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Parent Newsletter
May 9, 2018
Valley Lutheran students performed the musical, Camelot, in the school gymnasium April 26-28.
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Testing
Tis' the season ... for testing. PSAT, SAT, WorkKeys, M-STEP, AP, final exams, placement testing - you name it and our students are taking it. There's usually a higher level of preparation involved, a palpable sense of anxiety as your abilities are summed up into a single number, and uncertainty over how that one test - the single number all of your work is reduced to - will have such a large impact on your future. In the world of high school, these tests are a huge deal.
There are plenty of examples in the Bible of God testing his people. Christ himself was tested and tempted by the devil during his time in the wilderness after fasting for 40 days and nights. He passed each test with flying colors, and was attended to by angels as a result (Matthew 4). In the 22nd chapter of Genesis, we read about Abraham being called by God to "Take your son, your only son, whom you love - Isaac - and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you." (v. 2)
Can you imagine something as anxiety-ridden and uncertain as sacrificing your own child - the one you had waited so long to have? I'm 100 percent certain I would have failed that test. But Abraham demonstrated incredible faith. The next morning, he loaded up his donkey, took his son Isaac, and set off for Moriah. He didn't understand why God would ask for such a sacrifice, but he trusted in God's infinite wisdom. He proceeded, not knowing that God would provide a ram appropriate for sacrifice at the last possible moment. But through his unwavering faith and trust in his Lord, he passed, and God blessed him, making his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.
God does not promise that his people will not be tested. In fact, in John chapter 16, Jesus warns his disciples that they will encounter trouble. We have already and will continue to encounter testing, trials, and difficult seasons of life. What God does promise is that he will be there with us, remaining the same all-knowing, all-powerful God that provided for Abraham. We may not like what we are going through, but we can lean on His promises and look to the cross, knowing that whatever this life brings, it holds no comparison to the eternal glory awaiting us in Heaven. So in the face of testing, I encourage you to live as Christ commands his disciples: "But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
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Third Quarter Mid-Term Grades Available
Your child's third quarter mid-term grades are now available online. Go to
www.mystudentdata.com and enter the
following information:
- School code: 50
- Student ID Number: The ID number is the 10-digit number under the photo of their student ID. Please call the office if you cannot locate the student ID number.
- Student's birth date
- Password: Chargers
If you have questions about your child's grades, please contact the teacher by phone (790-1676) or by email. Teacher email addresses are available on the school website:
www.vlhs.com.
Please remember that grades can only be accessed if tuition payments are current. If you have any problems, please contact the office at 790-1676.
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Baseball Teams Play at Dow Diamond Tonight
Valley Lutheran's Junior Varsity and Varsity boys' baseball teams will play against Coleman tonight at Dow Diamond in Midland.
The JV game starts at 5pm and the Varsity game at 7pm. Gates open at 4:30pm. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the stadium. The price of admission helps defray the cost of renting the field.
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Peeks, Special Person's Day May 16
The time for the
Wednesday, May 16, Peeks has changed to
9am. It will also be a Snowbird Special Person's Day, for anyone who was unable to join us for these days in February. Come join us for a fun-filled morning with a tour of your own and chapel.
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Next VLHS Open House is Sunday, May 20
Do you know someone who would benefit from an amazing, Christ-centered high school experience? If so, invite them to our next open house on
Sunday, May 20, from 2-3pm. Take a tour with teachers and administrators who will be on hand to answer questions.
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Music Department Spring Concert on May 22
Students from Valley Lutheran's Music Department will host their Spring Concert at Curtiss Hall on the Saginaw Valley State University campus on
Tuesday, May 22. The concert begins at
7pm and doors open at 6:30pm. Everyone is invited to come hear the choirs and musicians directed by Paul Eschmann, Rebecca Eifert, and Lindsay Mueller.
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Credit Recovery Classes
Credit Recovery Classes will be offered once again at Valley for students who have failed classes during the school year. Classes run
June 19 to July 19, from 8-11:30am, with no classes on Fridays.
Cost: $250 for the first (1/2 credit) class
$175 for a second (1/2 credit) class
Registration is open for anyone who failed a first semester class.
Final registration will occur between June 11-15, as the second semester grades are finalized.
A parent/student meeting will take place Wednesday, June 13, at 7pm. For full details, pick up a flyer in the school office.
Classes are taught online through FuelEd and a VL teacher as in-class support. All students MUST attend class at Valley, however, additional work may be done at home. If you have any questions about this program, contact Dr. Lisa Meyers at
[email protected] or 989-790-1676.
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Registration Now Open for Summer Camps
Summer camps return to Valley this summer:
- Sports and extra-curricular camps (June 11-28) for students entering grades 4-9
- New camps this summer include 3-D Printing and Spanish camps.
A detailed flyer and registration form is available at www.vlhs.com/camps. Flyers are also in the Charger Connection, which are given to students when Mrs. Yantz visits the schools. Please share with friends and family who are looking for fun and affordable camps for their middle schoolers!
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SVSU Hosting Technology Camp for Girls
Do you know a high school girl who is curious about technology? Camp Infinity at Saginaw Valley State University is a one-week summer technology camp for girls entering grades 9-12 in Fall 2018. The camp runs from
July 23-27 from 9am to 4pm each day. Camp Infinity introduces girls to computer and internet technologies through hands-on activities. Girls will study website development and programming, using real world situations. Girls will also get an opportunity to meet
women who work in technological fields and explore career options in technology. The cost is $75 but scholarships are available to reduce the cost. For more information, visit the
camp registration page
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CREATING A COLLEGEBOARD ACCOUNT
SAT and PSAT scores from the April 10 testing were released online last week to students. You will need to create a CollegeBoard account to log in and see these scores. If you already have an account, login and your scores should be linked.
(How to create a CollegeBoard account) Keep this information in a safe place - you will use it often in the next few years.
RETAKING THE SAT/TAKING THE ACT
Many students and parents have asked about retaking the SAT or taking the ACT. Current juniors can take the SAT again in June, August, or October and still receive scores in plenty of time for college application and admission season. Colleges will generally take the best score earned, regardless of the testing date. I encourage students to be intentional about fine-tuning their skills in preparation for another SAT exam.
Khan Academy has excellent personalized (and free!) test prep opportunities on their website.
Students can also take the ACT for college entrance purposes. Because it is a different format, some students feel more comfortable taking the ACT, or feel that it better represents their true abilities. As a reminder, VLHS is a national testing site for both the SAT and ACT, so students can test in a familiar environment either way.
Most colleges will accept either exam. Need help deciding which exam to take?
Check out this guide!
CLASS OF 2019 INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS
Individual meetings have started taking place with current juniors to talk about the future - career ideas, college ideas, senior year classes, etc. Encourage your student to come prepared with questions or ideas - or a willingness to talk about lots of possibilities of where God may be calling them. There are also great resources for college and career searches on their Big Future site -
http://bigfuture.collegeboard.org.
SENIOR SURVEY FOR GRADUATION
All seniors have been asked to complete a short survey regarding their plans for next year, scholarships they have received, and some of their memorable moments from high school. Please encourage your senior to complete this important task, as this is how information is gathered for the graduation program insert. If your student has already completed the survey, and their plans change or they have received more scholarship funds, please email Mrs. Mueller directly at
[email protected] so that she can update the graduation insert. We want to accurately recognize the hard work and future plans of every member of the Class of 2018.
IMPORTANT LINKS
VL Scholarship Page - http://bit.ly/VLScholarships
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Become an International Coordinator
Are you retired, a stay-at-home parent, or searching for a part-time job? If so, Educatius Group is looking for passionate, creative, and enthusiastic people to support young people and their schools as an International Coordinator. In this role, you would work toward recruiting and securing host families for students. For more information, contact Lisa Scovel at 269-601-2368 or
[email protected].
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Second Annual Brent R. Smith Memorial Golf Scramble
The second annual Brent R. Smith Memorial Golf Scramble will take place
Saturday, May 19
, at Twin Oaks Golf Club, 6710 Freeland Road in Freeland.
The cost is $75 per person ($250 per foursome) with an 8am start. It includes golf, snacks at the turn, and a catered lunch by the Smith family. Prizes will be awarded after the outing.
Register online by visiting www.jvsfund.com. If you have questions, contact Michael Spencer at 989-233-9685 or email [email protected].
All proceeds go toward the St. John Amelith Building Maintenance Fund and the Brent R. Smith Scholarship Fund - a scholarship for students who have lost a parent.
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Good Shepherd Hosting Golf Scramble Fundraiser
A mission team from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is hosting a golf outing at Twin Bridges Golf Course, 3260 S. Fenmore Road, Merrill, on Saturday, May 19, with a shotgun start at 11am.
The cost is $65 per person (four-person teams), and includes 18 holes, cart fees, pig roast dinner and hole prizes. Opportunities are also available for: Cart sponsor, dinner/refreshment sponsor, tee and green sponsor. Donation items will also be accepted for raffles and hole prizes. Tickets for just the dinner are also available.
The outing will help raise money for the mission team from Good Shepherd to travel to Porto Alegre, Brazil, to work with the ABRASSE daycare (school), and with a local congregation in a very poor area of the city. The daycares are the only opportunity for the children in poverty to break the cycle of poverty and build a better life for themselves.
To register to golf, or to become a sponsor, please call Molly at 989-245-6640 or email [email protected].
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Peace Panther Prowl Golf Outing
The Peace Lutheran Panther Prowl 9th Annual Golf Outing will be held
Friday, June 8 at the Sawmill.
Included in the $85 registration fee (if completed by June 1) is 18 holes with lunch and dinner. Tickets are also available for
those only interested in dinner and a silent auction. This event supports athletics at the school. For more information, contact Peace Athletic Director Keith Trent at
[email protected]
or 989-792-2581.
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| May 9 |
Fourth Quarter Mid-Term Grades Available, 5pm |
| May 16 |
Peeks at Valley, 9am |
| May 17 |
NHS Blood Drive, 7:30am |
| May 17 |
Service Day, 8am |
| May 20 |
Open House, 2-3pm |
| May 22 |
Spring Music Concert at SVSU, 7pm |
| May 24 |
Parents in Prayer, 8am |
| May 24 |
Senior Banquet, 6:30pm |
| May 25 |
Seniors Excused for the Day |
| May 28 |
No School - Memorial Day |
| May 29 |
Incoming Freshmen Placement Testing, 6pm |
| May 31 |
Sports Physicals, 4:30pm |
| May 31 |
Incoming Freshmen Placement Testing, 6pm |
| June 2 |
SAT Testing, 8am |
| June 4-6 |
Final Exams |
| June 4 |
Incoming Freshmen Placement Testing, 6pm |
| June 6 |
Last Day of School |
| June 6 |
Incoming Freshmen Placement Testing, 6pm |
| June 9 |
ACT Testing, 8am |
| June 10 |
Graduation, 2pm |
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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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