STUDENT SHOUT OUT: EMMA RIDINGS
From being brand new to the school this year, and working her way up to be a part of the Varsity Girls Swim team, Emma Ridings has accomplished much at only 15 years of age! As a freshman here at VHS, Emma has found herself making lots of new friends and loves the welcoming atmosphere here at the high school.
When asked how she would describe VHS in one word, she responded, “Magnanimous.” And if you’re are as curious as I was, you may be questioning what this means. Magnanimous, defined as “the virtue of being great of mind and heart,” serves as a perfect way to describe the high school and it’s surrounding community.
Emma is someone who you can easily come to with your problems, and she will take time out of her own day to help others around her and make sure they’re doing okay.
She presents herself as an excellent example of what it means to be a Viking and how lending a helping hand can be a part of each and every day. Her willingness to learn and worked her hardest each and every day is something that is greatly appreciated by her teachers.
Her proudest accomplishment, she says, was finishing a half marathon with her dad in November of 2015. Her favorite subject at the high school is biology, and her favorite teacher, Señora Butler. Emma finds that Church and Swimming are the main importances in her life today.
Overall, she is the epitome of hard-working, motivated students here at VHS. Thanks for being you, Emma!
TEACHER SHOUTOUT: MR. MUFFOLETTO
As a first-year teacher at the high school this year, Mr. Muffoletto has already made a significant impact on his students. He teaches a variety of Spanish classes and finds himself enjoying each and every day getting to know his students and being impressed by their work.
When asked what his favorite aspect of teaching students is, he responded, “My favorite part is that I have the opportunity to be around such talented individuals every day! It is so awesome to see their success in and out of the classroom!”
Being one of my personal favorite teachers, it is easy to say that Mr. Muffoletto serves as an excellent example of a teacher who truly incorporates entertainment into learning.
He brings such a positive and uplifting personality to the other teachers at the high school, and he finds himself meeting new people and learning new things each and every day, even as a teacher. He encourages his students to participate in fundraisers that fund scholarships for students at our school, as well as fundings for Housing Opportunities.
“My passion is Spanish”, says Muffoletto, “I love that I get to share such a beautiful language along with its culture every single day. I also love that, for many students, I get to expose them to the world outside of Valparaiso, Indiana.”
Considering how much Mr. Muffoletto has brought to the VHS community, there was no doubt in my mind when choosing who to spotlight this month. Thanks for all that you do, Mr. Muffoletto!
VALENTINE'S DAY FESTIVITIES
With Valentine’s Season in full swing, the high school was able to join in on the celebration of love on multiple occasions. Thanks to the students of NHS, National Honor Society, students and staff were able to send flowers to their friends, and possibly lovers, around Valentine’s Day this year!
During lunch, students could stop by and pay $1.50 to send a flower with a note attached to their sweethearts. These flowers would be delivered to them during class and they would receive a special note from their special someone. This not only helped to benefit funds of NHS, but it also brought lots of happiness and fun surprises to the students.
Along with flowers, the students are invited to attend the King of Hearts Dance, which is planned around Valentine’s Day each year. A dance where it is formally known for the girls to ask the guys, it is a fun change in atmosphere for couples to join in together!
Lastly, but certainly not least, different senior boys are chosen each year to be a part of the King of Hearts Court. The week prior to the KOH dance, the boys dress up each day in crazy attire that encompasses different themes each day.This year, the congratulations are brought to Nick Abreu, Eric Hess, Steve Helm, Jake LaBelle, and Jonathan Zygmunt. Selectively chosen, these students are invited to bring their dates with them to the stage on the night of KOH and one lucky King and Prince will be crowned!
CRAZY HAIR FOR CRAZY SWIMMERS
Every year, Boomer Nellessen, the Boys Swimming Head Coach, finds himself surrounded by some bleach-haired boys while coaching in the pool. With both Sectional and State Championship events coming up, the swimmers on the Boys Swim Team daringly bleach their hair, because why not, they’ll be shaving their heads in a week anyways!
In hopes of feeling quicker in the pool, the swimmers all shave their heads, along with the rest of their bodies. By shaving, it makes their brain think that they are gliding through the water much quicker, because their skin feels smoother, and they end up swimming faster and dropping time like crazy because of it.
Upon bleaching their hair, some of the boys decide to dye their hair crazy colors, for the fun of it. Most of them carry the mindset, of, “Well, I’ll be shaving my head at the end of the week, so I might as well dye it pink!” Some of the boys decide to shave the letter V in their hair, or maybe shave just half of their head, as one senior, Noah Bennett decided to do.
The other students at the school really enjoy seeing the swimmers with their insane looking hair each year, and in return, the boys love all the support that the swim team receives from it.