Student Achievement

FLVS Full Time Honors Graduating Seniors at Commencement

By on May 30th, 2017

FLVS Full Time Graduation 2017FLVS Full Time, our statewide online public school option for students in grades Kindergarten-12, will host their high school commencement ceremony today at 3 p.m. at the CFE Arena, located on the campus of the University of Central Florida.

FLVS Full Time will graduate more than 750 students, the school’s largest class to date. Approximately 385 students from across the state are expected to attend the commencement ceremony for the traditional march. Family, friends, teachers, and representatives from FLVS Full Time will celebrate the students’ successes, with remarks from FLVS Full Time Senior Class President Mari Rosales and National Honor Society President Olivia Horne.

The FLVS Full Time Class of 2017 has been awarded more than $1.3 million in scholarships, and more than 60 percent of the graduates plan to attend two- or four-year colleges or universities. Notable college acceptances include Brigham Young, University of Central Florida, Columbia, Cornell, University of Florida, Florida State University, University of Miami, Penn State, Stanford, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt. Continue reading


Meet our 2016 Photo Contest Winners

By on October 10th, 2016

flvs-photo-contestOver the last several weeks, FLVS students have been sharing what makes them unique in our fall photo contest on social media.

Using Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, participants were asked to submit a photo showing what makes them one-of-a-kind using #IAMFLVS.

It was truly inspiring to see so many entries (including many of our new elementary students!) and hear all of your stories. We also enjoyed following the journey of several students who participated in our contest in years past!

We loved hearing how the flexibility of FLVS allows you to be yourself and follow your dreams.

As we have in previous contests, three winners were selected…one at random, one by our judges, and one by popular vote.

And now, we’re excited to present them to you!

Continue reading


Cooney World Adventures Blog Series

By on July 19th, 2016

FLVS Cooney World AdventuresIf you’ve ever dreamed of traveling the world, it may not be as complicated as you think.

In 2008, Mike Cooney traveled the world with his wife, Catrell, and three teenage sons, Morgan, Zach, and Harrison, who studied online with FLVS. After selling their home, downsizing, and packing up their belongings, the family traveled across six continents and 22 countries…more than 61,000 miles! Today, Mike shares their experiences at speaking events and talks about his book which details their adventures. As Mike likes to say, “If we can do it, anyone can!”

In a year-long blog series on The Virtual Voice, Morgan, Zach, and Harrison and their parents shared their experience: Continue reading


Meet FLVS Student Lauren Mackey

By on July 15th, 2016

LaurenMy first course with Florida Virtual School was M/J Language Arts II with Ms. Wilson.

At the time, I was in seventh grade and planning on majoring in English at New York University to pursue a career as an author. One of my Language Arts assignments had me writing a five paragraph essay about the definition of love, which I definitely had enough experience to write about at the age of 13.

When I presented the essay to Ms. Wilson over the phone, I recall her describing my essay as something she expected to hear from an adult, out of a magazine, and encouraging me to join the FLVS Newspaper Club, News In A Click (NIAC). Continue reading


A Life-Changing Experience

By on April 20th, 2016

This is the final post in a series by the Cooney family about their world travels, made possible by the flexible learning offered at FLVS.

Cooney Adventures 12For the past 12 months, my family and I have been recounting our trek around the world and sharing what it meant to each of us.

Although it’s been nearly seven years since we returned in September 2009, there is not a day that goes by we don’t think about what the trek meant to us individually and collectively. Needless to say, it was a life-changing experience for each of us. My wife Catrell and I set several goals before leaving on our trek and they were all met. Continue reading


A Narrow Piece of Geography

By on March 16th, 2016

This is the 11th post in a series by the Cooney family about their world travels, made possible by the flexible learning offered at FLVS.

Cooney World Adventures Issue 11Our around the world trek was accomplished in two stages.

The first lasted four months and we backpacked through Central and South America. After returning home for a short visit, we resumed our trek, which lasted seven months. During our odyssey, we traveled to six continents, visited 22 countries and covered more than 61,000 miles. Although we did circumnavigate the globe, the fact is we only traveled a narrow piece of geography.

No matter how well-traveled someone is, they tend to stay within the lines – back roads, hiking trails, plane routes and highways. We were no different. Through Central and South America, we traveled almost entirely by bus – from “chicken buses” packed with 30 people when there should have only been 15, to a luxury motor coach that had its equivalent of a flight attendant onboard. Continue reading


How Online Learning Helped our Dream Come True

By on February 29th, 2016

This is the tenth post in a series by the Cooney family about their world travels, made possible by the flexible learning offered at FLVS.

Cooney Adventures10As any parent knows who has children enrolled in an online learning program, there are pros and cons.

In most cases the pros outweigh the cons, which is why the number of options for online learning have exploded in recent years.

Whether someone is simply brushing up on basic skills, completing a Kindergarten-12 class or working on his or her PhD, online learning has become deeply rooted in our educational infrastructure.
Continue reading


The Value of a Diverse Education

By on January 21st, 2016

This is the ninth post in a series by the Cooney family about their world travels, made possible by the flexible learning offered at FLVS.

Cooney Adventures 9Most people who live in the United States believe they are well informed about world events. It isn’t until a person travels that he truly understands how wrong he is.

And by travel, I don’t mean staying at a resort and participating in touristy tours, but going to the local markets, riding the local buses and getting to know the local residents. You can only truly understand and appreciate the culture and people when you’ve transitioned from tourist to traveler.

As a result of social media and cable television, we live in a world of 24/7 news, or so we believe. In reality, very little of the “real world” news seems to filter through the noise of popular media.

Continue reading


Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle While Traveling

By on December 9th, 2015

This is the eighth post in a series by the Cooney family about their world travels, made possible by the flexible learning offered at FLVS.

Cooney Adventures 8Whether you are planning a “stay-cation” or a global yearlong adventure around the world similar to ours, staying healthy, happy, and fit while traveling can present a few obstacles.

Maintaining healthy eating habits at home can be difficult and doing the same on the road requires even more due-diligence. Preplanning is the key, and can mean the difference between completely abandoning your healthy lifestyle or keeping you on track.

Incorporate some or all the following tips we’ve used to ensure you have a healthy, happy trip.
Continue reading


Travel is the Ultimate Education

By 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.

Cooney World Adventures Issue 7Recently, 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