VHS Counseling May Newsletter

IN THIS NEWSLETTER YOU WILL FIND INFO ABOUT.....

Snapshot of Important Dates

All Grade Level Info

Mental Health Awareness Month
OCPE Application Deadline // June 5

College & Career Exploration

Enrichment Opportunities in Naviance
College Visits for VHS Students
Upcoming Test Preparation Opportunties
Rice University School Mathematics Project // Summer Opportunties

Senior Zone

Senior Wrap-Up Meetings // May 13 & 14
Senior Awards // May 18
State Graduation Requirement: Financial Aid Application
Scholarship Information
Don't Be Caught Without a Cap & Gown!
Do I need tickets for graduation?
Accepted? We Want to Know!
Senior Video Submissions (different than Senior Slides)
Class of 2026 Senior Walk Schedule
Final GPA Calculation (& Rank for Top 10%)

Junior Zone

Register Now for College Jumpstart

May 13 & 14 // MANDATORY Senior Wrap-Up End of Year Meetings (schedule)

May 16 - 23 // Final Exams (final exam schedule for all grade levels)

May 18 // Senior Awards, 5p

May 26 - 28 // Elementary Senior Walks (schedules & details)

May 28 // Senior Breakfast/Graduation Rehearsal/Cap & Gown Distribution

May 29 // Last Day of School
May 29 // VHS Graduation, 2p

June 5 // OCPE Applications due by 4p

Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. While mental health issues are on the rise for young people, we as schools, families and communities can support our children and teens through these challenges and help them build strong mental health.

As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, we are sharing a take home calendar filled with simple daily activities, coping strategies and conversation starters for families to do together.

We encourage guardians to take time each day to check in with their students, using the calendar as a guide for meaningful conversations and shared activities. These daily moments can help you better understand how your student is feeling while also building strong habits for emotional well being.

Each day offers a small, meaningful way to support your family’s well-being, including:

practicing mindfulness together
building resilience through simple daily habits
exploring new coping skills
Celebrating small successes and positive moments

Mental health is important for everyone, children and adults alike, and these activities are designed to make prioritizing well being both easy and enjoyable for the whole family.

Together, we can make mental health a natural and positive part of everyday life.

Mental Health Awareness Calendar // May

EN ESPANOL

Off-Campus PE Application Deadline // June 5th, 4p

Off-Campus PE Applications are due by June 5, 2026 at 4pm. Please visit the district website for information and application information. Leander ISD OCPE Information

Enrichment Opportunities in Naviance

Students can now find ongoing part time jobs, 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".

Upcoming Test Preparation Opportunities

More Than a Teacher is hosting several test prep opportunties at VHS targeting upcoming SAT/PSAT testing dates:

One-week Intensive SAT Class On Campus targeting the June SAT: https://www.morethanateacher.com/sat/vandegrift-june-sat-prep/
Summer PSAT/SAT Classes On Campus (July/August): https://www.morethanateacher.com/psat/vandegrift-psat-prep-summer-session-3-option-1/

Rice University School Mathematics Project // Summer Opportunties

RUSMP's Summer Camps and Programs for Students

The Rice University School Mathematics Project offers a variety of programs for students including RUSMP's popular math summer camps and programs.

Summer 2026 Programs for Students

Preparing for Success in Precalculus (June 15–26, 2026; from 9am-noon) - REGISTER HERE

Preparing for Success in Calculus (July 6–23, 2026; from 9am-noon) - REGISTER HERE

Registration Note: You need to create a family account first. Then, you should add a member (the student) to the account. Once these two steps are done, you can register the member(s) to courses.

Each student class will be taught by a team of one Rice math faculty and one experienced master teacher. Students will enrich their mathematics backgrounds, prepare for their next math courses, and explore mathematics topics that may not be emphasized during the school year.

Senior Wrap-Up Meetings // May 13 & 14

We know you're looking ahead to a bright future, but we have some things that require wrapping up here at the high school before graduation! So save the date: on May 13 & 14 we'll be meeting with seniors during their English 4 class periods (during ACC Off Campus periods for those of you who took ACC English). Again, this is a REQUIRED meeting. Full details will be posted on the Senior Information page and in the Class of 2026 Google Classroom as the dates approach. **Seniors who have a conflicting AP exam should join one of the ACC time blocks.

Senior Wrap-Up Meeting Schedule

State Graduation Requirement: Financial Aid Application

In accordance with Texas Education Code (TEC), §28.0256, each student must do one of the following in order to graduate:

Complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Complete and submit a Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) (for Texas residents who are not eligible to apply for federal financial aid - usually includes students who are non-citizens or non-permanent residents of the United States)
Submit a signed opt-out form ENGLISH, SPANISH

*Reminder: this is only one graduation requirement component. Counselors and Administrators will continue working with Seniors on ensuring graduation requirements are met.

ACTION REQUIRED

Seniors: To complete this graduation requirement, submit your documentation to this linked form.

Senior Awards // May 18

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 18 at 5p in the Vandegrift High School Performing Arts Center. Seniors receiving awards and recognition received invitations the week of April 27th 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).

Scholarship Information

Leander ISD communicates information regarding scholarship opportunities through the Naviance platform. See this infographic for how to navigate Naviance scholarship information. We also post local scholarship opportunities in the Class of 2026 Google classroom (Classwork --> Scholarships). Though these applications can be time consuming, the payoff can be huge - FREE $$!

Don't be caught without a Cap & Gown!!

We want you looking calm and crisp on graduation day, so don't delay! 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 2026 products can be found at the Josten's VHS store.

Do I need tickets for graduation?

No! Seating at the HEB Center is first come, first served. There is ample seating for all seniors and their guests.

Accepted? We Want to Know!

Once you make a decision of where you'll be attending, follow the steps below to be added to our "Going Places" wall at the front of the school.

Log into your Naviance account (access through Leander LaunchPad)
Navigate to "Colleges I'm Applying To"
Add your school or military branch and click on the edit icon and update your "Result" to "Accepted"
Once you know where you're committing, choose it from the drop-down of "College I'm Attending"

Submit Your Videos for the Senior Video at Graduation

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 2026 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.

Click Here to Submit Your Videos/Photos

Class of 2026 Senior Walk Schedule

Senior walks for the Leander ISD Class of 2026 will be held across elementary campuses from May 26-28. These walks allow graduating seniors to reconnect with the elementary campus where they began their education and inspire current elementary students who get to see a glimpse of their own futures.

Seniors who participate in the walk on May 26 and 27 should dress in school spirit wear (elementary, high school, collegiate, military, etc.) since they will not yet have their caps and gowns. Seniors walking on May 28 should wear their graduation caps and gowns.

Click here for the full schedule.

Final GPA Calculation (& Rank for Top 10%)

Final GPAs for the Class of 2026 are currently being calculated. Full information will be sent in a separate newsletter once this process is complete. Students in the Top 10% and the Top Ten students should keep an eye on your email for information from Mrs. Sanders about ordering your honors cords.

Juniors - Register now for College Jump Start!

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 & July.

Click Here to Register for College Jumpstart