Valhalla Union Free School District

Schools

Virginia Road Elementary is located in the Town of Greenburgh and serves students in Kindergarten through 2nd grade.

The district's Kindergarten classes operate on a full-day basis. The program is designed to be developmentally appropriate, offering students various types of self-directed, concrete experiences working with manipulatives each day. The focus is on academic readiness, socialization, and refinement of motor skills. The elementary program is thematically based and interdisciplinary in nature, utilizing whole language activities. Skills development is emphasized within the context of authentic literature. High-achieving students are provided with various enrichment activities in Language Arts and Social Studies which emphasize higher order thinking skills. Students in Math progress from one phase to another at their own pace, allowing high achieving students to accelerate beyond their grade level. Instruction in Science emphasizes a hands-on, lab/experiment approach. Students' progress is determined in part through the use of standardized skills tests.

It has a well-qualified staff dedicated to meeting the emotional, social and instructional needs of its students.

The Virginia Road Elementary School has recently benefited from a substantial classroom addition and the installation of a handicapped accessible playground – ideal for its K-2 population.

Kensico School has approximately 350 students in Grades 3-5 (ages 8–11). There are 17 classes. We also host two Project AIIM - Applied Intensive Intervention Model -classes operated by Southern Westchester BOCES.

Kensico School opened in 2001 and is the newest school in the district. It replaced Columbus Avenue School (built in 1919) as the district's 3rd to 5th grade building. Each grade has its own wing, and many of the rooms have exposed wooden beams and vaulted ceilings. There is a large cafeteria, beautiful library, state-of-the-art computer lab, science lab, music facilities, a stage, and a large gymnasium that is also utilized for the volleyball and basketball programs from Valhalla Middle/High School. The school grounds include a large playground area, a walking track, baseball/softball fields, and two ponds (one natural and one man-made).

The student in the middle-level grades, typically between the ages of 10 and 14, undergoes profound transformations physically, emotionally, socially, psychologically, and intellectually, which are unique in the individual's life. The transformation from childhood to adolescence is one of the most crucial and least understood phases of personal growth. The challenge to the middle-school program is to make the transition a positive period of development for the young; one for which they emerge with high hopes and the will to achieve to the best of their abilities.

The Valhalla Middle School program provides an instructional team of teachers for each grade level. Students have available an advisory period during the day and various after-school clubs and athletic activities.

Valhalla High School serves grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 498 students with a senior class of 116 students. There are 70 members of the professional staff: ninety percent have advanced degrees. The faculty is actively involved in the development and refinement of instructional programs. A major thrust of these programs is to support the engagement of students in activities that demand a high level of responsibility and commitment. There are eight periods during an academic day. Valhalla High School is accredited by The Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and by The New York Board of Regents.