High School

Finding Success with Florida Virtual School

By Guest Blogger on July 25th, 2020

This post was written by Tangela Walker-Craft, parent of a recent graduate and FLVS Flex student.

I attended traditional public schools from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Homeschooling was not something that I ever planned to do when I became a mom. I even taught at traditional public schools for several years before I had my daughter. I knew nothing about homeschooling.

During that time, when I was teaching high school, many of my best students shared with me that they had been homeschooled at some point during their lives.

Stay on Track this Summer with Online Courses

By The Virtual Voice on June 26th, 2020

The 2019-20 school year challenged students, teachers, and parents in unique ways as school closures transformed the way most students attend school. Now that summer is in full swing, we’re proud to say, “We made it!” but there are still a lot of questions about how schools will operate in the upcoming year.

Despite the uncertainties, students can take summer courses and get a jump start on the coming year with Florida Virtual School (FLVS) to ensure they stay on track with their academic goals.

Kicking Off the Year at FLVS Full Time

By Guest Blogger on August 14th, 2018

The 2018-19 school year has arrived at FLVS Full Time High School. Our amazing teachers, counselors, support staff, and school leaders have worked tirelessly this summer planning for the year ahead. During the summer, we were able to reflect on the past school year and think about not only the challenges we faced, but also the many accomplishments and achievements.

Class of 2018 Senior Survival Guide

By Guest Blogger on May 24th, 2018

Earlier this year, our FLVS Full Time Senior Class officers presented a “Senior Survival Guide” to the current juniors. Their presentation was fantastic and full of great tips from the viewpoint of a student. Whether you’re looking ahead to senior year or graduation is a few years down the road, several of these tips for FLVS students apply to any grade level.

Now without further ado, here are the top 10 tips for surviving senior year at FLVS from our Class of 2018.  

6 Things to Think About When Starting High School

By Anne Flenner on March 15th, 2018

One of the most important times of a student’s life is the transition from middle school to high school. Students often ponder important questions about high school, such as:

What should I wear the first day? How can I get into PE with my best friend? How am I supposed to get from one side of the campus to the other in two minutes?

While these questions might be on the forefront of an 8^th grader’s mind, there are other important questions that they want to be thinking of before heading to high school. Continue reading

College and Beyond

By Guest Blogger on June 9th, 2017

This is the twelfth post in a series by former FLVS student Makaila, a model, author, and student advocate.

Hey FLVS teens! As you look ahead to your final year(s) of high school, the next couple of years may seem challenging. You may spend most of your time focusing on studying or on making straight As. It can be a challenge, and some days it can seem impossible.

I can assure you – it’s possible and you can do it (and if worse comes to worst, then a few Bs or even Cs may not be the end of the world).

So, what’s the next step? College.

It may seem so far away, and that’s what I thought in high school too. But it’s not. It is way closer than you think.

Before you know it, you’ll be going on college tours (try to schedule a few this summer!) and getting merchandise from schools you may not even attend in the end. I know I did. I only went on one college tour, and that was to Florida State. Turns out I wouldn’t get into Florida State, so here I am to this very day with shirts, hats, and mugs that I refuse to use. 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 9^th and 10^th 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 11^th 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

Getting Past the Fear of DBAs

By Guest Blogger on March 19th, 2015

This article is based on student work published in the FLVS student newspaper, News in a Click.

If discussion-based assessments make you nervous, these tips from FLVS students may help!

DBAs are verbal assessments and are often the most dreaded assignments for FLVS students. Instead of comfortably typing essays and worksheets on their laptops, students communicate with an instructor one-on-one over the phone.

But why is this so terrifying? Surely the verbal component of the DBA is not intimidating, especially when the assignments are approached by the instructor as a conversation instead of an oral exam.

TIP: Did you know that DBAs can be completed in a live lesson setting or over a video call? Ask your teacher about this option! Learn more in this post about mastering the DBA.

However, if you compare talking on the phone for twenty minutes to being the only student called on to answer random questions for 20 minutes in a classroom, you can see why students are reluctant to dial their instructors’ numbers. Continue reading

It’s Summer! Go on a College Field Trip

By Guest Blogger on June 20th, 2014

If you’re a high school student, you probably have a list of activities to do over the summer: hang out with friends, watch movies, or go to the beach. Here’s another suggestion – go check out a college campus! This can be a lot of fun with no strings attached. Your family and friends will probably be excited for the trip suggestion! Even if the college that may be close to your home is not your #1 choice, walking around the campus can give you a sense of what you are and aren’t looking for in a college.

While checking out a college campus, you can also get a feel for its town or city by scoping out the college’s surrounding areas. Perhaps you like two different colleges, but like the location of one over the other. You may notice you would rather live on campus then off campus or that you like a large city over a small town. Continue reading

Career Development through Childhood and Adolescence

By Anne Flenner on May 30th, 2014

When you ask a young child what he or she wants to be when he or she grows up, we often find the answers are similar: a doctor, teacher, firefighter, or athlete. As children grow older, they begin to expand their knowledge of careers and start exploring what may be the perfect fit for them in the future.

All counselors who work with children have a unique opportunity to help foster, support, and grow the knowledge of the young clients they work with.

While most elementary and middle schools may host a yearly career fair, there are many ways to go beyond the career fair to keep career development at the front of our young clients’ minds! Continue reading