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February 2014
Winter fun for the family!
Welcome new Sojourners site!
See you at Arnold Kids Expo!
Contest Updates
Take the 70% OGT Commitment Challenge!
Good Things!
New Video Gaming Club
Student Spotlight: Patrick Noltemeyer

Calendar of Events

 

VCS Board Meeting 

February 17

 

Gaming Club Meeting

February 20

 

Crossroads Christian Field Trip to Franklin Park Conservatory 

February 23 

 

Cooking Club Meeting  

March 3
 
Photography Club Meeting
March 4 
 
Parent Advisory Council Meeting
March 11 

 
CHECK OUR EVENT CALENDAR FOR MEETING TIMES AT

Winter's cold leaving you a bit blue and bored?


 

Here are some interesting happenings going on in YOUR locale:

 Events/Activities in Northeast Ohio?  

 
Events/Activities in Central Ohio?  

 
Events/Activities in Southwest Ohio?  

 
Events/Activities in Northwest Ohio?
 

 

Welcome Sojourners #2!  

 



 

Were you aware that VCS of Ohio partners with Sojourners, a national Youth Build agency serving Vinton and Ross counties?

 

Sojourners works with youth, ages 16 to 23, providing high school and GED educational services and construction and logistics job skills.

 

We welcome  Mr. Ryan Owen, VCS tutor with Sojourners at their newest location, serving Ross County.  They are operating in a temporary facility now, but will soon be moving into the Carver Community Center in Chillicothe! 


 

Click here to see some recent photos of VCS students at Sojourners

 

 

 

Join us at this year's Arnold Kids Expo!  


 

 

Have you ever attended the Arnold Fitness Expo in Columbus? 


 

This year's Arnold's KIDS Expo is similar but just for kids and families!


 

When: Saturday, March 7th  -  9:00am to 5:30pm

                                          and

Sunday, March 8th  -  10:00am to 4:00pm

 

 

         Where: Ohio Expo Center, Bricker Building

 

VCS will be exhibiting and will be joined by Patrick Noltemeyer

VCS senior and amateur body-builder.  


 

Are you going?  If so, stop by and say "Hello!"

 

 Click Here for directions, events and other information! 

 

 

CONTEST UPDATES


Contest Winners

 

Thanks to all of you who entered a card in our VCS Valentine's Day Card contest. We had 15 entries.

This year's winner is Avery Schimpf.  Avery told us that she appreciates her VCS teachers and the support her tutors give her.  She says she is very happy she came to VCS!  Thanks, Avery!





Thank you to the students who entered a video in our National School Choice Week video contest!  We appreciate your stories and have featured a few of them on our Facebook page.

The following students took home a prize for this year's contest:
   Kristina Gilvin
   Samantha Wyler
   Jeffery Jordan
   Miranda Leonard 
   Vanzel White
   Sarah Howells
   Chelsea Imboden

We try to run at least one contest a month.  Check our Current Contests page on our website for upcoming contests and winner notifications!

Again, thanks to all who participated in our contests for January and February!

 

OGT 70% Commitment Challenge   

                                          

For more information or to make the commitment, Click here! 

Good Things


Emma Scheetz 
Emma is a VCS senior and recently completed a creative Poetry Slam project in her senior English class.  Emma's English IV instructor, Mrs. Heidi Anderson, praised Emma's effort saying, "Emma is an amazing young woman who really went above and beyond!"  The project was to find a poem or write your own and analyze the poem and then record yourself reading it, but Emma not only wrote an original poem, but created a video slide show which visually illustrated the key themes and conflicts in her poem. 

   
   CLICK HERE to read Emma's poem and analysis!
   CLICK HERE to see Emma's video presentation!
 

Susan Boitnott 
Susan, a 9th grader at VCS, is active in YES (Youth Engaged in Service) a program of 

Mental Health America of Licking County. YES recently worked with the South Newark Civic Association and other community members on a project called NewarkLove.  On Feb. 6th, YES volunteers placed new and gently-used hats, gloves and scarves 

on trees in the southwest corner of the Licking County Courthouse Square and Railroad Street in the south-end of Newark city.  The items were made available to Newark's homeless population to help them keep warm.  Way to support your community, Susan! 

 
    CLICK HERE to visit the Facebook page for YES and see photos from this activity
    (Susan is in the black-and-white checked coat; the redhead!)   
 

Cody Taylor
We love it when our students take part in making our school more innovative.  On Wed., Feb. 11th, Cody, a VCS 9th grader took part in one of our teacher professional development meetings.  Think a student can't educate a teacher?  They can!  Though many of our teachers use Skype as a form of engaging students in the learning process, some only use our elluminate Blackboard tool or other non-visual ways of meeting.  Skype is a tool a few more of our teachers would like to add to their toolkit as well as become familiar with some of its recent enhancements.  Cody offered to provide them a Skype tutorial.  We love any activity that can enhance the teacher-student connection.  Thanks, Cody!
  
    CLICK HERE to see a photo of Cody working with our teachers!

Emily Lott
Emily is a very special student in Ms. Callicoat's class.  She is an enthusiastic learner and comes to most of Ms. Callicoat's parties and special events.  She enjoys many things, including music - something Emily and her music teacher have in common. Emily was recently featured on the Rhythm-n-You's website as a star pupil.  You're famous now, Emily!

   CLICK HERE to see Emily's photo on the Rhythm-n-You home page 
   (Page down to right-side photo under 'Music Therapy Services')
       

 

New Student Club - Video Gamers


Do you like Video Games?
(Of course you do!)
  
Introducing VCS's first Video Game Club! 

The club, Gamers Unite, will be led by VCS students Jeffrey Jordan and Tyler Goode.  It will cover a lot of topics that gamers of all kinds will love!

You can be new to games, a casual gamer or a hard-core gamer. Any and all who appreciate gaming are invited to join!

The club's first meeting will take place on Friday, Feb. 20th at 12:00p.m. and will meet weekly at this same time (unless otherwise notified.)

Click Here to visit the club's new website and join in the fun!

 

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT:  Patrick Noltemeyer 

Meet amateur body-builder Patrick Noltemeyer a VCS senior and the subject of this issue's Student Spotlight.

 

Patrick came to us as a junior after struggling at his home school in Grove City.  Why?  Quite simply, Patrick was more interested in being in the gym than being in a classroom. 

 

"My grades were horrible in most of my classes my freshman year basically because my mind wasn't set on school, it was set on the gym and working out with my friends after a long, boring day in the classroom," shares Patrick.  "My sophomore year came around and it was basically the same story."  


 

It became apparent to Patrick's mom and dad that they needed to intervene in order to give their son the best chance of being successful in school.  That's when VCS came into Patrick's life.   "VCS was recommended by a friend and I thought I would give it a try," he says.  One of the things that Patrick said he noticed right away was that he had much more free time as he was learning to condense his actual learning time.  That realization helped Patrick  begin to hone a set of self-directed learning skills that would eventually give him even more time for his passion.


 

Not too long after Patrick came to us in the fall

 
  
Patrick Noltemeyer - VCS Senior and amateur body-builder takes third place at the 2014 NPC Mr. Natural Ohio Competition 

of 2013 and began to see his grades improving, he decided it was time to give competitive bodybuilding a try.  Since he had learned how to compartmentalize his studies and was enjoying more flexibility in his schedule, Patrick decided he would have the time train properly and to effectively manage the rigid dietary restrictions of the sport.  His first competition was the 2013 INBF Natural Buckeye Classic.  He was the youngest competitor at age 16.  "I remember standing on stage with a spray tan in a Speedo alongside seven other guys in front of hundreds of people.  I was nervous out of my mind," admits Patrick.  "The judges made their final decision and I received third-place!"  Pat says after receiving his medal, the very next thought that entered his mind was that he couldn't wait to get back on stage and do it all over again.

 

The next level of competition required even harder training requirements and stricter dietary considerations, but he was determined.  In March of last year, Patrick entered the NPC Natural Ohio contest.  "By five o' clock the day before the competition, I began depriving myself completely of water so that my physique would appear as lean as possible," says Patrick.  "Trust me, there's nothing worse than being thirsty for 16+ hours!" Patrick shared that he found a camaraderie with the other contestants and enjoyed how all the competitors encouraged one other.  Patrick finished in third place in this competition as well. "Although I didn't take first place, I was still completely satisfied because I knew I gave it my all!"  Patrick began to focus on what he could do to improve.  This May, Patrick will take part in his third competition: the NPC Mike Francois Classic in Westerville. 

 

In addition to his rigorous training requirements, Patrick is employed as a student worker with the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation where he organizes, scans and files company documents such as U-3 and U-9 forms, audits, memorandums, adjudications, correspondence and other paperwork associated with worker comp claims.  "Because I attend VCS Ohio, I am able to work these hours responsibly and continue to succeed in my online school work."  Patrick says he also appreciates his Job and Career Readiness course at VCS.  "It has really helped me grow in my knowledge about applying for a job, building a resume and interviewing."

 

Patrick's plans are to attend Columbus State College for two years and then, after earning his two-year degree, possibly transfer to a four-year university to finish his bachelor's degree.  "Right now the plan is to study either sports medicine or nutrition," he shares. 

 

All in all, Patrick says he is delighted to have found VCS and to have discovered a way to transfer his dedication to his extracurricular passion to his school work as well.  "My grades and GPA have increased significantly and I have learned how to apply the motivation, dedication, and determination that I have successfully learned through bodybuilding to my schoolwork and my employment."

 

Congratulations, Patrick!  That is a skill set that will take you far in life!   

 

If you would like to meet Patrick, he will be joining VCS at the Arnold Kids Expo, March 7-8 at the Ohio State Fairgrounds.


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