Service Day

On our annual Service Day, Valley Lutheran students scattered throughout the greater community to serve at schools, churches, and to individuals.

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. Do not be slothful in zeal, but fervent in spirit, serve the Lord."

1 Peter 4:10-11

October

20-22 Senior Retreat

24 Herff Jones on campus during lunch periods

27 End of Quarter 1

27 No Classes

28 ACT 8AM

November

1 Quarter 1 Grades Released

2 Parent Organization Meeting 6PM

2-4 Fall Play - Fly Babies 7PM Each Night

4 SAT 8AM

7 Boosters Meeting 6:30PM

8 Parent Student Teacher Conferences 6-8PM

8 Fruit Sale Concludes

8 Michigan March for Life

11 Bazaar 9AM-3PM

12 Fall Instrumental Concert 3PM

Business Office Reminder

Just a friendly reminder, October 27, marks the end of the 1st Quarter for the 2023/24 School Year. Per the contract, a proportionate share (25%) of the tuition and miscellaneous charges, minus any aid, should be paid at this time. Contact Bill Ankoviak at 989-790-1676 or bankoviak@vlhs.com with concerns or questions. Thank you for your cooperation.

Operation Christmas Child!

The VLHS family will once again be packing boxes for Operation Christmas Child (OCC). Our packing assembly will be on Tuesday, November 14. The mission of OCC is to share God's love in a tangible way with children in need around the world. Each Family Group will be collecting items and packing boxes that will be sent all over the world. The recipient children not only receive gifts - they also are able to participate in Bible study and get connected with a church. We are always in need of "filler" items (items that can "fill" a box (socks, toys, crayons, erasers, pencils, etc.).  If you want to donate "filler" items - please drop those off in the VLHS Main Office.  Additional information about Operation Christmas Child can be found here. Please direct any questions to Mr. Patrick Winningham (pwinningham@vlhs.com)

Ticketing Information for Post-Season Sports Play

Any ticketing information for post-season play will be communicated in the event details on the Valley calendar (www.vlhs.com/calendar, then click on event) and in the daily announcements that are available in your Portal.

First Semester Final Exams Information

First semester final exams will be administered on December 20-22. These are the last three school days before Christmas Break. Some basic information about exams is below, more will come as the dates get closer.

• Students take comprehensive exams in 6 subject areas: Religion, English, Science, Foreign Language, Social Studies, and Math.
• Most students will begin at 8 a.m. and be done at 11:25 a.m. on each day. (If a student is taking two classes in a particular subject area they may be done at 1:00pm instead.)
• Lunch is not served on exam days.
• It is very important for students to be in attendance for their final exams. Students who are ill and cannot attend must make up the final exams over Christmas Break. Contact Dr. Meyers with any questions (lmeyers@vlhs.com).

A schedule and additional information will come in the next Parent Newsletter.

In the Parent Newsletter, we will advertise ways to get involved like Boosters, Parent Organization, Parents in Prayer group, and more. Watch for opportunities from each group. You are important to the culture and climate of our school, and we hope you’ll plan to get involved!

Auction Committee Kick-Off

WE WON'T MONOPOLIZE YOUR TIME OCT 23! The auction committee kick-off is Monday, Oct. 23 at 5:30 PM in the RC. The 2024 theme is Monopoly and you can choose the level of commitment or tasks that suit you. We won't meet again until January (the auction is February 24) so we'd love to meet you! If you can't make it but would like more information, contact Beth Kaul at kaulfarm@gmail.com or kdewees@vlhs.com.

50 for 50 at 50

To celebrate his 50th birthday in September, Pastor Biber will run 50 miles throughout the day on Friday, October 20th. The final miles will be completed at the Valley Lutheran High School Home Football Game against Pinconning High School at 7:00pm.

Donations for the run will be equally distributed between Valley Lutheran High School Tuition Aid and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church’s mission trip to work with a daycare in southern Brazil. The goal is to raise $50,000 total for the two ministries.

All donations can be mailed to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church 5335 Brockway Rd., Saginaw, 48638 or on-line at: www.goodshepherdsaginaw.com/give (choose “other” and put “50 for 50 at 50” in the designation).

Youth Wrestling

Is your 6th, 7th, or 8th grader interested in wrestling? Scan, click, or tap the photo below for more information and how to get involved.

VLHS Drama Presents Fly Babies by Rusty Harding

Shows start at 7pm Nov 2-4.

Parent Student Teacher Conferences

Valley Lutheran Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences will be held by appointment only on Wednesday, November 8th from 6-9pm. Limited appointments are available this evening. Conferences are designed for those who would benefit from an intentional gathering of all teachers to discuss specific issues. Please contact Mrs. Mueller after first quarter grades are released on November 1 if you would like to schedule an appointment (lmueller@vlhs.com or 989-790-1676). While not all students are anticipated to have a conference this evening, please don't hesitate to reach out to Dr. Lisa Meyers, Academic Dean, or any of your child's teachers at any time with any specific academic concerns.

Blanket Drive

Search high and low for CLEAN, USED BLANKETS that you have lying around your house! Family of God Ministries is a non-profit Lutheran ministry committed to bringing the transformative power of the Gospel to the lives of those living in Southwest Detroit. They strive to bring hope to the hopeless by showing their community the love and compassion that our Savior Jesus Christ has for everyone. Family of God is in desperate need of gently used, clean blankets to distribute among the population they serve. The VLHS Global Awareness Club is sponsoring a BLANKET DRIVE through Thursday, October 26th. Please bring your gently used and clean blankets to the collection area in the entryway at the school. Contact Mr. Patrick Winningham (pwinningham@gmail.com) with any questions.

Senior Portraits

Reminder! Senior Portraits are due November 1st. If you would like to add a Senior Blessing or extra photos to the Yearbook, you may do so at Yearbookforever.com. Please do NOT send extra photos to Mrs. Blake via email, they will not be accepted.

Instructions and photo guidelines can be found here or by scanning the QR code. Please inform your photographer of the photo specifications and due date for the portraits.

Thank you.

Fruit Sale Continues!

The Valley Lutheran Booster Club Fruit Sale has started! Students have received information on Monday, October 9 about how to participate. The following fruit is available:

• Florida Indian River Naval Oranges
• Florida Pink Grapefruit
• Mixed Navel Oranges/Pink Grapefruit
• Florida Mandarin Oranges
• Citrus Delight (all 3)

The sale continues until November 8. Orders should be picked up at VLHS on Saturday, December 9.

Fruit can be ordered from Valley students or online at www.vlhs.com/fruit beginning Monday, Oct. 9.

Fall Bazaar

The annual Fall Bazaar will be held on November 11, 2023 from 9am-3pm. Lunch will be available from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Mark your calendars to attend! Any questions regarding the bazaar can be directed to Heidi Eichinger at heidieichinger2019@gmail.com or Heidi Behnke at hbehnke@vlhs.com.

VL Varsity Jackets

Award & Sports, VL's premier varsity jacket provider, has a full inventory of all sizes of the exclusive VLHS varsity jacket!

Varsity jackets are a great way to display academic, athletic, and musical letters and pins.

Award & Sports is offering a VLHS student discount on each varsity jacket sold! Please see the contact information in the graphic below.

VL College Planner

Did you miss the College Planning Night? Check out our College & Career Planner - a digital, hyperlinked version of the information shared at the information night. https://bit.ly/VLSeniorPlanner

Do You have a Future Med School Student?

Albion College and Central Michigan University are teaming up for an informational night about what it takes to succeed as a pre-med student and how to set yourself up for med school admissions and a career in medicine. The event takes place Monday, November 13, 2023 from 7:00-8:30pm at Horizon’s Conference Center. To register for the event, go to https://apply.albion.edu/register/PreMedSaginaw.

MI Tech Summer Youth Program Scholarship

Is your student interested in attending the Summer Youth Program at MI Tech in 2024? This is an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience for high school students. The Mid-Michigan Section of the AIChE sponsors area students in grades 9-11 through a scholarship contest, which covers full tuition, room, and board, and provides a $100 travel allotment. Applications are due by Midnight on Monday, November 27, 2023.

Skilled Trades Night

The Saginaw Career Complex is hosting a Skilled Trades Night on Thursday, November 9th from 5:00-7:00pm. Fields represented include Laborers, Operating Engineers, Plumbers & Pipefitters, Electricians, Ironworkers, Painters, Roofers, Carpenters, Millwrights, HVAC Technicians, and more. All ages are welcome and the event is open to the public.

PE Credit Waivers

As the Fall sports season comes to a close, it is a good time to get coaches signatures and turn in a PE Credit Waiver. Extra forms can be found in the front office. Remember, a student only needs one waiver during their high school career if they are not planning to take a Fitness class.

Important Links

SAT Information & Registration - www.sat.org

ACT Information & Registration - www.actstudent.org

Khan Academy (free test prep) - www.khanacademy.org/sat

VL Scholarship Page - http://bit.ly/VLScholarships

MI Post-Secondary Planning Resources: https://pathfinder.mitalent.org/resources 

Panther Prowl 5K

Registration is now open for the third-annual Peace Panther Prowl 5K Fun Walk & Run at 10am on Saturday, Oct. 28, at Imerman Park, 3495 Midland Road in Saginaw. Join us for this fun, all-ages trail walk or run — or prowl, if you must — a fundraiser for the Peace Lutheran School Athletics Department. Your $30 race registration includes a Panther Prowl 5K long- or short-sleeved dri-fit tech shirt. Register by TOMORROW, Oct. 5, to receive your shirt on race day; those registering after Oct. 5 will receive their shirts after race day. Register here: https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/Saginaw/PeacePantherProwl5KWalkRun

Trunk or Treat

Get those Halloween costumes and candy bags ready – it's time for Peace Lutheran's biggest community event of the year! Peace is excited to announce our 3rd Annual Trunk or Treat at 6pm Thursday, Oct. 26, in the Peace Lutheran School (Lawndale Campus) parking lot and inside the school, at 3161 Lawndale Road in Saginaw Township! KIDS – SIMPLY COME HAVE FUN! Walk from car to car trick-or-treating while dressed in your favorite Halloween costume. Any and all children are welcome! Since our inaugural event in 2021, we have hosted several hundred children and families at Trunk or Treat. Wow!

Saginaw Spirit Tickets Available

TriStar Bank, along with the Saginaw Spirit Hockey Team, has once again generously donated Saginaw Spirit Tickets for this season. If you’d like tickets to use for an upcoming game, please come to the office.

Spirit Hockey - Women in Sports Panel

The Saginaw Spirit is excited to host a Women in Sports panel on Friday, November 3 in the Budweiser Red Room prior to the Spirit game. The panel is constructed of five fantastic industry leaders from SVSU, Covenant Orthopedics, Saginaw Spirit, Detroit Lions and the Great Lakes Loons. These influential women will share their journey within the sports industry along with their expertise. The panel begins at 5:45 PM and is free to attend with a ticket to the Spirit game. The Spirit game starts at 7:05 PM. Scan, click, or tap the photo below for ticket information.