Knightly News
December 6th, 2024
December 6th, 2024
We just opened up re-enrollment for the 25-26 school year!
If you have a current student who will either be returning, or not returning, please let us know as soon as possible by logging in to the Family Portal and either enrolling, or selecting "Will not re-enroll." We have waiting lists already in several grades and while we would love to see everyone return, if you know your student is not coming back, it's helpful to us to know as soon as possible. Your student's current place in the next grade is secure up until the enrollment deadline of January 31st, 2025.
To do this, please follow these steps:
1. Log into Renweb at this address: The District Code is VPA-TX: https://logins2.renweb.com/Logins/ParentsWeb-Login.aspx?
2. Click on "Apply/Enroll" on the left hand side of the home page
3. Click "Enrollment/Reenrollment"
4. Click the button that says, "Click here to open Enrollment"
Next to your student's name under Packet Status, click "Start Enrollment Packet" and then proceed in filling out the enrollment packet following the prompts given. You will have to do this for each child, but most of the information is pre-populated and shouldn't take very long to complete.
Please note that there is a $210 non-refundable enrollment fee per student.
If your student is not returning to Valor next year, please click "Will not Re-enroll” as soon as you know.
After careful consideration and recommendations from our Finance Committee, the Board has approved modest tuition adjustments in response to rising operational costs. Our commitment remains steadfast in providing affordable education while nurturing the growth and excellence of our school.
Tuition Rates for 2025-2026
PreK and Grammar School: $6,857
Logic School: $7,298
Rhetoric School: $10,584
Scholarship Opportunities
The scholarship application for current families is now open with a deadline of January 15th.
For the best experience, use a desktop or laptop computer to complete the forms on Renweb. Please let Bethany Brown know (Admin@ValorPrep.com) if you have any issues with the enrollment process or any questions! Thank you!!!
On spirit days (typically the last Friday of the month), students may wear:
Valor t-shirts (sold through the school) or uniform (not athletic jersey) tops
T-shirts should be worn down or tucked in, and can also be knotted, but not tied up higher than your hips (ie. if you raise your arms, you shirt should still cover your skin)
Jeans, jean skirts, joggers, athletic shorts, or uniform bottoms
Athletic shorts must be mid-thigh or longer (the shortest part of the shorts must be at least mid-thigh, typically no shorter than a 7” inseam for LS/RS students)
Valor branded athletic shorts may also be worn (shorts may not be rolled or shortened) - purchase at Valor Spirit Shop OR Athletic Shop
Shorts/pants/jeans may be black, gray, blue, or white (ie. no additional colors)
Leggings/yoga pants are not permitted
All free dress/spirit day jeans/pants should have no holes or rips that occur higher than 3 inches above the top of the knee.
Valor footwear and classroom outerwear policies still apply (however students may wear Valor athletic hoodies on Spirit Days as well)
Valor's Annual Christmas Market is approaching, so get excited! The Christmas Market is a market that Valor hosts where students grades 6th - 12th have the opportunity to sell homemade items and food as a fundraiser. Bring your families out and do some Christmas shopping!
Sourdough bread, olive oil from Italy, cookies, queso, cinnamon rolls, paper flowers, custom jewelry, plants, artwork, and so much more!
Monday the 9th after school -- come to the Village and support students in raising money!
We'll be wrapping up our Parent Book Club: Age of Opportunity (chapters 7 - end) on Wednesday, December 11 from 11-1pm at the Heller's home.
Let us know you're coming here and we'll send an email with more details and an opportunity to sign up to bring something for the lunch potluck!
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Our last book club was so sweet and filled with great discussion and food! Even if you do not have time to read all the chapters, we hope you will consider hopping in and joining our parent book club conversations!
Our wonderful room admins have been working hard to decorate classroom doors this week to deck the halls in Grammar School's Christmas theme of Advent: God With Us.
Beginning at Mrs. Smith's room (Rm 3), you can walk to each door in Grammar School and the story of the birth of Jesus will be told, with the ending point in the lobby with the nativity scene. Each classroom door has a verse attached to it. We invite you to come and see the beautiful, meaningful doors and remind yourself of the reason for this season: Emmanuel - God with Us!
We'd also like to thank our incredible Very Valor Christmas Decorating parent committee, who decked our halls so beautifully this past Monday!
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and it was such a blessing to share it with our teachers and staff this year. Several of our parent volunteers served us Thanksgiving lunch before the break, and I was reminded again what a special community we have here at Valor. As I meet one-on-one for mid-year evaluations with teachers, so many of them speak so highly of what a supportive working environment Valor provides, and much of that is because of your commitment to partnership. This is a busy time of year for all of us, but I encourage you find ways to slow down and enjoy each messy, imperfect moment with your children.The best gift you can offer them is your peaceful, abiding presence.
Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns. Email: brooke.ramsey@valorprep.com
Merry Christmas!
💙 Mrs. Ramsey
Advent means, "coming near." During Open House Chapel this week, we lit the HOPE advent candle and remembered our definition of HOPE: desiring the Kingdom of Heaven. (Check your Book of Remembering for more definitions of the virtues.) Also, our parent committee volunteers and room moms coordinated the decoration of the Grammar School and classroom doors to depict a the scenes of the Christmas story. Thank you!
The last day to bring in donations is MONDAY, December 9th.
The class who brings the most amount of donations wins a pizza party!
Click HERE for arrival times, dress, and practice details for the program on December 11th at Harris Creek Baptist Church.
Dec. 9 - Last day to bring in donations for Isaiah 117 house
Dec. 11 - Knights' Noel at 6:30 p.m. @ Harris Creek Baptist Church Click HERE for arrival times, dress, and practice details
Dec. 13 - Spirit Day
Dec.18 - Class Christmas Parties & Christmas Accessories (hats, socks, necklaces) with Uniforms
Last day to pick up lost & found items before they are donated
Jan. 22 - Grammar School Parent Training 1-3pm @St. Matthew's Chapel
Deck the Halls and Decks!!!
Logic school students helped deck out the upper school village with Christmas decoration for our Quarter 2 event! Students were divided into multiple decorating groups. Some students helped teachers decorate their doors with a pre-determined design, other students lined our decks and walkways with boughs of holly and bows, and still others served Christmas treats to their classmates. Valor logic school LOVES this fun tradition!
8th Grade Semester Exams: Dec. 11th, 13th, and 16th. The EBTC is available for eligible students for.
LS Ornament Tournament: LS needs volunteers to run game stations and to provide snacks for class parties. Please see sign up via this form.
Hot Lunch: Hot Lunch on Dec. 13th is Panda Express
Beyond Next Week in LS:
Dec. 13 - Spirit Day
Dec. 18 - Ornament Tournament and Class Parties
Dec. 18 - End of Q2
Dec. 20 - Report Cards ready @ noon
Jan. 8 - Students' first day back
If you have questions related to LS, please contact krista.weathers@valorprep.com.
Don't forget to check the non-uniform dress code calendar for upcoming dates. The only remaining day of the semester on which students may dress down is Friday (Dec. 13). That means they may not dress down on Thursday (Dec. 12). Also, you'll see a note that students must be in uniform in the final week (Dec. 16-18); however, they may wear RS accessories (socks, hats, ties, etc.) on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
As we approach the end of first semester, student absences become more and more critical. Please note that Valor policy (Parent & Student Handbook, Section 5.2) limits the number of allowable absences in a semester to 6 for MWF classes and 4 for TTh classes. This is based upon minimum contact hours from accrediting agencies and the state of Texas. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact charlie.mooney@valorprep.com.
RS semester exams are coming up, Dec. 16-18. They will be dismissed each day at noon. There are exams in two blocks each morning (8:30-10:00 and 10:30-12:00). In any given block, if the students do not have an exam, they are are not required to be on campus. Between 8:00 and 12:00, a study hall will be available for students who can't arrive later than 8:00 or leave earlier than 12:00. Note that these dates are full school days with a regular dismissal time for the GS and LS. (See the schedule below).
RS parents may now check RenWeb/FACTS and access their child's Q3 schedule. Students and parents may email kirsten.escobar@valorprep.com if they have any questions regarding the class schedule.
There will be an opportunity to take an in-house mock ACT on Saturday, January 11. This will be hosted by Dr. Escobar and the exam will mimic the experience of taking the real ACT. More information and the opportunity to sign up will come out the first week of class in January. There is no cost. All RS students are invited to participate, but it is completely optional.
Beyond Next Week in RS:
Dec. 16-18 - RS Semester Exams (see schedule below)
Dec. 18 - End of Q2/Last day of the Fall Semester
Dec. 20 - Report Cards ready @ noon
Jan. 8 - Students' first day back
2024-25 RS Non-Uniform Dress Code Days
If you have questions related to RS, please contact charlie.mooney@valorprep.com.
Sekel hosted the Rhetoric School Christmas party at Basin Climbing gym on Thursday night. One of our Valor families (The Robbs) started the gym and we are obsessed! It was the perfect location and everyone had a blast with climbing races, sock wrestling, tons of laughter, and lots of Christmas cheer!
Football Informational Meeting
Thank you to all of the families that were able to make it to our informational meeting on Tuesday. To recap:
Valor has experienced a wonderful 1st season with HS football. We were 9-4 and State Semi-Finalist. Our QB threw for 4,300yds/ 73 TDs, we had (4) 1,000yd receivers, and scored over 100pts 3 times in our first season.
There have been several families and players that have asked me my opinion on 11-man or 6-man football. The purpose of the meeting was to celebrate a successful first season and bring clarity on what would be necessary to make the decision to make the jump at Valor.
6-Man-
Pros- Currently meets the needs of our student population and family rhythms, allows us to grow in experience while developing skill/speed/strength. Further, gameplay is more simplified which reduces the amount of time needed in individual/pod work during practice; essentially lessening the amount of practice that is necessary to still be competitive and build a healthy program.
Cons- it limits the amount of players we can get on the field at one time.
11-Man-
Pros- More athletes on the field, greater alignment with traditional football, more competitive local scheduling
Cons- Need linemen; we either have them, or we have to create them. I can create them, but that requires more time spent in the weight room and a commitment from families to play O-Line. Complexity of the plays make the game fun, but require more individual time in practice and resources spent on coaching. O-Line coach is the most important assistant hire a HC can make.
My recommendation is that we continue our path of establishing and growing our current model of 6-man football. TAPPS realignment occurs in October of next season and the reclassification will take place in December.
Our current projections for the 2025 year should land Valor in TAPPS 3a for the 2026-2028 seasons. At that time, we would need to announce our intent to play 6-man or 11-man football starting the 2026 season. As suggested by a Valor parent, I think it's wise to revisit this conversation in May during the All-Parent meeting (Time TBD).
I believe we are heading the right direction and can have sustained success in 6 man football. I am open to making the move when the right time presents itself.
League Basketball
The season will run December - February. Games will begin in early January. Due to our limited gym space, gym space is being secured at various locations and will operate around 3-6pm between Monday - Thursday. Practices are not permitted on home days before 3pm per survey feedback. I will send out a signup sheet of gym times & locations to the coaches of the league teams.
Our game scheduling information has been sent to the private school league. Due to the number of home district games we have on Tuesdays, there is a possiblity some of our "HOME" games will be conducted at Vanguard's second gym. We are greatly appreciate of MS AD Will Curtis being willing to open up their space to us. We would ask that if you have a home game at that gym to assist in concessions, scoreboard, book, gate, etc...
League Sports can't happen without involvement from our Valor Families.
Thank you!
Spring Sport Meeting
When: January 14th
Where: Valor Chapel
What Time: 5:00p
Why: Baseball, Tennis, Golf, and Track will meet to discuss practice and game expectations and schedules for the 2025 spring season! Athletes do not need to attend, but can if they would like.
Junior High Basketball
Game Recap & Upcoming Games
Junior High Blue defeated Vanguard 36-33
12/9/24
Junior High White v. Bosqueville @ 5p
Junior High Gray v. Bosqueville @6p
Junior High Blue v. Bosqueville @7p
Junior High Girls @ Vanguard 6p
Junior High Basketball Practices
JH Blue Tuesday & Wednesday 6:30-7:45am @Valor
JH Gray & White dependent on HS Football
JH Girls Tuesday & Wednesday 3:45-5:30pm @theCenter
High School Basketball
High School Boys Basketball Practice Week of:
11/16 JV @Covenant Classical 11:30am
Practices & Varsity Games TBD based off of football results
11/19 JV Boys Game @Vanguard
High School Girls Basketball Practice Week of:
Monday 3:45-5:00pm
Tuesday @Vanguard
Wednesday 4-5:30pm
Thursday 3:45-5:00pm
Friday @Mt. Calm
Varsity Boys & Girls Basketball Game Schedules
Valor Knights Basketball Tournament
December 12th-14th
HOT Spirit Showcase Info
Saturday December 7th
Start Time: 4:30p-4:45p Warm up; 5:15p Perform
Family Admission- Adults $6, Students $4, Children 4 and under FREE
Address to the event- Live Oak Classical School- Gym 525 S. 4th St. Waco, TX 76706
2024 TAPPS Cheer State Championships
Tuesday December 10th
Start Time: 10:08a Warm up; 10:48a Perform
Start Time: 2:28p Warm up; 3:00p Perform
ExtraCo Events Center
Congratulations to our boys varsity football team on a successful 1st season! We are proud of you and all of your hard work! Thanks for the great memories!
9-4 overall record and an offense that lit up the scoreboard!
Thank you Ben for keeping us entertained this season! Very proud of you!
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: 7am-9am
Tuesday/Thursday: 10:30am-12:30pm
Friday: 2:45pm-4pm
Executive Assistant to the Head of School
This position will work closely assisting Mr. Kanawyer with administrative support, as well as fundraising, donor care and branding/communications. If you are a detail oriented, excellent communicator who thrives working in a fast paced environment as part of a team, please consider applying!
To learn more, or to apply, please visit https://valorprep.com/careers/
Johnston, Kristy- 1st Grade Classroom Aide ...12/3
Asay, Rae- 6th Grade Humanities Teacher...12/4 half birthday
Martin, Bryley- PreK Classroom Aide...12/5 half birthday
Lloyd, Sarah- RS Math Teacher...12/7 half birthday
Sanderford, Emlee- 5th Grade Humanities/RS History Teacher...12/8 half birthday
Andrade, Katie- 1st Grade Classroom Teacher...12/12 half birthday
Fowler, Brittany- Admin. Assistant for Family Ministries... 12/12 half birthday
Cornett, Sherrae- Director for Family Ministries... 12/12
Worthington, Sarah- Front Desk Receptionist...12/14
Davis, Kaylee- RS Art Teacher...12/14
Moore, Tisha- 2nd Grade Classroom Teacher...12/14
Downey, Elizabeth- GS Art Teacher...12/20
Stanley, Lace- GS Classroom Aide...12/22
Nissen, Misty- 3rd Grade Classroom Teacher...12/27
Steele, Michelle- 5th Grade Math & Science Teacher...12/28
To access the folder of Faculty & Staff favorites for all Faculty & Staff members, please click here. Thank you!
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)!!
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:
The yearbook is 10% off until September 30th. 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
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!!!!!!