Family Update December 5, 2014
05 FRI – HS Boys BB Away
06 SAT – Dinner for Host Families
08 MON – MS Boys & Girls BB @ Home
09 TUE – HS Boys BB @ Home
11 THU – MS/HS Christmas Concert
12 FRI – HS Girls BB Away
12 FRI – MS Boys & Girls BB Away
Jr. Class Fundraisers
The junior class is working hard to raise funds for their senior trip. Below are some easy ways to support their efforts. Thank you in advance for helping the junior class.
Christmas Turkey Raffle: Didn’t get enough Thanksgiving turkey? Well, now is your chance to secure a delicious turkey for that Christmas dinner! The Junior Class will raffle off a 20 lb. turkey on December 16. Raffle tickets will be available before and after school, December 8-16, at the front door. Do not miss this wonderful opportunity!
Candy Count: Need sweets for the holidays? The junior class will be hosting a Candy Count, before and after school, December 8-12 near the front doors. Pay just one dollar to guess the amount of candy in a jar. The closest guess wins the entire jar! Increase your chances by entering several guesses. Do not miss out on your share of candy, fill up that candy dish for company; it is just one dollar!
Vision Screening – Monday, December 15
We are very blessed to have the Children’s Screening Services (CSS) volunteers of Mercy Medical Center come to our school to conduct a free vision screening. They will be here on December 15 to screen grades K3, K4, K, 2 in the morning and 5, 7 and 9 in the afternoon. Permission slips are coming home in Friday Folders for grades K3, K4, K, 2 and 5. Permission slips were given out to grades 7 and 9 in homeroom. Please ask your student for the slip. After signing the slip, return to your child’s teacher by December 12. The screening is free and you will be notified if any vision problems are detected.
Elementary Teacher Christmas Wish List Tree
Once again in 2014, if you would like to bless your child’s teacher(s) with a gift, we have set up the Annual Christmas Wish List Tree. The tree is set up in the front hallway outside of Mrs. Busch’s office. Please browse the ornaments (tags) with the names and requested items from the teachers. Feel free to wrap your gift, using the gift tag to label your gift. Bring the gift to the teacher’s classroom before we break for Christmas (12/19).
There are also tags and ideas for Music, Library, After School Care and Special Services on the tree if you like to additionally bless those classrooms.
MS/HS Teacher Virtual Christmas Wish List Tree
Many MS/HS Parents do not have access to the wish list tree in the elementary hall by Mrs. Busch’s office. That being the case, a VIRTUAL Christmas tree has been created for Middle School and High School parents to use to consider ways to bless the MS/HS teachers. The teachers have provided a wish list. Follow this link for ideas of how your family can provide a gift for one of our MS and HS teachers. Please contact Valerie Gehrke (vcohngehrke@sbcglobal.net) with questions.
Yearbooks Early Bird Discount
Now is the time to order memories! Now through December 16 the high school yearbook is available at a discounted price of $45 and the elementary/middle school yearbook is $28.
After the holidays, the price goes up to $50 for high school and $33 for elementary/middle school. The deadline to purchase a yearbook is January 16. There will be a limited number of extra yearbooks at the time of delivery in spring. The cost at delivery will be $55 and $38.
Please turn in order form and money to Mrs. Busch or Mrs. Steeves.
Parking Lot
We have made a few changes in order to alleviate congestion in the school’s front parking lot.
In the morning: we have shortened the morning drop off lane so that it ends at the crosswalk, opening up additional parking spaces on the north portion of the lot, nearest the building.
In the afternoon: the buses arrive earlier than in previous years, when they arrive, they block cars parked in the spots nearest the building on the south side of the parking lot. We are working with the drivers/bus company so that the buses don’t arrive until 3:30 p.m. when middle and high school students are released. Hopefully, this problem is resolved as well.
Please, as always, use extra caution when backing out of parking spaces and when walking through the parking lot. Even with the new drop off lane, there are still many people walking through the parking lot. Please help us keep everyone safe.
Family Email now on Facebook and Website
The Family email will now be available each week on Facebook. Along with receiving it via email, for your convenience, we will also post it on Facebook as well as on our website “blog.” The family email is the school’s main tool for communicating with our families about all the “goings on” here at VCS.
Christmas Concerts
Christmas concerts will be here before we know it. Please save the dates and be sure to invite friends and family:
Our Middle and High School Concert is Thursday, December 11, at 7:00 p.m., at Plymouth Congregational Church.
Our Elementary Concert is Tuesday, December 16 at 6:30 pm at New Life Community Church, 3250 W. Ninth Avenue in Oshkosh.
For the elementary concert, we ask that you please do not arrive at the church before 6:00 p.m. and, in order to make sure we have our teachers in place before the doors are opened, the main doors will remain locked until 6:00 p.m. Please bring your child to the double-classroom (located in the children’s classroom wing) by 6:15 p.m. Please have your child dress in their “Christmas best” which means NO jeans or sweat pants.
International Club Invites You
Saturday, Dec. 13, 2-4 p.m. in the Valley Christian School Commons. Open to all high school students. Come learn and discover other countries’ festivals. There will be games and food provided. We hope you all can come and join us for this event!
Host an International Student over the Christmas Holiday
ISP, the organization that coordinates the Chinese International Program, is looking for a full-time family to host a ninth grade boy for second semester. Interested families should contact Karen Cooley at kcooley@vcoshkosh.com. A monthly stipend is provided to the host family. This is a great opportunity to make a difference in an international student’s American experience.
SEEC is still in need of a family to host one HS boy or one HS girl over the Christmas holiday. If you are interested in hosting a student during an upcoming holiday, please contact seecusa@gmail.com to discuss arrangements, or contact the International Student Program at VCS at kcooley@vcoshkosh.com. Families willing to host a student for the full two-week Christmas holiday will receive financial compensation.
Scrip Orders for the Holiday Season
Monday, Dec. 8 – Scrip Order
Monday, Dec. 15 – Scrip Order
Monday, Jan. 5 – Scrip Order
Please inform your friends and family members who order scrip as well. We will NOT place an order over Christmas break so please plan accordingly for those two weeks as well.
BLESS
The Panama Mission Team is collecting items to give away to the children in Panama. We will be hand delivering the gifts to the children and it is so cool to see their little faces light up when they get little toys and trinkets – items they could never afford. Please help us bless the children in Panama. Here’s a list of items we are collecting:
- Toys: small dolls, toy cars, small stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, balls
- School Supplies: pens, pencils and sharpeners, crayons, markers, solar calculators
- Bags of non–melty candy
- Non-Liquid Hygiene Items: toothbrushes, bar soap, combs, washcloths, etc.
- Accessories: hair clips, jewelry, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries), etc.
- Do Not Include: Used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures; chocolate; out-of-date candy; liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snow globes or glass containers; aerosol cans.
The people in Panama have also requested sandals of all sizes. They can be gently used or new. Thank you in advance for helping us bless the children of Panama on our spring mission trip. Please bring donation items to either Mrs. Busch or Mrs. Steeves.
HS Boys Basketball
Fri., Dec. 5 – Away Game @ Markesan High School: JV – 6:00 pm; Varsity – 7:30 p.m.
Tues. Dec. 9 – Home Game vs Green Lake/Princeton: JV – 6:00 p.m.; Varsity – 7:30 p.m.
HS Girls Basketball
Fri. Dec. 12 – Away Game @ Abundant Life Christian – 6:30 p.m.
MS Boys Basketball
Mon. Dec. 8 – Home Game vs Central Wisconsin Christian: B Team – 5:30 p.m.; A Team – 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Dec. 12 – Away Game @ Trinity Lutheran School, Menasha: A & B Team – 6:30 p.m.
MS Girls Basketball
Mon. Dec. 8 – Home Game vs Central Wisconsin Christian – 4:30 p.m.
Fri. Dec. 12 – Away Game @ Trinity Lutheran School, Menasha – 5:30 p.m.
Changes Happen
As happens throughout each season, especially basketball, game dates and times can change. Please check the Athletic schedule OFTEN!! Go to valleychristianoshkosh.com. Click on the “Athletics” tab toward the top of the page. Then click the “2014-2015 Athletic Calendar” button. You will see the week’s activities from that screen. To view an entire schedule, go to the “View Schedules” box on the right side of the screen, check mark the schedule you want, and click on “View”. The schedule will appear in a printable format. Please contact Mr. Abel via phone or email if you have any questions.
