VHS Counseling March Newsletter

Course Selection Information

• Course Selection Timeline & Rush Schedule (Courses Now Viewable in HAC)
• Viper Night
• Off Period Applications
• ACC Dual Credit - Summer & Fall 2025
• Course Opportunities - Vipertech / AVID
• OCPE Application Deadline // May 30

Senior Zone

• Senior Awards // May 19
• Don't Be Caught Without a Cap & Gown!
• Senior Video Submissions
• Want to Win a Car? (Yes, for real!)

Junior Zone

• School Day SAT for Juniors // March 6
• Register Now for College Jumpstart

College & Career Exploration

• Enrichment Opportunities in Naviance
• College Visits for VHS Students
• ASVAB Career Exploration // March 26
• Applied Research Laboratories Summer Apprenticeship Program // due March 10
• Austin National College Fair // April 8

Mental Health Minutes

Please view the VHS Course Selection Timeline document for all information regarding upcoming academic planning activities.

Next year's course requests have been pulled from Four Year Plans in Naviance and are viewable in Home Access Center (HAC). Click here for instructions on how to view your requests in HAC.

THE FINAL COURSE REQUEST CHANGE DEADLINE FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR IS MAY 1, 2025

Freshmen & Sophomores

During Course Selection Rush, VHS Counselors will meet individually with students to review courses in HAC for accuracy and make any necessary updates. Please see the recently sent newsletter with resources for course selection, including our recent academic planning webinar.

Course Selection Rush Dates (during English classes):

• Sophomores - March 12 & 13
• Freshmen - March 26 & 27

Juniors

Juniors conferences were held during January/February and course selections were submitted during these conferences. Please see the Viper Vitals for Juniors newsletter for more information.

Please see the Program Schedule for Viper Night. Maps will be provided upon entrance (please utilize the main VHS entrance) to Viper Night. If you wish to attend a session that has a 5pm start time, we advise arriving by 4:45p to ensure you are able to make it to your session location by the start time.

Viper Night will begin at 5:00 p.m. and will showcase the Viper Experience by highlighting the various ways our students can explore their interests and passions through elective coursework, clubs and organizations. Designed with current 8th, 9th and 10th grade students in mind, this event provides students and families with a better understanding of both academic and extracurricular programs so that students can make informed course selection decisions for the upcoming school year.

Viper Night is designed in a fluid (open house) format integrated with scheduled information sessions so students and families can learn about opportunities directly from the teachers, coaches, directors and/or upper-level students involved in those programs.

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.

REVIEW THE VHS OFF PERIOD GUIDELINES PRIOR TO SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION

Juniors/seniors can apply for an off period HERE. Please submit off period requests (including those impacting semester 2) prior to May 1st. You DO NOT need to submit an additional change request form if you are only requesting off periods.

Students may not apply for an off period if they are enrolled in any ACC or OCPE Category 1 classes during the school year due to Texas PEIMS attendance code referenced above.

Though you may see off periods listed in your course requests prior to the start of school, please know they are not guaranteed. You must meet all the qualifying requirements in order to earn your off periods.

9th, 10th, and 11th grade students interested in taking ACC dual credit classes summer 2025 and/or during the 25-26 school year should begin the ACC dual credit enrollment process and prepare for registration. For students needing to take the TSI for their college readiness metric (step 4 of the enrollment process), testing is available at ACC campuses (Monday-Friday and some locations on Saturdays) and at VHS (offered periodically). Information about TSI testing can be found here. Priority deadlines to complete the dual credit enrollment process and advising meeting are March 13 for summer registration and April 25 for fall registration.

To note: 12th grade students interested in taking ACC courses after graduation can find more information here

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.”

Vandegrift High School is very proud of the AVID Program which has supported students throughout their high school careers. AVID stands for Advancement via Individual Determination, which is a college readiness elective course focusing on critical thinking, collaborative learning via twice-weekly tutorials, academic enrichment, organizational and study skills, and motivational activities. AVID's mission is to close the opportunity gap by preparing all students for college and career readiness and success in a global society.

Using your Leander ISD Gmail account, join the AVID Online Application Google Classroom which provides step-by-step directions to apply. Join Code: j3avp72 (Current and previous VHS AVID students do not need to reapply.)

Questions may be directed to Mr. Adrian, freshman AVID teacher and VHS AVID coordinator, at Joe.Adrian@leanderisd.org.

Off-Campus PE Applications are due by May 30, 2025 at 4pm. Please visit the district website for information and application information. Leander ISD OCPE Information

The Senior Awards Ceremony will recognize seniors who have received outstanding academic, service, and military honors and/or awards. The ceremony will take place Monday, May 19 at 5p in the Vandegrift High School Performing Arts Center. Seniors receiving awards and recognition will receive invitations the week of April 28th to attend the Senior Awards ceremony, however, all are welcome to join the celebration.

This is a formal celebration - we encourage students to dress up (i.e. slacks, button-ups, dresses).

It is imperative you order your cap & gown for graduation. All seniors are required to have a cap & gown to participate in graduation ceremonies.

Graduation regalia identifying various honors are distributed in different ways as we near graduation. A document will be posted in the spring regarding honors and contacts.

Bundled packages and additional class of 2025 products can be found at the Josten's VHS store.

How does a free car sound? For the fourth year, Honda Leander is giving away a brand new car to one lucky Leander ISD graduating senior. Make sure to turn in the entry form in to the front office by April 1, 2025. If you are randomly chosen as one of Vandegrift's nominees, you will be notified in April so that you can attend the drawing. Click here for more information and to see videos of past LISD winners. A Vandegrift student hasn't won yet, so we are hoping this is the year!!

Please only submit the form if you are able to attend the drawing on April 13, 2025, as you must be present to win.

The VHS A/V Program needs your help to build an archive of images and footage to celebrate and show off our grads in the graduation video.

Please submit up to five images/videos featuring a 2025 VHS Senior student(s). Group shots are great if they are ALL VHS seniors this year!

Submissions should feature student activities centered around school life. We want to feature all the times they've had together here at VHS through athletics, academics and student life.

We'd also love some shots you may have of current seniors together when they were younger!
Please keep videos to 15 seconds or less.

On March 6, VHS will administer the SAT test to all 11th grade students. Students should be sure to be at school on this day as there is no make-up opportunity for this FREE administration - no registration required. Information about School Day SAT, including the structure of the test and what to bring on test day can be found here. More information will be shared in the coming weeks. Direct questions about School Day SAT to Lori Tanner (lori.tanner@leanderisd.org).

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 May, June, & July.

Students can now find ongoing enrichment programs, summer camps, study abroad opportunities, internships, and volunteer opportunities in Naviance. To browse these opportunities, students should log into their Naviance account (accessed through Leander ISD Launchpad), select "Colleges" & "Enrichment Programs".

Don't forget that college admissions representatives are still scheduling visits to connect with prospective applicants! This is a great way to find out more about colleges, develop an understanding about the admissions process, and connect with the representatives who will be reviewing your application. Click here to access the College Visit Calendar and instructions for registration.

The ASVAB Career Exploration Program is a FREE test available to interested 10th-12th grade students. The ASVAB program facilitates career planning and exploration, combining a multiple-aptitude test with an interest self-assessment and a wide range of career exploration tools. The test is open to any student who simply is wanting more career guidance, but is a requirement for students interested in pursuing military options. NOTE: LISD does not release scores to the military; students pursuing the military are responsible for sharing their scores.

The test will take place on Wednesday, March 26. Testing will take place in the College & Career Center (Room 1306) from 9:15 AM - 11:45 AM. REGISTER HERE.

Each summer Applied Research Laboratories, a department at The University of Texas at Austin, sponsors a Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program for high school graduates who will be attending a 4-year college or university in the fall semester, and who have been accepted, but not necessarily attending UT Austin in the fall. Preference for this opportunity is given to students attending UT Austin and those whose intended majors are aerospace, electrical, and mechanical engineering, computer science, geophysics, mathematics, and physics, but all STEM students are eligible to apply.

This program, which began in 1982, involves summer employment at Applied Research Laboratories in northwest Austin and provides a "hands-on" introduction to research and development. This is a competitive, 10-week summer program for graduating seniors, offering a salary of $21.00 an hour. This prestigious group of students also write reports that will be published and widely distributed at the end of their summer term.

Application deadline is March 10, 2025 // details & application

The fair will be held on Tuesday, April 8th, 2025 from 6:00 - 8:30 PM at the Palmer Events Center. Over 300 exhibitors are expected to participate. A list of participating institutions is constantly updated as Colleges/Universities sign up for this opportunity, but you can see that list here. Click here to register for the fair.

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 continue the Mental Health Minute video series.

March Mental Health Minutes:

• Anxiety and Nerves
• Being Assertive
• Body Image
• Building Connections When Lonely

Counselors and Asst. Principals are assigned alphabetically by STUDENT last name:

VHS Counselors

Kandice Detlefsen, Lead Counselor - A - Bo

DeAngelo Freeman - Br - Ep

Becca Ramirez - Er - H

Charity Escott - I - Mar

Tracy Noble - Mas - Pi

Shawna Powell - Pl - St

Melissa Wells - Su - Z

VHS Assistant Principals

Amanda Toon, Associate Principal - A - B

Becky Azard-Jackson - C - G

Parrish McEwen - H - Ma

Collin Fletcher - Mc - Sa

Delis Golden - Sc - Z

Additional Staff Contact Information

Katie Kendall - College and Career Transition Coordinator

Heidi Kalla - Dean of Instruction

Emily Rullan - Special Education Team Lead

Lori Tanner - 504 Coordinator

Alexandra Magness- IB Coordinator