Knightly News

May 2nd, 2025

Reminder: State of the School - Bosque Square Update, May 5th!

Parents, Grandparents, and Rhetoric School students are cordially invited to join us for the State of the School: Our Journey to Bosque Square — a special time to share vision and important updates about the future of Valor.

Due to limited seating, we kindly ask that younger students remain at home. We look forward to a great evening together.

Date: Monday, May 5th, 2025

Time: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Location: Highland Baptist Church Chapel

This will be more than just an update—it will be a meaningful moment in the life of our school.

We’ll be sharing important details—the vision, the floorplan for Phase #1, the anticipated timeline, and the budget—and even more than that, we’ll be inviting you to see how each of us can play a part in financially supporting this work.

Together, we’ll pause to reflect on God’s incredible faithfulness throughout our journey, and look forward with hope and anticipation for the work that He is leading us to. We look forward to seeing at least one representative from every family there!!!

Campus-Wide

Valor Theatre Presents: Godspell Jr.

Tickets are now on sale for Valor Theatre's first ever spring musical! There will be three performances beginning May 9th at Grace Church Waco. This will be a performance that you will not want to miss! Please invite your family, friends and neighbors as we share the good news of the gospel!

THIS YEAR: you can also purchase ad space in our program to promote your business or give a shout out to your favorite crew or cast member! Please use the link below for more information. All proceeds from this show help support theatre initiatives and the purchase of equipment and supplies for our growing department.

Friday, May 9 @ 7pm

Saturday, May 10 @ 2pm & 6pm

Buy your Godspell tickets here!

Powderpuff Football

May the forth be with the RS students for their boys Ironman volleyball and girls Powderpuff football game!

Anyone is welcome to come watch on Sunday, May 4th from 12:30-3:00pm at Valor.

No students be be dropped off by themselves to watch unless they are in 9th-12th grade - otherwise plese make sure a parent is with them. We'll be in the Valor gym and then the park across the street!

Freshmen + Juniors vs. Sophomores + Seniors

Family Ministries

Mark Your Calendars:

Uniform & Book Resale!

Our annual Used Uniform & Book Resale is scheduled for Wednesday, May 28 from 10:00am-1:00pm!

This is a great opportunity to sell your Valor uniform items, spirit wear, and gently used curriculum. It's also an opportunity for you to buy items for 25-50% of the retail price! Please see below for all the details and to submit the Seller's Agreement Form if you plan on selling any items during the sale.

Details: Details Letter

Want to sell items at the sale? --> Seller's Agreement Form

Want early access to the sale? Sign up to Volunteer for GS Field Day!

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)

Dia Del Knights

Please sign up here to Volunteer for Field Day on May 23rd. We'd love to have your help!

Food Drive!

5th Grade did an amazing job collecting food and donations for Shepherd's Heart's annual Hero Challlenge.
Because of their leadership, Valor was among the top organizations in our city for giving to this important cause.
Take a moment and process with your child what they remember about hunger in Waco.
Think about practical ways your family might continue to serve the poor in our community. Could you keep snacks and bottles of water with a prayer card in the car with you?

Also, don't miss our 5th grade send-off and end-of-year chapel celebration on May 14th!

Upcoming in Grammar

May 5th - 6th-grade orientation for current 5th graders
May 7th - Kindergarten Field Trip & Upper Grammar (3rd-5th) Showcase in chapel
May 8th - Parent/Teacher Conferences (Check your teacher email for sign-ups!)
May 9 - 1st Grade Field Trip
May 14 - EOY Chapel Celebration and 5th-grade send-off
May 16th-23rd Balloon Week (Valor's end-of-the-year class day buddy traditions)
May 23 - Dia del Knights (Noon dismissal and last day of school)

Logic School (6th-8th)

Logic School (LS):

The rising 6th graders (current 5th) will be in the Village on Monday for Upper School Orientation. Encourage your LS students to give them a kind and warm welcome. They are quite nervous!
Parent-Teacher Conferences are on Thursday, May 8. Please sign up!
Current 8th graders: If you would like to sign up your child for the Summer Writing Intensive (July 21-24), it is available to rising 9th-11th graders. See the graphic beneath the Rhetoric School section for more information.
Senior Walk Out is on Friday (5/9) at 12:20. All valor students (PK-11) will line the halls and decks at this time to celebrate the graduating seniors, who will walk from the far end of the Village deck, through the GS, and out to the gym for the RS-only Senior Honor Chapel. Here are the names of the 7 seniors if you are wanting to make signs: Bryslan, Hannah, Ainsley, Johnathan, Wyatt, James, and Noah.

Beyond Next Week in LS:

May 8 - Parent/Teacher Conferences
May 9 - Senior Walk Out
May 22 - End of Q4
May 23 - Last Day of LS/Dia Del Knights
May 26 - Memorial Day/Valor offices closed
May 27 - Report card published

2024-25 Valor Calendar

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

Rhetoric School (9th-12th)

Congrats, Makayla!

Makayla Stucky (10th grade) attended the state VASE art competition this past weekend, bringing home a state gold medal! She is one of 2,300 students in Texas to make it to the state level from the 32,000 regional entries.

Rhetoric School (RS):

The Senior Walk-Out Ceremony will be on Friday (5/9) in the gym. This event will be during the Student Life block (12:45-1:30), attended by all RS students, and open to the families of the graduating seniors. Here are the names of the 7 seniors if you are wanting to make signs: Bryslan, Hannah, Ainsley, Johnathan, Wyatt, James, and Noah.
The theater production of Godspell is next Friday and Saturdy.
See the semester schedules for each grade below:
- 12th grade - 5/6 - 5/8 (T-Th)
- 11th grade - 5/16 - 5/20 (F-T), before the Europe trip
- 9th & 10th grade - 5/20 - 5/22 (T-Th)
- The small number of students who have courses with multiple grade levels should check in with Dr. Escobar to create a special exam schedule.
9th-11th: Remind your students to return a signed copy of their class schedule to Dr. Escobar in the Upper-School office.

Beyond Next Week in RS:

May 9 & 10 - Spring Theater Production (Godspell)
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
May 27 - Report card published

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.

SUMMER ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES

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

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 lift from 7:15a-8:30a at Train Waco and drive to V alor for skills from 8:45a-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

2025 3rd-6th Grade Football Camp- All incoming 3rd-6th graders are invited to join us at Woodway Family Center from 11a-1p May 27th- May 30th! Invite your friends and neighbors to learn offensive/defensive skills and participate in games!

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 (2-4p) 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.

Tennis Camp (6/22-6/24)- All incoming 6th-12th graders are invited to join Coach Nicole at Waco Regional Tennis Center from 8a-10:30a for tennis camp. Learn basic fundamentals of the game and enjoy competitive 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.

2nd League Track Meet

We had our 2nd track meet on April 29th at St. Mary's West

It was a great time with Woodway Christian & St. Mary's.

Thank you to the coaches, parents and athletes that competed so well.

We will have a track awards ceremony, May 9th, in the chapel, to celebrate our athletes & coaches!

Cheerleader Evaluations and Pre-Registration

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

Track Upcoming:

Friday: At Home Workout

May 2nd & 3rd at Midway High School (Panther Stadium)

800 North Hewitt Drive Hewitt, Texas 76643

Knight Cards 2025

Knight cards have been distributed to the 4th-12th graders.

4th-6th graders can turn in their money/knight cards to their teacher.

7th-12th can turn their money into Coach Byrd, Coach Foy, or Coach Elkins during athletic period.

We’ve designed this fundraiser so that 100% of the funds go directly to our athletic department—

helping us offset costs and keep athletic fees as low as possible for our families.

Your partnership makes all the difference. Without adequate funding, we face difficult decisions regarding staffing and team offerings.

But with your continued support, we are confident we can keep building something special—together.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Coach Byrd or Coach Foy.

High School Volleyball Team Camp

Who: All incoming 9th-12th graders

When: July 22nd-24th

Where: Valor Gym

Hosted and run by the University of Mary Hardin Baylor coaching staff, this camp will be HIGHLY encouraged for all incoming high school volleyball players. This is a competitive camp. All athletes will be ranked by position and given skills sheets.

Rhonda Ackley Swenson Memorial Extracurricular Scholarship Application

This scholarship is created in memory of Rhonda Ackley Swenson, a devoted single mother, teacher, and follower of Christ, whose life was marked by unwavering sacrifice, selflessness, and love. Rhonda passed away earlier this year, leaving behind a legacy of faith, service, and commitment to her family and community. She loved watching her grandchildren play sports at Valor Preparatory Academy and found joy in supporting their endeavors.

The Rhonda Ackley Swenson Memorial Extracurricular Scholarship seeks to honor her memory by ensuring that financial burdens do not prevent Valor families from fully participating in extracurricular activities and sports. This scholarship is administered by Valor Athletics and awarded by the Valor Finance Committee. Please stay tuned for the release of this application.

ALL PARENT 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.

Letterman Jacket

MAY 6th, 11:00a-11:30a

During lunch, all athletes and fine arts students will have the opportunity to get their letterman jacket and new patches.

Forms will be available in the cafeteria.

Physical Day

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

This is highly recommended for Valor athletes. $20 for a physical checkup.

CASH/CHECK ONLY

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 2025-2026 school year.

Get a head start on completing your STUDENT PHYSICAL & MEDICAL HISTORY forms prior to your examination NEXT Saturday!

HOT Hoops Boys Practices

JH Athletes can attend both football & basketball.

HS athletes must finish spring football before coming to HS basketball.

Sportsyou Code: F96P-5VFD

May 7th, May 8th, May 19th, May 20th

JH/HS Boys 6:30-7:45am

May 13th, May 15th, May 21st-23rd

HS Boys 6:30-7:45am

May 12th & 14th

JH Boys 6:30-7:45am

May 21st-23rd

JH Boys 3:30-5pm

Centex Basketball Girls Practices

Sportsyou Code: F96P-5VFD

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!

Grammar School Administrative Assistant
Grammar School Classroom Teachers
Grammar School Classroom Teacher Aides
Rhetoric School Math Teacher
Rhetoric School Science Teacher

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 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

Etter, Rebecca- 4th Grade Classroom Teacher... 5/10
Jones, April- Asst. Head of the Grammar School... 5/15
Thompson, Lauren- 3rd Grade Classroom Teacher... 5/15
Phillips, Kristi- Rhetoric Science Teacher... 5/25
Curtice, Stephanie- LS Latin Teacher... 5/31

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!

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 then,
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!

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