Desire to Compete and to Excel are Two Significant Keys for Success of VCS Students

From Superintendent Andrew Melin, Ph.D. VCS Weekly Newsletter for the Week of January 24, 2011: valpo-community-schools

Desire to compete and to excel are two significant keys for success of VCS students

In my short time as your superintendent, I have had the great fortune of observing our students perform in numerous academic and extra-curricular venues. In every instance, two significant attributes observed in all areas are the desire for our students to compete and to excel.

These two attributes help to set our students, our schools, and our community apart. Our students benefit from supportive parents, and from dedicated teachers, administrators, and support staff who strive daily to help our students not only gain knowledge, but also learn how to compete and to excel.

In classrooms, I have observed teachers challenging students to think at higher levels. In terms of fine arts, I have admired the outstanding quality of performances in choir, band, orchestra, and art. Athletically, I have been proud of how our students compete and persevere.

The foundation our parents and educational staff are building in our students through all of these experiences help to build the capacity of our students to be successful upon graduation in any future endeavor.

Our primary objective as educators is to dedicate ourselves on a daily basis to help students build on their strengths, to identify areas in which students can improve and intervene as necessary, and to give our students opportunities to demonstrate their abilities academically and from an extra-curricular perspective.

As our country continues to respond to increased global competition, VCS students, with their talent, desire to compete, and perseverance will be well-positioned to provide the leadership needed to keep our country strong and at the forefront of economic and technological development.

Important Dates:

  • January 26 Distribute Grade Cards
  • February 15 School Board Meeting
  • February 18 Mid-Winter Break
  • February 21 President’s Day (No School)

VCS News

First semester report cards will be distributed this Wednesday, January 26.

VCS Standouts

Congratulations to the following Porter County Career and Technical Center District DECA award winners from Valparaiso High School:

  • Ashley Steinhilber (3rd) – Accounting Applications
  • Nathan Johnson (6th) – Marketing Management
  • Teresa Davila (5th) – Retail Merchandising

We are proud of Memorial Elementary students Austin Florio, Abby Pruitt, Samantha Lawrence and Lucas Linn who participated in this year’s All- State Honor Choir last week in Indianapolis.