Parent Edition
How Career & Technical Education Changed My Life
By Guest Blogger on February 21st, 2017
In honor of Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, I would like to reflect on the influence CTE has had on my life – even though I didn’t realize it until a decade later.
As a teenager, I wasn’t a big fan of school. Classes, homework, and way too much science! I couldn’t stand it.
However, every time I left my rural campus to assist nurses at the local hospital, I felt the thrill of escape and the fun of doing something new. So, for all the wrong reasons, I enrolled in my high school’s nursing program and was quickly on my way to plenty of time not in school. The perfect plan!
It didn’t take long for me to learn my first CTE lesson: there is much more to a nursing program than wearing scrubs and getting out of class. I’d signed up for a daily, three-hour block of anatomy and physiology, as well as an introduction to nursing skills. Yep, my brilliant plan to escape school somehow locked me into three hours of science a day. Continue reading
FLVS Students and Staff Give Back
By Guest Blogger on February 17th, 2017
Random acts of kindness are enough to make anyone’s day.
Whether it is holding a door open, paying it forward in line at Starbucks, or helping someone carry in groceries, we all have the capacity to be kind on a daily basis. This year, in order to celebrate National Random Acts of Kindness Day (February 17), we spoke with some awesome FLVS students that really know what it means to be caring and kind.
The Creative Writing club is participating in an ongoing service project that started in February and runs through March. There are many ways that students of the club can help out. They can donate books, read to someone, help out at the library, or even volunteer as a reading, writing, or English tutor. So far, the Creating Writing Club members have donated 25 books.
The STEM/Science Club at FLVS recently participated in a clothing drive. Sometimes it can be easy to take something as simple as the clothes on our back for granted. Continue reading
Visiting the Orlando Science Center
By Guest Blogger on February 16th, 2017
This post was originally published on the blog of an FLVS Flex Elementary parent.
Rea is homeschooled and a part-time elementary student at Florida Virtual School. I supplement the rest of her life with educational goodness…at least I try.
Rea’s school recently planned a state-wide field trip. These field trips took place in six different cities across the state. We opted for the Orlando one, since Rea’s teacher would be there. So, the kids and I got up early on Friday morning and drove to the Orlando Science Center.
If you have never been, and happen to be in the area, GO! It’s so cool! This place is four floors of interactive science exhibits. I’ll be honest, my son was NOT happy that I dragged him along with his sister. He told me many times he wished he was at his school.
He looked at the map with me, and he decided seeing dinosaurs wouldn’t be too bad. His grumpy attitude disappeared when we made it up to the fourth floor. The dinos did not disappoint. Continue reading
FLVS Corkboard: February Highlights
By Florida Virtual School on February 15th, 2017
It’s February and we think you’re simply going to LOVE all that FLVS has to offer!
First, we want to remind you that Presidents’ Day is just around the corner. Please note that Monday, Feb. 20 and is a designated holiday break for all FLVS instructors and support staff.
After the long weekend, there are all kinds of opportunities that extend beyond the classroom or courses you select. Here are a few that FLVS is proud to sponsor:
Digital Learning Day
Celebrate Digital Learning Day (DLD) with FLVS next Thursday, Feb. 23. Digital learning can involve any instructional practice that uses technology to strengthen a student’s learning experience. With digital advances ranging from educational apps to new online courses and programs, DLD is a day to keep up with the latest in online education. Be sure to check out our social media pages on this special day next week as we feature a DLD Elementary Takeover on the FLVS Instagram page. Viewers will be able to see “a day in the life” of our very own FLVS elementary students. Connect with us @floridavirtualschool to make sure you don’t miss it!
Having the Choice to Travel
By Florida Virtual School on January 26th, 2017
National School Choice Week is all about getting to choose the best educational option for your children.
The Didier family chose virtual education so they could travel the world!
This spring, the family will spend one month each in Rome, Barcelona, and Paris. By attending FLVS, the students are able to stay up-to-date with their classes, as well as experience different cultures around the world!
Meet a few other students who have traveled the world, pursued their dreams, and excelled in their personal and professional lives by reading these student success stories. Continue reading
Choose Your Education
By Guest Blogger on January 25th, 2017
Having choices is a beautiful thing.
And it is especially powerful to have a choice when it comes to education. For an entire week (Jan. 22-28), we celebrate National School Choice Week to help bring awareness to all of the different ways students can be educated.
Whether being taught at home, at a brick-and-mortar school, a private school, a magnet school, or even virtually, you or your children are learning, and that’s what really matters.
Here are some excerpts from our Florida Virtual School teachers describing how attending school virtually seems to be the best fit for these students: Continue reading
Celebrate Literacy Week 2017
By Dr. Jeanne Giardino on January 23rd, 2017
Photo Credit: Chronicle Books
Each year the state of Florida and FLVS dedicates one full week to celebrate all things literacy.
Appropriately titled “Celebrate Literacy Week,” the entire state joins together to share their love for literacy through activities that include reading, writing, listening, speaking, and thinking!
Celebrate Literacy Week is presented by Just Read Florida and the Florida Department of Education to remind everyone that “Literacy Changes the World.”
Now in its seventh year, Celebrate Literacy Week allows school districts and families to engage in fun activities that bring the community together for the love of reading.
The Just Read Florida website provides a comprehensive list of activities that all families can enjoy during this event. They even include a printable bookmark to help us all keep our place as we read, read, read! Did you know that the more a child is exposed to print and books the more successful a reader they will be as they grow? Continue reading
FLVS Corkboard: January Highlights
By Florida Virtual School on January 20th, 2017
January is certainly jumping with activities and things to do!
We’re diving into spring semester full steam ahead, with exciting student events, celebrations, and course options. As always, we encourage you to stay connected with your teacher(s), visit www.flvs.net, and check out our social media pages for more information.
Spring is an important time for those planning ahead for college. If you or your student need help during this process, sit down with our advisement team for an upcoming webinar:
Financial Aid Overview
Join FLVS on Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. for an informative webinar that will review how to apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The webinar will also review how to complete the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA) and how to find additional resources to assist students in paying for higher education. Click here to join on Thursday evening. Continue reading
12 Months of Life Skills for Student Success
By Guest Blogger on January 13th, 2017
As we start a new year, educators and parents all have a common goal for 2017 – to ensure that our children have the skills and knowledge they need to be successful for college and a future career.
What if we each set a goal to teach our students one skill a month?
If all of our students put this plan into action today, can you imagine the impact we could make on our future generation?
Today’s workplace values creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication skills. Managing time, setting goals, handling stress, and a variety of other skills can help students succeed in all of these areas.
Ready to get started? Check out the guide below and set reminders on your phone or calendar to help you stay on track. Continue reading
Thank you to Florida’s First Responders
By Guest Blogger on January 11th, 2017
When my son was just three years old, he came very close to being swept away at sea. I wish this was an understatement.
My family and I were visiting our aunt and uncle who lived on Hutchinson Island during the winter. It was a comfortable December day and we strolled out to the beach to walk along the shoreline and see the ocean. There was no intent to go swimming. Maybe I didn’t make that clear enough to my toddler; he didn’t listen to mommy about not going into the water.
Taking off our shoes and putting our feet in was fine, but he quickly darted farther out—the receding tide was deceptive. I literally lunged toward him just in time to grab his tiny arm as a massive wave toppled over us both. I was knocked off my feet and completely submerged, doing my best to hoist him upward to where I believed the sky was.
Ah, I still get a shiver at the thought of what would’ve happened if I hadn’t been able to secure him in time. Continue reading