On August 27, 2023, Riverview School District, in partnership with Riverview PTSA Council, held the first annual Valley Serve Day, bringing community members together to support our maintenance and grounds team and make the beginning of the school year extra special for our students and staff members.
More than 120 parents, students, staff, and community members worked side-by-side on a wide variety of projects. Whether spreading fresh bark or gravel, pressure washing, or working inside our schools, everyone found ways to complete a wide array of tasks while also helping teachers get ready for a new school year. At the end of the afternoon, a picnic lunch was shared by those who volunteered their time, served from the freshly re-painted Cedarcrest High School concession stand and sponsored by the Riverview PTSA Council.
The website and Valley Serve concept was established in the spring of 2023 by Riverview Superintendent, Dr. Susan Leach, and current Riverview PTSA Council President, Sara Balsley. Together, they wanted to find opportunities to connect local community members and organizations, while fostering relationships, providing support, and improving our community. Participants were able to sign up and select a school of their choosing through the new Valley Serve website. The website will also serve as a homepage for future Valley Serve events to come throughout the year.
For the August 27 event, a list of projects completed include:
Cedarcrest High School
Weeding outside and inside Cedarcrest stadium
General maintenance of other garden and flower beds
Spreading of fresh bark
Pressure washing of concessions stands
Painting of trim and touching up stadium concession stand
Repainting of paws in and around the campus
Cleaning, refreshing, and preparing staff lounge for first day of school
Tolt Middle School
Spreading fresh bark and gravel
Weeding and cleaning up of flower beds outside Science wing
Freshening up of Life Skills garden area
Replacing flowers and plants at entrance of school
Repainting external doors
Carnation Elementary
Installation of new Gaga Ball Pit
Sorting/organizing/shelving new library books in LRC
Repainting of tiger paws in and around the campus
Spreading of fresh bark, gravel, and sand around school and the Riverview Ancillary Programs campus
Pressure washing of playground equipment
Cherry Valley Elementary
Weeding of flower beds and general weeding around the campus
Weeding in and around cement
Planting of new flowers in flower beds and along access ramp to playground
Cleaning up of cobwebs from outside awnings
Pressure washing outside of the campus
Painting of ramp on west side of building
Cleaning and freshening up Cherry Valley Elementary sign
Stillwater Elementary
Pressure washing the greenhouse
Pressure washing and cleaning the Stillwater Elementary sign
Weeding of flower beds and general weeding around the campus
Spreading of fresh bark across the campus
Creating display boards and bulletin boards for “Dive into Learning” theme
Preparing “Stillwater Families” bulletin board and display
Repairing and re-seaming “Big Teddy Bear”
In helping refresh our school campuses and preparing us for a great kickoff to the new school year, we thank all our volunteers for their hard work, time, and effort in making this first annual Valley Serve event such a huge success.
Thank you everyone!