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Phoenix Family News
December 21, 2023
Important Dates Ahead...
December 22-January 2: No School - Winter Break
January 2: No School - Teacher Workshop
January 3: School Resumes
Calendar and Schedule Updates
The latest calendar updates are available at sowashco.org/calendar.
Principal's Post
We want to wish all of our Valley Crossing families a safe and relaxing winter break. We have appreciated all the support this year through the PTA fundraiser, 10 days of giving, teacher wish lists, and the nice notes/gifts/bagels/treats. These acts of kindness really make a difference for our staff!
We hope you have some time in the coming weeks to spend with family and friends. Our building will be closed over winter break and our staff is going to do their best to unplug during this time. We will answer any calls or emails on January 2nd when we return for a staff workday. Students will be welcomed back on Wednesday, January 3rd.
We are wishing you well and look forward to what 2024 brings for our school community!
Connha Classon, Principal
Valley Crossing Elementary
Battle of the Books Reminders
Attention all families of Battle of the Books participants! The Battle is just over two months away, on February 23, 2024! Winter break is a great time for students to read (or re-read!) some of these great books. Please remember that when signing up, 2nd and 3rd graders committed to reading at least 4 books, and 4th and 5th graders committed to reading at least 5 books. This reading should take place outside of the school day. Please check in with your child about their reading progress.
Also, we have had some behavior concerns during Battle of the Books meetings. If unexpected behaviors occur during team meetings, students may be asked to end their participation in the program this year. Please remind your child to follow school expectations when at their meetings. If you have any questions, you can contact your child’s Battle of the Books coach, or Ms. Lanners, Battle of the Books Coordinator at slanners@sowashco.org.
Emergency Closings and e-Learning Days
There may be some rare storms or situations that requires South Washington County Schools (SoWashCo Schools) to close all district buildings and cancel schools, programs and all learning activities due to wind chill, snow, ice, hazardous roads, inclement weather or other situations.
In the event that an e-learning day is called, families will receive notice of an e-learning day through an automated phone call, email and/or text message with at least two hours notice prior to the school start time. Teachers will be available online and by phone during regular school hours. During an e-learning day, students will log in to SeeSaw from home with their district-issued device (Chromebook or iPad) to access assignments. An e-Learning day helps minimize the disruption to academic progress due to an emergency school closure. It’s important to note that not all school closures will be designated as an e-learning day. If an e-learning day is called at the elementary level, on Day 1 and beyond, elementary students will choose activities through SeeSaw from a choice board. These choice boards and more information about emergency closings and e-learning days can also be accessed on the District Website under Emergency Procedures/e-Learning Days.
10 Days of Giving
The Student Ambassadors and school staff want to thank everyone for all of the generous donations to the Christian Cupboard Emergency Food Shelf during our “10 Days of Giving Campaign.” We collected an amazing amount of snacks for our school and schools across the district.
If your family or anyone you know could use some help with food or other items at any time, we encourage you to access the great food shelf in our community at Christian Cupboard. They have many different programs including a food delivery program. Check out their website https://ccefs.org/needhelp/need-help/ or call them at 651-233-1296.
SoWashCo Community Education Youth Activities
South Washington County Schools (SoWashCo Schools) offers activities and classes for youth through SoWashCo Community Education. Activities and classes are conveniently offered at your child's school, partner locations within our community and online.
The latest activities and classes can be found on our website under Get Involved > Youth Activities.
Register now for winter classes! View the catalog at commed.sowashco.org/catalogs.
Featured Class
ArtVentures Club, Grades K-5
Join Young Rembrandts for all new drawing lessons, including a vibrant pop art dog and a powerful unicorn. Improve your drawing skills while exploring different drawing styles, art history, proper technique and color selection.
Offered after school at:
- Cottage Grove Elementary on Thursdays, Jan. 11-Feb. 15
- Grey Cloud Elementary on Tuesdays, Jan. 9-Feb. 13
- Hillside Elementary on Mondays, Jan. 8-March 18
- Middleton Elementary on Fridays, Jan. 12-Feb. 9
- Red Rock Elementary on Wednesdays, Jan. 10-Feb. 14
- Royal Oaks Elementary on Fridays, Jan. 12-Feb. 9
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
2023-24 Yearbooks
Order your yearbook today from Josten's! Prices go up late December.
Cell Phones and Smart Watches
We just wanted to remind families that students are not allowed to use cell phones, smart watches, or other non-instructional electronic devices throughout the school day. Cell phones MUST remain powered off and in backpacks throughout the school day. We have had a number of calls regarding incorrect alerts that have shown that students are off property. These alerts ARE NOT correct. Please know that if there is an emergency with your child, we will alert you immediately.
If you need to reach your child throughout the school day, please call the main office at 651-425-7500. Thank you for your understanding and help in talking with your child about these procedures.
Lunchroom Visitors
Valley Crossing welcomes lunch time visitors between October 2nd – May 24th this school year. Based on space and safety requirements, a family member listed in Parent Portal may sign up using our monthly Reservation Link to accompany their child at our guest lunch table. Here is the Dec/Jan/Feb VCES Lunch Link for lunch visitors. PLEASE only sign up for one spot a month to allow for other families to sign up as well.
We ask families to review the process below for visiting your child at lunch:
- Sign up for the visit no later than the day prior to your visit.
- Upon arrival for the visit, present identification and complete the Raptor screening.
- Wear the visitor badge so that it is visible during the entirety of the visit.
- Go directly to the lunchroom and eat in the guest space with your student.
- No friends or additional students will be permitted to join the guest space.
- Visitors may not visit recess time.
- The visit is limited to guest space during the student’s identified lunch period.
- Any outside food brought in can only be shared with your student.
- Do not take pictures, record, or film while at school. Use of cell phones is strongly discouraged for safety and privacy.
- PLEASE only sign up for one spot a month to allow for other families to sign up as well.
VCES Celebrations
Valley Crossing Elementary is committed to celebrating the following this coming school year:
Fun Run Week - October 9-13
Unity Day - October 17 - wear orange
Veteran’s Day - November 10
10 Days of Giving - December 1-14
Winter Sing-a-long - Dec 21
Half-Way Celebration and Student Council Spirit Week - January 22-26
Friendship Day - February 15 (note: no Valentines please. Students will be making cards at school. More information to come!)
100th Day - February 21
I Love to Read Month - Book Character Day on February 29
Earth Day - April 22
School Hours
8:00 am - School office opens
9:00 am - School opens to students
9:15 am - School day begins
3:45 pm - School day ends
4:00 pm - School office closes
NOTE: The earliest students can arrive at school in the morning is 9:00 am. All students must be picked up at 3:45 pm if not riding the bus home.
VCES Contact Information
Connha Classon, Principal: cclasson@sowashco.org / 651.425.7503
Joy Peterson, Assistant Principal: jpeters4@sowashco.org / 651.425.7523
Merita LaPlante, Office Coordinator: mlaplant@sowashco.org / 651.425.7501
Jen Gackstetter, Office Assistant: jgackste@sowashco.org / 651.425.7507
Faith Schulze, School Social Worker: fschulze@sowashco.org / 651.425.7699
Ashley Boatman, School Psychologist: aboatman1@sowashco.org / 651.425.7661
School Website: https://vces.sowashco.org/
District Website: www.sowashco.org
VCES Office: 651-425-7500
VCES Attendance Line: 651-425-7506
VCES Health Office: 651-425-7502
VCES Fax Number: 651-425-7515
District 833 Student Information: 651-425-6218
District 833 Transportation: 651-425-5303
Valley Crossing Elementary
Website: vces.sowashco.org
Location: 9900 Park Crossing, Woodbury, MN, USA
Phone: 651.425.7500