Spring Valley Family News
September 2026
Greetings from Ms. Misner
Spring Valley Families,
We had a great first day back to school and are looking forward to an awesome year at Spring Valley!
Next week, we will be reviewing our School Wide SOAR Expectations for common areas. At Spring Valley we SOAR...are Safe, Organized, Attentive and Respectful. Teachers have also been busy teaching their classroom expectations and procedures. Take some time to talk with your child about our SOAR expectations and how they can model these both at school and at home.
We have many opportunities for you and your child to get involved in our school community. Please be sure to check out the rest of the Newsletter for more information on PTO sign up, important dates and links to sign up for services and school activities.
Take Good Care,
Heather L. Misner
Principal, Spring Valley Center for Exploration
Attendance Awareness Month
September is Attendance Awareness Month, a nationwide recognition of the connection between regular school attendance and academic achievement.
When students are not chronically absent, they are far more likely to read at grade level, succeed academically, graduate on time, and be ready for the workforce.
Please ensure that your child is coming to school each day on time and stays for the duration of the day. We will continue to recognize positive attendance this year and follow the district's attendance policy. If your child is sick, please contact the Main Office so that we can excuse their absence.
Remember....we are here to help if you or your child are having trouble getting to school. Please don't hesitate to reach out!
Popsicle Pop In
We had a great turn out at our Pop in for Popsicles Event last week. Thank you to all the families who were able to join us!
Check out some pictures from the event below!
Download The PowerSchool App
Contact Information
Please be sure that your contact information is updated with the Main Office. Many of our communications come through phone calls and emails. If your information has changed, please let the main office know so that we can update it in our system.
Arrival/Dismissal Procedures
If your child is a walker or drop off, please enter in the side parking lot and stop at the sign. Students will say goodbye to their families at that time and line up outside by grade. K-2 lines up near the Main Entrance by the picnic area and 3rd-5th grades line up at the Gym Entrance.
PLEASE DO NOT PARK FOR ANY REASON IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL at arrival or dismissal. This area is for buses only. This includes parking on Glendale in front of the bus lane.
Dismissal: Children who are pick up may be picked up at the doors by the gym at 3:50 pm. Please park in the main lot during dismissal. Be prepared to show an ID if requested. Please make sure any person who can pick up your child(ren) are listed on the registration so we can assure every child is safe.
If your child has a change in dismissal plans please notify the Main Office prior to 3:00PM
Supply Donations
Many of you have been asking about what supplies students will need for the school year. We provide students with all necessary school supplies. With that being said, we can always use the following items:
- Kleenex
- Disinfecting Wipes
- Hand Sanitizer
- Expo Markers
- Ticonderoga Pencils
- Individually wrapped snacks (No nuts)
Donations can be brought to the Main Office at anytime. Thank you!
2025/2026 Bell Schedule
Below is our Bell Schedule for the 25/26 school year:
Full Day of School
Student Instruction begins at 8:50 AM
Student Instruction ends (dismissal) at 3:50 PM
Half-Day Schedule
Student Instruction begins at 8:50 AM
Student Instruction ends (dismissal) at 12:00 PM
PTO News
Spring Valley PTO Needs you
The PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) is a wonderful way to become involved in your child's education and get to know other parents and teachers. Spring Valley does many activities that we would love your help at as a volunteer. We also would love our parents to work with us on planning fun events for our students. Please sign up using the Google Form linked below so we can send you the date of our first PTO meeting. If you can't make it we can still send you information on how you can volunteer or support Spring Valley.
Gilmore Piano Lab
We are fortunate to continue our Partnership with Gilmore to offer our students Piano Lab at Spring Valley. All students in Grades 2nd-5th are eligible to participate. There is still time to get your child enrolled! Please click the link below for more information and to get your child signed up!
Cell Phone Expectations
Thank you for your help in keeping our learning environment free from the distraction of phones!
Important Dates
9/4 & 9/7- No School (Labor Day Weekend)
9/14- First day-PEEP
9/17- Open House 4:30-6:00PM
9/21- First Week for AT classes
10/1- School Picture Day
10/7- State Count Day
First Day Shoe Fund
Fall Online Ordering
Fall Online Ordering is Open for the First Day Shoe Fund!!!
First Day Shoe Fund provides new athletic shoes to students at Kalamazoo County Public
elementary schools at no cost. Any caregiver who needs shoes for their elementary aged
student can order online at www.firstdayshoefund.org/order
Ordering is open from August 24th – September 16th 2026 and shoes will be fitted between late September and mid October.
If you order online, you will get an email confirmation; please keep this email as it acts as a receipt for your order.
Students also received a paper order form in their First Week Packets so that caregivers can order
by returning this to school if ordering online isn’t possible.
Family Health Center Mobile Units
The Family Health Center offers a Mobile Unit for both Medical and Dental Services. See the fliers below to learn more and make an appointment!
Spring Valley Center for Exploration
misnerhl@kalamazoopublicschools.net
Ms. Sharon Vandyke, Achievement and Behavior Specialist
vandykesk@kalamazoopublicschools.net
Marlene Katz, Home Support Specialist
katzml@kalamazoopublicschools.net
Mrs. Stephanie Prevo, Lead Secretary
prevosd@kalamazoopublicschools.net
Website: https://www.kalamazoopublicschools.com/springvalley
Location: 3530 Mount Olivet Road, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
Phone: 2693370750
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/springvalleycenterforexploration