Principal’s Message
The More Things Change…
You know the rest of the phrase, so I don’t need to rewrite it. There are a number of changes taking place here at Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School. Within the next week or so, construction should start on our new softball fields. After months of working with various entities of our government and contractors, we’ll soon start seeing some real progress. On the opposite side of the school, we’re looking forward to the final work being done on our new septic system. God willing, we will start seeing construction on the Building on the Rock addition to our school sometime next spring. And then, there’s the Highway 14 construction…
The changes we see aren’t just on the exterior of MVL. Mr. Koepsell has announced his planned retirement on June 20, 2023. Mrs. Rogotzke has tendered her resignation effective at the end of the school year, too. The Board just recently called Rev. Dustin Sievert as a replacement for Mr. Koepsell’s position. With God’s blessing, the Board of Directors will call for English, Social Studies and Science positions on November 2.
Our faculty continues to look for and find ways in which we can meet the diverse academic needs of our students. There may be changes coming to our curriculum and teaching assignments as time goes one.
We’ll see other changes too and I’m not going to try to guess what our gracious Lord has in mind for our future. Even with all the changes around, the one thing that will continue to remain is our commitment to the mission and ministry of MVL: “training students for Christian lives on earth and for eternity.” Each day, we will share Jesus with our students in chapel, in our classes and in the personal counseling our teachers do with and for our students.
Enjoy watching the changes on the outside of school and be confident that what is taught in the inside will not change. God bless you and your family!
Host Families Needed
Inclement Weather Policy
With the coming of cold weather it may happen that we will decide to start school late, close school for the day or dismiss early. In such cases, the decision will be announced through our Infinite Campus Alert system. You can customize the phone numbers and ways you will receive notification through your parent portal.
It is our intention to have a decision by 6:00 a.m. on those mornings when we will be starting late or closing for the day. At times, something could force a later decision and, in such cases, we would try to do that as soon as possible. We will continue utilizing the following radio and television stations: KNUJ-AM (860) and SAM-FM (107.3), WCCO-AM (830), KEEZ-FM (99.1), KRBI-AM (1310) and KRBI-FM (105.5), KTOE-AM (1420), KXAC (100.5), KRRW (101.5), KYSM (FAN-1230), KLGR-AM (1490) and Mix 97.7 FM, WCCO (4), KSTP (5), KMSP (9), KARE (11), and KEYC (12).
Scrip News
Start thinking about using SCRIP for Christmas gifts. The last week to order for Christmas will be the week of December 5th. Orders placed after December 12th will not be guaranteed to be filled. Check out all the vendors at raiseright.com
Parent-Teacher Conferences
On November 1st & 2nd we have Parent-Teacher Conferences scheduled. If you did not get a chance to sign up for conferences, please contact the teacher(s) you would like to meet with directly to set up a time outside of the parent-teacher conference days.
Be sure to note that on the days of Parent-Teacher Conferences, students will be dismissed from classes at noon. The MVL buses will run right away after school.
Wreath Sales
The MVL Student Council has started their annual Christmas Wreath sale. Student representatives have been assigned to their home congregation to gather orders throughout November. Please look for a representative at your church to place an order or head to mvl.org and order online!
Junior Class History Tour & After Prom Meetings
On November 14, we will be holding the mandatory History tour meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the commons with the After Prom informational meeting beginning immediately after. If there are any questions regarding these meetings, please feel free to contact Mr. Buboltz or Dr. Plath by phone or email.
Veterans’ Recognition
The annual MVL Veterans’ Day Recognition Program is set for Wednesday, November 9 beginning at 9 a.m. Veterans from our congregations and the community are invited to attend this day of honoring those who have served in the military. Veterans and their guests are invited to participate in breakfast at 7:30 a.m. The program that follows at 9:00 a.m. is open to anyone. Grades 5-8 in our schools are invited to attend this special event and transportation is provided.
Spirit of MVL
Join MVL as we celebrate the 10 military service members of the class of 2006 and enjoy a night of fellowship supporting Christian education
Tickets are available for $75 per person or $600 for a table of eight. Table Sponsorships are available.
2022 Spirit of MVL Event Schedule
5-6pm
Social Hour, Mingle with Award Recipients, and Wine Pull
(No ticket required)
6-9pm
Banquet, Spirit of MVL Awards Ceremony,
Auction, and Appeal to the Heart
(Ticketed events. Purchased ticket and registration required)
9-11pm
Afterglow
(No ticket required)
RSVP by November 11th by emailing sallee@mvlhs.org or calling 507-354-6851
A Heartfelt and Sincere THANK YOU!
Thank you to all the freshmen, sophomore, and junior students and to the faculty for your effort and attendance on the testing day. Parents/Guardians of these students, thank you for understanding the importance of this day and for working family plans/vacations around this day. Thanks!
– Mr. Smith
ASVAB
The junior class will be taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) on the morning of Wednesday, November 16th. The ASVAB test is a NO COST comprehensive career exploration and planning program that has evolved into one of the most widely used and highly regarded career development programs in the United States. It is an extremely helpful tool in post-secondary planning and allows students to see their gifts and strengths in areas outside of English, math, science, and reading.
Martin Luther College’s Focus on Ministry
Martin Luther College’s Focus on Ministry offers the opportunity for high school juniors and seniors to visit MLC and learn more about MLC and the public ministry. This event will take place on Monday, November 21st and Tuesday, November 22nd. Students who choose to attend will only miss academic classes at Minnesota Valley Lutheran on Tuesday. This event will provide attending students with a glimpse of what it is like to study for the public ministry and have the opportunity to speak with individuals who are presently studying for this purpose. Interested students can stop by Mr. Smith’s office or send him an email. The final roster of attending students must be submitted by November 4th. Interested students will receive a permission slip that needs to be signed and returned.
Resources, Resources, and more Resources…
Preparing for the ACT or SAT should be a gradual and continuous task, rather than just cramming for the respective test. However, cramming is still better than doing nothing at all. I just want to remind all students of the resources that are readily available to them. Juniors who are college bound should aim for taking an initial ACT or SAT during this coming Spring 2023.
In my office (224), I have:
· Test preparation books that can be checked out
· A unlimited number of ACT prep guides (can be printed as needed)
· A limited number of SAT prep guides
There are also some great online resources that can be accessed. These include:
· Khan Academy (SAT)
o https://www.khanacademy.org/signup
· Learning Express Library
o https://www-learningexpresshub-com.proxy.elm4you.org/productengine/LELIndex.html#/learningexpresslibrary/libraryhome
Lastly, I have a collection other college exploration guides, books, and resources available for checkout.
As always, if I can be of any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact me at tjsmith@mvlhs.org or via telephone at 507.233.8685. Thank you!
Homecoming
The Homecoming Booster Club events were a success. Thanks to the 200+ people who visited the Go Big Blue! booth. The energy and school spirit were amazing! There was also a great turnout for the pork chop meal. Thank you for supporting our students by eating a delicious supper.
Concessions
Our volunteers are fantastic! Many people signed up to help with concessions and ticket sales for football and volleyball games. Watch for opportunities for basketball games soon.
Booster Club Board
Would you like to learn more about the Booster Club or consider being a future board member? Our next meeting is November 9 at 6 pm at MVL, and you’re welcome to attend.
Christmas Gifts
You’re invited to contribute a monetary donation towards gift cards for our MVL faculty and staff in appreciation for all they do for our students. Please send donations with your child, or mail them to school by December 15.
It seems not too long ago we were sweating in gyms and outside watching games and meets. Now, we are looking for coats, gloves, and caps. What a difference a month and a half can make! Our fall activity seasons are drawing to an end. The playoffs started the last week in October. This is a time of the year that everyone has been prepping for and hopefully we can make long playoff runs.
I would like to give a big thank you to all who have volunteered this season. From our ticket takers and concession people to our line judges and chain gang as well as all those people who worked at the scorers’ tables this season – thank you!
I would especially like to thank Dr. Plath and the Pep Band for playing at our home games. We have the best band in the land and we are proud of them.
I would like to thank a few people that go unnoticed every week. Ms. Allee works with all the students to help them get all their paperwork in to get them eligible and she also makes all our programs. Ms. Kuck writes out the ever-changing checks to the officials each week and counts the gate and concession stand receipts. Kevin Wiesensel works 7 hours each game day, clocks out, sits around and watch our kids play, then clocks in to clean up after games.
We are truly blessed this season with everyone who has contributed to making this fall a success. God bless you all.
Girl Soccer
We ended the season with a 6-9-1 record. That stat however does not indicate how this team played. We had 8 starting spots to fill from last season with a relatively young roster. Of our starting lineup 2 were seniors, 3 were juniors, and the rest were sophomores. Once our new players learned their roles and the positions they were playing, our team began to pick up some momentum. We had a few tough opponents along the way, but still managed to play good soccer. There is promising talent coming back next season. Coach Jonathan Johnson
Winter Coops
Those interested in playing boys’ hockey and gymnastics should see Mr. Morgan this week.
Those who want to alpine ski with Mankato East are urged to call Mr. Morgan ASAP.
Help Wanted
We are in need of a dance team, baseball, and softball head coach. If you are interested in any of these positions please send Mr. Morgan a resume as soon as possible to cmorgan@mvlhs.org
Boys’ and Girls’ Freshmen Basketball Schedules
The freshmen schedules are a work in progress. Each year I have to wait and see if the schools that we play against will have Freshmen/C Squad teams. I will be adding games as I get them scheduled and some may need to be canceled throughout the season for various reasons. My recommendation is to sign up for the “Notify Me” mentioned above under “Schedule Changes”. You will then receive updates as I am informed and make these changes to our schedules
Letter Jacket Order
On November 14 the representative from MECCA will be here during our lunch hours for anyone who would like to order a letter jacket. Understand, these do take a couple of months since each jacket is custom-made. As the date gets closer more information will be given to your student with an order form.