VV Athletic Booster's SPARTANSTRONG Apparel

Valley View Athletic Boosters are selling the below apparel and masks.  To place an order go to spartanstrong.alleycatstore .    DEADLINE TO ORDER IS MIDNIGHT, JUNE 21, 2020 .  Orders will be shipped to home. Visit link for sizes and costs.  All proceeds benefit Valley View High School athletics and athletic programs.             

Monday, Jun 01 2020

Germantown Public Library Summer Reading Program

Germantown Public L ibrary Summer Reading 2020 June 1st-August 1 st Exciting news for Summer Reading this year. Reading logs will be virtual through Beanstack, a user friendly reading website and app that allows you to log hours and books read! Ages 0-18 can participate and win fun prizes just for reading!   Register online starting NOW, and start logging your hours JUNE 1st through August 1st! germantown.beanstack.org or Beanstack Tracker App   Come to the library during our curbside service to pick up a Summer Reading bag with some fun goodies inside and more information about Summer Reading 2020! While you’re at it, request some books to get your reading goals started! Don't have the internet or access to the Beanstack Tracker app? No problem! We are offering a paper reading log option in your Summer Reading bag if you can't register for Beanstack. All prizes will be awarded via curbside service. Large prizes will be awarded after August 1st and will range from Amazon gift cards to large LEGO sets! All participants who complete their summer reading logs through Beanstack or paper options will be eligible to win large prizes.   Visit our website at  Germantown.lib.oh.us or call us with questions!   Happy Reading!

Friday, May 29 2020

From the Desk of the Superintendent- Congrats on mak...

We have made it!  Today officially concludes the 2019-2020 school year!  Tomorrow staff will finish their year-end checklists, but today is a day to celebrate.  It goes without saying that this is NOT the end of the school year that any of us could have predicted at the beginning of the year, nor is it the end of the year that any of us want.  There is so much uncertainty and fluidity regarding our future.  Over these past few months, we have remained engaged in conversations with health and government officials and other educational leaders.  We are continuing to maintain a growth mindset as we prepare to adapt to whatever education may look like in the fall.  Our staff is undergoing professional development to assist us with being better with blended learning, and we are trying to finalize some resources to provide students with educational opportunities this summer to reduce major losses.  Additionally, we are continuing to discuss measures to help students with social and emotional issues upon their return to school and are improving cleaning procedures to maximize student safety and health. There is a quote that says, “Adversity does not build character…it reveals it.”  So, I think it is important to look at what character has been on display since mid-March: --     -Upon hearing that students would not be permitted back in the classroom, staff had 4 days to say goodbye to students, pack up their rooms, and learn how to provide instruction. -     -C.A.M.P. in Farmersville and Farmer and the Deli in Germantown have opened their doors to assist with ensuring families in our community still had meals to eat. -     -Numerous stories of people going to stores for people unable to leave their houses. -     -A wonderful parade of staff through our community so that students and staff could see each other. -     -A majority of the community voting to place their trust in the school with one of the largest non-presidential election voter turn-outs in community history during a pandemic with no in person voting. -     -Recognizing our wrestlers and band students who were not permitted to show their abilities at state contest, along with recognizing our students who are entering the military. -     -Despite not being allowed to have mass gatherings, we have still recognized pre-school graduation, 6th grade clap out, and 8th grade clap out -     -We have been able to recognize our graduating class of 2020 in a way that was personal yet meaningful.  Countless individuals (including students) spent hours planning a ceremony that recognized the class for their hard work and achievements.  When each student is mailed their actual diploma, a 5 x7 picture compliments of the After-Prom committee will be sent to them.          - First Church of God was gracious in allowing us to use their space and provided technical support the entire day of graduation.        -A $25 dollar gift card from First National Bank of Germantown for each graduate along with $25 from the After Prom committee was included for each graduate at the ceremony. -     -Personalized yard signs were given to each graduate thanks to the Academic Boosters and the After Prom Committee. -     -A number of special “virtual” lessons were conducted, including JH and HS music lessons with professional musicians. -     -Home visits were conducted by staff members to check in with students we hadn’t heard from in days. -     -Computers were loaned to students who needed them to stay connected with school -     -Pre-school teachers still had “book readings”, where they read books to their students. -     -And countless other stories of people going “above and beyond” to help their neighbors and others in need. While it is easy to focus on “what we have lost”, or “what we may lose in the future”, it is important to recognize and celebrate what we have also realized.  About two years ago, my family and I moved to this community.  Numerous people told me “how special” our community was, yet, despite seeing glimpses of it, I did not truly understand just how special.  These past few months have shown a sustained portrait of a community with pride and purpose.  Just yesterday, Mrs. Gunter at the HS sent me videos from two students in her Video Production class.  They are short videos, but they show that our collective efforts to instill resiliency in our students is taking hold.  Memorial Day is a few days away where we recognize our brave men and women who died fighting to protect our country.  That spirit of pride and resilience was at the forefront of their sacrifice, and we should celebrate that what they fought and died for is very much alive. While I sign almost all communications with “Proud to be your Superintendent”, these past few months have enhanced that to levels I did not think possible.  Thank you, to everyone in our community, for truly demonstrating “Spartan Pride”. Proud to be your Superintendent, Ben Richards

Thursday, May 21 2020

From the Desk of the Superintendent- May 9th, 2020

The calendar says May 9th, but the weather certainly does not feel like May.  A few more updates moving forward: - The last day of new instruction is this Wednesday. After that, assignments will still be given, but they will be more exploratory in nature and will not be for a grade. Since we are not able to have our traditional end of the year celebrations and recognitions, we wanted to use the time in a different manner. - Speaking of recognitions, I am so proud of the plan that the HS team (faculty and students) came up with for graduation. Since we cannot all be together, I think that the plan achieves most of the major moments that students and parents wanted to experience. A special thanks to everyone who has been involved in working on this, and a special thanks to everyone who has been involved to continue to provide meaningful ways to celebrate the Class of 2020. Our community has shown our true Spartan Spirit. - There are a number of different celebrations (6th grade clap out, 8th grade clap out, etc.) in the works. Those will be communicated by the buildings shortly. - Attached is a survey we would like for parents to complete.  While the future is unknown for all of us, completing the survey will provide us with valuable feedback.  You can access the survey by clicking HERE . - Our virtual board meeting is Monday night at 6:00 PM.  We are recognizing our Students of the Quarter at the beginning.  Information about the board meeting can be found by clicking on this LINK . Proud to be your Superintendent, Ben Richards

Saturday, May 09 2020

From the Desk of the Superintendent- April 24th

Happy Friday to everyone!  I am so proud of the work I have seen this past few weeks.  Staff members going to houses to check up on students, parents and teachers collaborating on how to help students, and some amazing virtual sessions (I am excited about the world-class flute player who is going to do a performance for our band students).  While it is not a substitute for the daily work we do, the creativity and spirit of cooperation has been truly incredible.  Thank you to staff, students, parents, and community members for helping out in this truly unprecedented time. I am going to apologize to everyone in advance for the length of this post, but we have been hard at work and have much to update!! - Graduation .  This is probably the most frequent topic I have been asked about the past few weeks.  In looking at what we have been doing as a state, our HS administrative team has been working on organizing a virtual graduation.  This was shown to be a prudent move since the Ohio Department of Education released guidance last night encouraging virtual graduations only.  Today, the HS graduation team included senior leaders from the class to help organize what this will look like.  More details will come out in the coming days, but some of the early ideas I have heard makes me excited about what this group will devise to celebrate and recognize the class of 2020.  We know for sure it will be unique! - End of the School Year.   With the official announcement from the governor that we will not have in-person instruction for the rest of this year, we are planning on altering our end of the year.  Since the last week of school is typically filled with exams, celebrations, and recognitions that we will not be able to have, we are going to have our last day of new instruction as Wednesday, May 13th.  The final week of school will instead be enrichment opportunities and/or focusing on gratitude.  Our last day of school will still be May 21st. - Lunches . Starting next week, we will only distribute lunches on Monday for the entire week. These lunches are available to anyone regardless of income.  Please note: instead of giving individual servings of milk, gallons of milk will be distributed.  Contact Erick Depew if you have any questions about this at erick.depew@valleyview.k12.oh.us   - Grading .  Valley View recognizes that remote learning is not an equal replacement to the powerful and rich learning experiences had during face-to-face class meetings. While we are proud of what our teachers are accomplishing and grateful for what the students are contributing, it just is not the same. We believe that because the learning is not the same, the grading should not be the same either. It is critical for our students to remain engaged in school to the best of their ability during this time. All of our students will still be earning grades during this time, and they must remain engaged in their classes to earn those grades. Student work should be submitted according to the due dates established by teachers. We will continue to accept all student work for credit up until the last official day of school. All K-2 classes will assign each student a mark of RL (Remote Learning) where the fourth quarter grade is typically entered.  Teachers will be using the comment section to fully explain the on-going progress that was observed during the fourth quarter, or the lack of evidence of progress that was observed during the fourth quarter.  For students in grades 3-8, teachers will assign a grade of Pass or Fail for the fourth quarter.  Provided a student has been sufficiently engaged with the learning process in a class (as determined by the teacher), the student will receive a PASS for the fourth quarter.  Additionally, the student’s grade, in the form of a percentage, will be listed in the comment section for informational purposes only.  Thus, no student who has been engaged in the learning process will have their overall class grade hindered by the fourth quarter.  The overall final year grade will be calculated using the first through third quarter grades.  Junior high students taking courses for high school credit should refer to the high school guidelines below.   Students at Valley View High School will continue to receive a letter grade for the 4th quarter.  During the 2nd semester, If a student had a passing grade at the end of the 3rd quarter, that student cannot receive a failing grade for the 2nd semester as long as the student was engaged (determined by the classroom teacher).  If a student is not engaged as determined by the classroom teacher, they can fail the 4th quarter.  Should a student perform well during the 4th quarter/extended closure, they may earn a semester grade HIGHER than their earned 3rd quarter grade.  Students will not have second-semester final exams. College Credit Plus courses can be an exception. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.  Stay safe, and GO SPARTANS! Proud to be your Superintendent, Ben Richards

Friday, Apr 24 2020

From the Desk of the Superintendent- April 9th, 2020

Hopefully this communication finds everyone well.  While it is great to hear improved projections regarding this pandemic, we should also hear the cautionary reminder that the improved numbers are contingent upon us maintaining the current social distancing practices.  While I know it is difficult, by us all following this, we help our front line personnel as well as cut down on how long we will have to stay in this isolation.  Thank you for all that you do to assist with this process. As a reminder, we do NOT have school tomorrow.  On Monday, we will be maintaining our "no new instruction on Monday" approach.  However, please take advantage of trying to get caught up on assignments and contacting teachers if you have any questions.   The HS has prepared a short video for our students.  I think they have done a fantastic job!! Here is a link to the video:   https://animoto.com/play/nCuLqJgvEHtYwpX3kWwikQ A note from the VV Whole Child team Our Whole Child team exists to care for all aspects of each of our 1800+ students.  During these strange new times we want to know, " How can we help your family? ".   We promise to not fill up your inbox.  In fact, we want to just give you the tools to reach out to us in case you think of " How can we help your family? ". Reach out to us any time you have a need and don't know where else to start: Primary : Shannon Hayes, school counselor shannon.hayes@valleyview.k12. oh.us or Sarah Pickerell, Dean of Students sarah.pickerell@valleyview.k12. oh.us Intermediate :  Shannon Hayes, school counselor shannon.hayes@valleyview.k12. oh.us or Denny Shepherd, Dean of Students Denny.shepherd@valleyview.k12. oh.us Junior High : Stephanie Carmack, school counselor   stephanie.carmack@valleyview.k12. oh.us High School : Heather Keating, School Counselor heather.keating@valleyview.k12. oh.us ; Austin Halsey, Austin.halsey@valleyview.k12. oh.us ; or Andy Berry, Dean of Students andy.berry@valleyview.k12. oh.us   Health & Wellness : Susan Parks, School Nurse susan.parks@valleyview.k12. oh.us Finally, we want to leave you with 10 simple strategies families can implement to help break up the "new typical" day: Set a daily schedule and stick to it.  It's OK to sleep in a bit, but be consistent with a wake up time. Get dressed for the day.  That process helps our minds prepare for the day.   Take time during the day for fun leisure activities or working out.  Exercise and movement is important.  Enjoy fun music together.  Your house is the safest place for a family dance party!  Set aside a set time and space for school work. Provide fun breaks throughout that time.   Make time to be in nature.  Listen to the wind, the birds, or a trickling stream.  Find ways to help others.  Help your child become a pen-pal with a friend from class they have not seen in weeks.  Use actual paper and stamps!  Send a card to a distant family member.  Make a positive sign to put out by the road to cheer up those passing by.  Helping others can make us happy and gives us a sense of purpose and satisfaction.   Practice meditation or mindfulness.   Find ways to reach out to your supports...virtually.  This may include school teachers and other staff, faith communities, family members, friends, and those closest to you.  The opposite of isolation is connection. Stay connected, safely.  Thanks for your time, and again, contact us for any of your Whole Child Needs. Stay healthy & safe!   Kevin Phillips  937.855.6581 ext 5 then 2  kevin.phillips@valleyview.k12.oh.us I sincerely hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend!! Proud to be your Superintendent, Ben Richards

Thursday, Apr 09 2020

Parade Route Change

We are so sorry, but there has been a last minute change in the route.  We will be turning right on Gibraltar and a left on Butter heading to Hickory Pointe due to traffic concerns.  

Friday, Apr 03 2020

From The Desk of the Superintendent- April 2nd, 2020...

I hope this message finds you well.  While the weather is changing to warmer temperatures, it still feels off.  We would typically hear the sounds of kids laughing and playing outside on a regular basis, yet it is quiet.  However, there is still laughter going on inside houses, and thank you to staff, parents, and students for that.   When the governor originally announced that we were closing for three weeks (and one of those being our Spring Break), we initially laid out a “Sprinter’s” plan.  We jumped headfirst into this phenomenon, and everyone has done a fantastic job.  I truly believe we are ahead of the curve right now because of the work that everyone has done.  However, with the announcement we will be out for the entire month of April with a strong potential for longer, we must revisit that approach.   We need to switch from “Sprinter” to “Distance”.  We have said that we will continually re-evaluate our approach, and we know we need to make a change.  To that end, starting next Monday for teachers, Monday will be a “No New Instruction Day”.  Instead, it will consist of virtual office hours, virtual collaboration for teachers, professional development, and lesson planning.  The hope is that by the end of the day Monday or early on Tuesday, each teacher can publish a rough agenda of their plans for the week.  I think this will also help ease the anxiety for parents and students as we move forward.   For next week, since we don’t have school on Friday, that means new instruction will only occur on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  The intent is that we are going to slow down and work to create quality and consistency.   I am committed to doing this model for the next two weeks, and then we can reassess and go from there.  We are excited to announce that there will be a VV teacher and staff caravan happening tomorrow (FRIDAY) afternoon around 4pm!  Special thanks to Jessica Wafzig, Anna Swanson, and Erica Hamm for organizing this. Event Details: What: A Car Parade of VV Teachers and Staff When: Friday, April 3rd, starting at 4pm  Where: The caravan parade will start at the Intermediate school and parade around the Germantown and Farmersville communities (See map attached) Why: We miss our VV students and families and want to be able to connect to you outside of the virtual world! IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: -STAY IN HOME OR ON FRONT LAWN TO WATCH PARADE -DO NOT CONGREGATE ON THE SIDEWALK WITH ANYONE OUTSIDE OF YOUR RESIDENCE/FAMILY -CONTINUE TO PRACTICE SAFE SOCIAL DISTANCING  -DO NOT WALK UP TO CARS OR GO INTO THE STREET. TEACHERS AND STAFF WILL SIMPLY WAVE AND SEND SMILES AND HUGS FROM A DISTANCE. PARADE CARS WILL NOT STOP TO TALK. Some of you may ask: What if the parade isn't coming by my house? Drive and park to a location where the parade will go and STAY IN YOUR CAR to watch. Please follow the above safety guidelines. We do not want a positive event like this one to turn into an unhealthy situation.  A parade map is attached to this message. Thank you to everyone who has taken a difficult situation and tried to make the best of it.   Proud to be your Superintendent, Ben Richards

Thursday, Apr 02 2020

From the Desk of the Superintendent- March 27th, 2020

I hope everyone has been staying at-home when allowable and are safe and healthy.  Our Spring Break ends this week, and we return to a virtual classroom on Monday.  While the below items certainly are not as amusing as most Top 10 lists, important information is included that we hope will be of benefit. 1)  Buildings - Buildings are currently closed. Additionally, per the governor's orders, our playground is closed as well. If you need something from the building, please contact the building administrator or building secretary. They are checking their email Monday-Friday. 2)  Meals -Individuals can pick up multiple days of breakfast and lunch on Monday and Thursday.  Location choices are as follows Junior High gym lobby 11:00-12:30 Sunoco Farmersville 11:30-12:30 Intermediate Building door C6 by preschool 11:00-12:30 Germantown First Church of God 11:30-12:30 Windcliff apts. 11:00-11:45 or Hillcrest park 11:45-12:30 St. John’s Church 11:00-11:45 or Kercher park 11:45-12:30 Germantown grocery store parking lot 11:00-11:45 or Hickory Point and Butter 11:45-12:30 These will be drive-thru systems.  Please be patient with us as we work through this new process in an effort to better help our students and community.  This is open to all students.  If you have any questions about this, please contact Erick Depew at erick.depew@valleyview.k12.oh.us  3) Technology - For students who need a computer in order to complete assignments, devices can be picked up on Monday from 9:00-11:00 a.m. and 4:00-6:00 p.m. at the high school at entrances A3, B5, or C7. If you cannot make it for whatever reason, please email Brian Lemke at brian.lemke@valleyview.k12.oh.us 4)  E-learning- We will start back up on Monday with having students accessing lessons online. While we obviously want our students to continue their growth in academic knowledge and skills, our first and foremost priority is ensuring their social and emotional well-being. Our staff wants to work with each of you, and we know that these are difficult times. While we want students to complete their work each day, it should not come at the expense of their overall health and the sanity of our household! If there is assistance that you need, please contact your student's teacher or administrator. We are all in this together! 5)  Flexibility - Please know that our plans are all subject to change. The meal pick-up plan is our plan for this week, but may change moving forward. How we are conducting "classes" may change in subsequent weeks. We are having regular virtual leadership meetings to discuss what is going well, and what we can do to improve. 6)  Voting - The governor just signed new legislation that extends absentee voting for the March 17th election until April 28th. You can access an absentee ballot by going to  THIS page, or by going to  https://www.mcohio.org/11_a_english_MC_v2_NEW.pdf . 7)  Future Days missed - While Governor DeWine has strongly suggested that we will be out longer than April 6th, that has not officially taken place yet. When we know something, we will communicate it. I think we should follow the Governor's suggestion that we will be out an extended period of time. 8)  Cancellation/Postponements - The Ohio High School Athletic Association has now officially cancelled the post-season of winter sports.  The company that sponsors our 8th grade Washington D.C. trip has cancelled our trip at the beginning of May, but we are working with them to reschedule that for a time next year.  No official decision has been made regarding Spring Sports, but I would anticipate that to occur after a decision has been made about whether schools will be out longer. The prom venue has cancelled prom, and we are talking about potential future options.  Finally, we are committed to ensuring that our class of 2020 seniors have a graduation ceremony if we cannot have it on the assigned date and time.  While we may not yet have a time and place, these senior deserve an opportunity to be recognized for their achievement at some point and in some manner.  There are a number of other events that will have to be examined, and the appropriate individuals will communicate those when information is available. 9) Our Staff - Special thanks to our fantastic staff!  In a short amount of time, our food service team has reorganized to set up multiple days of meals from different pick--up points in our community, our athletic director has become an technology director, aides have gone from assisting kids in the classroom to passing out devices and meals, and teachers have completely redesigned how we "teach".  While we will continue to evolve and grow with this new reality, the staff have jumped in head-first with a desire to continue helping our students as much as possible. 10)  Our Community - While we were not in session this week, I have still seen countless examples of selflessness and cooperation within our community.  People helping checking on their neighbors, delivering groceries to those who cannot go outside, providing meals for anyone who needs them, and setting up online social gatherings to help people stay connected. Time and again this community shows why it is a special place.  Special thanks to our medical personal and other essential personnel who keep this place going.  I would highly encourage people who are able to continue to support our local businesses by buying take-out to keep this community moving forward.   I appreciate your flexibility and cooperation as we continue through these challenging times. Our SPARTAN PRIDE shines through no matter the circumstances! Proud to be your Superintendent, Ben Richards

Friday, Mar 27 2020

From the Desk of the Superintendent- March 19th, 2020

Greetings fellow Spartans! I hope everyone is doing well as we proceed through this unique time. We still have much to celebrate and be thankful for during this phenomenon. Mrs. Jill Weaver was recently awarded a giant moon map from the Aldrin Family Foundation. Mrs. Weaver was the only recipient in the entire state of Ohio! I am sure this will be put to good use in the classroom. We have slowly been transitioning to teleworking for our entire staff. Some essential staff members have stayed in the buildings this week as we have tried to make our final preparations. Starting next week, the buildings will all be completely closed. Individuals will check voicemails daily, but the fastest way to reach anyone will be email. If there is something you need, please let us know. I continue to be profoundly appreciative to so many for their selfless acts of helping others. As a show of solidarity with one another, I would like to suggest that we follow our tradition and "Wear Navy on Friday". Take a picture of yourself in Valley View attire and share it on social media. We have something very special in this community, and it is worth celebrating! Proud to be your Superintendent, Ben Richards 

Thursday, Mar 19 2020