VAHS Newsletter

Dedicated to empowering EXCELLENCE every PANTHER, every day!

Please request all forms online at www.vanalstyneisd.org (make sure you are on the High School Campus page). If you have further questions, please email your counselor (djensen@vanalstyneisd.org or bdyer@vanalstyneisd.org) or call 903-712-6500.

Starting this school year, under Senate Bill 10, all Texas public schools must accept any offer of a privately donated poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments and are required to display it in every classroom.

This new law is part of a broader initiative to incorporate more historical and religious references into public education.

To support schools in meeting this requirement, several organizations—and even some Texas lawmakers—have donated Ten Commandments posters to districts across the state. Senator Hagenbuch has personally donated posters to help ensure schools can comply without placing a financial burden on local districts.

⚡New Lightning Safety System at Panther Stadium

We are excited to announce that Perry Weather is now active at Panther Stadium to help ensure the safety of our athletes, staff, and spectators during inclement weather.

This system provides real-time lightning detection and includes a countdown clock to let us know when it is safe to resume activity after a lightning delay.

For your convenience, we've added a Perry Weather widget to our Athletic Website. This allows parents and spectators to view updated weather alerts and countdowns anytime.

👉https://www.vanalstyneisd.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=435069&type=d&pREC_ID=2705176

We encourage you to check the widget during weather delays for the latest updates.

Thank you for helping us prioritize safety during all athletic events!

VAHS Open house

We are excited to welcome you to our Open House on Monday, September 29, 2025, from 6:30–8:00 p.m.!

You’ll have the opportunity to follow your child’s 8-period schedule and meet each of their teachers.

Each class will be 7 minutes with a 3 minute passing period for this event.

Students are not required to attend, but they are certainly welcome!

Please load the Skyward app on your phone prior to attending Open House so that you may access your student's schedule.

Calendar of student events this week: 9/22/25 - 9/26/25

Volleyball vs. Aubrey @ Panther Arena - Tuesday
- 9th/JV - 5:00
- Varsity - 6:00
Cross Country @ Blue Ridge HS Meet - Thursday
- 6:00
- 9th - 7:30
Volleyball @ Lake Dallas - Friday
- Varsity - 4:30
- 9th/JV - 6:00

Mark your calendar! See below for a list of upcoming oppurtunities to learn about the 2025 Van Alstyne ISD Bond Election. See you there, Panthers!

🌟 We're Seeking Dedicated Community Members!

As required by Texas Education Code, our SHAC needs diverse representation from our community. We're looking for passionate individuals who care about student health and wellness.

https://claude.ai/public/artifacts/74fc933b-9327-4782-bf9b-5b6bf06d6aeb

want to volunteer next game?

Game Concession Volunteer Signups

This link is to a full calendar of games/events we will need volunteers at this year.

https://vaabc.ptboard.com/calendar

Texoma Blood Drive @ VAHS

November 12th

9:00AM - 3:00PM

Attention Seniors!

Our Senior Blood Drive will be held on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, starting at 9:00AM.

Sign-ups begin in the cafeteria on Wednesday, October 29,2025. Seniors who donate will also receive a graduation cord, so don't forget to sign up!

Important Note:
If a senior has a health condition that prevents them from donating, someone else may donate on their behalf. We kindly ask for one donation per ineligible student.

Let’s make a difference, Class of 2026!

tEACHER aPPRECIATION

Hello Parents,

We hope you all had a great summer! We are excited to kick off another year! Paige McDonald, Kharryn Tran, and I are heading up teacher appreciation again this year. As most of you know, the high school does not have a PTO/PTA or any other parent volunteer groups. Therefore, we organize monthly luncheons for the staff and send out sign-up geniuses monthly for donations (monetary/food/paper goods, etc). Filling out this form does not commit you to donating, it simply adds you to our teacher appreciation email list so you can stay informed about opportunities to donate. We have been doing this for several years and the teachers really appreciate it. If you would be interested in donating items throughout the year, please take a moment and fill out this form. EVEN IF YOU HAVE FILLED IT OUT IN THE PAST, PLEASE RESUBMIT! We are working on cleaning up our email list. Thank you for helping us show our teachers how much we value them!

Sincerely,

Brandi, Paige, and Kharryn

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScZuHEZrhPK8DzKelihAVPyo7GJ3d4pJ74aZj2wvETMBfhf-A/viewform?usp=header

Football Dress Up Themes

Turn up the pride - dress up and stand out.

Panther Spirit Wear

Paw shop has some spirit-wear + membership options -

https://van-alstyne-athletic-booster-club.square.site/

Home team prints is our new spirit-wear for 2025-2026 school year! -

https://www.hometeamprints.net/store#!/Paw-Shop/c/183820295

Parent / Student can pick up the Feed My Sheep forms in the front office.

Need a Transcript? Here's How!

Whether you're planning for college, a career, or something in between — requesting your transcript is simple!

Current Students:
Use Xello to request your transcript and explore college & career options!
https://login.xello.world/

Graduates:
Please use the following link to request official transcripts.

Transcript Request for Graduates

Reminder:
For a transcript to be considered official, it must be:
Sent directly from a school official via email OR
Delivered in a sealed envelope from the school.

going to get your permit or Drivers license soon?

https://form.jotform.com/222084745887064

One of the required documents when getting your permit/drivers license is a Verification of Enrollment that must be signed and dated by your school administrator.

Please use the link above to submit the document & please allow 72 hours from submitting for the form to be processed. Once submitted online, it will be printed off and signed. The students can pick up the completed form from Mrs. Savage in the front office.

do you plan to schedule a college visit/tour soon?

Please stop by the front office and complete the college visit form with Mrs. Fletcher- This form must be signed by the student, parent and Principal prior to your visit. Upon returning from your college visit, you will need to return a letter from the college you visited including the date(s) you were there. If you have any questions please contact the front office, 903-712-6500.

Set Up Your Meal Account

Panther Nation,

We have a new way of taking care of your students' food service needs. Everything will now be in one spot! . You can now download the School Cafe Family Hub app. This app will let you see menus, put money on account, complete free and reduced lunch applications, as well as many other custom functions that you can choose to set up. You can also log in on a computer as well at https://family.schoolcafe.com/ We will no longer be using My School Bucks. All My School Bucks balances have been transferred to the new system(School Cafe).

Just a reminder you can fill out the free and reduced lunch application online.

To complete free and reduced lunch applications please go to the following link. https://family.schoolcafe.com/VAISD

Application Directions

If you have any questions, please contact bpylant@vanalstyneisd.org

We do not allow food deliveries from Door Dash or Uber Eats. You may bring your child a lunch and leave on the designated lunch cart outside the office. Staff will take the cart to the cafeteria during the appropriate lunch times. (A Lunch- 11:46-12:16/ B Lunch- 12:36-1:06)

MEdical/Dental/counseling

If your student is out for a medical appt, they need to turn in the medical note upon returning to school.

NURSE INFO: Students must be fever free/symptom free (without fever reducing medication) for 24 hrs before returning to school.

Parent notes

Students are only allowed 7 parent notes per school year. Those notes are to be turned in within 3 days upon returning to school. (Ex. if they are absent 2 days, that is 2 absences). We need all documentation- ATTENDANCE MATTERS!

Notes can be brought in by your student or emailed to: vahsoffice@vanalstyneisd.org

ID Badge Procedures

In an effort to increase the safety and security at VAHS, and to effectively identify individuals on campus, VAISD will require all High School students to wear an ID badge while on any District property. We know that well displayed badges can provide immediate identification of authorized individuals, and help us quickly identify our own students.

Students must display their current VAHS ID badge and wear it around their neck on a school approved lanyard during the entire school day.
Designated time for ID badge business is 7:45-8:10am in the library with Mrs. Bolton
The first student ID badge/lanyard is free, and the additional issuance of an ID badge will cost the student $5.00. Lost or defaced badges must be replaced at the cost of the student. Lanyards can be purchased for $1.00.
Only two free temporary IDs will be issued to the student per semester. Temporary badges are only valid on the day of issuance.
The third and subsequent temporary ID badge will cost the student $5.00.
Upon the fourth request for a temporary ID, the student will be reported to the principal for a disciplinary consequence.
Defaced ID cards or continued violations will result in progressive disciplinary consequences such as campus detention or ISS.

** Students need to have their IDs on them at all times. Throughout the school day, students must clearly display Student IDs around the neck with a lanyard. Additionally, anytime students are on VAISD property, after school activities, school sponsored events, etc. students may be asked to provide their ID card as proof of identity.

**Any student with an outstanding balance for Temporary ID/Lanyard purchases must pay that balance before being allowed to purchase tickets to events (i.e Homecoming, Prom, etc.) and seniors must have a $0 balance in order to participate in Senior Activities.