Safety First: 5 Ways to Stay Safe & Connected This School Year

Headphones? Check! Laptop and notebooks? Good to go! Fresh new perspective and tips for making this school year safe AND fun? Keep reading!

As a Florida Virtual School (FLVS) family, we know health, safety, and success are your top priorities. And they’re ours, too. Here are some ways you can stay safe, connected, and move forward this school year.

Keep Your Options Open

As the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues, families have valid concerns about their health and safety, while also navigating the social and emotional impact staying at home can have. To support families everywhere, FLVS has multiple at-home learning options to choose from, including:

• FLVS Flex: free, flexible class options for Florida students currently enrolled in traditional school or as homeschool students. Enrollment is open all year.
• FLVS Full Time: free, full-time online learning for Florida residents, following an 180-day school year schedule from August to June.
• FlexPoint Virtual School: tuition-based, flexible class options for non-Florida residents

With all our options, your family gets 24/7 access to courses, supportive Florida-certified teachers, and the freedom to learn from home (or anywhere with wi-fi), safely. Meaning you can always choose the right option for your family, no matter where you are.

Make Mental Health a Priority

FLVS is more than an online courses, it’s education that goes with you. And supports you.

We offer a variety of resources to ensure Kindergarten-12th grade families have the support they need to stay safe and healthy all year long. In fact, we’ve nearly doubled our team of Student Service professionals over the last year to address students’ social and emotional needs, including Mental Health, Safety, and Social and Emotional Learning Specialists.

Students and families can take advantage of a variety of counseling support options—including:

• Open Group Sessions for Students — see upcoming session dates here.
• Parent Sessions — see upcoming session dates here.
• On-demand Sessions — watch sessions, like the Mental Health Minute by FLVS Flex Counselors, anytime here.

Session topics include internet safety, time management, coping with stress, managing anxiety, and more. Check your student calendar for additional sessions and events. And find your counselor at flvs.net/student-resources.

Stay Connected with Friends, Make New Ones

Online learning but make it social! With more than 60 FLVS clubs to choose from—from coding to cooking—you’re bound to connect with students who share similar passions and hobbies. Join a club and get connected with fellow students at Club Rush!

• Flex/Full Time K–5: Friday, August 27, 2021 @ 11:00 a.m.–12 noon
• Flex/Full Time 6–12: Thursday, August 26, 2021 @ 4:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.

Find Your Village

If you’re new to online learning, you’re not alone! Our FLVS Facebook group is home to more than 10,000 parents and students—sharing their online learning experiences to help families, like yours—with everything from course recommendations to tips for staying on track. Join the conversation!

Grow Beyond the Classroom

Middle and high school students can get the skills they need to grow beyond the classroom in our Peer Counseling courses. They’ll learn strategies to strengthen their social, emotional, and leadership skills for future success—like learning how to set goals, manage their time, and conquer peer pressure.

At FLVS, students and families have a unique opportunity to receive a high-quality online education and explore a variety of student activities—all while keeping students physically and emotionally safe and healthy from home. Ready to take on the new year? You’ve got this!

For additional resources or to contact FLVS counselors, visit our Student Resource Center.