Verde Valley School | VVS Newsletter for Current Families Oct. 7, 2025

March 6, 2026

Academics

Mid-Semester Progress Reports

Mid-Semester Progress Reports are now available on MySchoolApp. Once you login, you can view the Progress Report by clicking your student’s name and then “Progress.” Under "Performance" click “Report Cards” and then select “Mid S2 Progress Report.”

For more information on individual assignments in a given course, click “See Grade Detail” next to the course title on the student progress page.

If your student chose to enroll in an online course this semester, it will not appear on the mid-semester progress report. VVS credit and a grade of “P” is awarded at the end of each semester once the course has been satisfactorily completed and I have received proof of completion from the online course provider. For Spring semester, the completion deadline is May 11th.

In the coming days, please spend some time reviewing this report and reflecting on all that these grades represent. Do these grades reflect consistent effort and persistence? In which areas has the student made improvement? Which courses have emerged as areas of strength and passion? Which courses provide opportunity for further growth?

Please keep in mind that these progress reports offer a “snapshot” of semester grades-in progress as of Monday March 2nd. It is quite likely that grades will change in the coming weeks. Teachers update grades every two weeks, so families seeking the most up-to-date grade information are advised to login to MySchoolApp throughout the semester.

Families are encouraged to reach out to the student’s advisor with questions. Meeting with the advisor can help you contextualize your student’s grades and provide a more vivid snapshot of your student’s experiences and accomplishments outside of the classroom. In-person conferences will also be available on Friday April 10th. Registration information for Spring Family Weekend will follow in the coming weeks.

Spring Break Return

Boarding students will travel back to campus on Monday March 23rd.

Classes will resume for all students on Tuesday March 24th. We will follow the 4-day travel week schedule posted last week.

IB Info Session for 10th Graders & Families - March 24th
8:00 am - 9:15 am in Brady

Local families of 10th graders should attend this information session to help guide their 10th grade students toward an appropriate academic pathway for next year. Families may also attend virtually using the link below:

Tuesday, March 24 · 8:00 – 9:15am

Time zone: America/Phoenix

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/msa-iiwz-bcc

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 903-600-1784‬ PIN: ‪996 887 564‬#

2026-2027 Annual Calendar

The VVS Annual Calendar for 2026-2027 has now been published and posted. Please be aware that we will add greater specificity to the calendar in the coming months as dates become available for events such as SAT and IB testing. However, this draft should provide families enough information to plan for travel.

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. This is a VVS graduation requirement for all students, and goes through the weekend, so please mark your calendars now!

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.

Students will learn about and sign up for options for Project Period after Spring Break. 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.

There is a potential opportunity for students ages 15+ to earn their Wilderness First Aid certification through the Flagstaff Field Institute during Project Period for a cost of $319. Encourage your student to complete a google form this week if they are interested, as we need a total of 18 students to be able to offer this course.

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

Student / Residential Life

In an effort to follow best practices related to caring for international students, we are going to begin both collecting student passports and having the students take a photo of their passport and I-20 Visa so they have a digital copy on their phones at all times. We will also ensure all international students who have left the US during break create a new I-94 form.

Additionally, we have created and shared new student identification cards for all students. These should be carried with students whenever they go out in public for anything requiring them to prove they are a current student at VVS.

We are going to begin collecting the passports upon their return from Spring Break. The documents will be stored in a locked and secured location on campus. Dana Blavat (dana@vvsaz.org) is our Sevis representative and point person to the US government on all issues related to having international students on our campus and will help coordinate and answer questions about the process.

Student Health

We are hopeful that “Flu February” is behind us. Thank you so much to parents who kept ill students home out of an abundance of caution. I truly appreciate all of your help and cooperation in keeping the community healthy!

If your boarding student takes medication on campus, please send refills after spring break. Thank you to all parents who have been sending refills in advance and notifying me when local pharmacy prescriptions are ready for pick up. This has been extremely helpful in ensuring dorm lockboxes are stocked and that duty teams have everything they need to safely administer evening medications.

Thank you for all of your continued support, have a happy and healthy spring break!

Advancement

Student-Led Cow Pie Hike

Saturday, March 28, 2026 from 7:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Start your weekend with an early morning on the trails led by VVS students.

The morning includes:

A guided hike up Cow Pie
A light breakfast

Donations are welcome. All proceeds support the Seven Warriors Fund as part of a student-led effort to give back to the school they love.

Please wear layers and bring water, and appropriate hiking shoes.

Please register to secure your spot.

Commencement Invitation

Families of Seniors,

Please save the date for Verde Valley School’s Commencement ceremony, celebrating the Class of 2026.

Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. | Verde Valley School

Each graduate may invite up to 10 guests.

A gathering for graduates and their immediate families will be held at 7:30 a.m. at the Head of School House prior to the ceremony.

Additional details, including the full schedule, will be shared with families soon.

VVS Parents Association

The VVSPA welcomes your participation. To receive email updates directly from the VVSPA, please click here.

VVSPA Virtual Meeting Slides

For those who were unable to attend our recent virtual meeting with Lori Perkins on funding a VVS education, the presentation slides are available below:

• VVSPA Virtual Meeting Slides

• Financial Support at VVS Presentation

Tuesday, March 24 – IB Course Registration & Information Session

8:00 AM | Brady Hall (Google Meet option available)

After Spring Break, Grade 10 students will learn more about the IB program and course options for 11th grade. Students and families are invited to attend this informational session. A Google Meet link will be available for virtual participation, and a summarized video recording will be shared afterward for those unable to attend.

Friday, April 3 – Cultural Celebration: Holi Festival of Colors

4:00–5:30 PM | VVS Quad

Students, parents, faculty, and staff are warmly invited to celebrate Holi, the Festival of Colors. Holi marks the arrival of spring, symbolizes the triumph of good over evil, and honors 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.

Community Donation Request: Softball & Baseball Equipment for Supai Village

Over spring break, VVS students and staff will travel to Supai Village for a service trip. One exciting project includes introducing members of the Havasupai Tribe to softball and baseball.

We are seeking gently used:

• Youth or adult mitts
• Softballs or baseballs
• Bats
• Batting tee
• Other related equipment

Drop-off: Main Office during school hours by March 6.