Valley View Viking Greetings, families of Valley View,

With the beginning of a new calendar year, we have begun a renewed interest in learning. Students are engaged in reading, math, science and social studies.growing by focusing on doing their best.

Students worked on the Doghouse Project as a fundraiser for the Human Society. Below find a photo of students who worked on the doghouse which was auctioned off January 9th. Thank you to all who worked on the project, including staff members Mrs. Marvin, Mrs. Walding, Ms. Bissonette, Mrs. Reurink, Mr. Burke, and Mr. Hickens. Additional photos are inside.

Though work began in earnest in December for the new East Middle School, we had an official ground breaking ceremony on January 18th.

For Character Counts in January we are focusing on RESPONSIBILITY in which students learn to do what they are suppose to do, persevere-keep on trying, always do their Best, use self-control, be self-disciplined, think before they act – consider the consequences, and be accountable for their choices. Talk to your children about the meaning of responsibility to help them to identify why this is important. In February we will focus on FAIRNESS. Inside is an article by Mr. Blankley, our counselor, about Character Counts.

Help us make it a successful year of learning our students at Valley View. Encourage your children to put forth they best efforts in school and give them opportunities to learn at home by having family reading time and playing math games together to improve the skills they need to be successful. Together in partnership, students can surpass their potential.

Wishing you great success!Wayne Rosby, Principal

Doghouse Fundraising Project for the Human Society

Picture includes from left, Melanie Pound, Kaylee Hemstock, Ruth Stevenson, Mrs. Reurink, Matte Bulman, Haley Anderson, Averee Afraid Palmer, Mrs. Walding, Melissa Wilbur, Eli Willert, Alyssa Burke, Jay Sani, Alison Miller, Aspen Silver, Blake Rippey & Ragan Luthy (not pictured).

Melanie Pound & Ragan Luthy

Matte Bulman Melanie Pound & Ragan Luthy

Happy New Year! We are delighted to be back in school after a long and cold Christmas Break.

We would like to introduce our newest kindergarten staff. Mr. Schmidt took over extended day kindergarten in January.

The New Year brings many firsts for kindergarten: All of us are now in reading groups. We are reading books that have many sight words in them that we need to know. Remembering to play math games and bring library books, Tuesday folders, and guided reading books back helps the students develop responsibility which is our Character counts pillar for the month of January.

The next few months are the prime learning time. We are working hard at learning numbers to 20, forwards and backwards, knowing our letters and

sounds, and using that knowledge to build words.

December was a busy month. We were busy with Christmas projects and preparing for our 1st Christmas Concert, which was a lot of fun. Pajama Day was fun. We totally enjoyed snuggling with our blankets and pillows and watching “The Polar Express” on the big screen, in our pajamas. The Hot Chocolate was yummy—though not delivered with quite the excitement as in the movie.

We are looking forward to our 1st Valentine’s Day Party. Having your child write their classmates names on the Valentines is great practice for them. Have a great month!

Mrs. GrenzMr. EllisMrs. RennerMr. Schmidt

Winter Fun in Grade OneWe have been working on getting back into the routine of school again. The break

was well needed but now it’s time to buckle down.

In math we have been practicing counting coins and telling time (to the hour and half-hour). Please provide opportunities for your children to count money and practice with clocks at home, in the car, or at the grocery store.

In reading students are working on increasing the amount of time they can read to self. By this time in the year students should know 20-50 sight words. Be on the lookout for a word list coming home to practice.

Things coming up…The 100th day of school is coming up. We are asking that students bring a Ziplock bag with 100 items to put on display. Valentine’s Day is coming soon, and we will send a list of names home for those who choose to send cards. We are asking that each child make a valentine box at home. Have fun and be creative. Students will need to bring their boxes to school by February 9. We want to have the boxes on display before the big day.

The year is half done and we’re still having fun! Mrs.

SmithMs. StoneMrs. WaldingMrs. Preston

SECOND GRADE NEWS Happy New Year! It is great to have all

of us back in school and ready to roll. We are getting the students back on track and finishing up with the District reading and math assessments that are done throughout the year. It is great to see all the growth the students have made!

We want to encourage all mathematicians to continue practicing their math facts. The goal to reach proficiency would be to know all combinations through 10. This means they are to be able to tell us the facts without any wait time. It must be automatic or they need to continue practicing.

Junior Achievement is happening in our second grade classrooms. This is a

partnership between the business community, educators and volunteers all working together to motivate children to dream big and reach their potential.  We currently have volunteers from Black Hills Corporation, Rapid City Journal, Great Western Bank and a retired teacher. Junior Achievement’s hands-on curriculum teaches the concepts of how money works in the community, community jobs, unit/assembly production, decision making that affects the community & and the role of government. These five lessons are very fun and focus on the standards.

The District spelling bee will be held at the beginning of March. That means all second graders will be taking the written spelling bee at the end of February. The top two spellers from each class will then do an oral spelling bee in front of their peers at the end of the month. The winner of that spelling bee will go to the District spelling bee and represent our

school. Spelling bee booklets are available in the office for 25 cents. Good luck to all second graders!

We are looking forward to spending the day with all the second grade students who earn the field trip to Storm Mountain in May. It will be important for all second graders to be reading and taking tests. This will help them

accomplish their AR goal. Come on second graders, you can do it!

Watch for information coming home next month regarding our second grade PTA sponsored field trip to Spearfish Park and Fish Hatchery.

Mrs. French, Mrs. Goss, Mrs. Massie & Mrs. Richards

Greetings from 3rd Grade!It’s hard to believe it’s a new year

already! We’ve learned so much and are making great progress. It’s been a really rewarding school year so far.

Our students are beginning to learn their multiplication tables. This is very important – if they know their facts, 4th and 5th grade math will be so much easier! Please keep them practicing at home! Any little bit of spare time you have with your 3rd grader – quiz them on some times facts! Repetition is so beneficial in making the facts become automatic! Another great math facts party will be served up for those who know their facts really well! We look forward to that yummy reward!

We’ve read so many great books this year. Our students are really blossoming as young readers! Help them keep that enthusiasm and keep them reading at

least 20 minutes a day. We want to be fluent readers!

We’ve been studying pioneer life. We have learned about the homes the pioneers lived in, the jobs the men and women held, and the difficulties pioneers faced in daily life. We’re lucky to have many of the modern conveniences we have now.

As the winter continues, we cross our fingers for recess that’s not too cold! Please remind your child to dress appropriately for the season. Recess is only a short time – but that time feels like forever if you’re not prepared for a cold snap!

Thanks so much for sharing your children with us! Mrs. DeFluiter, Mrs. Downs, Mrs. Marvin & Mrs. Reurink

4th Grade NewsletterWelcome to 2011. We’ve made great strides so

far this year, but have much more to accomplish before the end of the school year.

In reading, we are continuing to work in small groups to improve our fluency and comprehension

skills. Reading is fundamental for growth and success in all areas of school and life. Please help your child to keep reading at home and record in the homework reading log the books and times read each night.

Our math is focusing on measurement and 2- dimensional geometry. We are learning about the attributes of different polygons and how to determine symmetry, angles, area and perimeter. Soon we will start the next unit which will focus on place value, addition and subtraction. Playing the games that are sent home with each unit and recording them on the math homework log is greatly encouraged. Also, remember that playing math games that are on the Valley View web site can be recorded as homework.

In Social Studies, we are learning about the different regions of the United States and the location and capitals of each state. We are finishing up Life Science with the study of body systems. Then we will move on to Earth Science and Physical Science.

We hope everyone will help encourage their child to work hard and do their best for a successful 4th grade year.

Mr. BurkeMrs. McGuiganMrs. Miller

5th Grade News

The Holidays are over and we are in the middle of the second trimester. We are learning a lot and the students are planning on learning much more before the end of their elementary career. The final day of school is getting closer and closer. Soon we will be planning the 5th grade promotion ceremony and getting ready for middle school. All 5th graders will be touring Dakota Middle School in March. More information will be sent home about the day and time.

In math we are wrapping up fractions and moving on to geometry. We will be learning about identifying and measuring angles and polygons. In addition we will be working with perimeter and area. We are continuing practice on multiplication and division mastery.

We hope students are reading and taking AR tests. The end of the 2nd trimester is fast approaching and the trip to Storm Mt. for those who

make their points will be in May. We are working on comprehension and fluency in our reading groups.

In science we are in earth science and learning about erosion, weathering and changes to the earth’s surface. We will soon be learning about stars and outer space. In this unit we will be covering the heat ranges and life cycles of stars.

In social studies we are learning about the Revolutionary War and the formation of our government. We will then be learning about westward expansion and the Louisiana Purchase.

We have had a lot of fun learning about nutrition with Mrs. Schumacher from SDSU. She brings healthy snacks which the students love. Hopefully, they will use this information to make appropriate decisions in choosing snack food.

Your 5th Grade Team,Mrs. BrandhagenMr. Kliche

Mrs. Miller

News from Standard’s SupportWe are now fully in the swing of

Standards Support at Valley View. Each grade level has been working on various strands to this point. Currently, grades K-2 are working on measurement, grade 3 is tackling multiplication and will soon begin a study of fractions and grades 4 and 5 have begun geometry.

The Valley View webpage is a wonderful resource. On our site, you can also find hot links that allow for extra

math and reading practice for your child. Also, all sites that your child works on during Standards Support are also posted on the website. These sites have been introduced and will offer extra support with what we are doing in class.

Soon, there will be more podcasts on our site as well! Tech Club will be creating 2 podcasts. These will feature Tech Club members. Each member gets to choose their topic and research it to create a short report. They are learning so much! Literacy Club also will be doing “tapings” of book reviews. Please keep looking at the website to see all the neat things our Valley View Vikings are up to!

As always, thank you for sharing your child with me!

Until next time,Mrs. Bobbi Adrian

News from the Math Room……..

On Jan. 24 we had our first fact fluency party for students who have met their goal. Each grade has the following goals:

Kindergarten- Identify all the numbers to 20. 1st grade- Know all the addition and subtraction combinations to 5. 2nd Grade- Know all the addition and subtraction combinations to 10. 3rd Grade- Know all the addition and subtraction combinations to 20. 4th Grade- Know all the multiplication combinations up to 12 x 12 5th Grade- Know all the division combinations up to 144 ÷ 12

There will be a couple more fact fluency parties before the end of school, so if your child did not participate in the first party keep practicing because there will be another opportunity to celebrate.

Math Club News: These are the dates for Math Club for the remainder of the year.

Feb. 14 and 28Mar. 14 and 28 Mrs. Chomiski, Mrs. GriffinApril 11 and 18 Mrs. Kertzman & Mrs. RauertMay 9 and 23

Reading for Meaning with Your ChildReading with comprehension means

understanding what's been read. It takes practice, time, and patience to develop reading comprehension skills. Families can play an important role in helping a child learn to read for understanding.

First, make sure your child is reading books appropriate for their reading level. If a book is too hard, all your child's energy will be put into decoding and reading word for word, with less energy available to figure out what the book means. Books that your child can read with 98-100% accuracy are good choices for comprehension building.

Reading comprehension skills can be developed using a before-during-after approach. Below are a few suggestions that will help build comprehension skills.

BeforeYour goal is to help your child build an

understanding of and purpose for what they're about to read. Look at the book's cover. Ask, "What do you think this book might be about? Why? Can you make some predictions?" Guide your child through the pages, discuss the pictures, and brainstorm what might happen in the story. Talk about any personal experiences your child may have that relate to the story.

DuringYour goal is to help your child be an active

reader. Read together and talk about what's happening as they're reading. Stop and discuss any interesting or tricky vocabulary words. Talk about any surprising or sad passages, and help them visualize parts of the story. Ask your child, "Do you understand what's happening here? What do you think will happen next?" If your child seems unsure, stop, go back and reread if necessary. Discuss any confusing parts.

AfterYour goal is to help your child reflect on what

they've read. Summarize and share your favorite part of the book. Have your child rate the book on a scale from 1 to 10 and say why. Have your child reread their favorite part or act it out.

Take the extra time before and during reading to read with your child this way. You'll soon find yourself reading with a child who is motivated to comprehend and learn from everything they read. By: Reading Rockets (2009)

Happy New Year from the Library!What a cold start to the New Year!Students in grades 4-5 are learning about

various literary genres. They will begin working on “book reports” by the end of January. Third and second grade students are learning about and listening to folk tales. Second grade is now checking out from the nonfiction and fiction sections of the library. Kindergarten and first grades are learning about and listening to lots of “fairy tales.”

There have been several lost and damaged books since the start of school. Please help your students find a good, safe place to keep their books at home. Thanks for your help.

Mrs. Anker and Mrs. Morgan

From the Valley View Literacy Team:Mrs. R. Osborne, Mrs. Grandpre, Ms. Planchon, Ms. Anderson, Mrs. Renner, Ms. Bissonette, Mrs. P. Osborne

One strong focus in reading instruction at Valley View this year has been to develop and strengthen comprehension strategies. Parental support has always been the key to success in reading proficiency. The following article highlights how parents help.

From the Learning Center: Emotional Bank Accounts

You may have heard through your child, a newsletter or another source that Valley View is doing a lot of talk about bucket filling or bucket dipping. What is it? Well, it is sort of like a bank account, actually, an emotional bank account. We all have them and it involves how we feel about ourselves. Think about it this way: when your checking account is overdrawn, it is hard to give away money. Similarly, people have emotional bank accounts that must be sufficiently filled for them to give away-not money, but time, personal responsibility, and good behavior.

Adding regular “deposits” in your kids emotional bank account is smart investing in their future, so they will feel secure in “withdrawing “or giving back to you in the form of respect and proper obedience of your rules. A child that feels he is running a “negative balance” will gain pleasure

from making Mom and Dad get angry. In a backwards psychological way, the power the child yields over his parents in driving them to extreme frustration can fill an otherwise empty emotional bank account. It’s the classic case of the child who would rather get negative attention from their parents than no attention. Being yelled at is better than being ignored, as it fills his emotional account with “bad” currency rather than leaving it “in the red”.

Here are some suggestions of “deposits” to bump up the balance in your child’s emotional bank account:

Give him a gift for no reason. Place a note that says, “I love you” in her lunch

bag. Let him choose (from options you provide) the

next family vacation. Spend time alone with her at a location of her

choice. Truly listen when he speaks to you. Believe in him and his ideas. Do a surprise favor for her. Give him specific and truthful compliments.Making regular deposits in your child’s emotional

bank accounts will yield dividends throughout their entire lives, and even makes them a great role model if they become parents. Help fill a bucket today!Mrs. Barrett, Mrs. Carrier, Mrs. Conaway, Mrs. Ellenbecker, Mrs. Eisenbraun, Mr. King, Mrs. Stenson, Mrs. Weichman

MUSIC NOTES FROM MR. SEDIG

Thank you for attending the Winter Sing held on December 17th, 2010. You were a great audience.

First and Second Grade: This level has been working on a collection of folks songs of the month, a district-wide curriculum in all RCAS elementary schools. January's folk song for first grade is: “Old McDonald” and for second grade: “Lone Star Trail”. The history of these songs is explained to the children in their music book and their music teacher.

We are also going to do some folk dance and learning to be young ladies and gentlemen with respect towards the music style and to each other, working together in music.

Third, Fourth, and Fifth: Music Memory is going to be the focus of this level into April. We are on our 7th Classical selection out of 10. Music Memory is also a district-wide curriculum

in all elementary schools. We select two teams from each school in April and have a friendly competition in late April at R.C. Stevens H.S. IT IS A BIG EVENT! Soon the children will be checking out a CD to study for a few days rotation. They need to be very responsible with the issued CD, take care of it and return it on time for the next student to issue. PLEASE BE AWARE OF THIS.

These children also do folk dancing into about the middle of February. We will have a dance-off to the song "Heel and Toe Polka", experiencing a circle dance that alternates partners. This featured folk dance will narrow down to three classes out of the ten classes. The top three classes will dance-off to see who earns the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals in folk dancing. This will be Valley View's 4th Annual

Dance-Off. It should be on the calendar for late-February.

The intermediate level also has folk songs of the month.

I hope your New Year is having happiness and togetherness in harmony.

Mr. Tim Sedig

Valley View Viking NewsletterPhysical Education

Kyle Yamada

In physical education, students are entering a sports macro-unit. Over the next couple of months, the sports unit will be broken down into several sub-units. The sports units will include floor hockey, soccer, basketball and gymnastics. As always, we continue to also focus on the development of cardiovascular and skeletal muscular endurance and strength through specific movement and exercise.

All students K-5 have shown significant improvement in specific locomotor skills, exercise performance and understanding of health related concepts. In the months to come, we will also focus on nutrition with an emphasis on water intake.

Parents, please help your children to remember to wear appropriate shoes and attire on P.E. days. -Mr. Yamada

“A winner's strongest muscle is his heart.”-Cassie Campbell

Valley View Guidance CornerDuring the month of January we focused our

attention on the “Responsibility” Pillar. Guidance lessons focused on being personally responsible and responsibility as a class and school in our community. Stories read included “The Little Engine that Could” for the K-2 classrooms, The Berenstain Bears and Trouble at School was the story we focused on in grades 3-4. The lesson of the story is being responsible for your work and understanding there are always consequences for your actions.

In grade five students watched a short video clip from the DVD Character in Movies provided to

schools by the Chiesman Foundation and the Rapid City Character Counts! Coalition. January’s lesson featured a selection from the movie “The Pursuit of Happiness”. The movie is based on the true story of Chris Gardner a once homeless man and how he succeeded in becoming a very successful stock broker for a national brokerage firm. The clip features the main character talking to his young son about believing in yourself and not giving up on your dreams no matter what others tell you. After viewing the movie clip and discussing it as group fifth graders were asked to write two things they were personally responsible for outside of school

that demonstrated personal responsibility. From those submitted students will be chosen to have a pizza lunch at school with our building partners from West River Electric later in the month to discuss why “Responsibility” is important in the world beyond school.

At the end of January we will say goodbye to Mrs. Good-Mitzel who will leave our building as a counselor intern and move on to Stevens for the high school portion of her year- long internship. It

has been terrific having her here and many of the students have looked forward to meeting with her individually and in small groups for “lunch bunch time”.

The pillar for February is “Fairness” and all lessons will focus on the importance of including others, being fair to all and the concept of justice for all.

For more information on CharacterCounts! go to: http://www.charactercounts.org.

Community Partnership News

Valley View has been involved in several projects involving the partners in the community. We recently had students decorate a dog house that participated in a contest to raise money for the Humane Society of the Black Hills. It was then sold during a silent auction. The entire project involved all of the Rapid City schools and raised over $4,000. The doghouses were built by high school students and delivered by the SD National Guard. Thank you to Mrs. Marvin and Mrs. Walding for their leadership of this project.

Career Days will be coming in February. We will soon set a date and are currently in the process

of recruiting speakers. This has been a terrific project in the past and brings community members into the school to inspire our young minds. If parents or acquaintances are interested in speaking about their career, they are invited to contact Mr. Burke at school.

Another important aspect of our partnerships includes the many volunteers in classroom centered activities. We all appreciate the volunteer time that is dedicated. Thanks to all who have contributed in this way!Michael BurkeValley View Partnership Coordinator

Is My Child Well Enough to Go to School?The answer is NO if your child….

has a fever of 100 degrees or more. Please keep the child home for 24 hours after temperature is normal. has vomited or had diarrhea. Please keep the child home for 24 hours after the last episode of vomiting or

diarrhea. has been taking antibiotics less than 24 hours. The child may return to school after taking antibiotics for 24

hours. A physician may instruct the child to stay out of school longer depending upon the illness. has a rash and you do not know the cause. Please check with your Health Care Provider before sending the child

to school.

InfluenzaAKA The Flu

What are the symptoms? Chills, body aches, headache, fever, sore throat and may have a cough with a runny nose and/or stomach acheHow long is the time from exposure to the time symptoms first appear? 24-72 hoursHow long should I keep my child at home? Exclude from school until the child is well and symptom free. This is usually between 2-7 days.What are the sources of infection? The influenza virus spreads by coughing, sneezing, or by direct contact with mucus from the nose or throat of the infected person.

Rapid City Area School District 51-4 (2005). School Health Services Procedure Handbook