VESTAVIA HILLS HIGH SCHOOL NEWS

Photo Credits: Instagram, VHHS Rebel Marching Band at Mud Creek Marching Festival The new year, for many, is a time of self-evaluation and profound hope. The first of January inspires goals and promises of personal refinement (go check out our article on New Year’s Resolutions) and invites an excitement to leave the past year behind. Even so, our most popular anthem for the New Year, originally a Scottish poem, reminds us to step into the future with remembrance and apprecia

Every day, students pass through the hallways rushing to their next classes, leaving for early dismissals, or heading off to practice. In all of this constant movement, it’s easy to stay focused on our own routines without stopping to wonder about the lives unfolding around us.  While walking through the school one day, I felt this way about one of the fellow seniors in the class of 2026, Sally Grace Ward. Every single morning, she’s seen walking through the halls with her b

The second semester of school is always a whirlwind of varied emotions. We’re sad the break is over, tired from adjusting our sleep schedules, happy to see our friends, and stressed about our GPA. In this sense, school is really the same. But there’s a freshness that comes along with a new year—humans like a clean slate, after all. There’s a surge of motivation to embrace self-improvement and a sober determination to be the “you” you always wanted to be.  What better demonstr

By Audrey Kim and Aiden Billano It’s that time of year again: the time we get to decide how we’re all going to spend the next year. With course selection fast approaching, as you look at potential classes in Vestavia’s Next Steps Live Binder , you may notice a few new additions since last year. After listening to student interest, these new courses were proposed by teachers and approved by the Board of Education to be available starting this year. Unfortunately, these course

Photo Credits: dadot.com In early December, our Track and Field team began the official indoor season with the Magic City Invitational. Located at the Crossplex, our athletes spent their afternoons competing and supporting as they broke into the competitive season.  In the 60m ambulatory, Vaughan Rainer ran a 10.03, winning the event. In the 60m, Cance (Derek) Mills ran a personal record of 7.02, placing 7th in the overall meet and putting himself 2nd in the school’s record

Photo Credits: Astha Mehta On December 5th and 6th, the Vestavia Hills Speech and Debate team competed in Montgomery at Montgomery Academy. The Big GUMP Classic -- one of the most anticipated competitions in the region -- has always been a Vestavia Hills favorite. The adored clay trophies feature a variety of extravagant animals, and the competition is a great way for competitors to grow and learn. The team competed in a variety of events, including Public Forum, Congression

Photo Credits: Mrs. Hyde, several Math Team students involved with tournament preparation Each year, the VHHS math team hosts a tournament, garnering nationwide attention and over a thousand students, from 6th graders fresh off their first semester of middle school, to seniors in high school just about ready to leave. This year, on the weekend of December 6th, it was no different. With over half a hundred schools ranging from ASFA to West Point HS, a full alphabetical journe

Celebrate the Season Anyone associated with Vestavia Hills High School knows about one particular day in December reserved for a concert known as Celebrate the Season. This day is full of holiday-themed performances from the school’s arts programs---band, choir, dance, theater, and visual arts---bringing everyone together for an incredible display of holiday cheer. This year’s performance was just as spirited and fun-filled as the rest, adding to the many concerts that have

The media below contains the opinion of an individual student and therefore does not represent or speak to the values of Vestavia Hills High School and Vestavia Hills City Schools Photo Credits: Tero Vesalainen / Getty Images To some degree, anyone who attends VHHS is privileged. And that is not a bad thing, necessarily, but it should be acknowledged that there are facilities, opportunities, and lifestyles we are accustomed to as Vestavia students that other students in our

Written by Bianca Lombo and Analiz Castellanos VHHS Poetry Out Loud What Poetry Out Loud Is, and How It Works Poetry Out Loud is a national competition designed to help high school students connect with poetry through its performance. Started in 2005 by the National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation, which aimed to support schools in having a poetry program. By performing poetry aloud, the performer has a deeper connection to their emotions and the connotation the

Photo Credit: Sophia Chen FBLA, or the Future Business Leaders of America club, teaches students about business and leadership through many events and activities. From competing in local, state, and national tournaments to participating in leadership conferences, this group of students is expanding on skills necessary for the workforce by studying these key tools for events and learning from experienced speakers.  Their leadership team includes their President Emily Jin (se

Photo Credits: Shutterstock **The media below contains the opinion of an individual student and therefore does not represent or speak to the values of Vestavia Hills High School and Vestavia Hills City Schools** 2025 was an eventful year both in Vestavia and around the world. At VHHS, notable events include the school shutting down due to busted pipes and the new FOCUS Act banning cell phones at school. In global news, a new pope was chosen, and Katy Perry supposedly went to

Photo Credit: Google Winter break is just around the corner, but before we get our long-awaited period of fun and relaxation, we have to get through the dreaded first-semester exams. Exams start in under a month, and unless you want to end up pulling an all-nighter the night before to cram, you should probably begin studying now. There are several useful study resources online: Quizlet for flashcards and quizzes, Knowt for practice tests (including free response questions),

Picture of the AHSAA Swim and Dive State Championship in Huntsville, Alabama This past weekend, heading into Thanksgiving break, the VHHS swim and dive team traveled to Huntsville, kicking off the week with their final meet of the 2025 season. The Lady Rebels entered with high expectations for a state title, while the young men’s team also had a strong chance to bring home a map. For the girls, state individual qualifiers included Rilie Reid (Sr.), Angela Zhang (Sr.), Emily

Photo Credit: Google In this drop’s Faculty Highlight, we will be putting the spotlight on Mrs. Grillo, otherwise known as Mrs. G! She loves Harry Potter, and she teaches (PLTW) - Principles of Engineering and Civil Engineering & Architecture at our high school.  Mrs. Grillo enjoys teaching Engineering to students because it “ is a truly hands-on, project-based curriculum.” She says that it creates “an environment that fosters creativity, encourages critical thinking, and i

Picture of Emory Bear on the left and Baker Stewart on the right. Have you ever gone through the hallways and seen the familiar faces of people you might have known from middle school, yet you never talk to them? You wonder what’s going on in their lives. how much you have missed, and how much has stayed the same for them. Well, lucky for you, we were able to catch up with two Rebel students right before Thanksgiving break and ask them a few questions about their lives an

Photo Credit: Ally Bryant  The media below contains the opinion of an individual student and therefore does not represent or speak to the values of Vestavia Hills High School and Vestavia Hills City Schools . When it comes to book lovers, reading is always the go-to activity. Each reader has their favorites, and so does the community of readers as a whole. Every year, certain books rise above the others in terms of favoritism, and they ultimately become the most popular b

Written by Grace Ding, Hannah Chen, and Sophia Chen Photo Credits: Grace Ding The VHHS Robotics team competed at their first signature event: a robotics competition that has direct qualifications to the VEX Robotics World  Championship. With a season so far of local tournaments and getting used to this year’s game, all four of our teams worked hard to prepare for the Smoky Mountain Forge. The tournament began on Friday, November 14th. Since it was a longer drive there, most

Photo Credit: National Geographic Kids It’s that time of year again! As the holiday season is upon us, many Rebels have holiday traditions they do with their friends and family to celebrate the festive season.  Many students take advantage of the long winter break to go on fun trips. Some even do annual trips, like Nathan Xavier (sophomore), who “plan[s] a trip with [his] family friends from Georgia.” These annual traditions give students something to look forward to after

Photo Credits: Savannah Schmidt (Vestavia Voice) The Vestavia Hills Rebels entered the season with high expectations, a veteran core, and a coaching staff intent on building on the momentum of recent years. What followed was a thrilling and resilient campaign—one defined by explosive offense, breakout stars, and a team identity forged in some of the toughest matchups in the state. The Rebels opened the year with impressive confidence, showcasing an offense that could strike