The Valwood View Vol. 2, Issue 10

Vol. 2 | Issue 10 | October 4, 2018

The Valwood View

"Connecting home and school"

Valwood softball clinches the Region 3-AAA Championship for the second year in a row!

Dear Valwood Family,

Homecoming week has been a blast and the participation has been outstanding! We kicked off the week with softball's senior night and a Town Hall Meeting on Monday; the activities and fun have not stopped. I truly appreciate everyone's attendance and school spirit this week and I hope to see you all at tomorrow's pep rally, tailgates and football game!

In this issue you will find helpful links, upcoming events, important announcements, safety & security updates, ways to give back and more, so be sure to scroll all the way through. Some email accounts have been cutting the bottom of the newsletter off, so be sure to scroll all the way down and look for a message similar to this: [Message clipped] View entire message.

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

John L. Davis, Sr.

Head of School

Links

Photos

College Guidance News

Upcoming Events

Friday, October 5

9:50 am Pep Rally

Eager Sports Center

Homecoming King announced at Pep Rally

6 pm Alumni & Friends Tailgate & BBQ

Goddard Field

FREE admission, bring your friends and family!

7:30 pm Kickoff vs. Creekside Christian

Goddard Field

Homecoming Queen announced at Halftime

Monday, October 8

Columbus Day HOLIDAY

Wednesday, October 10

PSAT/NMSQT for grades 8-11

8:30 am Senior Pictures

5 pm Volleyball Senior Night

Thursday, October 11

2:45-3:30 pm Valwood Wrestling Info Session (Eager Sports Center)

4-6 pm Valwood Arts Night at Panera Bread

Friday, October 19

7:15 am Kindergarten Breakfast* (Dining Hall)

8:30 am Fourth Grade Play (RPH)

Monday, October 22

6:30 pm College Financial Aid Night (RPH)

Wednesday, October 24

School-wide CONFERENCE DAY

NO school or Extended Day for students.

Schedules will be released in a few weeks.

Thursday, October 25

2 pm Fall Festival (more details next week)

Click here for the full calendar.

*Date change from October 26.

Announcements

Athletics Update

Volleyball (22-1)

Valwood Volleyball continues to show their absolute dominance over the South Georgia- North Florida region by sweeping their opponents in five straight matches over the weekend. On Saturday, the Valiants travelled to Savannah to compete in a quadruple-header against the Memorial Day Matadors and the St. Andrews Lions. Notable performances include freshman Ellie Griner with 14 aces against the Matadors and 12 digs. The youngest of the Valiants showcased their outstanding play as well, keeping the Lions under 15 points in set 2 and set 3. Despite the long day, the Valiants came out on top.

Monday night, the Valiants travelled to North Florida Christian and swept the Eagles once again 25-14, 25-8, and 25-9. Senior Erin Moss led the Valiants with 18 kills and 6 blocks. Sophomore Kennedy Kimbro set the Valiants up for success with an impressive 31 assists. The Valwood defense was relentless with 37 digs, frustrating the Eagles' offense. The Valiants improve their record to 22-1 and their next game is tonight, Thursday, October 4 at 4 pm versus the Frederica Knights.

Story by senior, Erin Moss.

Picture by Tia Sanderlin.

Football (4-2)

The Valwood football team traveled to Tiftarea Academy for their first region game on Friday, September 28. Tiftarea continued their winning streak of 5-0 and gave the Valiants their second loss of the season and first region loss with a score of 34-0. The Valiants hope to redeem themselves in their homecoming game against Community Christian tomorrow night at 7:30 pm at Goddard Field.

RG1STRONG

Show your support for fellow Valiant Ray Gordon by purchasing a RG1STRONG bracelet! They are $3 each. Football players are selling them or see Melanie Moorman or Stephanie Kimbro to get yours today! Small and large sizes available!

Cross Country

Saturday the Valwood cross country teams traveled to Americus to compete in the middle school region competition and Southland Academy Invitational. The varsity girls team placed 1st overall. Brenna Clark placed 2nd, Jolie Green 3rd, Jordan Green 4th, Millie Hollis 8th and Madeline Castor 15th. The Middle school team finished their season strong all running season best times. The middle school girls ran very well Ella Burnett placed 6th overall, Emma Burnett 7th overall both receiving top 10 medals and Kyndal Register ran a season best time! The middle school boys also ran well! Ethan Burnett placed 8th overall receiving a top 10 medal, Luke Register placed 15th overall, Nathan Bozung 17th, Wesley Clark 18th and Louden Castor 24th. Also running for the team were Lawrence Smith and Jaxson Routsong. We are very proud of all the progress the middle school runners made throughout the season. Varsity girls are off this weekend then they head to the FSU invitational on October 14th.

Picture by Coach Green.

Softball (10-4)

The Valwood Lady Valiants clinched region Tuesday in a play off game against Southland Academy.

Darcee Brown was on the mound for the Valiants and only allowed 4 hits which gave the Valiants a huge advantage on the Southland Raiders.

Valwood hitters included Bri Fosdick, Darcee Brown, Ansley Haskard, Graceigh Booth, Mary Clare Martin, Natalie Rojas. The walk off home run by Booth ended the game with a region championship for the Valiants. This makes the second region championship in two years.

The Valiants earned a bye in the first round of state so they will play on October 13 at home. They will host either Tiftarea Academy or Bulloch Academy depending on their results from their games on Tuesday, time is TBD. Please come show your support to the Valiants and cheer them on to state.

JV Softball ended their season on Wednesday night with a win over Valdosta Middle School 16-15. The season started off slow but ended with 3 wins in a row!

Picture by Lynn Browning.

Sports This Week

College Acceptances

Congratulations to Caleb Vandemark who was accepted to

Georgia Southern University and Florida Institute of Technology !

Safety Update - Internet & Social Media Awareness

The internet is a growing part of our lives, and students are being exposed to a wide range of content as they work and play online. Valwood School will continue to educate students about the risks posed by irresponsible use of the internet. We encourage parents to be a part of proactive efforts to help our youth use their social media accounts in a safe and responsible way. Students also play an important role in alerting their parents and school administrators to any suspicious online behavior that they witness. Here are a few tips for parents and students to keep in mind as they spend time online.

Parents

Be familiar with your child’s online activity, including all social media accounts.
Talk to your kids regularly about their use of the internet and social media, and create a safe environment for your children to report internet activity or online posts/messages that make them uncomfortable.
Be aware of the consequences (legal and school-based) of inappropriate use of the internet, including forwarding or re-posting of inappropriate or threatening content, to your child and your family.
Report inappropriate or threatening online content immediately to law enforcement or school staff.
Make sure your children know that even though they think snapchat posts or Instagram posts go away, people can and will screenshot these posts. They will fall into the wrong hands or they can show up years later.
Stress to your children the permanence of the online world. Make sure your children understand the definition of a digital footprint and the impact inappropriate messages or images can have if a future college administrator or employer were to find them. Remind them that what goes on line, stays on line! Click here to learn more about digital footprint.

Students

Do not make irresponsible, frightening or threatening posts on your online accounts as they could result in serious legal and/or school disciplinary action.
NEVER forward or re-post an inappropriate or threatening post or message that you see or receive online. Instead, report that post and/or message to an adult and/or school staff member immediately.
Encourage your friends to be responsible internet and social media users and remember what goes online, stays online!
Do not post or share anything on social media that you would not want your teachers, college admissions officers, future bosses — and yes, your grandmother — to see.

Thank you,

Mr. Les

Fine Arts Club Update

Students interested in joining the Valwood Fine Arts Club, the fee is $25 to be a member which gives you free admission to the after school art club meetings and an Art Club t-shirt. If a parent would like to be a part of the Valwood Fine Arts Booster Club it is $25 to be a member and the monthly meetings are held the third Wednesday of each month at 7:30 am in the Drama room.

Upcoming October events:

Panera Fundraiser Night on Thursday, October 11, from 4-8 pm. Click here for the flier you will need for the fundraiser.
Pumpkin Carving & taco Bar - Monday, October 15, from 3:30-5:30 pm in Mrs. Vallotton’s room in RPH. Open to middle or upper school students. Club members enjoy a taco bar for free, guests can pay $2.

Valwood Parents Association Update

Volunteers are still needed for Extreme Team Day!

Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to help with Extreme Team Day on November 9th! For our new Valwood families, Extreme Team Day is our lower school academic field day. Students are put on teams and work together to solve various challenges. Parents explain the directions and observe each group as they attempt to complete the assigned tasks. This is a fun way to get involved! Extreme Team Day takes place in Rodgers Performance Hall. Students in Kindergarten through second grade participate from 8:30-10:30 am , and students in third through fifth grade participate from 12:30-2:30 pm on Friday, November 9th. Pre-K students do not participate in Extreme Team Day. If you are interested in helping with Extreme Team Day and haven't already signed up, please contact Tori Holmes ( [email protected] ) or Julie Godbee ( [email protected] ).

If you are a middle or upper school parent and have an Extreme Team Day t-shirt that you are not using anymore, please contact Tori Holmes.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Julie Godbee

VPA President

Extended Day/Homework Hour Announcement

Starting on October 1, Extended Day will be offered in the Middle School!

It will be in room 402 (Computer Lab) from 3:25 - 5:30 pm. Contact Natasha Shaw for more information. The cost is $45 a week or $15 for drop in.

If you have a child in both extended day and homework hour, there will now be a $15 discount for extended day; from $45 to $30.

Publix Partners turns groceries into education!

Just by shopping at Publix you can give back to Valwood School! Over the years, Publix Partners has contributed more than $30 million to over 4,500 schools giving back to support education. Giving is easy! Simply sign up for a Publix.com account (if you don’t already have one), select Valwood School, then enter your phone number at checkout. They will give back to Valwood School!

Student Announcements

Donate your used sports equipment to L.E.A.P.

Eighth grader Bennett Alvarado will be collecting used sports equipment of all kinds for L.E.A.P. ( L et E veryone A ttend and P articipate); a volunteer program in Berrien County helping to provide every child the opportunity to get involved in every sport their recreation department offers. Please donate any used sports equipment such as: cleats, helmets, shoulder pads, gloves, bats, balls, shin guards, etc. Collection bins for will be located in the lower, middle, and upper schools from October 8th through December 7th. This will help many children who otherwise would not be able to play.

Thank you for your generosity!

Ella Grace Spell's Charity: Water Birthday Campaign

Seventh grader Many of us have no idea what it's like to be thirsty. We have plenty of water to drink -- even the water in our toilets is clean! But many people around the world don’t have that luxury. Every day, about 1,400 children die from diseases caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are simple solutions like drilled wells, spring protections and BioSand filters that help provide clean water to communities around the world.

I started this fundraising campaign to help charity: water build these types of projects around the world, and I'm looking for anyone who can help me. Please donate to my campaign -- anything you can give is a huge help. 100% of the money will be used to build clean water projects, and when they’re complete, charity: water will send us photos and GPS coordinates so we can see the exact community we helped.

Link to donate: Ella Grace's Birthday Campaign

Show your Valwood pride!

SPIRIT STORE - NEW SHIRTS!

Hours

Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Fridays 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

JUST IN!

Valiant Pride shirts$15

Sizes: Youth XS-Adult XXL.

Navy shirt $10

Orange Valiant thing $10

Jackets are $60 (Striped or solid)

RE-STOCKED!

Valwood ladies v-neck $15

Join the Valiant Club!

Memberships will be available for purchase from Valiant Club representatives at the table just outside Valwood’s admission gate at Goddard Field or from the admissions table for softball.

If you would like to purchase a membership before the season starts, stop by the middle school office during school hours to purchase your membership or click here to purchase your membership online.

The $150.00 membership includes:

Key Fobs (2) and Valiant Club membership stickers (2). Click here to learn more.

A Valiant Club membership admits two (2) to all HOME games for ALL sports for the 2018-2019 school year. The key fobs are your admission to all HOME games.

Thank you for your support - see you at the games!

HISTORY BOOKS ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

Emily Anderson has written about Valwood's first 50 years in an entertaining book celebrating the rich history of our institution. In addition to her research and personal memories of her time at Valwood, Mrs. Anderson has also collected memoirs from former headmasters, students and parents. Colorful accounts of Valwood's infancy along with stories and pictures throughout the years portray how Valwood evolved without losing the Valiant Spirit it retains today. Get your copy in the Spirit Store for $25.

Click here to order your copy today or complete this FORM and turn it into Crane Hall.

Give Back

Let's "carve out" support for the Annual Fund and reach 50% participation during October!

Each class that reaches 50% participation in the Annual Fund by October 31 will receive a pizza party in lower school or a dress down day in November for middle and upper school. Please share the fun and click here .

Thank you to everyone who has participated so far this year!

Pre-K: Chad and Val Gallahan, Andy and Jeanna Ganas, Justin and Jen Henderson, Steven and Nina Hinson, Trent and Courtney Matthews, Adam and Jenna Murphy, Andy and Brittany Stamschror, Robert and Ai Vargas, and Nathaniel and Teresa Wright.

Kindergarten : Daniel and Tara Burgess, Erik and Rosa Martinsen, Hernando and Brooke Moreno, and Joe and Quinn Vallotton.

First Grade : Michael and Betsy Backe, Preston and Melanie Coile, Michael and Maggie '02 Ferguson, Andy and Jeanna Ganas, Brandon and Emily Hathcock, Adam and Jenna Murphy, David Price, Andy and Brittany Stamschror, and James and Jessica Warren.

Second Grade : Eric and Renee Chambers, Preston and Melanie Coile, Hernando and Brooke Moreno, Brad and Sarah Soshnik.

Third Grade : Don and Karen Crump, Nic and Catherine Daugharty, J.D. and Kerri Dean, Steve and Cathy Fortson, David and Beth Houtz. Howard Hsu and Tamara Hardesty, Steve and Cathy Johnson, and Anne McLeod.

Fourth Grade : Freddie and Shayla Bajalia, Daniel and Tara Burgess, Michael and Christy Clark, Jason and Shelley Holloway, Adam and Jenna Murphy, Brad and Sarah Soshnik, James and Jessica Warren, and Janet Wilkins.

Fifth Grade : Ben and Dwan Broomberg, David and Angela Burnett, Preston and Melanie Coile, Jason and Shelley Holloway, Ben and Trina Register, James and Carly Thomas, and John and Jodi Williams.

Sixth Grade : Freddie and Shayla Bajalia, Terry and Leanne Griffin, Steve and Cathy Johnson, and Kenneth and Susan White.

Seventh Grade : John and Dyan Backe, Tammy Brooks, David and Angela Burnett, Jonathan and Elizabeth Burns, Michael and Christy Clark, J.D. and Kerri Dean, Clay and Mendi Griner, Jason and Shelley Holloway, Howard Hsu and Tamara Hardesty, Anne McLeod, Ben and Trina Register, Clint Smith, and Larry Smith and Charlene Blache.

Eighth Grade : Rouse and Lynn Vallotton, and Michael and Kelly Yates.

Ninth Grade: John and Dyan Backe, Jonathan and Elizabeth Burns, Dale and Christi Clements, Nic and Catherine Daugharty, Clay and Mendi Griner, James and Jessica Warren.

Tenth Grade : Jamie and Ashley Brannen, Michael and Christy Clark, Pearsall and Dana Fouraker, Jason and Tracy Luong, Brett and Traycee Martin, John '81 and Jane Peeples, and Michael and Kelly Yates.

Eleventh Grade : Ben and Dwan Broomberg, Jason and Tracy Luong, Heath and Joanie Strickland, James and Jessica Warren, Kenneth and Susan White, and Gary and Patricia Williams.

Twelfth Grade : Jeff and Susie Brown, Rob and Stacy Evans, Clint and Beth Joyner, Jody and Mary Peterman, and Regina Suriel.