Community Involvement
‘Tis the Season: How FLVS Students Give Back
By Florida Virtual School on November 29th, 2021
‘Tis the season for giving back—and FLVS Full Time National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) understood the assignment! In honor of International Volunteers Day on December 5, we’re proud to highlight FLVS students helping their local communities.
Continue readingFLVS Student Helps Those in Need
By Florida Virtual School on January 15th, 2021
This article was originally written and published in the FLVS student newspaper, News in a Click.
Theodore Kiselev is a Florida Virtual School student with high goals and an amazing reputation. Known for his work with his very own organization, “Help When Needed,” he is working to make his community better for everyone’s wellbeing. Theodore works very hard to make sure people get the help that they need and works to balance his time with school and this wonderful organization.
Continue readingFLVS Students Exceed Community Service Goal
By Guest Blogger on July 22nd, 2020
It’s no secret that our Florida Virtual School (FLVS) students are amazing and take their education seriously, but did you know many of our students also have a penchant for generously volunteering in their communities? This 2019-20 school year, Mae Martin, Student Activities Coordinator, reported that FLVS Student Club members completed 3,439 volunteer hours, surpassing last year’s total and goal. Additionally, FLVS Full Time High School students recorded nearly 31,000 cumulative community service hours that qualify for Bright Future Scholarships when they graduate.
Continue readingPinwheels for Prevention
By Guest Blogger on April 18th, 2017
This post was written in recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month.
My first realization that not all parents behave as loving parents was in the third grade with news that Penny’s mom had hit her over the head with a trophy. It was shocking, as child abuse was not a topic you typically heard of in the 70s, but conversations soon sprouted throughout our small suburban school and community.
Fast forward to today, and news of children being neglected and abused is far too prevalent.
Every child deserves to grow up in a safe and loving environment and it is our duty as parents, educators—as humans—to look after them.
Over the past few weeks, you may have noticed pinwheels have popped up in your community and throughout Florida. A ceremony was held in Tallahassee earlier this month on the lawn of the Turlington Building, which serves as the home of the Florida Department of Education. These pinwheels represent Pinwheels for Prevention, a national campaign that engages communities in a coordinated effort to prevent child abuse. Continue reading
FLVS Students and Staff Give Back
By Guest Blogger on February 17th, 2017
Random acts of kindness are enough to make anyone’s day.
Whether it is holding a door open, paying it forward in line at Starbucks, or helping someone carry in groceries, we all have the capacity to be kind on a daily basis. This year, in order to celebrate National Random Acts of Kindness Day (February 17), we spoke with some awesome FLVS students that really know what it means to be caring and kind.
The Creative Writing club is participating in an ongoing service project that started in February and runs through March. There are many ways that students of the club can help out. They can donate books, read to someone, help out at the library, or even volunteer as a reading, writing, or English tutor. So far, the Creating Writing Club members have donated 25 books.
The STEM/Science Club at FLVS recently participated in a clothing drive. Sometimes it can be easy to take something as simple as the clothes on our back for granted. Continue reading
Twins Receive President’s Volunteer Service Award
By Guest Blogger on November 17th, 2016
Jonathan and Christopher Collins, FLVS Full Time students in Ocala, were recently honored for their exemplary volunteer service with the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
The twins, currently in 10th grade, have participated in more than 100 hours of service during the past 12 months.
The President’s Volunteer Service Award is bestowed upon Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time in service to their community and their country. The Collins twins were presented with the award by Center Point Community Church in Naples.
“I have a passion for helping others and for making a difference in my community,” Jonathan said. “It was an honor to be able to assist children grow and learn; however, I discovered in this process that I was the one who was being richly blessed. Although it was hard work and many days I left tired, I was excited that I knew I made a difference that day.” Continue reading
FLVS Joins St. Jude’s Walk for Children
By Guest Blogger on September 8th, 2016
At FLVS, our teachers and support staff make up the heart and soul of our organization. All of our efforts are centered on the lives of the individual students we serve.
This month, one of our staff members and his daughter (a student at FLVS) are especially representative of this mission as we join the statewide 5k Walk for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Mike Smith, FLVS Peer Counseling and Critical Thinking Skills teacher, says that his family has been a proud supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for more than 25 years. His cousin (who happens to be getting married the same day as the walk this year) was treated and cured there in the early 1990s. Now, Mike’s family is once again part of the St. Jude mission to cure all children stricken with cancer. Continue reading
National Volunteer Week
By Guest Blogger on April 11th, 2016
National Volunteer Week is being celebrated from April 10-16th this year.
What a great time to reflect and to take action! Martin Luther King, Jr. said it best, “Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve…You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
Eleven years ago, our dog died, leaving a big impact on our family. My children were young and the whole family was devastated. Concurrently, I was the Principal of Winter Park High School. I had developed a close friendship with a parent who was a volunteer puppy raiser for Canine Companions for Independence. Continue reading
Student Gives at Animal Shelter and Gains Much More
By Guest Blogger on November 24th, 2015
This month, we asked students to share ways they give back in their communities using #flvsgiving on social media. This post was written by one of our students who volunteers at her local animal shelter.
Hi, I’m Alexis Lamphere.
I’m a senior at FLVS and I currently volunteer with the Osceola County Animals Services in Saint Cloud.
In addition to volunteering my time, I foster kittens that are underweight or too young to be adopted and don’t have a mother cat to take care of them.
Working at the shelter is honestly a life-changing experience. I’m given the chance to help improve and change many lives every day. It teaches you to be selfless and you start to have an endless love for each animal. You start to care about the animal’s happiness more than your own and he/she becomes more than “just some dog” or “just some cat.” The animal becomes a loved one, a friend, and part of your heart. Continue reading
Keep Them Learning All Summer Long (3 of 3)
By Dr. Jeanne Giardino on July 22nd, 2014
Enrichment Activities for Families
This is part three of a three-part FLVS Virtual Voice blog series about enriching activities that will keep students learning all summer long. Part one shared enriching opportunities that can be found at your local public library. Part two focused on Geocaching. This post (part three) is all about art.
This summer, in between the barbeques and fun in the sun, take a moment to soak in the enriching art and cultural activities of your community.
“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” – Edgar Degas