The Student Services team is excited to share with you our monthly newsletters for the 2022-2023 academic year! As we continue to look for ways to share important information with our Viking Family, we hope that this newsletter assists you throughout the school year. Our school counselors and social workers look forward to bringing you the latest and greatest from graduation information to college and career highlights. Any questions on what you find here? Please see our contact information at the bottom!

On Thursday, February 9, parents can attend 8th Grade Parent Night at 6:30 pm. General information about the high school will be presented in the VHS auditorium.

Parents may enter through door 1 (Campbell Street), Door 4 (North End of the building) or Door 31 (South End of Building).

Assistance in completing your free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be obtained at PNW on February 26 from 2 pm to 4 pm in the Tech Building (Room) 219. Thirty-six locations will host the event on February 26. A list of locations can be found at http://collegegoalsunday.org

FAFSA is the form that students must file to be considered for federal financial aid which includes grants, loans, and scholarship assistance to attend most colleges, universities, and vocational/technical schools nationwide.

In Indiana, students need to file their FAFSA by April 15 to be eligible for state aid. At the College Goal Sunday event, students and families may obtain free help and file the form online.

Attention all sophomores - your Spring Meeting is occurring this month with your assigned counselor. Please look out for a pass and make sure to stop by during your assigned time! We will be reviewing your graduation requirements, post-secondary plans, and helping you create your schedule requests for your senior year.

If you are interested in taking the SAT or ACT on a Saturday, please register at the below links:

SAT - March 11th @ VHS - https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/registration

ACT - April 15th @ VHS - https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/registration.html

Attention Seniors! Local Scholarships are now available on your Naviance account. To apply for scholarships, log onto Naviance, click "Colleges" and click "Scholarship Search". For a complete list of just the VHS Local Scholarships, you can type in "VHS" in the scholarship search box. Make sure to carefully read all directions as every scholarship is different. Students are solely responsible for application instructions and deadlines (dates AND times) - late applications will not be accepted! Students are also encouraged to view the video link below, as this contains helpful information and requirements for the Local Scholarship Application process. If you have any questions, please contact your counselor. Good luck to all applicants!

https://watch.screencastify.com/v/JZCI3iO89lnX64cHlBE3

Scholarships Available on Naviance:

• Jim and Betty Dye Scholarship... due 03.01
• Porter County Community Foundation Scholarships... due 03.01
• Morris Groverman... due 03.01

*Applicants are solely responsible for the directions listed for each scholarship!

VCS Social workers want to extend a huge thank you to our school community for supporting the Holiday Assistance Program this year! Collaborating with individuals, families, community organizations, churches, and local businesses allowed us to provide 674 students with gifts this holiday season! Thanks again for the overwhelming support & generosity of the Valparaiso and local communities.

https://www.in.gov/doe/students/graduation-pathways/

https://www.in.gov/doe/files/core-40-and-honors-diploma-summary-class-2016-updated-june-2018.pdf

VHS SCHOOL COUNSELORS

(A - CU) Mr. Dan McKibben - dmckibben@valpo.k12.in.us

(CV - HOL) Mrs. Jessica Kus - jkus@valpo.k12.in.us

(HOM - MILK) Mrs. Sarah Deakin - sdeakin@valpo.k12.in.us

(MILL - SCHV) Mrs. Tori McCaleb - tMcCaleb@valpo.k12.in.us

(SCHW - Z) Mrs. Kari Owney - kowney@valpo.k12.in.us

(V.A.L.E. Students) Ms. Gordana Sormaz - gsormaz@valpo.k12.in.us

VHS SOCIAL WORKERS

(A-L) Ms. Natalie Miller - nmiller@valpo.k12.in.us

(M-Z) Mrs. Jody Kristoff - jkristoff@valpo.k12.in.us

STUDENT SERVICES SECRETARIES

Mrs. Barb Norris - bnorris@valpo.k12.in.us

Mrs. Michelle Aerts - maerts@valpo.k12.in.us

VHS REGISTRAR

Mrs. Barb Carter - bcarter@valpo.k12.in.us