October 2026 Newsletter
Fifth grade has had a wonderful start to the school year! The first weeks of school we have focused on social emotional learning and learning our routines. We have talked a lot about kindness and different ways we can be kind to ourselves and others!
We will have our first field trip to Orchestra Hall at the end of the month, be on the lookout for a permission slip coming home soon! Also, as a reminder, make sure an adult is signing your student’s planner every night! This is part of their responsibilities as a fifth grader and they will be graded on it! Homework has been going home for a few weeks now. Please ensure your child is completing and returning it to school by Thursday each week! Thank you for all your support in our partnership to help your child grow and learn!
🎵Hello Valley View Families! 🎶
Welcome back! If you are new to Valley View, I’m Mr. Chao, and this is my 8th year teaching music here. It’s been wonderful seeing so many smiling faces return and meeting new ones, too! So far, we’ve been really focusing on routines and getting used to being in school. Looking forward, below is what each grade will be doing in music this quarter.
Grade Level Highlights:
Pre-K and Kindergarten will explore different ways to move and make sounds using their voice and instruments, while building listening and steady beat skills through songs and games.
1st Grade will be learning to read and perform simple rhythms using quarter notes and eighth note pairs, and explore high and low sounds through singing and movement.
2nd Grade will be reading new and more complex rhythms, reviewing high and low pitches, and discovering how dynamics (loud and soft sounds) can change how the music is performed.
3rd Grade/LEAP will be working on expanding their singing range, reviewing rhythms using quarter notes, eighth note pairs, and half notes, and learning about form (how music is organized.)
4th Grade will be exploring rhythms known as syncopa, reviewing dynamics, and learning note names on the music staff in preparation for recorders.
5th Grade will be reviewing music literacy skills, including whole and half note rhythms and note name letters on the music staff to support students beginning band.
Concert Dates: 1st to 5th Grade students will perform a concert for families. Mark your calendars!
- All District Choir Festival (5th Grade)-Feb 4, 2027, 7:00pm at CHHS
- 1st & 2nd Grade- Mar 4, 2027, 5:00pm at Valley View
- 4th & 5th Grade Concert (Fine Arts Night)- Apr 29, 2027, 5:00pm at Valley View
- 3rd Grade/VV LEAP (VV, HL, NP)- May 20, 2027, 5:00pm at Silverwood Park
See you soon,
Mr. Chao
We want to see all students at Valley View have good attendance this school year. When students are at school, they can build relationships with teachers & peers, they feel confident in their learning, and can overcome challenges. Here are three tips for a successful start to the school year with consistent attendance:
- Good attendance is a habit. Review this helpful handout for how you can support your student in building the habit of good attendance: English / Spanish
- Have a morning routine. Routines are repeated tasks we do to help our minds know what’s next, and children really benefit from them! We don’t have to complete them in the exact same way and same order every day, but they’re a powerful way to help daily tasks feel less overwhelming. Learning routines is easier if you are part of the process in making them, so consider completing a morning routine chart together with your child and having them hang it somewhere important. You can also try First/Then Boards. See which works best for your family!
- Ensure your student is getting enough sleep each night. Kids who don’t get enough sleep can have trouble paying attention, struggle to regulate their emotions, and have behavior and learning challenges. How much sleep kids need varies by age. While every child is different, experts recommend:
- preschool (3–5 years): 10–13 hours, including naps
- school-age (6–13 years): 9–12 hours
- teens (14–17 years): 8–10 hours
Stick to a regular bedtime. You can give your child a heads-up 30 minutes and then 10 minutes beforehand. Limit screen time (TVs, computers, phones, tables, video games) at least an hour before bedtime. Have a bedtime routine and read a book to get ready for bed. 10 Ways to Help Your Child Get a Better Night’s Sleep (for Parents) from KidsHealth
Attendance reminders!
- It is important for students to attend school every day. Missing just two days a month = chronic attendance.
- Please call the Attendance Line at 763-528-4204 within 48 hours of the school day that your student is absent. You must call EACH DAY your student is absent. You may also use ParentVUE to notify the school of an absence. Please see the list of excused & unexcused absence reasons listed in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.
- Please follow these guidelines for when your child should stay home due to illness: https://vv.colheights.k12.mn.us/family-resources/parent-information11 If a family member is ill, it is not an excused absence. Students should only stay home if they are ill, not if a family member is ill.
- Your child’s health is important to us. If you do not have insurance or need medical resources, contact the school social worker or school nurse.
- Students who are absent due to illness more than ten (10) days per year will receive a letter notifying the parent/guardian of the excessive absences and requesting a doctor/clinic verification of any further illness. If no verification is provided as a result of the absence, each absence will be recorded as “unexcused”.
- Open enrolled and boundary exception students with a significant number of absences may not be allowed to return for the 2027-2028 school year.
Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns regarding your student's attendance or if you need help in getting your student to school regularly. We work hard to make our school environment a place where everyone can be safe, healthy and learning every day. We will do our best to listen and partner with you so that all students have a successful year.
Thank you!
Ms. Nicole
School Social Worker
Office: 763.528.4246
Strong Schools, Supportive Communities
There will be two school-related questions on the November 3 ballot.
- The Columbia Heights Public Schools (CHPS) Operating Levy. Operating Levies support student learning by funding teachers and staff, classroom materials, student transportation and school operations. The CHPS Board of Education approved this referendum at their June 30th meeting.
- The Permanent School Fund, which has supported Minnesota public schools since 1858, would increase the funding going to all school districts from the permanent school fund, which is an existing fund that supports school districts without raising taxes. Leaving this ballot question blank has the same effect as voting "No." Complete the ballot so your vote counts. Because the formula is in the Minnesota Constitution, voters must approve changes.
Tax Impact
- If the CHPS Operating Levy passes, the tax increase for property owners would be $170 per year (approximately $14.17 per month) for an average-priced home, with an inflationary adjustment (an average-priced home in CHPS District boundaries is $275,000).
- The 2026 Operating Levy is a 10-year levy. The school district would first receive these funds in fiscal year 2028 and would continue to receive these funds through fiscal year 2038.
- The Permanent School Fund amendment would not increase property, income, sales, or other taxes. This fund would provide a total of approximately $150,000/year for CHPS.
