Valley
Oaks Mission Statement
Valley Oaks education is challenging,
exciting, and relevant to the needs of our students.
Collaborative efforts help children
reach their fullest potential by producing critical thinkers,
academic risk-takers, problem solvers, and life-long learners. Every
member of our learning community takes pride in Valley Oaks--a place
where students are responsible for their actions, have positive
self-esteem, and demonstrate a high regard for
others.
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Awards
and Celebrations
-
2004-SBISD
Elementary Teacher of the Year
- 2002-SBISD
Employee of the Month (October)
- 2002-Spring Branch PTA Council "Helen Huey
Outstanding Newsletter Award"
- 2001-Spring Branch PTA Council "Helen Huey
Outstanding Newsletter Award"
- 2000-SBISD
Employee of the Month (April)
- 1999-SBISD
Volunteer of the Month (October)
- 1999-SBISD
Employee of the Month (January)
- 1998-Commissioner's Certificate for
Recognized Performance
- 1998-Spark Park
Dedication
- 1998-Spring Branch PTA Council "Helen Huey
Outstanding Newsletter Award"
- 1997-Commissioner's Certificate for
Recognized Performance
- 1997-Elizabeth Brand Teacher
Excellence Award
- 1997-Spring Branch PTA Council "Helen Huey
Outstanding Newsletter Award"
- 1996-Houston Consortium of Urban
Schools wins National Distinguished Program in Teacher
Education
- 1995-SBISD Teacher of the
Year
- 1994-Texas Successful Schools
Award
- 1994- Grand Opening of the Valley
Oaks Science Kitchen, a one-of-a-kind laboratory for hands-on
science exploration
- 1993- Houston Business for Education
Principal's Grant
- 1993- Spring Branch Foundation
History Grant
- 1993- Mayor of Houston's Educational
Excellence Award
- 1993-Present Designated as
Professional Development and Technology Center for the Houston
Consortium of Urban Schools
- 1993 Texas Education Agency Award of
$62,500
- 1993 Texas Successful School Awards
for Outstanding Performance Effort and Performance Gain
- 1992 and 1993 Blaffer Foundation
Grants for Differentiated Instruction
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Neighborhood
Involvement
Valley Oaks has proudly served Spring
Branch for over 40 years. It offers all advantages of a neighborhood
school: proximity to home and child care, the opportunity for parents
and children to develop friendships and associations in local Scouts,
sports teams and other leisure activities, and real roots in a
community instead of just a location in a big city. This "sense of
place" fosters an attitude of belonging for our
students.
Valley Oaks enjoys a high level of
neighborhood and parental involvement in PTA and volunteer roles.
Projects which support the school include
- Volunteers in Schools
(VIS)
- Family Library Nights
- Visiting authors
- Computer volunteers
- Art appreciation
lessons
- School beautification
- School newsletter
- Teacher appreciation
- Reading is Fundamental
(RIF)
- Annual events--Jamboree and Family
Supper
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Special
Programs
Parents new to Spring Branch schools are
often surprised by the many services that are available without
charge.
- Music, art and health
fitness.
- Remedial or enrichment
reading.
- Speech diagnosis and
therapy.
- Resource support for students with
special needs.
- Weekly visits to and instruction in
the school library.
- Instructional help for disadvantaged
students.
- Professional testing for special
educational needs.
- Gifted and talented program serving
identified students from kindergarten through fifth
grade.
A variety of grouping strategies are
being implemented at Valley Oaks in order to differentiate
instruction to meet the needs of each student. Homeroom classes are
heterogeneous with "mixed ability grouping." The teacher can flexibly
organize small clusters of students for appropriate skills
instruction. Children who need additional help spend part of their
day with a support teacher.
Primary gifted students work with a
specialist 3-4 hours a week; upper elementary gifted students attend
an off-campus program one day each week.
Students who primarily speak Spanish are
placed in bilingual classes until they are proficient in
English.
Valley Oaks's differentiated instruction
model aims at providing a multitude of " hands-on-minds on"
opportunities at every grade level.
Integrated thematic units are combined
with high order thinking skills to challenge all learners. We find
that we are creating Velcro®
students, covered with tiny "hooks" of interest: the more content we
expose them to, the more they notice and pursue connections to other
disciplines, the daily news, and literary sources.
As teachers utilize the creative and
challenging strategies recommended for gifted students, the
performance of every child in the classroom improves.
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Valley
Oaks Dress Code for 2004-2005
The Campus Improvement Team met in May 2004 and
determined the following dress code will be enforced beginning in the 2004-2005
school year. When purchasing new school clothes for your children, make sure
the clothes purchased follow the new guidelines.
-
All
shorts must reach the end of the fingertips. Short shorts are not acceptable.
-
Bare mid riffs are not acceptable. All shirts must cover the top of the
shorts/pants.
-
Spaghetti straps may not be worn unless worn with a sleeved shirt underneath.
-
Halter tops may not be worn.
-
Skirts must reach at the end of the fingertip.
-
Flip-flops may not be worn.
-
When wearing skirts, students must also wear shorts under the skirts.
-
Drug, alcohol, tobacco, or gang related slogans may not be worn on clothing.
-
Baggy pants are not acceptable – all pants must be worn above the hip bone.
-
Closed toed, rubber soled shoes are the only shoes acceptable for Health
Fitness.
**Items worn which disrupt the learning
environment are considered against dress code. The administration reserves the
right to determine if students meet dress code criteria.
Codigo
de Vestuario de Valley Oaks por 2004-2005
El
Equipo de Mejoramiento del Campus Escolar se reunion en mayo y decidierón el
siguiente codigo vestuario para el año escolar 2004-2005. Cuando van a comprar
ropa escolar para sus hijos asegurese de que la ropa comprada esté de acuerdo
con los nuevos requisitos.
- Todos
los pantalones cortos deben llegar al final de la punta de los dedos cuando
están parados rectos. Pantalones muy cortos no son aceptables.
- Su
estómago debe de estar cubierto.
- Blusas
con tiras del estilo espaguetis al menos que sea usadas con una camisa de
mangas debajo ella.
- Blusas
de tubo no se permite.
- La
basta de las faldas beben de llegar hasta la punta de los dedos cuando estan
parados.
- Cuando
usan faldas, deben de usar pantalones cortos debajo.
-
Pantalones sueltos no son aceptables. Los pantalones deben de cubrir las
caderas.
-
Solamente se permiten zapatos atléticos para la clase de educación física.
**
Objetos usados que interfieren con el ambiente de aprendizaje serán considerados
contra el codigo de vestuario. La adminstración reserve el derecho de
determinar si los alumnos cumplen con el codigo de vestuario.
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