In This Issue

The Annual Christian Book Fair is in the Elementary School Library all week!
 
Monday March 27:
No Events

Tuesday March 28:
Men's Varsity Volleyball hosts California Crosspoint | 3:30pm
Men's Varsity Baseball hosts Head Royce | 4:00pm
 
Wednesday March 29:
Women's Varsity Softball at Emery | 3:30pm
 
Thursday March 30:
No Events

Friday March 31:
Women's Varsity Softball at Alma Heights | 4:00pm
Men's Varsity Baseball at Head Royce | 4:00pm
Men's varsity Volleyball at St. Joseph Notre Dame | 4:30pm
Elementary School Vision Screening
Star Party  Dinner  6:30pm  in the JSA | Stargazing  8pm  on the ES blacktop

Saturday April 1:
Last Man Standing High School Event | 6:00pm
8th Graders Leave for DC
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ACSI/WASC Accreditation Visit
This week we've had some special visitors on campus. The visiting accreditation team commended Valley Christian Schools for our purposeful commitment to Christian education, our effective instructional practices that encourage student engagement, and our commitment to providing service learning opportunities for our students, and many more! The purpose of the visit is to show an outside agency the inner workings of the school, and to provide evidence of student growth. The team definitely saw what Valley is all about. We are thankful to our teachers, students, parents, school board, operations team, and Valley Christian Center for their hard work and support in this process. This week our aim to be One Valley really shined through.
 
Take a look below at the incredible ways our students are serving our local and global communities.
5th Grade Wax Museum at the Academic Fair
The fifth grade has been studying the American Revolution.  At the Academic Fair they put on a Wax Museum, where they played the part of a person from the Revolution.  Guests could give them coins for their wax figure to come "alive". They raised money for Lifewater International, a Christian organization that is working to end the global water crisis. They truly were the hands and feet of Jesus for people in our world that don't have clean drinking water. The total that they raised for this incredible organization was $1840.30!



Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity was on campus on Thursday for an amazing STEAM Playhouse Build.  Eight playhouses were constructed and decorated by Valley Christian 7th and 8th graders over the course of 5 hours.  Thanks to a generous donation by Simpson Strong-Tie, Inc, and our hard-working students, 8 underprivileged families received a new playhouse for their children. 

Watch the video below to see our amazing students building playhouses and presenting them to the children to see for the first time!






6th Grade Service Project
Our 6th grade class took their service to a new level as the entire class went off campus to Kaleidoscope in Dublin to help with Spring Cleaning.  Some Students raked, mulched, and fertilized the outdoor play area and garden while others were busy cleaning and sorting on the inside.




Elementary Fun Run Fundraiser 
The Elementary School enjoyed an amazing morning yesterday for their FunRun! God blessed us with beautiful weather and great fellowship. The students, staff, and parents at Valley Christian all enjoyed one of our best Fun Runs ever! We are still tallying the final pledges and will have total figures calculated soon! Thank you to all who were involved!




San Francisco Day of Learning
On Sunday, March 19, two Valley Christian students had the privilege of meeting survivors of genocide face-to-face. Gloria Zhang and Hannah Johnson accompanied their Modern World History teacher, Mrs. Weber, to the 15th annual "Day of Learning" in San Francisco hosted by The Jewish Family and Children's Services Holocaust Center.
 
Hannah attended a workshop exploring the role of faith in the midst of atrocity. Later, Hannah joined a small group session with 96-year-old Holocaust survivor, Gloria Lyon. Mrs. Lyon amazingly endured imprisonment in seven different concentration camps ranging from Bergen-Belsen to Auschwitz. Reflecting on her time with Mrs. Lyon, Hannah commented, "She looks like my grandma, she could have been anybody's grandma, but she has this incredible story that I would never have known otherwise."
 
Gloria attended a different workshop about refugees and U.S. immigration policies, followed by a session with a survivor of civil war in South Sudan. Gloria's speaker, Richard Bakheit, lived in different refugee camps prior to emigrating from South Sudan to San Francisco. He is currently fundraising to start a school back in South Sudan and he challenged students to act as global citizens by staying informed about what is happening outside of the US.
 
Hannah, Gloria, and Mrs. Weber left the conference with a renewed appreciation for oral history. This experience added depth and meaning to their unit on WWII and the Holocaust.  


Save The Date | Golf Tournament | May 5
Valley Christian Athletics Golf Tournament, Dinner and Fundraiser.   
Who: Open to all who enjoy laughing and having a great time
When: May 5, 2017
Where: Poppy Ridge Golf Course, Livermore
Time: Tee off at 1:00pm 

Save the Date | Spring Cabaret (Grades 3-12) | May 5 and 6
Friday, May 5 at 7:00pm and Saturday, May 6 at 2:00pm
Select Scenes from Musical favorites such as Newsies, Into the Woods, Peter Pan, Annie and....Hamilton!  
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Annual Christian Book Fair | March 27-31
Come see the Elementary Library transformed into a bookstore! There will be Bibles, books and so much more for all ages. Each class will have an opportunity to tour the fair. More information here!
 
Hours of Operation
Monday March 27  7:30am-4:00pm
Tuesday March 28  7:30am-4:00pm
Wednesday March 297:30am- 6:00pm
Thursday March 30 7:30am- 6:00pm
Friday March 31 7:30am-3:00pm

FREE Vision Screening for TK-3rd Graders | April 3-4 
A certified pediatric vision screener from the CA-HI Elks Major Project will be on-site to offer free vision screening on Monday and Tuesday, April 3-4. This is a non-profit organization offering free vision screening to children ages 3-9 years old throughout California.  The purpose of this screening is to identify children who may be at risk for undetected vision abnormalities.
 
Information and permission slips (back-to-back) were sent home with your student today, Friday, March 24.  If you would like your child to be tested, please return them to your student's teacher by Wednesday, March 29. Consent to Screen and Child Registry attached here.
 
3rd-5th Grade Talent Show | Friday, April 21
Mark your calendars! Our 3rd-5th grade students have the opportunity to share their talent with the entire elementary school. The talent show will be held in the JSA on Friday, April 21 at 1:30pm. A sign up sheet to enter will be posted on the bulletin board outside the Music Room (Rm 14). Auditions will be held with Mrs. Whitley and Mrs. Flot the week before Spring Break! More information to come! 
 
Star Party | Friday, March 31
Arrive to the JSA at 6:30pm for pizza and games before Star Gazing begins at 8:00pm. Fill out and return the registration form by Wednesday, March 29 to reserve a spot for dinner. Volunteers are needed to help prepare and serve dinner. Please sign up to help on the registration form if you are available. Information and Registration here!
 
Elementary Concert | May 18 at 6:30pm in the JSA
What does it mean to love our neighbors as ourselves?  Part of this love is learning about the stories of our neighbors from around the world! Come hear the diverse songs students have been singing in various African languages, and see them perform dances of celebration and rhythms of blessing from West Africa!   

Parents in Prayer
 
Join other VCES parents to faithfully and intentionally cover the children, staff, administration and families of Valley Christian Elementary School in prayer. We meet from 9:00 - 10:00am on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, in room ES-11, to worship the Lord and pray for our beloved school. The atmosphere is always relaxed and welcoming. Come as you are!
Questions? Contact Alison Corral at la.eagle4dios@yahoo.com | (925) 334-9778 for more information.
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Dodge Ball Tournament
The annual Dodge Ball Tournament returns to the high school the week of March 27. Two teams per day will compete in a single-elimination match during lunch in the gym.  All middle and high school students are welcome to come cheer on their favorite teams.
 
Last Man Standing 
On Saturday, April 1, the high school ASB will be hosting Last Man Standing, the ultimate tag competition from 6:00-8:00pm on the high school campus.  Participants dressed in dark clothing will register at the student center, where they will be given a bandana armband.  After instructions regarding rules, safety and boundaries, the students will be sent outside where they will try to avoid ASB "Hunters" who will be armed with socks filled with flour.  Any student who is tagged by a flour sock becomes a hunter.  The final student who avoids being tagged will win a prize.  In addition to the competition, there will be board games and snacks in the Student Center.  The cost for the event is $5.

2017-2018 Course Selection Process
Academic planning with students for the 2017-2018 school year will begin March 28. Students in grades 9-11 will learn about selecting courses as well as take steps forward in the college process in classroom seminars.  Counselors will meet with students during scheduled class periods to provide guidance.  In addition, individual conferences are offered to equip parents and guardians as they guide their students in developing a 4-year plan, selecting appropriate courses, and preparing for college thoughtfully.

Course Selection Presentations for 2017-2018
Class of 2018 - Student Seminars  Monday, March 27, in periods 1 & 2
Class of 2019 - Student Seminars  Friday, March 31, in periods 4-6
Class of 2020 - Student Seminars  Tuesday, April 4 , in periods 2-4

Counselors will meet with parents and guardians of rising freshmen (currently 8th grade) by individual appointments to be scheduled via email.
 
High school students will submit their completed course registration forms to their advisors. Eighth grade students will submit their completed forms to Mrs. Anderson. April 28 is the course registration deadline.
 
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Spring Cabaret | May 5 & 6
Performance dates:  Friday, May 5 at 7pm & Saturday, May 6 at 2pm
Rehearsals are in full swing!  Check the blog and calendar or rehearsal & production updates! Students from Grades 3-12 and special guests will perform selections from Fiddler on the Roof, Aida, Annie, Cinderella, Finding Neverland, Hamilton, West Side Story & more!
 
High School Visual Art Gallery | May 5
The High School Visual Art Gallery  will take place right before the Friday Night Spring Cabaret Performance at 6:00 pm on Friday, May, 5th. 
 
Global Music Concert | May 6
Performance date:  Saturday, May 6 at 7pm at Inklings (530 Main Street, Pleasanton, CA) Come hear the eclectic group of musicians from the Global Music class share songs from their lives and around the world!
 
Middle School Theater | May 12
Middle School Theater will perform Betweenity by Lindsay Price on Friday May 12 at 7:00pm in the JSA. 
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