Dates to Remember:

February 24th & 25th: Choir Concerts

March 11th - 14th: 3^rd Annual Book Bazaar (Used Book Sale)

March 13th & 14th: Parent Conferences & Vibe-a-Ganza

March 20th to 22nd: Spring Musical (Descendants)

March 31st - April 5th: Spring Break; No School!

Dear Parents and Guardians,

In the district’s 2020-2030 Strategic Plan, student wellness is outlined in Strategy C: Fostering Positive Learning Environments and Whole Student Support.  As part of this focus, the district will again be implementing a wellness screener to all students in grades 3-12 this year.  This screener will help the district to gain a better understanding of students’ well-being and is the same one that has been utilized the last five years.

The wellness screener is a brief survey that is designed to assess student’s feelings, behaviors, and connection to adults and peers. Edina Public Schools partners with Panorama Education to administer this survey.  The survey will not be used to diagnose students; we will use it to help identify groups of students who may need additional support at school.  The results will be reviewed by teachers, administrators, and support staff (Social Workers, Psychologists, and Counselors) in the building.  The screener will be administered to your student during the survey window of March 10 to March 21, 2025 and will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. 

If concerns arise, you will be contacted to review your child's results with school support staff.  Please be aware that if your student indicates any safety concerns at home or in school, support staff are mandated reporters and will implement any support that is necessary to ensure a student's safety.  

We are asking that all of our students participate in the survey, as their feedback will provide invaluable insights into their experiences and how to improve and adapt our school to their needs. If a student doesn’t feel like they have enough information to answer a question, they will be able to skip the item altogether.  Our goal is always to partner with families.  Our school district has informed parents of such surveys in the past and federal law also requires us to notify parents of this school activity.  The survey is also voluntary. You may choose to have your student not take the survey by completing this EPS Student Wellness Survey Opt Out Form. If you wish to opt your student out of the survey, we ask that you please complete the Form by March 3, 2025. 

Questions regarding the wellness screener can be directed to Leigh Ann Feily, District Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Coordinator (leighann.feily@edinaschools.org) or answers may be found on this FAQ Guide. Thank you for your support.

Thank you,

Edina Public Schools

Join us for our second annual Demonstration of Learning Vibe-a-Ganza! The new remix on the old boring conference night...

March 13th, from 5pm - 7pm 

March 14th, from 8:30am - 11:30am (chill experience / sensory friendly)

This will be a chance to  see the depth of your students learning and have fun while doing it!

Time to start looking through your bookshelves! The VVMS 3^rd annual Book Bazaar, a used book fair, is coming soon-- March 11-14. We will start collecting donations of gently used books for middle school readers from February 24 through March 10. More info on the Book Bazaar here!

On Thursday, February 6th, AVID 8 students attended a field trip to Macalester College. These young scholars participated in a College 101 Activity, were given a tour of the campus, ate in the college cafeteria and participated in a Q & A session with a panel of current Macalester students. 

A first time team named “Since Sliced Bread” came together with students from VV and SV qualified and participated in the FTC Minnesota state Robotics Championship on Saturday Feb 15th. They worked with their alliances and had a fun day pushing their robot to score points. Congratulations to the team! 

Last week our Library Council partnered with Ms. Mclennon at the District to bring in Jeff Hagen, VV parent and cyber security expert during our 20 Questions in 20 Minutes career exploration sessions. The students were ENGROSSED!!

Students in 7th grade enriched social studies researched a topic from the turn of the 20th century and shared them in a gallery walk. Topics ranged from Crazy Horse and Annie Oakley to the Brooklyn Bridge, the invention of basketball, and Alice Paul.

Board Game Club

Nail Painting Club

Fleece Tie Blanket Club

Ed fun hosted their annual cake off fundraiser on Friday Feb 7th to ensure continued excellence in Edina Public Schools. 

Valley View was in the house and heard from teachers, administrators and students about the work the Ed fund does to support EPS students in the following areas

Mental Health and Wellness for both students and staff

Literacy and teacher training in the Science of Reading

STEAM – including our latest projects in STEM and our commitment to arts programming

Principal Bass even won a cake in the silent auction that was enjoyed by his staff 

Come see what the fuss is all about, our kids are great and you make a difference!

We loved having our VVMS parents volunteer during passing times and at lunch last year! Please, please please, keep coming in and volunteering to supervise. 

We are offering work spaces for those who want to come during our passing time. This allows our parents to supervise halls during transition time but then hop back into an office to work. We're happy to accommodate! 

SIGN UP BELOW

For reference, here is the VV Daily Schedule.

Thank you!!

The Lunch & Hallway buttons now link directly to the Sign Up Geniuses

Working with middle school requires the right temperament. We mostly just need you to be smiley, and cheerful. We avoid practices that involve screaming or yelling. We prefer softer approaches that are kind but firm. Individuals volunteering are able to suspend bias and judgment and can offer support for all students. If you think this is you? Please help us in adding a greater eco-system like approach to how we guide and shepherd our young Hornets.

Students entering 7-8 grades for the upcoming 2025-26 school year

Starting summer of 2025, Edina Middle School students (entering grades 7-8 in 2025-26) can earn a Presidential Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) through Edina Community Ed. Students must complete 50-74 hours (Bronze), 75-99 hours (Silver), or 100+ hours (Gold) within one calendar year. Applications open February 11th and close April 27th, 2025. 

Mandatory orientations (in-person) will be held in April 2025, with attendance required by May 2nd, 2025. While Community Ed offers limited volunteer opportunities (Community Ed Unified Peer Volunteers & Green Superheroes of Science-Teen Teachers), students are responsible for finding their own volunteer placements. For more information and resources, please take a look at the Current Volunteer Opportunities webpage. Students must track their hours using the provided logs and submit them by April 27th, 2026. Certificates will be available for pickup at school in May 2026.

*While the National Presidential Volunteer Service Award has many options for all ages, as a Certifying Organization, Edina Public Schools has created these specific guidelines to help us manage the details involved.

Questions: email Alan.Hendrickson@edinaschools.org

Applications open February 11th and close April 27th, 2025 

Unified Peer Volunteers

Make a difference in our community by volunteering with summer Unified Enrichment camps through Edina Community Ed! Your support will help create a positive and meaningful camp experience for our students, ensuring they feel valued and engaged in all camp activities.

We ask that volunteers attend a 1.5 hour training session (DATE TBD the week of June 2) and commit to serving all four days (3 hours per day) for at least two weeks of Unified Camps.  

• Step 1: Potential Unified volunteers must complete an application by April 13, 2025. Link here: 
• Step 2: Accepted Unified volunteers will be notified of their schedules by April 25, 2025.
• Step 3: Unified volunteers will attend a 1.5 hour training session (Date TBD) the week of June 2-5 and serve all four days for at least two weeks of camp

Location: South View Middle School

Dates & Shifts: 

• June 9-12 |12:45 PM - 4:00 PM | Unified Theater Together
• July 21-24 | 8:45 AM - 12:00 PM | Unified Fit & Active
• July 28-31 | 8:45 AM - 12:00 PM | Unified Cooking 
• July 28-31 | 12:45 PM - 4:00 PM | Unified Cooking 
• Aug 4-7 | 8:45 AM - 12:00 PM | Unified Art
• Aug 4-7 | 12:45 PM - 4:00 PM | Unified Art 
• Aug 11-14 | 8:45 AM - 12:00 PM | Unified Team Building
  
  

Green Superheroes of Science Teen Teachers at excitED 
Students entering 7-8 grade

A great volunteer in this program is someone who…

is a thoughtful and enthusiastic individual, this volunteer is eager to share their interest in science with young learners. They are committed to educating the next generation about the environmental challenges posed by plastic pollution. 

Through engaging experiments, they aim to inspire young minds and foster a supportive learning environment where students can explore environmental science concepts and develop a better understanding of these critical issues.

• Step 1: Potential Teen Teachers must complete an application by April 13, 2025: Link here 
• Step 2: Volunteers must attend a required, day-long training with U of M extension/4H staff on Thursday, June 5, from 9:30am - 3:30pm. Lunch will be provided. 
• Step 3: Volunteers commit to serving all eight days (2-3 hours per day) of teaching young students at Highlands Elementary July 7-17

Questions: email Alan.Hendrickson@edinaschools.org

Location: Highlands Elementary School

Dates & Shifts: July 7-10 & July 14-17, M-Th, 12:45-3:15 pm

Don't miss the chance to get some awesome Valley View gear, our store is still open!

Purchase HERE

We want to make sure all of our students are able to show their school spirit! Please reach out to Jill Wait at Jill.wait@edinaschools.org if you need to request a scholarship for your student to purchase school spirit wear.

Financial assistance for athletic, art, and academic extracurricular activities.

If you are in need of assistance: https://edinagiveandgo.org/successes/need-help/

If you are interested in donating: 
https://edinagiveandgo.org/give-help/

The Edina School Board has begun planning to hire our new superintendent, with the official search beginning in fall 2025. To ease the transition, an interim superintendent will be hired to coincide with Dr. Stanley’s expected departure in mid-April and serve through the end of the 2025-26 school year. Stakeholder feedback will be an essential component of the hiring process. 

Please visit this page for updates.

Valley View Middle School PTO

6750 Valley View Rd., Edina, MN

ptovvms@gmail.com

VVMS PTO Website