Volunteering
FLVS Students Exceed Community Service Goal
By Guest Blogger on July 22nd, 2020
It’s no secret that our Florida Virtual School (FLVS) students are amazing and take their education seriously, but did you know many of our students also have a penchant for generously volunteering in their communities? This 2019-20 school year, Mae Martin, Student Activities Coordinator, reported that FLVS Student Club members completed 3,439 volunteer hours, surpassing last year’s total and goal. Additionally, FLVS Full Time High School students recorded nearly 31,000 cumulative community service hours that qualify for Bright Future Scholarships when they graduate.
Continue reading5 Tips for a Great Summer
By Guest Blogger on June 29th, 2017
It’s finally here!
Summer is in full swing, and if you’re a student, that most likely means no schoolwork and no intensive schedule to follow.
You’re ready to relax as you’ve worked hard and earned this welcomed break. It may feel like summer will last forever and that you’ll have plenty of time to do all those things you think of doing during the school year.
But while summer is a nice stretch of time, June, July, and August go all too quick…
(Can you believe it’s almost July already?)
So to make the most of the endless sunshine, here are five thoughts on how to make your summer great. Continue reading
10 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day
By Florida Virtual School on April 22nd, 2017
Earth Day is full of reminders to take time to protect our planet.
Across the state of Florida, local events are planned to pick up trash on the beach, recognize local farmers, and celebrate science and its contributions to ensuring everyone has access to clean water, soil, and air.
Search local events on Facebook to find fairs, speakers, art vendors, and other resources that promote an awareness of sustainable life choices.
Are you volunteering anywhere for Earth Day? Tell us where in the comments below!
Whether you’re heading out for the day or plan to stay at home, these tips can help you make a difference on Earth Day – and every other day too! Continue reading
Make, Bake, Partake – Volunteering at School
By Guest Blogger on April 17th, 2017
My mom was blessed with the baking and hospitality gene. As far back as I can recall, she loved to play hostess—still does, and when people come over, she has a quiet way of honoring them and making them feel special. It shows in the details, from a sparkling clean house to using the good dishes and serving delectable treats.
I remember my mom volunteered to be the class mom for Mrs. Kast’s second grade class in New York. I glowed whenever she’d come into my classroom to drop off some cut outs for a project we were working on, or when she’d bring in homemade cupcakes for a class party. And while I just thought I had the coolest mom in the world, she had sneakily found a way to stay connected to me during the school day.
April is Florida School Volunteer Appreciation Month and today marks the first day of Public School Volunteer Week. Continue reading
FLVS Students and Staff Give Back
By Guest Blogger on February 17th, 2017
Random acts of kindness are enough to make anyone’s day.
Whether it is holding a door open, paying it forward in line at Starbucks, or helping someone carry in groceries, we all have the capacity to be kind on a daily basis. This year, in order to celebrate National Random Acts of Kindness Day (February 17), we spoke with some awesome FLVS students that really know what it means to be caring and kind.
The Creative Writing club is participating in an ongoing service project that started in February and runs through March. There are many ways that students of the club can help out. They can donate books, read to someone, help out at the library, or even volunteer as a reading, writing, or English tutor. So far, the Creating Writing Club members have donated 25 books.
The STEM/Science Club at FLVS recently participated in a clothing drive. Sometimes it can be easy to take something as simple as the clothes on our back for granted. Continue reading
Twins Receive President’s Volunteer Service Award
By Guest Blogger on November 17th, 2016
Jonathan and Christopher Collins, FLVS Full Time students in Ocala, were recently honored for their exemplary volunteer service with the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
The twins, currently in 10th grade, have participated in more than 100 hours of service during the past 12 months.
The President’s Volunteer Service Award is bestowed upon Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time in service to their community and their country. The Collins twins were presented with the award by Center Point Community Church in Naples.
“I have a passion for helping others and for making a difference in my community,” Jonathan said. “It was an honor to be able to assist children grow and learn; however, I discovered in this process that I was the one who was being richly blessed. Although it was hard work and many days I left tired, I was excited that I knew I made a difference that day.” Continue reading
FLVS Joins St. Jude’s Walk for Children
By Guest Blogger on September 8th, 2016
At FLVS, our teachers and support staff make up the heart and soul of our organization. All of our efforts are centered on the lives of the individual students we serve.
This month, one of our staff members and his daughter (a student at FLVS) are especially representative of this mission as we join the statewide 5k Walk for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Mike Smith, FLVS Peer Counseling and Critical Thinking Skills teacher, says that his family has been a proud supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for more than 25 years. His cousin (who happens to be getting married the same day as the walk this year) was treated and cured there in the early 1990s. Now, Mike’s family is once again part of the St. Jude mission to cure all children stricken with cancer. Continue reading
The FLVS Minions
By Guest Blogger on May 17th, 2016
Young adolescents require drastically different and unique approaches to education.
Middle school educators have always understood that the biological events of puberty fundamentally disrupt the somewhat smooth development of elementary school years and has a profound impact upon the cognitive, social, and emotional lives of young teens.
In line with this important insight, educators see the need for the delivery of special instructional and administrative changes in the way that education takes place for kids in early adolescence.
Continue reading
National Volunteer Week
By Guest Blogger on April 11th, 2016
National Volunteer Week is being celebrated from April 10-16th this year.
What a great time to reflect and to take action! Martin Luther King, Jr. said it best, “Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve…You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
Eleven years ago, our dog died, leaving a big impact on our family. My children were young and the whole family was devastated. Concurrently, I was the Principal of Winter Park High School. I had developed a close friendship with a parent who was a volunteer puppy raiser for Canine Companions for Independence. Continue reading
Student Gives at Animal Shelter and Gains Much More
By Guest Blogger on November 24th, 2015
This month, we asked students to share ways they give back in their communities using #flvsgiving on social media. This post was written by one of our students who volunteers at her local animal shelter.
Hi, I’m Alexis Lamphere.
I’m a senior at FLVS and I currently volunteer with the Osceola County Animals Services in Saint Cloud.
In addition to volunteering my time, I foster kittens that are underweight or too young to be adopted and don’t have a mother cat to take care of them.
Working at the shelter is honestly a life-changing experience. I’m given the chance to help improve and change many lives every day. It teaches you to be selfless and you start to have an endless love for each animal. You start to care about the animal’s happiness more than your own and he/she becomes more than “just some dog” or “just some cat.” The animal becomes a loved one, a friend, and part of your heart. Continue reading