As the winter break approaches, I want to take a moment to reflect upon the successes of the first half of the school year. We have focused on implementing our strategic plan and worked on our three priorities: Priority 1: Elevating Student Success + Engagement, Priority 2: Community Belonging + VC Pride, and Priority 3: Clear + Transparent Communication. Visiting classrooms throughout the District provides a strong sense of VC pride. Our students have demonstrated hard work in the classrooms and extraordinary talent at concerts and athletic events. Our dedicated staff and amazing students continue to shine.
Please enjoy a well-deserved break. This holiday season, I encourage you to give your children the gift of your time to reconnect. Spend quality time with family and friends. Take time to relax, have fun and embrace the moments that make this time of year so special. We are eager to accomplish great things in the New Year. When we return, I will share a progress report on the strategic plan.
Valley Central’s Mission
At Valley Central we champion curiosity and set high expectations. Our mission is to empower every member to achieve at high levels and embrace the joy of continuous learning.
Superintendent’s Message
Dear Valley Central Families,
Tis the season of giving, and I can proudly say that our schools, students, teachers, and staff have been working diligently to bring joy to our school community. The Montgomery Elementary’s, Middle School’s and High School’s winter concerts set a festive mood and Montgomery Elementary kindergarteners spread good cheer by caroling in the village of Montgomery.
East Coldenham, Walden Elementary, ALC, Berea Elementary, Montgomery Elementary and the Middle School collected enough food for Thanksgiving and Holiday drives to ensure over 63 families could enjoy a lovely holiday meal. Many of our schools also participated in toy drives. Walden Elementary student council collected over 400 toys for Operation Dalmatian. BES, EC, ALC, and MES also collected toys and gift cards. There were also pajama drives, cards created for nursing home residents, gift cards for families, and clothing drives, which brightened the lives of countless of our friends and neighbors.
In addition to all these amazing things, we are excited to announce that our team has been working on Priority 3 of our strategic plan: improving communication. We have identified a new communication platform called ParentSquare. This system will replace SchoolMessenger (which is the system we are using now for phone calls, emails, and texts). This new platform will make communicating easier and more convenient for our families.
Since the primary contact information parents have on file with the District has not changed, you will continue to receive text messages, phone calls, and emails from the school district without interruption. More information about ParentSquare will be shared when we return in January.
If, and only if, you need to update your contact information, please contact your child’s school secretary between Jan. 2 – Jan. 10 at the number listed below.
High School– Jennifer Guidry: (845) 457-2400 ext. 17521
Middle School– Nancy House: (845) 457-2400 ext.16511
ALC– Diane Cascarino: (845) 457-2400 ext. 13501
Berea Elementary School- Catharine Giordano: (845) 457-2400 ext. 11511
East Coldenham Elementary School– Mary Pettine: (845) 457-2400 ext. 12511
Montgomery Elementary School– Stacie Troy: (845) 457-2400 ext.14511
Walden Elementary School- Tracy Barry: (845) 457-2400 ext.15511
As your Superintendent, I am incredibly honored to serve the Valley Central community. I truly appreciate your continued support and partnership to make a difference in the lives of our students. I wish you a very happy winter break filled with much joy and peace, and a healthy and prosperous New Year!
Warm regards,
Superintendent Avila
Spreading Holiday Cheer
- MES third graders worked with kindergarteners
to make ornaments to give as gifts. - Musicians from the VCMS Select Chorus and Chamber Music Ensemble spread holiday cheer in the Village of Montgomery.
- The Senior Class sponsored a food drive at the high school and was able to fill five cars with food for the Montgomery Food Pantry!
- The student council at WES collected over 400 toys for Operation Dalmatian, which will distribute them to children in Orange County!
- The EC PTA Winter Holiday Craft Night was a wonderful evening filled with creativity, holiday spirit, and community fun.
- Viking Voices Acapella Group performed at the VCMS winter concert for our school community.