Submitted by VCHS Math Dept. Chair and Teacher Kipp Johnson

Mathfest 2012 took place at the Rock Creek campus of Portland Community College on Saturday, April 21. The day began with a 50-minute written test for individuals at any of six math levels: Prealgebra, Algebra One, Geometry, Algebra Two, Precalculus, and Calculus. After the individual tests, students formed teams and competed in math-centered group activities. Awards were then given to the students in the top 20 percent on the individual test, and for the highest scoring groups.

Fifty (!) Valley Catholic students attended Mathfest 2012. (If they gave an award for highest school participation, we’d win hands down.) At the awards ceremony 48 students from local schools were honored, and Valley won 14 of those awards. Here are the details:

Algebra One:
1st: Austin Ketterer (8th Grade)
2nd: Adithya Srikanthan (8th Grade)
3rd: Jennah Curfman (8th Grade)
4th: Shankar Krishnakumar (8th Grade)
6th: Lakshya Bakshi  (7th Grade)
9th: Max Nepokroeff (8th Grade)
11th: Alex Zdanowicz (8th Grade)

Geometry:
5th place: Kathleen Shew (9th Grade)

Precalculus:
3rd: Andrew Linnemann (11th Grade)
4th: Ryan Ma (11th Grade)
5th: Wilfrid Gao (10th Grade)

Calculus:
4th: Tommy Liang (11th Grade)
9th: Jihoon Lee (12th Grade)
10th: Lethe Li (11th Grade)

Students winning awards on tests higher than Algebra One are invited to the OIMT (Oregon Invitational Math Tournament), which will be held in May at the University of Oregon. This is essentially the state championship for math students.

Valley Catholic prepares for its 12th Annual Locks of Love Assembly!

Locks of Love is a nonprofit organization formed in 1997 which provides wigs to children across the country who suffer from long-term medical hair loss. This hair loss can be a result of many things, from radiation therapy to a currently incurable condition in which a patient loses their hair for no known reason. Wigs cost at least $3,000, and are unobtainable for many children. But thanks to Locks of Love and the support of people like you, over 2,000 children have received the custom-fitted hairpieces they need, free of charge.

In the past nine years, Valley Catholic students and adults have donated over 4,000 inches of hair and close to $9,000 to Locks of Love.

Participants must give at least six inches of hair. Locks of Love sells hair 6 – 10 inches to doll companies to raise funds and they use any hair over 10 inches to make the actual wigs for children.

Parents will need to be available to walk grade school participants to the Valiants’ Gym for an 11:05 a.m. assembly on Friday, May 11.

Thank you for your help with this very worthwhile event.

After the middle and high school concert last Sunday, Sr. M. Juliana Monti, SSMO, announced that she will be retiring from Valley Catholic School at the end of this school year.  Although she will retire from her positions as Fine Arts Chair and Choir Director for the high school, she will continue her duties as Director of Valley Catholic Music School.

Sister Juliana has served in many capacities at Valley Catholic School for the past 41 years.  Among them, she has taught at all grade levels, developed the K-12 music curriculum, initiated both a middle school band program and a fourth-grade violin program, and served as the Fine Arts Chair.

Look for a more comprehensive story of Sr. Juliana’s service to VCS in the next issue of Spirit magazine mailed out in June.

Preparations for a special presentation and reception for Sr. Juliana is being planned; an invitation and more information will be provided soon.

Submitted by VCMS parent Jill Lovely

Any 6^th grade girl interested in joining girl scouts is welcome to come to our meeting on Monday, April 23, 2012.

Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.  Celebrating 100 years, Girl Scouts is a global sisterhood that includes millions of girls around the world.

Practice leadership skills, solve problems in the community and participate in fun events.

We meet Mondays after school until 4:30.

Any questions, please contact:
Jill Lovely
(503) 591-3266

Valley Catholic School class portraits, a treasured auction tradition, will be cherished by students and parents alike for years. After all, they’ll never be this age again!

Portraits can be viewed here (The links are password protected for your privacy. If you are unsure of the password, please view the email from the Auction office on Thursday or you can contact your school’s office):

• K-4 Vertical Class Portraits
• 5-8 and Senior Horizontal Class Portraits

Samples of these portraits of K-8 are also displayed in the elementary/middle school building.

The portraits have been taken by professional photographer and parent Lois O’Halloran and finished in either black & white or sepia tone. These framed 8″ x 10″ portraits will feature a mat signed by all the children and their teacher.

Please download this order form and submit it with your check made out to “Valley Catholic Auction” for $125 per portrait. Order forms are also located in the elementary/middle school. Please return your order to the school or auction office by Wednesday, April 25th.

Submitted by VCMS Principal Jennifer Gfroerer

Contests for Eighth-Grade Students:

Design the cover art for the graduation program (due April 20)

Design the shirt/sweatshirt for the eighth-grade class (due April 20)

Apply to be a speaker at the graduation (due April 25)

Submitted by VCMS Principal Jennifer Gfroerer

• Friday, April 20
  Graduation Program Design Contest Deadline
• Friday, April 20
  Sweatshirt Design Contest Deadline
• Wednesday, April 25
  Application to be Graduation Speaker Deadline
• Friday, May 11
  Parent Retreat Letter Deadline
• Tuesday, May 29
  Graduation Getaway Retreat Day
• Wednesday, June 6, at 8:45 a.m.
  Graduation Mass: Open to parents and grandparents
• Wednesday, June 6th, immediately following Mass
  Graduation Luncheon:  Students only – seventh graders serve the eighth graders
• Wednesday, June 6
  Dismissal for Eighth Grade:  approx. 11:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
• Wednesday, June 6
  Graduation Ceremony:  7 p.m. Reception to follow.

Submitted by VCMS Principal Jennifer Gfroerer

Parents – Please help! We need help with our first annual “Graduation Getaway.”

Graduation Getaway: A Day at Horning’s Hideout
Tuesday, May 29
All day – Approx. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

We need help planning and running activities at this event, including a food/BBQ station (two meals), memory station (photos and scrapbook), and talent show (open mic stage area). We would also like a part of the day to include “Survivor Challenges” such as relay races and other competitions.

In addition, Horning’s Hideout has a lake with paddle boats, (we also hope to have some rafts or canoes brought to the place), 54 holes of Disc Golf, a natural amphitheater and wooden stage area.

If you are interested in helping, please e-mail Mrs. G.

It was a great night with our community at the Embassy Suites!

Valley Catholic is pleased to announce a partnering with Saturday Academy, which has been providing adventures for curious 2nd-12th grade students since 1983. This summer, Saturday Academy will offer a one-week session, August 6-10, on the Valley Catholic Campus. This program will replace the Valley Catholic “Summer Enrichment” classes.

Some of these courses will be taught by Valley Catholic teachers while others will be offered by other teachers from the area. Classes are for students entering grades 2 – 12 and range from 10 – 35 hours. Classes are generally limited to 10 – 12 students. 

The following classes are being taught by VCS teachers: Animal Anatomy and Biodiversity (Sarah Zinzer), Cryptography and Math Gems (Luke Waitrovich), Study Skills and Write Now (Carol Pausz). To see all the classes that will be held here at the Elementary & Middle School, and to register, see below.