Verde Valley School | VVS Newsletter for Current Families Feb. 2, 2026

April 2, 2026

Academics

Class schedule next week - slight modification to accommodate conferences we have moved Period 4 to the X block slot on Thursday to allow for conferences on Friday. No other changes to the schedule.

Expectations regarding IB exams & IB fees

All VVS seniors who are enrolled in IB classes were registered for their IB exams via a formal process with the IB in the fall. The IB exam is the culminating assessment of the class and functions as a final exam. Students registered in IB Year 2 classes are required to attend and complete their IB exams as the culmination of their learning. IB exam fees are listed in the enrollment contract. Failing to complete IB exams will be reflected on the final transcript sent to colleges via a change in course title.

Exam/class expectations for seniors during IB exams (4/27 - 5/20)

All IB Diploma students and certificate students enrolled in 4 or more IB Year 2 classes will finish classes on Thursday 4/23 as the IB testing period begins on Monday April 27.

Certificate students enrolled in 3 or fewer IB Year 2 classes will continue to attend their non-IB classes until Friday May 15th. They will be excused from class during any IB exams they will be taking during this time.

Deadline for completion of online classes

All VVS students enrolled in online courses must be finished with their courses by May 11th. Proof of completion must be sent via email screenshot by this date to earn credit for the semester. Online courses appear on the transcript and earn P/F credit from VVS. Students may choose to request an official transcript from the online program. These transcripts may be submitted to Liz Bolton to be included with the student’s VVS transcript for the college application process.

Student / Residential Life

Senior Events/Traditions

It is an exciting time of year at VVS and an already busy little school kicks into a new gear by adding annual traditions to the mix. Mud Pit, Fire Run, Senior Wills, Senior full moon horseback ride, and the senior BBQ and Tea. We have completed the Clue Finding event, by which the Juniors have earned their rings at Fire Run. Fire Run is a planned event, but we are dependent on a burn permit from the fire department that we can’t get until a) the fire wood pile has been constructed and b) the permit is issued after inspection. The actual fire is completely dependent on the weather conditions and fire danger. This event takes place at sundown and runs until the affirmations have been read and rings distributed to all the Juniors. A dance follows ring giving and fire running, all of which wraps up prior to check in at 10:30 PM at the latest.

End of Year Transportation

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: one at 5:00 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 5:00 AM bus, we recommend booking domestic flights that depart no earlier than 9:00 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.

Experiential Education

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!

Students will learn about and sign up for options this week during Advisory Lunch on Wednesday. Students will sign up through Blackbaud. Like Field Expeditions students choose 4 options for both their morning and afternoon projects, and will receive 1 project for morning and 1 for the afternoon. Here is a link to project period offerings for May 2026.

What is Project Period? Rather than just completing exams and racing towards the summer, VVS ends with an incredible capstone program: Project Period! Project Period supplements Verde Valley students’ regular intellectual lives with experiential learning that is creative, active and skill based. The program is an opportunity to deconstruct the ordinary school day as well as the traditional parameters of a classroom. Project Period aims to strengthen bonds in our community and cultivate important 21st century skills, from mechanical problem solving to creative endeavors, from achieving a physical goal to pushing areas of comfort. Project Period synergistically widens and deepens VVS students’ education.

Project Period takes place during the final week of school, after final exams and before graduation. This year it will be Thursday May 21 through the weekend to Tuesday May 26, 2026. During each day, each student participates in two three-hour projects: one in the morning, and one in the afternoon. The entire community then joins each evening for a community activity!

Project Period ends with an evening exhibition on Tuesday, May 26 at 7pm that showcases student’s products and performances. All are invited! There are additional evening events like VVS Film Night and VVS Music Festival that all are invited to attend.

Reach out to Kaylyn at koates@vvsaz.org if you have any questions.

VVSPA

Holi Cultural Celebration - April 3, 2026, from 5:30 - 6:30 PM

Join us on the VVS Quad for a celebration of colors. Students, parents, and faculty/staff are welcome to attend.

Holi is celebrated with colors to mark the arrival of spring, symbolize the triumph of good over evil, and honor the divine love of Radha and Krishna. The tradition, rooted in Hindu mythology, involves throwing vibrant powders (gulal) to break down social barriers, encourage joy, and celebrate the season’s rejuvenation.

This parent-led Holi celebration is offered as a cultural and educational experience for our school community. We are grateful to our parent volunteers for organizing and sharing this meaningful tradition with VVS.

Samosas will be provided for guests to sample.

Please wear light-colored clothing that you are comfortable getting "colored" in and bring a towel to dry off.