What’s happening
With the first quarter just ending, Valparaiso High School (VHS) has already kicked the year off to a great start. Students are getting back into the swing of things and this year’s freshman class is adjusting to high school quite well.
“I think it's really different from middle school,” said freshman Kylann Rudziewicz. “There are a lot of changes, but it’s fun because there are a lot of people you can make friends with and all the teachers are really nice.”
Madison Cole, also a freshman at VHS, is excited to see what high school has in store.
“There is more freedom and it is a lot more fun than middle school,” Cole said.
Not only is the school year itself looking up, but so are VHS sports. The VHS Girls Soccer Team won their sectional game against Crown Point 7-2 and were crowned sectional champions.
“I loved being able to see my girls come together as one and win the sectional tournament,” said Head Coach Robert Cespedes. “It was a great way to end the season. I hope we go even further next year.”
The girls won their first regional game but lost the second game to South Bend Saint Joseph. Overall the season record was 16 wins to 6 losses.
“Just spending time with the girls on this team really impacted me,” said player Hailey Stemple. “I was able to create some strong friendships and I can’t wait for my senior season next year.”
VHS Cross Country has also had an impressive record this season. Boys Cross Country won the Duneland Athletic Conference and earned the IHSAA Regional Champion title. The boys were also able to compete in the IHSAA Sectional Conference where they came in second place. A special congrats also goes to the VHS boys who won semi-state.
The girls cross country team ran well this season earning third place at the New Prairie Semi-State meet and will be advancing to the State finals in Terre Haute.
Congrats to 2022 National Merit Semifinalists! These students did exceptionally well on their PSAT/NMSQT and are recognized for their academic excellence. These students include Eric Page, Carissa Yu, Karli LoDuca, Anthony Grisolano, Isaac Utesch, and Calwin Li.
What’s coming up
The VHS drama department is back in business and is proud to announce its upcoming drama production, “Ranked, a Musical.” Many students, both lower and upper classmen, have been working hard after school to prepare for an outstanding performance.
The musical is set to be performed from November 19 through 21 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the VHS Auditorium. Tickets will be sold at the door and anyone is welcome to come and watch the performance. The students and staff, who are part of the show, are very excited to perform again after the COVID-19 adjustments that took place last year.
“It's hard to believe we have already been in school for three months,” said Stage Manager Katherine Stalmah. “I am glad to be back in the drama department doing what I love and I appreciate the support of the staff to make this show exceptional.”
Colleen Peluso, VHS drama director, is very proud of all the students who are participating in the musical.
“My first priority is always to create a positive educational experience for the students involved in the show, especially after the accommodations they have had to make over the past 18 months in regards to presenting live theater,” Peluso said.
“This show has the added benefit of highlighting an important issue for the audience which is the stress and anxiety that our teenagers are feeling as they strive to meet society's high expectations,” Peluso continued. “I am very much looking forward to welcoming the audience to experience live theater and hope they appreciate all the students' hard work and dedication toward the show.”
Teacher spotlight
November’s teacher of the month is Allison Walker. Walker has been teaching AP World History for nineyears at VHS. She also has been an assistant coach for boys' swimming for nine years. In addition, she is the school’s UNICEF club sponsor with her husband who also teaches at the school.
Walker spoke about how she has always wanted to be a teacher for as long as she could remember. Many teachers impacted her life positively and she would love to do the same for as many students as she can.
“I grew up playing school in my basement,” Walker said. “At my high school, there was a history teacher that I really appreciated and looked up to. I just knew I wanted to be like that one day.”
One of Walker's favorite parts of teaching is meeting new students each year and reconnecting with old students. She loves being able to see her students mature through high school and watch them go off for bigger than better things.
“I love being able to form relationships with my students, and checking up on them is a big part of my day,” Walker said. “The best teachers from my high school were the ones I could connect to personally, and I would love to be that teacher for students here at VHS.”
Walker’s advice to others is that she always tells her students to not stress about the little things in high school. High school is already a lot and you don’t need to worry about every little inconvenience that comes your way. She wants her students to be able to enjoy high school instead of miserably trudging through it.
Student spotlight
November’s student spotlight is senior Jayma Hayes. Hayes is a lively, energetic student and a trustworthy friend. She has played softball for VHS the past three years and is a member of the high school’s P7 club. Hayes also works at Subway with a couple of her close friends.
Hayes is very excited to graduate and pursue her passion for a dental career. She plans to attend Indiana University Northwest in the fall.
“I am looking forward to not going to school every day and not having a set schedule like we do in high school,” Hayes said. “In college, classes don’t last from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., they are more spread out and you have more freedom in between classes. I am excited to see what college has in store for me.”
This year, Hayes is not planning to continue softball so she can better focus on her academic studies. She attends the dental careers vocational program at Portage High School where she works on honing her dental skills and getting ready for college.
“I am inspired by the medical field because health care workers do a lot for other people,” Hayes said. “I want to be able to help anyone be the best person they can be and that's why I chose a career in the medical field.”
Hates loves talking with other students to help them find their passion like she did.
“I would tell younger students to do the best you can because even though school is hard, it pays off,” said Hayes. “The harder you work now, the more you’ll be thankful in the future.”