Jeremy Karel - Principal
jkarel@rockfordschools.org
Address: 405 Summit Ave, Rockford, MI 49341
Website: www.rockfordschools.org
Phone: (616) 863-6366
a note from mr. Karel
Dear Families,
What a fun two weeks we've had! Homecoming spirit week is always a great time. Seeing so many students participate is awesome. I also believe this has been our biggest walk, bike, and roll to school day ever! Thank you to all the students and parents who participated this year. As an avid biker, this is one of my favorite days of the year. It was great to even see the community members come out and cheer us on.
A huge shout out to our amazing PTO; we have reached our fundraising goal and then some! It looks like I'll be taking a messy ride down a slip and slide in the very near future. We cannot thank you enough for your support.
Warmly,
Mr. Karel
Halloween festivities
We are excited to celebrate Halloween on Friday, October 31! Parents are invited to join us for our Halloween Parade at 10:15 a.m. This year, we are blending traditions from both Parkside and Valley View to make this event extra special. The parade route will go up Glen Eagle, over to Highland Drive, and then back to school. We’ll be joined by the Middle School Marching Band and are working with Rockford Public Safety to help make this a safe and fun experience for everyone.
Parents are welcome to:
- Walk along with their child(ren), or
- Line the parade route, cheer, and take photos as students pass by.
More details will be shared as we get closer!
Costume Guidelines
- Students may wear all or part of their costume to school on Friday, October 31 (no changing into costumes once at school).
- Please keep comfort in mind for sitting in class, riding the bus, and participating in normal school activities.
- For everyone’s safety and enjoyment, no weapons, scary costumes, fake blood, or frightening images. Students with these items will be asked to remove them.
Party Donations
If you’d like to send in items for classroom celebrations:
- Food must be store-bought and individually wrapped.
- Please drop items off by the morning of October 31 (you may send them in earlier that week).
- Label donations with your child’s teacher’s name, and staff will deliver them to the classroom.
Thank you for helping us make this a safe and fun day for all of our students—we can’t wait to celebrate together!
Trunk or Treat
Join us for our 2nd annual Trunk or Treat! Last year was WILDLY successful, so we're bringing it back! Wednesday October 22nd from 5:30-6:30pm. To participate, please learn more at this link: Trunk or Treat Information
Picture Re-Takes
If your student needs to have their photo re-taken, please make sure to communicate that with their teacher. Re-takes will happen October 23rd. If your student needs a re-take, please make sure they arrive at school on time!
Also, if you have a pre-ordered package, please return that package to school on re-take day.
STEAM NIGHT
Join us on Tuesday, November 11th from 5:30–7:30 PM at East Rockford Middle School for our 3rd annual STEAM Night! This fun evening is filled with hands-on activities for the whole family.We’re also looking for volunteers to help make the night a success! Parents can sign up, or if your child is looking for service hours, this is a great opportunity.
- Community Volunteer Sign-Up: Click here
- National Honor Society Volunteer Sign-Up: Click here
Book Vending Machine Dates
Students can earn one gold coin by donating two gently used books from home during the book swap. Our next book swap date is November 21st. Help us fill up the vending machine with books Valley View Kids will love!
Parent/Teacher Conferences
We are looking forward to conferences on Monday, November 3rd and Thursday, November 6th. To streamline scheduling, all conferences will be in-person.
Follow the below steps for scheduling your conferences!
You can book conferences with your child's teacher using the Fall Conference Booking link below:
After filling out your information, you will be able to identify teachers by the grade they teach in the dropdown menu as well as special teachers and ancillary staff. When you choose a grade, you will be able to choose your child’s teacher and a time that works for you. You can go through this process for each of your children. We suggest that if you have multiple children, please put a gap of time between the meetings. You will then get an email confirmation with your time.
Please note that we will not have childcare available on either date.
News from the PTO
Walk, cheer, and celebrate our fundraising success. Friday October 17th. If you'd like to help during the voyage, click HERE. Our Voyage schedule starts at 9am with kindergarten, 9:20 with third grade, 9:40 with fifth, 10am with first, 10:15 with forth, and 10:45 with second. We look forward to seeing you there!
Can we see Mr. Karel go down the slip and slide in a costume? What about a dance party on the roof? Better yet, have some special guests go down the slip and slide with him! If we can hit the goals below Mr. Karel will be doing more than just slippin and slidin. We have until Friday, October 17th, so let's keep the donations coming!
Let’s Stock the Shelves!
The Rockford Education Foundation has partnered with local businesses in Rockford to host Stock the Shelves, a literacy event to support our schools! REF invites you to browse books at Epilogue, enjoy snacks from Thought Design, drinks from Quickwater Coffee, and help fund new books for Rockford school libraries. Make a local impact and community connections - one book at a time. There is no ticket admission to this event. Light appetizers will be served and beverages are available for purchase.
Can't make it in person? Donate online to help Stock the Shelves bring more books – and opportunities – to Rockford students!
Education Benefits
We strongly encourage all parents/guardians to return their Education Benefits Form. Completing this form takes less than five minutes and can help students receive important resources. Filling out the Education Benefits Form may help provide:
- Health & Wellness Services
- Before and After School Academic & Enrichment Programs
- Guidance & College Counselors
- Fee Waivers for College Applications & Admissions Tests
- Resources for Classrooms, Teachers & Children
Free and Reduced Lunch Application
Free & Reduced Price Lunch FAQs
Costume Cookie Run
Friday, October 24 - 6pm starting at the park behind Parkside. Register at www.teamorphans.com. 
Wanted: gOTR coach!
Attention, caregivers of 3rd-5th grade girls!
Valley View will once again be hosting Girls on the Run in the spring of 2026 and in order to host teams, we need coaches! This inspiring program for 3rd-5th grade girls is so much more than a running club, teaching valuable life skills to help girls confidently overcome obstacles, maintain healthy friendships, and achieve their goals. You do NOT have to be a runner to coach, just enthusiastically show up for your team for two, 90 min practices after school each week. (Coaching one practice a week may also be an option if we have enough coaches.) Training is provided, along with an easy-to-follow curriculum, and no one coaches alone!
Please contact Valley View site liaison Katie Carmody at kpoler@gmail.com if you are interested in coaching or have any questions. (General participant registration information will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead.)
Thanks for considering!
Katie Carmody
Site liaison, Valley View GOTR
kpoler@gmail.com
