VIPER NEWS

Greetings Viper Nation!

What an incredible Homecoming Week at Vance County High School! I want to take a moment to express how proud and happy I was to witness the tremendous school spirit, unity, pride, and excitement displayed throughout the entire week. From our spirited activities and celebrations to the energy and support shown at our Homecoming football game, it was truly a special time to be a Viper!

Seeing our students, staff, families, alumni, and community come together reminded me of what makes Vance County High School such a special place. Homecoming was more than a celebration; it was a reflection of our school's rich history, strong traditions, and bright future. This year's theme, "The Legacy Continues," was a powerful reminder that we are all responsible for building upon the foundation established by those who came before us.

As your principal, I am especially proud of the continued growth taking place at VCHS. We are making progress academically, strengthening our school culture, increasing opportunities for student success, and continuing to raise expectations across our campus. While we recognize that there is still work to be done, I firmly believe that we are moving in the right direction. Our progress is not accidental; it is the result of hard work, commitment, collaboration, and a shared belief in what our students can accomplish.

I often remind our school community that "Building the Standard" is more than a theme. It is a commitment to excellence in our classrooms, hallways, athletic programs, extracurricular activities, and throughout our community. Every day presents another opportunity to improve, grow, and demonstrate what it means to be a Viper.

To our students, thank you for your enthusiasm, school pride, and participation. To our teachers and staff, thank you for going above and beyond to create meaningful experiences for our students. To our families, alumni, and community supporters, thank you for your continued encouragement and investment in Vance County High School.

I am proud to serve as your principal, and I am even more excited about what lies ahead. We will continue to celebrate our accomplishments, address our challenges, and work together to ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed.

Remember, "Graduation is a milestone. Readiness is the outcome."

The legacy continues, the standard is rising, and the best is still ahead for Vance County High School!

Viper Pride, Always!

Dr. Nealie Whitt III
Principal, Vance County High School

From classroom learning to spirited celebrations, Vance County High School has been busy building a strong foundation for the 2026–2027 school year! Our theme, “Building the Standard,” reminds us that daily choices matter—showing up, participating, completing assignments, respecting others, and taking pride in our school.

Thank you to our students, staff, families, and community partners for helping make the beginning of this year memorable. Take a look at some of the learning, accomplishments, and Viper pride happening across our campus!

Our classrooms have been filled with opportunities for students to think, collaborate, and practice new skills. English students have participated in team review games focused on transitional phrases, while math students have worked through problems, explained their reasoning, and asked questions to deepen their understanding.

In science, students have explored concepts such as photosynthesis through review and collaborative corrections. These learning experiences help students build confidence, strengthen their understanding, and take an active role in their education.

Ask your student: What is something you learned recently, and how did you practice it?

VCHS continues to strengthen college and career readiness through AVID! Our staff participated in schoolwide professional learning led by Mr. Corrente, focusing on the AVID Critical Reading Process.

Through writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading—known as WICOR—we are helping students develop skills they can use in every subject and beyond high school. Reading carefully, asking thoughtful questions, organizing materials, and explaining ideas are all part of preparing our Vipers for their next steps.

Mrs. Simpson’s students put their creativity to work during a piñata project that developed over several weeks. Their creations included a Minion, SpongeBob, Hello Kitty, a skull, a traditional piñata, and a donkey!

The showcase highlighted students’ imagination, effort, and attention to detail. We are proud to celebrate opportunities for our students to create and share their work.

Vance County High School joined the district’s Autumn Around the World fall festival on October 8 with a karaoke station that was a hit!

Our station gave attendees an opportunity to sing, laugh, and enjoy time together. A special thank-you goes to our female administrators for keeping the station running and helping represent VCHS with enthusiasm. We enjoyed connecting with families and celebrating alongside our district community!

Homecoming brought school spirit, friendly competition, and community connections to VCHS! Students and staff participated in spirit week, building excitement for Friday’s festivities.

At our pep rally, fall sports teams entered the gym together, and both our varsity and JV cheerleaders performed. We also recognized our ninth- through eleventh-grade homecoming court and winners. Music from the DJ gave students time to celebrate and socialize.

One unforgettable moment was the pie activity featuring Mr. Elliott, Coach Collins, and AP Jones! Thank you to everyone who helped make the pep rally a fun part of our homecoming celebration.

Our October 9 homecoming celebration brought generations of our school community together. Beginning at 4 p.m., alumni from Vance Senior High, Northern Vance, and Southern Vance gathered for tailgating, food, music, and fellowship.

The excitement continued as the Vipers took on Knightdale and earned a 27–13 conference victory! We also presented our homecoming court and crowned our king and queen for the 2026–2027 school year.

During the celebration, we honored Coach Watkins, our interim athletic director, recognizing his connection to Vance Senior High’s Class of 1987 and the 1986 PAC-6 4A conference football championship.

Thank you to our alumni, families, staff, and supporters for helping make homecoming a celebration of our shared history and school pride!

Our fall student-athletes have given us plenty to celebrate!

• Flag football: As of October 8, our team had reached an outstanding 12–0 record! Highlights included a 71–0 victory over Warren County and a 13–0 win over Wake Forest.

• Varsity football: The Vipers celebrated homecoming with a 27–13 win over Knightdale.

• JV football: Against Wake Forest, our team battled back from a 22–0 deficit to finish 22–14, showing determination through the final whistle.

• Soccer: Congratulations to our team on its victory over Franklinton!

• Volleyball: Senior night provided an opportunity to recognize our seniors and their contributions to the program.

We appreciate the dedication of our athletes, coaches, cheerleaders, and supporters. Keep showing up and cheering on our Vipers!

Families play an essential role in student success. Help your student stay on track by:

• Checking Infinite Campus regularly for grades and attendance.

• Talking about missing assignments and upcoming deadlines.

• Encouraging daily attendance and arriving to class on time.

• Reminding students to follow classroom expectations and keep phones put away as directed.

• Contacting teachers early when questions or concerns arise.

A few minutes of conversation at home can help students stay focused and connected at school. Thank you for partnering with us as we continue Building the Standard!

OCTOBER: Respect begins with the way we treat one another each day. When we listen, value different perspectives, and speak with kindness, we help create schools where everyone feels welcome and valued. This October, we encourage our students and staff to show respect through their words and actions, knowing that small choices can make a meaningful difference for others.

The Salvation Army Family Store offers students an opportunity to serve their community in a practical, hands-on way while helping support the work of The Salvation Army in our area. This can be a great opportunity for students to complete volunteer hours while also learning responsibility, teamwork, organization, and the value of serving others. For more information, reach out to Staci Gainey - P: (252)438-7107.

2292 Ross Mill Rd, Henderson, NC 27537

Open for all VCS Students!! Enter your best arts related design for a chance to be your design selected for the t-shirts or marketing materials for Arts Alive 2027. Information about the competition is located here and the template for the shirts is here or on the district website. The competition ends on October 31. All designs must be submitted before this date.

College Application Week is the week when many North Carolina colleges and institutions waive their application fees for students applying to college on CFNC.org.This event is part of NC Countdown to College (C2C), a year-long initiative where we encourage students to complete the following three steps in college enrollment: residency, financial aid, and college applications.

So, check out the list now and start getting your students prepared for October!

NC College Connect directly admits North Carolina public high school seniors to select UNC System universities, North Carolina independent colleges and universities, and their local North Carolina community college where they already meet admissions requirements. It’s that simple! Students with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above who meet NC College Connect requirements will be eligible for direct admission at a select list of participating colleges and universities. If a student doesn’t meet the 2.8 GPA threshold, they will receive direct admission to their local community college. Check out the full list of participating schools at NCCollegeConnect.org.

College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) is offering a series of free webinars to help students and families navigate college admissions, scholarships, financial aid and other higher education topics.

Upcoming webinars include:

• How to Pay for College: Three Ways to Pay for College - Nov. 17 at 6 p.m.
• Over 130 Scholarships; Just One Application - Jan. 12 at 6 p.m.
• How to Pay for College: Step-by-Step Guide to the 2027–28 FAFSA - Feb. 4 at 6 p.m.
• HBCU Scholarship Opportunities - Feb. 11 at 6 p.m.
  How to Pay for College: College Financial Award Offers Made
• Simple - Feb. 25 at 6 p.m.

Visit CFNC.org/events to register.

State Assessment data is now available in the Parent Portal. Click the three dots, select Assessments, and you can view Assessments for 2025-2026, as well as those taken this year.