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Parent Newsletter
January 3, 2017
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The Freeland Nouvel Valley hockey team celebrates a 5-1 victory against the Bay Area Thunder on Dec. 28 at Saginaw Bay Ice Arena.
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Feeling Worn Out? Find True Peace in Jesus
The holidays are over and the gloomy days of January and February loom dark and dreary before us. To make matters worse, world events appear uncertain. The divisive politics from the election in our country appear to be gearing up again as we inaugurate a new president. While the celebrations in the U.S. seemed to be relatively peaceful, events world-wide are not. Bombings in Turkey, and a tumultuous Middle East are the latest indication that the world is not a peaceful place. Where does one go to get away from all this? I recently went for a walk on the new bike path along the Saginaw River. While I would have preferred to ski it, the lack of snow forced me to walk. Whether walking or cross country skiing, the area is very peaceful. There was not bad news blaring all around me, in fact, I spotted an eagle in all of its majestic beauty. What a thrilling sight to see it soar into the sky! There's just something about being out in nature that lifts the spirit and makes one feel at peace. Too soon I had to leave the peace and quiet and come back to reality.
As the holiday season comes to a close many people feel worn out. The words of Peace on Earth seem an empty saying. Family gatherings that all too often are stressful and non too peaceful are the takeaway emotions. What's missing? Many people choose this time to walk away from regular worship, Bible study and scripture reading. These are our keys to peace. John 14:27 says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." Jesus clearly states that if we are looking for peace in this world we are sorely mistaken. True peace is still only found in God's gift to us of Jesus Christ sent to suffer and to die for all of the sins that cause this world to not be at peace. Despite the turmoil of this world, Christians live with the knowledge that He has come to save us and that we have the peace that He will take care of us in this world and the next, giving us true peace.
- Barry Wittig
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Booster Club Chicken Dinner This Sunday
The annual Booster Club Chicken Dinner will take place at Valley Lutheran this
Sunday, Jan. 8, from 11am-1:30pm.
- $11 for 1/2 chicken
- $8 for 1/4 chicken
- Menu: Mashed potatoes with gravy, corn, coleslaw, rolls, dessert, and beverage
- Take outs available
Proceeds are used to fund Valley's extra-curricular activities.
Afterward, you could join us for the Christmas Choral Concert at Trinity, Monitor, at 4pm. For details, see the next newsletter item.
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Christmas Choral Concert Rescheduled For This Sunday
Trinity Lutheran Church (Monitor) is hosting a Christmas Choral Concert at
4pm this Sunday, Jan. 8, at 20 E. Salzburg Road in Bay City. The original event was postponed because of inclement weather. 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 and we recommend arriving early to get a good seat.
*Note: there will NOT be an after party following the concert.
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Benefit Dinner Auction Tickets Available Jan. 9
Bringing Back the '80s is the theme for the 14th Annual VLHS Benefit Dinner Auction at the Apple Mountain Conference Center on
Saturday, Feb. 25. Tickets are available in the office beginning Jan. 9. Don't delay as tickets have sold out in past years. For more details, check the auction brochure that will be arriving by USPS in the next few days. Otherwise, you can view it online
here.
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Parents in Prayer Next Meeting Jan. 9
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 Jan. 9. 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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2017 Open Houses
Valley's annual Open House series begins
Tuesday, Jan. 10, from 5-6pm. Faculty members will be on hand to show prospective families around the school, as well as to answer questions about VLHS. You don't need to make a reservation, just show up! Feel free to let friends and neighbors know about the opportunity to check out all VLHS has to offer. Stay after the open house and watch the Chargers' varsity basketball teams play Ovid-Elsie.
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Grandparents/Special Friends Day Coming in February
Grandparents and Special Friends love to visit Valley Lutheran, and our students love to share with them first hand what makes Valley so special. This year, each Thursday in February has been set aside to do just that, with each class encouraged to bring guests, starting at 9:15am, on the following dates:
- Seniors - Feb. 2
- Juniors - Feb. 9
- Sophomores - Feb. 16
- Freshmen - Feb. 23
Special guests will take a tour of the the school, sit in on a class with their student host, attend chapel, and, if they'd like, stay for lunch.
For more information, contact Doug Guenther at 989-790-1676 or
dguenther@vlhs.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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Fruit Sale Thank You
Thank you to all the churches and individuals associated with Valley Lutheran's fruit sale. We appreciate those who bought, sold, distributed and helped with the fundraiser. Money that was raised will help support music, drama, athletics, and many other activities at Valley. Through your support, we were fortunate and thankful to meet our goal. In all, 537 boxes of fruit were sold. That's 16,000 pounds of fruit!
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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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NEW YEAR, NEW GOALS?
See how Dr. Tim Elmore begins his new year on purpose - a great way to think about scheduling priorities for 2017! A quick read; well worth your time in looking at resolutions and new beginnings from a different perspective! https://growingleaders.com/blog/one-thing-do-at-beginning-each-year/
SCHEDULE CHANGES
Per the Student Handbook, "Schedule changes will only be made during the first five school days of each semester (starts Jan. 17). Changes will be approved only for good, sufficient reason with administration and parent approval. ... In general, schedules will not be changed to accommodate student preferences of study hall or lunch hour." Please contact Mrs. Mueller if you would like to request a schedule change for Spring Semester.
PSAT/NMSQT RESULTS NIGHT
Mark your calendars for THURSDAY, JANUARY 26 at 7pm for our PSAT/NMSQT Results Night. Parents and students who took the PSAT/NMSQT in the fall will receive a paper copy of their scores, as well as their test booklet for their own studying purposes. Mrs. Mueller will walk families through reading and interpreting your score, and introduce you to the resources available online to continue improving your score before taking the SAT in April. See you there!
CLASS OF 2017 - SCHOLARSHIPS
If you're headed off to college in the Fall, now is the time to be working on scholarship applications. A few hours of your time in preparing quality applications can pay off in thousands of dollars of aid! Check out our VL Scholarship Page - http://bit.ly/VLScholarships2017 - for the most up-to-date scholarship information that we receive.
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS
Much of the extra financial aid that our students receive outside of their future colleges comes from the various community foundations within the Great Lakes Bay Region. Applications have already opened, or will be opening soon. See the VL Scholarship page - http://bit.ly/VLScholarships2017 - for more detailed information and links to various scholarship pages and opportunities. An hour of work could pay thousands in scholarships!
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Jan. 8 Booster Club Chicken BBQ, 11am
Jan. 8 Christmas Choral Concert, 4pm
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
Jan. 18 Semester Grades Available, 5pm
Jan. 21 SAT Testing, 8am
Jan. 21-22 Lutheran Grade School Girls Basketball Tournament
Jan. 23 Parents in Prayer, 8am
Jan. 26 Peeks at Valley, 11am
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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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