| Valley Community Schools |
The Elgin City Website Presents:
 |  |
| Valley Community School District is located in the beautiful hills and valleys of northeast Iowa and includes the towns of Clermont, Elgin, and Wadena. The area is rich in history, recreational attractions, and life long educational experiences for all ages! The Valley Community School is fortunate to have an excellent PreK-12 facility under one roof nestled two miles from Clermont and two miles from Elgin. Approximately 525 students PreK through 12th grade create a learning community that allows students and staff to work collaboratively to learn the basics, as well as the deep core values in the arts and 21st Century skills for a lifetime. Read more in a recent brochure which highlights the enhanced experiences Valley Community students, parents, and community patrons enjoy! The Valley Community School District embraces, advocates, and promotes education of the whole child. Within that vision and mission are Valley’s continual research and creativity to create an environment to provide students multiple opportunities to participate in activities in the creation of a quality of life for each individual—something beyond the scores in reading, math, and science. Our district is vested into the development of teaching and having students discover the ways in which the worlds of technology, nature and diversity complement each other. In the fall of 2008 our entire PreK-12 school campus became wireless, allowing safe internet access to students, staff, and patrons visiting our facility. In the 2004-05 school year, a new Early Childhood/ Elementary Learning Center was added to the K-12 facility. It was constructed with preschoolers in mind…in-floor heat, air conditioning, laundry, kitchenette, and preschool playground equipment that is handicapped accessible. Connected to the EC Center is the K-6 elementary. The teacher to student ratio is approximately 1 classroom teacher for every 17 students. Adding specialized teachers (including music, band, art, physical education, library, special education, Title 1, and counselor) the teacher:student ratio is approximately 1 teacher for every 12 students. Educational experiences for our students (K-12) extend beyond the basics, though our testing data places Valley students above the state average. Embedded within our instruction of reading, math, science, and social studies are core values including place- based education. Place-based education includes conscious efforts to integrate learning about our specific area or “place.” To learn about nature and qualities of the environment and impacts this knowledge can have in deepening the skill development of appreciating our neighborhoods, our rural areas, our streams, and the importance of interacting with nature in our “place.” Valley education provides a balance of integrating technology with the experiences that allow students to plant trees, learn science lessons on the banks of the nearby Turkey River; integrate horticulture with the industrial technology construction students and the business education students in marketing plans. Also in the 2004-05 a new Jr. High wing was added to our facility with two new state-of- the-art science labs, six classrooms, computer lab and new restrooms and also air conditioning! Administration and staff has created a successful Junior High identity with space designed with junior high students in mind! In 2007-08, 88% of all junior high students participated in extra-curricular activities including sports, drama productions, vocal and instrumental music. The Valley Community High School has just celebrated the 50th graduating class from the Valley Community High School! Strong traditions of academic and extra-curricular achievements, awards, and distinctions can be documented, shared and revisited! In a recent Des Moines Sunday Register (March 30, 2008), an article appeared entitled, Small School Grads on Par at College. Data analyzed between 2004 and 2007 regarding freshman attending the three State Universities indicated Valley’s graduates had an average Grade Point Average of 3.24, hence ranking Valley Community High School as 13th high school in the state of Iowa of high student achievement. Our official school newspaper, the Elgin Echo did a follow-up story with testimonies from Valley graduates. A supportive community and family friendly atmosphere provides our youth and our adults with the Quality of Life which promotes the type of great place to raise a family, make a living, relax and recreate, and learn for a lifetime! The gymnasium in the PreK-12 facility was recently renovated with new bleachers, refinished floors, repainted, and included the addition of air conditioning. New outdoor bleachers were added in the spring of 2008 through the donations and active participation of a strong athletic Booster Club. The Fine Arts Booster Club also is very active and supports both financially and with incredible enthusiasm for work and promotions for the outstanding drama and musical productions of our drama, speech, and band and vocal music departments. Another active community based program that supports the students and staff at Valley is the Parents In Education or P.I.E. whose members provide academic recognition awards and assemblies to students who achieve academic benchmarks and show academic growth. The Valley Board of Education has made a three-year commitment to revitalize the technology within our school system. Work is being done to create a wireless campus in our PreK-12 facility. Every teacher will have a laptop by the end of the 2008-09 school year. The next phase will be to research one-to-one computers for students. LEARN FOR LIFE…. In the Valley Community! For more information click on this link: www.valley.k12.ia.us |
| Our Location |
| Our Vision |
| Preschool Facilities |
| Elementary Facilities |
| Learning about our enviroment |
| New Facilities |
| A History of Excellence |
| Our Supportivve Community |
| New Technology |
| Learn more about our great schools! |
| Valley Schools Web Site: www.valley.k12.ia.us |