All Posts in “Traditions”

Category

VVS Global Goals Malawi

Malawi: The Warm Heart of Africa

September 9, 2017 / No Comments

Over the summer of 2017, eight VVS students and two teachers set off for the distant continent of Africa to participate in the true meaning of service and global citizenship in the living classroom of Malawi. Here the group spent the month of June working at a grassroots level supporting communities that are empowering their own youth to create change. The annual visit to Malawi is part of the VVS Global Goals Program.

In Namalo Village the students painted the Chief’s house and the pit latrines at the feeding center that were built by last year’s VVS students.

Over $10,000 of cloth baby diapers, transported in the student’s luggage, were eagerly received by the Open Arms Infant Homes in Mangochi.

The group also delivered thousands of dollars of science equipment, 2 sets of soccer uniforms, and 150 Days for Girls Menstrual Kits to the Hillside Secondary School where VVS sponsors 25 girls.

At the Pemphero Secondary School our group was greeted with songs and smiles from local students who include 17 girls sponsored by VVS.

During a visit to Msinje Village, our group helped construct a new feeding center.

Having spent many long hours sorting reading glasses back at VVS, our students were rewarded with the joy of distributing over 3,000 pairs of glasses, and 40 pairs of specialty glasses for pre-identified, severely low vision children.

Participants: Alex Tehfi, William Schwindenhammer, Alexia Lino, Hanna Hartwig, Nam Ha, Kat Guillot, Kate Brovina, Xander Kraus-McLean, and teachers Caroline Diehl and Natalie Rockwell.

Click here to see the 2017 Malawi Photo Gallery

Quotes from our VVS Students

The Malawi program is one of the greatest opportunities a school could offer to its students. This trip has taught me so much about compassion, kindness, gratefulness, and respect like no other experience has before. Serving others submerged in the unfamiliar has shaped the way I perceive different cultures and has shown me how important volunteering is to our world. I believe that anyone who is willing to work hard and live outside their comfort zone for 3 short weeks will never regret it!  William Schwindenhammer, Class of 2018

The people of Malawi have a Mungoli happiness. They are constantly in rhythm with themselves and the people around them. They know how to create there own sunshine, they know how to find the gold from the stone, and they repay the gratitude with grace and gratitude. The people of Malawi are not happy just because it seems like a good end result or for anyone else, they are happy because the happiness comes from them as a choice within themselves. They make the most out of everyday and THAT is why Malawi is the warm heart of Africa.
Kat Guillot, Class of 2017

Malawi was eye opening in every way imaginable. The pure happiness of everyone we came across was heartwarming and was radiated in such a way that I couldn’t help but smile throughout every encounter with the Malawian people. I could write about countless moments, every day was a new adventure and a new insight, but the aspect of the trip that stuck out the most was how much education meant to the people we came across, specifically girls. When we went to Pemphero school in Mangochi, we were greeted by the sponsored girls via songs, dances, and, typical of Malawi, smiles. They sang about how much education meant to them in a way that I’ve never seen before living in the U.S. It really hit me how much we take for granted, and that things that seem small to us really do matter. Malawi changed my outlook on life and I’m beyond grateful for the experience, everything we did, and who we met along the way. Hanna Hartwig, Class of 2018

She said yes. Then I broke down but this time with tears of joy. It seemed unbelievable [Alexia spent 3 years trying to convince her parents to allow her to go to Malawi]. The process of getting to Malawi was a roller coaster, it broke me down and brought me up to only be brought back down… But when we finally arrived in Malawi, I knew that everything was worth it. The roller coaster led me to the most beautiful place in the world to meet the kindest people in the world. I would ride the roller coaster again in a heartbeat.
Alexia Lino, Class of 2017

Through Malawi I discovered how easy my life is and how privileged I am to have food, water, and an education right in front of me with no form of struggle. After the trip I understood the value of my privileges: this will make me work ten times harder than usual and not have any excuses to my adversities. Volunteering fulfills my life purpose and happiness, therefore I shall go outside and chase the world for the rest of my life.
Alexandre Tehfi, Class of 2018

Front Cover News

June 22, 2017 / No Comments

Verde Valley School and the Sedona Arts Center are collaborating for the second year in a row on a unique model of artist-in-residence program – the Sedona Summer Colony – that brings together artists of all genres and experience levels to the energetic red rock landscape of Northern Arizona. Part cultural program, part economic development project, the residency provides the gift of time and place to artists and cultural managers, as well as strengthening Sedona’s position on the international arts map as a place you must check out!  Read the full article in Sedona Monthly here…

verde-valley-school

VVS Renews its Dedication to Native American Scholars

April 14, 2017 / Comments Off on VVS Renews its Dedication to Native American Scholars
Verde Valley School has an interesting history of collaborations with Indigenous peoples since the founding of the school. The oldest buildings on campus, identifiable by narrow wooden doors, stacked-stone fireplaces, roof vigas, and heavy wooden lintels above the doors and windows, were built with a Hopi construction crew. The school location was chosen by anthropologist Hamilton Warren, in large part for its proximity to regional Native American tribes, with the goal of adding Indian perspectives into the learning experience.

Continue Reading…

verde-valley-school-summer-storm

Sometimes it takes a power outage to give one a little perspective….

April 5, 2017 / No Comments

 This evening, the lights went out at Verde Valley School. I was just getting home and “a white light” flashed in the sky and then everything was eerily quiet. No electricity? I was immediately perturbed. How could I finish the work I just carried home? How could we make dinner? How could I catch this new Netflix show later on? Heavy was my burden! Poor, poor me!  I decided to just sit and breathe. I would try and enjoy a little solitude. It was a fast passing storm and soon it began to clear to the northwest and I watched with fascination as the natural light began to take shape and the shadows of the setting sun danced across Cathedral Rock. This was a gift. A forced slow down. I embraced it. After all, we happen to live on one of the world’s most beautiful landscapes with a multi-million dollar view. And still, no electricity. So, I sat and thought about sitting and thinking.

Continue Reading…

2016 First Trimester Residential Life

December 15, 2016 / Comments Off on 2016 First Trimester Residential Life

Dr. Jules Troyer ~ Dean of Students and Residential Life

The first trimester here at VVS was filled with many magical moments that our talented students  engaged in as a complement to their rigorous academic studies.

The school year kicked off with an epic dorm decorating contest for which students had a mere $20 to accomplish a themed make-over of their choice. Their creativity and passion were inspiring, and some of the themes included were: Under the Sea, Pokemon, Americana, Alice in Wonderland, and China. Students, faculty, and staff were led on a tour of all the dorms, fed goodies along the way, and encouraged to vote for their favorite dorm decorations. It was an emotional moment of glee when the Shixi students from Shanghai were informed their Chinese themed dorm had won the competition! The reward of a pizza and hot wing party was a big hit!

Awesomeness Day is an annual tradition at the onset of the school year that allows students to play, have fun, and get to know each other. This year students had a ton of thrills on a huge inflatable jump game,  throwing  balls at a basketball hoop while attempting to balance!  Other games on the day included a clue finding scavenger hunt that tested their knowledge of VVS and its history; birdie-on-a-perch, and capture-the-flag.  All these activities kept students engaged and allowed them to team up with their classes and meet new people.

Here at VVS, Halloween is a huge bash! Faculty houses were decorated for trick or treating, there was a massive pumpkin carving party, a very interactive student staffed haunted house, and a costume dance. This year the theme of our dance was Dia de los Muertos and the student class presidents came together to decorate Brady Hall with amazing sugar skulls. There were three pinatas filled with goodies and for many of the students, this was the first time they had participated in (or even heard of) the tradition of breaking a pinata. As alway it was a special day for VVS, and students, faculty, and staff  thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to dress up in some really creative costumes.

These highlights provide only a snapshot of the many amazing moments VVS had in the first leg of this academic journey of the 2016-2017 school year.  Jules says she is blessed to be part of such a mindful, talented, passionate, and intelligent group of people. She believes our community is a unique blend of academic integrity, progressive conscientiousness, and raw good old fashioned fun. “As the year is racing to a close,” Jules said, “I am moved to thank each of you for finding your way into the family we call VVS, and send you warmest wishes for a bright holiday full of love and laughter!”

Project Period 2016

April 20, 2016 / Comments Off on Project Period 2016

On May 19th we begin Project Period, a time in our calendar designed to widen the VVS curriculum by adding something not included in our day-to-day, or by providing the opportunity to go into greater depth in an area already studied. Many projects are led by guest artists who travel from all over the country to take part in the week. Others allow students to see different sides of their teachers as they offer various projects showcasing their passions outside of their classroom subject.

This year projects include outdoor projects like backpacking, canyoneering, mountain biking and solitude; arts projects like creative welding, slam poetry, expressive dance and circus arts; sports projects like VVS triathlon, personal fitness and aikido; and service projects like garden expansion, home makeover and Global Goals Malawi. This is just a taste of the projects. For a complete list and explanation of the projects on offer click here. Learn more about Project Period and see photos from past projects at https://vvsaz.org/project-period/

Day student parents, please be advised that the Project Period schedule includes weekends (May 19 through May 26) and students must attend all days of their project. Project Period is a graduation requirement.

VVS Bucket List

February 4, 2016 / Comments Off on VVS Bucket List

It’s an understatement to say there is a lot to do at VVS. Seeing the wealth of activities and experiences open to students, Outdoor Coordinator Peter Reynolds decided to corral all these experiences together and prioritize them forming the VVS Bucket List.  

The list consists of 34 must do experiences that students can check off during their time at VVS.  Alexa Szombathy, ’15, was the first student to check each activity off the bucket list during her senior year last year.

 

The tradition continues this year with both faculty and student-led trips. Click here for a PDF of the Bucket List and get to ticking off these amazing experiences.  A student must complete all of the following to win the Bucket List Award this year:

 

  • Hike Cathedral Vortex
  • Find the Cave of the Door
  • Cow Pie Sunset
  • Read some Thoreau in the Thoreau Hut
  • Swim at Disneyland
  • Chill at Buddha Beach
  • Lead a Community Dinner Moment of Silence
  • Hike up to Napoleon and Find the Geocache
  • Sleep Out on Soccer Field
  • Cheer or Play in a Student vs Faculty Soccer Game
  • Feed a Horse an Apple
  • Show Your Dance Moves at a Rock Band Show
  • Slide Rock
  • Throw a Pot in Ceramics
  • Polar Bear Swim
  • Sleep Out on Cowpie
  • Write a Happy Note for the Happy Box
  • Make a Smore at a Campus Fire Pit
  • Hike to Monkey Face Cross
  • Ring the Chapel Bell for Community Meeting
  • Explore Witches Tit Wash
  • Perform at Coffee House
  • Moonlight Horse Ride
  • Have a Friendly Conversation with Casey
  • Watch a VVS Sunrise
  • Find the Old Gong Spot
  • Lead/Create a Weekend Activity
  • Help Plant or Harvest in the Garden
  • Cook Something in a Faculty Kitchen
  • Help With Backpack/MDG Program
  • Participate in a School Drama Production
  • See a Coyote, Tarantula and Javelina
  • Mission Impossible
  • Learn 5 Greetings in 5 Different Languages

 

 

 

 



 

Field Trips Return

November 20, 2015 / Comments Off on Field Trips Return

Throughout the day on Friday, November 20 VVS field trips will return to campus, heralded by the traditional horn honking as groups arrive on the quad.

 

Field Trip return day has a pretty unique magic to it. Students and faculty will see many friends they haven’t seen – or had much social media contact with – for two weeks. They relish catching up on and sharing adventures. Throughout the coming week families will also get the opportunity to share in these adventures through stories told by students on break and through photos posted to the VVS website and social media sites.

 

Traditionally the Grand Canyon trip is one of the last to return as they will hike out of the canyon today. Trips will begin to arrive on campus as early as 9:00 am.

 

This evening the entire community will sit down to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at 5:30 pm. Due to space restrictions, we’re afraid we cannot extend a dinner invitation to local parents. Students will be ready for pick up after dinner by about 7:00 pm. Earlier pick ups can also be accommodated.

 

Visit the VVS galleries page for field trip photos we’ve received during the last two weeks.

 

 

 

 

Decembermester Begins

November 20, 2015 / Comments Off on Decembermester Begins

 

IMG_1449 copyVerde Valley School’s third Decembermester begins on November 30 (some years the calendar favors us with a December start; some years it doesn’t).  Decembermester came about as a way to confront that sometimes awkward time on our calendar when students and teachers have just returned from two-week field trips and a week of Thanksgiving vacation and look out a little over two weeks and see Winter Break on the horizon. It could be a challenging time to get students fully committed to class.
Keeping with our dedication to project based learning, we now present a highly anticipated, dynamic session of collaborative, kinesthetic learning designed to support off-campus trips and large-scale projects.  We throw the regular daily schedule out the window and focus in on half day and full day blocks devoted to each class. Scroll down for the complete Decembermester schedule.
Some examples of this year’s projects:
  • Students in English 1 will write their own tragedies based on the theater of ancient Greece, create their own masks and perform their pieces for the school.
  • Intro to Spanish classes will collaborate with two local elementary schools to teach Spanish to students who are also new to the language.
  • French 2 students will use their knowledge of the language to dub a silent film, while IB HL French students will create a US cultural guide for French speakers.
  • Anthropology Peoples of the Southwest will visit many cultural sites around Northern Arizona including Walnut Canyon, Montezuma Castle, Sunset Crater and Wupatki for first hand study of time periods, terminology, and major themes in the prehistoric archaeological record of the Verde Valley.
  • Physical Science students will learn physics through the ever popular Barbie bungee competition, while Chemistry students will learn quantitative chemical reactions assessed via a physical response by shooting potatoes across campus in the spud gun project.
  • Interactive Math Program 3 mathematicians will explore probability and learn how to play and facilitate many traditional casino games, presenting a “Casino Night” contest for the VVS community.
Much more is on tap and you can check back to the VVS website throughout Decembermester for updates on projects.
Day students who have free periods are not expected to be on campus on those days, however parents must call into the office in the morning to excuse those students each free period day.  More detailed information will follow in a day student email.
Click below for the Decembermester 2015 schedule:

 

 

 

 

 

Tewa Coats for Kids

November 19, 2015 / Comments Off on Tewa Coats for Kids

VVS is proud to partner with Board member Randy Crewse and the Tewa Holiday Project again this year.

VVS officially joined the Tewa Holiday Project in 2012. Lead by Caroline Diehl with support from students, that year VVS collected 100 new coats for students at First Mesa Elementary School.

Each year since then VVS has organized the coat drive, known as Coats for Kids, with coat trees at Sedona’s Natural Grocers and the VOC’s Webers IGA. If you’re local and would like to contribute, please visit one of the stores, take a paper coat from the tree and buy a coat for a child in need. You can return the coat to the store and Caroline will pick them up for delivery. If you aren’t local and would like to contribute, please contact Caroline at carolined@vvsaz.org.

Caroline and a group of VVS students will deliver coats and food to Tewa on Friday, December 12.

The project is truly grassroots and has helped many members of the Tewa tribe. This group of indigenous peoples live on the Hopi Mesas but receive little support from the US government because they are not true Hopi, but Tewas who moved to Hopi from New Mexico during the Pueblo Revolt in the late 1600’s. Approximately 85 Tewa elders make their home on First Mesa.

Visit www.vvsaz.org/galleries for photos of this year’s food collection, coat project and delivery.  Click here for photos from last year’s coat and food delivery.