Student Voice
Embracing Nostalgia: The Good and The Bad
By Guest Blogger on July 5th, 2017
This post was written by Charissa, a student in the FLVS Creative Writing Club.
Have you ever passed by a place you used to visit when you were young and a nostalgic feeling started to resonate in your chest?
The feeling blew you back in time a bit, and sparked that good memory concealed in your mind to come and revisit. It was probably a joyous occasion, and that feeling of ancient and special happiness surfaces again.
Well, what if something bad happened to you? Would the nostalgic feeling be the same? I highly doubt it would. If I visited a place that held a bad memory, I would feel suffocated by air tainted with unhappiness and regret. I wouldn’t have a happy and elated feeling in my chest. I would feel empty and alone.
Something I have realized in this society is this:
We all have our good places reminding us of the joy and happiness life can bring you, but we also have our bad places that are a reminder of how the world can be messed up sometimes. Some people have one more than the other. Continue reading
AP Classes vs. Dual Enrollment
By Guest Blogger on June 15th, 2017
This article was originally written and published in the FLVS student newspaper, News in a Click.
It’s a common question among high school students and their parents: AP classes or dual enrollment?
While there is no right answer for every student, each individual might find that one or both of these options suits them best. Each choice allows students to be challenged by rigorous classes, obtain college credit, improve their college applications and save money on college tuition costs. However, location, qualification requirements, method of obtaining college credit, class offerings and costs differ.
AP, or Advanced Placement, classes are created by AP development committees for the College Board. Each AP class has its own development committee comprised of six or seven high school and college instructors from around the country. The classes (including online Advanced Placement courses) and their respective exams are meant to reflect the curriculum students would encounter in a college-equivalent of that class’ subject, while in a high school setting. 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
Reflections from the Class of 2017
By Guest Blogger on June 7th, 2017
This post was written by 2016-17 FLVS Full Time National Honor Society President, Olivia Horne.
Family and friends – thank you for providing unwavering support, love and encouragement as we pursue our futures.
Teachers and staff – thank you for making those futures possible through your ability to make lifelong learning fun and our dreams accessible.
Fellow graduates – congratulations! From DBAs, to lives lessons, from collaborations to finals, we have each worked incredibly hard. We did it.
As we reach the end of our high school careers, it is only natural for us to reflect upon what led us here. And while our personal histories might differ greatly, we do have one thing in common: the community that is FLVS.
We, Class of 2017, have pursued our education on our own terms. We are the trailblazers, the innovative digital learners, those who are not afraid to take the path less traveled. We have dared to be different. We, Class of 2017, have proven our possession of the invaluable ability to define our own futures. Continue reading
Looking Back On Our Senior Year
By Guest Blogger on June 5th, 2017
This post was written by FLVS Full Time Senior Class President, Mari Nicole Rosales.
Senior Class President Mari Rosales with Marketing Leader Bryanna Maturen
Last Tuesday, May 30, 2017, marked the end of our high school chapter in the book that we call life.
Long gone are the days of DBAs and Blackboard live lessons. Now the time has come for us to begin our next chapter. As virtual school students, we have had quite the journey throughout high school. We are innovators and changemakers of tomorrow. Because of this, the future is limitless. It is now our turn to empower the world one step at a time with our words and actions.
As many of you know, the Florida Virtual School mascot is our lovely friend, Megabyte, the friendly robotic shark. He graces our school t-shirts and reminds us to keep on pace with our courses. Technically speaking, one megabyte is one million bytes of information. Each Florida Virtual School student is a megabyte. Gaining one million bytes of information is no easy task. As megabytes, we have learned how to be proactive, creative, and resourceful. These one million bytes we have gained from virtual school will last a lifetime. Continue reading
Meet FLVS Student Ben Krieger
By Guest Blogger on May 16th, 2017
South Florida resident and FLVS student Ben Krieger (age 12) is now in the final stretch of his two-year professional run as a traveling actor in national Broadway tours.
Ben currently plays the roles of Peter Llewelyn Davies and George Llewelyn Davies in Finding Neverland, showing in major Florida cities in May and June this year. Ben accepted his first job with Pippin the Musical on June 25, 2015 and will take his final bow exactly two years later on June 25, 2017 at The Broward Center for Performing Arts with Finding Neverland. In between, he also toured with The Sound of Music.
Ben has performed in approximately 250 shows for more than 500,000 people in 38 cities across the U.S. He also performed in Japan for three weeks and Amsterdam for a month. Ben traveled for a total of 80 weeks in the past two years.
In the following Q&A, Ben and his mom share more about his experience and how FLVS helps Ben take his studies on the road while traveling on tour! Continue reading
The Last Stretch
By Guest Blogger on May 12th, 2017
This is the eleventh post in a series by former FLVS student Makaila, a model, author, and student advocate.
Hey FLVS! Summer is almost in your reach.
The unlimited time at the pool, lack of homework, and more importantly, sleep. Summer feels closer than you think, but don’t let it cloud your last grades of the year.
So, to save you in your last few weeks of school, I am going to give you some tips that will lock you in for success.
When I was in school, I was an avid procrastinator, waiting until the last possible minute to do something. Don’t do that to yourself.
I promise the extra time you think you’re giving yourself isn’t worth it. No amount of television or even just hanging out with friends is worth it when it comes to exams. The moments where you will end up cramming could be spent sleeping. And sleeping is a necessity when it comes to not bombing your last exam! Continue reading
Be Careful With Your Words
By Guest Blogger on April 27th, 2017
This poem was written by Mary-Kelly, a student in the FLVS Creative Writing Club.
Creative Writing Club students have been scribbling away all month for National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo).
With a goal of writing 30 poems in 30 days, the club aims to get students’ creative juices flowing through frequent writing exercises. As club sponsor Mrs. Emery says, “Some prompts will speak to you, and some will not. Some poems will be keepers, but most will not.”
In the spirit of sharing and a love of poetry, students have been responding to writing prompts and supporting each other’s work. Continue reading
Be the “Good” Kid
By Guest Blogger on April 6th, 2017
This is the tenth post in a series by former FLVS student Makaila, a model, author, and student advocate.
High school welcomes territories that were once uncharted.
What’s crazy about the media today is that they push the likeness of drugs and drinking on shows geared for young kids, like us. It can be difficult to see things on television or on your favorite show and not wonder what they are. And if we’re going to be honest, sometimes it affects us.
We see some of our favorite celebrities drinking at a party or smoking something they shouldn’t, and we start to think it’s normal…that it is normal to drink and party the way the television portrays people of our age doing.
The line becomes blurred and people start to do things they normally wouldn’t, all because they want to fit in and be “cool.” It’s an interesting way to think about it.
The people you surround yourself with are sure to affect you in one aspect or another and only build upon these existing ideas. Peer pressure surely influences this beast. Continue reading
Aliens and Explosions
By Guest Blogger on March 30th, 2017
This post was written by FLVS student Sarah Weyand about her award-winning research in astrophysics.
My 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