Dear Valley View Families,

 

Happy Friday! I look forward to seeing many of you at The Addams Family this weekend.

 

Thank you to everyone who joined our tour of Gildersleeve Elementary School this past Monday. If you were unable to attend, please take a few minutes to watch a video summary of the tour, including the presentation at the end. You can view it here: Gildersleeve Tour.

 

This coming Monday, March 23, at 6:00 p.m., we will host our next community forum on the school consolidation plan in the auditorium at Portland Middle School. If you are unable to attend in person, the presentation will be available via YouTube and Zoom—please visit the district homepage for access links. A recording will also be posted following the event.

 

Monday’s forum will focus on our plan to transition sixth grade to Portland Middle School. We will be joined by Middle School Principal Mike Searson. Following Mr. Searson’s overview of the sixth-grade transition, I will review the financial implications of the project.

 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Ryan Walstrom

Principal

Valley View School

Please make sure to email vvattendance@portlandct.us if your child will be absent or if there is a change of dismissal/transportation plans. Please do NOT send messages directly through ParentSquare to the office. The email should include your child’s first and last name, name of teacher, reason for absence, and the date or dates of absence. Please make sure the email is sent the night before or the morning of the absence to ensure the office staff, nurse and teacher are aware. Please make sure the office is aware of all transportation updates regarding your child.

Valley View will be holding it's annual PK Role Model Screening for the upcoming 2026-27 school year in March 2026.

In order to be considered as a peer model for our Early Learning Preschool Program, you must call the school and schedule a time to attend a preschool screening to be considered for the following year. Please be aware that your child must be at least 2 years 10 months old in order to participate in the screening. If your child does not meet the criteria on the day of the screening but will be 3 by the time school starts, we will be holding a screening in May 2026 for those that have summer birthdays.

 

Requirements for Peer Model:

 

Busing in the Portland Public Schools is provided by M&J Bus. Bus route lists are posted here: https://www.portlandctschools.org/transportation. The bus lists identify each stop's pick-up/drop-off time and location.

 

On a typical day, when all drivers are present and there are no abnormal road conditions, we expect that the routes will pick up and drop off students at times identified on the bus lists, give or take ten minutes.

 

If parents/guardians need real-time information about the whereabouts of a bus, please call M&J Bus at (860) 342-2217. The dispatcher at M&J Bus has real-time access via radio to all bus drivers.

Your child’s school works with Community Health Center, Inc. School Based Health Center program to provide health services (behavioral/mental health) services to your child during the school day. This means they won’t miss as much class and you don’t need to miss work to support their health care needs. 

Lean more about the services offered at your child’s school and enroll today at SBHC1.com! Interested families can also seek this service through the link or through our school website.

 

Happy Friday and Happy Spring!

We have had a week here with some strep throat and muddy clothes but welcome to elementary school!  Strep has not been prevalent but we have had a few cases this week. If your child’s class was affected you received notification. We do our best to wipe down surfaces and teachers have children washing their hands and using hand sanitizer several times a day. Unfortunately, with this age group they don’t always remember to cover coughs and sneezes and there is a bit of wiping noses on sleeves. So sometimes even with all we do illness still gets around. I thank you for the great communication from all of you, it helps me get out the proper information.

Even though spring is officially here we still get cold days and this hill can be very windy. Please be sure your child has layers and a warm coat. A second pair of clothes, pants especially, for your child to have in their locker is also helpful. Puddles and mud are here for awhile and I do not have a supply of pants in all sizes. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs. Karen Rettich

Valley View School Nurse

Phone 860 342 3226

We are finishing our digital citizenship unit during library classes. Kindergarteners are working on strategies to have a balance between screen time and other activities and first graders are focusing on finding "just right" websites for them and how to make good choices online. I am sending home worksheets we have been working on and they have helpful information for parents on them so check them out! 

Our next birthday book club will be for March and April birthdays next week on the delayed opening day on 3/25. If you didn't receive an email from me and want your child to participate, please send me a message via Parent Square or email.  The birthday book club for May and June birthdays will be in April and July and August birthdays will be celebrated in May.

Finally, we are so excited to announce that we will be having Alyssa Satin Capucilli, who wrote the Biscuit series, come to Valley View to share her new book, My Sister, Goose on 4/23. This week, order forms came home to purchase signed copies of her books. You can also order online at https://rjjulia.com/valley-view-school.  Paper orders will be due back by 4/2.  

Thanks everyone for your support of the Valley View Library!

Melissa Thorpe

Library Media Specialist

This week, first grade artists at Valley View learned how to create three-dimensional art from a two-dimensional drawing. Aren't these cats cool?

Mrs. French

Meeting Dates:

Snacks will be offered in the cafeteria on Thursdays. Snacks include things like cookies, rice crispy treats, chips and even ice cream. The cost for these items range from $1 to $1.50. Students will only be allowed to choose one item each week. In order to purchase a snack, children will need to bring in cash on Thursdays or have a positive balance established within their MySchoolBucks account. Please reach out if you need any further information.

Thank you for your help,

Ms. Denise