To say that Kiarra Franklin’s journey to becoming a classroom teacher was a winding path would be an understatement.

Kiarra’s professional career began by working for an oil company in public relations and marketing. She left that career to pursue a teaching certificate while working as a substitute teacher. At the same point when it was time to look for a full-time teaching job, the pandemic began. So, Kiarra went to South Korea to teach English Second Language.

Eventually, Kiarra found her way to Wood View Elementary where she uses all that life experience to create a patient and caring learning environment for her students.

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Join us for a day filled with inspiration, learning, and connection! Explore interactive workshops designed to empower families and strengthen school-community partnerships. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with experts, discover resources, and gain tools to support your family’s success.

Learn more about the following topics and connect with families that have similar interests. Immigration Rights, Infinite Campus Parent Portal, Dual Language Programming in VVSD, Empowering Parents through the IEP Process, Supporting Students in Middle and High School Mathematics, Helping Your Student Thrive with Literacy, Tobacco, Vaping, and E-cigarettes: What you need to know, How Government Can Serve You, Mental Health Strategies for Students, Post-Secondary Success, and more.

The VVSD Family Empowerment Symposium is on Sat. Feb. 22 from 9 am–2 pm at Brooks Middle School, 350 Blair Lane in Bolingbrook. RSVP Today on ParentSquare, this event is free and open to all families in Valley View School District. Childcare is available.

VVSD invites parents and guardians of our students to take part in an on-line survey about your child’s school called the Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This important survey will provide valuable information about our learning community and will help guide our ongoing improvement efforts. Here is the link to the survey: www.vvsd.org/5essentials

The survey is through Fri., March 28. If you do not have access to the internet, you may stop by a school, or you can visit your local library.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! All Returning VVSD Students Can Also Register for the 2025-26 School Year Beginning Friday, February 28

VVSD will open Kindergarten registration for the Class of 2038 on Fri. Feb. 28 through the online enrollment process. To be eligible to register, a student must be five years old on or before Sept 1, 2025, and the family must live with VVSD boundaries. Families of current VVSD students will be able to register via their Infinite Campus Parent Portal account, while families new to the District will be able to register online. Click here for more details about the enrollment process.

VVSD is also pleased to announce that registration for the 2025-26 school year for currently enrolled students will also begin on Fri. Feb. 28. You can register a currently enrolled VVSD student for the 2025-26 school year by accessing your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account.

VVSD is still hiring for a wide range of positions for the 2024-25 school year with an emphasis on adding to our teams of paraprofessionals, lunchroom/playground aides and special education teachers.

We are also seeking new team members including guest teachers, bus drivers, operations & maintenance, nutrition services, and special education staff.

VVSD’s employment opportunities offer schedules for staff members that are in synchronization with school schedules, making VVSD a great choice for parents who need to have their work schedule match up with the school hours, and Winter and Spring Break for their children. To see all VVSD job opportunities and to apply, visit www.vvsd.org/jobs

VVSD is hosting two upcoming job fairs specifically for openings with our VVSD Nutrition Service Team. The dates for these job fairs are Fri. March 21, and Fri. April 11. All three job fairs are from

10 am- Noon. These job fairs will be hosted on the VVSD Indeed.com website.

VVSD Nutrition Services is hiring for the following positions: General Nutrition Services Team Member, Asst. Kitchen Managers.

Illinois legislation allows individuals with 60 hours of college credit to apply for a short-term substitute teacher license. The DuPage Regional Office of Education offers the required training, which must be completed prior to licensure. Topics include curriculum, classroom management techniques, school safety, and more.

For more information about becoming a VVSD Guest Teacher, visit https://www.vvsd.org/careers/be-a-substitute

Yeehaw! Get ready to saddle up for the Valley View Educational Enrichment Foundation’s Annual Dinner and Auction, happening Fri., March 7 at 6 pm at the Bolingbrook Golf Club. Dust off your boots and mosey on down for a rootin’-tootin’ night of fun going full "Wild, Wild West"! Don’t get left in the dust—grab your tickets early before they ride off into the sunset!

VVEEF wrangles up funds for grants that benefit VVSD students and teachers. You can lasso some great items in the silent auction and raffle, or even bid online from your phone at https://VVEEF2025.givesmart.com.

Round up your posse and make sure you’re ready to chow down, sip some sarsaparilla, and dance the night away under the stars.

Don’t miss the wagon train—get your tickets today! To purchase tickets, click here (You can also use this link for donations and to register for our online bidding system).

The Ville Theatre at Romeoville HS presents their 2025 Spring Musical, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” on stage in the David Carlson Auditorium Fri. March 7 & Sat. March 8 at 7 pm, and Sat. March 8 and Sun. March 9 at 2 pm.

We all know the story, but did you know this is the only musical Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein wrote for television? The firs television production aired live in 1957 and featured Julie Andrews in the title role.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at https://romeovillehschoir.ludus.com/index.php?sections=events

The Brook Theatre at Bolingbrook HS presents their 2025 Spring Musical, “Into the Woods” on stage in the Claar Family Theatre Fri. March 14 and Sat. March 15 at 7 pm, and in a special matinee on Sun. March 16 at 3 pm.

“Into the Woods” is a musical adaptation of the book by the same name with the music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairytales.

Tickets are $12 each and can be purchased at https://www.thebrooktheatre.org/tickets-payments

Bolingbrook HS 12th grade student Tommy McDermott will compete in the IHSA Class 3A Boys Wrestling Individual State Championship Thu. Feb. 20- Sat. Feb. 22 at the State Farm Center at the University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign. Tommy will compete in the 165-pound weight class.

VVSD will have three representatives at the IHSA Girls Wrestling Championships Fri. Feb. 28 and Sat. March 1 at Grossinger Arena in Bloomington. Romeoville HS is sending 11th grade student Daniela Santander and 10th grade student Henessis Villagrana to the state finals. Daniela is in the 100-pound class, while Henessis will compete in the 235-pound class. Bolingbrook HS 11th grade student Alejandra Flores is also in the field for the state finals, competing in the 115-pound class.

Bolingbrook HS Family and Consumer Science Teacher Erin Clifford is a finalist for the 2025 Golden Apple Award. Golden Apple elevates the teaching and school leadership professions through recognition of master teachers and school leaders with the Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching & Leadership. Award recipients play an important role in preparing the next generation of teachers by providing instruction and mentorship to future teachers.

In accordance with the Open Meetings Act, the Agenda for the meeting will be posted no later than 48 hours prior to the start of the meeting. Click here to view the Agenda The Meeting is available via live stream on the VVSD YouTube Channel, VVSD365U

Businesses across Will County are partnering with the Will County Center for Economic Development to offer over 140 paid internships for Will County High School students. Applications are available now and must be submitted by Fri. Feb. 21. VVSD has set up a Google Classroom to support students through the resume building and application process. Student can use this code to join the Google classroom: zumz6a7

Will County CED will also have informational tables during lunch at Romeoville HS on Wed. Jan. 22, and Bolingbrook HS on Thu. Jan. 23 to answer any questions students would like to ask.

Upcoming Important School Calendar Dates

Wed. Feb. 26

Early Release (Elem 2:15, MS 1:20, HS 12:43)

Thu. Feb. 27

Evening Parent-Teacher Conference (EC & HS Only)

Fri, Feb. 28

No Student Attendance- Parent-Teacher Conferences (EC & HS Only)

Mon. March 3

Casimir Pulaski Day- No Classes

Events for the Coming Week

Sat. Feb. 22

VVSD Family Symposium at Brooks Middle School 10 am-3 pm

Wed. Feb. 26

Oak View Family Bingo and Spaghetti Dinner Night 5:30 pm

Fri. March 7

Romeoville HS Spring Musical “Cinderella” 7 pm

Sat. March 8

Romeoville HS Spring Musical “Cinderella” 2 pm

Romeoville HS Spring Musical “Cinderella” 7 pm

Sun. March 9

Romeoville HS Spring Musical “Cinderella” 2 pm

Fri. March 14

Bolingbrook HS Spring Musical “Into the Woods” 7 pm

Sat. March 15

Bolingbrook HS Spring Musical “Into the Woods” 7 pm

Sun. March 16

Bolingbrook HS Spring Musical “Into the Woods” 3 pm

Bolingbrook Park District residents and Valley View School District students are now able to register for the REACH All-Day Care program. All the information and how to register is located at the following: http://www.bolingbrookparks.org/en/programs/reach-extended-school-care/

Fountaindale Public Library

Take flight with Reading Dragons & Friends. Earn unique trading cards and battle your friends. For every 30 minutes you read, you will receive one card. The more you read, the more cards you earn. You can also earn cards by attending special events and completing reading challenges throughout the year. For kids in grades K–5. Stop by Fountaindale Library's Children's Services Desk to sign up today! Learn more at fountaindale.org/dragons.

West Suburban Community Pantry

West Suburban Community Pantry provides emergency food services to people in DuPage and Will Counties through both our in-person and virtual food pantries. We also connect families with other vital resources so they can pursue a brighter future. We are breaking down barriers that prevent our neighbors from getting the nourishment they need to succeed by offering a variety of services. Find out more at WSCPantry.org, or shop for groceries online at VirtualFoodPantry.net

Romeoville Community Pantry

The Romeoville Community Pantry is a community service organization operated by volunteers in the Romeoville community. The Pantry serves anyone who lives in Romeoville, Bolingbrook, Lockport, Plainfield, Lemont, and Crest Hill. The pantry is open every Saturday 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Clients are asked to provide a current photo ID and proof of residence in order to participate in our services. The location is inside the United Presbyterian Church located at 2 Belmont Drive in Romeoville. Please check the Romeoville Community Pantry Facebook page for any further updates https://www.facebook.com/romeovillecommunitypantry/

Northern Illinois Food Bank

The Northern Illinois Food Bank is conducting mobile food banks and micro pantries in the vicinity in the near future. Please bring bags or boxes. Micro Pantries are designed to allow anonymous food pick-up for those in need and a drop-off point for those who wish to help. Micro pantries are accessible 24 hours a day. To find a Micro Pantry near you visit: http://arcg.is/04LijC

Will County MAPP Food Micro Pantries

Will County Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships conducts micro and mobile food pantries throughout Will County. Click here for more details and a map of locations.