Pleasant Valley Elementary

About Us

A man with a warm smile poses outdoors, wearing a denim jacket.

Welcome to Pleasant Valley Elementary!

It is with great pride and excitement that I welcome you to Pleasant Valley Elementary: home of the Eagles! At PV, we are a community of learners committed to academic excellence, personal growth, and a deep sense of belonging.

Our school-wide expectations are grounded in the values of SOAR:
Stay Safe, Own Your Actions, Always Care, and Respect Everyone and Everything.
These guiding principles help shape a positive, inclusive school culture where students thrive both academically and socially.

From transitional kindergarten through fifth grade, our passionate and dedicated staff provide engaging, rigorous instruction while nurturing the unique strengths of every student. At PV, we believe in developing not only strong scholars, but kind, responsible citizens who are ready to make a difference in the world.

Families are essential partners in our work, and we deeply value the support, spirit, and involvement of our community. Together, we aim to “Aim High, Where Eagles Fly!” and we’re so glad you’re here!

With gratitude,
Tony Quan
Principal, Pleasant Valley Elementar

School Profile

The Pleasant Valley Elementary School sign stands on a grassy hill, with cars parked nearby.

Pleasant Valley Elementary is a transitional kindergarten through fifth-grade school located at the north end of Novato. Originally built in 1965, the school served approximately 465 students during the 2024–25 academic year. The certificated staff includes the principal, 20 classroom teachers, a resource specialist, a speech and language pathologist, a music teacher, two credentialed academic specialists, a data specialist, and a physical education teacher. Our dedicated support staff includes an office manager, office technician, school psychologist, library clerk, paraeducator, school counselor, nutrition services staff, custodians for both day and evening shifts, and several yard supervisors. All classroom teachers are fully credentialed, trained to support English Learners through SDAIE or CLAD certification, and bring a balance of seasoned experience and fresh perspectives to the classroom through a mix of veteran educators and those newer to the profession.

An outdoor walkway with motivational quotes on the ceiling.

Mission

Pleasant Valley Elementary School is a vibrant learning community that nurtures the heart, mind, and body of every student. We are committed to providing an inclusive and joyful education that honors each child’s identity, fosters a love of learning, and promotes academic, social-emotional, and physical growth. Through a focus on resilience, flexibility, and a growth mindset, we prepare students to meet the challenges of the 21st century and embody the NUSD Graduate Profile: critical thinking, collaboration, communication, character, conscientious learning, and cultural competence.

A teacher smiles while working with students at a table in a classroom.

Programs

The Pleasant Valley curriculum is grounded in the California Common Core State Standards, guided by Novato Unified School District Board Policies, and delivered through district-adopted instructional programs. Students in transitional kindergarten through fifth grade receive high-quality, standards-based instruction in literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies. Literacy instruction is aligned with the Science of Reading and supported through a small group cluster model that enables differentiated teaching to meet the diverse needs of all learners, including high-achieving and district-identified GATE students.

Our curriculum is further enriched by instruction in music, technology, and physical education. Art is integrated across all subject areas with the support of dedicated parent art docents and an art specialist. We also utilize Prop 28 funding to offer small group Readers Theater experiences that build fluency and confidence. Restorative practices, such as morning meetings and community circles, are embedded into our school culture to support student well-being and strengthen our learning community.

A teacher leads a lesson for students sitting on the floor in a colorful classroom.

It is the goal of Pleasant Valley Elementary to assist students in their social and personal development as well as academics. The school gives special attention to students who experience achievement problems, difficulty coping with personal and family problems, trouble with decision making, or handling peer pressure. The support service personnel available at Pleasant Valley Elementary are listed below.
- Individualized Instruction
Pleasant Valley Elementary provides special education services to students who are assessed and found to be eligible for special education. Programs and services designed to meet the student’s needs are identified in the Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The Resource Specialist Program serves students with exceptional needs who are able to function in the regular classroom for the majority of the day. They receive individual, small group, or classroom instruction designed to meet their identified needs. Designated Instructional Services are provided to students who are eligible for Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, or other services.
- English Language Learners
All English Language Learners are taught by CLAD certified teachers who provide academic support within the regular classroom day. EL students are provided 30-45 minutes of daily instruction in English Language Development with an Academic Specialist to enhance English acquisition and understanding. Principal letters, the school calendar and school flyers are translated into Spanish and sent home. PV’s English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC) meetings are held three times throughout the year on the first Wednesday in September, January, and May, and are well attended by the EL community. ELAC reviews and analyses the annual ELAC surveys, helps establish school needs and goals regarding EL students, and assists in the development of the School Site Plan
- Gifted and Talented Education (GATE)
As a district, our goal is to provide support to teachers and schools so that every student is challenged and makes significant progress during each school year. GATE is a district-designed and funded program for highly capable students. NUSD does not receive supplemental funding for our GATE program.

Novato has designed the GATE program with 5 principles in mind:
- All educators are responsible for the education of students with gifts and talents.
- Services should be provided throughout the day in all environments based on their abilities, needs and interests.
- Giftedness is dynamic and constantly changing.
- Giftedness is found among students from a variety of backgrounds.
- Student education is focused on student outcomes rather than practices.
- At-Risk Interventions
Two credentialed academic specialists, classroom teachers, and the Resource Specialist drive the Response to Intervention program at Pleasant Valley. Using assessment results, grade level teams collaborate regularly with the academic specialists to analyze student data, determine academic needs and establish student goals, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention program. After interventions and academic support have been provided, students are reassessed to measure progress on goals and to determine next steps.
Among Pleasant Valley’s strengths is its high level of community and parent involvement. The PTA serves as a model of support that includes parents, community members, and local businesses. Previous projects funded by the PTA include the purchase of Chromebook and iPad carts for classrooms, collaborative furniture for classrooms, new picnic tables for the playground, an outdoor classroom area. PTA donations support classroom teachers, an academic specialist, and multiple assemblies, as well as many of the field trips enjoyed by PV students. The PTA develops and promotes the after-school enrichment program. In addition, parents provide assistance in classrooms, at community events and by chaperoning and driving for field trips.

To keep parents informed, a weekly newsletter, the PV Views, is sent out to parents each week via a general family email. It is also available for families who request a hard copy and is sent home in the student’s Friday Folders. The PV Views provides information on the school calendar, the Principal’s weekly letter, news of PV programs, community opportunities and PTA activities.
Pleasant Valley Elementary was originally constructed in 1965 and is comprised of 22 classrooms, one multipurpose room/cafeteria, a library, staff lounge, an art/counseling classroom, a music room, a conference room, a Speech and Language room, an ELD/RtI room, and three playgrounds. Recent remodeling in 2007 included updating and remodeling half of the school classrooms and bathroom facilities.

The school’s library, staffed by a part-time Library Media Clerk, provides an extensive variety of reference and special interest materials, in addition to hundreds of educational and recreational books. Students visit the library on a weekly basis with their classes and are encouraged to visit before, during, and after school. Ten Chromebooks designated for the library are connected to the Internet so students are able to access resources and information online.
Pleasant Valley students benefit from NUSD’s 1:World for students funded by NUSD and “Measure G’. TK, K, and 1st graders have iPads, and 2nd – 5th graders have Chromebooks. At Pleasant Valley, technology resources are used to conduct research, access curriculum resources, enhance parent involvement, complete assignments and communicate with others to further their education.

NUSD has compiled a comprehensive Technology Scope and Sequence outlines the computer skills that every student must learn as well as the digital citizenship requirements for each grade level. Students are able to research online and have been trained in the following programs: Lexia, Ten-Marks, Xtra Math, Edmodo, Explain Everything, Keynote, Kidpix, Accelerated Reader, Kidspiration 2, Type to Learn 3, iPhoto, Apple Works, Timeline, PowerPoint, MS Word, and Excel

When learning temporarily transitioned to remote classrooms during the 2020-2021 school year, GoGuardian software was installed on each device so teachers could track student progress and keep students safer online.

Student usage of cell phones/smart phones/smart watches is prohibited on campus.

Our complete Electronics Device Policy can be found HERE.