Letter From The Principal, Aug 13

Dear Parents of Pleasant Valley students,

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the 2007-2008 school year! I know that in working together we can continue the tradition of excellence that exists at Pleasant Valley. As teachers, staff, and parents, we all share the common goal of creating an environment that is best for all children to learn and grow. I am happy to report that most of our staff will be returning this year. We have had a few changes that I would like to share with you.

• Len Banaag has been promoted to sixth grade! Len will be joining the Sinaloa staff this year! We wish him the very best of luck and know that Sinaloa is getting a star teacher! For our staff, this created a ''domino effect'' as you will find described below.

• Louise Menezes has also been promoted - to fifth grade! Louise is interested in teaching a new grade level to improve on her already incredibly strong teaching practices.

• Deborah Baraban has been promoted to fourth grade! Deborah returns to the grade level she taught two years ago and looks forward to collaborating once again with Joan Fellers.

• DeMaur Herrera has permanently joined PV's staff after working as a long term substitute last year. We know DeMaur to be committed, creative, and diligent. The Third Grade team is fortunate to have DeMaur as their newest member!

• Lauren Strong has also joined our staff as a First Grade teacher. Lauren is relocating to the Bay Area from Yucca Valley where she taught kindergarten. (So, I guess she has been promoted, as well!) Lauren is an enthusiastic and dedicated professional. We look forward to her many contributions!

We feel very fortunate to have these wonderful professionals join us! Our teaching staff includes:

• Kindergarten: Kristen Davis, Lisa Heslip, Stephanie Ortega-Kennison, Virginia Saysette
• First Grade: Laurie Markwart, Lauren Strong, Gina Yates
• Second Grade: Nicole (King) Lee, Tracey (Denton) Marshall, Michelle Stephens & Kate Mansergh
• Third Grade: DeMaur Herrera, Clay Jones, Rickie Merritt
• Fourth Grade: Deborah Baraban, Joan Fellers
• Fifth Grade: Rob Celli, Louise Menezes

Our dedicated support staff - including our Instructional Aides, yard supervisors, custodians, and specialists - remains intact. As many of you know, our beloved Office Manager, Jeannie Lorraine, will retire effective September 1st. While we will miss her greatly, we feel most fortunate to know Julie Spaan will be taking over the reins. Julie is an exceptional employee who has added much spirit and knowledge in the front office. Moving to the Office Manager position is a natural move for Julie. Lisa Casey will be joining our staff as our Office Technician on September 1st. We look forward to Lisa's valuable input and pleasant disposition.

Reminders and information for the 2007-2008 school year:

• Our first day of school is Thursday, August 23rd. The bell schedule (beginning and dismissal times) and the school and district calendars are included in this letter.

• On the first day of school, you will receive a packet of important information and forms. Please take the time to read all the information and return the forms promptly to your child's teacher. Returning the emergency cards quickly cannot be stressed enough. Persons listed on the emergency cards should be local and available to be called in an emergency. Please make sure that the cards are filled out completely on both the front and the back. Please highlight the telephone number that is the easiest for us to reach you during the school day. These cards are due no later than Friday, August 31st.

• Class lists for grades 1 - 5 will be posted in the office window on Wednesday, August 22nd at 4:00. They will remain in the window for the first few days of school.

• Yard supervision is provided on the playground beginning at 8:15 am. For the safety of students, please do not leave students unattended before supervision is available.

• Please observe all traffic guidelines. A great deal of work has been done over recent years to address the safety of our children. If we all use common sense and respect, our children will arrive to and be picked up from school safely. We encourage parents to park a short distance from school and walk up the path to greet the children whenever possible. Most importantly, please help to make the front of our school safe for all children: drive slowly, drop off only at the curb, refrain from stopping in the white zone, avoid cutting in front of vehicles, do not leave your car unattended in the white zone, and please follow the instructions of our yard supervisors. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping all of our students safe!

• As many of you know, there will be new procedure at lunch time. Students will play first, and then eat lunch - and they will eat in the multi-use room! The changes have been made to create a better environment for our children and to encourage them to eat a healthier meal. The actual time for lunch has not changed but they will actually be eating a little later than in the past. Therefore, a good, healthy snack is strongly encouraged every day. (Remember to pack a snack even if your child is buying a lunch.) Thanks to our PTA and the Lunch Buddy program for making this all possible!

• Please plan on stopping by the PTA Welcome Coffee on Thursday, August 23rd at 8:30 in the Multi-Use Room. This is a terrific opportunity to visit with old friends and make new ones!

• Mark Wednesday, September 5th at 6:30 on your calendars! Back to School Night is an evening for parents only to meet your child's teacher and learn more about the school program for the year. This day is a minimum day for students. Dismissal will be at 12:30 for grades 1 - 5. Kindergarten will follow their Wednesday schedule.

• Upon your return to school, you will notice the renovation to our school has been completed! All of our classrooms and restrooms have been remodeled and are now state of the art! This renovation work is possible due to a bond measure passed in 2001. Thank you to the voters of Novato for making this possible!

Pleasant Valley is an incredible place and I look forward to the opportunity to work with you and your children this school year!

Sincerely,

Pam Conklin
Principal