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Parent Newsletter
December 7, 2016
Students in Renee Brenner's Spanish class work with partners on translating phrases and sentences. Second quarter mid-term grades are now available and first semester exams are Dec. 19-21. For more information on each, see details below.
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And Bob Said, "It's Not a Snowflake."
And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was." - Matthew 2:9 (ESV)
The Indian Christian church is small (5 percent of the population) but it sends a powerful message through a favorite Christmas decoration - a star over the Christian home. Inspired by this tradition, I set out to do the same. As I put the finishing touches on our decorations, neighbors Rose and Bob stopped by. They complimented my efforts and I shared the story of the star. Bob squinted at the star and then said, "You're right. It is a star. It's not a snowflake."
Bob's comment made me think. Yes, first it made me think that I need a different star. More importantly, it made me think about the evidence of Christ in my life; could Bob see that "star?" The answer? "Some times."
Thankfully, the Christ child beneath the Star of Bethlehem does not require consistent evidence in our conduct. If He did, there would be no Christmas joy, only Christmas guilt. Where the Christ child resides, there is grace. It is unearned. It is meant to be shared. Christmas gatherings are times to share gifts and food, and to share and experience grace.
May God bless your Christmas with Christ's presence. A presence as clear to you and to all as the star above Bethlehem.
- Dr. John Brandt
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Second Quarter Mid-Term Grades Available Now
Second quarter mid-term grades can be accessed by going to
www.mystudentdata.com and entering the following information:
- School code: 50
- Student ID: 10 digit State ID number
- Password: Chargers
- Student birth date
Please call or email Nora Krueger at 989-790-1676 or nkrueger@vlhs.com if you have problems accessing grades. Please remember that tuition payments must be current to access grades.
If you have questions regarding grades, contact teachers by phone at 989-790-1676 or by email. Teacher email addresses are available on the school's website, www.vlhs.com.
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Extra Fruit Available Dec. 10, 11
The Valley Lutheran Booster Club has an extra supply of Florida Indian River seedless oranges, pink grapefruit, and tangelos. It will be available on a first-come, first-served basis during these pickup times.
- Saturday, Dec. 10 from 10am-12pm
- Sunday, Dec. 11 from 12-2pm
Thank you to all who have supported Valley Lutheran through the fruit sale. Questions? Call Bill Ankoviak at 989-781-5796.
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Christmas Choral Concert Dec. 11
Trinity Lutheran Church (Monitor) is hosting a Christmas Choral Concert at 3pm this Sunday, Dec. 11, at 20 E. Salzburg Road in Bay City. Valley Lutheran will have several groups performing, including Golden
Voice, Mixed Chorus, Glorify (handbell choir) and Brass Ensemble. Additional parking is available on the northeast side of the school. Space is limited. Those attending are invited to the after party in the school gymnasium.
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Christmas Family Collection Donations Needed by Dec. 14
Every year, the VLHS community
helps local families celebrate Christmas by providing needed household items, clothes, toys, and food. This year, second hour classes will be collecting for five families. A letter from Bev Feldkamp detailing the project, the class assignments, and the needs of each family was recently sent home. A copy of this letter can be found
here. Please send your donations by
Wednesday, Dec. 14, so Valley students can wrap and deliver the gifts later that week. If you have questions about the program, contact Bev Feldkamp at 989-790-1676 or at
bfeldkamp@vlhs.com.
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First Semester Final Exams Dec. 19-21
First semester final exams will be administered Dec. 19-21, even though the semester does not end until Jan.13. We have found that students are more successful on final exams if they take them before the longer Christmas break rather than after. The final exams are comprehensive - covering all material since the beginning of the year - and are counted for 20 percent of the semester grade. Teachers will provide various forms of study materials by Dec. 16.
The
final exam schedule is located on the website at
https://www.vlhs.com/calendar/final-exams under the calendar tab. We are on the second cycle for first semester exams. It is important to note that students may not take any final exams early. It is expected that all students take their exams when scheduled. In the case of severe illness, the student may make arrangements with Dr. Meyers to take any missed finals at a later time.
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Parents in Prayer Meeting Dec. 19
Consider joining Parents in Prayer, a group of parents who gather to pray at Valley twice each month. The group will meet at the school from 8-9:30am on the second and fourth Monday of each month in Room 108. The next meeting is Dec. 19, which has been moved from Dec. 12. The group prays for the needs of the students, faculty and staff at Valley. If you have requests that you'd like our group to pray over, submit them via email to parentsinprayer@vlhs.com. If you have questions, contact Carla Belill at 989-295-3018 or at jedicarla3@gmail.com.
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Emergency School Closing Procedure
As winter approaches, school closings are always a possibility. Since our students live in many communities, there are times when travel might be difficult close to home, yet easier in other areas. Your child's safety is our primary concern and we respect your decision to keep them home or send them to school later, if conditions make travel difficult. In addition to the regular cancellation announcements on TV and radio, you can visit
our website for information, especially concerning extracurricular activities.
Emergency school closings due to weather and other factors will be announced on radio stations WSGW (790 AM), WTCF (100.5 FM), and
WNEM (Channel 5). Valley Lutheran will be announced separately and independently of any other schools or districts. You can also register your cell phone, email, or both at
remind.com/join/vlhs1617 to receive notifications.
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Support Valley While Shopping Online
The holidays are approaching and if you're shopping online for gifts, you can support Valley Lutheran at the same time.
Shoparoo: Do you use the Shoparoo app? If so, you can upload pictures of your receipts to earn cash for Valley. Shoparoo also has weekly contests on its Facebook page for a chance to boost earnings for the school.
Kroger:
The Kroger Community Rewards program donates a portion of each purchase made by holders of the Kroger Plus Card to the charity of their choice, including Valley Lutheran High School. Enroll online here.
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Students Willing to Work for Help With D.C. Trip
In January, about 50 students, parents, and staff members will travel to Washington, D.C., for the March for Life. Students are willing to do yard work, babysit, and perform odd jobs in return for monetary support for the trip. If you have any work for the students, email Cris Urbytes at
curbytes@vlhs.com or call the school office at 989-790-1676.
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Job Opportunity
Valley Lutheran High School has an
opening for a high school math teacher beginning August 1, 2017. The ideal candidate will be a commissioned minister of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod certified to teach high school math with experience/interest in teaching Advanced Placement Calculus. The ability to lead an extra-curricular activity is also desirable, especially coaching athletics. Other applicants may be considered. Applicants may send a resume' with references and a cover letter to Dr. John Brandt, Valley Lutheran High School, 3560 McCarty, Saginaw MI 48603 or by e-mail at
jbrandt@vlhs.com. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. For further information call Dr. Brandt at 989-790-1676.
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Correction
Morgan Gengler's name was inadvertently omitted from the National Honor Society list of new members in the November Valley Vision.
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PSAT/NMSQT RESULTS
Scores and student data from this Fall's PSAT/NMSQT will be released to students online on
Tuesday, Dec. 13. Students must have a CollegeBoard account to access their scores online. Paper copies will be mailed to the school in late December and distributed at a PSAT Results Night early in the new year. Watch for more details to follow.
CAREER INVENTORY FOR ALL STUDENTS
ACT offers a free career and interest inventory for students who are unsure of a career path. Create an account at
https://www.actprofile.org, click on the Plans drop-down, and select Inventories. Complete the Interest, Ability, and Values inventories for a personalized report of career areas that might be a strong fit. Feel free to meet with Mrs. Mueller if you have questions or want to go over your results together. All students were given a link to create an account. This will help us in planning Career Day this spring.
CAREER DAY SPEAKERS
Do you have an interesting job? Would you be willing to answer questions from students regarding your career and how you got there? We are looking for parents and community members who might be willing to talk with our students for a few hours on Career Day - April 7, 2017. If you are interested, or know of someone who might be willing to help, please contact Mrs. Mueller at lmueller@vlhs.com.
STUDENT TRANSCRIPTS
VLHS uses a program called Parchment to send documents electronically and securely directly from the school. Please submit all document requests through Parchment. Transcript requests generally take two to three business days to process. If you need a document sent immediately, please contact Mrs. Mueller directly.
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Good Shepherd hosts Music of the Christmas Season on Dec. 10
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 5335 Brockway Road in Saginaw and its Music Ministry presents
Music of the Christmas Season, featuring traditional and contemporary music at
7pm on
Saturday, Dec. 10. Good Shepherd's choir, handbells, and praise team will perform. The concert is free.
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Holy Cross hosting Heaven's Child Cantata on Dec. 11
Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 600 Court St. in Saginaw, and the His Glory Choir is presenting Heaven's Child Cantata during its
8am (traditional) and 10:30am (contemporary) worship services, on Sunday, Dec. 11. Help spread the Gospel message of the Child belonging to Heaven, who was willing to come to Earth for us.
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Dec. 7 Second Quarter Mid-Term Grades Available, 5pm
Dec. 8 Peeks at Valley, 8:15am
Dec. 10 ACT Testing, 8am
Dec. 11 Christmas Choral Concert (at Trinity Monitor), 3pm
Dec. 19 Parents in Prayer, 8am
Dec. 19-21 Semester Exams
Dec. 22-Jan 2 No School, Christmas Break
Jan. 3 Classes Resume
Jan. 8 Booster Club Chicken BBQ, 11am
Jan. 9 Parents in Prayer, 8am
Jan. 10 Open House, 5pm
Jan. 11 Peeks at Valley, 8:15am
Jan. 13 End of Second Quarter
Jan. 16 No School, Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Professional Development
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Click on the image above to view the latest Valley Vision. |
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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.
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John Brandt
Valley Lutheran High School
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