School News

Last Minute Prom Changes

With the date of prom arriving in just a week, ASB has released some important information regarding the rules and regulations of prom. 

In light of recent events and the overwhelming amount of complaints regarding the location of prom, ASB has relocated the event to the Valencia High School gym. While the new location fixed issues such as distance from the school and the venue being a barn, a new issue has been brought to attention. Many students expressed their concern that the new location has inadequate space. The gym’s notoriously small space was determined to be unable to accommodate all the students who have bought tickets to prom. In order to rectify this issue, a new rule has been put in place which bans students from bringing dates from outside of VHS. With a number of non-VHS students banned from entering the prom, the issue of space capacity has been resolved, and prom is back on track! If you have any questions or complaints, please contact Mr. Benham at the ASB office! Oops. Never mind. He’s got other stuff to worry about.

VHS Sports are Being Replaced With Study Periods

As academic ranking becomes more prevalent in a school’s academic value, VHS has initiated a new plan to improve academic performance and ranking. The new plan, called “Academic Domination,” plans to remove all sports teams, including events such as intramural competitions and Powderpuff, and replace them with a study hall period. Aiming to follow an academic plan similar to AOC, all sports teams will be eliminated in their entirety, allowing for students to focus more on academic pursuits. Those who were previously in sports will still be made to attend the class period which was previously allotted for their designated sport, but it will now be used as a study hall period. Now with more free hours in a day, the VHS academic board hopes that students will be able to utilize that free time and improve both their personal academic standing and the academic standing of the school. 

Pets Now Allowed at School

On March 27, 2024, Dr. Getz announced a new policy officially making Valencia High School one of the first schools in the nation to allow students to bring their domesticated pets to class. Starting on April 1, dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and other typical household pets will be permitted on campus grounds as well as inside school buildings and classrooms. 

“We recognize the immense emotional support and mental health benefits that pets can provide to our students,” Dr. Getz said. “Many of our students truly view their pets as family members and by allowing them to bring their furry, feathered, or scaled companions with them to school, we hope to cultivate a more welcoming, productive, and supporting learning environment.”

The new pet policy does come with guidelines and requirements which state that all pets must be up-to-date on vaccinations and properly housetrained. Furthermore, exotic pets such as ferrets, snakes, pigs, monkeys and wombats are allowed as long as they are friendly and do not disrupt classes. 

To accommodate the pets that will now be attending Valencia, the school has created designated relief areas outdoors and installed specialized waste disposal stations throughout the school. Additionally kennels and an animal daycare will be available during class times when pets cannot be present, such as during labs, lunch periods, and certain elective classes. The school has also hired a “pet monitor” staff member to oversee the policy and assist with any pet related needs or issues that arise. 

Since the announcement of Valencia High School’s new pet policy, student reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, with many thrilled at the chance to spend their day with their beloved animal companions. 

“My flying squirrel, Taco, is like my best friend and I know I’ll be able to feel less anxious before tests and stuff,” said junior Nishikia Manjeshwar. 

The new policy has also drawn some criticism from those concerned about potential disruptions from pets, allergies, phobias, and sanitation issues; however, Dr. Getz is confident that with proper training, clear rules, and a pet friendly adjustment period, the benefits of the pet policy will outweigh any negatives.

Valencia High School plans to analyze the effects of the new policy over the next year before deciding to renew it or make any revisions. If successful, the pet-friendly program could quickly be adopted by other schools in the Hart District who are looking to go the extra mile for their students’ needs.