All Grade Level Info

• Need to Make a Change to Next Year's Course Requests?
• New to VHS Courses - SAT/ACT Prep; Architectural Design 1
• Course Opportunity - Vipertech
• Off Period Applications for Next School Year // JUNIORS & SENIORS
• Off Campus PE Applications // Deadline June 3
• ACC Summer Registration Opens // April 4 & 18
• ACC Dual Credit - Fall Enrollment Priority Deadline // April 22
• Verification of Enrollment (VOE) Requests

Freshmen Specific Info

• PSAT // April 28

Junior Specific Info

• Register for College Jump Start
• CCC Workshop Series // Brainstorming for College Essays April 4 & Peer to Peer Panel for Juniors April 11

Senior Specific Info

• Reminder: Check the Senior Info Page!
• Reminder: Order Your Cap & Gown
• VHS PTSA Scholarship // Deadline April 8
• Speaking of Scholarships....

College & Career Exploration Opportunities

• Job Board
• College Visits at Vandegrift

Counseling Resources

• "Mental Health Minute" Video Series - Leander ISD Counseling Services

Snapshot of Important Dates

Next year's course requests are now viewable in Home Access Center (HAC). Click here for instructions on how to view your requests in HAC.

Instructions for requesting updates to next year's course requests are found in the Course Request Verification document. The verification document is lengthy but contains tons of important information. Please review it carefully prior to requesting any changes.

The deadline to request changes during this first window is May 1, 11:59pm.

Please note:

• Counselors are unable to process any change requests submitted via email.
• While there will be one final change window over the summer, finalizing your requests during this first window provides the highest likelihood of being placed in the classes you want.
• No student/parent change requests will be honored after the final deadline of July 31, 11:59pm.
• Course selections are a year-long commitment. There will not be changes to elective courses past the final change request deadline of July 31, 2022 (NO CHANGES TO ELECTIVE COURSES AT SEMESTER)

• Intro to Culinary Arts will be limited to 10th grade students.
• New to VHS Courses: SAT/ACT Prep; Architectural Design 1
• There are quite a few closed/canceled courses. Please check the course verification document for an up to date list.

SAT/ACT PREP COURSE #8512

Vandegrift is excited to offer a More Than a Teacher SAT/ ACT Prep course during the school day for the 2022-23 school year! More Than a Teacher will charge $129 per student for this class. This is a significantly reduced rate from their weekday evening courses currently priced at $539 for the 2021-22 school year. The SAT/ACT VHS Prep Class allows this important work to be done during the day to free students up in the evening. Students will receive comprehensive instruction for both tests at a fraction of the cost of taking the class outside of school hours. Please contact Katy Seloff (katy.seloff@leanderisd.org) with any questions.

• open to juniors only during Fall semester only
• local credit course, 0.5 credit
• financial assistance available for those who qualify for free/reduced lunch

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 1 COURSE #8307

Architectural Design 1 introduces students to architecture, construction sciences, and architectural drafting. Students will use Revit software to produce a full set of residential architectural plans.

Interested in hands-on problem solving and helping others by sharing your technical knowledge?

Vipertech needs YOU! Whether it’s helping students connect to Wi-Fi, repairing laptops, or assisting with technology all over campus, Vipertech students are the front-line defense for any technology battle.

Don’t know a thing about computers? No problem! Vipertech will teach you the skills and give you the tools to succeed. We are looking for individuals who are excited to jump in at the opportunity to help, sharpen their people-skills and tackle technology “down-time.”

Students who will be SENIORS next year have the privilege of applying for "off periods," up to one period each day (TWO total).

JUNIORS have the privilege of applying for up to ONE total off period.

This privilege is granted to those students who are on track to meet the following expectations:

• Completing coursework for either the Distinguished Level of Achievement or LISD Distinguished with Honors Graduation Plan
• Completing the required 26 credits for graduation
• Have met the passing standards on all sections of the required EOC exams
• Do not owe attendance hours
• Understand that off periods will be rescinded should attendance hours accumulate during the first semester
• Click here to complete the Off Period Application for next school year.

NOTE: If students are taking ACC courses as part of their VHS schedule or have Off Campus PE class periods, the student is not eligible for additional off periods due to state attendance policies.

Current Vandegrift students wishing to pursue OCPE for the 2022-2023 school year should turn in their OCPE applications directly to the district office using the Off Campus PE Application Submission form by June 3, 2022 at 4 p.m.

This is a firm district set deadline - no late applications will be accepted.

Please see the LISD OCPE website for information, application, and more.

Summer semester registration for Austin Community College coursework is opening soon! New students must have completed Enrollment Steps 1-5 to be eligible, while Returning students must have met with Mrs. Spradling in order for their hold to be lifted.

• Returning student registration opens April 4
• New student registration opens April 18

More information about opportunities to earn college credit through the ACC Dual Credit program can be found on the College & Career Center ACC Dual Credit website.

Returning and New ACC students planning to take dual credit coursework through Austin Community College should be scheduling individual meetings with Mrs. Spradling now through April 22 to plan for 2022-23 courses (fall/spring semesters). New students should have completed the initial Enrollment Steps (1-4) prior to this required meeting.

Please visit the Dual Credit website for full details about taking college level courses.

VOE requests are handled by our front office staff. Students can access the VOE request form by visiting the Parent/Student Resources page on the VHS website (found under "forms").

A few things to note:

• students must not owe any technology and/or library fines (see campus technologist or librarian for issues with fines)
• students must not owe attendance hours (see your AP with attendance questions)
• VOEs expire after 30 days
• VOEs will be ready for pick-up the next school day following your request (24 hours processing time) - you will not receive a call regarding your VOE unless there is an issue with processing
• VOEs must be picked up from the VHS front office (they will not be mailed)

Questions about VOE requests can be sent to cheryl.gonzales@leanderisd.org.

All freshmen will take the PSAT 8/9 on Thursday, April 28th during the school day. This assessment allows students to get early feedback on content areas essential for college and career readiness. Please note that students will need to provide their own calculators for this test - read more about the calculator policy here.

Eager to start tackling your college applications this summer? Sign up to attend College Jump Start, a free college application workshop hosted at Vandegrift High School.

Access the link below for full details and registration links for sessions in June or July.

The college application essays and short answers always seem to be the most daunting part of the process. What do they want to know? How can I answer this in an interesting way? Join us to learn more about crafting a great essay, but more importantly, tools and exercises to help you brainstorm topics and themes to address. We'll be joined by essay writing guru Liz Pack of Collegewise for her insider expertise. // REGISTER HERE

This is geared toward juniors (Class of 2023) and parents - join us to hear from a panel of seniors about their unique insight surrounding senior year and the college admission process. They've been in your shoes, made mistakes, faced tough choices, and have learned from their experiences...and more importantly, they are eager to pass on their collective wisdom to you! // REGISTER HERE

Seniors, there is a webpage devoted just to you! Please check the Senior Information Page regularly to keep track of upcoming senior events, end-of-year tasks, information about graduation, etc.

The Vandegrift PTSA offers annual scholarships to graduating VHS seniors who will be enrolled in an accredited college or university, technical or vocational institute in the summer or fall semester immediately following graduation. Applicant must be a member of the Vandegrift PTSA.

Vandegrift High School PTSA Scholarship - deadline: April 8, 2022 - Information and Application

The VHS Counseling website is regularly updated with scholarship opportunities. Make sure to check back often for new postings, or visit the Class of 2022 Google classroom, click on the "Classwork" feed, and locate the "Scholarships" topic. Though these applications can be time consuming, the payoff can be huge - FREE $$!

Students, are you looking for a part-time job? Check out the LISD Student Job Board for opportunities.

We have a handful of colleges already scheduled to visit Vandegrift in April. Students should log into their Naviance acount and navigate to Colleges > College Visits to register. These are valuable opportunties to learn more about a school without having to travel, and allows students to get inside details regarding the application process, scholarship opportunities, and to meet the admission representatives who will be reviewing their application!

• April 5: The University of Texas at Dallas & Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
• April 7: California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
• April 19: Lynn University & University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• April 21: Texas State University & Colorado State University
• April 28: Texas A&M University

In an effort to promote mental health awareness and reduce the stigma of seeking help for mental health concerns, the Leander ISD Counseling Services team is excited to debut a Mental Health Minute video series. The videos will be shared weekly through students' Class of 20XX Google classroom. We will also be including the Mental Health Minutes for each month within the VHS Counseling Newsletter.

The videos were written and recorded by Leander ISD Counseling Services team members. Some of the topics covered will include managing stress, healthy coping skills, staying grounded, talking about your feelings, making and building positive friendships, and how and when to ask for help. Each video ends with the reminder that “if you or someone you know is struggling, tell a trusted adult."

March Mental Health Minute Series

Failure and Disappointment // English, Spanish

Circle of Control // English

Tools for Managing Strong Emotions (Grounding Exercise) // English, Spanish

April 5 // English 1 EOC

April 7 // English 2 EOC

April 21 // Valor Day

April 28 // PSAT Grade 9

May 1 // Course Selection Change Window Closes at 11:59p

May 3 // Biology EOC

May 10 // Algebra 1 EOC

May 11 // US History EOC

May 23 // Senior Awards, 6pm (more info to come)

May 26 // Senior Breakfast/Graduation Rehearsal/Cap & Gown Distribution

May 26 // Last Day of School

May 27 // VHS Graduation 12pm

June 3 // OCPE Applications due by 4p