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Parent Newsletter
October 12, 2020


As an alternate Service Day activity this fall, Valley Lutheran students participated in a Play With Your Food competition.  Each family group collected non-perishable food in order to create a sculpture to fit the theme of "Around the World," with all of the building materials to then be donated to local food banks. Mrs. Doyle's family group won the Grand Prize with their creation of the Titanic!  
Devotion
Vote for Jesus
We're in a time of year where we're surrounded by campaign slogans and election ads and commercials. Everywhere we look and listen candidates are trying to convince us to vote for them. Some ads and slogans highlight positive qualities and policies of a candidate. Others point out flaws or negatives of an opponent. But what would a campaign ad or slogan look like for Jesus?

Jesus Christ: The Way 
  • Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6
Jesus: Always Faithful, Always Trustworthy
  • But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3
  • Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. Deuteronomy 7:9
Light in the Darkness
  • The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5
  • When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12
When it's easy to feel discouraged or tired of earthly campaigning, let's remember that our King and Savior has already won!

~Heath Vincent
Note from the Executive Director
Executive Orders, Court Rulings, Masks, and Other Procedures!
I have been asked quite a few times in the past week about whether students can stop wearing masks now that the Michigan Supreme Court has shared the ruling about Executive Orders. I understand the great desire to put mask-wearing behind us, however...
  • We have had great success in remaining here at school providing in-person instruction for students. (I know of other schools across our state that have had to close in-person instruction for all students).
  • We have had great success with keeping Covid-19 from being a regular problem for students to deal with. (We've had only one Covid-19 case --- and that was back on September 3rd).
  • We have had great success with students showing care and love for others by wearing masks every day since school started on August 25th. (It was an adjustment, but we are all used to it now.)
  • We have had great success with being able to fulfill our mission as a school by helping students prepare for their future with Christ as our foundation. (Our mission drives everything we prioritize.)
  • We have had great success changing and adapting to how to effectively provide educational excellence in new and various ways. (After all, life is a series of changes and adaptations.)
I acknowledge that everything hasn't been perfect, and we've had to stop doing some things we would prefer to continue. However, the successes we have enjoyed make remaining with our current procedures seem very prudent for the time being.

We remain committed to our students' learning and health, and we'll continue to follow our existing Phase 4 plans to serve them well.

In Christ,
Julian Petzold, Executive Director
Need to Know
State Testing on October 14th
October 14th is State Testing Day. All students will be participating in free testing (SAT or PSAT) provided by the state. 
  • Students need to be at school by 7:50 am in order to check into their assigned rooms. Career center students have been excused at their center to participate in our testing. 
  • Please bring calculators and #2 non-mechanical pencils. 
  • Lunch will not be served that day, however students may bring water and a snack for any breaks during testing.
  • Students are dismissed from school at the conclusion of their testing.  If they need to wait for a ride, the RC will be open for them to take a lunch break or work on homework.  See chart below for dismissal times:

    Grade Level
    Test Taken
    Start Time
    Approx. Ending Time
    9
    PSAT 8/9
    8:00 am
    11:45 am
    10
    PSAT/NMSQT
    8:00 am
    12:00 noon
    11
    PSAT/NMSQT
    8:00 am
    12:00 noon
    12
    SAT
    8:00 am
    1:00 pm
Please contact Dr. Meyers ([email protected]) or Mrs. Mueller ([email protected]) if you have additional questions.
School Calendar Notes
There are several dates to note for the rest of October:
  • No school on Thursday, October 15th and Friday, October, 16th.  VLHS faculty will be participating in a virtual MANS (Michigan Association of Nonpublic Schools) Conference.
  • Friday, October 23rd is Career Day.  In-person and virtual vocational activities with school dismissal at noon.  No lunch will be served.
  • No school on Friday, October 30th.  The last day of the first quarter is October 29th.
Get Involved
Booster Club Fruit Sale
WE WILL BE GETTING BACK THE GREAT QUALITY FRUIT  OF YESTERYEAR!
We have contacted the supplier with our disappointment in the quality the past several years. They have promised to return to sending us the good quality fruit we used to get.
 
Our annual fruit sale will run October 12th through November 10th.
  • Navel Oranges, Pink Grapefruit, Mandarins, and Mixed Boxes will be sold in 20 lb. and 40 lb. boxes.
  • The fruit will be boxed bulk, with no trays, except Citrus Delight.
  • ALL fruit will be from FLORIDA!  (Not California)
Watch for envelopes to be distributed to your students October 12th.  Fruit will be distributed December 3rd, 4th and 5th. Call the office at 989.790.1676 for more details.
Amazon Prime Day
If you are an Amazon shopper (Prime Day is coming up), please choose Valley Lutheran High School through the Amazon Smile link associated with your account. A portion of your purchases come to Valley quarterly. Thanks for your support!
Parents in Prayer
Parents in Prayer is looking for more prayer troops to join us!  We will be meeting on the following Wednesdays from 8-9:30 am:  Oct. 14th, Oct. 28th, Nov. 11th, Nov. 18th, and Dec. 9th in the Track Barn (the building at the north end of the football stadium). COVID rules will not keep us from praying!  We can wrap up by 9am if requested.   Please dress for the weather. Direct any questions or prayer requests to Carla Belill at 989.295.3018 or at [email protected].
Parent Organization Meeting
The next Parent Organization meeting is Tuesday, October 20th, at 6pm at Valley Lutheran.  
Fundraising Thank You!
Both the Mum Sale and the Chipotle Night were very successful in raising funds for Valley Lutheran High School.  THANK YOU to all of you who participated!
Guidance Corner
TEST DAY TIPS
This week, students will be taking either the PSAT or SAT exam as part of the school day. There are a few easy things you can do to make sure students are ready to go:
  • Prepare materials for test day the night before. (Think #2 pencils, calculator, snack, water.)
  • Get a good night's sleep. Avoid screen time the hour before you want to fall asleep. 
  • Go through your normal morning routine. This tells your body that it's go-time, just like any other school day. 
  • Eat a good breakfast. Avoid caffeine unless it is part of your normal routine. 
  • Plan to arrive at school a few minutes early to gather your testing items and find your test room.
  • Once the test starts, take a deep breath and try your best. You've got this!
TEST ANXIETY
As students gear up to take the SAT, PSAT, and AP Exams, it is not uncommon to experience heightened levels of anxiety. TeensHealth offers great insight into why students might experience test anxiety, and some easy techniques they can use to think clearly in the face of stressful situations. The information given might also be a nice starting point to open lines of communication around mental well-being and stress management. You can read the full article at https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/test-anxiety.html. 
 
FUTURE FRENZY WEEK!
The week of October 19-23 has been set aside to encourage all students to consider plans for their post-high school careers and training. Activities will include open labs for help with job applications, college applications, FAFSA, resumes, etc., exploration activities, visits from colleges, and apprenticeship and skilled trades presentation, and a dress-up day on Thursday. Encourage your student to participate and begin/continue creating their post-high school plans!

CAREER DAY 2020
Future Frenzy Week will culminate in a non-traditional career day event for students in all grades. Virtual and in-person activities will be provided for students to focus on developing a plan for their time in high school and their next steps following high school. Students should plan to be in attendance from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon that day and will need their devices. Lunch is not being served that day.

IMPORTANT LINKS
 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.

Julian Petzold
Valley Lutheran High School