Valley Heights Elementary Schools

We have had an excellent first week of school! We have loved having students back in our building and we're looking forward to what this year will bring! Routines and procedures are getting established and fun is being had by all! I am sure your child has been coming home worn out after adjusting to the new routine of attending school! Please keep ensuring your child has a good bedtime routine so they are well rested and ready for school each morning!

Things to remember:

• You can still sign up for Colts RoundUp! See our Community Education section below for more details.
• Please let the office know before 8:05 if your child will be late or not at school that day.
• If you are not signed up for Bloomz, please do so ASAP. This is our primary mode of communication with parents on a daily basis.
• Be looking in your child's bookbags for the LifeTouch picture order forms. Picture day will be on Tuesday, September 5th.

Important Dates to Remember:

Monday, September 4th: No School

Tuesday, September 5th: Picture Day! Colts Round Up begins!

Please email or call our office with any questions!

Mrs. deBoer

Our first full week at Blue Rapids elementary has been a smashing success. The students all have had outstanding attitudes and in spite of the blistering temperatures have been working extremely hard. With the high temperatures, be sure that your child continues to drink lots of water and that they show up to school with their water bottles and that they wear school appropriate shorts and t-shirts.

Here are some upcoming dates to remember:

• No school for Labor Day holiday September 4th
• Colts Round Up begins in Waterville September 5th
• Picture day is September 7th
• Fire prevention assembly October 10th
• 5th/6th grade field trip to the symphony October 24th
• Picture retakes is October 26th

Every class in Blue Rapids completes character education lessons each week. Topics like honesty, respect and kindness are discussed. Below is a character video on determination that would be fun to view and have a conversation with your students about.

As always, thank you for the privilege and blessing that it is to work with your children. My door is always open if you have any concerns or you need to visit.

-Mr. Staples

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Each day in the elementary schools, we teach our students how to have purposeful interactions and goals. We believe that having a common purpose will promote the academic and social emotional well-being of each student. We teach students the VHS model:

To celebrate students accomplishing these things, we have created positive office referrals, with VHS tickets. Teachers and staff hand out VHS tickets when they see a student doing the right thing. Here are some pictures of students receiving their VHS tickets!

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which is a free program, provides one book per month for children ages birth to five years old. Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity by signing up today! https://kschildrenscabinet.org/imaginationlibrary/

Are you 55 years or older and love working with children? Do you know someone who would do a great job helping in our schools? The AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program may be the program for you! This is a volunteer program that does offer a small stipend and is organized by AmeriCorps. Here are the benefits of volunteering with the Foster Grandparent Program:

• Health and wellness. AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers experience decreased anxiety, depression, and loneliness. 84% of volunteer report stable or improving health after one year of service.

• Self-improvement. See the daily impact of your service as you build on the skills you already have and develop new ones.

• Stipend. Some programs offer a modest stipend to qualified, low-income volunteers.

• Community. Connect with others and be part of something bigger. 88% of volunteers who felt a lack of companionship reported fewer feelings of isolation after becoming an AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer.

• New skills. AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers often tap their wealth of experience and wisdom and channel it in new directions.

• Insurance. Most programs offer accident, personal liability, and excess automobile liability insurance.

Click here for more information.

Colts Round-Up is an after-school enrichment program that runs Monday through Thursday from 3:30—5:30.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT STUDENTS BE PICKED UP ON TIME EACH DAY.

There will be transportation provided at the end of CRU for students back to BR. There is no rural transportation.

Blue Rapids students need to be picked up at the bus stop by 5:40.

There will be NO FEE for Colts Round-Up at this time however this form is crucial to keeping a record of the number of students we serve for grant money.

The impact of an afterschool program is vital. Colts Round-Up provides a safe, nurturing place with opportunities to reinforce learning from school, teach social skills, encourage good citizenship, and allow parents peace of mind while they finish their workdays.

As a community and school district, we are blessed to have fantastic staff & families. Colts Round-Up supplies a healthy snack, enrichment activities, social interaction with their peers as well as opportunities to enhance the lives of others through community service. We will continue to emphasize character-building and physical activity.

This year, Colts Round-Up will again offer programming for the KP-6 grades. We hope that this can have a positive impact on the families and students in our community.

Click the link to register today!

CRU Registration Link

FIRST DAY: September 5

Days there will not be CRU:

September: 25

October: 3, 4, 16 & 31

November: 13, 22 & 23

December: 6 & 7
LAST DAY OF FIRST SEMESTER: December 19

SECOND SEMESTER FIRST DAY: January 8

Days there will not be CRU:

January: 15

February: 13, 15, 19

March: 11-15(spring break)

April: 15

LAST DAY: May 9

Valley Heights Community Ed. Will Host Hunter Education On Sept. 30 & Oct. 1 For

Individuals 11 Years & Older. Students Ages 11–15 Must Be Accompanied By An Adult

Class Size Is Limited Priority Will Be Given To USD #498 Students And Patrons. Click

the link or scan the code to register!

https://forms.gle/jULSn6o2HVpjkrZCA

This school year we will be affected by the replacement of the bridge over Fawn Creek between Blue Rapids and Waterville on US 77. The work will last the entire school year and will slow things down going to and from school and activities. Traffic will be monitored by a stop light and reduced to one lane. We will maintain our leave times in the mornings at 7:35 am. Please leave early so you have your student(s) at the bus stop on time to ensure that we run on schedule.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is a one-to-one mentorship between a trusting adult and a student in the Waterville Elementary School. Bigs (Adults), apply to the program and go through an extensive interview process and background check to ensure the safety for all students. Littles (Students), are referred by their teachers, or parents can request their child participate in the program. This mentorship takes place at the school, usually during lunch and recess times or at Colts RoundUp. If you would like to be a Big and volunteer to make a difference in the life of a child, contact us at 785-363-2530. If you are a parent wanting to refer your child to our program, please let our office or classroom teacher know and we will help walk you through the process! Here is a link to the Big Brother Big Sisters website for more information!

Email: judeboer@valleyheights.org tstaples@valleyheights.org sspoonts@valleyheights.org
Website: www.valleyheights.org