Leadership
Meet Zoe, Pageant Queen and Non-Profit Founder
By Guest Blogger on February 21st, 2014
Zoe Mignone, a FLVS Full Time senior, has accomplished quite a bit in her 17 years. She has been a mentor, triathlon participant, advocate, pageant queen, and has even started her own non-profit organization! Oh, and, in case you couldn’t guess – she’s also a very active student with FLVS Full Time.
In 7th grade, Zoe became a mentor for an organization called Girls on the Run and helped advocate for children in Teen Court. At the age of 12, she started doing triathlons and quickly realized that triathlons were very expensive to train for and to participate in. That was when her idea was sparked – working with her friends and her mother, she put together the foundation for her own non-profit organization called Setting an Example. Describing her efforts, Zoe states, “My vision for it is all my own. I’ve always had a distinct vision.” Continue reading
Social Media, Malala, and Changing the World
By Darcey Addo on January 16th, 2014
If you haven’t read her book, you probably saw her in your Facebook feed. You may have even watched her capture the attention of the United Nations as she advocated for peace after being shot in the head. If not, possibly you watched Jon Stewart interview her on the “Daily Show” where she talked about her appreciation for education because of the way the Taliban “blasted schools” and “snatched education” from Pakistani children. When you read her book, I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, you read of a girl who fervently loves school. As a teacher, there are few things more heartwarming. Along with her story of compassion and forgiveness comes a tremendous responsibility for educators.
I am captivated as I read her book, both by the story and the storytelling. I hope someday to have the eloquence and tenacity of this teenager. At just 16 years old, Malala was nominated for the Nobel peace prize. Continue reading
Skate to Where the Puck is Going to Be
By Guest Blogger on January 8th, 2014
After seeing promotions for the fast-approaching 2014 Winter Olympics, I was reminded of when I was watching a sea of icy blue and white at the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. I was just in awe of the talent, determination, and tenacity all under one roof. If you really allow yourself a moment to take it all in, it is an overwhelming feeling that almost takes your breath away. As the famous Canadians carried the Olympic flag through the stadium, I wondered if they had ever dreamed they would be honored with that special task in this international tradition that seems to unite the world for a moment in time.
Ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky was among the eight Olympic flag carriers and would go on to light the flame in downtown Vancouver to complete the tradition. I couldn’t help but think about the quote he was so famous for which turned out to be the first quote on my FLVS tagline… Continue reading
Revive and Realize Your Dreams
By Guest Blogger on December 20th, 2013
My wife and I absolutely love reality television, especially the singing competition ones. The best part is always the beginning during the auditions, because you see and hear people who are not cut out for the industry and are best left to late-night karaoke. There is always a look of shock from contestants when the judges have to let them down, because it’s crushing a dream.
Have you ever had someone crush your dream because of a lack of skill? I know I have. Does that mean we give up on our dreams? Absolutely not! Continue reading
The Power of Words
By Guest Blogger on December 17th, 2013
Earlier this year, our FLVS Teacher of the Year, Shawn Wigg, shared his thoughts on the power of negativity in a blog post for The Virtual Voice. His comments were inspired by a presentation given by Jon Acuff, one of the keynote speakers at the Florida Virtual School 2013 Professional Learning Conference.
Jon explored the five stages every life goes through on the path to awesome and looked at what it takes to punch fear in the face, escape average, and do work that matters. As you can imagine, Jon’s words resonated with FLVS employees on several levels. He spoke to us about our influence on others and how often people don’t realize how their actions and words affect those around them. Jon left us with an equation to consider: “1 Insult + 1,000 Compliments = 1 Insult.” Continue reading
Asking for Volunteers
By Guest Blogger on December 6th, 2013
Sometimes old “adages” are just that: old.
In hopes of pursuing new horizons in an ever-changing virtual world, maybe it is time we consider a few new theories for guidance.
A few days ago, a colleague and good friend brought up an old saying regarding volunteerism: “Always volunteer when asked, but never ask to volunteer.” Continue reading
A Good, Firm Handshake in a Virtual World
By Guest Blogger on November 15th, 2013
We live in an ever-changing digital age where our interactions have become increasingly more “virtual” than face-to-face.
Today, most companies are turning to phone conference or webcam interviews to save time and money for incessantly busy Hiring Managers. Job candidates are expected to answer complicated behavior based interview questions, supplying well-thought-out responses, all while making it perfectly clear why he/she is the right person for the job, often in 30 minutes or less. So, how do you leave a lasting impression at the end of a phone interview? You develop a good, firm virtual handshake. Continue reading
What Five-Year-Olds and Teenagers Have in Common
By Guest Blogger on November 7th, 2013
Twenty. Nineteen. Eighteen…
Every morning, my son Sawyer reminds the whole family how many days are left before he turns five. Yesterday, on day 15, Sawyer flashed his best 1,000 Kilowatt smile and announced what he wanted for his birthday: one Lightning McQueen race car, four other race cars from the Cars franchise, and one tank.
Sawyer couldn’t know it, but his request was actually pretty modest; I could buy all those toys for under $30. But I looked around the living room and saw the hundreds of toys that Sawyer already had – toys he never played with. So I made a reasonable request: we would buy him his birthday toys, but we had to give away some of his old toys. Continue reading
It’s Not What You Know, but Who You Know
By Guest Blogger on September 19th, 2013
Just a few short weeks ago, all Human Resources employees at FLVS met with our President and CEO, Julie Young, for a focus group discussion. It was an honor just to be sitting in the same room with our esteemed leader, but it was even more of a treat when she actually asked each of us for our opinions on a smattering of pressing matters. Julie got to know each of us, inquiring about our day-to-day likes and dislikes, and intermittently took notes on a notepad while sipping her coffee. Continue reading