Friday Update Sep. 27th

“The commandments I give you today must be in your hearts.  Make sure your children learn them. Talk about them when you are at home. Talk about them when you walk along the road.

Speak about them when you go to bed. And speak about them when you get up.”  

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

“Train a child in the way he should go. When he is old, he will not turn away from it.” 

Proverbs 22:6

Years ago, when my husband and I first called a house our own, I dreamed of a front yard transformed. A vision of vibrant blooms danced in my mind. I found a lady selling bulbs, her garden a testament to her green thumb. Eagerly, I planted them, my heart filled with anticipation. Spring arrived, but no flowers greeted me. Disappointment bloomed alongside the weeds I tirelessly pulled. Years passed, and still, no garden graced our home. Hope withered, replaced by doubt.

Then, a revelation. We decided to remove two towering trees, their shade obscuring the sunlight my bulbs craved. As if by magic, green shoots emerged from the soil, reaching for the sky. The seeds I'd planted, long forgotten, were finally flourishing. 

It's a story quite like parenting. We nurture our children with love, and guidance. We pray, we teach them, we plant the seeds in hopes of keeping them on the narrow path. But sometimes, the fruits of our labor seem slow to ripen. Discouragement creeps in, casting doubt on our efforts.

Recently, I spoke with my eldest daughter, who has drifted from her faith. Yet, in her conversation, she shared how she sang childhood bible songs to her newborn son. It was a gentle reminder from the Lord: "There are your seeds." Even when we don't see immediate results, our sowing is not in vain. The seeds we plant in our children's lives will one day blossom, bringing forth beauty and joy. So let us not give up hope. Let us continue to plant- pray for them, pray with them, read the scriptures, worship together, and trust in the divine gardener's plan.

I’ll end with this, the other day I was outside during recess and there was a group of boys getting ready to play football.  As I watched the young boys gather together my attention was drawn to their huddle. Curiosity piqued, I asked one of the boys what they were doing. His reply, simple yet profound, warmed my heart. "We were praying," he said. "We always pray before we play."

A smile crept across my face. At that moment, I couldn't help but think of the seeds that had been planted in these young boys’ lives. Seeds that had taken root and were now blossoming.

Upcoming Events:

Today at the North Campus we had our “Act of Kindness” Day.  Our projects consisted of: painting the neighbors' barn, mowing, weeding, trimming his trees and bushes, painting the brick on our school, painting the lines in the parking lot and poles, trimming the trees behind the soccer field and picking the pears from our pear tree.   It truly was amazing to witness everyone come together and work as a team.  Thank you so much to all of our volunteers and those that donated the snacks! We couldn't have done it without you!  A huge shoutout to Wade Breitzke for being our DJ! Everyone truly enjoyed the music.  The neighbor that we did the work for pulled in as we were finishing and was holding back tears of joy because of what we did. He was completely “blown away” by everything that we accomplished in the short amount of time.  They say it takes a village, and we are pretty proud of ours!

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.

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.

No School grades PreK-12 for Parent/Teacher Conferences - October 10-11

End of 1st Quarter, October  11

Universal CHOICE Scholarship Program Meeting, Monday, October 14:

VCA will be hosting an informational CHOICE Scholarship meeting sponsored by the My School Options and the Institute of Quality Education.  The "Across the Finish Line" meeting will be on Monday, October 14 at 6:30 pm, at the North Campus.  If your family currently qualifies for CHOICE or if your family does not, we need your help! My School Options is looking to advocate for a universal CHOICE Scholarship (voucher) Program and remove the final barrier, the income requirement! They are looking for parents across the state to share their story and attend parent meetings at your school to help build teams of advocates to get Universal School Choice "Across the Finish Line."  The meeting will last only 30 minutes and give you everything you will need to know about how IQEd hopes to bring voucher access to all families in 2025. We can’t do it without your help!  Click the link to register and get school choice across the finish line!
Registration Link: https://action.i4qed.org/a/victory-christian-academy-highschool

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