Join an Hour of Code!

By on November 23rd, 2015

Hour of Code TutorialsComputers are everywhere, but fewer schools teach computer science than 10 years ago.

The good news is, we’re on our way to change this. If you’ve heard about the Hour of Code before, you might know it made history. More than 100 million students have tried an Hour of Code with fun online games and tutorials featuring Star Wars, Minecraft, and Frozen.

This year, students of the FLVS STEM Club will give presentations about creating websites and more. Last year, every Apple Store in the world hosted an Hour of Code and even President Obama wrote his first line of code as part of the campaign.

Over 100 partners have joined together to support this movement.  Continue reading


National Novel Writing Month

By on November 21st, 2015

National Novel Writing MonthIf there’s one thing I’ve learned as I’ve matured, it’s that everyone has a story to tell.

And, that our stories matter. Whether you’re a student, parent, grandparent, teacher, homemaker, hairstylist, or CEO, your story is important and only you can tell it. Did you know that it’s been estimated that 81 percent of Americans say they dream of being an author? That’s roughly 200 million people! I admit I am one of the 200 million, and it’s been a long road, but I will be publishing my book this year.

Have you ever thought of writing a book but didn’t know how to start? Continue reading


Military Family Appreciation

By on November 19th, 2015

Military Family Appreciation MonthNovember is Military Family Appreciation Month.

While we should make sure to thank our military families each and every day, setting aside some time to truly reflect on their service and to honor them for their sacrifice is also super important.

My family, and especially my dad, has always made it a point to thank our men and women in service who give so much to protect our freedom. Before enjoying our meals, each and every night before bed, and every holiday as we gathered as a family, we would thank the military.

Thank them for giving us the gift of togetherness and safety.  Thank them for standing guard in a million different ways to ensure we get to live the greatest life imaginable.  Continue reading


Travel is the Ultimate Education

By on November 16th, 2015

This is the seventh post in a series by the Cooney family about their world travels, made possible by the flexible learning offered at FLVS.

Cooney World Adventures Issue 7Recently, friends of ours withdrew their nine-year old daughter from school to take her with them to Washington, D.C. and Iceland.

They planned to tour the nation’s capital before leaving for Iceland for the family’s first trip abroad.  To do so, Jennifer (not her real name), would miss approximately a week of school.  Jennifer’s mom contacted the school well in advance and completed the necessary paperwork to request an excused absence.  She outlined in detail all that Jennifer would experience and see during the trip.

However, the school principal did not respond and after repeated calls asking for an update, it was time to leave. Continue reading


The Power of Picture Books

By on November 13th, 2015

The Power of Picture BooksOn my day off this week, I find myself eagerly drafting my first blog post for FLVS because (as all writers understand) I not only enjoy writing, I need to write.

So given my literacy background and current position as a first grade teacher at FLVS, I think I’ve chosen the right topic for me and you, my readers.  Author Randy Pausch eloquently says, “Your passion must come from the things that fuel you from the inside.”

My own children were quite young when I started my career in early childhood education, but it was clear to me then (and even clearer now) that I am passionate about beautiful picture books and quality children’s literature.  Continue reading


Why Today is a Great Day

By on November 11th, 2015

Blog_VeteransDay_151030Veterans Day? I am not much of a blogger – in fact, counting this blog, I have written one blog.

That being said, I could not pass up the opportunity to blog about Veterans Day. It’s a different sort of holiday for me, one that I never paid much attention to growing up. It seemed like almost everyone I knew had served in some capacity or another. Veterans Day was just another holiday in which everyone participated. To that end, I never thought twice when I graduated high school and headed off to serve. Of course while I was in the Army, almost everyone I knew either had served or was still serving.  Veterans Day was just another day.

But Veterans Day is not just another day – it is a great day!
Continue reading


Seven Survival Skills for Careers

By on November 3rd, 2015

Tony Wagner quoteIn his critically acclaimed book, “The Global Achievement Gap,” author Tony Wagner explores what he considers to be “Seven Survival Skills for Careers, College and Citizenship.”

After spending time with the most successful executives and professional people in the world, Wagner came to the conclusion that there is a gap between what our students need to be successful when they enter the real world and what we are teaching them in the classroom.

As a result, he created a list of essential 21st Century skills that all people need in order to be successful in college, in their career, and for their overall citizenship. Continue reading


Student Researches Sunscreen’s Effects on Oysters

By on October 28th, 2015

Broadcom-Masters-ToonderHi! I’m Madison, a student at FLVS.

While attending a Busch Gardens camp in the summer of 2014, I learned that the park utilizes oysters to naturally filter their lakes.  I soon became fascinated with oysters, and after some research, I discovered oysters are dying globally due to pollution.

After this discovery, I formulated an experiment focusing on the effect of micronized chemical sunscreen (as used in spray sunscreen) and nanosized zinc oxide sunblock (as found in thicker, clear sunblock) on the ability of a bivalve mollusk (or oyster) to filter bay water. Continue reading


Writing Clicks as a Means to Express Oneself

By on October 22nd, 2015

National Day on Writing - October 20I’m happy when I’m writing or thinking of ideas about what to write. I’ve been that way for as long as I can remember. How lucky I was to find this out about myself while still in school!

You see, after reading a poem I wrote, my second grade teacher, Mrs. Kast, said to me “Suzan, you’re a writer.”

I still remember those words of encouragement, although that is now thirty-something years ago. That praise not only boosted my spirit, it stuck with me my whole life. I began to create, theme, and express myself in many different styles of writing. My friends knew I would always carry paper and pen wherever I went, because you never know when creativity will strike! Continue reading


#WhyIWrite – National Day on Writing

By on October 17th, 2015

This is one of several posts celebrating Connected Educator Month during the month of October. October 20th is National Day on Writing and we are joining The National Council of Teachers of English to celebrate how writing helps us connect. Join the #WhyIWrite and #CE15 discussions on Twitter to share your thoughts!

National Day on WritingI taught Language Arts and English for many years.

As far back as I can remember, I have loved the English language. Having the opportunity to teach my passion was truly such a gift. Part of teaching English was teaching writing. And that by far was one of my greatest joys. Passing on a passion for writing to my students has always been an important goal for me. So dedicating an entire day to the celebration that is writing, well, that’s pretty special to me. This year we will celebrate “National Day on Writing,” on October 20th. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Why I Write.”

I write for so many reasons. I write to tether intangible emotions to something as concrete as words. I write to inspire, to grow, to change. I believe that language is a powerful tool and shaping it into phrases to share my story makes a difference. Continue reading