Guide for New Families attending Valor Flagship and Voyager in 2026-2027
This document serves as an overview of critical information for families and scholars that will join the Valor community for the first time this school year. We have organized the information here for your convenience, and to answer the most frequently asked questions for new to Valor families.
All Valor families also need to read and sign the Community Agreements for the 26-27 School Year. They will be posted to Valor Family News next Friday, July 24. This will include critical information specifically about the upcoming 2026-27 school year and require sign off on some of our policies.
Table of Contents:
Letter to Valor Community from Founder and CEO, Todd Dickson
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Operations and General Information
Dismissal Communication and Options
Overall Family Engagement Expectations
School to Family Communication
After-school Programming at Valor
Letter to Valor Community from Founder and CEO, Todd Dickson
Dear Valor Community –
Welcome to the 2026-27 school year! For many of you this will be another year as part of the Valor community. For some, it will be your first experience. We are thrilled to be able to share a wonderful year of growth and learning with your family. The Valor staff is very focused and excited to be doing what we do best – helping your students grow and thrive within the Valor community.
Valor has a mission of empowering our diverse community to live inspired and purposeful lives. We are honored and excited to have all of you together this year as part of our village of adults charged with helping to ensure that we all do our part empowering your children and each other to be the best we can be. Valor has four anchors that we believe, if we do really well, will give us the best chance at succeeding at our mission. Those anchors are:
Top 1% Academics – we believe that providing an academic experience that is as strong as any in the country is critical to meeting our mission. We define “Top 1%” to mean that we are in the Top 5% in the State for both Achievement AND Growth. This accomplishment is achieved each year by fewer than 1% of schools in TN.
Thrive in a Diverse World – we believe a richly diverse community provides the best learning experience for our families and scholars. We also believe “diversity alone is not enough” – it is our responsibility to create an intentional environment where everyone feels safe to be who they are and we learn to reach across lines of difference to build appreciation of and friendships with those who are different than us.
Powered by Compass – we believe that in order to live inspired and purposeful lives we must focus on comprehensive human development. Scholars must develop Sharp Minds, but also Big Hearts. They must search for and understand their Noble Purpose, and they must learn to Align their Actions to this purpose. Finally, they must learn to be balanced and present in order to fully actualize their potential. We help scholars do this by using our nationally recognized Compass model – a development model that pushes our community to grow as whole-hearted human beings.
Built to Last – we believe that in order for us to fulfill our mission, we need to have strong long-term operational and financial infrastructure in place. We also believe that being built-to-last is driven by having talented people, and keeping that talent at Valor. We believe in making the work we do sustainable, by providing our faculty high quality coaching, development, and support. Lastly, we want Valor to be around for generations to come, because we believe that the work we are doing is important to the local and national community.
By focusing on our mission statement, our anchors, and our priorities each year, we are able to maintain a clear focus on what is most important. This helps our team act with clarity and a sense of purpose in our work. It is our hope that this clarity of purpose is evident in this Community Handbook, which aims to describe some of the various aspects of how the Valor community operates. Ideally, the Handbook, along with all aspects of the Valor model, are designed in accordance with our mission and anchors. We aspire to be able to draw a line back to our mission and anchors for any detail in our model – no matter how small.
The Valor model is designed to be of maximal impact when the school, the scholar, and the family work in harmony together to actualize the potential of each scholar. This works best when everyone has a clear understanding of the expectations and reasoning of the model – we hope this information provides much of that explanation and clarity. However, nothing beats personal relationships. Please feel free to reach out to your Pride leader, Valor teachers, and Valor leadership for further explanation of various parts of the Valor model. Having families and the school working together for the benefit of all of our scholars is crucial to everyone’s success!
Thank you for being part of the Valor family! We are thrilled to begin another year.
Todd Dickson
Founder and CEO, Valor Collegiate Academies
Academics
| Subject | Days | Calendar Length |
|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | Monday – Friday | Full School Year |
| Math | Monday – Friday | Full School Year |
| Science | Monday – Friday | Full School Year |
| Social Studies | Monday – Friday | Full School Year |
| Content Focus Writing | Monday – Friday | 1 Semester |
| Content Focus Math | Monday – Friday | 1 Semester |
| Physical Education | 1-2 days / week | Full School Year |
| Compass Class | 1-2 days / week | Full School Year |
| Art | 2-3 days / week | 1 Semester |
| Theater | 2-3 days / week | 1 Semester |
Daily Schedule
Grading Scale
| Valor Collegiate Grading Scale | |||
| Letter | Percentage | Description | Internal Performance Bands |
| A | 90% – 100% | Scholar earning an A in a course is consistently demonstrating advanced levels of mastery with the content standards and applies sufficient/more than sufficient effort in classwork and homework to earn an A grade. | Mastered |
| B | 80% – 89% | Scholar earning a B in a course is: Consistently demonstrating proficient levels of mastery with the content standardDemonstrates basic competency with content standards but applies sufficient / more than sufficient effort in classwork and homework to earn a B grade | Mastered(85 – 90%) On Track(80 – 84%) |
| C | 70% – 79% | Scholar earning a C in a course is: Consistently demonstrating basic competency with the content standardsDemonstrates proficient competency with content standards but applies insufficient or poor effort in classwork and/or homework to earn a C grade.Demonstrates an a below basic competency of standards but applies sufficient or more than sufficient effort on classwork and homework. | On Track(75 – 79%) Approaching(70 – 74%) |
| D | 60% – 69% | Scholar earning less than 70% in a course is: Not yet demonstrating a basic level of mastery with the content standards.Scholar might also be demonstrating insufficient or poor effort in classwork and/or homework to earn a D grade. | Approaching(65 – 69%) Below(60 – 64%) |
| F | <60% | Scholar earning less than 60% in a course is: Far below basic competency with the content standards and needs to demonstrate mastery of the standards before credit will be earned. Scholar might also be demonstrating insufficient or poor effort in classwork and/or homework to earn a D gradeThey are also at risk of retention. | Below |
Grading Categories – Middle School
Teachers use the following guidelines when calculating a scholar’s grade for each quarter.
| Math, ELA, Social Studies, Science, and Writing | ||||
| % | Point Value | Measures | Assignment Descriptions | |
| Classwork | 30% | Scale to 50 points | Includes effort-based, developmental part of grade | Annotations, independent practice, participation, open ended exit tickets, guided note samples, process writing (drafts or final), some exit tickets. In middle school, the lowest classwork grade gets dropped each quarter. |
| Assessments | 45% | Scale to: Tests, Essays: 100 points Quizzes: 50 points Mastery ETs: 25 points | Represents mastery based component of grade | Quests, quizzes, unit tests, performance tasks, Cornerstones, on-demand writing, some exit tickets. |
| Benchmark Assessment (Q1 – Q3) TNReady (Q4) | 15% | Scale to 100 points | Represents mastery on quarterly assessment linked to TN State Standards. | Q1, Q2, Q3 benchmark assessments. |
| Homework | 10% | Scale to 50 points | Represents effort-based, developmental part of grade | Annotations, DIRT Quizzes, problem sets, rough drafts |
Homework
Our general homework guidelines are below.
| 5th and 6th Grade Homework Expectations | ||
| Class | Day of the week | Time |
| English Language Arts (Reading) | Monday – Friday | 30 minutes |
| Math | Monday – Thursday | 10 – 15 minutes |
| Science | Monday and Wednesday | 10 – 15 minutes |
| Social Studies | Tuesday and Thursday | 10 – 15 minutes |
| 7th and 8th Grade Homework Expectations | ||
| Class | Day of the week | Time |
| English Language Arts (Reading) | Monday – Friday | 30 minutes |
| Math | Monday – Friday | 10 – 15 minutes |
| Science | Monday – Friday | 10 – 15 minutes |
| Social Studies | Monday – Friday | 10 – 15 minutes |
Some content areas use a weekly homework packet, some content areas use a packet for the unit, and others use digital, paperless assignments. Families and scholars can check the homework assignments through accessing the online homework agenda through our website that gets updated on Monday mornings.
Illuminate Home Connection
View up to date grades for your scholar at https://valorcollegiate.illuminatehc.com. Illuminate is the primary way to be informed about your scholar’s grades, outside of mid-quarter progress reports and end of quarter report cards. Information about how to sign up for an Illuminate account will be distributed no later than August 15 via PandaDoc.
Academic Dishonesty
MNPS & Valor expect all students to abide by ethical academic standards. Academic dishonesty—including plagiarism, cheating or copying the work of another, using technology for illicit purposes including AI Technology and Chat GPT, or any unauthorized communication between students for the purpose of gaining advantage during an examination—is strictly prohibited. This provision covers all school-related tests, quizzes, reports, class assignments, and projects, both in and out of class.
The determination that a student has engaged in academic dishonesty shall be based on specific evidence provided by the classroom teacher or other supervising professional employee, taking into consideration written materials, observation, or information from others. Students found to have engaged in academic dishonesty will be issued a0% for classwork and homework. For all assessments students will earn a 0% that may be redeemed to a 50% if they thoughtfully complete an Academic Dishonesty Reflection and in some cases, complete a revised assessment.
Students will earn a zero on the assignment. For classwork and homework assignments the associated consequence will be an RSA and for assessments the associated consequence will be an Academic Dishonesty ReSet.
Thriving in a Diverse World
| DIVERSITY | EQUITY | INCLUSION |
| The full range of human identities, experiences, perspectives, abilities, and backgrounds represented within our community | The intentional work of identifying and removing barriers, responding to differing needs, and ensuring each person has meaningful access to opportunity, support, and success | Both a community condition and an individual responsibility: creating spaces where people feel seen, heard, valued, and empowered to participate fully while continually examining how our own beliefs, choices, and impact contribute to belonging |
At Valor, our Thrive in a Diverse World anchor guides how we think, work, interact, and serve. We believe diversity alone is not enough. It becomes a source of strength when we cultivate relational trust, center the voices of those we serve, engage courageously across differences, and use reflection and feedback to improve. This work is not a single initiative; it is an ongoing, community-driven commitment to creating the conditions in which students, families, and staff can thrive.
In our community: We intentionally cultivate a community that reflects, respects, and rises together across lines of difference. We want students, families, and staff to learn, grow, and celebrate together in a place where identities are honored, traditions are shared, and people experience joy, purpose, and pride. This includes recruiting and developing a diverse staff and leadership team; creating affinity spaces, identity-based clubs, and circles that strengthen connection; and bringing our community together through cultural events, traditional circles, and signature gatherings. We also recognize families as essential partners from enrollment through graduation. We enroll families, not just students, and invite them to build relationships, access clear information, share feedback, volunteer, celebrate, and help shape the culture of our schools.
In our decision-making and systems: We ignite voice, integrate perspective, and interrogate the structures that may stand in the way of equity and belonging. Through Valor Voice Surveys, town halls, family feedback groups, and other listening structures, we seek to understand the real-time experiences of our community. We then use what we learn to examine and improve our curriculum, policies, handbooks, programs, and daily practices. This requires us to look beyond intention, assess impact, identify patterns of inequity, and make changes that are responsive to the people we serve.
In our educational program: We work to remove opportunity gaps and ensure every student has access to an excellent education. Our curriculum engages students with a wide range of perspectives, histories, and ideas, including voices that have often been overlooked or silenced. Students participate in age-appropriate, courageous conversations about the human experience and the events that have shaped, and continue to shape, our world. Teachers facilitate inquiry by presenting facts, context, complexity, and multiple perspectives rather than directing students toward a predetermined conclusion. They create conditions in which students can ask questions, examine evidence, test their own thinking, and develop the skills needed to participate responsibly in their communities.
In our relationships: We strive to create an environment where each person is recognized, valued, and supported in being fully themselves, including when they hold a minority or differing viewpoint. We listen and speak with curiosity, kindness, honesty, and care. We understand that meaningful learning across differences may involve discomfort, but it must remain grounded in dignity, emotional constancy, and relational trust. Staff also engage in personal reflection and feedback to deepen their awareness of identity, bias, and impact.
Ultimately, Thrive in a Diverse World is how we turn our beliefs into daily practice. We learn from our community, grow by changing what is not working, and celebrate the people and progress moving us toward a more equitable and inclusive Valor.
Culture
Valor’s School Culture is built on the foundation of strong individual relationships that are governed by a set of common community commitments and a shared vision of excellence for what these commitments look like in action. We aspire to create a culture where everyone feels safe, productive, and known.
Scholar Norms
We also believe it is our responsibility to teach scholars to learn and internalize a set of aligned norms that we believe will help them contribute to the creation of a fortified environment. For this reason we clearly define a set of scholar norms and routines and connect them directly to our Commitments and Compass Habits.
We believe it is essential that families help reinforce the importance of these scholar norms and support their scholars, and the school, in living them out on a daily basis.
On-Compass Systems
We work hard at Valor to encourage everyone in our community to continually “Work the Compass” by pushing themselves to develop the Compass Habits in each Foundational Discipline of the Valor Compass. One way we reinforce the development of these Habits is through our On-Compass system that encourages scholars to demonstrate specific Compass Habits and/or Commitments “in action” during the school day at Valor.
In our middle schools scholars can receive On-Compass Points for demonstrating any of the following ten
Compass Habits:
Identity, Joy, Diversity, Curiosity, Kindness, Courage, Determination, Integrity, Balance and Presence.
| Big Heart | These Habits of Heart might look like… | ||||||||||
Courage | • Attempting problems or topics that are potentially challenging instead of opting for the familiar | ||||||||||
| • Standing up for someone else even when it might be unpopular | |||||||||||
| Kindness | • Seeking out others that may not be included in an activity or discussion (finding the potential lonely person in the room) | ||||||||||
| • Attending to someone else’s needs before your own | |||||||||||
| Sharp Mind | These Habits of Mind might look like… | ||||||||||
Diversity | • Using language structures that infer that my thoughts are just one way to think about something | ||||||||||
| • Starting conversations by asking what others think or by exploring another’s point of view | |||||||||||
| Curiosity | • Expressing interest in “knowing more” around topics I may already know something about | ||||||||||
| • Using active listening skills (open posture, nodding, tracking, asking follow-up questions, reflecting words and feelings, validating experience) | |||||||||||
| Noble Purpose | These Habits of Being might look like… | ||||||||||
Identity | • Demonstrating pride in “who I am” in a positive manner.• Participating fully in our cultural heritage months. | ||||||||||
| • Connecting thoughts, feelings, or actions directly to identity, purpose, beliefs, values, and/or intentions. | |||||||||||
Joy | • Smiling even when smiling isn’t necessarily called for | ||||||||||
| • Making a positive comment or encouraging statement to someone who seems down | |||||||||||
| Aligned Actions | These Habits of Doing might look like… | ||||||||||
| Determination | • Taking errors in stride and learning from them | ||||||||||
| • Finishing things even when you really, really don’t want to | |||||||||||
Integrity | • Making decisions based on your values and what matters most to you | ||||||||||
| • Being “responsible” – taking care of things you’ve been given responsibility for | |||||||||||
| True North | These Habits of Center might look like… | ||||||||||
Balance | • Using language that indicates I recognize that I am not my thoughts, feelings, or sensations | ||||||||||
| • Being able to keep track of my attention and keep it posted (for the most part) on what I want | |||||||||||
Presence | • Actively participating in a conversation or activity by fully engaging (by listening, asking questions, speaking up) | ||||||||||
| • Actively and continuously tracking the speaker | |||||||||||
Off-Compass System
We believe going “Off-Compass”—making mistakes or poor choices—is a natural part of growth and being human. Our restorative justice approach treats these moments as learning opportunities, with an emphasis on taking responsibility.
The Off-Compass system helps scholars recognize when they’ve gone Off-Compass and get back On-Compass quickly. Through reflection, accountability, and making amends, scholars can repair harm and be restored to the community.
Off-Compass Consequences
Off-Compass Point (-$2)
An Off-Compass Point is a low-level consequence that serves as an early warning/correction. Off-Compass points fall in three categories:
1) Disruption
Examples: Calling out without your hand raised, making noises during class, talking without permission from the teacher
2) Off-Routine
Examples: no pencil or supplies, not following along with class direction, not prepared at the beginning of the day, having an unsigned paycheck.
Re-Commitment (-$5)
A Re-Commitment is a consequence that is earned for specific behaviors that can be repetitive or consistently not getting back “on compass”; these also do not live up to a Valor commitment.
Examples: Being without a pass in the hallway, talking back after an off compass point, running in the hallway, laughing at another scholar’s disrespectful behavior, repetitive disruptive behavior in a classroom.
Re-Set Assessment (RSA) (-$7)
An RSA is a reflection process for specific behaviors such as disrupting the learning environment. The scholar is brought to the compass center for a short reflection, and returned to class within the a short time period.
The Compass Team will assist in this reflection process with the student to ensure that they are prepared to repair the relationship with the community/individual.
Example: Earning 4 Recommitments in a day.
Reset (-$10)
A Reset is a more extensive reflection process for a behavior that is more impactful on the relationship and it more disruptive or harmful to the community/individual.
The scholar will fill out the reflection packet, ,and prepare themselves with the help of the compass coach to do relationship work with either the other scholar/adult.
Examples: Roughhousing with physical contact and harm to the relationship, lying that creates a safety issue, academic dishonesty on an assessment.
Please note consequences may also be earned by Bus Riders and for Chromebook Violations. Maximum consequence would be suspension from the bus and removal of chromebook privileges.
Redemptive Points
There are always redemptive points that can be given for anything Recommitment or above. It is recommended that you see our full Off-Compass Matrix and learn more about behavior consequences. Please click here for our MIDDLE SCHOOL BEHAVIOR MATRIX
DeansList
DeansList is our online portal that holds all of our culture and behavioral data. Families can sign into their parent account at https://deanslist.me/login to review their scholar’s paycheck data and balance throughout the week. Codes will be sent to families directly before the school year. You can reach out to your Assistant Principal of Culture for more information. Flagship (CChrislu@valorcollegiate.org); Voyager (AArp@valorcollegiate.org).
In addition, we send a scholar’s paycheck home on Mondays. This includes all of their DeansList entries from the previous week (the previous week Monday through Friday). Families should sign and return their scholar’s paycheck on Tuesday during pride time, or sign digitally.
Chromebook Usage
Chromebook Expectations
Chromebooks are an important part of learning at Valor. To support learning beyond the school day, all scholars are allowed to take their Chromebooks home.
Scholars are responsible for keeping their Chromebooks in good working condition. This includes:
- No broken or shattered screens
- All keys intact on the keyboard
- No stickers or markings on the device
- The Chromebook remains in one piece and undamaged
If a Chromebook is damaged with any of the ways outlined above or other reasons, the front office will assess the issue. In some cases, families may be charged for repairs.
Our Chromebooks are intended for academic use, and will automatically shut down every night from 9pm-5am.
We want to keep ourselves and others safe, and as part of that commitment the compass team is able to see all things that your scholar is looking at or sending on their computer.
The Compass Team is alerted when scholars search for content or send content that is not school-appropriate. Based on the severity of the search, a scholar may lose the privilege of bringing their Chromebook home. If that happens, the device may be kept in the Compass Support Center (CSC) for up to two weeks. You can refer to our Chromebook matrix here.
Dress Code
Valor expects that all students will dress in a way that is appropriate for the school day or for any school sponsored event. Student dress choices should respect the network’s intent to sustain a community that is inclusive of a diverse range of identities. The primary responsibility for a student’s attire resides with the student and their parent(s) or guardian(s). The school is responsible for seeing that student attire does not interfere with the health or safety of any student, that student attire does not contribute to a hostile or intimidating atmosphere for any student, and that dress code enforcement does not reinforce or increase marginalization or oppression of any group based on race, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, cultural observance, household income, or body type/size. Any restrictions to the way a student dresses must be necessary to support the overall educational goals of the school and must be explained within this dress code.
1. Basic Principle: Certain body parts must be covered for all students at all times.
Clothes must be worn in a way such that a student’s private parts (including the buttocks) are fully covered with non-see through fabric. All items listed in the “must wear” and “may wear” categories below must meet this basic principle.
2. Students Must Wear, while following the basic principle of Section 1 above :
- A Shirt (with fabric at least covering the area of a typical tank top), AND
- Pants/jeans or the equivalent (for example, a skirt, sweatpants, leggings, a dress or shorts), AND
- Shoes
3. Students May Wear, as long as these items do not violate section 1 above or section 3 below:
- Religious headwear
- Hoodie sweatshirts
- Fitted pants, including non-see through leggings, yoga pants, and “skinny jeans”
- Ripped jeans, as long as underwear and private parts are not exposed.
- Athletic attire
- Valor swag given out by Valor or purchased online through a Valor-approved vendor.
- Hats, beanies or other head coverings that do not cover the ears or face
4. Students Cannot Wear:
- Anything that covers the ears or face, save for religious headwear.
- Any undergarments worn as outer clothing (Ex. Boxers as shorts or Bralettes as shirts)
- Anything that shows visible undergarments
- Violent language or images.
- Images or language depicting drugs or alcohol (or any illegal item or activity).
- Hate speech, profanity, pornography.
- Images or language that creates a hostile or intimidating environment based on any protected class or consistently marginalized groups.
- Any clothing that reveals visible undergarments (visible straps are allowed)
- Swimsuits (except as required in class or athletic practice).
- Accessories that could be considered dangerous or could be used as a weapon.
Operations and General Information
School Hours
| Monday | Tuesday – Friday | Notes | |
| Doors Open | 7:30 AM | 7:30 AM | Breakfast available from 7:30 AM – 7:55 AM |
| School Starts | 7:55 AM | 7:55 AM | Marked Tardy if not in Pride Space at 7:55 AM |
| Dismissal Starts | 3:36 PM | 3:10 PM | |
| Dismissal ends | 3:56 PM | 3:30 PM | All scholars who remain after Dismissal ends must be signed out |
Arrival and Dismissal
Arrival and Dismissal Protocol:
Middle School Arrival runs from 7:30-7:55 am. Scholars arriving before 7:30 am will not be allowed into the building and scholars arriving after 7:55 am will have to check in at the front desk to get a tardy slip.
Due to morning responsibilities and supervision capacity of school teams, Valor recommends that you drop your scholar off in the morning within the designated arrival time. Valor will not provide supervision to scholars who are dropped off before the arrival window opens.
Middle School Dismissal runs from 3:36 – 3:56pm on Mondays and 3:10 – 3:30pm Tuesday – Friday.
- After dismissal ends, scholars will transition to Late Pickup. At Late Pickup scholars will need to be signed out by the adult picking them up.
- Parents who cannot pick up their scholars on time every day should consider the Boys and Girls Club. They offer after-care every day Monday – Friday, from dismissal until 6:30 pm. There is a cost associated with this program, so please email boysandgirlsclub@valorcollegiate.org for more information.
- Families who are late more than 3 times in a year will need to pay the Boys and Girls Club the one-day cost for watching their late scholar.
Dismissal Communication and Options
Families are responsible for informing their scholars of their transportation plans prior to dismissal. Students can:
- Report to their assigned bus
- Report to the Carpool Circle
- Report to their school traffic circle (i.e. either Flagship Traffic Circle or Voyager Traffic Circle)
- Walk home
- Take the MTA bus home (note: middle school families are responsible for cost)
If you need to inform your scholar of a change in their transportation plans, you may contact your scholar’s front office no later than 30 minutes prior to dismissal to make a dismissal transportation change.
- Voyager Front Office Manager- Felicia Whitman Phone: (615) 823-7982 Extension 3
- Flagship Front Office Manager- Jordan Tate (615) 823-7982 Extension 2
Bus Assignments
- Scholars who have been assigned a bus seat through the bus lottery process were notified in May of their bus stop.
- At this time, all buses have a waiting list.
- If you need additional information regarding bus transportation, please email transportation@valorcollegiate.org
Carpooling at Valor
For more information about connecting with other Valor families about carpooling, please view our information about carpool groups at Valor.
Student Meals and Payments at Valor
Valor Collegiate Academies participates in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program by offering nutritious meals every school day. Students may buy breakfast for $3.05 and $4.25.
- Eligible students may receive meals free of charge or at the reduced-price.
- You or your children do not have to be U.S. citizens to qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
- You must fill out a new Free/Reduced Meal Application at the beginning of each school year to see if you qualify. Applications are available online at www.myschoolapps.com or at our front desk any time throughout the school year. If you have any questions about applying, please call the front office of your respective campus at 615-823 -7982.
2026-27 Meal Prices
| Breakfast | Lunch | |
| Paid | $3.05 | $4.25 |
| Reduced | $.30 | $.40 |
| Free | $.00 | $.00 |
Family Engagement at Valor
Welcoming All Families
Valor is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment where all families feel valued and connected. Families play a critical role in shaping Valor’s community. We provide multiple avenues for family voice to be elevated and heard, including:
- Valor Family Group (VFG): A parent/staff team that guides engagement efforts
- Family Engagement Team (FET):
- Family Engagement Manager
- 4 Family Engagement Assistants
- 3 Hospitality Chairs
- 4 School staff representatives
- Event Volunteers
- Family Engagement Team (FET):
- The VFG exists to CONNECT, ENGAGE, INFORM, and ADVOCATE for our diverse families in order to elevate family voices and grow a more equitable, inclusive, supportive, inspiring and purposeful community.
- CONNECT: Families connect with other families and with staff.
- ENGAGE: Families invest personal resources in enriching the community through volunteering, organizing and participating in events, supporting staff, and providing feedback.
- INFORM: Families have the pertinent information they need to make educated decisions that best support their scholars in living inspired purposeful lives.
- ADVOCATE: Families advocate for the inclusion and equity of all, particularly historically marginalized groups, both inside the Valor community and in the community at large.
VFG believes that family engagement is an ongoing 2-way process that strengthens active participation, communication and collaboration between families and schools. We believe that scholars, teachers, administrators, guardians, and community working together will create meaningful partnerships that lead to increase in scholar achievement and wellbeing.
V. Collaborating with the Community
Valor’s community-centered approach celebrates and honors the rich cultural traditions of our families. We partner with families to co-design inclusive events and traditions that reflect our community’s diversity.
Ongoing Engagement Opportunities:
- Parent Power Sessions (Quarterly)
- Quarterly Q&A Sessions
- Teacher Appreciation ( Quarterly)
- Signature Events ( Culture Festivals, Game/Bingo Night etc)
- Parent Surveys (5th–11th grade; multilingual, Spring )
- Community Meetings (Chai, Cafecito, The Village, General)
ALL are invited and welcome to be involved with the VFG at a level of commitment that works for you. You will have the opportunity to sign up for VFG in the Community Agreements documents, which will be shared on Valor Family News on Friday, July 24.
Overall Family Engagement Expectations
Valor families are expected to complete all orientation paperwork. In August, each middle school hosts an optional Kickoff event for families to meet their scholar’s teachers. Families will also have the opportunity to engage in parent/guardian-teacher conferences each quarter
Communication at Valor.
School to Family Communication
We ensure consistent, two-way communication with families about academic and school-wide updates:
- Primary platforms: Emails via Pride/ Mentor Blast, Principal Updates via ValorFamilynews.com and text-em-all.
- Communication cadence:
- Mondays: Digital Homework Agenda updated by 8 AM
- Fridays: Pride/ Mentor Blast via email
- Sundays: Principal Update via text/email
- All families are automatically enrolled in school communications and may opt out at any time.
- Staff contact information is posted on ValorFamilyNews.com. Families are encouraged to communicate directly with their child’s pride leader, mentor, or teacher as needed.
Our primary tools to communicate with families are through text and email groups linking to the ValorFamilyNews.com website. If you have any trouble accessing the site, please contact your scholar’s Pride Leader or the Family Engagement Manager Alexis Morris. All guardians are automatically opted in to the text and email group. You may opt out at any time, however, please know that this is how you will be alerted of all important announcements.
| What Valor Expects of Families | What You Can Expect from Valor Faculty |
| Communicate to Valor faculty via the email or leaving a message at the front desk. Staff contact information is available on ValorFamilyNews.com. Read all communication from Valor within 24 hoursCommunicate about challenges, questions, and problems openlyHonor Valor’s “talk to the person, not about the person” via communication with all Valor faculty and familiesCommunicate directly with your scholar’s pride leader or teacher if you have a question or concernWe encourage scholars to reach out to teachers directly with homework questions before 7 pmCall main office for transportation changes at least 30 minutes before dismissalAll early dismissals must be before the following times:Middle SchoolsM – 3:06 pmT-F – 2:40 pmHigh SchoolM-TH – 2:30 pmF – 1:00 pm | Respond to all family messages within 48 hoursWe ask teachers not to respond to email messages during the school day to ensure they are focused on teaching. If in need of an immediate response during school hours, please call the front office. If possible, respond to scholar homework questions the same night. For immediate assistance, students reach out to Tennessee’s free Homework Help Hotline from certified Tennessee teachers (support is available in English, Arabic, Spanish, Hindi, Farsi, and Swahili), Hours are Monday through Thursday from 4-8pm and they can be reached at 615-298-6636 or online at homeworkhotline.infoProvide positive feedback about your scholar’s progress |
Athletics at Valor
Athletic Department Welcome
Valor Collegiate Academies provides interscholastic athletic opportunities for students in grades 6-12 at all three school campuses. It is our goal for participation in athletics to be accessible to all socioeconomic backgrounds, genders, and races. “We strive to educate and invigorate through competitive athletics.”
The goal of participation in athletics is to develop young men and women who love competition and will be a positive influence on their community and on those around them. There are so many lessons that can be learned through the hard work and effort it takes to be an athlete. We believe that athletics provides our students the opportunity to work as a team, strive hard for common goals, and to develop leadership skills that will remain in them for the rest of their lives. The goal of our coaches coaching our student-athletes is to value People over Performance and to find ways to make sure every member of the team feels important!
Research shows us that experiences gained through participation in extracurricular activities at school help prepare our students for life beyond their years of formal education. Many of life’s lessons are learned through the challenges and discipline of a strong athletic experience. The Athletic Department recognizes coaches’ and parents’ roles in providing these opportunities for our student-athletes. Together, we can make these experiences positive, meaningful, and successful. We hope the information provided in this handbook will make both your and your child’s participation in the athletic program positive and enjoyable.
Athletic participation is a privilege granted to Valor Collegiate Academies students. Student-athletes must be in good standing academically and behaviorally at their respective schools in order to compete. Student-athletes will be ineligible if they are not in good academic standing or if they are behaviorally deemed ineligible.
If at any time you have questions regarding athletics at Valor Collegiate Academies, please feel free to contact Wildcat Athletics’ administrators.
Go Wildcats!
Kylie Harvey
Managing Director of Athletics
More information about specific sports and tryout dates will be included in the Community Agreements, to be posted on July 24 on Valor Family News.
After-school Programming at Valor
We are excited to welcome you to FACE (Fine Arts, Enrichment, and Electives) at Valor Collegiate Academies! Our mission is to provide high-quality, culturally aware programming that empowers our diverse community to live inspired, purposeful, and creatively rich lives.
With over 30 programs available, including academic clubs, leadership groups, artistic endeavors, and enrichment activities, FACE ensures every student finds an exciting path. This well-rounded extracurricular experience sets us apart in the Metro Nashville area, offering a safe space for scholars to make new discoveries, expand their imaginations, and explore new skills regardless of race, gender, or socio-economic status.
Research shows that after-school activities directly enhance student success by boosting confidence, social skills, and academic performance. Through FACE, students develop leadership, cultivate their unique talents, and form lasting peer connections that extend far beyond the classroom.
Please note that participation in FACE is a privilege that requires maintaining good academic standing and exemplary behavior. Whether engaging in regional competitions or recreational clubs, students are encouraged to broaden their perspectives and reach their full potential.
Get ready to explore your passions, ignite your creativity, and make lasting memories with us this year! If you have any questions, please reach out to the FACE Team at face@valorcollegiate.org.
Looking for more information about athletics, extra-curricular activities, school supplies or other topics? Be on the lookout for our Community Agreements document to be posted on Valor Family News next Friday, July 24.