Educator Edition
We Appreciate Our FLVS Flex Elementary Teachers!
By Guest Blogger on May 3rd, 2017
The primary goal of FLVS Flex Elementary is to serve the students and families of Florida within a creative learning atmosphere utilizing a highly-effective curriculum.
Satisfied students create satisfied families, which is a direct result of our highly-effective teachers.
Our Flex Elementary teachers are collaborative educators that believe all students can and will learn. Families are grateful for our personalized approach to instruction that allows each student to meet and exceed expectations. Students excel in our online Class Time sessions and appreciate the warm and supportive environment that helps them connect with their teachers. We established Class Time so students would collaborate with peers and benefit from direct teacher instruction.
These benefits and the effectiveness of our instructors has established the FLVS Flex Elementary program as an exceptional school option for families and young students across the state of Florida. Continue reading
A Teacher Is…
By Florida Virtual School on May 1st, 2017
What is the definition of a teacher?
As described in many dictionaries, a teacher is a person who teaches or instructs, especially as a profession.
While this definition is accurate, we hope you will agree with that it does not sufficiently describe all that a teacher embodies.
This week, Florida Virtual School is celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week, and we would like to expand on the definition of a teacher.
At FLVS, our teachers are superheroes. While they do not wear eye masks or fancy capes, they possess special super powers. They are passionate and dedicated to working with all students, recognizing that each learner is unique and has individual strengths and needs. They go beyond educating—they listen, guide, support, and inspire.
We recently asked our staff to come up with their own definition of a teacher. Here are a few of the responses we received to our “A Teacher is…” challenge: Continue reading
10 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day
By Florida Virtual School on April 22nd, 2017
Earth Day is full of reminders to take time to protect our planet.
Across the state of Florida, local events are planned to pick up trash on the beach, recognize local farmers, and celebrate science and its contributions to ensuring everyone has access to clean water, soil, and air.
Search local events on Facebook to find fairs, speakers, art vendors, and other resources that promote an awareness of sustainable life choices.
Are you volunteering anywhere for Earth Day? Tell us where in the comments below!
Whether you’re heading out for the day or plan to stay at home, these tips can help you make a difference on Earth Day – and every other day too! Continue reading
FLVS Corkboard: April Highlights
By Florida Virtual School on April 20th, 2017
April showers may bring May flowers, but both months ultimately mean…we’re sailing into summer!
Speaking of cruising…
Shakespeare Fest 2017 was a great success! For those who were unable to attend or want to catch up on a session they missed, leave us a comment below to request the recordings!
Thank you to all of the teachers, sponsors, and student presenters who helped to make this such a spectacular event!
And while we’re on the subject of thanking teachers, don’t forget that Teacher Appreciation Week begins Monday, May 1. If you have an outstanding teacher you’d like to give a shout out to, consider posting a personal message on the FLVS Facebook page or on Instagram or Twitter using hashtag #FLVSTAW.
They appreciate YOU and your words of encouragement so much! Continue reading
Professional Learning at FLVS in 2017
By Mary Mitchell on April 19th, 2017
At FLVS, our growing and learning continues daily! Learning isn’t just something our students do each and every day – our teachers do too.
Our professional learning team is an incredible group of educators who work tirelessly to help our teachers grow and learn so they can all reach their students effectively.
There are all kinds of exciting initiatives rooted in the Professional Learning team that we’re focused on in 2017.
We have amazing team members who benefit our teachers and staff with their commitment to providing stellar professional learning opportunities across our district.
Here are a few of the exciting learning opportunities we have for our teachers and staff to keep growing and learning: Continue reading
Pinwheels 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
Elementary Students Attend FLVS Day at the Capitol
By Guest Blogger on April 17th, 2017
Pictured from left to right: Adriana, Andrew, and Branden with FLVS Communications Specialists Diana Furey & Suzan Kurdak
If you ask me, there is nothing like the rush of sharing with our state legislators the unique ways FLVS serves Florida students, and it’s even better when students themselves get to share their stories.
On April 5, 2017, that’s exactly what happened in Tallahassee.
Florida Virtual School executives, board members, staff, parents, and students walked into the state Capitol with a mission.
It was FLVS Day at the Capitol and we wanted our state Senators and Representatives to know how important access to virtual education is for students of all ages. Right now, students in grades 2-5 wishing to take FLVS courses on a part-time basis have to meet a list of eligibility requirements, with the most problematic being that they must have been enrolled in a Florida public school the entire year prior.
House Bill 833 and Senate Bills 868 and 692 remove those eligibility requirements.
Passing these bills means FLVS Flex Elementary students can continue their education with FLVS, allowing them to learn from the hospital, abroad, and from home without restriction. Continue reading
Why Libraries Still Matter
By Melodie Robelo on April 11th, 2017
As a young girl, I always enjoyed visiting my local library.
My librarian, Mrs. Ferris, knew me by name and greeted me with a loving smile. She always had recommendations for great books, from beautiful Caldecott Medal picture books to the latest Newberry Award winners. She knew just the right stories that would captivate me for hours, keeping me up well past my bedtime as I read by the light of a flashlight under my covers.
In the days before the internet became a household staple, the library was my go-to source for answers about life’s most pressing questions. Even with nothing but that clunky card catalog of old, Mrs. Ferris could find resources to answer my many questions within minutes of me asking them. I wanted to know everything there was to know about kangaroos? Got it. Pompeii? Easy. The Holocaust? Let’s try reading Number the Stars and go from there. Continue reading
Aliens and Explosions
By Guest Blogger on March 30th, 2017
This post was written by FLVS student Sarah Weyand about her award-winning research in astrophysics.
My science fair journey began about a year ago.
I was approached by a Harvard graduate who wanted to mentor a high school senior in an astrophysics and computer science research project.
I knew nothing about astronomy and I didn’t know a single programming language, but I love space and I plan to major in computer science in college. Naturally, I said yes. This project has taken me to the Science Talent Search, the Indian River Regional Science and Engineering Fair, and, now, the State Science Fair.
My project is titled Aliens and Explosions: How Supernovae Affect the Habitable Zones of Exoplanets.
The purpose of the project is to calculate the percentage of exoplanets, a planet that does not orbit our Sun, that would no longer be in the habitable zone of their host star due to a supernova, the explosive death of a massive star. Continue reading
Springing Forward with FLVS Flex Elementary
By Guest Blogger on March 27th, 2017
Spring has sprung!
For those of us in Florida, this can mean so many different things, from getting back on the allergy meds, to getting the hard yard work done before our incredibly long “heat wave” starts. And you got it – I’m talking about the looooooooooooong stretch that starts very soon and often ends in late fall!
But in addition to all the personal connections to this season, spring becomes a reason for teachers to reflect on where we are with our students and our teaching this time of year.
So, let’s start with time. Right about now, you either have adjusted, or are seriously wondering when you finally will adjust, to daylight savings time. Most of us experience that “falling back” in fall is a lot less disruptive than “springing forward” in spring.
It provides a good analogy, because as teachers, flexibility and positively powering through are a part of being on the FLVS Flex Elementary team.
The inevitable changes that come with remarkable growth in an innovative new program are part of our everyday lives and continue to keep our work fresh, exciting, and energizing. Continue reading