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Life at Valley

MEET SALLY

by Lora Kolmer,  Director of Admissions and Community Relations

Quiet, shy, introverted: these are not words you would associate with Valley alumna Sally Roberts. In the middle of the summer, Sally stopped by Valley to visit her former school and see all the changes that had taken place in the ten years since she had graduated.
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PAS DE DEUX with MIKE AND IRIS

After days and (for some) weeks of wearing pajamas inside out and backwards and sleeping with spoons under pillows, the snow finally arrived in Seattle. And there could not have been a more magical setting on the Valley campus for the All-School Sing performance that took place on a snow filled Friday morning in the Big Room!
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STAY PUT, STAY SMALL, CELEBRATE WOODCHIPS

by Alan Braun, Head of School
During my time at The Northwest School, I knew lots of Valley graduates. I always admired the fondness they had for their elementary school. There was something special about Valley that always led them to consider this their favorite school.
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DIVERSITY AND JUSTICE ON THE STAGE AND IN THE CLASSROOM

It isn’t easy growing up in our world today. Social media is distributing messages before families have time to process and discuss. And the messages being delivered are often talking over or at people instead of creating moments for thoughtful discussion. Which is why the recent field trip to the Seattle Rep by Valley 4th and 5th graders to watch their classmate Jalani Clemmons perform in A Raisin in the Sun was so timely. As Mary Louise commented upon returning from the play and having a dialogue in class, “We had a powerful discussion to reflect on our feelings about the play. Jalani asked the kids what made them uncomfortable, and it was so inspiring to hear all of the kids reflect so deeply.”
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KIDS AND THE NEWS

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The topic of how kids respond to the news keeps coming up. A recent faculty meeting, a lunch for Heads of School at the NWAIS All Schools Conference, sidewalk conversations with parents – these are all settings where conversations have turned to the anxiety and confusion about the impact of news on our children.
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THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

By Marilyn Nicolai, Valley Librarian

In our meeting before the start of the school year, the faculty discussed teaching about the upcoming presidential election. Would teachers handle this contentious election any differently than previous elections? How can we promote Valley’s values of kindness and empathy in an environment where the adult discussion is often angry and insulting? The current state of politics is definitely not following our school rules!
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