A printed version of this letter was sent home to MS & HS Families Aug. 10, 2010

Dear Valley Catholic Families,

There’s still almost a month of vacation left-a good long time-but there are a few details to take care of for the still far-off school year.  This envelope that was sent home had enclosures with a lot of information about practical matters; please don’t hesitate to call the school with any questions.

It’s a great pleasure to be able to introduce five new members of our staff:

Doug Ierardi will be our new Dean of Academics, teach religion and history, and serve as an assistant coach for the football team.  For the last four years Doug has been principal at Regis High School in Stayton, where he had also served as Dean of Students, teacher, and very successful head football and track coach.  Doug has also taught and coached at three high schools in his home state of New Hampshire.  Doug’s B.A. (history) is from St. Anselm’s (NH) and his Master’s (Catholic School Leadership) from Marymount University in Virginia.  Our longtime Dean of Students and one of the chief pillars of the school, Sarah Lynch, will be here one more year before retiring, working with Doug and all the rest of us.

Erin Cole will teach environmental science, biology, health, and digital tools.  Erin’s B.A. (biology) is from Whitman, where she was a William O. Douglas and National Merit Scholar, and her Master’s from Lewis and Clark in Teaching.  Erin taught two    years in Japan with the JET Program and then worked two years with SOLV/AMERICORPS as a watershed project coordinator.  She has also worked for Znomics, Inc. as a research assistant studying a model system species, Zebrafish, and as an intern at the Oregon zoo studying two species of endangered butterflies.

Jenny Gapp will take over the library from Sue Osborne, Valley’s longtime, universally admired librarian, who has just retired, bought an RV, and will soon hit the road.  Jenny has been Media Specialist for the Portland Public School District at Sabin Elementary and ACCESS Academy Schools and Library Media Teacher for the Cascade School District.  Jenny is also a summer ranger at Grand Canyon National Park, has worked at Grand Teton National Park and Silver Falls State Park, and last year was an assistant swim coach at Benson High School.  In addition to serving as Valley’s librarian, Jenny will lead the Outdoor Club.

This year Valley will offer, for the first time, AP Computer Science.  The course will be taught by Nick Vigo, who will also teach Middle and High School math.  Nick graduated from Gonzaga with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering (with a Pre-Medicine concentration and jazz minor).   At Gonzaga Nick was an Ignatian Scholar and served as a teaching assistant in general and organic chemistry (and jazz combo).

Stephanie Shields will join the Middle School staff as a part-time math teacher. Stephanie graduated from Western Oregon’s Honors Program with a B.S. in Elementary and Middle Education with a focus in mathematics.  At Western Stephanie received the Susan Stapish Excellence in Leadership Award and the 2009 Excellence in Middle School Mathematics Award and was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Academic Honor Society.

We will welcome to the high school ninety freshmen, our biggest freshman class in many years; eighteen transfer students to our sophomore, junior, and senior classes; eleven sophomores from Shukutoku High School in Tokyo; and three juniors from Germany.

Most fall sports competitions begin in the first week of school, but the football team plays a big game before school starts, against Blanchet at Willamette University at 7:30 on Friday, Sept. 3.  Fall sports are coming off fine seasons and looking even stronger this year.

The drama department, after a rare fall without Shakespearean comedy, will return in late October with Twelfth Night.

Again, please call with any questions-Mrs. Joyaux’s at her duty station all summer long.

Here We Go, Valiants,

Ross Thomas

Posted by Thomas Kohler in VCHS News & Events, VCMS News & Events