Valley Vision | Fall 2017

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Valley Vision | Fall 2017 Valley Christian Schools San Jose, CA

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

The journey of a coach and teacher

OCEAN DISCOVERY An inside look at our students’ ocean exploration

ALUMNI IN THE ARTS

How VCS alumni are impacting the arts for Christ

Cover art by Melissa Alvey (‘08)

CONTENTS 2 PRESIDENT’S WELCOME 4 SPRING SNAPSHOT 6 OCEAN DISCOVERY 10 ALUMNI IN THE ARTS 16 STUDENT ARTWORK 18 WINTER-SPRING ATHLETICS 20 FACULTY SPOTLIGHT 22 FALL FORWARD 23 DEVELOPMENT CORNER 24 COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES

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Welcome toValley Vision The start of a new school year is always a time of excitement for students, staff, and faculty at Valley Christian Schools (VCS). Our schoolwide theme this year is “Full Circle: Impacting our Communities and the World for Generations.” A passage of scripture that speaks to me powerfully about what we must accomplish for and through our students at VCS can be found in Psalms:

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“But tell to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wondrous works that He has done, That they may arise and tell them to their children, That they should put their confidence in God And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments…”

(Psalm 78:4, 6-7) Teaching our children to know the wonderful works of God and to love Him becomes a full circle when our children arise and tell others about Jesus and His wonderful works.

Jerry Merza, our newly named Superintendent and Executive Vice President, is a wonderful example of a full circle of God’s goodness. Mr. Merza first became acquainted with VCS through our Junior University & Lighthouse Initiative while he was principal at Hellyer Elementary School. There, VCS students served the students at Hellyer by tutoring, teaching, and building positive relationships as an expression of Christ’s love.

However, our students were not just making an impact on the Hellyer students, but also on others, including Mr. Merza and his family.

“As principal, I was so amazed by the generous hearts of the Valley students and the joy they found in serving others,” Mr. Merza says. “It gave me a desire to find joy like that, and led my late wife, Lynn, and I to commit our lives to the Lord. My outlook on education and my purpose in life were transformed. We decided to enroll our two children at Valley Christian, and they are so thankful.”

I’m constantly in awe of the ways our students are truly living out VCS’ mission as they impact their communities and the world. After observing his commitment to Jesus, his heart for students, and his strong educational leadership, Mr. Merza was invited to join the VCS Board of Directors. He served for two

Superintendent, Jerry Merza

years before accepting the Superintendent position on July 3, 2017. As Superintendent, Mr. Merza leads all educational aspects of the schools and reports directly to me as President. We are working together to advance VCS’ Quest for Excellence in exciting and significant ways.

As the year begins, I am reminded of the promise of Philippians 1:6: “I am certain that God, who began a good work within you, will continue His work to completion.” Let us work together to round out some amazing “full circles” this year, secure in the knowledge of God’s calling, presence, and providence.

Looking forward,

President

04 Our eighth graders had a great time on the annual Washington D.C. trip, interacting with America’s history and visiting all of the major sights.

The junior high robotics team “WarriorBots” was awarded first place in programming at the 2017 FIRST LEGO League Robotics Competition Silicon Valley Regional Championship, and was invited to West Virginia over the summer to compete against schools from around the country.

With graduations for the elementary, junior high, and high school, it was a week filled with ceremonies celebrating the hard work of our students. Congratulations to all of the graduates and their families for what you’ve accomplished in the VCS community!

Scan photo with Layar.

VCHS’ dance team “Vivid” was named national champions at the “Contest of Champions National Dance Competition” in Florida this last March.

12 VCS students placed at the DECA State Competition and qualified for the international round at the International Career Development.

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Our elementary campus joined in the “March Madness” spirit, hosting an after-school basketball tournament while family and friends cheered on our little Warriors.

VCHS’ math team placed fourth in the California state championships, with six students advancing to nationals. And, our elementary SOAR math class competed in the Continental Math League Computer Science Challenge, placing first in the Western Region.

snapshot from spring Seven students made the decision to be baptized while serving on the WALK trip in Haiti! They were one of six teams who spent their Easter break serving in Chile, Thailand, South Africa, and India.

Congratulations to the Conservatory’s Performing Indoor Ensemble for their first place finish at the 2017 Winter Guard International World Championship Finals!

Our high school’s annual class competition “Warrior Warz” featured a week of fun games, contests, and an incredible display of school spirit!

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Ocean Discovery

PHOTO BY NATHAN NGO (‘14)

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Our students have conquered the stars; now, they’re moving onto the ocean. After the success of the International Space Station (ISS) program, which saw students create and monitor experiments aboard the ISS, new Applied Math, Science, and Engineering (AMSE) Institute K-12 Director Danny Kim began to wonder what other ways students could apply the science.

“We are always looking to innovate,” Kim says. “That’s when God brought XPRIZE into our path.”

The $7 Million Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE is a global competition that challenges teams to design and produce a new way to map the ocean floor. Kim headed a team of VCS students and went to San Diego last April to pitch the team’s ideas to the XPRIZE judges. While over 32 teams entered designs, only 21 semi-finalists advanced, and VCS’ “Ocean Discovery” team was the only one made up almost entirely of students.

“We’re competing against multinational PhD researchers with well-funded companies and universities backing them. Our team is currently comprised of nine junior high and three high school students,” Kim laughs. “We are the epitome of the underdog.”

While the team was excited to make the cut, the VCS faculty advisors felt “dead in the water” because of the cost of the equipment required to compete. That’s when God provided a boat and an unmanned water vehicle, donated at a fraction of the cost.

“It’s unbelievable that our students are even participating, but the fact that we are now a competitive factor in the competition is a miracle,” Kim says. “It’s a testament to God’s provision.”

Making the cut in the XPRIZE competition caught the attention of many, including the engineers and scientists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). MBARI is a non-profit oceanographic research center focused on developing “better instruments, systems, and methods for scientific research in the deep waters of the ocean.” Needless to say, they were intrigued when a group of students from their own backyard qualified for an international deep-sea research competition.

“When I approached MBARI about a potential partnership with our team, they couldn’t believe what the students were aiming to accomplish,” Kim says. “It fit so perfectly with their mission,

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and would create technology that the researchers at MBARI could actually use.”

Partnership included a tour of the MBARI facilities in Monterey, where It s unbelievable that the students impressed the staff with their passion for our students are even engineering.

“We have groups of participating, but the students come through here fact that we are now every week for tours, but they a competitive factor aren’t necessarily oriented towards engineering,” MBARI in the competition is a researcher Jon Erickson said after the tour. “But these miracle. students are already headed in that direction and ask more directive questions.

I always say that every engineer has taken apart

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their father’s lawnmower at some point in their life because they just had to know how it worked, and you can see that same type of interest in the students from VCS.” All of the researchers acknowledge what a big task the students have ahead of them; but still, Erickson feels confident that this generation of young engineers will be the ones to revolutionize deep sea exploration, telling the students during the tour, “the technology doesn’t exist right now, because you guys are the ones who are going to create it.”

Inspired by the support the XPRIZE team received, Kim and the AMSE staff wondered, what if VCS could use this partnership with MBARI to open up a new avenue of STEM learning for all students?

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That’s when the idea for the “Ocean Discovery” program was born.

Still in development, Ocean Discovery will start this year as an after-school program for select high school students to use MBARI’s Monterey Accelerated Research System, a system which has never been used by any high school.

This will allow the students to study cutting-edge ocean exploration technology and conduct underwater experiments on the ocean floor. Much

like the early stages of the ISS program, Ocean Discovery will use the initial launch to develop the technology and establish curriculum in order to grow the program into a proposed course offering for the 2018-19 school year—eventually bringing it out into the community through The Quest Institute for Quality Education.

“Our end goal with the XPRIZE competition and the Ocean Discovery program is not only to solve the challenge or form a VCS program, but to create a platform so that other schools can be inspired to learn STEM through ocean science,” Kim says.

In the meantime, XPRIZE teams from around the world are preparing to deploy their deep-sea

solutions in the competition later this fall, and the students at VCS are no exception.

“We’ve been working at Valley most of the summer,” VCS sophomore Meena says. “I was part of the ISS team, but with space you don’t have as many variable factors as we do here; in the ocean, you have so many to worry about! It’s really challenging, but in a good way.”

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Alumni in Valley Christian Schools’

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the Arts

“Art is such a powerful thing that ultimately comes from and belongs to God. So we have to ask ourselves, what does it mean to be a good steward of artistic gifts?” Brooke Novak (‘03) is one of many talented VCS alumni who is wrestling with these questions, trying to figure out how to use her talent and passion to make a living and an impact.

Some, like Novak, have opted to use their gifts to raise up the next generation of artists, others are trying to be a positive influence in their industry, and all are wondering, how do we use our talents to honor God in the arts?

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“I don’t think about being a ‘Christian artist,’ but being an artist and a Christian,” music composer and 2010 alumni Corey Martin says.

“Your faith is going to influence your art whether it’s a conscious decision or not.”

Martin attended Valley Christian High School (VCHS) at the start of the Conservatory program, taking music theory classes and singing in the jazz choir. In college, he met his future wife playing in Azusa Pacific University’s worship band and also gained an internship with Brand X Music, a production studio where he now works fulltime.

“I write custom music for specific projects, but the majority of the time I work on what we call ‘library music.’ I’ll compose a piece of music, and then different companies and studios license it to use in television programs, movie trailers, documentaries, etc.”

Corey’s music has been featured in campaigns

“Your faith is going to influence your art whether it’s a conscious decision or not.”

such as Beauty and the Beast, 24:Legacy, NASCAR promos, and can even be heard from “a galaxy far, far away.”

“The crazy thing about library music is that I’ll write a piece of music, and then two years later I’ll get an email that Star Wars’ Rogue One just bought it,” Martin says, still hardly believing where his career has taken him. “To go to the movies and hear my music is surreal, but you have to keep your head down and stay humble.

Where I’m at now in my career is really cool, but I’m also looking forward to making art in more meaningful ways.”

One way Corey hopes to do that is by shedding light on social justice issues through his music. “I just signed on for a documentary called Forced From Home, which surrounds the Syrian refugee crisis. I love telling stories that need to be told.

I went from having an interest in music and storytelling to doing both of those things for a living, which is both professionally and personally gratifying.”

The desire to tell stories is something Brooke

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Novak can relate to, whose love of storytelling is what propelled her into the world of theatre.

“Stories are my greatest passion; the million different ways you can tell a story is what gets me excited,” Novak, current VCHS adjunct theatre faculty, says. “I went to the University of San Diego for my MFA, and the professors there empowered me to tell narratives in unique ways.

Now, I get to empower these students to do the same.”

Much of Brooke’s teaching style was influenced not only by her experience in graduate school, but

also by her time at Valley.

“Theatre is a collaborative effort, and a space to bless the audience with a great story. When I was a student here that was part of our culture, and it’s what made me want to pursue theatre professionally.”

After spending several years in New York as an actor and director, Brooke has seen how artistic culture and Christianity are often at odds, though she believes artists today have the power to change that.

“I love that faith and art are making their way back together. For so long, people on both sides of the divide held onto these strict ideas of how faith was suppose to be represented. But now, we’re preparing the next generation of Christian artists to engage in the world of art and theatre, encouraging them to go out and redefine what a Christian artist looks like. My goal is to help these young artists find the balance of who they are as a person and what they do as an artist, and show them how to let God define both of those things.”

Brooke isn’t the only one who is passionate

“We’re preparing the next generation of Christian artists, encouraging them to go out and redefine what a Christian artist looks like.”

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about building up young artists—alumni Ryan Bortz (‘01) began his music career in the VCHS marching band before going on to lead The King’s Academy to back to back division victories as band director.

“As a student, marching band was a great space to participate in a collaborative production, and a place where I felt like I belonged. My time in the band program helped to shape who I am today as a musician and a teacher.”

Both unlikely titles for Bortz, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at a young age, making breathing (let alone playing the trombone) difficult. Despite this, Bortz was determined to play on.

“Not playing in marching band wasn’t really a consideration—it wasn’t going to keep me from doing what I enjoyed. Even when I wasn’t sure what my purpose was, my faith in God assured me that I did have a purpose. He only asked that I trust Him to take another step.”

A big step came in college at Pepperdine University, after Ryan changed his major from business to music, eventually going on to earn his master’s in both education and music conducting.

“I remembered the impact my teachers had on me at Valley, and wanted to make that same impact on other people’s lives.”

Bortz has been making an impact as a teacher for 10 years now, and though the last few seasons with The King’s Academy have seen great competitive success, Bortz remembers a time

when the band was made up of just 19 performing members. “It was pretty tough,” Bortz laughs.

“But the other staff members and I forged ahead.

At the end of the day, I want students to produce at their highest possible level. If the end result of that is us winning, great. But so long as they give it their all and feel proud of what they’ve done, that’s what’s most satisfying for me.”

Helping students grow as musicians is only one of Bortz’s goals, with his sights also set on a more long-term impact. “Participating in marching band, my students know how much hard work goes into making great art. I don’t expect all of my students to go on to become musicians, but I want each of them to become patrons of the arts for the rest of their lives. Not just music, but painting, theatre, ballet—it all goes together.”

Collaboration between artistic mediums is something 2008 grad Melissa Alvey is passionate about, currently the artist-in-residence at the Backwater Arts & Gallery in San Jose, but also with a background in dance and design.

“There’s a common language between art, dance, and music. I was very involved in dance at Valley, and when I began my design major at UC Davis, it felt similar. I love collaborating with other artists to bring all of the different elements together.

It’s reminiscent of how God brings together separate events in our lives to give us a great picture of His plan for us.”

A plan that has taken her all over the world. After graduating college, Alvey traveled with a group of artists to Japan, China, and Germany through the organization Youth With A Mission. “We collaborated to address social issues through exhibits and installations, and worked with art galleries to serve the local community. That’s when God instilled in me the dream to develop a program facilitating cross-cultural reconciliation

“I don’t expect all of my students to go on to become musicians, but my hope is that each of them leave with an appreciation for the arts.”

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through art.”

Alvey came home from her time abroad eager to begin her mission, when an unexpected roadblock came up.

“I underwent a foot reconstruction surgery, which triggered an unexpected nerve complication.

It took over a year of painful, slow healing to recover. My dream felt as if it had been ripped away, but looking back, I see God was using it to expand my dream.”

Feeling lost in the midst of her recovery, Alvey began the ritual of painting the sunrise and sunset each morning to remind her of God’s daily call to death and promise of resurrection, a project she later turned into her published devotional 40 Dawns & 40 Dusks.

“That whole season of my life was about God showing me healing through art, and it totally changed my perspective. Now, my focus is on the people I want to help, and art is just the medium used to reach them.”

That’s also when Alvey first heard of art therapy, a subject she will be studying at NYU this coming fall.

“With art therapy, I can use art in a way I didn’t even know existed a few years ago! It’s not about

“I love collaborating with other artists. It’s reminiscent of how God brings together separate events in our lives to give us a great picture of His plan.”

Painting from Alvey’s 40 Dawns & 40 Dusks.

having all the answers, but listening to people and helping them to engage with their past.”

Moving across the country and working towards her master’s degree will be hard work, but it’s work she is sure God has already used in her own life.

“This last year preparing for graduate school has been an opportunity to practice faith through my artwork.

Art teaches me a willingness to take risks and be brave—stepping into something uncomfortable, trusting the process, leaping into the unknown— it’s a great parallel for following God.” Following God’s plan is something that each of these alumni artists is striving to do in his and her own way. And while their paths might look different, each of their artistic endeavors reflect God as the ultimate Creator.

“My focus is on the people I want to help, and art is just the medium used to reach them.”

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Trinity Richards

STUDENT ARTS SHOW

Chin Wai Kiko Li

Rachel Elliott

The Conservatory’s annual Festival of the Arts showcased the many talents of our students, including the selection of student artwork and photography you see here.

Anh Nguyen

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Julia Fernandez

Jessica Cao

Elizabeth Shen

Trent Kelsall

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WINTER-SPRING

ATHLETICS

Scan this page with the Layar app for highlights of the VCHS athletic season.

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The football team is coming off of the most successful season in school history, winning the WCAL title, a CCS title, and their first-ever NorCal Championship on their way to the State Championship.

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Faculty Spotlight Arpedge Rolle

After the football team’s historic run to the state championship last year, the Warriors are hard at work to make history again. But the coaching staff isn’t just preparing the student-athletes for the upcoming season, but also preparing them for life.

“It’s not just about winning on the field; it’s about helping our kids win off the field,” Coach Arpedge Rolle says, donning his signature straw hat out on the field before practice.

Teaching history and coaching an all-star defensive line on the football team and state champions in track and field, Rolle was also the founder of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) at VCHS when he started teaching here in 2011.

“I introduced FCA for athletes to have a place for support, guidance, and a voice where they could share what they’re dealing with. I was involved in FCA in college, and it was huge for me.

I always tell people Jesus saved my life, but good coaches helped to change it.”

Playing defensive lineman at the University of Florida, Arpedge knows the pressures of collegiate athletics first hand, and thinks Valley does a great job preparing students.

“WCAL is one of the most competitive

leagues in the country, and VCHS has a history of being a successful program here. We have great support from our Athletic Director and the school to get what we need to train our kids to be the best they can be. Whatever we need, Valley has been able to provide it.”

Though it’s been amazing for him to see his students go on to become national champions and defensive linemen of the year, Arpedge says for him, success is about being able to shepherd his students.

“When I’m coaching shot put and discus, I tell them, ‘when you step in that circle, take God with you.

Whatever you do in life, invite God into that circle.’ My calling is to help these students rehearse trust and faith in God with sports, and then show them how to apply it to their life.”

Head Coach Mike Machado couldn’t agree more, and he is excited to see God continue to work through the athletics department. “Arpedge and all of our football coaching staff do an amazing job of coming alongside these young men training them to become leaders. That’s something they can take with them off the field wherever they go.”

Cheer on the football team in their first league home game September 22.

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SEPTEMBER 4

LABOR DAY (no school)

OCTOBER 14

HOMECOMING

OCTOBER 20

IN-SERVICE DAY (no school)

OCTOBER 23

STAFF RETREAT (no school)

NOVEMBER 10

VETERAN’S DAY (no school)

NOVEMBER 20-21

EL PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCE (EL no school)

FALL FORWARD NOVEMBER 22-24 DECEMBER 5-8 DECEMBER 8 DECEMBER 22-JANUARY 5

THANKSGIVING BREAK (no school) CHRISTMAS AT THE CALIFORNIA SKYWAY CHRISTMAS DINNER CHRISTMAS BREAK (no school)

JANUARY 8

IN-SERVICE DAY (no school)

JANUARY 9

SCHOOL RESUMES

Follow @vcschools and @vchsathletics on Twitter, download our mobile app “Valley Christian Schools,” and “like” our Facebook page to stay up-to-date on all the latest VCS happenings!

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development

CORNER OCTOBER 14- HOMECOMING Our 2017 Homecoming Celebration is coming up Saturday, October 14. With food trucks, live music, and Warrior football, it will be a day you won’t want to miss!

DECEMBER 8- SKYWAY CHRISTMAS DINNER Get into the holiday spirit with an evening of food and Christmas festivities at the Skyway Christmas Dinner on Friday, December 8. We will also be providing complimentary transportation to the Conservatory’s “Christmas at the California” performance in downtown San Jose. Tickets on sale later this fall.

MARCH 3- QUEST BALL Mark your calendars—the 4th annual Quest Ball Dinner and Auction will be held on Saturday, March 3, 2018, at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown San Jose. Tickets on sale January 9, and stay tuned for more information on this one-of-a-kind event!

MAY- GOLF CLASSIC We look forward to welcoming back the VCS community for a round of golf and a day of fellowship at the 24th annual Golf Classic, hosted at the Silver Creek Valley Country Club.

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We can’t wait for what God has in store for the VCHS Class of 2017. Here are just some of the places our amazing graduates are headed this fall.

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MISSION STATEMENT Valley Christian Schools’ mission is to provide a nurturing environment offering quality education supported by a strong foundation of Christian values in partnership with parents, equipping students to become leaders to serve God, to serve their families, and to positively impact their communities and the world.

vcs.net

VISION STATEMENT A world where every student pursues their personal Quest for Excellence™.

FOUNDING STATEMENT Valley Christian Schools supports the homes and churches of students in providing an education that is grounded in the Judeo-Christian values of the Bible, as reflected in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. Valley Christian Schools is committed to a Quest for Excellence™ in all of its educational programs, and provides a comprehensive kindergarten through twelfth grade curriculum with a rigorous college preparatory program. Firmly founded on Christian values, Valley Christian Schools challenges youth to aspire toward lives of character, service and influence while pursuing their individual Quests for Excellence.

Valley Christian Schools

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apply.vcs.net To support VCS, please call the Extend the Gift Development Office at (408) 362-7644.

Elementary (408) 559-4400 | 1450 N Leigh Ave, San Jose, CA 95125 Junior High (408) 513-2460 | High School (408) 513-2400 vcs.net | (408) 513-2500 | 100 Skyway Drive, San Jose, CA 95111