Golden Valley Charter Schools

We would love more families to assist in our large fundraising efforts.

Golden Valley Charter Schools we need more volunteers. We have many shifts with no one signed up. Please see the ParentSquare post for the link.

https://www.parentsquare.com/feeds/82700631

Summer camp creativity is in full swing at the Orchard School!

Students from various grades explored the art of casting as they created impressions of hands, arms, and faces. This hands-on activity invited students to work with care, patience, and imagination while experiencing the transformation of simple materials into unique three-dimensional forms.

GVCS families, get ready for summer break in Golden Valley style!

Our Spirit Wear Store is having a summer sale. Save $20 on orders of $60 or more, plus enjoy free shipping on orders over $60.

Use code: SAVE20

Order today and get everyone outfitted for summer adventures!

Shop here: https://1stplace.sale/108977

Last Friday, on the final day of school, the River School held its end-of-year Rose Ceremony, a meaningful moment of completion and farewell.

Each eighth grade student walked with two first grade students, one from each first grade class. The first graders offered the eighth grader a red rose, symbolizing their departure from our school and the beginning of their next educational journey.

This moment beautifully completes the circle that began on the first day of school, when the eighth graders welcomed the first graders into the grades with a white rose.

In our school, students begin together in first grade and continue with their cohort through eighth grade. The Rose Ceremony honors that journey: the welcome, the growth, the friendships, and the passage from one stage of learning into the next.

☀️ Today marks the first official day of summer vacation, and June Summer Camp is officially underway at Golden Valley Orchard School!

Before heading off to their next adventure, the sixth-grade students in Mrs. Watkin’s class left a special gift for next year’s class. Each student selected a space on the classroom board and created a drawing representing something they learned this year. From geometry concepts and medieval knights to gems, stars, and more, the artwork reflects the creativity, knowledge, and memories they gained throughout the year.

What a wonderful way to leave their mark and inspire the incoming sixth graders. We hope everyone has a fun, safe, and memorable summer! ☀️🎨📚✨

🌹 A Beautiful Closing Rose Ceremony at Orchard School 🌹

The Orchard School’s 2025 - 2026 school year came full circle during the cherished Closing Rose Ceremony. In a touching tradition, each departing eighth grader had a red rose given to them by a first grader; a symbol of the journey from being welcomed on their first day of school to now passing that welcome on to the graduating class for a farewell.

This year’s ceremony included the special unveiling of a Peace Pole, made possible through a grant and the support of our dedicated parent community. Standing as a symbol of unity, respect, and hope, it serves as a lasting reminder of the values we share.

The celebration featured heartfelt remarks from our principal, who recognized and thanked staff members moving on to new adventures, and award presentations from our Executive Director. Teachers joined together in song, first graders offered warm farewells to the graduating class, and the ceremony concluded with the first and eighth grade teachers joining hands as exited the stage through this meaningful transition.

Families then gathered at the front of the school to enjoy a wonderful spread of food provided by Parent Circle, celebrating a year of growth, connection, and community.

Congratulations to our eighth-grade graduates, and thank you to everyone who helped make this special tradition so memorable. ❤️🌹

Spirit Day at Golden Valley Orchard School was a joyful outbreath during this last week of school.

Students in grades 1–8 spent the afternoon outside with games, activities, bubbles, and time together. After a full year of learning and growing, it was a beautiful moment to play, laugh, and enjoy being in community.

The clouds were a spectacular sight above us, making the afternoon feel even more special.

The first graders at the Orchard School have finished their knitted kitties!

After many careful stitches, each student completed their kitty by knitting, stuffing, and bringing it to life with their own hands. Once everyone had finished, the class celebrated with a special kitty party, where each child named their kitty and drew a portrait of it on the classroom chalkboard.

Knitting supports fine motor development, focus, patience, sequencing, and perseverance. It also gives children the joy of creating something useful and meaningful from beginning to end. Through this work, students strengthen both confidence and coordination while engaging their imagination and creativity.
What a sweet and proud moment for our first graders! 🧶🐈

Such a beautiful full-circle moment this morning at River School.

Two Golden Valley alumni, now Folsom High School graduates, returned to visit their grade school and take a photo beside the River School sign in their high school graduation gowns. This sign has been part of so many family memories over the years, from first-day-of-school photos to last-day celebrations, and today it marked another meaningful milestone in their educational journey.

These two best friends are now preparing for their next adventures: one will attend Folsom Lake College, and the other will head to Pepperdine University to study Art in the fall.

What an honor it is to see our students grow, graduate, and return to the place where so much of their story began. Congratulations to these Golden Valley alumni and the Class of 2026! 💙

Our 6th graders stepped into history at the annual Medieval Games, held each May at Jacobson Dude Ranch in Nevada City.

After performing The Ballad of Barbara Allen, students joined in the pageantry and tradition of the games, bringing their studies to life through music, movement, storytelling, and shared experience.

In the public Waldorf 6th grade curriculum, students often explore the Middle Ages through history, literature, handwork, music, drama, and themes of courage, honor, service, and community. The Medieval Games offer a memorable way for students to embody what they have been learning, moving beyond the page and into a living experience of the curriculum.