 |
|
Parent Newsletter
July 31, 2017
This summer, Valley drama students, parents, and faculty traveled to Ontario to view a production of Twelfth Night, the same play Valley students performed this past spring.
|
"Blessed To Be a Blessing"
Forty years ago a faculty of seven teachers led by Principal David Krause were preparing for the first classes at the new Valley Lutheran High School. Several temporary locations had already fallen through, but plans were now finalized to open at Faith Lutheran Church (now Coleman Temple) on Bay Road. Talking with some of the founders, the Faith Lutheran location was just one of many blessings God granted Valley Lutheran in advance of the first day of school.
This year, as we celebrate 40 years of ministry, we remember that those God blesses are to be a blessing to others. In the near term, "blessed to be a blessing" might be most evident in teachers blessing students through excellent lessons. Or, it might be most evident in a faithful classmate at the side of a struggling classmate. Or, it might be evident in conversation among parents leading to a better understanding of their children's struggles.
Reflection on blessings is often found at Thanksgiving or perhaps as we enter a new year. It certainly should not be limited to once every 40 years! Daily reflection becomes "thanksliving" as we recognize our blessings, honor the Creator God who provided them, and bless others with our blessings.
- Dr. John Brandt
Executive Director
|
|
Sports Physicals Required To Practice/Try Out
A sports physical exam is required to practice and/or try out for all athletes planning on participating in sports during the 2017-18 school year. Forms are available in the office or can be found at the link below. The form should be filled out BEFORE the physical is done.
If the exam was given on or after April 15, 2017, it is a valid physical for the coming year. Any physical before this date is considered expired.
|
|
Additional Fall Sports Information
In addition to a physical exam, each sport might require unique equipment that each athlete is asked to bring to the first practice. If you are unsure of what to bring, please contact the coach. Football practices start
Monday, Aug. 7. All other fall sports practices start
Wednesday, Aug. 9. For more information about practice times, contact the coaches listed below.
|
|
Back to School Materials List
You can find a general school "Materials List"
here, which lists items required/recommended for specific classes. Here are a couple more suggestions:
-
Each student should keep a set of "ear buds" at school for personal use. We have sets of headphones available for our computer towers but when students are using the Chromebooks in the classroom, it is nice for them to have their own personal ear buds.
-
In revising our theology curriculum, it has become more important that freshmen have a personal copy of the ESV Lutheran Study Bible that they will use for the rest of their high school years. If your student already has a study bible, don't purchase an additional one. If they do not have one, you can purchase them online (cost is approximately $35/paperback and $50/hardback). The Concordia Publishing House is the primary distributor and their selection of Bibles can be found
here. We will try to have some available at school for purchase as well.
Many people ask if their student can bring in a technology device. The answer is, "Yes, please!" Students may use laptops, tablets, Chromebooks, etc. in classes, study hall, and at lunch. While students are not required to have a device, they are encouraged to bring one (if available) and use it in the academic setting. If you are interested in purchasing a device, any laptop, tablet, or Chromebook would be acceptable.
|
Summer Read Reminder
Time is winding down to work on the Summer Read assignment. All incoming students were asked to read
Lol...OMG! What Every Student Needs to Know About Online Reputation Management, Digital
Citizenship, and Cyberbullying BEFORE the beginning of the 2017-18 school year. A writing/research project is to be completed and turned in by
Thursday, Aug. 24. It will be graded and count toward the student's English grade. A copy of the project guidelines can be found
here.
Contact Dr. Lisa Meyers, Academic Dean, at 989-790-1676 or email [email protected] with any questions.
|
|
Freshmen and New Transfer Home Visits
Every freshman and new transfer student will have a home visit from a teacher by Aug. 18. This home visit helps everyone become acquainted before school begins, and it is a good time to get those questions answered. Expect a phone call to schedule this visit.
|
|
Sophomore/Junior/Senior Info Night
Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors, and their parents are asked to attend meetings at school on either
Thursday, Aug. 10 or Tuesday, Aug. 15 to receive information specific to those classes. The meetings will begin at
7pm and last for about one hour.
There will be another meeting immediately following both nights for National Honor Society prospects.
|
|
Parent Organization Plans for the Year
The first meeting of the parent organization is
7pm Monday, August 14, in the cafeteria. All parents are invited!
This crucial organization coordinates several fund raisers throughout the year and then determines where they will donate the proceeds to support the academic program of VLHS. In the past, the Parent Organization has provided things such as professional development for teachers, supplemental science equipment, classroom sets of novels and a Chromebook cart!
Participants may select which Parent Organization activities best fit their schedules. Please consider joining this active group. Contact Dr. Lisa Meyers at 989-790-1676 ext. 12 or [email protected] for more information.
|
|
Concession Help Needed for 2017-18 School Year
Before reading further, please understand this request is more than working a game or two during a season or event. We will need that, too, at some point. What we need is for someone (maybe a husband and wife team?) to help open the concession room/building for our parent helpers. This is a VERY important position and would require arriving early on game night. PLEASE call or email if this request "moves" you to help.
Things start again the week of Aug. 21. The Booster Club relies on concessions revenue for a good chunk of the money they give back to extra curricular activities every year. Please contact Stacy Smith, Booster Club Chair, at
[email protected] or Eric Smith at
[email protected]. We'd be happy to share more details. Thank you!
|
|
Transfer Student Orientation Aug. 15
Students transferring to VLHS from other high schools will have orientation on
Tuesday, Aug. 15 at 5:30pm, with a light supper provided. Sophomore, Junior and Senior students and their parents should plan to stay and attend the hour-long Sophomore/Junior/Senior meeting that evening beginning at 7pm.
Please RSVP at 989-790-1676 or
[email protected] by
Aug. 11.
|
|
Saginaw Township Transportation
Students living in Saginaw Township can utilize the Saginaw Township Community Schools Bus Service by clicking on the link below to download a form that will allow the student to ride the bus.
This form is due Aug. 18 to begin transportation on Sept. 5. There is no township transportation during the first two weeks of school.
|
|
Class of 2018 News: Senior Photos, Retreat
- Save the date! The Senior Class Retreat will be held Oct. 20-22 at Camp Timbers. We hope to see you there!
|
|
18th Annual Golf Scramble
Valley's 18th Annual Golf Scramble will be
Saturday, Sept. 16
, at Apple Mountain Golf Course. Brochures are available in the school office or can be downloaded
here
. The Golf Scramble helps raise money for the Student Aid Fund, which provides tuition assistance for students in need.
|
|
Free and Reduced Price Meals
Applications can be picked up in the school office or can be
downloaded here.
|
|
VL Announces New Pre-Paid Tuition Program
Purchase Future Tuition at Today's Rates!
Each year both the need for and cost of Christian education increases. Valley Lutheran High School provides students with an exemplary Christian education designed to prepare them to impact the world by nurturing faith, educating minds, and cultivating leaders. To assist parents in their financial planning, Valley Lutheran High School is announcing a
Pre-Paid Tuition Program
giving families the opportunity to pre-pay future tuition at the current tuition rate.
For example: You have a 9th grader entering Valley Lutheran High School in August of 2017. You may not only pay the tuition for the 9th grade year but you can also pay the tuition for as many of the four years as you would like at the current rate.
Or, a
generous friend or relative might celebrate a child's birthday with a gift of tuition at Valley Lutheran purchased at the current rate although it may be several years before the child attends Valley Lutheran.
The upcoming 2017-2018 school year is the final year for the annual pre-payment discount for tuition that is paid in full prior to the start of school. Future years of tuition paid at today's rates do not include the annual pre-payment discount.
This year pre-paid tuition will be accepted until the first day of classes on August 23. In the future, all pre-paid tuition must be purchased before August 1.
|
School Year
|
Association
(pre-paid before August 23, 2017)
|
Non-Association LCMS (pre-paid before August 23, 2017
|
Community
(pre-paid before August 23, 2017)
|
|
2017-2018
|
$5930
|
$7050
|
$7400
|
|
2018-2019*
|
$6050
|
$7200
|
$7550
|
|
2019-2020*
|
$6050
|
$7200
|
$7550
|
|
2020 and beyond*
|
$6050
|
$7200
|
$7550
|
*Annual pre-paid discount is discontinued.
No pre-paid tuition payments will be accepted after August 23 until the new tuition rates are announced in January 2018.
|
|
Information Regarding The Honors Diploma
The 2016-17 school year marked the first year Valley Lutheran graduates could be recognized by earning the newly created Honors Diploma. The program
was created to encourage students to challenge themselves in way that would bolster their future college plans and for their careers.
Students who meet the following requirements will receive an "Honors" diploma identified by a special sticker on their diploma, gold honor stole to wear for graduation, and a notation on their transcript (a description of the requirements would be included so that colleges/scholarships would understand the significance of the "honors" notation).
- GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Emphasis in one area with completion of a pre-determined number of credits: STEM, Arts, Languages, Literature, or Career Tech
- Heavy involvement in extracurricular activities
- College-level coursework
- Minimum of two job-shadowing experiences
- 40-hour Internship
- 40 hours of community service
Parents are asked to encourage their children to apply. Students who are interested will receive a chart/packet that identifies all the requirements. They would use the chart/packet to keep track of each requirement's completion. Students would submit the packet by February 1 of their senior year for an "audit" to verify that they will be meeting all of their requirements.
The first three recipients of the Honors Diploma are Kathryn Davis, Grace Hearth, and Sarah Kempin.
|
|
Storage Space Needed
Valley is in need of immediate storage space for post prom items, which include three
14-gallon tubs, three large tricycles, and four bean bag toss boards. If you can store some or all of these items, please contact
Christian Wilke at 989-790-1676.
|
2017-2018 SCHEDULES
Student schedules for the 2017-2018 school year will be released to all students online via My Student Data on
Friday, Aug. 18
. Any changes to course requests should be emailed to Mrs. Mueller ASAP, as work on individual student schedules has already started.
UPCOMING SAT & ACT EXAMS
It is a common trend for students to take the SAT or ACT multiple times before applying to college. Colleges will accept either exam score and will typically take the highest score earned, regardless of the test date. If your student is going to be applying this year, it might be a good idea to take the SAT or ACT early this fall.
Aug. 26 SAT Exam - Registration No Longer Available
IS YOUR STUDENT A SENIOR NEXT YEAR?
You can get a jumpstart on the college process by taking time this summer to research potential majors and schools. Decide what you want to do, then find the school that can best prepare you for that vocation that fits your wants and needs. Visit, research, and plan ahead - it will make this fall much less stressful!
AP EXAM SCORES
AP Exam scores from the 2017 AP testing season are online at
https://apscore.collegeboard.org/scores
to log in and view students scores once they are released. You can also log in to verify that your scores are being sent to the correct institutions.
Once you've seen your scores, take a look at the resource
Understanding AP Scores
(provided by CollegeBoard) to understand what those numbers mean!
YOU MIGHT NEED TO KNOW...
While we pray that you and your family will never need use of resources on drug use, we do want to make you aware of what is available to parents and families. The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids has a website dedicated to providing resources for families at no cost. Check it out at
www.drugfree.org
.
IMPORTANT LINKS
|
|
Trainer Needed
Valley Lutheran High School is looking for someone with a working knowledge of first-aid/ CPR/ AED to assist our athletes this fall, or is willing to be trained. Please contact Eric Smith at 989-790-1676 or email [email protected].
|
Peace Hosting Martin Luther Movie
Peace Lutheran Church in Saginaw is hosting the new movie "Martin Luther: The Idea That Changed the World" on
Tuesday, September 26, at 6:30pm at AMC Fashion Square 10 Cinema in Saginaw, and we want you to join us. The radical events, compelling personalities and exciting drama of the Reformation are brought to life in this full-length documentary. It features thrilling re-enactments of the 16th Century events with commentary from leading church-history experts.
|
| Aug. 7 |
Football Practice Begins |
| Aug. 9 |
Boys Soccer, Cheer, Volleyball, Cross Country, and Girls Golf Practice Begins |
| Aug. 10 |
Sophomore/Junior/Senior Parent-Student Night, 7pm |
| Aug. 14 |
Parent Organization Meeting, 7pm |
| Aug. 15 |
Transfer Student Orientation, 5:30pm |
| Aug. 15 |
Sophomore/Junior/Senior Parent-Student Night, 7pm |
| Aug. 18 |
Freshmen Orientation, 7pm |
| Aug. 23 |
First Day of School, 8am |
| Aug. 24 |
Summer Read Assignment Deadline |
| Aug. 26 |
SAT Testing, 8am |
| Aug. 30 |
Picture Day |
| Sept. 1-4 |
No School, Labor Day Weekend |
|
 |
|
Click on the image above to view the latest Valley Vision. |
|
|
|
|
|
Mission Statement
Valley Lutheran High School believes that Christ is the foundation of our school and everything that we do. We prepare our students as children of God academically, physically, socially, emotionally and spiritually to serve in the world today and tomorrow.
|
|
|
John Brandt
Valley Lutheran High School
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
