Fall, 2015 Letter from the Principal Sherry Tolkan 414.389.5560 [email protected] As I stand outside each morning greeting students and waving to parents, I marvel at the school that Veritas has become over the past 15 years. With the support of our incredible staff, families like yours, and students who are committed to learning, the vision of creating a small, safe, academically challenging school that prepares students for post- secondary opportunities has become a reality. Rest assured that we will remain a small school despite the fact that we have a long waiting list of students who want to attend Veritas. We are built on strong relationships and will not risk losing our identity and effectiveness. Looking back, it is amazing to see how far we have come. Each year, more Veritas students are being accepted to first rate colleges and universities based on their strong academic achievements and their extensive involvement in extra-curricular activities and community service. The Milwaukee Community has also taken notice of our accomplishments. On Nov 14 th , Veritas High School was honored by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee with the prestigious “Marty Stein Champion for Children Award.” The award was presented at the Big Brother Big Sisters Gala at the Pfister Hotel. Accompanying me to the event was: Marcia Spector, Executive Director of Seeds of Health; staff members Brenda Jeske, Shentel Manresa, and Mandy Adams; and nine Veritas sophomores who volunteered their time to help raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters. As we approach the holiday season, we wish all of our wonderful families good health and happiness. In the spirit of the season, please mark your calendars for January 13 th for the 2 nd Annual Family Ties Event, sponsored by the Veritas High School Service Learning Class and Parent Council. On that evening, Veritas students and their families will come together to create tied blankets that will be donated to those in need in the Milwaukee area. Please know that all of us at Veritas High School remain dedicated to providing the best educational opportunities for your child while instilling in each of them the importance of hard work, good character, and service to the community. My door is always open to you. Yours Truly, Sherry Tolkan Veritas High School is a program of Seeds of Health, Inc. The Veritas High School mission is to prepare Milwaukee students for post-secondary education success through completion of an academically challenging, values-based curriculum in a safe and supportive environment. UPCOMING EVENTS Dec 14—Early Release Day Dec 21-Jan 1—Winter Break (No School) Jan 4—School Resumes Jan 18—Martin Luther King Day (No School) Jan 19-21—Semester Exams (Early Dismissal 11:10 AM) Jan 22—Record Day (No School) Jan 25—Semester 2 Begins Jan 25-26—Interim Jan 27—ACCESS Testing Feb 1—Staff Professional Development Day (No School) Feb 8—Early Release Day Feb 15—Mid-Semester Break (No School) Mar 1 & 2—ACT Testing (11th Grade) Mar 4—Staff Professional Development Day (No School) Mar 14—Early Release Day Mar 16—Parent/Teacher Conferences (4—8 PM) Mar 17—Parent/Teacher Conferences (1—8 PM) Mar 18—Teacher Day (No School) Mar 25-Apr 1—Spring Break (No School) Volume 3 Issue 1 Veritas High School News © Seeds of Health, Inc. © Seeds of Health, Inc. Fall, 2015 The Tenor/Veritas soccer season came to an unfortunate end with a 5-3 loss to St. Anthony's in the most difficult division 3 regional in the state. It was the most successful season in the program's history, as the team accumulated 15 wins (6 losses, 3 ties) on their way to the Indian Trails Conference Championship. Many athletes received 1st team and honorable mention conference awards. High- lights of the season included a 4-0 win against division 4 honorable mention Racine Lutheran, the great atmosphere at the homecoming game against St. Anthony's, the 7-1 stomping against Reagan, and finding the back of the net 111 times (compared to 34 goals against) this season (5th highest scoring team in the state across all divisions). The October 2015 results of the Vocabulary Bowl have just been released. We're excited to announce that Veritas High earned the following achievements: Wisconsin State Runner-Up October 2015 Wisconsin State Top 10 School October 2015 Every month, thousands of schools across the US and Canada compete in the Vocabulary Bowl. Winning these awards is quite an achievement. Keep up the good work! The Tenor/Veritas Girls Volleyball Team had a great fall season! Varsity finished with a record of 7-16, while JV finished with a record of 4-6. The girls showed a lot of improvement from previous seasons, a result of working out during the summer and showing dedication at every practice. This was the team's first season participating in the Indian Trails Conference. The "Thunder-Titans" finished with a conference record of 3-7, putting them in 4th place. The Varsity team was led by Captain Lauren Conway, libero Kirstin Larson, and setter Nancy Juarez. The JV team was led by Clara Gallegos and Rosa Luna. Highlights from the season include beating St. Anthony twice, winning against Salam in a nail-biting 5th game, and tying for 2nd place in our pool at the Conference Tournament. Great season ladies, and good luck next year! Veritas continues its long-term relationship with the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. This year we continue to be a part of an amazing program that we've had the opportunity to be a part of for many years. The Milwaukee Repertory Theater and its Education Department has provided us with thirty tickets to see four shows this year: Dreamgirls, The Mousetrap, Of Mice and Men, and Fences. In addition, they'll bring out the professional actors from the shows to discuss with the students the major themes, historical contexts, and technical aspects of the show in pre and post show workshops along with a backstage tour of the theater. We will also participate in a Rep Immersion program, which is a full day of fun and education with the actors of the show at the theater, with lunch provided by the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. This opportunity gives students an inside peek into the magic of creating live theater and is provided to us practically FREE! This year, our Journalism class will be lucky enough to experience this great program. We saw Dreamgirls on October 15th and the students were wowed by the dazzling, inspiring performance. Next up, The Mousetrap, a classic Agatha Christie whodunit, on December 3rd. Poetry Club, a new club here at Veritas, is open to all. We'll be writing, performing, watching, reading, and talking about poetry. We will also look into getting a Poetry Slam team started, and attending Spoken Word poetry events. Service Learning Class—Making a Difference in the Community! Below are just some of the many local places that this class has had a positive impact upon so far this school year: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee Gala Held at the Pfister Hotel on November 14th The following Mentor2.0 students volunteered to help with this wonderful event: Javier Arroyo, Midalis De La Cruz, Guadalupe Figueroa, Erika Gomez, Naideliz Gonzalez, Ramiro Lopez, Zachary Raner, Aryanna Strickland, and Jorge Sanchez. Thanks for the great job everyone! Pictured below: Left—Sherry Tolkan & Marcia Spector accept the award at the Gala. Middle and Right—a recent Mentor2.0 gathering of students and mentors at Veritas. Charity Walk for Robyn’s Nest $1, 343 Robyn’s Nest Warehouse work Make a Difference Day—5 Groups, 21 Students, 4 Teachers Interfaith—helping elderly—12 Projects Food Drive Milwaukee Libraries— 7 Times, 35+ Students Soup Kitchens—20 Different Times Our Lady Queen of Peace—Reading to kids & After-school care Cat Shelter—25 Hours Jingle Bell Run/Walk VERITAS FALL ATHLETIC AWARDS SOCCER 1ST TEAM ALL CONFERENCE Brandon Lopez & Eduardo Sandoval VOLLEYBALL 2ND TEAM ALL CONFERENCE Kirstin Larson & Lauren Conway