Spring Valley Family News
November 2025
Greetings from Ms. Misner
Spring Valley Families,
As we head into November and the season of Gratitude, I want to share how thankful I am for our Spring Valley Community. Our teachers, staff, families and community partners go above and beyond to meet the needs of our students. Thank you for being such amazing partners.
We are looking forward to meeting with you this week for Fall conferences. Please be sure you are checking in with your child's teacher and monitoring progress through the PowerSchool Parent Portal throughout the school year. I have linked a flier later in the Newsletter in case you need help accessing the PowerSchool App.
We have big goals for all of our students both socially and academically. It is hard for students to reach these goals if they are not in school. We will continue to recognize students with perfect attendance monthly with a special treat at lunch. The classroom with the highest attendance rate each month earns a trip to 7-11 for a Slurpee. Please make sure that your child is at school every day, on time and stays for the duration of the day. Check out the graphic below on some tips for helping your child succeed in school by building the habit of good attendance!
Take Good Care,
Heather L. Misner
Principal, Spring Valley Center for Exploration
Changing Seasons: Dress for the Weather
Although we have had a very mild Fall, the weather is sure to get colder. As the temperatures drop please make sure students are properly dressed to be outside (Coats, Hats, Gloves).
We believe outdoor play is crucial to all students. We will be outside as much as possible. We will also continue to line up outdoors during arrival.
Please plan on your student going out for recess as long as the real feel temperature is above 0 degrees.
Contact Information
Please be sure that your contact information is updated with the Main Office. Many of our communications come through phone calls and emails. If your information has changed, please let the main office know so that we can update it in our system.
Be Sure to Download the PowerSchool App
October SOAR Flight
Students who saved up their SOAR slips and received no referrals were able to paint pumpkins during our October SOAR Flight. Check out some of the pictures below!
Our next SOAR Flight will be in December and we will be decorating Gingerbread Cookies!
Take a minute to talk to your child about our SOAR Expectations (Safe, Organized, Attentive and Respectful) and how they can earn SOAR slips at school!
Donations Needed
As we head into cold and flu season we have been going through our Kleenex and Disinfectant Wipes supply pretty quickly.
If you are able, we could use donations of boxes of Kleenex and Disinfectant Wipes.
Please send any donations to the Main Office.
Thank you in advance for any help you can provide!
Cell Phone Expectations
If your child needs a cell phone for after school communication, they should give it to their teacher to be locked up during the day and returned at dismissal. If a student has a cell phone out during the school day, it will be sent to the main office for a parent to pick up.
Thank you for your help in keeping our learning environment free from the distraction of phones!
Important Dates
11/3- Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:00-8:00
11/4- Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:00-8:00
11/5- Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:00-8:00
11/6- Half Day (No PEEP) Dismissal at 12:00
11/7- Half Day (No PEEP) Dismissal at 12:00
11/12- Picture Retakes
11/13- Attendance Celebrations
11/14- No School
11/26-11/28- Thanksgiving Break- No School
Spring Valley Food Pantry
Remember that we have an on site Food Pantry through Loaves and Fishes at Spring Valley.
To schedule an appointment, please call Mr. Nate Lake (CIS Site Coordinator) at (269) 337-0750.
Spring Valley Center for Exploration
misnerhl@kalamazoopublicschools.net
Ms. Sharon Vandyke, Achievement and Behavior Specialist
vandykesk@kalamazoopublicschools.net
Marlene Katz, Home Support Specialist
katzml@kalamazoopublicschools.net
Mrs. Stephanie Prevo, Lead Secretary
prevosd@kalamazoopublicschools.net
Website: https://www.kalamazoopublicschools.com/springvalley
Location: 3530 Mount Olivet Road, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
Phone: 2693370750
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/springvalleycenterforexploration