10/20/2026
🐻💚 The Grizzly Gazette
(This newsletter will be given out to families who attend Parent Teacher Conferences on October 20th and 27th)
Garden Valley Elementary | First Quarter Edition | Fall 2026
Happy Friday, Grizzly Families!
Our first quarter has been filled with learning, growing, belonging, and making memories together! We are excited to share celebrations, important reminders, and upcoming events as we head into the second quarter.
Here is everything included in our first-quarter Grizzly Gazette!
✈️🌎 TRAVEL DAY – FIRST STOP: AROUND THE WORLD!
On Friday, October 3rd, our Garden Valley Grizzlies packed their imaginations and passports for our first of three school transformations this year!
Students had the opportunity to experience different countries, cultures, foods, traditions, and activities—all without leaving Garden Valley!
🇨🇷 Costa Rica: Students explored a country known for its rainforests, volcanoes, beautiful beaches, and incredible wildlife! Our WMSCC student tour guides shared information about Costa Rica, and students enjoyed trying mango refresco.
🇳🇴 Norway: Students learned about Norway's mountains, fjords, northern lights, and Viking history! Mrs. Vickery, our Garden Valley strategist, served as our tour guide. Students sampled lefse and created their own rosemaling coloring pages.
🇸🇬 Singapore: Students discovered a modern city with diverse cultures and beautiful gardens! WMSCC student tour guides helped students learn about Singapore. Students tried pandan cake and created merlion puppets!
Next Stop: South Africa, Korea, and Peru on December 17th!
🏃♀️💚 MILESTONE MILES
On Saturday, October 3rd, Garden Valley had two teams representing our school at the Milestone Miles event!
Although our teams didn't take home the race win, Garden Valley was a BIG winner! We received a $3,500 grant to support mental health and self-regulation at our school!
These funds will help provide:
Resources for our Regulation Fair
Pebble ice machines to use as a self-regulation tool
Flexible seating
Other mental health and regulation resources
Thank you to our amazing teams!
Staff Team: Kerri Kline, Jennifer Stone, Carol Rector, Cheri Seifert, and Chester Manzanas.
PTO Team: Shelby Ward, Tisha Alberts, Stephanie Miller, Alex Verploegen, and Shannon Verploegen.
We are grateful to Milestone Miles for investing in our students and helping us create opportunities that support students socially, emotionally, and academically!
💚 A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR T-SHIRT SPONSORS!
We are incredibly grateful to the businesses, organizations, and families who generously sponsored Garden Valley staff and student T-shirts this year!
A special thank you to:
KLX Energy Services
Stevens Ranch
Select Water
Explosive Enterprises
Stealth Energy Group
13 Mile Massage
Western Cooperative Credit Union
Earth Systems
Tarah LBB #12
Josh Otteson Memorial
Folvag Farms
Cote Family
Garden Valley PTO
Because of your support, our Grizzlies can proudly show their Garden Valley spirit and feel connected as one school family!
🎃 TRUNK OR TREAT
Join us for our Garden Valley Trunk or Treat!
Friday, October 30th
🕐 1:00–2:00 PM
📍 Garden Valley School Parking Lot
We are looking for parents or businesses willing to come join the fun and set up a trunk with our PTO!
We can't wait for a fun afternoon with our Grizzlies!
📚 SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR
The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to Garden Valley Elementary!
Families can discover new books, find favorites, and help grow a love of reading!
Visit our school's Book Fair website for more information:
https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/gardenvalleyelemschool
📅 LOOKING AHEAD – MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
🎃 October 30: Trunk or Treat, 1:00–2:00 PM
🧪 November 4: Gateway to Science Lessons
💚 November 9: PTO Meeting, 5:30 PM
🚫 November 11: No School
🕛 November 18: Early Out, 12:00 PM
🦃 November 25–27: No School – Thanksgiving Break
⏰ ARRIVAL & TARDIES
School starts at 8:30 AM.
If you arrive after 8:30 AM, you MUST check your child/children into the office at Door 1 and sign them in for safety reasons.
Thank you for helping us keep our students safe and ready to learn!
🚗 AFTERNOON PICKUP
Please stay in your car in the pickup loop, and we will bring your child/children to you.
Please refrain from walking up to pick up your child.
Thank you for helping us keep our afternoon dismissal safe and organized!
📝 ATTENDANCE REMINDER
We have many students who are in Tier 2 and Tier 3 for attendance.
Please review the district's Attendance Tier Procedure in the Student Handbooks for more information.
https://www.willistonschools.org/page/student-handbooks
Regular attendance helps our Grizzlies build strong routines, stay connected, and continue learning!
🧸 NO-NEE-DOH & TOY ZONE
Per the WBSD7 Elementary Student Handbook, toys and electronic devices should remain at home unless specifically requested by a classroom teacher.
This includes sensory and fidget toys from home.
Keeping personal toys at home helps us keep our classrooms focused and ready for learning!
👕 EXTRA CLOTHING – KINDERGARTEN & FIRST GRADE
It would be helpful for students in kindergarten and first grade to have a gallon-sized baggie at school containing:
An extra pair of socks
An extra pair of pants
An extra shirt
Underwear
These items can be used in case of an accident or when clothing becomes wet or dirty.
Thank you for helping us keep our youngest Grizzlies comfortable and ready to learn!
🤒 ILLNESS GUIDELINES
To help keep our students and staff healthy, children with the following symptoms should not be sent to school:
Fever of 100.4°F or above
Vomiting or diarrhea
New, unexplained loss of taste or smell
Respiratory symptoms, including a new-onset cough, congestion, or shortness of breath
Contagious infection diagnosed by a physician, such as strep, foot and mouth, etc.
Students may not return to school until:
They have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, such as Tylenol.
They have had no vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours.
Thank you for helping keep our school family healthy!
📱 CELL PHONES & ELECTRONIC DEVICES
To help keep students focused, safe, and healthy, personal cell phones and electronic devices should remain at home.
Tips for Families:
✅ Keep phones and devices at home or turned off during school hours.
✅ Contact the school office if you need to reach your child during the day.
✅ Encourage screen-free time at home, especially before bed.
✅ Use device settings to limit distractions.
✅ Periodically check your child's devices for texts, content, and apps.
✅ Help your child build healthy habits, including sleep, exercise, and time with friends.
Working together, we can help our Grizzlies develop safe and healthy technology habits!
❄️ WINTER IS COMING – BE READY!
As the temperatures begin to drop, please make sure your child comes to school dressed appropriately for outdoor recess.
Required Winter Gear:
🧥 Winter coat
👖 Snow pants
🥾 Snow boots
🧤 Gloves
🧢 Hat
We go outside until the temperature reaches -10°F!
Please make sure your child has ALL required winter gear each day.
💚 Need help getting winter clothing?
Please scan the QR code in the newsletter graphic for assistance, or contact Mrs. Heser if your family needs help obtaining these items.
We want every Grizzly to be warm, comfortable, and able to enjoy outdoor recess!
💚🐻 THANK YOU, GRIZZLY FAMILIES!
Thank you for being such an important part of our Garden Valley school family!
We are proud of everything our students have accomplished during the first quarter and are excited for all the learning, celebrations, and memories still ahead.
Together, we LEARN, GROW, and BELONG!
