Offering Big School Opportunities in a Small School Environment
One of America’s Top Christian Schools
Valley Christian Schools offers students in Kindergarten through 12th Grade big school opportunities in a small school environment. Established in 1982, Valley Christian provides 700+ students a distinctly Christian education with excellent academics, championship athletics, award-winning fine arts, and a supporting community that encourages spiritual growth and the success of our students in and out of our classrooms across our three East Valley campuses. Valley Christian is ranked as one of the Top 50 Christian high schools in the U.S. and as one of the Top 125 Places to Work in Arizona.
Our mission is for students to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, live like Him, and prepare academically, physically, socially and spiritually, so they are enabled to make a difference in the world.
Valley Christian Schools is accredited by both Association of Christian Schools International and AdvancED.
Safe Return to School
We are excited to announce that we will resume in-person learning across all three of our campuses on Monday, August 17!
For Grades 7-12, families will be able to choose to return to school in-person or online, based on what works best for your children and personal circumstances. For our high school, we will be offering in-person classes four days per week. This is a temporary adjustment while we continue to upgrade our infrastructure in order to support synchronous learning. For our junior high students, we will be offering in-person classes five days per week with live, online learning.
Based on current state and county guidance, we have also released new information and made updates to our Safe Return to School plan. You can find more information on our learning options, our 2020-21 School Calendar, several updates to our K-12 Safety Measures, and our COVID-19 Symptoms and Exposure Flow Chart for students on our Safe Return to School page.
Testimonials
“Valley Christian changed my life. It revealed to me the value of character in a world that does not seem to believe in it any longer. This school has turned a shy, sad girl into someone on fire for life and thriving. I made friends, found my faith, found a community, found my passion, and found my life. My life will never be the same and I have Valley Christian to thank. It showed me who I wanted to be in this world, and gave me the skills to be able to achieve it. I could not better recommend a school to anyone. Valley Christian was so good to me, and I could not have asked for a better experience.”
– VCS Senior
“The school is doing an exceptional job in educating our students, and I am inspired by the growth and progress of the school.”
– U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema
“We are so happy to have found Valley Christian School! A year ago our family relocated from Colorado to Arizona. At the time my husband and I were both working/coaching at an amazing Christian school in Colorado. So, with our expectations very high, we set out in search of a great school and community for our family. Valley Christian very quickly rose to the top of our list and has far exceeded our expectations from day one. If you are looking for a school with academic excellence, professionalism, family-like community and a thriving spiritual culture, Valley Christian is a wonderful choice!”
– VCS Family
“A parent cannot go wrong with Valley Christian. From athletic programs and social clubs to requirements for community service, VCS prepares children for life as a Christian in the working world. Whether students are college-oriented or not, there is a place for each child at VCS.”
– The Best Schools
“It is a fantastic place to really develop your faith while at the same time getting a great education. The Bible classes, chapels, and study groups at the school really allow students to grow in their faith. The opportunities at the school are incredible with so many sports, art groups, and clubs that it is so easy for anyone to get involved. The tight knit community of parents and families at the school are super supportive and involved in making Valley Christian a better place.”
– VCS Senior
“Valley Christian High School was a tremendous blessing to our family. Both of my children had very different needs, and Valley was a great fit for both of them. From great teachers, to awesome extra curriculars , to fabulous athletics, Valley Christian comes highly recommended by this family!”
– VCS Parent
“I have loved every moment at Valley Christian High School. The school has a family feel to it, and it is easy to get involved. I love that the teachers not only care about your grades, but also your personal life. I also love that the school encourages others to grow in their faith and offers endless opportunities to do so.”
– VCS Senior
Connect With Us
This message is only visible to admins.
Problem displaying Facebook posts.
Click to show error
Congratulations to ASPRA’s @bwwinfrey on being named to @NSPRA’s 2020 Class of #35under35! 🤩 #azschoolpr #ASPRA #schoolpr @vcschoolsaz https://twitter.com/nspra/status/1316366510290501643
NSPRA is pleased to announce its fifth class of #35Under35! Congratulations to all the honorees, who are emerging leaders, making a difference in #SchoolPR! This award is sponsored by #SocialSchool4EDU. https://www.nspra.org/35-under-35-program
Our High School Principal, Josh LeSage, shares some insight into how we are called to act and respond as Christians in the second segment of our 2020 Election series.
https://youtu.be/QP76ZmVn6g8
Tonight's game is sold-out. Live stream information is available at http://govalleychristian.com or you can follow along on Twitter for updates throughout the game.
The NCAA Eligibility Center is hosting a webinar for college-bound student-athletes and their families on Saturday at 8am. This webinar will contain important information to be sure students are eligible to participate in college sports. http://ow.ly/6WVS50BLkNG
General public tickets are now available for Friday night's football game vs. Phoenix Christian.
VCS students, we still have tickets remaining in the student section. Email tickets@valleychristianaz.org from your school email to reserve your seat!
https://events.ticketspicket.com/agency/e06b0c53-cc20-45e0-ad14-f0ff03bddc11/events/e9fbeb7d-818a-415f-a195-3adf18a90dd5
Latest News and Articles
Election 2020 – Importance of Voting
In the first segment of our 2020 Election Series videos, Valley Christian history teacher David Anderson shares several reasons why you should vote and why you should have confidence this election season.
The deadline to register to vote has been extended to October 23 – register to vote or check your status at www.arizona.vote.
2020 Legacy Auction: Home Edition
For the first time ever, the VCS Auction will be done in a virtual format, with live programming that includes a live emcee, auctioneer, silent auction items, live auction items, and special messaging on Saturday, November 7 beginning at 6:30pm. You won’t want to miss this special event as we gather together virtually, watch the live program, and bid together!
Homes around the Valley will be gathered to watch the live stream program and bid together. Sign up to be a Home Host (formally a table sponsor) and choose which level of a Home Host you would like to be! All Home Hosts who register for the Gold and Platinum level by October 15th will receive a limited-edition VC backpack, pullover, or polo.
We have hundreds of items up for auction, including some incredible Live Auction items! Leave with your summer vacation, a few rounds of golf, a night out on the town, a gift card to your favorite restaurant, or a great deal on hundreds of products and services!
Homecoming & Fall Events Update
As you can imagine, events and games at Valley Christian will look different to begin this fall.
While there will be some changes to how spectators watch our games and performances, we are excited to have the opportunity to compete and perform. Here is some information on how events this fall will look to begin the year.
Anyone attending an event on campus will be required to wear a mask and social distance as much as possible. Our students wear masks throughout the day, so we are confident you will be able to wear one a few hours to cheer them on or watch them perform!
For our on-campus athletic events and our fine arts performances, capacity will be limited. You will be able to purchase your tickets online for any in-person performances this fall, with participants’ families receiving priority.
Most of our fine arts events will likely be re-imagined from the prior performances you are used to seeing and some of our performances may even be held virtually for the time being.
Due to capacity restrictions, we have also made the tough decision to postpone our traditional Homecoming in October to a date during basketball and soccer season. We will be eagerly awaiting the date when we can gather as our entire community and celebrate our great school for Homecoming.
More information on a Spirit Week and activities for the week of October 19th will be announced for all three of our campuses.
Please mask up while you are on campus supporting your student and if you feel sick, stay at home.
We thank you in advance for your support and for following these guidelines to ensure our students can still compete and perform!
COVID Protocol Updates and Dashboard
We want to thank our families for their continued support and partnership in maintaining the health of our students and campuses. While we have had a handful of positive COVID cases on the high school campus in the seven weeks since school has begun, we have severely limited any community spread. We want to encourage our families to continue to be diligent regarding keeping their student healthy. If your student is feeling sick, please keep them home. Also, and especially for our high school students, be aware of potential exposure with friend groups outside of VCS. This should especially be the case for our student-athletes and performers. All our cases have traced back to exposure off-campus.
If your student is feeling sick with COVID-like symptoms, has officially been exposed, or has tested positive, please contact Troy Hanzal if they are in Grades 7-12 (thanzal@valleychristianaz.org) or Janine Sass if they are in Grades K-6 (jsass@valleychristianaz.org).
After observations made on our campuses and updated recommendations, we have also updated our COVID-19 Symptom and Exposure Flow Chart for students and added a flow chart specific for student-athletes. You can view those using the button below or they are accessible on our website at any time.
We have also recently added a dashboard on our Safe Return to School page to communicate any current laboratory-confirmed positive cases on our campuses that have been reported. A reminder that any person who was identified as having direct or potential exposure will be notified. We will not be sending out an email each time a case or suspected case of COVID-19 is reported. Instead, the dashboard will be updated when each confirmed case is reported.
Again, thank you for your continued support and diligence as we seek to do school as normal as possible while keeping our students, faculty, staff, and community healthy.
Open Letter to VCS Community from Athletics
Dear VCS Family,
There were times over the last few months where I wondered if we were going to get to this point this fall, but here we are! Our student-athletes and coaches are prepared and ready to compete.
During these strange times, our fall athletic events will be handled much differently than in previous years. We have laid out our plans for spectators in our Gameday Guide. That can be found at: www.govalleychristian.com/gamedayguide. Check back often as we will be updating the guide and our expectations as we settle into a routine.
We get one opportunity to begin the year well. We want to be cautious to ensure our students can continue to compete. We are hopeful, if we do this well, it will generate momentum and allow us to move forward in the future to allow more spectators to watch in person as the year progresses.
For spectator events at VCS, we will have limited seating of around 40-45% for football and volleyball. Tickets will only be sold online this year. When we reach our capacity there will be no more tickets sold and no additional people will be allowed into the event. Children under 5 will still be let in free with parents. Children will need to be seated with parents.
We will have a prioritized system for purchasing the online tickets:
- Parents of participating athletes, band members, and cheerleaders will have first opportunity to purchase tickets. School and AIA pass holders will also be included in this first opportunity. Tickets are limited to 2 per participant.
- Our students will also have student sections reserved for them in each of our venues. Students will be able to claim their ticket the morning of a game day with seniors and juniors receiving priority.
- We will be sending our opponents a set amount of tickets to purchase online for their parents and fans, as well.
- Any remaining tickets will be opened to the public.
- We will have reserved online tickets if you are VCS employee, staff member, or coach’s spouse and family. You will be given a code to enter online to claim your ticket and must sit in the designated area for faculty, staff, and families.
When attending VCS sporting events, masks are required, and proper social distancing must be maintained. Please understand that while you may be okay sitting near people, others may not feel comfortable. Again, it is mandatory that you please wear a mask and agree to social distance. Should you not believe in following these policies please do not plan on attending.
For our away events, we will communicate with you via email on the host schools’ instructions. Most swim meets will be hosted with no fans in attendance and football, volleyball, and cross country will have guidelines by host schools ranging from no fans to limited fans.
After all games (home and away), parents and fans will not be allowed onto the field/court. Parents driving athletes are asked to meet them at the car. We do encourage all parents to drive their athlete home from away games instead of taking school transportation. However, that will be available if parents are not at away games. At our away games, athletes will go straight to the bus after games. We ask that parents and friends respect this and have a plan to meet up after return to school.
What we expect:
- Take your health seriously. If you are sick or have symptoms, please, stay home and watch online.
- Wear your face covering. Currently face coverings are required while on our campuses.
- Please be respectful of others’ space and keep a distance between your family and others whenever possible. We recognize the importance of community, but we must do things a little different than what we are used to right now.
We are hopeful by showing patience and restraint while still pushing forward that we will be able to continue to give our students the opportunity to compete. We hope to count on your support in following our expectations. It is important to remember that schools are allowing sports to continue only if safety procedures can be maintained both on the field and in the stands. By doing so, we are hopeful we will be able to create additional opportunities to have more spectators as the year progresses.
On behalf of our student-athletes, coaches, and school, thank you for your support.
We are looking forward to a great year,
Greg Haagsma
VCS Athletic Director
Keeping Christian Education Alive and Well
Sounds of children joyfully playing on the playground, junior high students singing in chapel, and high school students dialoguing about the most effective ways to live out their Christian faith are some of the things I have the privilege of observing each day. It really is a blessing to come to work knowing we are making an eternal impact at VCS for God’s Kingdom.
Last spring “At Home Learning” left an empty feeling on our campuses. There was a void without children on the playground and students in our hallways, chapels, and classrooms. It just was not the same. It drove home to me how relational Christian Education is and should continue to be. Just as God wants us to have a relationship with him, so too I believe he wants us to have relationships with others in his kingdom.
One of our pillars at Valley Christian is to build life-long community. Research shows that if children and teens build an intergenerational Christian relationship with an adult – the chances of them remaining in their faith after high school are increased dramatically.
I know I say this often, but I also believe it cannot be said often enough – Christian Education is one of the last places we can effectively educate students in the Truth. It gives them an eternal perspective of how they can live out their faith wherever God calls them to in the future. It must never go away.
In the next few weeks, we will be sharing a series of videos of how important this next state election will be to ensure Christian Education remains affordable and a viable option. I humbly ask you view those videos and engage as much as possible in the political process. Help us to keep Christian Education alive and well!
Dan Kuiper
Head of School
Events
Secure the Future Campaign
VCS is growing! Learn more about our campaign and help us Secure the Future.
