Friday Update Sep. 20th
“’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” – Luke 10:27
In the story of the Good Samaritan, an expert in the law asks Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus responds with a question of His own: “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” The man answers correctly: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind,’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
As yourself! Whoa! Pause and think about that. Consider all the time you dedicate to yourself—choosing the perfect outfit, styling your hair, planning nourishing meals, and juggling your busy schedule. How much effort do you put into your own well-being each week? Now, reflect on this: are you extending that same love to your neighbors?
This week, our students immersed themselves in worship during chapel and spread joy through Operation Christmas Child. They expressed their love for God with all their hearts and, through song, dance, and giving, they reached out to children around the world. It was a beautiful celebration of love in action!
Yet sometimes, the neighbors God calls us to love aren’t far away. They might be the classmate sitting next to you, the shy kid in the corner, or the teammate waiting on the bench during a soccer game. God invites us to show the same dedication and care to those nearby—friends, family, and classmates—as we do for ourselves.
While this week’s revival was an incredible reminder of God’s calling, the excitement of “Spirit Weeks” can fade as we return to our routines of schoolwork and sports. Let’s strive to renew our commitment each day, remembering that we are called to love God with everything we have and to treat our neighbors with the same kindness, dignity, and respect we wish for ourselves.
We invite you to partner with us in prayer, asking that the enthusiasm from this week continues to shine brightly. May our students, and all of us, be empowered to reflect God’s love in every interaction, keeping the spirit of generosity alive well beyond this week.
VCA School Board
UPCOMING EVENTS
Fall Spirit Week Operation Christmas Child Update:
Today, we wrapped up an incredible school wide effort for our international mission, Operation Christmas Child. We are praising the Lord for His guiding hand, and faithfulness! Watching our students, and VCA family, rally together to show support in more ways than can be counted has been an immense privilege! Your generosity has allowed our students to have a first hand experience in serving other children, with the end goal of the gospel of Jesus Christ to reach to those who may have not yet received it.
At our South Campus, we had donations pouring in all week. We met, and exceeded our goals for items in almost every area! Thank you to the parent volunteers who helped with unboxing, unpacking, and running our packing assembly line! This would not have been possible without you! Today was such a blessing to see our older students, and younger students paired up to pray over, and pack these shoe boxes!!
At our North Campus, our students competed in Jar Wars all week to raise $1,100!
In the spirit of a little friendly competition we promised the winning class from each campus a pizza party! Congratulations to Mrs. Navarro’s 3rd grade class, and our 6th grade class!
All fun aside, from all of us here at VCA, THANK YOU! Thank you for partnering with us to once again EXCEED our goals! As a school we are able to pack and ship 110 boxes to Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child to help them reach more children through their gospel-centered mission! Please be in prayer for the right children to receive the boxes our school packed, and that ultimately they come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior!
Concessions Coordinator(s) Needed: The Athletic Department is looking for a Concessions Coordinator(s). This person(s) would be responsible for coordinating and running the concession stand during all home basketball games. There is a stipend available! Apply online at VCA Concessions Coordinator or contact Ashley Buckland at abuckland@vcacademy.info with any questions.
Anti-Bully Policy Review: We will be reviewing VCA’s anti-bully policy with grades 6-12 on Monday, September 23, during our first block. Additionally, there is a form that we will be sending home with students on Monday to have parents sign and return to their homeroom teacher the next day (Tuesday). This form reinforces our Anti-Bullying policy and the importance of working together to create a safe and caring school environment.
North Campus After-School Detention Schedule: All after-school detentions for students in grades 6-12 will be scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday afternoons effective immediately.
Senior Class Flamingo FUNdraiser Update: As the Flamingo FUNdraiser continues, we want to provide you with an update on the current situation. We have reports of 6-8 flocks of flamingos moving around the area, which is keeping our flamingo specialists quite busy. To protect yourself from these feathered visitors, I encourage you to purchase Protection at the link provided: tinyurl.com/flamingoprotect. We appreciate the enthusiasm and support you have all shown for this Seniors FUNdraiser. Your participation is truly making a difference!
Fall Formal Boutique, Wednesday, September 25, 3:30 - 5:30 pm -
The Formal Attire Boutique will be open on Wednesday, September 25, 3:30 - 5:30 pm, in the North Campus foyer. Students in grades 9-12 will be permitted to sell gently used and clean formal garments and accessories (Prom/Homecoming dresses, suits, purses, shoes, etc.). Sellers may sell up to 10 items and MUST have parent permission. Selection and pricing will vary. This is a CASH only event and all transactions are handled between seller and buyer. Shopping is open to students in grades 6-12. For more information or to sign up for a booth, go to VCA Formal Attire Boutique. Booths are limited and parent permission is required.
North Campus Act of Kindness Day, Friday, September 27
Our very first Act of Kindness Day is scheduled for Friday, September 27th, and we could use your help!
Projects that we will be tackling and are being assigned to appropriate grades include:
Repainting parking spot stripes
Removing fallen tree of neighbors
Repainting neighbors barn
Clean up around the parking lot street light
Removing the patch of trees and foliage behind the soccer goal to the west.
Painting the outside of the school
Here's what we need:
Time: If you have 2 hours to spare on September 27th (8am-10am), we would greatly appreciate your assistance in helping our Life Group leaders in supervising and overseeing the projects. If you don’t have time on the 27th but would like to help prep some of the areas on the 26th let me know.
Skill: If there is a group willing to help with any first aid needs that might arise
Items: Donations of small snacks or electrolyte drinks/mixes would be a wonderful contribution to fuel our students as they serve.
Students should come dressed in appropriate, "work-ready" attire:
Long pants and long sleeve shirts are a must. We will be dealing with trees and thorny foliage so want to avoid scratches and more.
If you don’t have long pants or long sleeve shirts check Goodwill.
Closed-toe old tennis shoes or work boots. No Crocs or flip flops.
Students should not wear anything that they do not want ruined by paint.
The VCA Dress code still applies.
We will have some work gloves available. However, if you are willing to donate some or have some your student can use, please send them with your student. In the event of rain, we will reschedule the Service Project Day to another Life Group Friday, and September 27th will be a regular Life Group meeting. Thank you in advance for your support and partnership in this valuable endeavor. If you are willing to help in any way (serve or donate), please email me at rjett@vcacademy.info.
Fall Family Picnic, Friday, September 27: It's that time of year again! Join us for our annual VCA Fall Family Picnic sponsored by the PTF on Friday, September 27th 4-7 at Dogwood Park in Chesterton. Please see the attached flyer for all the important info and what to bring. Please note the change of venue! If you are willing to help during the picnic, we need a few volunteers to help serve food and manage the bounce house and slide. Follow this link to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050B49ABA72AABFD0-51454770-vcafall Also, if you have any large yard games you would graciously be willing to loan to the PTF during the picnic please reach out to Mauhrai Walker at 708-539-0987 call/text. Thank you! See you on the 27th!!
Picture Day, Thursday, October 3 - Place your order now at https://inter-state.com/FlyerEntry. Use the school code 87581VF. Paper order forms are not available. Orders placed by October 3 will qualify for free delivery to the school.
Tuesday, October 8: Senior students will have the opportunity to take the SAT during their school day on October 8th at 8am. This test is by sign up only and there are 25 seats available. The SAT is a globally recognized college admission test that’s accepted at all U.S. colleges. The SAT measures the reading, writing, and math skills that students are learning in high school. It lets students show that they have the knowledge they need to succeed in college and career. The cost per student is $68. Please contact Mrs. Thomae to sign up at mthomae@vcacademy.info.
Parent Teacher Conferences, October 9-10: Partnering with families is one of VCA’s core values and Parent/Teacher Conferences is one way we can actively partner together. We encourage parents to take advantage of this time carved out in the school year to meet with your child’s teacher(s). Scheduling is now open through your Sycamore account for families with students in grades 1-12. (PreK and Kindergarten teachers will schedule with their families directly). To schedule, log in to your family’s Sycamore account, go to My School, go to P/T Conferences, choose the date and the student. From there you can click on the time frame box for a specific teacher and schedule your appointment. Once you confirm the time, you will need to contact the school if you need to change it. The schedule is as follows:
North Campus:
Wednesday, October 9: 1:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Thursday, October 10: 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
South Campus:
Wednesday, October 9: 1:00 pm - 5:15 pm
Thursday, October 10: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Mrs. Mocabee (Music) and Mrs. Cornett (Physical Education) will be conducting all of their conferences at the North Campus only. If you are a South Campus parent wanting to meet with one of them, please schedule according to the times listed above and meet them at the North Campus for your conference.
End of 1st Quarter, October 11
SAT, Tuesday, October 8: Senior students will have the opportunity to take the SAT during their school day on October 8th at 8am. This test is by sign up only and there are 25 seats available. The SAT is a globally recognized college admission test that’s accepted at all U.S. colleges. The SAT measures the reading, writing, and math skills that students are learning in high school. It lets students show that they have the knowledge they need to succeed in college and career. The cost per student is $68. Please contact Mrs. Thomae to sign up at mthomae@vcacademy.info.
PSAT/NMSQT, Tuesday, October 15: All students in 10th and 11th grade will take the PSAT/NMSQT on October 15th at 8am. Students will automatically be enrolled in the test. The State of Indiana pays the cost of this test for all Indiana students. The PSAT tests include reading, writing and language, and math. The test measures the student’s college and career readiness. It is part of the SAT Suite of Assessments. Students who take the PSAT/NMSQT in 11th grade may enter the National Merit Scholarship Program. Other agencies also use the PSAT to identify students who may be eligible for their scholarships. These scholarships amount to nearly $160 million every year.
Fall Break, October 25: No School, PreK-12
