Knightly News

April 4th, 2025

A Message from our Head of School, Wes Kanawyer

Wes Newsletter Updat 4:4.mp4

Campus-Wide

Your Valor Eagle Scouts! Everett Jensen and Jake McCormick

A HUGE shout out to Everett and Jake for earning the prestigious Eagle Scout rank!

Your commitment, perseverance, and leadership have set an inspiring example for us all. We’re so proud of your hard work and dedication—this achievement is just the beginning of even greater things to come.

Mrs. Andrade is nominated for Waco Tribune's Best Teacher!

A HUGE shout out our own, Mrs. Katie Andrade, for being nominated for best teacher in Waco through the HOT Readers Choice awards!

We are so thankful to Mrs. Andrade (and to all our wonderful teachers) for her investment in our students and families and are incredibly proud of her for the legacy she leaves on her students in the Grammar School! We love you, Mrs. Andrade!!!

Mr. Kanawyer and our Admin team enjoyed surprising and celebrating Mrs. Andrade in class with the news on Wednesday that she had been nominated as Best teacher. You can vote for her (and for Valor in the private elementary, middle and high school categories) for the 2025 HOT Reader's Choice starting May 10th!

Considering a Change to the Student Cell Phone Policy...

Currently our Rhetoric Student cell phone policy states that cell phones can be in our students backpacks but can never be out during school. Logic and Grammar students can not have phones on campus at all. These same policies apply to smart watches.

We are considering altering this policy and requiring that Rhetoric students turn in cell phones at the start of the day, then receive them back at the end of the school day.

Our admin team recently read this article and wanted to share it with all of our parents, inviting your thoughts and questions.

1. Would you please take a few minutes to read this article and
2. then fill out this Google form to share any thoughts or questions that you have regarding this potential updated cell phone policy?

Please let Bethany know if you have any questions at Admin@ValorPrep.com. Thank you!!

Pictures Needed for the Yearbook!

Help the yearbook fill in some gaps in pictures! We are looking for a few more great shots from the following activities:

Senior Trip

High School Golf

High School Swim

High School Tennis

High School Track and Field

High School Baseball

JV Volleyball

ALL League Sports

Rhetoric House Events

If you can share photos from this list, please email them to yearbook@valorprep.com. Thank you!

Grandparents' Events for Upper & Grammar School!

We look forward to welcoming grandparents and special guests to Valor's Grandparents' Events on April 10 & April 11! You will receive more information regarding parking and other logistics for the events closer to the date. If you have questions about these events please email:

Upper School Fine Arts Night: charlie.mooney@valorprep.com
Grammar School Grandparents' Day: gsadmin@valorprep.com

Family Ministries

Be a Mentor for New Families at Valor!

We'd love for any current family at Valor to consider being a Mentor Family for a new family joining Valor this upcoming school year! This partnership with families is vital to the heart and culture of our school and we would love for you to prayerfully consider serving in this capacity for this next school year!

We are in special need of current Valor families who have an incoming Pre-K or Kindergartner to pair with many incoming, new Valor families with children this age!

*Fill this form out! Mentor Interest Form

Questions? Please email sherrae.cornett@valorprep.com

Grammar School (Prek-5th)

We are kicking off our two-week Spring Food Drive benefiting Shepherd's Heart Food Pantry today! Every year, Valor participates in the Hunger Hero Challenge, competing against several other businesses in town (see the leaderboard here). In Chapel today, your students learned about food insecurity in our city and how participating in this drive is such a simple way that they can love their neighbors!

Attached is a flyer that also went home today. We would love for you to get your kids involved--perhaps grab a few extra non-perishables the next time you go shopping, or let them help you shop online! If you bring the food to school, we will have 5th graders ready to grab your items at drop-off and pick-up each day.

Shop online at one of these locations:

Online donations (every dollar counts for a pound of food!)
Amazon Wishlist (put Valor in the message box)
Target Wishlist (put Valor in the message box)
Walmart Wishlist (put Valor in the message box)

The book faire at Grandparents' Day has been such a success that we decided to open it up to all Grammar School families this year! Come on Thursday or Friday afternoon to purchase either classic gifts to take home or nature books for Valor's curriculum library.

Please pick up your student in the carline and park behind the gym if you plan to visit the book faire with your children after school on Friday.

Valor earns 15% of total sales!

2nd grade Nature Play

Second grade spent an adventure-packed day at a family farm for a very muddy field trip. They rotated through four stations: 1) Bible study and land improvement; 2) mud kitchen; 3) creek exploration with a naturalist; 4) bluebonnet watercolor painting

Students built community, explored God's creation, and enjoyed being kids!

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Parent Partnership is at the heart of all we do, and spring conferences are right around the corner. Please make sure you check Friday emails from teachers to sign up for a slot on May 8th. We'd love to pray with you, discuss your child's progress, and give you some summer tips for growth.

💙 Mrs. Ramsey

Upcoming in Grammar

April 7 - 5th Grade Field Trip
April 11 - Grandparent's Day (If you signed up to volunteer, thank you! Be on the lookout soon for an important email with further details.)
April 14 - 17 GS Assessment Week
April 18 - Good Friday NO SCHOOL
April 23 - 4th Grade Field Trip
April 25 - Q4 Teacher Training (Noon dismissal)
NEW DATE: April 30 - Classical Learning Test (3rd-5th grades)
May 2 - Living History Museum (chapel)

1:15 5th grade

1:45 3rd grade

2:15 4th grade

2:45 2nd grade

May 8th - Parent/Teacher Conferences (Check your teacher email for sign-ups!)
May 9 - 1st Grade Field Trip
May 23 - Dia del Knights (Noon dismissal and last day of school)

Logic School (6th-8th)

LS Skate Night was a blast!

Fine Arts Night is this week, on Thursday, April 10. There is a required dress rehearsal on Tuesday, April 8. See the previously-published parent letter for details related to dress code, rehearsals, drop-off times, parking and more. Also, all RSVP'd grandparents received this letter this week. If, for some reason, a grandparent in your family did not receive it, please share it!
- Please bring a dozen cookies on a disposable plate for the LS Fine Arts night, and drop them off at 5:15pm with your student at the Highland Baptist Chapel.
8th Grade Bible Museum: On Monday, April 7th, weather permitting, 8th graders will display their projects, around the village walkways, for the first ever Valor Bible Museum. All are welcome to come and see samples of homemade Dead Sea scrolls, illuminated texts, copying stands upon which monks copied the Bible by hand and more! (rain date is Wednesday, April 9th)
Classic Learning Test (CLT) Dates: The CLT6-8 will be administered to LS students on April 23. Mark your calendar, as attendance will be critically important.

Beyond Next Week in LS:

April 18 - Good Friday, NO SCHOOL
April 23: 6th-8th Classic Learning Test (CLT)
April 25 - Early Release/Teacher Training Day
April 26-May 1: 8th Grade trip to Washington, D.C.
April 28-May 2 - Teacher Appreciation Week
May 22 - End of Q4
May 23 - Last Day of LS/Dia Del Knights
May 26 - Memorial Day/Valor offices closed

2024-25 Valor Calendar

If you have questions related to LS, please contact krista.weathers@valorprep.com.

Rhetoric School (9th-12th)

Rhetoric School (RS):

Congrats to Valor sophomore, Jake M., and Junior, Everett J., for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts of America. This is a rare and monumental achievement. We are so proud of you!
On Tuesday, 4/8, Valor will host the Dallas Area Regional Network of college admissions representatives in the chapel. There will be representatives from 21 different universities. All Valor RS students will participate in the college fair, 1:30 till 2:15. There will be a special class schedule. At 2:15, students will be permitted to leave campus, go to Athletics, or report to study hall or the Commons.
Year 9 students: Be on the lookout for the Year 9 Academic Advising sign-up, which you will find in the Classwork folder of the RS College Readiness Google Classroom next week. Your meeting times will extend throughout the month of April and occur on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Dr. Escobar looks forward to seeing you to plan your class schedule for next year!
Juniors are taking the CLT on Thursday, April 10. See the special class schedule here. It is important that students get good sleep and a healthy breakfast to maximize their ability to recall what they've learned! This is the official classical standardized test, which may be reported to colleges for admissions purposes.

Beyond Next Week in RS:

April 12 - RS Prom
April 15 - CLT10 (9th & 10th grades) (schedule)
April 18 - Good Friday, NO SCHOOL
April 21 - Valor Sports Banquet
April 22 - Senior Thesis Day #1, 2-5pm (more details TBA)
April 24 - Senior Thesis Day #2, 2-5pm (more details TBA)
April 25 - Early Release/Teacher Training Day
April 28-May 2 - Teacher Appreciaton Week
May 6-9 - Senior Final Exams
May 10 - Senior Walk-Out/Honor Ceremony
May 16,19, 20 - Junior Semester Exams (pre-Europe trip)
May 17 - Valor Graduation Ceremony
May 20-22 - Final Exams, 9th and 10th
May 22 - End of Q4/Last day of RS
May 26 - Memorial Day/Valor offices closed

2024-25 Valor Calendar

2024-25 RS Non-Uniform Dress Code Days

If you have questions related to RS, please contact charlie.mooney@valorprep.com.

Prom tickets are now available for purchase in the spirit shop. Prom is on April 12th from 7:30-10:00. Tickets are $30 until April 5th. On April 5th, the price will go up to $45. The theme is "A Midsummer Night’s Dream."

Pictures from the Senior trip to Boston and New York!

RS Summer Writing Intensive!

Combining classroom instruction with small-group and individual coaching, the Summer Writing Intensive offers new and returning Valor Rhetoric School students an opportunity to keep writing skills sharp, address common and individual challenges, and increase students’ confidence in composition.

Parents can register their students here.

Please see the infographic for more details and email julie.engebretson@valorprep.com with questions. Thank you!

Valor Athletics

Valor Athletics Website

Click Here for the Week at a Glance

VALOR SPRING SPORT PICTURE DAY WILL BE APRIL 8th!

HS Baseball & any Seniors: Lunch/Study Hall

JH Track: 12:30-2:30pm

HS Track, Tennis, Golf: 2:30-3:30pm

Summer Camps 2025

Spring & Summer camp registrations are live! Check with your parents to make sure they register. Register Here

**All students will need to bring water bottles to camps and complete the emergency contact information on the summer camp registration form.**

**All Valor students are allowed to bring friends from outside of Valor using the same registration form**

Boys and Girls Strength and Conditioning- All incoming LS and RS athletes are highly encouraged to participate in strength and conditioning. Training will take place Monday-Thursday. Girls will lift from 7:45a-8:45a; boys will have skills from 7:30a-8:15a and drive to Train Waco from 8:30a-10:00a.

2025 RS/LS Football Spring Football- All incoming LS and RS football athletes are highly encouraged to participate in spring football practice. Practices will take place at Woodway Family Center 5/12-5/15; 5/20, 5/21 time TBD (will be after school). We will be in helmet, shirt, shorts, and girdles. Coach Byrd and his staff will work through skills, drills, and offensive/defensive install

LS (7th-8th) Basketball Camp- All incoming 7th and 8th graders are invited to participate 5/27-5/30 from 11:00a-1:00p. Players will work with Coach Foy and his staff on skills, drills, and offensive/defensive install.

Competitors Edge Camp- All incoming K-5th graders are invited to participate in a variety of PE style games and competitions. The camp will take place 6/2-6/4 from 11:30a-1:00p at Woodway Family Center. Students will have a daily devotion. Valor Rhetoric School athletes will be in attendance! Invite your friends and come enjoy fun, competitive games

Basketball Instructional Camp (6/16-6/19)- All incoming K-2nd (10-12p), 3rd-4th (12-2p), and 5th-6th (2p-4th) graders are invited to participate in our summer basketball instructional camp with Coach Foy. Bring your friends and learn basic fundamentals and compete with the HS counselors in small sided games.

Track Camp (7/7-7/10)- All incoming 3rd-8th grade students are invited to participate in our track camp at Woodway Park I from 8a-10a. Athletes will work on fun and competitive games with Coach Turner and Coach Cowan. Additionally, they will teach fundamentals of running and proper technique.

Cheer Camp (7/7-7/10)- All incoming K-6th students are invited to participate in a cheer camp at the Valor gym. Coach Sherwood and Coach Chaney, with the assistances of our rhetoric school cheerleaders, will teach the fundamentals of cheer, stunts, and some fun games. Invite your friends and come be a part of the fun!

Volleyball Instructional Camp (7/14-7/17)- All incoming 3rd-6th (11-1p) and 7th-8th (1-3p) students are invited to participate in our volleyball instructional camp at the Valor gym. Coach Pozgai and Coach Elms will lead our students in fundamental drills, skills, and technique! Invite friends and come enjoy a great time!

Golf Camp (7/21-7/23)- All incoming 7th-12th graders are invited to join Coach Naz at Bear Ridge from 2p-5p for golf camp. Learn basic fundamentals of the game, enjoy some time on the range, and putting greens.

JH/HS Spring Football Practices & 7 on 7 League

REGISTRATION ENDS SATURDAY AT NOON

*Money will be refunded if teams do not make

Spring Football Signup

Spring football allots us practice days from TAPPS to wear equipment and conduct organized practices before summer begins.

JH/HS 7on7 Football

7on7 Football allows us an opportunity to compete while learning & developing concepts for QBs, RBs, & Receivers. (This is everyone in 6-man football!)

All information regarding practices and games are located on the forms.

League Track

Meet Date: April 8th

8am-1:30pm

Hart-Patterson Track and Field Complex

501 S 32nd St, Waco, TX 76711

H.O.T. & Centex Summer Basketball

HOT Hoops (Boys) & Centex (Girls) Signups

*Registration ends next week!

All information regarding practices and games are located on the form.

This opportunity is for JH/HS boys and girls participating in basketball this coming winter to play in a 4 week long summer league with other HS teams in Central Texas.

Cheerleader Evaluations and Pre-Registration

**All registrations will be taken as your commitment to the team. Athletes that are currently at Valor will not be able to register after March 28th**

Please sign up HERE

Cheer Uniform fitting/adjustment: April 4th; Logic Cheer at 1:45p and Rhetoric at 2:45p

**Parents are allowed to be at fittings to ensure proper fit.**

Rhetoric Cheer Stunt Clinic at Texas Dynasty starting Tuesday April 22nd at 7:30p. Stunt clinic will run into May.

Baseball Upcoming:

Monday practice 3:45p-5:00p

Tuesday practice 3:45p-5:30p

Wednesday v. Bracken Christian (game played at Mart HS)

Thursday practice 2:55-5:30p

Friday Doubleheader at St. Paul (Shiner) @ 4pm

Track Upcoming:

Monday: District Track Meet at Antonian College Preparatory High School

Tuesday: Speed training 2:45-3:30p; JH/HS Practice 3:45p-6p

Wednesday: Speed training 2:45-3:30p; JH/HS Practice 3:45p-6p

Thursday: At Home Workout

Friday: At Home Workout

April 25th Regional Track in San Antonio

Tennis Upcoming:

Monday: Practice 4p-6p at Waco Regional Tennis

Tuesday: Practice 4p-6p at Waco Regional Tennis

Wednesday: TAPPS State Tournament at Waco Regional Tennis

Thursday: TAPPS State Tournament at Waco Regional Tennis

Friday: 4p-5:30p at Waco Regional Tennis

Golf Upcoming:

Golf wrapped up their season this past Thursday at Regionals.

Thank you Coach Nazarian & Elkins on a great year!

Logic School Athletic Celebration

When: Tuesday April 15th, 2-4pm

Where: Main Event Waco

All athletes will eat and hear from their coaches on a successful season.

Coaches will pass out certificates to all athletes and recap some memorable moments.

Rhetoric Athletic Banquet

Who: All high school athletes will be honored for their commitment and excellence in athletics. Parents are able and encouraged to attend, but not siblings for seating purposes.

Sean Jones from Antioch will be our guest speaker.

When: Monday April 21st at 6pm

Where: Old Bethany

If you would like to help, please reach out to Samantha King, Chastity Elder, or Margie Scheetz.

*Per survey results, we have changed to the all encompassing banquet instead of separate team parties.

ALL PARENT MEETING

(TIME CHANGE)

*We will be merging our athletic meeting with the vision meeting*

MAY 5th, 5:30 PM, Location: Highland Baptist Chapel

Meet the coaches, order new gear, register for sports next year, and hear the vision for where we are going as an athletic department next year. By God's grace, we have grown a lot the last two years. With that, we hope to continue to navigate new heights together and share challenges that we envision in hopes of traversing these waters together.

Physical Day

May 10th, 8:00-10:00 AM, Location: Valor Gymnasium

This is highly recommended for Valor athletes. $10 for a physical checkup.

Boys that wish to get their physical at Valor will waive the hernia check.

All boys and girls that get their physical completed at Valor will be eligible the entire

upcoming school year regarding medical history & physical evaluation due to the timing of examination.

Athletic Trainer: Tammy Marton

Tammy has already been a huge help for our athletic department and we are so thankful to have her in our community. Her office hours for all JH/HS athletes are:

Monday/Wednesday: 2:45pm-4pm

Tuesday/Thursday: 10:30am-12:30pm

Friday: 2:45pm-4pm

Human Resources

Now Hiring!

We have some additional positions available for the 2025-2026 school year! If you, or anyone you know is interested, please visit https://valorprep.com/careers/ to learn more or to apply!

Head of the Upper School
Technology Manager
Rhetoric School Math Teacher (Full time)
PE Teacher & Coach
Grammar School Classroom Teachers
Grammar school Classroom Teacher Aides

We also have several coaching positions available that can be attached to a faculty/staff position, if needed (or not!). Those are:

Assistant Varsity Football Coach
Assistant Junior High Football Coach
Assistant High School Girls Volleyball Coach
Assistant High School Girls Basketball Coach
Assistant High School Boys Basketball Coach

As always, we are also welcoming applications for substitutes as well :) Please feel free to share any of these with your friends and family!!

Upcoming Faculty/Staff Birthdays

Smith, Elise- 1st Grade Teacher... 3/26
Patterson, Terry- PreK Aide...4/8
Amaitsa, Delila- RS Science Teacher... 4/11
Hollinger, Alan- US Music Teacher... 4/25

To access the folder of Faculty & Staff favorites for all Faculty & Staff members, please click here. Thank you!

Reference Material

Facts Family App: Free Download!

Our new app through Renweb/Facts Family Portal is now available for a free download from the Apple store or Google Play store! It includes quick and easy access to all this and more!

Weekly Newsletter
Full School Calendar
Athletics Hub
Hot lunch ordering
Grades, Report Cards & Attendance
Student Schedules, Behavior and Service Hours
Financial information

Please visit the mobile device store of your choice, search "Valor Preparatory Academy," download the app and then log in with your Facts Family portal account information (the district code is VPA-TX)!!

24-25 Yearbook Orders

Hello Valor Family! With the year starting some changes have been put into place. One of the changes is that the yearbook will be run by students taking the new journalism class this year. Some important information to note about the new yearbook this year:

Pre-order at www.treering.com. The passcode to buy the yearbook through Treering is: 1015196645893006.
As always, every family gets two free custom pages with the option to add additional spreads at 99 cents each. This is a great way to document home days and other activities.

Samuel Shores

Rhetoric Journalism

Paying for School Pictures

School Picture time is wrapping up!!! Dust in the Wind Photography has been taking them again for us this year.

If you've already ordered pictures, please do not forget to send payment via cash, check to "Dust in the Wind Photography" or Venmo to @Karla-Ruiz-00593. If you'd still like to order pictures, please fill out this form by the end of the day on Sunday, 3/30.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Bethany at Admin@ValorPrep.com. Thank you!

Free Dress Fundraiser

Hey Valor family, in an attempt to raise some money for our Junior trip to Europe this spring, we are bringing back the ever-popular "free dress punch card" for a few dates in the spring. If your student would like to come in free dress (not in their uniform) on Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and senior's last day on campus -- buy a free dress card TODAY! We had our first day on the 14th, but if you'd like to participate in the next two days, cards are $15 each and all the money goes towards our student trips.

School Calendar for 2025-2026

The School Calendar for the 2025-2026 school year has been approved and is ready for you! Please click here to view it.

Please pay special attention to the parent training dates in early August. More information will come later this semester on the timing for those!

Thank you!

Absences, Tardies, Leaving Early & Sickness Notifications...

Just a quick reminder! If your student needs to leave early, arrive late, is sick, or they are going home with someone who is not on your pickup list, please call or email Sarah Worthington at the front desk to let her know! She is handling all those requests from here on out. Thank you!!!!!!

Deliveries to Students During School Day...

If you order DoorDash, or something similar, to be delivered to your student(s) during the school day, please be sure to add a note in the delivery instructions to leave the order on the box outside the front door and then also let the Front Office know it is coming (call 254-235-0575 or email Sarah.Worthington@ValorPrep.com). This will help get the items to your students faster!

If you have any questions, please reach out to Sarah at Sarah.Worthington@ValorPrep.com. Thank you!

Beginning in 2nd grade, students learn to write in beautiful cursive, and these third-grade students love showing off their editing skills and penmanship through poetry study. Does your child need extra help with proper pencil grip and posture? Don't forget to emphasize and monitor these important habits every homeday. It's much harder to replace a bad habit later than it is to learn the right one early on!

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