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Parent Newsletter
September 26, 2018
Valley Lutheran staff and students went throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region to help others for Service Day on Wednesday, Sept. 26.
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It's Homecoming Week here at the high school, with dress up days, pep rallies, a tailgate, parade, big games under the lights, and dance to cap off the week. It's a chance to be all-in for Valley Lutheran, to show off your Charger pride! Ask any teacher, and they'll tell you there's a different energy in the air this week.
Maybe it's because it's homecoming, or maybe because we are studying the parable in my home church, but the idea of homecoming brings to mind The Prodigal Son. You know the story - the younger son asks for his share of the inheritance, leaves home and loses it all, and comes back to ask to work a servant in his father's house only to be welcomed back with open arms and a huge feast. (See Luke 15:11-32) It's a great picture to mirror the welcome we will receive when we are welcomed home to Heaven by the open arms of our Loving Heavenly Father. (I cannot wait for that hug!)
Often times, this is where the story ends - with the joyful reunion. It's comforting, and a nice Sunday School lesson. But there's a part two. The older brother, who has remained faithful to his father, is not happy at the return of his brother. The older brother has followed the rules and is still awaiting his reward (his inheritance). Culturally, his status was determined by the amount of land he owned and wealth he possessed. It could mean a better match with a young lady or more power and prestige within the community. Now, he is watching his father give away a fattened calf, spend money on a huge banquet, and bestow gifts upon his young brother - all items that one day will be his.
You see, the younger brother could not be restored to his position in the family without the sacrifice of the older brother. The younger brother had already taken his share and squandered it. That means that whatever expense the father gave to welcome home his younger son would have to come from the older brother's future inheritance. The older brother isn't just upset because he's followed the rules - he's mad that his rightful (future) share is being spent or gifted to the younger brother and it means less for him to receive as an inheritance.
This is where the lightbulb moment came for me. The happy ending where we are scooped up into our Father's arms is still reality that we can eagerly await, but it can only happen through the sacrifice of our Father's Son. We have squandered what we have been given; messed it up by stacking sin upon sin upon sin. But the story doesn't end there. We don't have to sheepishly approach our Father, asking to work off our wrong-doing. No, we are welcomed home and restored to the family of God because His Son has already sacrificed Himself. Praise be to God that His Son, Jesus Christ, has paid the price for us to be redeemed. So, welcome home.
~Lindsay Mueller,
Guidance Counselor
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Homecoming Tailgate
Valley is hosting a tailgating party Friday, Sept. 28 prior to the varsity football game against Michigan Lutheran Seminary. Tailgating starts at 5 pm with the parade set for 5:45 pm. Kickoff is 7 pm.
Please bring a dish to pass, your own non-alcoholic beverage, and chairs or blankets for seating. Association churches and others will have tents set up between the driveways. Bring a dish to pass and join a group.
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Google Guardian
All parents were sent an invitation to join Google Classroom as a guardian for their student. The invitations were sent to the email address that parents have on file in the office.
If you did not receive an invitation or would like a new invitation sent, please email [email protected] and give the email address you prefer.
Once you have accepted the invitation, you will receive an email summary on either a weekly or daily basis depending on your selection. The summary will detail assignments and other announcements posted on your child's Google Classroom. The teachers will also use this guardian email for contacting you regarding your student.
Please make sure that this guardian feature has been set up to assist us in providing you with important information related to the classroom. Thank you!
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Tuition and Midterms
First quarter mid-term grades are released to all students even if their tuition payments are not current. However, grades for students with past due accounts will be held when grades are released at the end of the first quarter. Please contact Business Manager Bill Ankoviak at [email protected] if you are unsure of the status of your tuition account.
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Midterm Grades Now Available
Midterm grades can now be accessed by going to
www.mystudentdata.com and entering the following information:
School ID: 50
Student ID Number:
All students will use the FULL 10-digit State ID number, printed at the bottom of their ID cards. Please call the office or email Cathy Miller at [email protected] if you cannot locate the numbers.
Student's birth date
Password: Chargers
This system only offers midterm, quarter and semester report cards.
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Calendar Information Update
After further investigation we've determined that the following tips will help eliminate potential confusion regarding sporting events on our website calendar.
- For sports where the event is not likely to occur at the hosting school's location (i.e. golf, cross country, etc) please click on the calendar event and reference the 'Site' and 'Subsite' information under Details to determine the actual location of the competition.
- Any day-of changes (weather cancellations, time updates, etc) will be communicated via an 'alert' on the website homepage. This alert appears under the 'ready.set.charge' picture as red text on a white background.
(As a reminder full schedules for each sport are available on the Athletics page by clicking the specific sport name/level under 'Sports Seasons'.)
Thank you for considering these details when using the calendar!
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Valley Students Score Well on Advanced Placement Exams
In May of 2018, 75 students passed their Advanced Placement Exam which gives them college credit for work they did in high school. In each of our four official AP courses, the percentage of students that passed was significantly higher than the global (note: AP Exams are given internationally) percentage for passing. In the scoring system for exams, a passing score of 3 is qualified, 4 is very well qualified, and 5 is extremely well qualified. Additionally, eight students took and passed AP Exams for courses that are not official AP courses (French Language, Psychology, Studio Art & Drawing, and Government), which means they received the necessary instruction within our regular courses and then attempted the test.
| AP Course |
# Students Passed |
Percentage Passed |
Global Percentage Passed |
% Scoring 4 or 5 |
Global % Scoring 4 or 5 |
Biology
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9 |
82% |
61% |
36% |
28% |
| Calculus |
13 |
76% |
57% |
53% |
36% |
| English Literature |
30 |
75% |
47% |
28% |
20% |
| Spanish Language |
15 |
94% |
88% |
50% |
58% |
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Parents in Prayer
Parents in Prayer has released its list of scheduled meetings for the school year. Participating parents gather in the Resource Center from
8-9:30 a.m. Monday mornings on the dates listed below. The group prays for the needs of your children, as well as the needs of all the students at Valley.
Schedule:
Oct. 8 & 22
Nov. 12 & 16
Dec. 10
Jan. 14 & 28
Feb. 11 & 25
March 11
April 8 & 22
May 13
Prayers can be submitted in the box on the wall in the RC, via email at
[email protected] or by calling Carla Belill at 989-295-3018. Requests can be made confidentially.
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Entertainment Books
Time is running out to get your Entertainment Books! The Parent Organization organizes this fundraiser that gives 50% of the profit from each book to go towards the purchase of 30 Chromebooks and a cart. You can purchase them for $25 from any student or by calling the office at 989-790-1676. Thanks for your support!
Go to fundraising.entertainment.com and under "support a fundraiser" enter 625221 for the VLHS group ID.
The book sale runs through Friday, Sept. 28!
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Buzz Books
School directories (Buzz Books) are available in the school office. If you'd like one, stop by or have your child pick one up.
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Class of 2019 News: Senior Photos
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Hot Lunch Price for 2018-19
Hot lunch prices for 2018-19 are $32 for a 10-punch card. Individual lunches are $3.75. Cards may be purchased in the office before school. Applications for free and reduced lunches are available on our website.
Download here.
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Athletic Passes Available for Purchase
Athletic passes are a great way to save money when attending Valley Lutheran sporting events. Passes cost
$20 for 10 entries to a regular season
home game. Passes can be purchased at the entrance of athletic events. Without a pass, single-game admission is $5 for adults and students. The cost is the same for away games.
Please note that admission for all-conference and division tournaments is $5 and athletic passes are not accepted.
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SUITE Surrender
The fall drama production of SUITE Surrender is scheduled for
7 p.m. Nov. 1-3 in the Valley gymnasium. Tickets are $7 per person, $5 per student or $20 for a family pass.
Sneak Peak: Two Hollywood divas have descended upon a luxurious Palm Beach hotel. Everything seems to be in order for their performance ... that is, until they are somehow assigned to the same suite. Mistaken identities, overblown egos, and a lap dog named Mr. Broodles make this a comedy for the whole family.
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Estate Planning at the Different Stages of Life
The Valley Lutheran Foundation is hosting Darrell Zolton and Michael Weiss of Zolton Law Offices for an informational meeting on estate planning. Call 989-790-1676 or email [email protected] by
Oct. 5 to reserve your spot. A light supper will be served.
Date: Thursday, Oct. 11
Time: 6 pm
Place: Valley Lutheran Resource Center
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PSAT-NMSQT EXAM PRE-ADMINISTRATION
All students registered to take the PSAT/NMSQT should plan on attending a
pre-administration session on Tuesday, October 2nd at 8:00 am in the gym. Students should bring a soft-lead No. 2 pencil (not a mechanical pencil), a blue or black ink pen, and their student ID. Do not miss this important pre-test activity.
SENIOR FAFSA/SCHOLARSHIP NIGHT
The FAFSA opens on October 1st - are you ready? Seniors and parents are invited to a college financial aid, FAFSA, and scholarship information night on
Tuesday, October 2nd at 7:00pm in the RC. This is an important night if your student plans on making use of any scholarships, grants, loans, etc. A local financial aid expert will be on hand to answer questions as well.
EDUCATION PLANNING RESOURCES
Don't have a senior, but want to start planning for your student's financial aid and scholarship future? It is never too early to start planning on funding college. Education Planning Resources will be holding an information night on
Tuesday, October 9th at 7:00pm in the RC for families who want to get a jumpstart on the college application process and financial aid. More information can be found
here. Please register at
http://epr123.com/all-events/valley-2018 to ensure there are enough materials on hand for all attendees.
HEROIN AND OPIATE ADDICTION AND RECOVERY PRESENTATION
Zion Lutheran School (Auburn) is hosting a discussion surrounding the heroin and opiate crisis in the Great Lakes Bay Region on
October 2, 2018 at 7:00 pm. If you are interested in attending, see this
flyer for information.
SAT/ACT TESTING LINKS
VLHS SCHOOLSHELF RESOURCES
http://www.schoolshelf.com/981068-valley-lutheran/
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BBQ Chicken Dinner
Trinity-St. James Lutheran in Munger is holding a BBQ chicken dinner from
11:30 am until 2 pm (or until they sell out) on Sunday, Oct. 21. It's $10 for a 1/2 chicken, but children 5-&-under are free. Takeouts are also available. Contact 989-659-2506 for more information.
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Fall Craft Bazaar
Holy Cross is hosting its first Fall Craft Bazaar from 4-8 pm Thursday, Oct. 25 and from 9 am-2:30pm Saturday, Oct. 27. Admission is free Thursday and $1 on Saturday with proceeds going to send the youth group to the 2019 National Youth Gathering.
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Sauerkraut Dinner
Holy Cross is hosting a Sauerkraut Dinner on Thursday, Oct. 25 from 5-7 pm. Adults are $11, students ages 6-12 are $7 and children 5-&-under are free. Call 989-793-9723 for dinner or ticket information.
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| Sept. 26 |
Service Day, 8 am |
| Sept. 27 |
Homecoming soccer game, 7 pm |
| Sept. 28 |
Homecoming football game, 7 pm |
| Sept. 29 |
Homecoming dance, 8 pm |
| Oct. 4 |
Peeks at Valley, 11 am |
| Oct. 6 |
SAT, 8 am |
| Oct. 8 |
Parents in Prayer meeting, 8-9:30 am |
| Oct. 10 |
PSAT/NMSQT, 8 am (For those registered) |
| Oct. 12-14 |
Senior Retreat |
| Oct. 18-19 |
No School - MANS Conference |
| Oct. 22 |
Parents in Prayer, 8 am |
| Oct. 25 |
End of 1st Quarter |
| Oct. 26 |
No School - Musical Extravaganza, 12:30-1:45 pm |
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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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