Homeschool Edition
FLVS Yearbook Club: Unbound
By Guest Blogger on August 22nd, 2016
Nearly five years ago, the first edition of the Florida Virtual School yearbook, Unbound, was published.
Many things have changed since then, but one thing has not – this is a yearbook created by and for “unbound” students. At FLVS, students are not bound to four walls of a classroom, nor are they bound to lectures that feel endless. Unbound was created to show off these exemplary students and our exemplary school.
My name is Scott Schneider and I am the Editor-in-Chief of this year’s Unbound yearbook. I am a Junior at FLVS Full Time, and I can testify to the unbound feeling that FLVS provides. Our goal is to provide that same feeling to students in the yearbook. We have created many ways to get involved this year without being bound to deadlines, countless hours of work, etc.
One of the ways to get involved is through the Summer Cover Challenge! Continue reading
Back to School: Virtual Style
By Guest Blogger on August 15th, 2016
It’s August and that means it is back to school!
For much of Florida Virtual School, our teachers and students have been hard at work – even through the summer months.
Of course, the new school year always brings with it anticipation and excitement for the year to come. In traditional schools, there are some eagerly anticipated back-to-school traditions.
So how do we do these in our virtual world?
Let’s walk through a few back-to-school basics!
Continue reading
Why Back to School is Better Online (Remix!)
By Dr. Jeanne Giardino on August 5th, 2016
A few years ago, I wrote a blog post sharing why going back to school is way easier online.
Now that it’s August and students are once again headed back into classrooms across the state of Florida, it seemed like a great opportunity to revisit our list of reasons why students at FLVS Flex and FLVS Full Time have it made!
We all know that there all kinds of benefits to virtual school…
From the value of learning how to study and succeed online in general to the fact that Driver Education meets the online high school course requirement for students in Florida, there are plenty of advantages. But the perks we’ve outlined below are much cooler than these!
Here is our new and improved top 15 list of reasons the first day of school at FLVS is infinitely better than the first day at “regular” school… Continue reading
The Value of an Online Course
By Guest Blogger on August 4th, 2016
The other weekend, my mother was happy to come and watch my son as I tackled a few things that had been on my list for a while.
My “To Do” list consisted of starting a mortgage application, purchasing some “the best way to get your baby to sleep through the night” products and printing nearly 1,000 adorable photos of my now 7 month old.
She immediately scooped up her grandson when she arrived (you would too, he’s so cute!) and took off into the other room so he could show her his new trick of “almost crawling.”
Two hours later, she came out into the kitchen and was startled to see that I was still sitting there. Continue reading
Cooney World Adventures Blog Series
By Guest Blogger on July 19th, 2016
If you’ve ever dreamed of traveling the world, it may not be as complicated as you think.
In 2008, Mike Cooney traveled the world with his wife, Catrell, and three teenage sons, Morgan, Zach, and Harrison, who studied online with FLVS. After selling their home, downsizing, and packing up their belongings, the family traveled across six continents and 22 countries…more than 61,000 miles! Today, Mike shares their experiences at speaking events and talks about his book which details their adventures. As Mike likes to say, “If we can do it, anyone can!”
In a year-long blog series on The Virtual Voice, Morgan, Zach, and Harrison and their parents shared their experience: Continue reading
Meet FLVS Student Lauren Mackey
By Guest Blogger on July 15th, 2016
My first course with Florida Virtual School was M/J Language Arts II with Ms. Wilson.
At the time, I was in seventh grade and planning on majoring in English at New York University to pursue a career as an author. One of my Language Arts assignments had me writing a five paragraph essay about the definition of love, which I definitely had enough experience to write about at the age of 13.
When I presented the essay to Ms. Wilson over the phone, I recall her describing my essay as something she expected to hear from an adult, out of a magazine, and encouraging me to join the FLVS Newspaper Club, News In A Click (NIAC). Continue reading
Let Your Summer Sizzle with STEM
By Guest Blogger on June 30th, 2016
The countdown is over and summer is now in full swing!
Can you hear the rejoicing cries of school-age children saying “no more alarm clocks,” “no teachers,” and “woohoo, no homework!”
Ask students what they want to do as they’re just beginning to submerge themselves in summer-break mode and more than likely you’ll get answers like: relax, watch TV, see movies, go to the beach, and chill with friends. Continue reading
Summer Reading!
By Dr. Jeanne Giardino on June 29th, 2016
I don’t know about you, but I look forward to May 1 each and every year!
Why you ask? Picture this: children standing outside the public library automatic sliding doors in the month of May. Sweat beading down their young faces as they grip in their hands the list of all lists – the Sunshine State Young Reader (SSYRA) book list for the year!
Will my book be on the shelf?
The Sunshine State books are coveted and hoarded by children all over the state of Florida each year. These titles literally fly off the shelves of stores and public libraries. Continue reading
Would you look at that?
By Guest Blogger on June 27th, 2016
I’ve recently realized just how addicted I am to my phone.
My 2-year-old daughter is the one who helped me see things a bit clearer. Imagine that? See, my 2 year old pays attention to what’s around her. She sees snails idling by on the ground. Snails! And planes that fly in the sky. She sees happy faces in the clouds and she points each and every detail out to me as we play outside.
All the while I sit scrolling on my phone. Scrolling on my phone is relaxing – I will admit it destresses me and allows me the chance to reset myself if I need a few minutes. So I’m not judging phones. I work in the virtual world – trust me, I’m not judging technology. Continue reading
FLVS Student Succeeds Online and On the Ice
By Guest Blogger on June 24th, 2016
This article was originally written and published in the FLVS student newspaper, News in a Click.
At FLVS, teachers and staff often act like proud parents, sharing the stories of exceptional students who take online courses.
Without a doubt, Cailey Weaver is one of those students. She is a talented and dedicated figure skater, who has already won numerous medals and awards in the United States — and she’s only a high school senior.
Weaver began skating at the age of two, when her mother put her into the sport. As the years went on, she enjoyed the creative aspect of figure skating, and with some help from her coach, eventually convinced her mom to let her compete. Continue reading