What’s recently happened:
The Valparaiso High School (VHS) Girls Basketball season kicked off to a great start.
“I love seeing the girls who have never played basketball before working together to build a strong team and win some games,” said Freshman Coach Carla Sissell.
On January 8, the Valparaiso Freshman Basketball Team won their away, non-conference game against Kankakee Valley by a score of 26-18.
The junior varsity girls have also been doing really well this season, winning their games against Elkhart and Lake Central.
The varsity girls have won 18 out of the 22 games they have played, with their highest win streak being eight games in a row.
“My favorite thing about playing basketball for VHS is the bonds you create with your teammates and coaches. You get so close with each other after being together for so long, and make so many fun memories that you’ll never forget,” said Varsity Player Norah Flynn.
The VHS Basketball Program is very fortunate to have such dedicated players who strive to work hard and form strong relationships with their coaches and teammates.
Varsity Player Campbell MacLagan echoed teammate Flynn’s remarks about the valuable relationships you gain from being a member of the team.
“My favorite thing about playing basketball for VHS is the relationships you make with the coaches and the friendships you make with the other players,” said MacLagan. “The girls I have met in my three years of playing basketball are some of my closest friends I have had. Everyone gets along so well; we have all formed bonds like no other.”
With COVID-19 affecting some of the daily basketball routines, the girls are very thankful that they will have a full season this year.
What’s coming up:
It's that time of year again at VHS. Winter formal is right around the corner.
The VHS Key Club is thrilled to announce that the winter formal dance, "Magical Garden," will take place in the high school cafeteria on Saturday, February 12 from 7 to 10 p.m.
Tickets will cost $14 and will only be available for purchase online from February 1 to February 10.
“I am really excited for this year's dance. They didn’t have a winter formal dance my freshman year because of COVID-19, and I feel like dances are an essential part of high school,” said Sophomore Molly Herren.
Students in grades nine through 12 are invited to attend. If bringing a guest, passes are available for printing on Canvas or in the assistant principal's office and are due by 2:30 p.m. on Monday, February 7.
Sophomore Mira Miravilla talked about how getting creative with the theme is one of her favorite parts of the dance.
“I really love how creative they can be with this year's theme. The theme Magical Garden has endless decoration possibilities. My best friend Julia and I are really looking forward to dressing up and taking pictures with the Magical Garden décor,” said Miravilla. “We are going to look fabulous.”
Riley's Children's Hospital will profit from the proceeds of this event, and VHS can’t wait to see you there!
Following the winter formal, this year's prom will be held at the Porter County Expo Center. The details for the prom theme are still being discussed at the weekly prom committee meetings, but if you have any input, you are welcome to attend.
Staff spotlight:
This month’s staff spotlight is Erin Charpentier. Charpentier teaches classical literature and English 10, which she’s been teaching for six years now.
“I had a lot of really great teachers when I was younger who impacted my life and made me a better learner,” said Charpentier. “They made me think outside of the box to solve problems which really helped me throughout life. I wanted to be able to help kids the same way.”
Charpentier is really thankful for the teachers that helped her get where she is today. Teaching at VHS has been a great experience that she will never forget.
“VHS is not like any other school I have been to. They have so many different opportunities for students to really discover what they want to do in life,” said Charpentier. “The flight simulator and the robotics department are things I never had in high school.”
Charpentier also really appreciates the staff at VHS.
“I love being able to bounce ideas off other English department staff members so we can always keep the curriculum up to date for our students,” said Charpentier.
Charpentier tells her students the possibilities are endless when it comes to their futures. She wants her students to prepare for a career they are just as passionate about as she is about teaching English.
“There are so many opportunities now that college doesn’t have to be for everyone. Trade schools open doors and even untraditional jobs are becoming popular,” said Charpentier. “Social media has created a whole new career pathway. Some careers do need college like mine, but I would just recommend students to follow their passion.”
Charpentier cares about her students very much and is excited to see what the rest of the school year brings.
Student spotlight:
This month’s student spotlight is Junior Henry Harris. He is a hard-working student who appreciates the VHS learning environment.
“The people at VHS have really made my school experience enjoyable. I look forward to see my friends every day,” he said.
Harris participates in the VHS Special Olympics and is part of Hope Club. He also participates in Unified Bowling, and when he is not playing sports, he is working at Pines Village Retirement Community. Harris also loves crocheting in his free time.
Harris is super excited to be a senior next year and is planning to attend college.
“I really want to be a Catholic priest when I grow up, so I am looking at attending Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.”
Harris had an easy time adjusting to high school and was glad he had advice from older students to guide him.
“I would tell younger students that high school is tough, but it can be fun. Just know that there are a lot of people at VHS and if you want to get to your classes on time, it's a good idea to not gather in the hallways,” said Harris. “Teachers appreciate when you get to class on time and it just makes for a better relationship with your teacher.”
Harris cannot believe the year is going by so fast and wishes all juniors good luck on their senior year.