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Valhalla Elementary School strives to provide an
environment which supports all members of its community, both educationally
and socially. We strive to prepare students to be successful lifelong
learners and to be happy, contributing adults in a global society. We strive
to foster mutual respect, appreciation of diversity, and high individual self
esteem. We strive to accomplish our goals by cultivating high levels of
achievement and commitment by students, parents, staff, and the broader
community.
It would be difficult
to find a school anywhere in America
with a stronger sense of community than Valhalla Elementary
School.
Whether a student lives across the street or miles away, and even
before the first day of school, the Valhalla community reaches out to each
child’s family with a warm welcome, a sense of camaraderie, and a deep-rooted
commitment to support that child’s educational, social and physical
development.
Valhalla Elementary
School, in Pleasant Hill, California, is tucked away in a hilltop neighborhood
adjacent to an expansive nature area with a pristine view of beautiful Mount Diablo. Built in 1966, our school maintains a safe
and attractive campus which is regularly upgraded through support by the
Valhalla Parent Faculty Association (VPFA), our school district, and our Site
Council. Conveniently located within eight blocks of Valley View Middle School,
College Park High School and Diablo Valley College, Valhalla thrives within
an expanded, yet centralized, K-adult educational community. Our campus is
compact and designed for community involvement, offering five “pod” buildings
composed of four classrooms connected to a common learning area, an
amphitheater for centralized, school-wide activities, and prototypical
buildings outlining the main building area. The school’s Media Center
contains a fully automated library, a 21-station computer lab, a resource
area for professional and parent use, and a common room for meetings and
events. Students enjoy the use of a
moderately sized play area, featuring a grass playing field, a paved
sports/activity surface, and a “fi-bar” filled
play-box (recently upgraded to the maximum safety code) with two play
structures. A Kindergarten playground
and play structure, was constructed in 1997.
Valhalla draws its
students in grade K-5 from a wide attendance area, including northwestern Pleasant Hill (65% of students), southern Martinez (30% of students), and parts of Concord (5% of
students). Approximately 85% of the
children are transported to and from Valhalla
via parents and parent-arranged carpools.
The remaining students utilize the district transportation system
(10%) or live within walking/biking range of the campus.
Our dedicated staff is
composed of 57 full and part time personnel who exhibit an exemplary level of
teamwork for the greater good of all students. The staff is committed to
cultivating high levels of accomplishment and achievement as stated in our
vision statement and as evidenced by our API
of 856 and state ranking of 9.
School-to-home communication is a vital piece in maintaining these
commitments as evidenced in our weekly and monthly school and classroom
publications and our website, updated weekly.
During the week, the facilities are often
found bustling with after-school learning opportunities, extra-curricular
programs for students, scout and youth club activities, and community
meetings. The VPFA and the principal support parent information workshops,
social events, and various community and fundraising events. The energy and
involvement of our entire learning community is a gift, experienced and
appreciated by everyone.
A dedicated staff, extraordinary parent and community support,
and a committed and respectful student body are the qualities that make
Valhalla a California
Distinguished School.
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