STEM

Meet Sierra, FLVS Student & Shark Barrier Inventor

By on July 27th, 2018

My name is Sierra and Florida Virtual School has provided me the opportunity to pursue various ambitions. My first step with FLVS was taken when I was in 7th grade. This year, I will be going into 11th grade with FLVS Flex. When I attended public school, I was harassed to the extent I had no choice but to leave the school. After much discussion, my parents and I agreed that FLVS was my best option. The summer I started virtual school was peaceful. I just had my school work, family, and the freedom to explore. It was the first time that year that I didn’t have to worry about being bullied.

With my newfound freedom, I watched my first Shark Week episode that summer. My mom and I spent the rest of that week watching, including an episode featuring Dr. Craig O’Connell’s Shark Safe Barrier. The concept of an innovative shark barrier sparked my imagination and was tangled in my thoughts for a while.   Continue reading


FLVS Follows Science on Its Way to Space

By on April 30th, 2018

SpaceX CRS14

On April 2, 2018, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted into space with the Dragon spacecraft – sending fascinating science experiments and supplies to the International Space Station.

FLVS was invited to share the experience with our students and followers through social media, including a behind-the-scenes tour of NASA facilities at Kennedy Space Center prior to launch. Continue reading


Bringing Learning to Life with Practical Experience

By on December 4th, 2017

We know students learn best through experience, but how can they get hands-on in a virtual learning environment?

Say hello to Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs). These professional student organizations are integrated into the FLVS Career and Technical Education (CTE) curriculum. Why? Because they give students tons of personal growth swag. Continue reading


FLVS Corkboard: May Highlights

By on May 19th, 2017

May Corkboard“Another May new buds and flowers shall bring: Ah! why has happiness no second Spring?” ― Charlotte Smith

We don’t know about you, but we’re getting excited that summer is almost here! We are so incredibly happy that you’ve been a part of the FLVS family—it’s been an awesome year and there’s been much to celebrate.

FLVS Selects New President & CEO

The FLVS Board of Trustees is happy to announce the appointment of Dr. Jodi Marshall, Executive Vice President, Business and School Solutions, as the new President and CEO of FLVS effective July 1, 2017. Dr. Marshall, a visionary leader and innovator who embodies the values of FLVS, will work together with Ronald Blocker to ensure a smooth transition upon his departure June 30.

Dr. Marshall has held many positions leading up to her current role over Business and School Solutions including English instructor, Principal, and Vice President of Instruction, since she joined the FLVS family in 2002. Her experience and her dedication to our students, parents, schools, and districts will allow her to continue to drive FLVS forward.   Continue reading


FLVS Corkboard: April Highlights

By on April 20th, 2017

Corkboard April 2017April 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


Aliens and Explosions

By on March 30th, 2017

This post was written by FLVS student Sarah Weyand about her award-winning research in astrophysics.

Studying ExoplanetsMy science fair journey began about a year ago.

I was approached by a Harvard graduate who wanted to mentor a high school senior in an astrophysics and computer science research project.

I knew nothing about astronomy and I didn’t know a single programming language, but I love space and I plan to major in computer science in college. Naturally, I said yes. This project has taken me to the Science Talent Search, the Indian River Regional Science and Engineering Fair, and, now, the State Science Fair.

My project is titled Aliens and Explosions: How Supernovae Affect the Habitable Zones of Exoplanets.

The purpose of the project is to calculate the percentage of exoplanets, a planet that does not orbit our Sun, that would no longer be in the habitable zone of their host star due to a supernova, the explosive death of a massive star. Continue reading


How Career & Technical Education Changed My Life

By on February 21st, 2017

CTE_Blog_CoverIn 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 Attends GOES-R Satellite Launch

By on December 7th, 2016

GOES R Satellite Blog PostOn Saturday, November 19, I had the privilege of watching the GOES-R weather satellite launch from Kennedy Space Center.

Now you may be wondering what GOES-R stands for. It’s the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, a satellite system that orbits the earth and sends data back to National Weather Service computers. The R indicates what number or version the GOES satellite is on, so there have already been versions A-R. GOES-S is slated to launch next year and is the twin to GOES-R.

Of course, weather satellites get launched all the time, so why would this one be any more special than the others?

Well, right now we receive images of satellite scans every 30 minutes or so. The GOES-R satellite will provide data at least every five minutes, and in some circumstances every 30 seconds! So not only will it be five times faster than current weather satellites, but it will also gather three times more data and it will have four times better resolution. Continue reading


To Bennu and Back!

By on September 29th, 2016

osiris-rex-educational-science-posterHello FLVS peeps!

I had the distinct honor of representing FLVS at the OSIRIS REx rocket launch a few weeks ago.

Now if you’re wondering what exactly that means, OSIRIS REx stands for NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer. That’s a mouthful, right?

In a nutshell, NASA is sending a spacecraft to an asteroid named Bennu. Once it reaches Bennu (after a trip lasting two years), the spacecraft will orbit the asteroid for about a year, find the perfect place to collect about 80 grams of the rock, and head back home, arriving back to Earth in 2023.

It won’t actually land on the asteroid, but instead hover over it – and with the help of Canada and their amazing knowledge of spacecraft arms – will grab a small sample. (To put this in perspective, 80 grams is about the equivalent of 80 Skittle candies.)

So why are we going to Bennu? Continue reading


Let Your Summer Sizzle with STEM

By on June 30th, 2016

Summer STEM IdeasThe countdown is over and summer is now in full swing!

Can you hear the rejoicing cries of school-age children saying “no more alarm clocks,” “no teachers,” and “woohoo, no homework!”

Ask students what they want to do as they’re just beginning to submerge themselves in summer-break mode and more than likely you’ll get answers like: relax, watch TV, see movies, go to the beach, and chill with friends. Continue reading