Inspiration
The Power of School Choice: Supporting Kendall After a Spinal Cord Stroke
By Hailey Fitch on March 2nd, 2023
In April 2020, when Florida Virtual School (FLVS) student Kendall T. was only 12 years old, she felt a sharp pain in her back. As the pain increased, she asked her mom, Misty, to look at her back. What she found was a huge bruise, which was odd because Kendall hadn’t done any activities that day that would have caused it. Then, a few minutes later, her feet started to tingle. At that point, Misty decided it was time to go to the emergency room, and by the time they got there 20 minutes later, Kendall couldn’t stand.
Continue readingBlazing the Trail with the Class of 2019
By Guest Blogger on June 14th, 2019
This post was written by 2018-19 FLVS Full Time National Honor Society President, Julia Dawson.
As a graduate of FLVS Full Time, I’m so thankful for my parent’s willingness to live unconventional lives.
Halfway through my sophomore year, my family made a life-changing decision. We decided to leave our comfortable, subdivision existence behind and set out on an adventure to travel the country in an RV. The prospect both excited and terrified me. On one hand, it meant leaving behind my friends, school, church, and the perfect, tied-with-a-bow plan I had made for my life. On the other hand, it meant embracing the unknown and forging out into a territory few have been courageous enough to explore. I had no idea that it would not only be the single most amazing experience of my life, but that it would also lead me to a school that I am immensely proud to have attended. Continue reading
Congratulations, Graduates!
By Guest Blogger on June 7th, 2018
This post was written by 2017-18 FLVS Full Time Senior Class President, McKenzie Underwood.
Class of 2018, we made it! After counting down the days until graduation all year, we finally crossed the finish line. There is not a single person who did not work extremely hard to get this far. All the late nights studying, the DBAs, the live lessons, the collaborations, the final exams, they were all worth it. Be proud of yourselves, you didn’t get here by mistake.
I would like to take a moment to acknowledge some of the amazing people who helped us get through the past four years of high school. Continue reading
FLVS Student Anna Shines as Miss Florida Teen
By Guest Blogger on November 14th, 2017
This article was originally written and published in the FLVS student newspaper, News in a Click.
“I truly believe that finding something you are passionate about will lead you to success…I like to keep in mind that everything happens for a reason. I know that I am exactly where I’m at right now for a purpose,” is FLVS Flex senior Anna Ross’ life mantra.
As reigning Miss Florida Teen 2017, the 18-year-old has been taking FLVS classes since 2015 to better fit her busy schedule as a pageant queen, classically-trained ballerina, and student. Continue reading
Inspirational Quotes to Share with Students
By Guest Blogger on August 17th, 2017
School counselors are in the unique position to support students with issues related to both school and home life. They are trained to provide counseling and guidance to students of all ages.
This guidance may take the form of one-on-one sessions or phone calls with online students, presentations to high school classes about college applications, family support and information nights, or small group peer-relation work. Continue reading
Reflections from the Class of 2017
By Guest Blogger on June 7th, 2017
This post was written by 2016-17 FLVS Full Time National Honor Society President, Olivia Horne.
Family and friends – thank you for providing unwavering support, love and encouragement as we pursue our futures.
Teachers and staff – thank you for making those futures possible through your ability to make lifelong learning fun and our dreams accessible.
Fellow graduates – congratulations! From DBAs, to lives lessons, from collaborations to finals, we have each worked incredibly hard. We did it.
As we reach the end of our high school careers, it is only natural for us to reflect upon what led us here. And while our personal histories might differ greatly, we do have one thing in common: the community that is FLVS.
We, Class of 2017, have pursued our education on our own terms. We are the trailblazers, the innovative digital learners, those who are not afraid to take the path less traveled. We have dared to be different. We, Class of 2017, have proven our possession of the invaluable ability to define our own futures. Continue reading
The Beauty of Letting Go
By Caroline Lyles on March 7th, 2017
Do you order the same exact dish from your favorite restaurant every single time? Do you listen to the same music or watch the same movies? Yep, that was me – same dish, same style of dress in multiple colors, and 20 bottles of nail polish in similar shades of pink.
Yes, I was in the dreaded comfort zone, and loving every minute of it. But as wonderful and safe as comfort zones are, they can also be dangerous.
If we stay in our comfort zones for too long, we fail to grow – both personally and professionally – which is never a good thing.
A totally unexpected thing happened this past October. Continue reading
Holiday Truths
By Guest Blogger on December 12th, 2016
This is the sixth post in a series by former FLVS student Makaila, a model, author, and anti-bullying advocate.
The holiday season is upon us, which means two things. One, the holidays are almost here, but more importantly, winter break is closer than you think.
Let this winter break be one that will go down in history as one of your most productive times of the year. After your finals or year-end assignments, sit back and relax and hangout with those who mean something special to you.
The past year may have been rough, and at times like this, it is perfect to reflect on those who have stuck by your side through thick and thin. And for those who haven’t, maybe this is the perfect time to let go so you can start fresh in the new year. Weed out the negative people in your life, and appreciate the right ones.
Take time this holiday season to learn and reflect on the things you wish you could have changed, like relationships and other endeavors…or even if you procrastinated a little too much. But wait – if you are focused on becoming better next year (which is so close), you may wonder “What did I do wrong?” Well, we all do things wrong. No one is perfect and now is a great time to realize that. Continue reading
FLVS Attends GOES-R Satellite Launch
By Florida Virtual School on December 7th, 2016
On Saturday, November 19, I had the privilege of watching the GOES-R weather satellite launch from Kennedy Space Center.
Now you may be wondering what GOES-R stands for. It’s the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, a satellite system that orbits the earth and sends data back to National Weather Service computers. The R indicates what number or version the GOES satellite is on, so there have already been versions A-R. GOES-S is slated to launch next year and is the twin to GOES-R.
Of course, weather satellites get launched all the time, so why would this one be any more special than the others?
Well, right now we receive images of satellite scans every 30 minutes or so. The GOES-R satellite will provide data at least every five minutes, and in some circumstances every 30 seconds! So not only will it be five times faster than current weather satellites, but it will also gather three times more data and it will have four times better resolution. Continue reading
To Bennu and Back!
By Florida Virtual School on September 29th, 2016
Hello FLVS peeps!
I had the distinct honor of representing FLVS at the OSIRIS REx rocket launch a few weeks ago.
Now if you’re wondering what exactly that means, OSIRIS REx stands for NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer. That’s a mouthful, right?
In a nutshell, NASA is sending a spacecraft to an asteroid named Bennu. Once it reaches Bennu (after a trip lasting two years), the spacecraft will orbit the asteroid for about a year, find the perfect place to collect about 80 grams of the rock, and head back home, arriving back to Earth in 2023.
It won’t actually land on the asteroid, but instead hover over it – and with the help of Canada and their amazing knowledge of spacecraft arms – will grab a small sample. (To put this in perspective, 80 grams is about the equivalent of 80 Skittle candies.)
So why are we going to Bennu? Continue reading