January 2025

Dear Valleyview Vikings Students and Families,

Welcome back! We hope you had a restful and joyful winter break, filled with special moments as we celebrated the holidays and rang in the New Year. We are excited to see our Valleyview Vikings return with renewed energy and enthusiasm as we begin the second half of the school year.

As we move forward, here are a few important dates to keep in mind:

• January 17 – End of Quarter 2
• January 20 – No School Martin Luther King Jr Day
• January 21 – Professional Development Day (No School)
• January 22 – Records Day (No School)
• January 29 – Parent-Teacher Conferences
• January 30 – 5th Grade to the Art Museum

We are looking forward to a productive and exciting second semester. Thank you for your continued support, and let's make this year one of growth and success!

Warmly,

Principal Brown

Winter weather is here, and Columbus City Schools is ready to help you plan ahead should the District be forced to cancel classes due to inclement weather.

Our goal is to announce a school cancellation as soon as we can. We are constantly monitoring weather forecasts and road conditions and will make an announcement the night before whenever possible. If weather conditions are such that a determination the night before is not possible, the Superintendent and her Operations team will make a decision no later than 5:30 a.m. Once the decision to close or cancel has been made, the next step is to alert parents, teachers, and staff.

STAY CONNECTED: news about cancellations of classes or the cancellation of extracurricular activities, field trips, and/or student-athletic events due to inclement weather are shared in several ways.

• Make sure the contact information on file at your child’s school is accurate. If you need to update this information, contact the main office in your child’s school or update online in the Parent Portal. (This includes emergency contacts, phone numbers, and email addresses).
• All families and staff will be alerted through an automated call, email, and text message from the District’s phone system. It is important to have your updated contact information on file in order to receive this notification.
• Follow Columbus City Schools on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or check our website. As soon as the decision is made to cancel school, we’ll share news and other schedule updates on the District website and on our social media pages.
• Monitor the news on local television and radio stations.

Extracurricular Activities, in the event of class cancellations or early dismissal due to inclement weather:

• Cancellation of School Day - Generally, evening activities, events, and athletic practices are canceled when classes are canceled for the day; however, there are occasions when an event might occur even when schools have been closed. Please monitor the District’s website and social media outlets for special instructions (ccsoh.us).
• Early Dismissal Due to Inclement Weather - Early dismissal for inclement weather will automatically cancel all after-school activities.

HAVE A BACKUP PLAN: When inclement weather impacts the morning commute, the Superintendent plans to determine whether to cancel classes as early as possible. This may be the night before or no later than 5:30 a.m. the next morning if possible. If bad weather is forecast for the afternoon, classes may be dismissed as early as noon. Have an alternative plan for your child’s day already set.

• Supervision: is your child responsible enough to be home alone, or do they need someone to stay with?
• Healthy Food: is there nutritious food available for your child to eat for breakfast and lunch?
• Safe Location: if classes are dismissed early, does your child go home or to another location? If your child is under the age of 8, will there be someone to meet them at the bus stop?
• Engaging Activities: what safe activities do you have for your child to do if they are at home for an unexpected amount of time?

Frequently Asked Questions about CCS weather and school cancellation process.

Flyer in alternate languages: Arabic | French | Nepali | Somali | Spanish

As the weather is changing, we wanted to review our student dress code. Our students are expected to follow the Columbus City Schools Dress Code policy as shared on page 16 in the Columbus City Schools Student Guide to Success. If a student attends school wearing inappropriate clothing, we may call you to ask you to bring them a change of clothes. As the weather has changed, we also want to support any student who is in need of a winter coat. Please let us know by calling the school if your student is in need of a winter coat so that one can be provided.

The Columbus City Dress Code Policy includes:

• Shirts with sleeves and shirt long enough to cover the stomach

• Shorts and skirts are knee-length

• Slacks, skirts, and shorts are to be worn firmly at the waist

• Students ARE NOT allowed to wear slippers, flip-flops, or shoes that have wheels.

• Neatness, cleanliness, and good taste are expected.

• Clothing should not distract or interfere with the learning environment.

• Suggestive pictures, writing across the seat area of skirts, pants, shorts, and clothing that advertises alcohol, drugs, gangs, and/or violence/death are not permitted.

• Clothing should support regular school activities and allow your child to run and play safely in the gym and on the playground.

• If a student is wearing inappropriate clothing, you may be asked to bring them a change of clothes.

Further information regarding the student dress code can be found in the student guide to success located at https://www.ccsoh.us/domain/4283. Please let us know if you need support accessing this document.

There may be forms that need to be signed that are in your parent portal. Please access your parent portal app and click the today tab. Scroll down to the Documents Need Attention section and click any forms that have not been viewed and signed. If your student has a Reading Improvement Monitoring Plan, please see the documents below for instructions on how to access and sign these documents.

RIMP Signature Directions for Parents:

English

Arabic

French

Nepali

Somali

Spanish

Below you will find useful information to access real-time information on your Columbus City Schools student(s), including class schedules, assignments, grades, attendance, and more.

The video link below provides a brief overview of the Portal and the Mobile App:
https://www.infinitecampus.com/video/infinite-campus-portal-mobile-app

Existing users can log in here

First Time Users
If you have not yet created your portal account, click the button below to activate your account.

First Time User Activation

In order to activate your account, you must have an Activation Key. If you do not have an Activation Key, please contact your child’s school. You will be asked to provide proper identification before receiving the key. NOTE: Each parent/guardian has their own Activation Key to create their account, which can be used to access all of their children enrolled in Columbus City Schools.

Fill out the form below to have Ms. Evans, our Family Ambassador, reach out and assist you in setting up access to the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Ms. Evans is available by phone at 614-902-9742 or email at aevans4@columbus.k12.oh.us.

Still have questions about the Campus Parent Portal? Please call 380-997-7245 or the CCS Factline at 614-221-3228. We're here to help!"

For more information about weekly school breakfast and lunch menus, please see the Columbus City Schools Food Service website by clicking HERE.

Give your family the gift of science learning with a free membership to COSI! Thanks to the generosity of the Robert Weiler Company, Columbus City Schools 5th-grade students and their families can receive FREE year-round visits to COSI! Elementary School Family Ambassadors can also receive these memberships!

Please use the link below to register for your FREE membership.

School Choice Lottery: For parents/guardians of KG-12th grade students wishing to apply to attend a school other than the school assigned.

Reservation Admissions: For students who currently attend a school that is eligible to reserve a seat in the next school with the same programming. Reservation applications will be available on January 6, 2025 and must be submitted by January 31, 2025 via the School Choice link in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal.

Request to Return to Home School: For students attending a school in Columbus City Schools that is not their school of address. The request will be available for submission beginning on January 6, 2025 and must be submitted via the School Choice link in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal by March 21, 2025.

Selective Admissions: For students who meet specific criteria. The Selective Admissions application will be available on January 8, 2025, for students who qualify, and must be submitted via the School Choice link in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal by January 31, 2025.

Inter-District Open (IOE) Enrollment: For students living outside of the Columbus City Schools boundaries and wish to attend a school in the CCS District. IOE application deadlines follow the same deadlines as the School Choice Lottery.

Airforce Junior ROTC: For students entering 9th-12th grade who want to join the Airforce Junior ROTC on the campus of Fort Hayes HS. Students who are accepted to Fort Hayes through the Junior ROTC lottery, must adhere to all ROTC guidelines. Students who are accepted to Fort Hayes through the Junior ROTC lottery will be returned to their school of address should a decision be made that drops ROTC from the student's schedule. ROTC applications will be available on January 6, 2025 and must be submitted by February 21, 2025.

School Choice Dates to apply for the 2025-2026 School Year:

• High School & Middle School Lottery Applications: Accepted via the Parent Portal for the lottery draw Monday, January 6, 2025 through Friday, February 28, 2025. Late applications are added to the bottom of the waitlist in the date/time order of receipt.
• Elementary School Lottery Applications: On-time lottery applications accepted via the Parent Portal for the lottery draw Monday, February 3, 2025 through Monday, March 31, 2025. Late applications are added to the bottom of the waitlist in the date/time order of receipt.
• Selective Admissions Applications: Applications available to eligible students Wednesday, January 8, 2025 with a submission deadline of Friday, January 31, 2025. Applications must be submitted via the Parent Portal.
• Request to Return to Homeschool Application: Accepted via the Parent Portal Monday, January 6, 2025, through Friday, March 21, 2025.
• Reservations: Accepted via the Parent Portal for eligible students from Monday, January 6, 2025, through Friday, January 31, 2025.
• ROTC: Accepted via the Parent Portal Monday, January 6, 2025 through Friday February 21, 2025.

• Columbus Winter Warming Centers – Interactive Map
• Columbus Winter Warming Centers – PDF
• Clothing, Hygiene Items, and Home Goods Resource List
• Utility & Housing Payment Assistance Programs
• Best Gas Prices in Columbus
• Free Home Weatherization for Income-Eligible Franklin County Residents
• Grief Support, Support Groups, Substance Use Help, and More
• Emergency Food Help
• Emergency Housing Help
• Helpful Hotlines
• Columbus Street Card
• How to Prepare Your Home for Winter Weather

Phone: (614) 365-6312

Attendance Email: attendance.valleyview@columbus.k12.oh.us

School Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Valleyview Elementary School

2989 Valleyview Drive

Columbus, OH 43204