Student Edition
Student Gives at Animal Shelter and Gains Much More
By Guest Blogger on November 24th, 2015
This month, we asked students to share ways they give back in their communities using #flvsgiving on social media. This post was written by one of our students who volunteers at her local animal shelter.
Hi, I’m Alexis Lamphere.
I’m a senior at FLVS and I currently volunteer with the Osceola County Animals Services in Saint Cloud.
In addition to volunteering my time, I foster kittens that are underweight or too young to be adopted and don’t have a mother cat to take care of them.
Working at the shelter is honestly a life-changing experience. I’m given the chance to help improve and change many lives every day. It teaches you to be selfless and you start to have an endless love for each animal. You start to care about the animal’s happiness more than your own and he/she becomes more than “just some dog” or “just some cat.” The animal becomes a loved one, a friend, and part of your heart. Continue reading
Join an Hour of Code!
By Guest Blogger on November 23rd, 2015
Computers are everywhere, but fewer schools teach computer science than 10 years ago.
The good news is, we’re on our way to change this. If you’ve heard about the Hour of Code before, you might know it made history. More than 100 million students have tried an Hour of Code with fun online games and tutorials featuring Star Wars, Minecraft, and Frozen.
This year, students of the FLVS STEM Club will give presentations about creating websites and more. Last year, every Apple Store in the world hosted an Hour of Code and even President Obama wrote his first line of code as part of the campaign.
Over 100 partners have joined together to support this movement. Continue reading
National Novel Writing Month
By Guest Blogger on November 21st, 2015
If there’s one thing I’ve learned as I’ve matured, it’s that everyone has a story to tell.
And, that our stories matter. Whether you’re a student, parent, grandparent, teacher, homemaker, hairstylist, or CEO, your story is important and only you can tell it. Did you know that it’s been estimated that 81 percent of Americans say they dream of being an author? That’s roughly 200 million people! I admit I am one of the 200 million, and it’s been a long road, but I will be publishing my book this year.
Have you ever thought of writing a book but didn’t know how to start? Continue reading
Military Family Appreciation
By Guest Blogger on November 19th, 2015
November is Military Family Appreciation Month.
While we should make sure to thank our military families each and every day, setting aside some time to truly reflect on their service and to honor them for their sacrifice is also super important.
My family, and especially my dad, has always made it a point to thank our men and women in service who give so much to protect our freedom. Before enjoying our meals, each and every night before bed, and every holiday as we gathered as a family, we would thank the military.
Thank them for giving us the gift of togetherness and safety. Thank them for standing guard in a million different ways to ensure we get to live the greatest life imaginable. Continue reading
Travel is the Ultimate Education
By Guest Blogger on November 16th, 2015
This is the seventh post in a series by the Cooney family about their world travels, made possible by the flexible learning offered at FLVS.
Recently, friends of ours withdrew their nine-year old daughter from school to take her with them to Washington, D.C. and Iceland.
They planned to tour the nation’s capital before leaving for Iceland for the family’s first trip abroad. To do so, Jennifer (not her real name), would miss approximately a week of school. Jennifer’s mom contacted the school well in advance and completed the necessary paperwork to request an excused absence. She outlined in detail all that Jennifer would experience and see during the trip.
However, the school principal did not respond and after repeated calls asking for an update, it was time to leave. Continue reading
Seven Survival Skills for Careers
By Guest Blogger on November 3rd, 2015
In his critically acclaimed book, “The Global Achievement Gap,” author Tony Wagner explores what he considers to be “Seven Survival Skills for Careers, College and Citizenship.”
After spending time with the most successful executives and professional people in the world, Wagner came to the conclusion that there is a gap between what our students need to be successful when they enter the real world and what we are teaching them in the classroom.
As a result, he created a list of essential 21st Century skills that all people need in order to be successful in college, in their career, and for their overall citizenship. Continue reading
National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month
By Amy LaGrasta on October 30th, 2015
At one point, bullying was simply considered a rite of passage in childhood.
Today, research shows that bullying has a significant impact on one’s education, health, and safety.
Bullying can negatively impact a child’s education. It is estimated that 160,000 children miss school every day due to fear of attack or intimidation by other students. Research shows 15 percent of all school absenteeism is directly related to fears of being bullied at school.
One out of every 10 students who drops out of school does so because of repeated bullying. Continue reading
Student Researches Sunscreen’s Effects on Oysters
By Guest Blogger on October 28th, 2015
Hi! I’m Madison, a student at FLVS.
While attending a Busch Gardens camp in the summer of 2014, I learned that the park utilizes oysters to naturally filter their lakes. I soon became fascinated with oysters, and after some research, I discovered oysters are dying globally due to pollution.
After this discovery, I formulated an experiment focusing on the effect of micronized chemical sunscreen (as used in spray sunscreen) and nanosized zinc oxide sunblock (as found in thicker, clear sunblock) on the ability of a bivalve mollusk (or oyster) to filter bay water. Continue reading
Red Ribbon Week 2015
By Amy LaGrasta on October 26th, 2015
Don’t Wait to Talk to Your Child About Drugs!
While it may seem difficult or feel awkward, it is important that parents have these conversations and keep the lines of communication open. Research shows that talking to your child early and often is key.
According to the National Family Partnership, children of parents who talk to their teens regularly about drugs are 42 percent less likely to use drugs than those who don’t, yet only a quarter of teens report having these conversations.
Almost 90 percent of youth reported that their parents would strongly disapprove of their trying marijuana once or twice. Among these youths, only 5.1 percent had used marijuana in the past month. However, Continue reading
Writing Clicks as a Means to Express Oneself
By Guest Blogger on October 22nd, 2015
I’m happy when I’m writing or thinking of ideas about what to write. I’ve been that way for as long as I can remember. How lucky I was to find this out about myself while still in school!
You see, after reading a poem I wrote, my second grade teacher, Mrs. Kast, said to me “Suzan, you’re a writer.”
I still remember those words of encouragement, although that is now thirty-something years ago. That praise not only boosted my spirit, it stuck with me my whole life. I began to create, theme, and express myself in many different styles of writing. My friends knew I would always carry paper and pen wherever I went, because you never know when creativity will strike! Continue reading