with these imaginative artists!
Music
Hello Valley View Families!
It’s good to be back! If I haven’t met you yet, my name is Mr. Chao and this is my 6th year teaching music at Valley View. I’m very excited to see all of the warm smiling faces return and some new faces join us to make beautiful music together. Here’s a synopsis of what each grade is focusing on right now:
Pre-K and Kindergarten are exploring different ways to make sounds using their voice and instruments, as well as different ways to make movements with their bodies.
1st Grade has been working on reading simple rhythms involving quarter notes and eighth note pairs. We are also exploring sounds that are high and low.
2nd Grade has been reading new rhythms, reviewing sounds that are high and low, and exploring different levels of volume where in music, we call them dynamics.
3rd Grade has been working on expanding their singing range and have worked on songs that include 16th note rhythms. We are also exploring how music is put together known as form.
4th Grade has been working on exploring a different rhythm known as syncopa. They’ve also been working on reviewing songs with different tempos (speed of music) and dynamics.
5th Grade has also been working on exploring syncopa through partner activities, reading rhythms where beats are grouped in 3, and exploring different tempos as well. Mr. Hanson and the 5th grade recently went on a field trip to watch the Minnesota Orchestra perform a concert themed “Orchestra in Orbit” where each piece was related to space.
Concert Dates:
From 1st to 5th grade, students have the opportunity to perform a concert for families. Here is a list of the concert dates to put down on your calendars!
1st/2nd Grade | February 27th, 2025 @6:00p | Valley View
3rd Grade (VV, HL, NP) | May 22nd, 2025 @5:00p | Silverwood Park
LEAP/4th/5th Grade | May 1st, 2025 @5:00p | Valley View
See you soon,
Mr. Chao
About Us
All Belong, All Succeed
Email: KuhlmanJ@colheights.k12.mn.us
Website: https://www.colheights.k12.mn.us/VVES
Location: 800 49th Avenue Northeast, Columbia Heights, MN, USA
Phone: 763-528-4200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VVisd13