What's Recently Happened
Valparaiso High School (VHS) students finished out 2021 with a vigorous round of final exams and an exuberant Christmas break.
Valpo’s final exam schedule looked a little different from previous years with many students having more non-traditional finals such as projects and videos that are worth 20% of the class grade.
Testing was split into two parts thus spreading finals out over the course of a week instead of the normal three-day schedule with 90 minute long periods.
“The new schedule was nice. I ended up on average having one final a day. I do wish we got longer class periods. In some classes I felt a little rushed. Overall I did pretty well on my finals,” said junior Maggie Lopez.
Despite COVID-19 concerns, this year's Christmas break proved to be very enjoyable for many students. Families were still able to travel to various places over the course of break to simply relax or visit friends and family.
“I went skiing in Park City, Utah. I would recommend this resort to anyone that likes to ski,” said VHS student Emily Hatsares
Another VHS student, Makayla Albertson, also enjoyed Christmas with her family..
“I went to Michigan this break and had a really good Christmas with my family,” said Albertson
All VHS students are looking forward to what the new year has to bring, including new goals and a fresh start..
“I am looking forward to getting a fresh start. I lost track of a lot of my hobbies and personal habits towards the end of this year. So I am excited to restart and get back into the groove of things,” said Lopez.
What's Coming Up
A lot of students' schedules will be switching at the start of the new semester.
“I am switching from jewelry to health. Some of my friends are changing classes as well. I am interested to see if the switch goes smoothly,” said freshman Anna Rotole.
Other students are also excited to take on new classes and learn new material.
“I am looking forward to some of the new classes that I will be taking this upcoming semester. I can’t wait to learn something new and to meet new people,” said sophomore Ben Courtney.
Even though Christmas break will be ending soon, another vacation day is close by. VHS students get Martin Luther King day (January 17) off as a holiday. Martin Luther King Day will be a good opportunity for some winter fun with friends and family.
Many students are hoping it will snow and Roger LakeWood will again become a sledding hot spot.
“I really hope it snows more this year because this is my last year to really have fun in the snow,” said senior Natalie Grund.
The VHS basketball season also will be hosting a lot of upcoming games. Basketball player Norah Flynn encourages people to come support the teams.
“Valpo has really good basketball teams and the games are blast to watch and be a part of,” said Flynn.
Staff Spotlight
This month’s teacher spotlight is Brett Polizotto. Polizotto teaches freshman biology and zoology. He has been teaching for 28 years in total.
Polizotto originally wanted to work with teeth, but quickly realized he also had a passion for helping others.
“All through high school I wanted to be a dentist. I went to dental school where I realized I liked helping and interacting with people more than the actual dental work. I didn't have motor artistic skills for dentistry like others had. The education profession was a place where I could help and interact with people, plus my mom was a teacher and my wife is a teacher so I had a very supportive family,” said Polizotto.
Polizotto is thankful he ended up teaching at Valpo and is definitely going to continue teaching for a while longer.
“Valpo is unique because there is a lot of community support and parental support. The school board here has a big emphasis on the value of education itself. I think with the curriculum we are at the top in the area. I really enjoy teaching at Valpo because we do good stuff,” said Polizotto.
Polizotto mentioned how he always finds time to relax in the midst of all the stressful challenges. In his free time he enjoys the hobby of disc golf, being outside, and visiting his daughter who is at school in Hawaii.
Polizotto shared some advice that he gives his students.
“I think it’s more important to learn the process and the value of hard work and commitment. That will be the thing that gets you through high school,” said Polizotto.
Student Spotlight
This month’s student spotlight is sophomore Matthew Hofer. Hofer is a hard-working student and an outstanding athlete.
“I play football and basketball. I don’t really have a favorite because there are certain parts of each sport that I prefer. If I could combine those and create an ultimate sport that would be awesome,” said Hofer.
Hofer is also part of team lead and Fellowship of Christan Athletes. He also participates in Boy Scouts.
“I think it’s cool that Valpo has something like Fellowship of Christan Athletes because it helps me stay focused not only on sports but also on other goals in my life,” said Hofer.
Hofer is not sure what college he plans to attend but does have an idea for after high school. Since Hofer really enjoys attending church, he wants to head in that direction.
“I want to be some sort of advocate for Christ but I am not sure what yet. Maybe I will be a professional athlete,” said Hofer.
Hofer wishes all students a happy new year and also can’t wait to see what the new year brings.