Valley Heights Elementary Schools

Reminder: No school this Monday, February 16th!

Waterville Grade School students had a great time celebrating Valentine's Day! It is fun to see their creativity with their boxes and Valentine's they bring. Thank you to all of our families for helping make these days extra special for our students!

We have a special opportunity coming up on February 25th. We will be attending the Chardon Polka Band concert at Blue Rapids Grade School. This opportunity is brought to us by the Marshall County Arts Cooperative. We appreciate them bringing the arts into our schools!

Monday:

• No School! Teacher professional development day!

Tuesday:

• Colts Round Up

Wednesday:

• Colts Round Up

Thursday:

• Colts Round Up

Friday:

• No elementary activities

Looking Ahead:

• February 25th Dismiss @ 11:50 am. Student Success Meetings 12:30-8:30
• February 27th No School

It was an action-packed week at Blue Rapids Elementary! Our fourth graders are still celebrating their impressive first-place finish in the statewide Read Bowl—congratulations to the 4th grade on this incredible achievement. On Wednesday, fifth-grade families were in the building for an informational transition meeting and family fun night. Mr. Spoonts, Mr. Savage, Mrs. deBoer, and Mr. Staples were on hand to provide guidance and answer questions about the possible transition of the 6th grade to the 7-12 building. Mr. Z and Ms. Wilkins hosted a lively round of "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?" The week concluded on a sweet note Friday as students celebrated Valentine’s Day with festive parties, engaging activities, and plenty of treats.

Here are some upcoming dates to remember:

• Professional Development Day - NO SCHOOL - February 16th
• Board of Education Meeting - February 16th
• Special Assembly for Students Chadron Polka Band - February 25th 9:30 am
• Early Dismissal @ 11:50 am; Student Success Meetings @ 12:30 to 8:30 pm - February 25th
• No School - February 27th

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

I want to briefly share an overview of the State of the District included in this presentation. We begin with historical enrollment data, which shows a gradual decline over time. That trend matters because enrollment directly impacts funding and long-term planning. At the same time, it’s important to highlight what’s going right. Our district ranks number one on state assessments in the league, has earned National Blue Ribbon School recognition, and continues to receive many other academic and program awards. These achievements reflect the dedication of our students, staff, and community. You’ll also see information on rising energy costs across our three buildings, along with increasing insurance premiums, which continue to put pressure on our operating budget. This information is not meant to create alarm, but to reinforce the need to be proactive and intentional as we plan ahead. This presentation has been shared with BRCAT, Waterville Community Connections, the Lions Club, Rotary Club, District Site Council, and our teachers and staff, community engagement remain a priority.

This week's Waterville VHS ticket winners were Maebel and Hunter winning lunch with Mrs. deBoer and Alyvia and Journey winning prizes! Great work!

Did you know you can pay your child's lunch fees online? We'll even cover the processing fees for you so you have no extra fees! Click HERE to be taken directly to the link! Or you can navigate to this page from the Valley Heights website, then clicking on Parent & Student Resources, then Online Payment.

Check out the Schools That Care newsletter below for information on resources available in our community!

Early Head Start 0-3 provides services to infants, toddlers, and pregnant women. It promotes

• healthy prenatal outcomes, healthy babies
• enhances the development of infants and toddlers, and
• promotes healthy/thriving families

NEK-CAP, Inc. receives federal funds for 160 children to operate and provide Early Head Start (0-3) services for infants, toddlers, pregnant mothers, and fathers.

NEK-CAP, Inc. receives federal funds for 238 children to operate and provide Head Start services. Head Start is committed to cultivating partnerships with the community to ensure that children and families receive an array of individualized services focused upon early childhood development, family support, health and education.

Head Start/Early Head Start 0-5 services are available at no cost to children and families. Up to 10% of enrollment may be used to serve children that are over income. Transportation is available at some locations.

Click HERE for more information!

Did you know that even though packaging no longer has box tops on them to cut out, that you can still support your school? Download the Box Tops app and scan your receipt to earn money for schools. This is a simple way to give back to your community! Click here for more details!

Another avenue of supporting your school is through Casey's rewards! Check it out at caseys.com/community/donate-your-points!

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