The Virtual Voice

Parent Edition

FLVS Corkboard: Summer Edition

By on June 10th, 2019

Ah, summer. It’s the ideal time for hanging out with friends, heading to the pool or the beach, soaking up the warm weather, enjoying cookouts, reading good books, and maybe taking a vacation with family. It’s been a great year, and you’ve earned a break!

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.” – John Lubbock

In between all the fun, be sure take a few minutes to catch up on FLVS happenings! Continue reading

Saturday Science: Creating Lava Lamps

By on June 7th, 2019

Find Saturday Science instructions for creating your own lava lamp below!

Saturday Science is a monthly enrichment opportunity for FLVS elementary students and their families.

During these online sessions, we do an experiment together that helps us “see” and better understand various scientific concepts. Experiments are chosen to include materials commonly found at home or the local dollar store. A big emphasis is also placed on selecting experiments that require materials that might otherwise be thrown out after use, such as plastic water bottles, plastic bags, paper towel cardboard rolls, boxes, etc. Elementary students can perform the experiment live during time together or simply watch if they do not have the materials. All sessions are recorded so that if a student misses the “live” event or later acquires the materials, it can be viewed at any time.

As a teacher, it is my hope that Super Saturday Science helps create and/or deepen a love for science and hopefully plants a seed of interest that encourages our elementary students to pursue a career in science! Continue reading

5 Lessons Learned from Elementary Career Day

By on May 2nd, 2019

How many kids dream of becoming an astronaut as a child?

At this year’s FLVS Flex Elementary Career Day, NASA Astronaut Dr. Anna Fisher shared a story that was out-of-this-world and inspired kids to never give up on their dreams. Dr. Fisher served as a Mission Specialist on the STS-51A Discovery in 1984. She was just one of our special guests who recently came to visit the virtual classrooms of our elementary students.

Here are just a few of the lessons our students learned at Career Day! Continue reading

8 Simple Rules for Homeschooling

By on April 30th, 2019

Being a parent can be tough! However, being a student’s principal, school counselor, teacher, custodian, cafeteria worker, and bus driver can be just as tough. When you choose to homeschool your child in the state of Florida, you are taking on many additional hats and full control of your child’s education.

Do you know the “8 simple rules” of homeschooling in Florida? Continue reading

A Seatbelt Can Save

By on April 12th, 2019

One of the many things I love about Tallahassee is the trees. Beautiful, shade-providing, mature live oaks. It’s the tree-lined entrance of my subdivision that captivated me at first site and drew me to live here. It’s so un-Florida like—feels more like North Carolina and my northeastern upbringing.

Earlier, as I left my home and got in my car to go meet a friend for a meal, I decided to make a quick phone call. Bluetooth can be a beautiful thing. The person who I had just called answered when I heard what sounded like a smash ahead of me. Continue reading

Brain Breaks for Online Elementary Students

By on April 11th, 2019

Brain breaks are a BIG part of most elementary classrooms that you will see today. These mental breaks help students refocus, get some wiggles out, and most importantly – have fun! 

Setting aside time for brain breaks is important in every classroom, especially in the virtual world where a lot of time is spent on the computer. We are always looking for ways to get our kids UP and MOVING!  Continue reading

Keeping the Student at the Center

By on April 10th, 2019

The 2017-18 school year marked the 20th anniversary of Florida Virtual School (FLVS). The 20-year anniversary of FLVS was not only a historic occasion for the first statewide Internet-based school in the United States, but also a significant and positive milestone for virtual education.

When founded in 1997, FLVS consisted of six teachers, four support staff, 77 enrollments, and six courses. The use of online education tools was still new for the high schoolers of 1997. Continue reading

Every Week Should be Children’s Week

By on April 3rd, 2019

Do you feel that? It’s spring. Flashback with me to times of simple childhood pleasures…picking little bouquets of yellow dandelions, blowing on those puffy spheres to scatter the seeds in the wind. Using color chalk to play hopscotch in the driveway. And pinwheels. The simple joy of making those colorful curls whirl and twirl. Ah, simpler times with not a care in the world.

That was my childhood. Continue reading

Helping Our Captains Succeed with FLVS Elementary

By on March 12th, 2019

Learn more about one home educator’s FLVS Flex Elementary experience with her young student filmmakers and ambassadors dubbed “The Captains.” Whether your child has been enrolled for a few years or you’re new to FLVS, these tips can help your elementary student succeed!

As a mother and grandmother, the responsibility of educating our 8-year-old son, Captain A, and 7-year-old grandson, Captain SySy, weighs heavy on my heart and mind as their home educator. The world is not always a perfect place and people can be unkind, so our family strives every day to help our Captains be the best human beings they can be!

I am beyond grateful for our partnership with FLVS on our Captains’ education. The FLVS Flex Elementary team not only cares about making a difference and helping them to succeed in their educational lives, but also about their personal successes as future leaders. They have been a huge network of support in our Captains’ volunteering world.

The truth is, it isn’t always easy being a homeschool educator! Continue reading