VALLEY CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL 2016–2017
Why Valley Catholic High School? As an administrator, teacher, and parent of a recent Valley Catholic High School graduate (with two more to come), I know how swiftly the four years of high school will pass. These four years ought to be among the most exciting, enjoyable, and formative in the lives of young men and women.
What lies at the heart of successfully building this type of school community is, I believe, not only a willingness but also an expectation to participate. Valley Catholic is not designed to be a place students passively drift through on their way to their next destination. We want all students to give fully of themselves, in and out of the classroom, so that we can all strive toward our full potential and enjoy the best experiences possible.
Because of this, high school ought to be a place where students want to go every day, where they can succeed, participate, contribute in a meaningful way, and feel like they belong. With so much to learn and experience, students deserve a school that creates a culture and builds a community that will help them have positive experiences and use their gifts and talents in support of one another. Valley Catholic High School strives to be such a school.
So if you want a school that endeavors to make the four years of high school among the best and most memorable, a place where students are challenged to grow in mind, body and spirit, and where participation is the foundation of formative experiences, then consider Valley Catholic. Excellence in everything, opportunity for everyone.
We want our students to be enthusiastic about the opportunities Valley Catholic offers to help them grow and develop intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, socially, and physically. Our teachers and coaches are passionate, intelligent, and among the very best at what they do, helping to create these types of opportunities. By building a school community based on these expectations, we believe our students will value their Valley Catholic education for the rest of their lives.
Principal Valley Catholic High School
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VALLEY CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
NEW SCIENCE BUILDING Valley Catholic High School faculty and students welcomed the 2016-2017 school year in a beautiful new science building. The two-story, 13,000 square-foot building contains five state-of-the-art science labs and a greenhouse. The science building enhances Valley Catholic’s award-winning programs, provides students with cutting-edge facilities for innovative educational experiments and prepares them for college and for careers in science and technology.
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Students working on a lab in AP Biology. Valley Catholic offers AP courses in Biology, Chemistry, Physics I, II and C. Other upper-level science offerings include Anatomy and Physiology and Environmental Science.
ACADEMICS True academic quality resides in the daily work of talented teachers who love their subjects. Such teaching is the heart of a great school. At Valley Catholic, our courses culminate year after year with great success and leave students fascinated and wanting more. AP scores for Valley Catholic students are well above the national average and nearly 20 percent above the Oregon average. 3
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p The Advanced Placement (AP) Physics II class completed a project in which they had to use the principle of buoyancy to design and build a boat made only out of cardboard and duct tape. Each group had to paddle two lengths of the VC pool.
Nearly 100 percent of Valley Catholic graduates go to college immediately after high school. Many attend northwestern colleges and universities. The University of Portland and Gonzaga are especially popular. Recent grads have also attended Stanford, Columbia, Yale, Notre Dame, Duke and West Point, just to name a few. q Freshman Biology students working in the wetlands to stop the spread of invasive blackberry bushes. Biology and Environmental Science students work with SOLVE and Clean Water Services to improve the quality of the Johnson Creek slough bordering Valley Catholic’s campus.
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FINE ARTS
The Drama Department’s 2016 spring musical was Beauty and the Beast. The cast played to six sold-out shows over the course of two weekends. Ginnie Sutfin also directs a fall production.
Valley Catholic has a long and rich tradition of excellence in the arts. We provide a dedicated period for students studying band, choir, and orchestra. Valley Catholic’s Drama Department produces two major shows each year. Half of the student body participates in the Fine Arts program. t Jeff Evans directing the concert choir, which has more than 60 members. Valley Catholic also offers smaller, more advanced choral ensembles.
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p Valley Catholic’s concert, jazz, and pep bands are directed by Dan Schauffler. Dan is a three-time inductee into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.
p Nathaniel Kencke on the French horn. Nathaniel finished first at the District competition and third at State. u Valley Catholic orchestra members performing at the spring concert. The orchestra is conducted by Travis Hatton. Travis is also the music director of the Beaverton Symphony and conductor of the Sunnyside Symphony.
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SPIRITUAL LIFE
Valley Catholic offers a faith-based education with a strong emphasis on personal growth and serving others. Students have many opportunities for growth through participation in retreats, Mass, and community service. Last year, 30 percent of our students each completed over 100 hours of community service.
Valiant students weed flower beds for the L’Arche community, which provides community homes and programs for people with developmental disabilities. Each year, Valley Catholic sends a group of students and teachers to Spokane, Washington, for a week-long service trip. Participants are housed on the Gonzaga University campus. 7
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Valiant students participating in the Adopt-A-Road program in Washington County, Oregon.
One of Valley Catholic’s great highlights is the Junior Encounter, a three-day retreat in the Cascade foothills. Students choose to attend in either the fall or spring.
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OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
Valiants roaring down the White Salmon on an Outdoor Club trip. Every June, the entire sophomore class takes a two-day raft trip down the Deschutes.
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p In February 2016, a history teacher and five Valley Catholic students traveled to Kyoto, Japan, to attend Ritsumeikan Uji High School’s international student forum. VCHS was one of only two North American schools invited to this unique five-day symposium.
Valley Catholic student taking notes underwater during a summer trip to Belize organized and led by the Biology Department.
Spanish students and teachers posing at the Equator while on a summer trip to Ecuador.
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Valley Catholic’s Charisma Dance Team taking their sixth State Championship picture in the past seven years.
ATHLETICS Valley Catholic is athletically the most successful mid-sized school in Oregon, having won both the Oregonian Cup and the All-Sports Championship four out of the last five years. Valley Catholic fields teams in 18 sports. In the past five years, 12 teams have won State Championships, nine 2nd places, six 3rd places and 19 League Championships. Valley Catholic has a no-cut policy. 75 percent of our students participate in at least one sport and 25 percent participate in multiple sports.
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VALLEY CATHOLIC OFFERS THE FOLLOWING SPORTS: Boys Cross Country
Girls Swimming
Girls Cross Country
Baseball
Boys Football
Boys Golf
Boys Soccer
Girls Golf
Girls Soccer
Softball
Girls Volleyball
Boys Tennis
Dance
Girls Tennis
Boys Basketball
Boys Track and Field
Girls Basketball
Girls Track and Field
Boys Swimming
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p 4A/3A/2A/1A boys singles state tennis champion Matt Biggi.
ATHLETICS
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t The Oregonian Cup is the highest honor awarded by the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA). This award recognizes overall excellence in academics, athletics, fine arts, and sportsmanship. Valley Catholic High School has won the Oregonian Cup four of the past five years. In 2015–2016, Valley Catholic was the Overall Winner of the OSAA Sportsmanship Award.
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1 SSMO Motherhouse & Administration Building
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2 Valley Catholic High School
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3 VCS Auditorium
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4 VCS Athletic Center 5 VCHS Science Building 6 VCS Grandstand
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7 VCS Field House 8 Valley Catholic Elementary & Middle School 9 Valley Catholic Early Learning Center
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10 The Villa 11 Maryville 12 Maryville Memory Care
Kayla Gaspardis Director of Admissions kgaspardis@valleycatholic.org Direct: 503.520.4721 Main: 503.644.3745 Fax: 503.646.4054
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EXCELLENCE IN EVERYTHING. OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE. Learn more about Valley Catholic. Join us for our open house. Visit our campus. valleycatholic.org/vchsadmissions
4275 SW 148th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97078 | 503.520.4721 | valleycatholic.org facebook.com/valleycatholicschool | twitter.com/_valleycatholic (school) | twitter.com/vcvaliants (athletics) flickr.com/valleycatholic | youtube.com/valleycatholicschool | instagram.com/valleycatholicschool