National School Choice Week 2015
By Guest Blogger on January 26th, 2015
“May I have extra vegetables instead of the chicken on my salad?”
It’s a question I often ask while at restaurants because I’m a vegetarian. Many of you probably know my pain of trying to tailor a restaurant meal to specific needs. Maybe you have food allergies, picky children, or just want to change your dinner up, but we’ve all faced it.
Luckily, today, restaurants seem more than willing to offer multiple choices, cooking styles, plate sizes, and substitutions. Almost every time, my meal is perfect for ME. It’s been a while since I’ve run into a situation where I didn’t have a choice when looking through a menu. If I did, you can bet your last penny that I wouldn’t go there! Would you? Continue reading
Projected Job Growth vs. Openings
By Guest Blogger on January 23rd, 2015
What if you were asked to identify the top 10 fastest growing occupations in Florida? The answer might be quite surprising. According to the Statewide Demand Occupations List, these are the winners with the highest percentage of growth expected:
1. Brick masons and Block masons
2. Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
3. Cost Estimators
4. Heating, A.C., and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
5. Interpreters and Translators
6. Physical Therapist Assistants
7. Medical Secretaries
8. Dental Hygienists
9. Meeting and Convention Planners Continue reading
FLVS Courses for Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Recipients
By Guest Blogger on January 20th, 2015
Here at Florida Virtual School, we want ALL students to have access to our amazing selection of more than 140 courses. Our students come to FLVS from many different backgrounds and for many different reasons, and there is something for everyone!
We understand that Florida Virtual School families value choice and opportunity when it comes to their children’s education and we make it our goal to provide it.
We work with all of the School Choice programs in Florida and the districts to make sure students have access to high-quality digital learning.
Today, we want to talk about the opportunity that students receiving the Florida Tax Credit (FTC) Scholarship have with FLVS.
Did you know that recipients of the FTC can take up to two FLVS courses each school year?
Global Mindset, Global Win: Model UN Dominates Conferences
By Guest Blogger on January 16th, 2015
The Florida Virtual School Model United Nations (MUN) team is in a theoretically outstanding position: the delegates communicate about parliamentary procedure and conference prep online, but met for the first time in person at conferences across Florida in 2014.
The delegates’ adaptability to new situations is tested upon meeting each other, and as friendships form, their diplomacy skills evidently flourish in daylong sessions.
FLVSMUN delegates attended two conferences in fall 2014: the KnightMUN at the University of Central Florida, and the Old City MUN (OCMUNC) in St. Augustine, Fla. Delegates participated in both assembly and crisis committees, and showcased a diverse array of talents at the conferences. Continue reading
These are a Few of My Favorite Things!
By Guest Blogger on January 8th, 2015
During a recent vacation, I was committed to experiencing something new every day.
I spent my time in Arizona hiking halfway down the Grand Canyon, stayed in a B&B in Sedona for two nights, hiked the trails around Phoenix, and enjoyed tons of other activities.
I have visited some beautiful places and this vacation inspired me to share a list of some of my favorite places to visit in the United States. It just might spark a few ideas for your own future family trip! Did you travel anywhere special over the holidays?
The Right Stuff
By Guest Blogger on January 6th, 2015
I’ve recently been reading the Steve Jobs biography. It is no secret that Jobs was a creative marketing genius, and that he brought many incredible products to life that transformed entire industries. However, several times in his biography, it is mentioned that he shamelessly manipulated others, threw tantrums, screamed insults, and provoked controversy. He was challenged in his relationships, and it resulted in certain setbacks in his career.
The phrase Emotional Intelligence, or its casual shorthand EQ, is the ability to perceive, control, and evaluate emotions. Many researchers have claimed EQ is more important to leadership success than IQ, while others have claimed the exact opposite. I wonder if it is, perhaps, a combination of both. IQ provides the foundational skills of functional expertise and the ability to create new ideas. EQ pushes those foundational skills to the next level. EQ, simply put, is a different way of being smart. Continue reading
Holiday Health Tips from FLVS Students
By Guest Blogger on December 19th, 2014
As our students, parents, educators, and staff prepare for Winter Break, we are excited to feature two articles from our student newspaper, News in a Click, about staying healthy over the holidays.
Thank you to student writers Meera Radhakrishnan and Cristi McKee for sharing these exercise tips and winter superfood suggestions! Continue reading
My Holiday Wish
By Guest Blogger on December 12th, 2014
My holiday wish this year is for all of you to be healthy, safe, and most of all, happy. Recently, I posted the following status on my Facebook page as a call to action for my network:
“Private message me if you or someone you know needs something this holiday season… someone to talk to, gifts for children, hope, holiday decorations, pies for the office Christmas party, money for the electric bill, career advice, whatever. Instead of contributing to a charity in our typical fashion, this year my husband and I have decided that we would like to contribute to you.” Continue reading
Meet FLVS Student Samantha Morris
By Guest Blogger on December 5th, 2014
FLVS students are quite amazing, as we all know, but some of them absolutely excel in multiple areas. Samantha Morris, FLVS veteran, is a superstar journalist, scientist, researcher, and leader.
Looking at Samantha’s impressive resume will easily exhaust anyone. She has achieved awards for her academic talents, writing, and interest in science. Samantha was recently named an AP Scholar with Distinction by the College Board and was named a National Gold Key Winner by the Quill and Scroll International Journalism Honor Society for her opinion writing.
At FLVS, she was named “2013 Student of the Year” and “2014 Shining Star.” Continue reading
“Clash Man” Becomes a Leader
By Guest Blogger on December 2nd, 2014
I sometimes wonder if my three years in middle school were harder than my three years in a refugee camp.
On the fashion front, I wore the same shirt to school three times a week and earned the name “Clash Man.” In 8th grade, I got kicked off my basketball team and my family was forced to move into low-income housing. At my new school, I got my first D in math, and Cs in some of my other classes.
If you would have asked me if I was a leader, I would have laughed. I was trying to survive each day of school and hoping that life would get better.
Life did get better, but not because I got better housing or a new wardrobe. Continue reading