My Gratitude
#1- Students; their hugs, their smiles, their stories, their presence. Students are the WHY behind education and the purpose for our existence.
#2- Staff: we have an incredibly hard working, give all you can staff. I'm grateful that they continue to show up and give their all day in and day out. We have a dedicated team, for which I am always grateful.
#3- Associate and office staff: There have been very few days this fall that we have been fully staffed. This team is always willing to step in and help out wherever they can! I'm excited to share that we are now fully hired!
#4- Families: I truly believe that it is through home to school partnerships that we can serve our students best. I value and appreciate all of our families and the trust you put in us every day that you send your most precious gift(s) to school with us.
#5- Specials teachers: We are lucky to have guidance, art, music, PE and library each week.
#6- Giving hearts: leaders, learners and their families who want to give back our community
#7- Teachers covering teachers: You've probably heard from students that we don't always have a substitute to fill in for our teachers when they need to be gone. This hard working staff is always ready to jump in when it's needed. Our guidance counselor and instructional coach fill in often. Special education teachers have a planned schedule to cover each other when they are gone so students don't miss SDI. Specials/specialist teachers cover whenever they can.
#8- Recess fun and new equipment: From gaga ball to tetherball to the castle to the swings, our playground provides a lot of open space and opportunity for kids to enjoy
#9- Student teachers: We are filled with gratitude to invite student teachers into our space to build them up and help prepare them for a rewarding career. This fall, we've had two student teachers at Valerius!
#10- LOVE, JOY, and LEARNING: On any given day, at any given moment, if you take a tour of our building and walk into rooms you can see and feel the JOY kids have for learning and the LOVE teachers/staff have in their hearts for kids. Just now, I got 20 hugs, saw small group instruction, hands on exhibits, read alouds, choice seating, and lots of learning.
My list could go ON and ON. If you or your student have something you are grateful for at school, I'd invite you to write a note, send an email, share about it. Spread the love.
School Board Meeting Monday
How To Attend A School Board Meeting
UCSD School Board Meetings are being conducted in person while simultaneously livestreaming on the District YouTube Channel. To confirm the location of each meeting and view the agenda, please visit the Simbli site, select “Meetings,” select “Meetings Listing,” and select the title of the meeting.
Given the existing COVID-19 pandemic, combined with space limitations of the meeting room, community members are invited to attend the meeting in a socially distanced manner to the extent possible. Seating will be on a first come, first seated basis. Face masks are required in order to help mitigate transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Thank you for your cooperation.
VALERIUS ELEMENTARY
Office Manager: Angie Jones; jonesa1@urbandaleschools.com
Nurse: Jenny Villegas; villegasj@urbandaleschools.com
Guidance Counselor: Melissa MacGregor; macgregorm@urbandaleschools.com
FFO: Eddye Vanderkwaak, vanderkwaake@urbandaleschools.com
Website: https://www.urbandaleschools.com/schools/valerius-elementary/
Location: 6301 Aurora Avenue, Urbandale, IA, USA
Phone: 515-457-6500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valeriuselementary