Student Edition
Meet FLVS Student Ben Krieger
By Guest Blogger on May 16th, 2017
South Florida resident and FLVS student Ben Krieger (age 12) is now in the final stretch of his two-year professional run as a traveling actor in national Broadway tours.
Ben currently plays the roles of Peter Llewelyn Davies and George Llewelyn Davies in Finding Neverland, showing in major Florida cities in May and June this year. Ben accepted his first job with Pippin the Musical on June 25, 2015 and will take his final bow exactly two years later on June 25, 2017 at The Broward Center for Performing Arts with Finding Neverland. In between, he also toured with The Sound of Music.
Ben has performed in approximately 250 shows for more than 500,000 people in 38 cities across the U.S. He also performed in Japan for three weeks and Amsterdam for a month. Ben traveled for a total of 80 weeks in the past two years.
In the following Q&A, Ben and his mom share more about his experience and how FLVS helps Ben take his studies on the road while traveling on tour! Continue reading
The Last Stretch
By Guest Blogger on May 12th, 2017
This is the eleventh post in a series by former FLVS student Makaila, a model, author, and student advocate.
Hey FLVS! Summer is almost in your reach.
The unlimited time at the pool, lack of homework, and more importantly, sleep. Summer feels closer than you think, but don’t let it cloud your last grades of the year.
So, to save you in your last few weeks of school, I am going to give you some tips that will lock you in for success.
When I was in school, I was an avid procrastinator, waiting until the last possible minute to do something. Don’t do that to yourself.
I promise the extra time you think you’re giving yourself isn’t worth it. No amount of television or even just hanging out with friends is worth it when it comes to exams. The moments where you will end up cramming could be spent sleeping. And sleeping is a necessity when it comes to not bombing your last exam! 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
Be Careful With Your Words
By Guest Blogger on April 27th, 2017
This poem was written by Mary-Kelly, a student in the FLVS Creative Writing Club.
Creative Writing Club students have been scribbling away all month for National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo).
With a goal of writing 30 poems in 30 days, the club aims to get students’ creative juices flowing through frequent writing exercises. As club sponsor Mrs. Emery says, “Some prompts will speak to you, and some will not. Some poems will be keepers, but most will not.”
In the spirit of sharing and a love of poetry, students have been responding to writing prompts and supporting each other’s work. Continue reading
Ready…Set…Test!
By Guest Blogger on April 24th, 2017
We all deal with the grueling task of being tested, whether we are in grade school, in college, on the job site – or dealing with everyday situations (parenting, teaching, etc.).
It seems we face some sort of test in our life every day, whether a paper/pencil exam or making the right moral choices. As a school counselor, I am tasked with assisting students and parents with making the right choices to successfully work their way through school – academically, socially, and emotionally.
Today I want to focus on the academic realm and the tests and exams that all students must go through. I’ll share tools to help them be successful when faced with these assessments.
Some of the points I will share can cross into other facets of tests that we all go through in our personal and professional lives as well.
Be sure to save this handy acrostic blog post full of tips for your next big exam!
R.E.A.D.Y. … S.E.T. … T.E.S.T. Continue reading
When Will I Ever Use Math?
By Guest Blogger on April 21st, 2017
No matter what subject we face, the FLVS Curriculum Development team strives to connect complex concepts with everyday examples to motivate student learning.
This commitment to real-world connections is particularly helpful for anyone who has ever struggled with math.
What may have felt like a boring lesson in the past is now power-packed with exciting FLVS approaches to mathematical concepts!
Every click in an FLVS mathematics course answers the question, “When am I ever gonna use this?” 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
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
Making Connections for the Future
By Elizabeth Fulcher on April 13th, 2017
Life is about the connections we make. Sometimes these connections come from people we’ve known our entire lives, friends next door, colleagues, or even classmates at school.
Because fitting in is a big part of a student’s success, especially during the teenage years, making these connections and collaborating with others can help students grow and learn. Studies have demonstrated this, but I learned it firsthand when I was still in school.
Transitioning from middle to high school was difficult for me, so the 9th and 10th grade years were a trying time in my life. Luckily, I had some excellent teachers who helped me adjust. One particularly important moment was the day my 11th grade computer teacher encouraged me to attend a Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) meeting.
When I finally relented and decided to go, I didn’t yet realize I’d made one of the best decisions of my life. 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