Fall, 2015
Letter from the Principal
Sherry Tolkan
414.389.5560
As I stand outside each morning greeting students
and waving to parents, I marvel at the school that
Veritas has become over the past 15 years. With
the support of our incredible staff, families like yours,
and students who are committed to learning, the
vision of creating a small, safe, academically
challenging school that prepares students for post-
secondary opportunities has become a reality.
Rest assured that we will remain a small school
despite the fact that we have a long waiting list of
students who want to attend Veritas. We are built
on strong relationships and will not risk losing our
identity and effectiveness. Looking back, it is
amazing to see how far we have come. Each year,
more Veritas students are being accepted to first
rate colleges and universities based on their strong
academic achievements and their extensive
involvement in extra-curricular activities and
community service.
The Milwaukee Community has also taken notice of our
accomplishments. On Nov 14th, Veritas High School was honored
by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee with the prestigious
“Marty Stein Champion for Children Award.” The award was
presented at the Big Brother Big Sisters Gala at the Pfister Hotel.
Accompanying me to the event was: Marcia Spector, Executive
Director of Seeds of Health; staff members Brenda Jeske,
Shentel Manresa, and Mandy Adams; and nine Veritas
sophomores who volunteered their time to help raise money for
Big Brothers Big Sisters.
As we approach the holiday season, we wish all of our wonderful
families good health and happiness. In the spirit of the season,
please mark your calendars for January 13th for the 2nd Annual
Family Ties Event, sponsored by the Veritas High School Service
Learning Class and Parent Council. On that evening, Veritas
students and their families will come together to create tied
blankets that will be donated to those in need in the Milwaukee
area.
Please know that all of us at Veritas High School remain
dedicated to providing the best educational opportunities for
your child while instilling in each of them the importance of hard
work, good character, and service to the community.
My door is always open to you.
Yours Truly,
Sherry Tolkan
Veritas High School is a program of Seeds of Health, Inc.
The Veritas High School mission is to
prepare Milwaukee students for post-secondary
education success through completion of an
academically challenging, values-based curriculum
in a safe and supportive environment.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Dec 14—Early Release
Day
Dec 21-Jan 1—Winter
Break (No School)
Jan 4—School Resumes
Jan 18—Martin Luther King
Day (No School)
Jan 19-21—Semester
Exams (Early Dismissal
11:10 AM)
Jan 22—Record Day
(No School)
Jan 25—Semester 2 Begins
Jan 25-26—Interim
Jan 27—ACCESS Testing
Feb 1—Staff Professional
Development Day
(No School)
Feb 8—Early Release Day
Feb 15—Mid-Semester
Break (No School)
Mar 1 & 2—ACT Testing
(11th Grade)
Mar 4—Staff Professional
Development Day
(No School)
Mar 14—Early Release Day
Mar 16—Parent/Teacher
Conferences (4—8 PM)
Mar 17—Parent/Teacher
Conferences (1—8 PM)
Mar 18—Teacher Day (No
School)
Mar 25-Apr 1—Spring
Break (No School)
Volume 3 Issue 1
Veritas High School News
© Seeds of Health, Inc. © Seeds of Health, Inc. Fall, 2015
The Tenor/Veritas soccer season came to an
unfortunate end with a 5-3 loss to St. Anthony's in the
most difficult division 3 regional in the state. It was
the most successful season in the program's history,
as the team accumulated 15 wins (6 losses, 3 ties) on
their way to the Indian Trails Conference
Championship. Many athletes received 1st team
and honorable mention conference awards. High-
lights of the season included a 4-0 win against
division 4 honorable mention Racine Lutheran, the
great atmosphere at the homecoming game
against St. Anthony's, the 7-1 stomping against
Reagan, and finding the back of the net 111 times
(compared to 34 goals against) this season (5th
highest scoring team in the state across all divisions).
The October 2015 results of the Vocabulary Bowl have
just been released. We're excited to announce
that Veritas High earned the following achievements:
Wisconsin State Runner-Up October 2015
Wisconsin State Top 10 School October 2015
Every month, thousands of schools across the US and
Canada compete in the Vocabulary Bowl. Winning
these awards is quite an achievement. Keep up the
good work!
The Tenor/Veritas Girls Volleyball Team had a great
fall season! Varsity finished with a record of 7-16,
while JV finished with a record of 4-6. The girls showed
a lot of improvement from previous seasons, a result
of working out during the summer and showing
dedication at every practice. This was the team's first
season participating in the Indian Trails
Conference. The "Thunder-Titans" finished with a
conference record of 3-7, putting them in 4th place.
The Varsity team was led by Captain Lauren
Conway, libero Kirstin Larson, and setter Nancy
Juarez. The JV team was led by Clara Gallegos and
Rosa Luna. Highlights from the season include
beating St. Anthony twice, winning against Salam in
a nail-biting 5th game, and tying for 2nd place in our
pool at the Conference Tournament. Great season
ladies, and good luck next year!
Veritas continues its long-term relationship with the
Milwaukee Repertory Theatre.
This year we continue to be
a part of an amazing
program that we've had
the opportunity to be a part
of for many years. The
M i lwaukee Repertory
Theater and its Education
Department has provided
us with thirty tickets to see four shows this year:
Dreamgirls, The Mousetrap, Of Mice and Men, and
Fences. In addition, they'll bring out the professional
actors from the shows to discuss with the students the
major themes, historical contexts, and technical
aspects of the show in pre and post show
workshops along with a backstage tour of the
theater. We will also participate in a Rep Immersion
program, which is a full day of fun and education
with the actors of the show at the theater, with lunch
provided by the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. This
opportunity gives students an inside peek into the
magic of creating live theater and is provided to us
practically FREE! This year, our Journalism class will be
lucky enough to experience this great program. We
saw Dreamgirls on October 15th and the students
were wowed by the dazzling, inspiring
performance. Next up, The Mousetrap, a classic
Agatha Christie whodunit, on December 3rd.
Poetry Club, a new club here at Veritas,
is open to all. We'll be writing, performing,
watching, reading, and talking about
poetry. We will also look into getting a
Poetry Slam team started, and attending
Spoken Word poetry events.
Service Learning Class—Making a Difference in the
Community!
Below are just some of the many local places that this
class has had a positive impact upon so far this school
year:
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee Gala
Held at the Pfister Hotel on November 14th
The following Mentor2.0 students volunteered to help with
this wonderful event: Javier Arroyo, Midalis De La Cruz,
Guadalupe Figueroa, Erika Gomez, Naideliz Gonzalez,
Ramiro Lopez, Zachary Raner, Aryanna Strickland, and
Jorge Sanchez. Thanks for the great job everyone!
Pictured below: Left—Sherry Tolkan & Marcia Spector
accept the award at the Gala. Middle and Right—a recent
Mentor2.0 gathering of students and mentors at Veritas.
Charity Walk for
Robyn’s Nest $1, 343
R o b y n ’ s N e s t
Warehouse work
Make a Difference
Day—5 Groups, 21
Students, 4 Teachers
Interfaith—helping
elderly—12 Projects
Food Drive
Milwaukee Libraries—
7 Times, 35+ Students
Soup Kitchens—20
Different Times
Our Lady Queen of
Peace—Reading to
kids & After-school
care
Cat Shelter—25 Hours
Jingle Bell Run/Walk
VERITAS FALL ATHLETIC AWARDS
SOCCER 1ST TEAM ALL CONFERENCE
Brandon Lopez & Eduardo Sandoval
VOLLEYBALL 2ND TEAM ALL CONFERENCE
Kirstin Larson & Lauren Conway
NEWS Fall 2015
Veritas Receives
the 2015 Champion For Children Award
At their recent awards gala, Big Brothers Big
Sisters of Metro Milwaukee awarded the
prestigious Martin F. Stein Champion For
Children Award to Veritas High School.
In a letter announcing the award it states, “The Veritas-mentor2.0
partnership provides students with a comprehensive continuum of
support that promotes true college readiness, including academic
preparation, non-cognitive skill development, and an increase in
college knowledge. Through the successful implementation of
mentor2.0, Big Brothers Big Sisters worked closely with Veritas staff and
witnessed first hand their commitment to Milwaukee youth.”
Amy Chionchio, President & CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters said, “High
school is a critical time in the life of a student. We’ve seen the strong
focus Veritas has on educational success, and we are proud to partner
with them through mentor2.0.”
The letter goes on to state, “Veritas High School leadership and staff
understand that our collective investment in young people’s
educational success is life changing for all of us. We are happy to honor
Veritas for its dedication to Milwaukee youth with the Martin F. Stein
Champion for Children Award.”
Seeds of Health, Inc. is a K-12 system of schools offering innovative
options to meet the needs of students. It
includes Seeds of Health Elementary,
Grandview High School, MC2 High School,
Tenor High School, and Veritas High
School,
Staff Spotlights
My name is Alissa Emond, and I teach science at
Veritas—biology, physical science and genetics.
This is my first year at Veritas, and I am definitely
enjoying getting to know all of the students as
well as exploring the Milwaukee area.
I am originally from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, but I
have also lived in Madison, and on Long Island in
Hauppauge, New York. Before I became a
teacher, I had several other jobs including a
911 dispatcher, working on a rescue boat, and
helping to train sea lions. Aside from science,
some of my other favorite things to do include
camping and hiking, most water sports, reading,
and traveling and experiencing new languages
and cultures.
My name is Rebekah Holder, and I teach the
following science classes at Veritas: advanced
anatomy and physiology, chemistry, and regular
anatomy and physiology. This is my first year at
Veritas.
I went to the University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign and received my degree in
molecular and cellular Biology. My true calling
was education so I attained my Master’s degree
from the University of Phoenix in Secondary Edu-
cation. I moved to Wisconsin in October of 2012
and am ecstatic to be part of the Veritas team. I
enjoy cooking, baking, eating, shopping for a
deal, and watching sports!
My name is Emily Neitzer, and I am the
Academic Resource teacher at Veritas. This is
my first year teaching at Veritas and my second
year teaching special education. I provide all
the special education services at Veritas.
I originally am from Crivitz, Wisconsin and just
moved to Milwaukee this summer. My summers
are filled with volunteering at a camp for people
with physical and intellectual disabilities and
hanging out with my puppy. Since I am new to
Milwaukee, I have spent much of this year
exploring all the sights and learning my way
around. I like to read, spend time with my family
and pets, and relax and watch TV in my free
time.
© Seeds of Health, Inc. Fall, 2015
Alissa Emond
Science Educator
Emily Neitzer
Academic Resource
Educator
Senior Class at Homecoming Pep Rally
Decades Day during Spirit Week
Dress-up Day during Spirit Week
Photo Gallery See what the students at Veritas have been
up to lately.
Rebekah Holder
Science Educator
A great place to learn
Veritas High School
3025 West Oklahoma Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53215
Veritas High School...Ranked the #3 Public High School in the City of Milwaukee* *based on the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction State Report Cards for 2013-2014
Annual Charity Walk
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