Dear VCS Community,
It has been a busy few weeks between fall break and winter break!
As we head into this winter break and the holiday season, I wanted to highlight some events that embody our mission and vision, and showcase our remarkable community. The holidays are a time for gratitude and we are very grateful for the partnerships between the VCS staff and family volunteers; this partnership between school and home has made so many wonderful events possible this year, from the VCES talent show to the VCMS winter festival and everything in between. We look forward to continuing to come together in the spring semester to celebrate student progress and advance our mission and vision.
We wish everyone a peaceful, joyful, and restorative winter break and a happy new year.
We look forward to seeing all of our students back on campus on Monday, January 6th.
VCS highlights!
VCES Annual Talent Show: On December 6th, we culminated our VCES annual giving campaign with a fabulous talent show that showcased the talents of our students, as well as the dedication and talents of our behind the scenes (and in front of the camera, in the case of Mr. Valley Charter!) parents. Thanks to everyone for a very fun evening that helped to raise much needed funding for our unique VCES program.
VCES Jaxx Performance: On December 13th and 14th, our talented VCES students put on a fabulous production of the Wizard of Oz! A huge congratulations to all of the students who participated, the parents who supported them and a big thank you to all the VCES staff members who showed up to watch the show!
VCES Generations day: On December 19th, we welcomed grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other special guests on campus for Generations Day. This is a special day during which students get to showcase their school experience and learn about what elementary school was like for their special guests. Guests enjoyed a performance by kindergarteners and 5th graders.
VCMS Math Night: On November 7th, Mr. Coleman’s 7th and 8th grade students showcased their math skills by presenting their artwork inspired by math concepts such as scale drawings, tessellations, and spirals. We had a huge turnout and math night exemplified our instructional vision or hands-on, project-based learning that asks students to present their thinking to an audience.
VCMS Winter Festival: On December 6th, VCMS students were treated to a winter festival where they enjoyed an inflatable obstacle course, a petting zoo, pie in the face, ax throwing, snacks, and games! A big thanks to physical education teacher Randy Cseh, who served as the coordinator for this event and all the staff and family volunteers who helped bring it to life!
VCMS Winter Dance: On December 19th, the VCMS gym was transformed into a winter wonderland and our students enjoyed a photobooth, candle making, games, pizza and lots of dancing. VCMS students had a blast kicking off the holiday season with a dance before break! Thanks to Jason Cruze, our dean and staff sponsor for planning the dance and all of our parent volunteers!
VCES Field Trips: 3rd grade took a field trip to the Rosemont Preserve. 2nd grade took a trip to the Natural History Museum and took a walking field trip through our surrounding neighborhood. Our whole school went on a field trip to the Soraya Performing Arts Center to see a mariachi band.
VCMS Field Trips: 8th grade students had an exciting journey back in time during their Revolutionary War field trip. This immersive experience allowed them to step into the 18th century and engage with history firsthand through interactive activities and reenactments. It was a fantastic opportunity to bring their studies of the American Revolution to life.
This past week our 6th grade students had an exciting and educational adventure! They visited The Broad Museum in Los Angeles, where they explored world-class art exhibits through an engaging scavenger hunt that encouraged observation and creativity. Before the museum, they enjoyed some fresh air and fun activities at Gloria Molina Grand Park, making it a well-rounded day of learning and bonding. We’re proud of how our students represented our school and embraced this unique opportunity to connect with art and their peers.
VCS Fall Giving Reflection
Our fall fundraising campaigns for both schools have ended, and between the two schools, we raised nearly $70,000. Fundraising is a reality for every school and VCS is no different. Our fall fundraising is essential in helping Valley Charter Schools bridge the budget gap that we face year after year and ensures that we will continue to provide valuable additional experiences, services, enrichment, and activities for each and every student. We are so thankful for your support. We are grateful for our strong fundraising legacy and our families’ willingness to invest in the future of VCS. If you did not participate but still wish to donate, it’s not too late! Click here to give to VCES. Click here to give to VCMS.
Attendance Update & Reminder
As I shared at the beginning of the year, strong student attendance is essential to both your child’s progress and our funding. When your child is absent, the school does not receive funding for that day. Collectively, each absence has a great impact on our school budgets, close to $100,000 a year between our two schools in SY23/24. Simply put, if we increase attendance, we increase opportunities for all our students and are able to maintain all of the amazing work described above.
So far this year, VCES yet to date cumulative attendance is 95% and VCMS yet to date cumulative attendance is 93.8%. Maintaining our VCES attendance rate and increasing our VCMS attendance rate to 95% will help us to continue to provide an exemplary program to your child.
With this in mind and because daily attendance is crucial to your child’s success in school, we want each family to be aware of the following:
- Please avoid scheduling family vacations or excursions during school days.
- If you need to schedule a doctor or dentist appointment, please try to schedule it in the morning or afternoon so that your child does not miss the entire day.
- We want your child to be in school if they are healthy. Please continue to keep your child home if they are ill or recovering from illness (e.g., you must wait 24 hours after your child has had a fever or vomited and must follow any additional guidelines for illnesses such as COVID-19).
- Please note that if a student is absent from school, they cannot attend a school-sponsored event on that given day.
VCS “pre-lottery” Application Window Closing!
The school year 2025-26 VCS “pre-lottery” application window will close on February 13th, 2025, and our lottery will be held on February 20th. If you have an incoming sibling at any grade level (Tk-8) that you wish to apply for, you must submit an application on or before February 13th for our sibling priority.
We want more families like yours at Valley Charter! Remind interested friends and family about the pre-lottery application deadline! There are several more group tours this school year, and our annual Community Fair for elementary school-aged prospective students and families is on February 8th on the VCES campus. We need lots of parent and middle school volunteers to make this afternoon a success. Email Rebecca Avery (ravery@valleycharterschool.org) or click here to learn more about volunteering at the 2025 Community Fair.
A healthy return from break!
Unfortunately, COVID-19 and other highly contagious respiratory viruses are impacting our schools. In these last few weeks we have seen a small increase in COVID-19 cases, and lots of flu and cold symptoms, which has become the norm for this time of year. We ask that all of our families continue to be vigilant and please do not send your children to school with flu or cold symptoms. Please err on the side of caution and administer an antigen test if these symptoms are present. In the event that your child tests positive, please complete the appropriate survey. Please also make sure to report any household exposures, as there are protocols we are required to follow related to those as well. Thanks to each family for doing your part to help keep our community as healthy as possible.
- VCES COVID-19 Positive Case Reporting Survey
- VCMS COVID-19 Positive Case Reporting Survey
- VCES COVID-19 Exposure Reporting Survey
- VCMS COVID-19 Exposure Reporting Survey
Have a wonderful, safe, and healthy holiday! See you on January 6th, 2025!
Carolyn
Valley Charter Schools 