Submitted by VCS Parent and CYO Girls’ Basketball Coach Doug Mannen

After a couple of disappointing near-misses in past championship games, the Valley Catholic sixth-grade girls’ basketball team came through with a big win on Sunday night, downing Christ the King, 40-25, for the CYO “City” title. The team blended six girls who had prior experience on the team, including five who have been together all four years, with three newcomers. All nine girls worked together beautifully, emphasizing teamwork and sportsmanship and a love for great defense and fast breaks. Over the course of the undefeated CYO season, the team featured very balanced scoring, with every player scoring in almost every game.

In the CYO tournament, the Valiants beat St. Matthew in a high-scoring semifinal, 47-39, in which the winning team built a big lead, and then had to hold off a furious 4th-quarter rally. In the final, a 9-2 second quarter edge proved to be too much for Christ the King, and the Valiants were able to hold on to the lead with some clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch and secure their gold medals. Last year, the team went home with a second-place trophy.

Team members (with number of years on the team in parentheses) are: Casey Kavanaugh (1), Erin Lang (1), Noelle Mannen (4), Izzy McMahon (2), Taylor Menkens (4), Nandini Naidu (4), Diana Nistler (4), Megan Voigt (1), and Tanvi Yeccaluri (4). The team was coached by Melinda and Doug Mannen.

Submitted by VCS Parent and CYO Boys’ 6th Grade Baskettball Coach Eric Grasberger

Valley Catholic’s sixth-grade boys won the CYO “City” title for the second year in a row, defeating St. Pius 61-58 in an electrifying game on Valley’s home court. The game featured top CYO talent on both sides. Multiple three-point shots, particularly from the St. Pius squad, full-court pressing and half-court traps made for a fast-paced game. After an unbelievable shooting streak by St. Pius in the third quarter, Valley was down 18 points and needed a momentum shift. Aggressive full-court defense and fast-break basketball provided that shift, as Valley scored 22 points in the fourth quarter to edge out St. Pius. St. Pius has a talented center, great guards and excellent coaches. They defeated every other team in the league during the regular season and in the tournament. Both squads had multiple players with double-digit scoring.

The boys’ roster is: Ben Dinh, Michael Gadda, Jack Grasberger, Max Imponenti, Sam Karlin, Jess Lucas, Teddy Senecal, Alex Uong, Alex Wan.
Coaches: Eric Grasberger and Jim Lucas
Sam Karlin scored 28 points, Alex Wan 11 points

Submitted by VCHS Drama Director, English and Journalism Teacher Ginnie Sutfin

Fun fact:  Opening night of Seussical—March 2— was actually Dr. Seuss’s birthday! Come and celebrate with us!

“Oh, the thinks you can think when you think about Seuss!”

Seussical debuted on Broadway in 2000, and has enjoyed great success in regional theatres all over the country ever since. With music from the folks who wrote Schoolhouse Rock, Once on this Island, and the movie Anastasia, Seussical takes us into the magical world created in some of the most famous children’s books of all time.

Audiences will recognize characters like the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, the Grinch, Yertle the Turtle, and others as their stories interweave to tell a tale of friendship, loyalty, and the importance of imagination. This production is suitable for all ages, and will be enjoyed by the young, the old, and everyone in between. With infectious music, delightful dancing, bright, colorful sets and costumes, and an energetic, dedicated cast and crew of 37 Valley Catholic students, this show is guaranteed to leave audiences smiling and inspired with their own “thinks!”

Direction: Ginnie Sutfin
Musical Direction: Jeffrey Childs
Choreography: Elizabeth Esch Brown
Light Design: Bradford Johnson
Set Design: Megan Miller

To see the cast list: click here.

Music by Stephen Flaherty, Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Book by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens
Co-conceived by Stephen Flaherty & Lynn Ahrens & Eric Idle
Based on the works of Dr. Seuss

Dear Valley Catholic Families:

March on our campus is traditionally known as Heritage Month as the entire campus and all of its entities take time to honor the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon and their mission. For the schools this typically comes in the form of various events and activities that create opportunities for students to interact and pray with the Sisters. This year Heritage month is especially significant because we are wrapping up a the Sisters’ 125th Jubilee year. The 125th Jubilee year for the Sisters has provided several opportunities for our campus and school community to recognize and honor the Sisters for the commitment to their mission for all those years. In just the past 12 months, a few highlights of the Jubliee year include the Sisters dedicating their brand-new, state-of-the-art education center that houses our Elementary and Middle School programs and a community-based “Soup’s On” event that brought hundreds of visitors to our campus in an effort to raise awareness of the hunger problem in our local Beaverton community.

This afternoon both the High School and Middle School students took part in one of school-based Heritage Month activities in the convent. The High School students gathered for a prayer service in the convent chapel that included a special presentation. Senior Rebecca Baglai stood before the crowd of students and Sisters in attendance dressed at Mother Wilhelmina, the first Superior General of the SSMO order. The message she delivered included some of the history of the SSMO order and how they came to settle in Oregon 125 years ago. Rebecca did a fantastic job and the message was well received by the students who now know a little more about the order.

After the prayer service, the Sisters headed downstairs to their dining room for another Heritage month tradition, tea with the Middle School students. This great event provides our Middle School students with the unique opportunity to visit with the Sisters. Throughout the rest of the month, students in all of our programs will have an opportunity to celebrate with the Sisters through prayer and other events.

The Heritage Month and the 125th Jubilee year will conclude on Sunday, March 25 with the closing liturgy at 2 p.m. in the Valiants’ Gym. All members of our community are encouraged to come out and celebrate with the Sisters on the special occasion.

I am pleased to report that the chapel in the new Elementary and Middle School building is now home to some beautiful furniture, including a very impressive altar. This furniture was made from the same site-harvested wood that is found in other areas of the new building. We are very pleased with how the furniture turned out and are excited to have it to use in the chapel for many years to come. I encourage each of you to check it out the next time you are in the new building.

Good luck to the cast and crew of the HS production of “Seussical” as they prepare for their final weekend of performances. I am excited to see the show tomorrow night with my daughter and her entire Girl Scout troop.

Enjoy your weekend and thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Bob Weber
President
Valley Catholic School

Submitted by VCHS Athletic Director Jeff Gallagher

It has been a busy and exciting few weeks. Highlighted by some VERY exciting nights in our own gym and a wonderful time at the 3A OSAA state championships where both of our teams brought home trophies. I know that all of our basketball players and coaches were extremely humbled and very thankful to all of our students and parents that made the drive down there to support them. Some well-deserved recognition is also in order for our teachers’ patience as their classes were interrupted, our administrators for organizing the busses, and our brave chaperones for supervising. Listed below is a brief re-cap of the tournament, information about our state dance competition, ski team results, and some spring sports information.

Girls’ Basketball – Placed Second in State
Coach Innes and the Valiants put together another historical season, finishing with a 26-4 overall record. The Valiants played in their second state championship game in six seasons when they took on Vale last week. The second-place trophy was their fourth overall state trophy in those six seasons. The Lewis and Clark league champion Valiants placed two athletes on the all-tournament team. Senior Jasmine Bush earned second team honors and Junior Chelsea Alsdorf earned first team recognition. Freshman Kaylynn Bush was the player of the game in the state finals. The Valiants will say goodbye to five seniors, but will return a very strong group of kids to compete for another league championship.

Boys’ Basketball – Placed Sixth in State
The Valiants brought home their third state trophy in six seasons and their second consecutive sixth-place trophy. The Valiants finished the season with a 21-9 overall record. It was the first time in school history that the boys have posted back to back league championships, as well as twoenty back-to-back win seasons. For the second consecutive season VC lost to the eventual state champion in the quarterfinals. Next year the Valiants will look for a three-peat in conference and a return trip to Coos Bay, as they will bring back ten varsity letter winners in 2012-2013.

Dance – Posted Highest Score of the Season, Second Place at Liberty Invitational
Charisma tuned up for next week’s state championships in impressive fashion when they traveled to Liberty last Saturday. VC took home a second place trophy at the invitational defeating every 5A and 6A team that they competed against. The Valiants also posted their highest score of the season and appear to be peeking at the right time of the year. At next week’s state championships they will be in search of their third consecutive state championship. The preliminary round will be held on Wednesday, March 14, and the performance order can be found here. As a result of their high scores Charisma has already qualified for the March 15th final session. We will be sending a rooter bus to the March 15 finals for the kids that would like to attend and support the Valiants (ticket cost is $13.00). We will not know when our girls perform until the morning of March 15th. The order of performances will be posted at www.osaa.org/dance . Kids that are riding the bus should be ready to leave Valley at 4:15 p.m. and return around 9:30 p.m. We may make adjustments based on the time that our dancers perform.

Good luck to our dance team as they look to cap off a very strong winter campaign for Valley Catholic.

Ski Racing – Several Awards to VC Individuals
Our ski competitors finished up their season recently with some very strong performances. Will O’Leary posted a top-ten finish in the slalom for the metro league. Erin Cochran earned the good sportsmanship award given out by the Metro League. During the state portion of the event, with over 200 competitors, Tori Johnson posted a top 50 finish. Will O’Leary built on a strong showing at the Metro competition to qualify for both the giant and regular slalom events. He completed all four runs, ranking 63rd in the giant slalom and 47th in the slalom. Congratulations to our ski racers.

Spring sports begin next week!
We know that with the beginning of spring sports the weather will begin to change to sunshine. Our softball, tennis, baseball, golf, and lacrosse teams are all scheduled to begin competition next week. We will do our best if there is inclement weather to make our decision about game cancellations by 1:00 pm. It will be very important that parents and athletes follow the online calendar for cancellations and updated schedules. We will always make changes on this calendar first, although I’m sure you may get an email from your coach.

Good luck to our dance team at state and to all of our spring teams!

Station One: Jesus is Condemned to Death

Submitted by VCES Principal Joe Manning

Our parent prayer service on Thursday, March 8 at 8 a.m. provided parents the opportunity to make use of our new Stations of the Cross walk in our building. For those who missed out, please consider joining us on Thursday, 3/22, to take advantage of this prayerful opportunity. The walk will take just over 30 minutes. We look forward to seeing you there.

About the Stations:  We have unveiled our new Stations of the Cross prayerful meditation walk in the new building. Two beautiful sets of the Stations of the Cross have been displayed and will be used throughout Lent to help our students understand Jesus’ passion. One will be displayed throughout the wings of the building. Beginning from the chapel, our students will be able to walk the Stations through the K-2 wing, upstairs to the 3-5 wing, through the Middle School wing, and then back down past the music room and computer labs to the chapel. There they will find the other set of Stations displayed on the chapel’s walls.

We look forward to offering this opportunity for prayer and connection to our faith to both our students and families.

Dear VCES Community,

As we prepare to enter the third full week of Lent, I find myself mindful of the fact that Lent is a time to focus on improving ourselves. Within our school, the improvement mindset is one that comes naturally. It is what all schools are about. Our goal as a school is to help our students improve, and, to help us with this, we are constantly looking for ways our school can better serve our students. School improvement is what our accreditation process is all about, and we are blessed to be able, this year, to learn from all of the conversations that we are having internally and the input you provided to us at the beginning of the year.

When it comes to our students and staff, I see improvement emphasized on a daily basis in each of our classrooms and outside on the playground as well. Conversations regarding academics, behavior, and relationships are all tied to addressing challenges and moving forward with new goals in mind. I am sure you have heard teacher after teacher in your lifetime share that there is no greater joy than seeing their students finally “click,” see something in a new way, or make the positive change that has been encouraged for quite a while. When teachers share this sentiment, it is because they find joy in the joy of others – the joy of their students. All of this is a result of a deliberate focus on improvement. The season of Lent fosters a deliberate approach to improving ourselves, and although the trials may be very difficult, as we learn from Jesus’ passion, joy does await.

Next Friday, March 16, our students in grades 3 through 5 will have their second opportunity of the year to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation. Our Lenten reconciliation service will provide students with the opportunity to improve themselves spiritually, to reflect on their relationships with others, and to grow in their faith. I encourage you to speak to them about the purpose of reconciliation so that they are better prepared for Friday’s service.

Finally, parents of students in Grades 4 and 5 should be on the lookout today for progress reports. Please make sure you check in with your child to see their grades and discuss the progress they are making with them. We share these progress reports with our families so that you – our school’s parents – can play an active role in guiding your children to the improvement, as discussed above, that will eventually lead to joy.

Wishing you all the peace of Christ,

Joe Manning
Principal

THE WEEK AHEAD:

Monday
Recess Supervisors: Sarah Spiering & Kristine Burton

Tuesday
Early Dismissal – 2:05 p.m.
Recess Supervisors: Toni Masingale & Loc Nguyen

Wednesday
SSMO Heritage Prayer Service – Convent Chapel – 9:35 a.m.
Recess Supervisors: Joanna Beale & Ken Mann

Thursday
Recess Supervisors: Stephanie Matthews & Mei Po Chiu

Friday
Lenten Reconciliation (Grades 3-5)
Recess Supervisors: Ivo Peev, Valerie Stecher, & James Noll

  Submitted by VCS Parent Analizza Lambino

Save the date for our 2nd VCS International Festival – May 19, 2012

Let’s celebrate our cultural diversity at VCS and save the date for our 2nd campus-wide International Festival – Saturday, May 19, 2012, 2 – 5 p.m., at the Eagles Gym! There will be lots of exciting things to learn about different cultures especially with participation from the Elementary, Middle, and High School communities! Similar to last year’s International Festival, this year’s event will have the following components: tabletop presentations, cultural presentations, multi-cultural prayer service, and potluck.

What specifically is going to happen? Here’s a look at our agenda:|

2-3 p.m. – Tabletop presentations will be open. Only one table per culture, or a group of cultures can be in one table. Interactive activities are highly encouraged (e.g. simple games, artwork). A few cultural performances can also take place by the community tabletop presentations but these need to be coordinated with the International Festival Committee.

3-3:30 p.m. – Multi-cultural prayer service

3:30-4:30 p.m. – Cultural presentations: Elementary School (only one main presentation per culture/community), Middle School, High School. We are limiting these to an hour so we can enjoy the potluck and see more tabletop presentations!

4:30 p.m. – Potluck starts in the High School cafeteria, tabletop presentations resume.

We would like to see as many cultures as possible represented, especially in the tabletop presentations – one table per culture (or group of cultures). Can you be the point of contact for your community? Or can you help invite other communities or cultures to be represented? If so, please contact Analizza Lambino. We would appreciate hearing from you by Fri., March 30.

We are also still looking for volunteers, so if you would like to help make this event happen, Elementary School parents please register here. Middle and High School parents please email Analizza Lambino  to express your interest in helping.

Submitted by VCELS Program Coordinator Janet Lynn

What a treat to have a visit from Anne Louise Sterry!

The children at the Early Learning School always enjoy the original songs, captivating stories, and energetic spirit of Anne Louise. According to kidshealth.com, research shows that children who are actively involved in music (who play it or sing it regularly) do better in reading and math when they start school, are better able to focus and control their bodies, and play better with others and have higher self-esteem. We invite musical guests several times a year because of the great benefits of music, but also because music is SO much fun!

[Show as slideshow]

Submitted by VCMS Principal Jennifer Gfroerer

On Saturday, Feb. 25, Valley Catholic Middle School hosted its 45th Annual Speech Tournament. This year, over 450 contestants from 28 area private schools participated  in this speech competition that helps young people find their voice and convey their talents through the fine art of verbal expression.

For each category there are four awards – first place, second place, third place, and honorable mention.

In eighth grade, the first place winners also receive a scholarship to the Catholic high school of their choice within the Archdiocese of Portland.

Each of the eighth-grade scholarship winners presented their elocution speeches at the awards assembly following the tournament to a crowd of about 1,000 people.

Valley Catholic Middle School students performed well at the tournament, earning 10 of the 28 trophies (photo above).  For a short history of the speech tournament written by VCMS parent Jill Lovely, click here.

Congratulations not only to the winners listed below, but to every student who participated in the tournament.  We hope they had fun and gained more confidence through this experience.