VVS Newsletter for Current Families Feb. 13, 2026

After nine great years as Director of Academics and fourteen as a faculty member at VVS, Meg has decided to step down from her role.   Meg notes, “this wonderful place and all of the incredible people who make it so special will always have a place in my heart!  I have never met a more dedicated, energetic and caring faculty, and out of the four high schools where I have worked, I have never met a kinder or more inclusive community of students.  I am confident that the search committee will find a great educational leader to take carry the VVS academic program forward into the future.”

All 9th - 11th grade classes will take their final exams on May 18th - 20th.  The exam week/project period/graduation schedule is attached. Students must be present for their their final exams in order to earn credit for the class.  A make-up exam block will be offered in the afternoon of May 20th for any student who was ill and medically excused with a dr’s note for either of the preceding days. Students are encouraged to begin studying for their final exams during the week of May 11th.  Teachers will provide information on exam structure and duration in the coming weeks. 

All online coursework must be completed by May 11th.  Students enrolled in ASU Universal Learner must be at 100% course completion by this date.  Students enrolled in Pamoja online courses will sit for in-person final exams for their courses. 

Day families, please note that afternoon and evening activities are strongly encouraged for day students during this 10-day period. That said, we recognize that these are long days, and many students travel 30+ minutes to get here.  We encourage you to discuss the schedule with your student and carpool when possible to facilitate participation in these special events. 

 

In case your student neglected to tell you, Community Day on 4/24 had all of the students and staff working on projects all around campus to keep our humble home operating smoothly. Students were involved with everything from cleaning and organizing Brady Hall and the Barn to working on the Farm and partnering with the US Forest Service to add new access points to the trails surrounding campus with lots of odds and end projects in between. It was a huge effort and the students were amazing workers and should be proud of their contributions.

As we approach the end of the school year, we want to provide you with important details about airport transportation for those who will need it.

 

On Thursday, May 28th, we will have two buses departing for Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport: We needed to change the first bus departure time to 3:30 AM and another at 1:00 PM. Please plan your flights accordingly if you wish to use one of these buses. Note that the campus will close for the summer at 2:00 PM.

 

For students taking the 3:30 AM bus, we recommend booking domestic flights that depart no earlier than 8:30 AM. The 1:00 PM bus requires domestic flights to depart no earlier than 5:00 PM.

 

If your flight is scheduled to leave before these bus times, we can arrange a separate airport shuttle service. Please remember that the shuttle typically picks up passengers

4 hours before the flight departure. The fee for this shuttle service is $106 for one-way travel.

 

Once your flight details are arranged, please forward them to Stephanie Sterrett (ssterrett@vvsaz.org). If you do not require the bus or shuttle services, kindly inform Stephanie so that we can confirm travel plans for all boarding students.

 

Over the past week and into this week, we’ve had a few isolated cases of Flu A on campus.

If your student is feeling unwell or has a fever, please keep them home until symptoms have improved and they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.

We appreciate your support in helping to keep our community healthy. Please feel free to reach out to healthcenter@vvsaz.org with any questions or concerns. We’re hopeful to move through this final month of school with a happy and healthy community.

All tuition for the 2026-27 school year was due April 15, 2026.  If you have not already paid in full, please do so immediately to avoid any interruption in your student’s ability to attend classes or other activities.   If you need assistance or to discuss your account, please contact Lori Perkins at lperkins@vvsaz.org.  

Project Period, our culminating experiential education moment at the end of the year, will be from Thursday, May 21 through the weekend and culminates on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. We will have school on Memorial Day. This is a VVS graduation requirement for all students, and goes through the weekend, so please mark your calendars now!

All November 2026 Field Expeditions for next year are shared when we return to VVS! However, due to necessary additional fees and requirements for participation, the selection process for Guatemala Field Expedition will occur over the next few weeks in May 2026 to allow students and families time over summer to plan and make arrangements.   

The Guatemala Field Expedition is open to current 9th, 10th, 11th graders. See here for more information, pricing and requirements. 

Please reach out to Kaylyn at koates@vvsaz.org if you have any questions about Experiential Education Programs! 

 

The VVS Parent Association invites families to help celebrate our extraordinary faculty and staff during Teacher Appreciation Week.

 

Families are invited to contribute breakfast treats and grab-and-go snacks on Monday, May 4 and/or Wednesday, May 6 for faculty and staff to enjoy throughout the day. Items can be dropped off at 7:45 a.m., or the day before if non-perishable.

 

Details, suggested items, and sign-up information can be found here:

 

If you’re able to participate on one or both days, thank you for helping us show appreciation for all our teachers and staff do for our students and community.

 

Questions may be directed to Emily Strem, Co-Chair, VVS Parent Association, at verdevalleyschoolpa@gmail.com.

 

Join VVS parents for the kickoff of a new parent walking club on Monday, May 11, at 8:15 AM. Meet in the Brady parking lot and head to Red Rock State Park for an approximately 3-mile hike, about 1 to 1.5 hours. All levels are welcome, and you can turn around at any point.

Enjoy conversation, meet other parents, and explore the trails surrounding the school. Wear comfortable athletic clothes and bring water.

While this will be our only organized hike for this school year, our hope is to reconvene as a monthly group when school resumes in the fall (dates TBD). We hope this first gathering helps lay the groundwork for a fun new parent tradition.

Questions? Contact Amy Warren at awarren@vvsaz.org