Jaguar News
7/29/25
Dear Valley View Families,
The countdown is on - the first day of school is Wednesday, August 6th, and we can’t wait to welcome our Jaguars back on campus!
There’s such a unique energy that comes with the start of the school year: new faces, fresh starts, and a sense of possibility in every classroom. Whether your child is arriving as a brand-new 6th grader or returning for their final middle school year, we’re so excited to start strong and build meaningful connections right from day one.
This week, we’re already getting started:
Our Walkthrough Days are coming up Thursday, July 31st (Grades 7 & 8) and Friday, August 1st (Grade 6 and all students who haven't gone to walkthrough) - a great chance to pick up schedules and take care of key paperwork.
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And for our newest Jaguars, 6th Grade and New Student Welcome is happening tomorrow! (More info later in the newsletter!)
A few reminders for the first day of school (August 6th):
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School starts promptly at 8:00 am (students can arrive starting at 7:30 am); dismissal is at 2:15 pm
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Class schedules will be available on Aeries the evening before
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Students should bring their charged Chromebook and charger on day one
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Most importantly, a positive attitude and a readiness to learn!
Thank you for your partnership, your enthusiasm, and your support as we launch a fantastic school year together. I look forward to seeing many of you this week and welcoming all of our students next Wednesday!
Warmly,
Ms. Jamie Keith
Principal, Valley View Middle School
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out: keithj@mdusd.org. Our Summer Office Hours are 8:00 am until 3:00 pm through August 5th. Normal office hours (7:30 am until 3:30 pm) resume on Wednesday, August 6th.
We’re excited to welcome our newest Jaguars to Valley View!
Join us on Wednesday, July 30th for our 6th Grade & New Student Welcome Event.
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5:00 pm – Meet site administrators Ms. Keith and Mr. Buhler in the quad outside the office. They’ll be available to answer questions and greet families informally.
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5:30 pm – The official event kicks off with a brief welcome address, followed by fun and connection!
After the welcome, our amazing Leadership teacher, Ms. Manasewitsch, and her student leaders will be running games and a campus scavenger hunt to help students get to know the school. Several of our 6th grade teachers will also be out and about, ready to greet students and families.
Please note: In order to receive your student’s schedule at the event, Data Confirmation must be completed no later than 2:30 pm tomorrow. If your Data Confirmation is not complete, please come to our walkthrough event on Friday from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. If you need assistance, our office team is happy to help!
We can’t wait to see you there!
At Valley View, we operate on a 7-period day with our students in class from 8:00 am to 2:15 pm, Monday through Friday. This consistent dismissal time helps families plan and supports our instructional flow across all classes.
We also use a unique weekly class rotation system that alternates between:
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Black Week: Students attend classes in numerical order (1st period through 7th period).
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Gold Week: Students start their day in 7th period and go backward to 1st period (7 → 6 → 5 → 4 → 3 → 2 → 1).
This rotation serves an important purpose: it ensures that every class has the opportunity to meet at different times of day. This helps balance energy and attention across subjects, provides equity for classes that might otherwise always meet at the end of the day, and builds flexibility in our learning schedule.
You can always check whether it’s a Black Week or Gold Week on our VVMS Events Calendar where each week is clearly labeled.
In addition, we have a handful of Minimum Days throughout the school year, with early dismissal at 12:30 pm. Please mark your calendars for the following dates:
- September 9
- October 3
- December 19
- January 13
- March 13
- April 21
- May 4–8 (State Testing Week)
- June 2 (Last Day of School)
We hope this overview helps you and your student feel confident about navigating our schedule. If you ever have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Contact Us!
Email: vvmsattend@mdusd.org
Website: valleyview.mdusd.org
Location: 181 Viking Drive, Pleasant Hill, CA, USA
Phone: 9256866136
Twitter: @VVMS_Jaguars