Valley View Newsletter 6-19-2026

Posted Date: 06/19/26 (03:28 PM)

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Valley View Newsletter

The Future Starts Here!

June 19, 2026

Principal's Message

Dear Families,

As I prepare to begin a new chapter, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to each of you. Serving as principal of Valley View and Gildersleeve has been a great privilege.

Together, we have celebrated achievements, navigated challenges, supported one another, and, most importantly, worked to ensure that your children have felt valued, safe, and inspired to learn. The partnership between our families, staff, and students has been the foundation of everything we have accomplished, and I am deeply thankful to have been part of the amazing Portland community.

I have been continually inspired by the kindness, resilience, and enthusiasm of our students, the commitment of our staff, and the unwavering support of our families. The relationships I have built here and the memories we have created will remain with me for years to come.

While I am excited about the opportunity ahead, leaving this community is not easy. This school will always hold a special place in my heart. I am confident that the future is bright and that our students will continue to thrive because of the strong foundation that exists here.

Thank you for your trust, your partnership, and the countless ways you have contributed to making Portland such a special place. It has been an honor to serve as your principal.

I wish each of you a joyful summer and continued success in the years ahead.

With sincere gratitude,

Ryan Walstrom

Principal

Attendance & Transportation Updates

Please make sure to email vvattendance@portlandct.us if your child will be absent or if there is a change of dismissal/transportation plans. Please do NOT send messages directly through ParentSquare to the office. The email should include your child’s first and last name, name of teacher, reason for absence, and the date or dates of absence. Please make sure the email is sent the night before or the morning of the absence to ensure the office staff, nurse and teacher are aware. Please make sure the office is aware of all transportation updates regarding your child.

Important Dates to Remember...

June 22nd: Last Day of School/Early Dismissal

Alternate Bus Route Form 2026-2027 School Year

Dear Portland Parents/Guardians:

Each student in the Portland Public Schools is assigned a bus route based on the home address and school that the student is assigned. Parents and guardians are provided the option of selecting alternate pick-up and drop-off locations. If you do not need an alternate pick-up or drop-off location, you DO NOT need to complete the form. Due to the complex nature of creating bus routes, we ask that you complete this request for alternate bus routes by 5:00 pm on July 31st. This information will be shared with M&J Bus and used to create a.m. and p.m. bus routes for the 26-27 school year. Any requests for alternative bus routes after July 31 will not be honored until after the start of the school year. Once the school year gets underway, and we determine bus capacity, parents and guardians will have another opportunity to request alternative bus routes in mid-September.

*IMPORTANT - Please complete a separate form for each child.

Please direct questions about alternative bus route requests to your child's school:

Valley View (860) 342-3131

Gildersleeve (860) 342-0411

Brownstone (860) 342-6765

Portland Middle School (860) 342-1880

Portland High School (860) 342-1720

Here is the link to complete this form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSenKAz73XfRayyvBOhaFv_yW5zGWvAjQkT8mLLUeQWye6c5GQ/viewform

Bus Information

Busing in the Portland Public Schools is provided by M&J Bus. Bus route lists are posted here: https://www.portlandctschools.org/transportation. The bus lists identify each stop's pick-up/drop-off time and location.

On a typical day, when all drivers are present and there are no abnormal road conditions, we expect that the routes will pick up and drop off students at times identified on the bus lists, give or take ten minutes.

If parents/guardians need real-time information about the whereabouts of a bus, please call M&J Bus at (860) 342-2217. The dispatcher at M&J Bus has real-time access via radio to all bus drivers.

Community Health Center, Inc. School Based Health Center

Your child’s school works with Community Health Center, Inc. School Based Health Center program to provide health services (behavioral/mental health) services to your child during the school day. This means they won’t miss as much class and you don’t need to miss work to support their health care needs.

Lean more about the services offered at your child’s school and enroll today at SBHC1.com! Interested families can also seek this service through the link or through our school website.

Nurse's News

Happy Friday!

And happy end of the school year! It has been a pleasure working your children this school year. It was a challenge for many families with all the illnesses that went around but I appreciate the communication and consideration shown to our school community as we all tried to keep everyone healthy.

Please remember if your child has medication in my office it needs to be picked up by an adult by the end of school Monday the 22nd. If you need a new medication authorization form for next year, please let me know.

Best wishes for a healthy wonderful summer!

Mrs. Karen Rettich

Valley View School Nurse

Phone 860 342 3226

Library News

Connect, Create, and Read: Join the Summer Learning Challenge!

Dear Families,

As we head into the summer break, we want to make sure our students keep up their amazing momentum! We are thrilled to partner once again with the Portland Library for our annual Summer Learning & Reading Program, in conjunction with the Governor's Summer Learning Challenge.

While keeping a book in your child's hands is the single best way to avoid the "summer slide," this year's challenge is about expanding their horizons in all kinds of ways. Learning doesn't just happen in a classroom—it happens when kids explore, create, play, and discover the world around them!

How to Participate:

Grab the Challenge Chart: Students will be receiving the official Governor's Summer Learning Challenge Form. Instead of just listing book titles, this chart encourages families to track a wide variety of daily learning activities—like reading a favorite book, tracking the weather, learning a new game, or exploring a local park!

Visit the Library: Head over to the Portland Library now to sign up for their summer program and check out their awesome weekly resources and events. Summer Readers will be celebrated at school in the fall.

Return for Rewards: Keep track of your family's learning adventures over the break and return the completed form to school in the fall so we can celebrate our summer learners! You can also upload a photo of the completed form directly to the State Library and complete the form to earn a special prize from the State Library.

Need Inspiration?

Check out the Valley View & Gildersleeve Summer Learning webpage for customized grade-level reading lists (Pre-K through 5th Grade), interactive learning resources, and ideas to keep your children engaged all summer long.

If you have any questions or need support, feel free to reach out to:

Mrs. Thorpe (Valley View): mthorpe@portlandct.us
Mrs. Radz (Gildersleeve): kradziewicz@portlandct.us

Thank you for partnering with us to keep our community learning. Have a wonderful, curious, and book-filled summer! Me

Thank you for helping your children take good care of their library books this year! We ended up with 8 books unaccounted for in 1st grade and only 2 in kindergarten!

I loved working with your children this year! Thanks for all your support of the VV Library!

Melissa Thorpe

Library Media Specialist

Art Room News

To celebrate the beginning of summer, Valley View artists created these “What I’d like to do this summer” cards. Everything from swimming, camping and trips to the beach, as well as family visits and island vacations were illustrated.

I hope everyone enjoys summer break, and please take a look at your child’s art portfolio they will be bringing home. I will miss our rising second graders, and look forward to seeing our brand new first graders again at summer’s end!

Mrs. Julie French

Visual Art Teacher

PTO News, Meetings & Updates

Valley View PTO 2025-2026 Officers

Erin Benson - President
Gen Veliu - Vice President
Nicole Wimmer - Treasurer
Erin Wells - Secretary
Caitlin Custy - Voting Member
Ashley Hetrick - Voting Member
Lauren Flood - Supporting Volunteer
Rochelle Cortezzo - Supporting Volunteer

Email: valleyviewptoct@gmail.com

News from the Cafeteria

Snacks will be offered in the cafeteria on Thursdays. Snacks include things like cookies, rice crispy treats, chips and even ice cream. The cost for these items range from $1 to $1.50. Students will only be allowed to choose one item each week. In order to purchase a snack, children will need to bring in cash on Thursdays or have a positive balance established within their MySchoolBucks account. Please reach out if you need any further information.

Thank you for your help,

Ms. Denise

Cafe Menus - June 2026

District News