When she and her husband moved to the community in 1999, she was pregnant with their fourth child and their oldest was about to start kindergarten. Their family eventually grew to nine children, and at one time they had students in all of the Valley View school buildings – the oldest in high school while the youngest was in preschool.
Valenti said she was raised to give back to her community, and she wants her kids to learn the same lesson.
“I hope they grow up with a servant’s heart, where you don’t take from your community, but you give to your community and make it better for everyone,” she said.
Now the youngest three are in high school, and Valenti continues to give back to Valley View. That includes volunteering with the Valley View Community Clothing Closet, located at Valley View Intermediate School.
Clothing that ranges from size preemie to 4XL is completely donated by community members, and the volunteer-run closet is free and open for shopping nights twice each month. Because it is located in a school, staff also can take students to the closet as needed.
“We have used every hanger, and every space is taken,” Valenti said.
Tom Geglein, who served on the Valley View Board of Education with Valenti, nominated her as a Dayton Daily News Community Gem.
As a board member, Valenti was eager to be active on numerous committees, and she always took the work seriously, he said. She also was willing to ask questions and make tough decisions.
But Valenti, 52, doesn’t confine her efforts to the schools alone. People throughout Valley View know of her commitment, said Geglein, of Germantown.
“If you want something done, you call Angie and she’ll find a way to take care of it,” he said.
Valenti ran the Valley View recreational basketball program for 12 years, and Geglein said that she has been found helping at concession stands, taking tickets and keeping score at school and community events. She also is active at her church, St. Augustine Catholic Church in Germantown.
Valenti grew up in Middletown and was a special education teacher at the former Vail Middle School there. It was also where she met her husband, Michael, now the principal of Middletown Middle School.
When they were ready to move, Valenti recalled visiting Valley View to play basketball as a high school student. She remembered a gymnasium full of fans.
“It stuck with me, and it’s still that way today,” she said.
Valley View is comprised of Germantown, Farmersville, German Township and Jackson Township, but it’s the school system that unifies the residents, she said. Valenti lives in Germantown, but she, like many in the community, identifies herself as from Valley View.
“We have enjoyed raising kids here and wouldn’t have done it any other place,” Valenti said.
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