PATRIOT PRESS

Here's what's inside this week:

• Late start Wednesdays in Sept. 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th
• Picture day Sept. 25th
• Upcoming events, dates/times
• After school band practices
• Principals' Greeting
• **Updated 9/18, Picture Day information
• *** Updated 9/18 PV PTA Apparel orders for Spirit Wear - Orders due by Oct. 14th!
• Join us at Battle Ground legacy night Sept. 19th, 7pm at District Stadium
• PV PTA Fun Run K-5th grades Sept. 26th
• PV PTA Winter Bazaar & Festival - call for vendors
• SAT, PSAT and more standardized tests 8th grade
• New districtwide cellphone policy
• Russian, Ukrainian and Spanish translation and interpretation services
• First View Bus App - get updates for construction delays etc
• Have you completed the annual student update?
• New screen time limits on school-issued Chromebooks
• Free technology monitoring tool for parents

• Counselor's Corner
• Notes from the Nurse
• Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) information
• Online accessibility
• Student resources - district webpage
• Report incidents anonymously with Vector Solutions reporting system
• PTA - information
• Family Resource Center information
• Sept. Menu
• 25/26 Calendars, meal info., BGPS information links, contact info, hours, handbooks etc.

Sept. 25th - Picture Day

Sept. 26th - K-5th PTA Fun Run

Sept. 26th - 5th grade ice cream social, families invited 2:10 - 2:40

Oct. 3rd - Last day to turn in Fun Run donations

Oct. 14th - last day to submit Spirit Wear Apparel orders online

Oct. 24th - Picture Retakes Day

Nov. 2nd - Daylight Savings Ends

Week of Sept. 15-19

Mon.: 5th/6th grade band

Tues.: 7th/8th grade band

Wed. : NO AFTER SCHOOL

Thurs.: 5th grade only

Fri.: All grades

Week of Sept. 22-24

Mon. & Tues.: NO AFTER SCHOOL

Wed: 5th/6th grade band

Thurs.-Fri.: NO AFTER SCHOOL

Week of Sept. 29 - Oct. 3

Mon.: 5th/6th grade band

Tues.: 7th/8th grade band

Wed.- Fri.: To be determined

Dear Pleasant Valley Families,

It has been a great start to the school year at Pleasant Valley. In the first three weeks of school our teachers and staff have been working hard to set expectations and start to know each student by Name, Strength and Need. During the first week of school, we complete our PBIS expectations with each homeroom, to ensure our expectations for our classrooms and our campus were understood by all of our students. In addition during the first week of school, we completed our expectation fair and had students go to seven different stations to have our location-specific expectations reviewed. We believe this process is critical to ensure all students know our expectations at school and how to be Safe, Respectful and Responsible Patriots.

Over the last two weeks our teachers have started to get into routines of learning and pushing academic expectations. Students are working on group work, team building and defining next steps for a successful year. We believe that all students can experience academic and personal growth. Our team does this through creating safe and caring environments, being dedicated to high quality instruction and building collaboration that cultivates trust.

Hopefully your student is having a positive experience at Pleasant Valley so far this year. We are always looking to partner with families to reinforce our mission and vision at PVM to ensure all students achieve at the highest level. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer or support the positive work at PVM, please contact myself or Ms. Thompson and we can help. Have a great rest of your week.

Austin Brothers (Principal)

Erin Thompson (Assistant Principal)

Picture day is Thursday, Sept. 25th. We will begin calling classes down during 1st period and will be finished before lunch time. There will be a retakes day October 24th.

Picture order packets are coming home with students on Sept. 18th, be sure to check backpacks. Packets should come back to school with your student on picture day, we will not be collecting them ahead. You may send payment in the packet envelope or pay online (info on the packet or see link below).

PVM online photo order link This link is open now and will remain active for 7 days once pictures are taken.

It's that time of year again, apparel order time! This will be the ONLY order of the year for Spirit Wear apparel. There will NOT be any purchased for later in-person sales, so get your order in online now!

Link: my.cheddarup.com/c/pvm-2025-apparel

Orders due October 14th. Delivery expected in the first week of November.

For any special requests or questions, please email: pvptavpcommunication@gmail.com

We invite our staff, their families and alumni to come together for the annual Battle Ground High School vs. Prairie High School football game on Friday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m. The game will take place at District Stadium, located on the Battle Ground H.S. campus (300 W. Main St., Battle Ground). Tickets are $10 for adults and students without an ASB card, $5 for visiting students with an ASB card and children ages 5 - 12 years old. Purchase tickets at the door or in advance online through GoFan.com. Staff with an ID badge do not need to purchase tickets.

During halftime, staff and alumni will be recognized on the field for their important role in shaping our schools and community. Optional: Wear the colors of either Battle Ground (orange and black) or Prairie (crimson and gold) to show school spirit.

Before and after the game, stop by the BGPS table to learn about our strategic plan and share your input.

Let’s fill the stands and celebrate our students, staff, and community! We hope to see you there.

Eighth grade and high school students will have opportunities to take standardized tests for graduation, college, the military and scholarships. Follow this link to Learn about the opportunities and how to sign up.

As you know, our school has had rules regarding cellphones for some time. Now, Battle Ground has a new cellphone policy that standardizes the approach across schools in the district. The policy is based on input from parents, guardians, staff and students. See what’s allowed by grade level. Thank you for your partnership in minimizing distractions during school and supporting student learning.

Услуги по устному и письменному переводу на русский и украинский языки 360-885-5433

Servicios de Traducción e Interpretación en Español 360-885-5431

Bus routes and First View app

Bus route information is available for your child(ren) in their Skyward Family Access account or on the district website. There may continue to be slight adjustments to stop times.

To view your child's route in Family Access, log in and select the “transportation” tile on the home screen. You will be able to view the bus number, stop address and approximate pickup and dropoff times.

Construction delays

Due to road construction in areas of the district, some buses may need to take a detour and/or may be delayed. To receive information about delays or route changes and track your child’s bus in near real-time, please install the FirstView app from First Student. The FirstView app is available for Android and Apple devices. Get instructions for installing the app. NOTE: A code is required to set up your account. You probably received a News to Know email containing that information, or you can request it from our office.

For questions about school district bus service, call our office or First Student at 360-841-7099, ext. 103 or 104.

All families with enrolled students are required to complete the annual student update every year before school begins. This provides you with important options regarding your child’s education and ensures that we have correct contact information for you. We will use this information to communicate with you regularly and reach you in case of an emergency.

To complete the student update, please log into the new Skyward (Family Access) and click “2025-26 annual student update” (do not select new student online enrollment) in the tiles on the home screen. See instructions.

The new Skyward functions best on a desktop or laptop computer and full browser. If you need access to a computer to complete the annual student update, please visit Battle Ground or Prairie High School. Computers are available to any BGPS family.

In response to parent feedback and to support healthy screen use habits, Battle Ground Public Schools is implementing new screen time limits for school-issued Chromebooks. During the following hours, students in these grades will not be able to log into their Chromebook:

• Primary school students (kindergarten through fourth grades): 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.

• Middle school students (grades 5–8): 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Outside of the restricted hours, students will still be able to log into and use their Chromebooks. These restrictions do not apply to high school students and students who attend school at alternative learning environments due to the complexities of student schedules and independent learning needs. Get more details.

Battle Ground students already benefit from internet filtering technology that blocks inappropriate web content on all school-owned devices. Now, we are going one step further and granting every Battle Ground parent/guardian a free Qustodio parental app account. Qustodio will give you important insights into your child’s online activity on their school-issued device and provide you with features for managing their online activity at home. Learn more and activate your free account.

SOS (Signs of Suicide) lessons for grades 6, 7 and 8 to begin Sept. 2nd.

Dear Parent / Caregiver,

This year school staff are working to teach 6th, 7th and 8th grade students about mental health and how to seek help if they are worried about themselves or a friend. We are using a program called SOS Signs of Suicide. The program teaches students about this difficult topic and encourages them to seek help.

SOS has been used by thousands of schools for over 20 years. Studies have shown that it effectively teaches students about depression and suicide while reducing the number of students’ self-reported suicide attempts.

Through the program, students learn:

• that depression is treatable, so they are encouraged to seek help

• how to identify depression and potential suicide risk in themselves or a friend

• to ACT (Acknowledge, Care and Tell a trusted adult) if concerned about themselves or a friend

• who they can turn to at school for help

Students will watch age-appropriate video clips and participate in a guided discussion about depression, suicide, and what to do if they are concerned about a friend. At the end of class, students will complete an exit slip which asks whether they would like to talk to an adult about any concerns. Additionally the slip will ask if the student has a trusted adult that works at the school. School staff will conduct brief meetings with any student asking to talk.

If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to Mrs. Friesen. You can reach me by phone at 360-885-5550 or email at friesen.jerolyn@battlegroundps.org

Care Solace: Your link to mental health support

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Battle Ground Public Schools has partnered with Care Solace, a complimentary and confidential care coordination service that can help students and/or their immediate family members quickly find mental health or substance use treatment options matched to their needs, regardless of insurance or circumstance. If you would like to use Care Solace to help you find a provider:

• Call 888-515-0595 (available 24/7/365 in any language).

• Visit www.caresolace.com/battlegroundps and either search on your own or select “Book appointment” for assistance by video chat, email or phone.

Russian, Ukrainian and Spanish translation and interpretation services

Услуги по устному и письменному переводу на русский и украинский языки 360-885-5433

Servicios de Traducción e Interpretación en Español 360-885-5431

Mental health resources

There are great resources available for mental health via the Battle Ground Public Schools website. On the district page there are links that lead you to more information for different topics. Here is the link to our school district's page: Mental Health Resources.

NAMI Family Support Group is a peer-led support group for any adult with a loved one who has experienced symptoms of a mental health condition. Gain insight from the challenges and successes of others facing similar experiences. Groups are Free of charge.

.https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/Support-Groups/NAMI-Family-Support-Group

NAMI- National Alliance on Mental Illness

800-950-6264

Or Text “HelpLine” to 62640

Talk 360-984-0396 (text)

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Hours: Available 24 hours. Languages: English, Spanish

Text 988

311- Non-life threatening concerns

211- County Resource Directory

800-273-8255- Suicide Prevention

741741- Suicide Text

360-205-1222- Lifeline Crisis Center

360-695-9677- Housing Line

360-903-2833- CVBAP Warm Line (4 pm- 12 am)

866-789-1511- Washington Recovery HelpLine

360-356-1890- Rainier Springs Detox

360-397-8246 ext 30846- Lifeline Detox

800-626-8137 OR 360-696-95560 SW Washington Crisis Line

Locations

Recovery Cafe Clark County

3312 E Fourth Plain Blvd. Suite #100

Vancouver WA 98661

The Reach Center

1601 E 4th Plain Blvd

Building 17, Suite A114

Vancouver, WA 98661

The Recovery Resource Center

9317 NE Hwy 99 Suite M

Vancouver, WA 98665

The People's Harm Reduction Alliance

Online training/Order Free Narcan

https://phra.org/naloxone-training

Download flyer in English, Russian and Spanish below

Updating contact and health information

Parents/guardians please make sure you are updating the School Health Form in Skyward each year so that we have correct and current information regarding your child/ren (complete the "Update" in Skyward Family Access. Update opens August 1st each year to update school forms.). Skyward does not pull information forward each school year. There are many School Health Forms that have not been updated for 2-4 years. We need current information and this is how we most often know if your child has a Life threatening health condition. We want to keep your child/ren safe while at school and we can't do our job if we do not have correct and updated information.

Thank you for your time in this important matter.

WA immunization requirements

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Español

русский

українська

Life threatening health condition/allergy

If your student has a life threatening medical condition/allergy, we must have updated health information each year as well as medication at school forms for any rescue medications that need to be kept at the nurse's office at school. Parents and nurses work together to create an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for what to do for your child in the case of a medical emergency. Please contact our nurses if your student has a life threatening medical condition/allergy and you have not already alerted the school and had an EAP created. Students and parents will need to meet with nurses before a student may self-carry any rescue medications.

Office Phone: 360-885-5500

younge-barnes.diane@battlegroundps.org

PVM LPN info.pvm@battlegroundps.org

Health and safety resources

See health and safety resources from the Washington state Dept. of Health.

Staying healthy

Clark County Public Health recommends that people take the following actions to prevent colds, flu and other respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19.

• Stay home if running a fever or experiencing other symptoms of illness. See our guidelines for keeping children home from school for more information.
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. When soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover coughs and sneezes. Use a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands.
• Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces that are frequently touched.

If you need to email our nurses:

PVM RN younge-barnes.diane@battlegroundps.org

PVM LPN info.pvm@battlegroundps.org

School office 360-885-5500

Additional information:

Health & Attendance flyer

Medication at school authorization form

Battle Ground Public School teachers use a wide variety of applications in the classroom, for content delivery, assignments and assessments. Apps, like PDF creator Kami, interactive video platform Edpuzzle, WeVideo, Pear Deck slide presenter and more. The apps help boost engagement and highlight different ways students can show what they know and do, and offer different ways to interact with content and respond to prompts. Learn more.

Ensuring all students have access to a quality education is a primary focus for Battle Ground Public Schools. Technology is a key to enabling access for students with various needs and challenges. Common accessibility tools include text-to-speech (read aloud), speech-to-text (voice dictation), color contrast options and magnification adjustments.

Accessibility features fall under the umbrella of Inclusive Technologies. Visit the district’s online resources page for more information on these resources and how you can access them if needed.

Please report bullying, intimidation, harassment, threats and safety concerns using our anonymous reporting system. Reporters can remain anonymous. Emergencies should always be reported to 911. Learn more about emergency procedures and safety protocols.

Report, don’t repost

If you see or hear of a possible threat, please report it to law enforcement directly and/or to school staff. This is the best and most helpful action because it begins an investigation and helps to limit the potential for misinformation to spread.

Reposting or sharing a threat on social media in an attempt to warn others spreads the threat farther from its original source and may cause unnecessary alarm and fear.

You can report bullying, intimidation, harassment, threats and safety concerns using our anonymous reporting system. Emergencies should always be reported to 911.

Safety Study Hall

Visit the Safety Study Hall website, a place for schools, students, and families to learn about safety topics.

Pleasant Valley PTA supports students and teachers at Pleasant Valley by providing programs, activities, and events that help them grow socially and academically. We work closely with school administrators and teachers to determine the needs of our schools and advocate for our students.

We all care about our students. Some of us just don’t know how we can make a difference or don’t have the time to volunteer because of other obligations. Pleasant Valley PTA and Washington State PTA can be your voice and can help make a difference in the lives of ALL our students. As a large organized body we can impact decisions at the National and State levels that affect our students at Pleasant Valley.

By joining Pleasant Valley PTA and exercising your right to vote, you have a voice in your students education. Become a member and stay connected with important issues and information about our school.

What Membership is:

• Support for students & staff

• Our legislative voice! (Membership count affects our number of votes at Convention & Legislative Assembly)

• Funding for student programs & activties

What Membership is NOT:

• A commitment to volunteer. The PTA will never require your participation in fundraising or volunteering.

What your Membership includes:

• Access to resources

• Discounts from State and National PTA

• Perks & Discounts

Join the PTA now

• NEW PTA WEBSITE: PleasantValleyPTA.org,
• Sign up here to receive info on upcoming events and volunteer opportunities: https://pleasantvalleypta.org/volunteer

Hey there! Guess what? Every time you hit up Fred Meyer for your shopping needs, you can actually sprinkle a little magic dust (aka cold hard cash) into the Pleasant Valley PTA, all while reaping your own rewards! All you need to do is link your card and continue to shop as you always have.

Getting started is easy-peasy!
1. Go to fredmeyer.com
2. Log in to your account
3. Go to My Account
4. Scroll down to Community Rewards and click View Community Rewards
5. Search for “Pleasant Valley PTA”
6. Give that enroll button a satisfying click and watch the magic unfold!

See? Easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy! Each time you shop Fred Meyer will donate a percentage straight to the PTA!

Battle Ground Public Schools’ Family and Community Resource Center (FCRC) helps meet the needs of families faced with housing instability and similar economic challenges.

While a main goal of the FCRC is to assist families experiencing housing instability, it can also help connect families with many other types of resources and is intended to respond to the changing needs of the community.

The FCRC is a continuation of the district’s joint efforts with the Battle Ground Education Foundation, an all-volunteer, nonprofit community organization whose purpose is to leverage community resources to help maintain quality education for all students in Battle Ground schools.

The Family Resource Guide is full of contacts to aid families in connecting with agencies who are able to help with a great variety of needs. Please click the link below to view this helpful guide.

Family Resource Guide

(click below to be redirected to the FCRC page)

Family and Community Resource Center (FCRC)
Phone: (360) 885-5434
Email: fcrc@battlegroundps.org

The FCRC office has moved from CASEE to our Lewisville campus.

Battle Ground Public Schools’ Family and Community Resource Center helps meet the needs of families facing challenges. As a donation based program, the FCRC relies on our community to help fill the shelves and those shelves are emptying fast. Right now, they have severe needs for items including soap, hygiene products, socks, underwear and more.

View a list and information on how to donate by visiting the district website.

Battle Ground Public Schools partners with Chartwells to provide meals at school. Menus will continue to be available via Nutrislice, with payments processed through InTouch Receipting. You will be able to see and pay all charges in one place. Use your Skyward / FamilyID information to log in (note: parent usernames now include an extra zero). See meal prices for 2025-26.

All students who attend schools that do not offer free meals to all students may still qualify to receive meals at no cost to their family if they meet the requirements.

The application for free and reduced-price meals is available in Skyward or the district website. Please note that even if your child has qualified for free meals in the past, you will still need to reapply.

Consent to share

Students wishing to take advantage of no-fee sports or other activities must submit a new meal benefit application and consent to share form (русский) (Español) before registering for fall sports, even if they have done so previously. The consent to share can also be completed as part of the annual student update through Skyward.

Aug.-Sept. Menu online

Download printable menu below

Here are some helpful links to the Battle Ground Public Schools website for back to school information.

Athletics

Boundary exceptions

Bus routes

First View bus app (view bus progress etc)

Calendars

Enrolling students

Child nutrition eligibility and education benefit application (we encourage all families to apply)

Immunizations

Medication at school (forms and other health information)

Nutrition services (menus, meal prices)

School supply lists

Every student at Pleasant Valley Middle School is known by name, strength, and need.

We believe ALL students can experience academic and personal growth.

Office: 360-885-5500

Fax: 360-885-5510

Absence reporting: 360-885-5512

District office switchboard: 360-885-5300

Principal: Austin Brothers

Asst. Principal: Erin Thompson

Mailing address:

PO Box 200

Battle Ground, WA 98604

PVM webpage

BGPS district webpage

PV PTA

PV PTA on Instagram

Email: info.pvm@battlegroundps.org
Website: https://pvm.battlegroundps.org/
Location: 14320 NE 50th Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98686 Mail to: Pleasant Valley Middle, PO Box 200, Battle Ground, WA 98604
Phone: 360-885-5500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PVMiddle/

Regular days: 8:10 - 2:40

Late start Wed.: 9:10 - 2:40

Early Release: 8:10 - 11:40

2-hr late start: 10:10 - 2:40

School colors: red, white and blue

Mascot: Patriots (Patriot Pete)

English

Русский

Español

English

Русский

Español

Pleasant Valley Middle Student and Parent Handbook 2025-2026

The Battle Ground Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Information about the district’s nondiscrimination and sex-based discrimination policies and grievance procedures are located on the District’s website at: https://www.battlegroundps.org/notice-of-nondiscrimination/ . The following employees have been designated to receive and respond to questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:

Title IX Coordinator/Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator: Lynnell Tsugawa-Murray, Assistant Superintendent, Battle Ground Public Schools, PO Box 200, Battle Ground, WA 98604, murray.lynnell@battlegroundps.org, 360.885.5340

Section 504/ADA Coordinator: Michelle Reinhardt, Executive Director of Human Resources, Battle Ground Public Schools, PO Box 200, Battle Ground, WA 98604, reinhardt.michelle@battlegroundps.org. 360.885.5481

September 14, 2025

Issue #2-26