VALERIUS ELEMENTARY
Late Start School Hours: 10:00am-3:35pm
Breakfast Time: 8:40-8:55
Click here for the school calendar!
Website: urbandaleschools.com
Location: 3305 92nd Street, Urbandale, IA, USA
Phone: (515)457-6500
Facebook: facebook.com/valeriuselementary
MESSAGE FROM MRS. MAURO
The Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) will replace the Iowa Assessments beginning this spring. Below shows the ISASP assessments students in UCSD will take:
Reading: 3rd-11th
Language & Writing: 3rd-11th
Mathematics: 3rd-11th
Science: 5th, 8th, 10th
Some notable changes that are also part of the new ISASP assessments include online testing, untimed testing sessions, and testing later in the school year.
All students, except those with specific accommodations that necessitate consumable testing materials as part of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan, will take assessments online this year. All other accommodations that are part of IEP or 504 plans will be available online. UCSD students in grades three through nine have all taken the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments online this year, so there will be a level of familiarity with online testing for those students. Many UHS students have experience taking class assessments through Moodle, an online learning management system.
ISASP assessments are untimed. Schedules for testing will be developed and communicated as the test window approaches, but students who do not finish their assessments in the alloted time will be allowed more time to finish. Again, this is very similar with what students in grades three through nine have already experienced with MAP tests.
Finally, the ISASP testing window will be in April, 2019. In past years, UCSD administered Iowa Assessments in February. The movement of the assessment window to April was due to a new state law requiring all schools in the state of Iowa to administer the ISASP assessments during the last quarter of the school year. The UCSD testing window was carefully set to avoid end-of-year conflicts with school activities and other assessments such as Advanced Placement testing.
More information regarding the ISASP assessments will be communicated as the April testing window approaches.
MESSAGE FROM MRS. MACGREGOR
Hello Valerius Families,
I hope you are staying warm during this big chill! We are still working on our friendship unit in guidance and most grade levels are focusing on anger management and problem solving skills. We are talking a lot during guidance classes about how all emotions are okay and expected. Where we have challenges is when we react to problems without thinking which leads to unexpected behaviors (think throwing temper tantrums, screaming, hitting people, breaking or throwing things, using inappropriate language). There is a great link that explains how our brain has a guard dog and an owl and when we react without calming down, we are letting our guard dog take charge. Instead, we need to use our coping skills so that we can think (use our owl) before we act. Here is the link if you’d like to watch the short video clip and talk about it with your child(ren).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so8QN9an3t8
In addition, it’s best to practice coping skills (a lot!) before we need to use them. You can help your child learn coping skills so when they are upset they can stop, think and choose to solve their problems. Here are some coping skills that you can talk about, practice, and use at home with your child:
1. Count slowly from 1 to 10 (or count backwards)
2. Take 5 deep breaths (in through your nose, out through your mouth)
3. Take a break in a quiet spot
4. Color or Draw
5. Get some exercise (ride your bike, shoot baskets, jump on a trampoline, etc.)
6. Listen to music
7. Talk to an adult about the issue.
Thank you so much for helping Valerius kids become effective problem solvers! Please let me know if you have questions.
Take care and stay warm!
MESSAGE FROM THE HEALTH OFFICE
Head Lice
Just a reminder as a district we no longer send out health grams. It is important to remember and assumed that head lice are in the community and schools at all times. The best defense is early detection and treatment. Checking your child’s hair thoroughly once a week throughout the school year will help with early detection.
Please also be thinking about sleepovers and other activities where children’s heads are close together or personal items may be inadvertently shared. There is a much higher likelihood of transmission in those settings than in school. Generally, heads need to be touching or there would need to be live lice on hats/pillows/brushes being shared.
If head lice or nits are found, we recommend that you treat your child and ask that you follow up with other parents if there was a recent play date or sleep over.
When treating the head lice, please follow The Iowa Department of Public Health guidelines with the two-week treatment plan (noted below). The treatment days are scheduled to interrupt the lifecycle of the insect. A nit comb should be used to comb the hair and can be bought at most pharmacies. By treating properly, it will help reduce the spread of head lice.
Treatment Calendar
Day 1: Medicated Shampoo
Day 2: COMB only, DO NOT WASH
Day 3: Shampoo, condition and comb
Day 4: Shampoo, condition and comb
Day 5: Shampoo, condition and comb
Day 6: Shampoo, condition and comb
Day 7: Shampoo, condition and comb
Day 8: Shampoo, condition and COMB
Day 9: Shampoo, condition and COMB
Day 10: Medicated Shampoo
Day 11: COMB only, DO NOT WASH
Day 12: Shampoo, condition and COMB
Day 13: Shampoo, condition and COMB
Day 14: Shampoo, condition and COMB
Winter Weather and Appropriate Attire
As long as the temperature feels like 10 degrees with wind chill the children will go out to recess. Please remember to send your children in hats, gloves, and winter coats every day. Unfortunately we do not have enough extras to supply children with missing items from the health office.
If your child would like to play in the snow or on the play equipment/field area, they will need to have both SNOW PANTS and BOOTS.
Attendance Phone Number (515) 457-6503
When to Stay Home:
Fever- Student must be fever free for 24 hours (less than 101 degrees) without a fever reducer medication.
Vomit- Student must have not vomited for 24 hours before returning to school.
Diarrhea- Student must be free from diarrhea for 24 hours.
Pink Eye- Student can return to school after 1st dose of medication or as directed by your physician.
MESSAGE FROM MS. TIFFANY
Happy February, Valerius Families,
During this month rich with history and love, I wanted to share two community resources that may be helpful to you. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is having a Strengthening Families Program. It is free to families and teaches “evidence based parent youth and family skills building curriculum” in a fun way. Workshops are held starting Tuesdays, February 26th-April 16th from 5:30pm-8:00pm. The location is St. Stephen Lutheran Church 3510 72nd St. Urbandale, IA 50322. A free meal and child care will be provided. For questions and registration please call or text Cassie at 515-414-9865.
Another resource VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) is a free tax preparation service through United Way of Central Iowa. If you individually or as a family combined have earned $58,000 or less last year can you qualify for this free service. For additional information please visit their website at www.vitadsm.org or to receive text message alerts on tax preparation information and best times to visit a VITA location please sign up by texting VITADSM to 898211