If you have a child who is having difficulty with walking, talking, seeing, hearing, or learning, we are offering Early Childhood Screenings through the Marshall County Special Services Coop for children ages 3 to 5 on Friday, October 18th. Please call the number on the attached flier to schedule your child to be screened. If you aren't sure if your child should be screened, give us a call and we will discuss your needs.
Lady Mustang volleyball at Blue Valley tonight ended with the following scores:
Varsity vs Blue Valley 25-10, 25-13
Varsity vs D-West 25-13, 28-26
Varsity vs Washington Co 25-23, 25-21
JV vs Blue Valley 23-25, 25-2, 15-7
JV vs Washington Co 25-12, 25-16
JV vs D-West 21-25, 25-13, 11-15
C Team vs D-West 25-11, 25-8
Good job, Lady Mustangs!
Lily Busey will start painting the walls in the weight room as part of her Senior project! We are asking our community members who are working out to not lean equipment against the walls and to careful around the walls. Thank you!!
We have picked a winner for the $500 pork bundle! Congratulations Pam Martin!!
The Lady Mustangs travel to Blue Valley to take on Blue Valley, Washington County, and Doniphan West! The games begin at 4 pm!
EVERYONE can play a role in suicide prevention and provide HOPE. Know the warning signs of suicide for youth and adults. Then YOU can #BeThe1To offer support. Seek help for yourself or others by calling or texting 988 or by chatting with 988Lifeline.org. #suicideprevention
Lady Mustangs C team volleyball had a clean sweep tonight at D-West! VH vs D-West 25-17, 25-16. VH vs Riverside 25-13, 25-7. VH vs Hiawatha 25-8, 25-11. Way to go, ladies!!
2 runners! 2 GOLDS! Congrats to Emma Warders and Langston Gray on winning their Cross Country races at Washington County!
Reminder Facilities tours start tonight at 6pm. Each building will be open to the public from 6-7:30pm. Building administration will help guide the tours along with staff. USD 498 board members will start at BRGS at 6pm. Public is invited to attend.
Here is the Weekly Activities Schedule!
C Team Volleyball travels to D-West to compete in a quad. Here is the schedule! Good luck, Lady Mustangs!
If you missed out on Spikefest or Powderpuff this year Valley Heights Video Production has you covered!
https://youtu.be/EGQOVdjBKQA
Tune in to our coverage of the events, announced by Tessa Bigham, Shaylee Ekstrum, Aubrey Umscheid, and Kebeb Zimmerman.
The JH Lady Mustangs had a fantastic morning of volleyball, winning all three matches vs Frankfort, Clifton-Clyde and Marysville!
Please use the following link to view this week's elementary newsletter!
https://secure.smore.com/n/7tdfv
Mrs. Meadows' class enjoyed creating concentric leaves today!
Miss Bruna's class enjoyed doing Concentric Art out of leaves today for a SEL lesson. They learned being patient and taking their time.
Come out and support the HS Football team tonight! Kickoff vs Dwest is 7PM!
Valley Heights USD 498 was Awarded $390,034 SVPP Matching Grant to Enhance District Safety and Security. Valley Heights USD 498 is proud to announce that the district has been awarded a grant through the School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP)(75% funded by the grant $292,527, 25% funded by the district $97,507)
This funding will enable the district to implement critical updates to its safety and security infrastructure, including:
Security System Updates
Key Fob Entrances for Controlled Access
Improved Signage Throughout the District
Installation of Protective Barriers (Ballards)
Updating Intercom and Bell Systems
“These upgrades are crucial for ensuring the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and visitors,” said Superintendent Sean Spoonts. “This is great news for our district! The grant award will help us address security needs in the district. Safety and security are a priority in our district, and this grant will help us with much-needed upgrades.”
A Strategic Approach to Safety: Four Phases of Improvement
The journey toward these security improvements began in **August 2023**, when Valley Heights USD 498 initiated a four-phase process to assess and enhance the district’s safety protocols:
Phase 1: Needs Assessment and Collaboration
In **Fall 2023** USD 498 convened meetings with local law enforcement, EMTs, and county management to assess current security needs and establish ongoing collaboration. During this phase, the district also completed a **Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)** evaluation to identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement in school safety. Crisis notebooks for all licensed personnel were also updated to ensure readiness for emergency situations.
Phase 2: Comprehensive Security Planning
Following the CPTED evaluation, the district developed a comprehensive plan to address the identified security weaknesses. This plan became the foundation for future security upgrades and provided a clear roadmap for action.
Phase 3: Securing Resources
In **Summer 2024**, Valley Heights USD 498 completed the application process for the **SVPP grant**, seeking funding to support the necessary equipment and resources identified in the security plan.
Phase 4: Implementation
Now, with the successful award of the $292,527 SVPP grant, the district will begin the implementation process of these new security measures and initiatives. The updates will include modernizing the security system, installing key fob entrances for controlled access, updating intercom and bell systems, improving signage, and adding protective barriers around vulnerable areas.
Lots of smiles today after receiving VHS tickets from Mrs. Wetter and Mr. Z. Corbin and Fritz worked extra hard in Math for Mrs. Wetter. She also awarded Judd with one for being kind and sharing with another student. Mr. Z was proud of Douglas for being a great example of a student for his sub when he was gone. Congrats to all and great job!
