The Holidays Are HereDECEMBER 2018

Can you believe how fast this school year is going It seems like only yesterday we felt the excitement of a new school year and I wished you and your students much success and joy in learning this year Now we are already approaching another holiday season and the end of the first semester I see from the newsletter articles you submitted that your students are indeed experiencing success and joy in learning From field trips to robotics your students are actively engaged in learning We are proud to share your accomplishments and events with the larger world through this newsletter

We in the virtual education office wish everyone a happy holiday season and hope you have time to relax and make new and cherished memories with close family and friends We look forward to working with you in 2019 and hearing more great news about the success and joy your students are experiencing through the virtual learning opportunities you provide Enjoy this special time of year

Sandy Stephen Lisa and Savannah

Schools of Excellence

the Virtual View

F L O R I D A D E P A R T M E N T O F E D U C A T I O N

Leon St Johns Broward

Osceola Seminole Santa Rosa Palm Beach

Inside this issue

Pinellas Hillsborough 2

Palm Beach Broward 3

St Johns Volusia 4

Clay 5

FLVS 6

Orange 7

Seminole Santa Rosa 8

NHSA 9

Lee Fuel Education 10

ldquoEducation is the power to think clearly the power to act well in the worldrsquos work and the power to appreciate liferdquo

Pinellas Takes A Johns Hopkins Field TripPinellas Virtual School HOPE (Health Opportunities through Physical Education) students took a field trip to the Johns Hopkins All Childrenrsquos Education and Conference Center Registered dietitian Megan Armstrong guided the students through the process of preparing a delicious and nutritious meal For some this was the first time they had ever worked in a kitchen but she patiently taught them about food safety and basic cooking techniques After the meal was ready everyone was excited to dig

in for turkey tacos fresh salsa and black-eyed pea salad With full bellies Megan then showed the students the grocery receipt and they were shocked to find out that at less than $2 per person their meal was far more filling and cost effective than fast food To further demonstrate her point Megan passed out several fast food menus and led the teens through a fat calculation activity that ended by scooping Crisco onto buns It was a powerful visual demonstration To continue to fight childhood obesity arming students with this knowledge is essential and Pinellas County is very fortunate to have access to Johns Hopkins resources and professionals who are dedicated to doing just that

Submitted by Michelle Starrett and Mandy Perry

Hillsborough Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

During Hispanic Heritage Month students at Hillsborough Virtual School (HVS) were able to virtually celebrate the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the groups heritage and culture Throughout the month during live lessons students participated in various activities including trivia games to raise awareness of the Hispanic influence and contributions in Hillsborough County and throughout the United States Students also participated in a historical walking tour of Ybor City and learned about the history and contributions of Mr Ybor Students learned about the various historical landmarks of the city and visited a part of ldquoCubardquo that is actually located in Ybor

After the walking tour students had lunch at the Colombia Restaurant where they enjoyed a choice of traditional Cuban sandwiches or Arroz con Pollo Students also observed a traditional flamenco show and learned about the dance ldquola sevillanardquo which has its origins dating to the time of the ldquoReyes Catogravelicosrdquo from the 15th century Students were able to see the use of the castantildeuelas as well as fans during the dancing It was a wonderful opportunity for HVS students to see the positive contributions of the Hispanic community right in their own backyard

Submitted by Denee Upshaw

PAGE 2 THE VIRTUAL VIEW

Escape Room Fun For Palm BeachCampus Connection sure was the place to be when fifteen industrious students combed the conference room for clues to end the curse of Billy Dawes and the lanterns of the Old North Church The teamwork was amazing as the groups wrangled with word puzzles mirror writing map reading and flotation displacement to locate the keys to the treasure Invisible ink writing and mysterious messages in braille were no problem for the superior sleuthing skills of Palm Beach Virtual School (PBVS) students

PBVS inducted eight new full time students into the chapters of National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society All inductees have met rigorous nationwide standards for scholarship and citizenship To be included students must be full time at PBVS for at least one year These students work together each year on projects to improve Palm Beach Virtual School

Submitted by Juliana Davis and Debra Johnson

Broward Is Looking Forward To What Comes Next

Happy holidays from the Broward Virtual School (BVS) family BVS is excited to share that they completed academic seminars in math and language arts for the months of September and October Over 100 students attended the sessions where they engaged and collaborated with their teachers and peers in math and writing skills After the seminars students had the opportunity to participate in live science labs exploring properties of water and chemical reactions in a bag

Broward County Public Schools has rolled out an initiative to help prevent social isolation utilizing the Sandy Hook Promise BVS school counselors completed a presentation to students and staff explaining the program ldquoStart with Hellordquo The purpose of this program is to help create a sense of community within the school setting For incoming freshmen Personalization through Academic and Social Learning (PASL) has been implemented to help 9th graders adjust to the high school setting

This year BVS is offering a Robotics Club Creative Writing Club and

Students helping Students Club which focuses on providing peers with academic support The Birding Club has been exploring nature at local parks and identifying birds while building relationships with each other

In addition coordinators organized a Barnes and Noble ldquoMeet Uprdquo event where BVS students had a chance to meet and participate in group activities that focused on social interaction This has been an exciting few months and BVS is looking forward to what comes next

Submitted by Antonette McGregor

DECEMBER 2018 PAGE 3

St Johns Is Staying Busy

St Johns Virtual School (SJVS) provided a series of events for their students in November To celebrate Veteranrsquos Day National Honor Society Members volunteered at Clyde E Lassen State Veteranrsquos Nursing Home for the 2018 Veterans Day Ball

Elementary students participated in a scavenger hunt through downtown St Augustine while middle and high school students participated in STEM activities as they toured the Sally Corporation in Jacksonville The Sally Corporation is one the worldrsquos leading designers and manufacturers of amusement park rides

Activities will continue in January with SJVS touring the TIAA Field home of the Jacksonville Jaguars

Submitted by Michael Eisen

Volusia Is Proud And Excited To Celebrate

Volusia Online Learning (VOL) is so proud of their Teacher of the Year Michelle Pons She was selected as a top 5 finalist for the Volusia County

Teacher of the Year 2020 and VOL is excited to be able to share the incredible things Mrs Pons has and continues to do for students throughout Volusia County Schools When the announcement was made Mrs Pons

was completely shocked She said ldquoI am blessed beyond measure I love what I do and I love that I have an opportunity to touch so many lives across the entire district because of the incredible experience Volusia

Online Learning offers to students from Kindergarten to Seniors My passion is bringing new and innovative experiences to students and connecting my students to people places and ideas they may never have

had the chance to get otherwiserdquo VOL is excited to celebrate with Mrs Pons and her family at the district banquet in January

Submitted by Dr Amy Blowers

PAGE 4 THE VIRTUAL VIEW

Every Day Is A Great Day To Be A Clay Viper

Clay Virtual Academyrsquos (CVA) Robotics Team meets weekly to practice team building and complete a research project all while building and programming robots Team building activities are especially critical for virtual students It gives them an opportunity to learn how to communicate effectively within a group with the guidance of their Robotics Coach The team has done everything from stacking cups without using hands to ldquostepping on rainbow turtlesrdquo to go across a pond Students worked together to build each of the robots They have been working on programming the robots to meet the challenges of an upcoming First Lego League Competition The RoboVipers were the only virtual school to attend a local ldquoOpen Practicerdquo Open Practice is an event where teams meet and work cooperatively to improve their robots and programming abilities As a part of the upcoming competition teams are asked to research a problem relating to long term space travel They are then challenged to make an improvement or invention to solve that problem The CVA team has chosen the problem expressed by astronaut Scott Kelly after he returned from the longest stay on record at the International Space Station plusmn almost a year He expressed a feeling of his skin being burned every time it was touched by his clothing or anything upon returning to Earth Students are infusing merino wool compression clothing with aloe gel The team gathered their own pure gel from aloe plants Merino wool has been chosen by NASA as a preferred fabric for long term space travel The team believes the compression clothing combined with the skin care of the aloe will help diminish the burning sensation experienced upon returning to Earth The CVA Robotics team is comprised of fourth through eighth grade students who know every day is a great day to be a CVA Viper

Clay Virtual Academy has started a chapter of Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) All full time CVA students enrolled in Culinary Arts 1 Early Childhood Education 1 Parenting Skills Peer Counseling Life Management Skills and HOPE were encouraged to become a member The first activity planned was to put their Culinary Arts skills to work and make two dinners to raise money for the community service projects planned for each month during the school year Asbury United Methodist Church allowed the chapter to sponsor a Mexican dinner theme and an Italian themed dinner

Members of the FCCLA chapter wanted to help people in need pay their electric bills this winter They helped Asbury United Methodist Church unload 3000 pumpkins into the churchrsquos pumpkin patch The church donated pumpkins that members cleaned steamed peeled and pureed to make pumpkin bread Community stakeholders donated flour sugar oil eggs and spices that FCCLA members used to make full loaves half loaves and pumpkin muffins that were sold at the Fall Festival One hundred percent of the money from the sale of the pumpkin bread will be donated to assist Clay County residents that need help with their winter electric bills The amount raised for this cause was $122100

Submitted by Carol Cochuyt Billie Peeples and Melissa Kowieski

DECEMBER 2018 PAGE 5

Pinellas Takes A Johns Hopkins Field TripPinellas Virtual School HOPE (Health Opportunities through Physical Education) students took a field trip to the Johns Hopkins All Childrenrsquos Education and Conference Center Registered dietitian Megan Armstrong guided the students through the process of preparing a delicious and nutritious meal For some this was the first time they had ever worked in a kitchen but she patiently taught them about food safety and basic cooking techniques After the meal was ready everyone was excited to dig

in for turkey tacos fresh salsa and black-eyed pea salad With full bellies Megan then showed the students the grocery receipt and they were shocked to find out that at less than $2 per person their meal was far more filling and cost effective than fast food To further demonstrate her point Megan passed out several fast food menus and led the teens through a fat calculation activity that ended by scooping Crisco onto buns It was a powerful visual demonstration To continue to fight childhood obesity arming students with this knowledge is essential and Pinellas County is very fortunate to have access to Johns Hopkins resources and professionals who are dedicated to doing just that

Submitted by Michelle Starrett and Mandy Perry

Hillsborough Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

During Hispanic Heritage Month students at Hillsborough Virtual School (HVS) were able to virtually celebrate the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the groups heritage and culture Throughout the month during live lessons students participated in various activities including trivia games to raise awareness of the Hispanic influence and contributions in Hillsborough County and throughout the United States Students also participated in a historical walking tour of Ybor City and learned about the history and contributions of Mr Ybor Students learned about the various historical landmarks of the city and visited a part of ldquoCubardquo that is actually located in Ybor

After the walking tour students had lunch at the Colombia Restaurant where they enjoyed a choice of traditional Cuban sandwiches or Arroz con Pollo Students also observed a traditional flamenco show and learned about the dance ldquola sevillanardquo which has its origins dating to the time of the ldquoReyes Catogravelicosrdquo from the 15th century Students were able to see the use of the castantildeuelas as well as fans during the dancing It was a wonderful opportunity for HVS students to see the positive contributions of the Hispanic community right in their own backyard

Submitted by Denee Upshaw

PAGE 2 THE VIRTUAL VIEW

Escape Room Fun For Palm BeachCampus Connection sure was the place to be when fifteen industrious students combed the conference room for clues to end the curse of Billy Dawes and the lanterns of the Old North Church The teamwork was amazing as the groups wrangled with word puzzles mirror writing map reading and flotation displacement to locate the keys to the treasure Invisible ink writing and mysterious messages in braille were no problem for the superior sleuthing skills of Palm Beach Virtual School (PBVS) students

PBVS inducted eight new full time students into the chapters of National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society All inductees have met rigorous nationwide standards for scholarship and citizenship To be included students must be full time at PBVS for at least one year These students work together each year on projects to improve Palm Beach Virtual School

Submitted by Juliana Davis and Debra Johnson

Broward Is Looking Forward To What Comes Next

Happy holidays from the Broward Virtual School (BVS) family BVS is excited to share that they completed academic seminars in math and language arts for the months of September and October Over 100 students attended the sessions where they engaged and collaborated with their teachers and peers in math and writing skills After the seminars students had the opportunity to participate in live science labs exploring properties of water and chemical reactions in a bag

Broward County Public Schools has rolled out an initiative to help prevent social isolation utilizing the Sandy Hook Promise BVS school counselors completed a presentation to students and staff explaining the program ldquoStart with Hellordquo The purpose of this program is to help create a sense of community within the school setting For incoming freshmen Personalization through Academic and Social Learning (PASL) has been implemented to help 9th graders adjust to the high school setting

This year BVS is offering a Robotics Club Creative Writing Club and

Students helping Students Club which focuses on providing peers with academic support The Birding Club has been exploring nature at local parks and identifying birds while building relationships with each other

In addition coordinators organized a Barnes and Noble ldquoMeet Uprdquo event where BVS students had a chance to meet and participate in group activities that focused on social interaction This has been an exciting few months and BVS is looking forward to what comes next

Submitted by Antonette McGregor

DECEMBER 2018 PAGE 3

St Johns Is Staying Busy

St Johns Virtual School (SJVS) provided a series of events for their students in November To celebrate Veteranrsquos Day National Honor Society Members volunteered at Clyde E Lassen State Veteranrsquos Nursing Home for the 2018 Veterans Day Ball

Elementary students participated in a scavenger hunt through downtown St Augustine while middle and high school students participated in STEM activities as they toured the Sally Corporation in Jacksonville The Sally Corporation is one the worldrsquos leading designers and manufacturers of amusement park rides

Activities will continue in January with SJVS touring the TIAA Field home of the Jacksonville Jaguars

Submitted by Michael Eisen

Volusia Is Proud And Excited To Celebrate

Volusia Online Learning (VOL) is so proud of their Teacher of the Year Michelle Pons She was selected as a top 5 finalist for the Volusia County

Teacher of the Year 2020 and VOL is excited to be able to share the incredible things Mrs Pons has and continues to do for students throughout Volusia County Schools When the announcement was made Mrs Pons

was completely shocked She said ldquoI am blessed beyond measure I love what I do and I love that I have an opportunity to touch so many lives across the entire district because of the incredible experience Volusia

Online Learning offers to students from Kindergarten to Seniors My passion is bringing new and innovative experiences to students and connecting my students to people places and ideas they may never have

had the chance to get otherwiserdquo VOL is excited to celebrate with Mrs Pons and her family at the district banquet in January

Submitted by Dr Amy Blowers

PAGE 4 THE VIRTUAL VIEW

Every Day Is A Great Day To Be A Clay Viper

Clay Virtual Academyrsquos (CVA) Robotics Team meets weekly to practice team building and complete a research project all while building and programming robots Team building activities are especially critical for virtual students It gives them an opportunity to learn how to communicate effectively within a group with the guidance of their Robotics Coach The team has done everything from stacking cups without using hands to ldquostepping on rainbow turtlesrdquo to go across a pond Students worked together to build each of the robots They have been working on programming the robots to meet the challenges of an upcoming First Lego League Competition The RoboVipers were the only virtual school to attend a local ldquoOpen Practicerdquo Open Practice is an event where teams meet and work cooperatively to improve their robots and programming abilities As a part of the upcoming competition teams are asked to research a problem relating to long term space travel They are then challenged to make an improvement or invention to solve that problem The CVA team has chosen the problem expressed by astronaut Scott Kelly after he returned from the longest stay on record at the International Space Station plusmn almost a year He expressed a feeling of his skin being burned every time it was touched by his clothing or anything upon returning to Earth Students are infusing merino wool compression clothing with aloe gel The team gathered their own pure gel from aloe plants Merino wool has been chosen by NASA as a preferred fabric for long term space travel The team believes the compression clothing combined with the skin care of the aloe will help diminish the burning sensation experienced upon returning to Earth The CVA Robotics team is comprised of fourth through eighth grade students who know every day is a great day to be a CVA Viper

Clay Virtual Academy has started a chapter of Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) All full time CVA students enrolled in Culinary Arts 1 Early Childhood Education 1 Parenting Skills Peer Counseling Life Management Skills and HOPE were encouraged to become a member The first activity planned was to put their Culinary Arts skills to work and make two dinners to raise money for the community service projects planned for each month during the school year Asbury United Methodist Church allowed the chapter to sponsor a Mexican dinner theme and an Italian themed dinner

Members of the FCCLA chapter wanted to help people in need pay their electric bills this winter They helped Asbury United Methodist Church unload 3000 pumpkins into the churchrsquos pumpkin patch The church donated pumpkins that members cleaned steamed peeled and pureed to make pumpkin bread Community stakeholders donated flour sugar oil eggs and spices that FCCLA members used to make full loaves half loaves and pumpkin muffins that were sold at the Fall Festival One hundred percent of the money from the sale of the pumpkin bread will be donated to assist Clay County residents that need help with their winter electric bills The amount raised for this cause was $122100

Submitted by Carol Cochuyt Billie Peeples and Melissa Kowieski

DECEMBER 2018 PAGE 5

Escape Room Fun For Palm BeachCampus Connection sure was the place to be when fifteen industrious students combed the conference room for clues to end the curse of Billy Dawes and the lanterns of the Old North Church The teamwork was amazing as the groups wrangled with word puzzles mirror writing map reading and flotation displacement to locate the keys to the treasure Invisible ink writing and mysterious messages in braille were no problem for the superior sleuthing skills of Palm Beach Virtual School (PBVS) students

PBVS inducted eight new full time students into the chapters of National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society All inductees have met rigorous nationwide standards for scholarship and citizenship To be included students must be full time at PBVS for at least one year These students work together each year on projects to improve Palm Beach Virtual School

Submitted by Juliana Davis and Debra Johnson

Broward Is Looking Forward To What Comes Next

Happy holidays from the Broward Virtual School (BVS) family BVS is excited to share that they completed academic seminars in math and language arts for the months of September and October Over 100 students attended the sessions where they engaged and collaborated with their teachers and peers in math and writing skills After the seminars students had the opportunity to participate in live science labs exploring properties of water and chemical reactions in a bag

Broward County Public Schools has rolled out an initiative to help prevent social isolation utilizing the Sandy Hook Promise BVS school counselors completed a presentation to students and staff explaining the program ldquoStart with Hellordquo The purpose of this program is to help create a sense of community within the school setting For incoming freshmen Personalization through Academic and Social Learning (PASL) has been implemented to help 9th graders adjust to the high school setting

This year BVS is offering a Robotics Club Creative Writing Club and

Students helping Students Club which focuses on providing peers with academic support The Birding Club has been exploring nature at local parks and identifying birds while building relationships with each other

In addition coordinators organized a Barnes and Noble ldquoMeet Uprdquo event where BVS students had a chance to meet and participate in group activities that focused on social interaction This has been an exciting few months and BVS is looking forward to what comes next

Submitted by Antonette McGregor

DECEMBER 2018 PAGE 3

St Johns Is Staying Busy

St Johns Virtual School (SJVS) provided a series of events for their students in November To celebrate Veteranrsquos Day National Honor Society Members volunteered at Clyde E Lassen State Veteranrsquos Nursing Home for the 2018 Veterans Day Ball

Elementary students participated in a scavenger hunt through downtown St Augustine while middle and high school students participated in STEM activities as they toured the Sally Corporation in Jacksonville The Sally Corporation is one the worldrsquos leading designers and manufacturers of amusement park rides

Activities will continue in January with SJVS touring the TIAA Field home of the Jacksonville Jaguars

Submitted by Michael Eisen

Volusia Is Proud And Excited To Celebrate

Volusia Online Learning (VOL) is so proud of their Teacher of the Year Michelle Pons She was selected as a top 5 finalist for the Volusia County

Teacher of the Year 2020 and VOL is excited to be able to share the incredible things Mrs Pons has and continues to do for students throughout Volusia County Schools When the announcement was made Mrs Pons

was completely shocked She said ldquoI am blessed beyond measure I love what I do and I love that I have an opportunity to touch so many lives across the entire district because of the incredible experience Volusia

Online Learning offers to students from Kindergarten to Seniors My passion is bringing new and innovative experiences to students and connecting my students to people places and ideas they may never have

had the chance to get otherwiserdquo VOL is excited to celebrate with Mrs Pons and her family at the district banquet in January

Submitted by Dr Amy Blowers

PAGE 4 THE VIRTUAL VIEW

Every Day Is A Great Day To Be A Clay Viper

Clay Virtual Academyrsquos (CVA) Robotics Team meets weekly to practice team building and complete a research project all while building and programming robots Team building activities are especially critical for virtual students It gives them an opportunity to learn how to communicate effectively within a group with the guidance of their Robotics Coach The team has done everything from stacking cups without using hands to ldquostepping on rainbow turtlesrdquo to go across a pond Students worked together to build each of the robots They have been working on programming the robots to meet the challenges of an upcoming First Lego League Competition The RoboVipers were the only virtual school to attend a local ldquoOpen Practicerdquo Open Practice is an event where teams meet and work cooperatively to improve their robots and programming abilities As a part of the upcoming competition teams are asked to research a problem relating to long term space travel They are then challenged to make an improvement or invention to solve that problem The CVA team has chosen the problem expressed by astronaut Scott Kelly after he returned from the longest stay on record at the International Space Station plusmn almost a year He expressed a feeling of his skin being burned every time it was touched by his clothing or anything upon returning to Earth Students are infusing merino wool compression clothing with aloe gel The team gathered their own pure gel from aloe plants Merino wool has been chosen by NASA as a preferred fabric for long term space travel The team believes the compression clothing combined with the skin care of the aloe will help diminish the burning sensation experienced upon returning to Earth The CVA Robotics team is comprised of fourth through eighth grade students who know every day is a great day to be a CVA Viper

Clay Virtual Academy has started a chapter of Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) All full time CVA students enrolled in Culinary Arts 1 Early Childhood Education 1 Parenting Skills Peer Counseling Life Management Skills and HOPE were encouraged to become a member The first activity planned was to put their Culinary Arts skills to work and make two dinners to raise money for the community service projects planned for each month during the school year Asbury United Methodist Church allowed the chapter to sponsor a Mexican dinner theme and an Italian themed dinner

Members of the FCCLA chapter wanted to help people in need pay their electric bills this winter They helped Asbury United Methodist Church unload 3000 pumpkins into the churchrsquos pumpkin patch The church donated pumpkins that members cleaned steamed peeled and pureed to make pumpkin bread Community stakeholders donated flour sugar oil eggs and spices that FCCLA members used to make full loaves half loaves and pumpkin muffins that were sold at the Fall Festival One hundred percent of the money from the sale of the pumpkin bread will be donated to assist Clay County residents that need help with their winter electric bills The amount raised for this cause was $122100

Submitted by Carol Cochuyt Billie Peeples and Melissa Kowieski

DECEMBER 2018 PAGE 5

St Johns Is Staying Busy

St Johns Virtual School (SJVS) provided a series of events for their students in November To celebrate Veteranrsquos Day National Honor Society Members volunteered at Clyde E Lassen State Veteranrsquos Nursing Home for the 2018 Veterans Day Ball

Elementary students participated in a scavenger hunt through downtown St Augustine while middle and high school students participated in STEM activities as they toured the Sally Corporation in Jacksonville The Sally Corporation is one the worldrsquos leading designers and manufacturers of amusement park rides

Activities will continue in January with SJVS touring the TIAA Field home of the Jacksonville Jaguars

Submitted by Michael Eisen

Volusia Is Proud And Excited To Celebrate

Volusia Online Learning (VOL) is so proud of their Teacher of the Year Michelle Pons She was selected as a top 5 finalist for the Volusia County

Teacher of the Year 2020 and VOL is excited to be able to share the incredible things Mrs Pons has and continues to do for students throughout Volusia County Schools When the announcement was made Mrs Pons

was completely shocked She said ldquoI am blessed beyond measure I love what I do and I love that I have an opportunity to touch so many lives across the entire district because of the incredible experience Volusia

Online Learning offers to students from Kindergarten to Seniors My passion is bringing new and innovative experiences to students and connecting my students to people places and ideas they may never have

had the chance to get otherwiserdquo VOL is excited to celebrate with Mrs Pons and her family at the district banquet in January

Submitted by Dr Amy Blowers

PAGE 4 THE VIRTUAL VIEW

Every Day Is A Great Day To Be A Clay Viper

Clay Virtual Academyrsquos (CVA) Robotics Team meets weekly to practice team building and complete a research project all while building and programming robots Team building activities are especially critical for virtual students It gives them an opportunity to learn how to communicate effectively within a group with the guidance of their Robotics Coach The team has done everything from stacking cups without using hands to ldquostepping on rainbow turtlesrdquo to go across a pond Students worked together to build each of the robots They have been working on programming the robots to meet the challenges of an upcoming First Lego League Competition The RoboVipers were the only virtual school to attend a local ldquoOpen Practicerdquo Open Practice is an event where teams meet and work cooperatively to improve their robots and programming abilities As a part of the upcoming competition teams are asked to research a problem relating to long term space travel They are then challenged to make an improvement or invention to solve that problem The CVA team has chosen the problem expressed by astronaut Scott Kelly after he returned from the longest stay on record at the International Space Station plusmn almost a year He expressed a feeling of his skin being burned every time it was touched by his clothing or anything upon returning to Earth Students are infusing merino wool compression clothing with aloe gel The team gathered their own pure gel from aloe plants Merino wool has been chosen by NASA as a preferred fabric for long term space travel The team believes the compression clothing combined with the skin care of the aloe will help diminish the burning sensation experienced upon returning to Earth The CVA Robotics team is comprised of fourth through eighth grade students who know every day is a great day to be a CVA Viper

Clay Virtual Academy has started a chapter of Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) All full time CVA students enrolled in Culinary Arts 1 Early Childhood Education 1 Parenting Skills Peer Counseling Life Management Skills and HOPE were encouraged to become a member The first activity planned was to put their Culinary Arts skills to work and make two dinners to raise money for the community service projects planned for each month during the school year Asbury United Methodist Church allowed the chapter to sponsor a Mexican dinner theme and an Italian themed dinner

Members of the FCCLA chapter wanted to help people in need pay their electric bills this winter They helped Asbury United Methodist Church unload 3000 pumpkins into the churchrsquos pumpkin patch The church donated pumpkins that members cleaned steamed peeled and pureed to make pumpkin bread Community stakeholders donated flour sugar oil eggs and spices that FCCLA members used to make full loaves half loaves and pumpkin muffins that were sold at the Fall Festival One hundred percent of the money from the sale of the pumpkin bread will be donated to assist Clay County residents that need help with their winter electric bills The amount raised for this cause was $122100

Submitted by Carol Cochuyt Billie Peeples and Melissa Kowieski

DECEMBER 2018 PAGE 5

Every Day Is A Great Day To Be A Clay Viper

Clay Virtual Academyrsquos (CVA) Robotics Team meets weekly to practice team building and complete a research project all while building and programming robots Team building activities are especially critical for virtual students It gives them an opportunity to learn how to communicate effectively within a group with the guidance of their Robotics Coach The team has done everything from stacking cups without using hands to ldquostepping on rainbow turtlesrdquo to go across a pond Students worked together to build each of the robots They have been working on programming the robots to meet the challenges of an upcoming First Lego League Competition The RoboVipers were the only virtual school to attend a local ldquoOpen Practicerdquo Open Practice is an event where teams meet and work cooperatively to improve their robots and programming abilities As a part of the upcoming competition teams are asked to research a problem relating to long term space travel They are then challenged to make an improvement or invention to solve that problem The CVA team has chosen the problem expressed by astronaut Scott Kelly after he returned from the longest stay on record at the International Space Station plusmn almost a year He expressed a feeling of his skin being burned every time it was touched by his clothing or anything upon returning to Earth Students are infusing merino wool compression clothing with aloe gel The team gathered their own pure gel from aloe plants Merino wool has been chosen by NASA as a preferred fabric for long term space travel The team believes the compression clothing combined with the skin care of the aloe will help diminish the burning sensation experienced upon returning to Earth The CVA Robotics team is comprised of fourth through eighth grade students who know every day is a great day to be a CVA Viper

Clay Virtual Academy has started a chapter of Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) All full time CVA students enrolled in Culinary Arts 1 Early Childhood Education 1 Parenting Skills Peer Counseling Life Management Skills and HOPE were encouraged to become a member The first activity planned was to put their Culinary Arts skills to work and make two dinners to raise money for the community service projects planned for each month during the school year Asbury United Methodist Church allowed the chapter to sponsor a Mexican dinner theme and an Italian themed dinner

Members of the FCCLA chapter wanted to help people in need pay their electric bills this winter They helped Asbury United Methodist Church unload 3000 pumpkins into the churchrsquos pumpkin patch The church donated pumpkins that members cleaned steamed peeled and pureed to make pumpkin bread Community stakeholders donated flour sugar oil eggs and spices that FCCLA members used to make full loaves half loaves and pumpkin muffins that were sold at the Fall Festival One hundred percent of the money from the sale of the pumpkin bread will be donated to assist Clay County residents that need help with their winter electric bills The amount raised for this cause was $122100

Submitted by Carol Cochuyt Billie Peeples and Melissa Kowieski

DECEMBER 2018 PAGE 5

Festive Fall Activities For FLVS

Florida Virtual School (FLVS) has been bustling with festive fall activities FLVS Full Time students celebrated a ldquoMega Spirit Weekrdquo in elementary school and ldquoShark Weekrdquo in high school while also recognizing Red Ribbon Weeksup2culminating with a face-to-face ldquopep rallyrdquo at

Disney Springs put on by the student class officers FLVS Full Time Middle School Language Arts students and teachers participated in a literacy book parade and shared costumes of their favorite characters Elementary students got in on the action with their own FLVS Flex Elementary vocabulary parade

In October students in 4th grade explored the historic city of St Augustine for a tour of the nationrsquos oldest city Check out the photos here In early November FLVS Full Time students in Kindergarten-8th grade gathered for a STEM themed meetup and FLVS elementary classmates and teachers traveled to locations around the state Look back at highlights from these events on Instagram

Several activities are coming up soon including Hour of Code World Fest and ldquoBattle of the Booksrdquo To help kick off Hour of Code and Computer Science Education Week FLVS is hosting a photo and video contest to celebrate students who are excelling in FLVS technology courses and clubs Students can participate by submitting a photo or video that showcases their love for computer science World Fest is a cultural smorgasbord that celebrates different cultures around the world There are sessions including Belgium Jeopardy Egyptian laws Spanish arts and artists and more All Florida students and their families are invited to join in the fun Click here to join FLVS elementary and middle school students can take part in the first annual FLVS Book Battle ldquoBattle of the Booksrdquo is an academic competition that improves reading comprehension builds vocabulary and promotes teamwork and sportsmanship FLVS students in Kindergarten-8th grade will compete to share their knowledge of the Sunshine State Books

FLVS is a staple partner for public districts and schools to support the varied needs of their student populations FLVS Global was legislatively created to share the learnings of the statersquos virtual school with others and bring back revenue to further development and research efforts FLVS Global students reside in every state and in 69 other countries For the past 18 years FLVS Global has provided courseware training and consultation to a variety of online programs at the school district and state levels Theyrsquove helped design and implement some of the most successful online programs today including state programs in North Carolina Alabama Virginia Mississippi New Hampshire Wisconsin New Jersey South Carolina

and Michigan

FLVS Global recently attended the iNACOL Symposium in Nashville Tennessee iNACOL hosts this event each year to dialogue with policy makers and thought leaders from virtual and blended programs across the world At this yearrsquos event FLVS Global presented on a panel with several of its customers insights into tools for ensuring academic integrity in the virtual classroom In addition FLVS Global hosted demonstrations of its upcoming Elementary Suite of courses already available to Florida schools via FLVS

Submitted by Suzan Kurdak

PAGE 6 THE VIRTUAL VIEW

Orange Is Being Showcased

Orange County Virtual School (OCVS) inducted eleven middle and high school students into the National Junior Honor Society and National Honor Society

Principal Brandi Gurley and two OCVS students were interviewed by local Channel 13 News about the growth of virtual education OCVS is currently the largest program in the state

OCVS was showcased at the Orange County Public Schools Magnet Fair Parents students and the community were able to learn about the various options under school choice in elementary middle and high schools in the county

One fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish The OCVS elementary students and staff dressed up for Character Day and showed off their favorite character in a book The annual day kicked off with a parade story time and students discussing their favorite books

Submitted by Dr Zundra Aubrey

DECEMBER 2018 PAGE 7

Seminole Presents The Work Of Student Artists

Virtual art classes allow a budding artist the opportunity to explore their talents and receive direct constructive feedback from their instructor However it can be frustrating when yoursquove worked so passionately on your art but have nowhere to show it off Seminole County Virtual School (SCVS) has worked to eliminate that frustration by entering students into the Maitland Art Festival SCVS was proud to present the works of many art students from middle and high school at the Maitland Art Festival The middle and high school level Creative Photography students were able to compete with fellow student artists from across Central Florida The talent showcased at the Maitland Art Festival this year was exceptional and SCVS is extremely proud of the work students and teachers put forward

Submitted by Courtney Kavanaugh

Santa Rosa Learns About Historical Significance

There is so much history in Florida and in Santa Rosa County Santa Rosa Online Academy (SROA) is fortunate to be in a place of historical significance For a first semester field trip tenth grade full time SROA US History students went on a field trip to Arcadia Mill in Milton Students learned about the role this area played during the Civil War and Reconstruction They also learned about how the Second Industrial Revolution impacted the area

Submitted by Rachel Wade

PAGE 8 THE VIRTUAL VIEW

NHSA Online Driver Education Gains Momentum

The 2018-19 School Year is proving to be an exciting time at Nation Highway Safety Administration (NHSA) Their fully accredited online driver education course is now being offered in more schools and districts than ever before and receiving very positive reviews Schools using this course for credit have reported an increase in FTE funding and savings of tens of thousands of dollars

One district commented that this course

ldquonot only contains great content but the streamlined enrollment and management of student progress is wonderfulhellip [we] could not be more pleased with the programrdquo plusmnAmy Hance Collier County Public Schools Instructional Technology Specialist

Another district noted that the program offers

ldquoa system that [is] easy for students to enroll into easy for the teacher to manage and convenient for students to completerdquo plusmn Dr Michael Arnett Indian River County Director of Career and Technical Education

And with a 99 pass rate this course is helping students not only get one step closer to graduation but also to go out onto the Florida roadways as safer and better informed drivers

But what if you donrsquot have driver education endorsed teachers to teach your program No worries NHSA can offer one of their driver education endorsed teachers that can facilitate the class track student progress and answer questions if you are lacking a driver education endorsed teacher in your school

One feature schools love about this program is the ease of enrollment for students What makes enrollment so easy NHSA provides a web site that allows students to request enrollment themselves by entering their own information and submitting the request directly to the school which then shows up in your NHSA portal Schools merely tell their students to go to this web site to sign up and voila enrollment is done All you need to do is approve the request in your NHSA portal Administrative staff have found that this feature saves them significant time previously spent inputting student data

As NHA looks forward to the rest of the 2018-19 school year they anticipate further course upgrades including additional video content and course personalization options Check out the latest video about this online driver education course here

For more information regarding this program please contact infousnhsacom call the accredited course division at (386) 968-1263 or call the main information number at (800) 829-3727

Submitted by Steve Lacy

DECEMBER 2018 PAGE 9

Seminole Presents The Work Of Student Artists

Virtual art classes allow a budding artist the opportunity to explore their talents and receive direct constructive feedback from their instructor However it can be frustrating when yoursquove worked so passionately on your art but have nowhere to show it off Seminole County Virtual School (SCVS) has worked to eliminate that frustration by entering students into the Maitland Art Festival SCVS was proud to present the works of many art students from middle and high school at the Maitland Art Festival The middle and high school level Creative Photography students were able to compete with fellow student artists from across Central Florida The talent showcased at the Maitland Art Festival this year was exceptional and SCVS is extremely proud of the work students and teachers put forward

Submitted by Courtney Kavanaugh

Santa Rosa Learns About Historical Significance

There is so much history in Florida and in Santa Rosa County Santa Rosa Online Academy (SROA) is fortunate to be in a place of historical significance For a first semester field trip tenth grade full time SROA US History students went on a field trip to Arcadia Mill in Milton Students learned about the role this area played during the Civil War and Reconstruction They also learned about how the Second Industrial Revolution impacted the area

Submitted by Rachel Wade

PAGE 8 THE VIRTUAL VIEW

NHSA Online Driver Education Gains Momentum

The 2018-19 School Year is proving to be an exciting time at Nation Highway Safety Administration (NHSA) Their fully accredited online driver education course is now being offered in more schools and districts than ever before and receiving very positive reviews Schools using this course for credit have reported an increase in FTE funding and savings of tens of thousands of dollars

One district commented that this course

ldquonot only contains great content but the streamlined enrollment and management of student progress is wonderfulhellip [we] could not be more pleased with the programrdquo plusmnAmy Hance Collier County Public Schools Instructional Technology Specialist

Another district noted that the program offers

ldquoa system that [is] easy for students to enroll into easy for the teacher to manage and convenient for students to completerdquo plusmn Dr Michael Arnett Indian River County Director of Career and Technical Education

And with a 99 pass rate this course is helping students not only get one step closer to graduation but also to go out onto the Florida roadways as safer and better informed drivers

But what if you donrsquot have driver education endorsed teachers to teach your program No worries NHSA can offer one of their driver education endorsed teachers that can facilitate the class track student progress and answer questions if you are lacking a driver education endorsed teacher in your school

One feature schools love about this program is the ease of enrollment for students What makes enrollment so easy NHSA provides a web site that allows students to request enrollment themselves by entering their own information and submitting the request directly to the school which then shows up in your NHSA portal Schools merely tell their students to go to this web site to sign up and voila enrollment is done All you need to do is approve the request in your NHSA portal Administrative staff have found that this feature saves them significant time previously spent inputting student data

As NHA looks forward to the rest of the 2018-19 school year they anticipate further course upgrades including additional video content and course personalization options Check out the latest video about this online driver education course here

For more information regarding this program please contact infousnhsacom call the accredited course division at (386) 968-1263 or call the main information number at (800) 829-3727

Submitted by Steve Lacy

DECEMBER 2018 PAGE 9

NHSA Online Driver Education Gains Momentum

The 2018-19 School Year is proving to be an exciting time at Nation Highway Safety Administration (NHSA) Their fully accredited online driver education course is now being offered in more schools and districts than ever before and receiving very positive reviews Schools using this course for credit have reported an increase in FTE funding and savings of tens of thousands of dollars

One district commented that this course

ldquonot only contains great content but the streamlined enrollment and management of student progress is wonderfulhellip [we] could not be more pleased with the programrdquo plusmnAmy Hance Collier County Public Schools Instructional Technology Specialist

Another district noted that the program offers

ldquoa system that [is] easy for students to enroll into easy for the teacher to manage and convenient for students to completerdquo plusmn Dr Michael Arnett Indian River County Director of Career and Technical Education

And with a 99 pass rate this course is helping students not only get one step closer to graduation but also to go out onto the Florida roadways as safer and better informed drivers

But what if you donrsquot have driver education endorsed teachers to teach your program No worries NHSA can offer one of their driver education endorsed teachers that can facilitate the class track student progress and answer questions if you are lacking a driver education endorsed teacher in your school

One feature schools love about this program is the ease of enrollment for students What makes enrollment so easy NHSA provides a web site that allows students to request enrollment themselves by entering their own information and submitting the request directly to the school which then shows up in your NHSA portal Schools merely tell their students to go to this web site to sign up and voila enrollment is done All you need to do is approve the request in your NHSA portal Administrative staff have found that this feature saves them significant time previously spent inputting student data

As NHA looks forward to the rest of the 2018-19 school year they anticipate further course upgrades including additional video content and course personalization options Check out the latest video about this online driver education course here

For more information regarding this program please contact infousnhsacom call the accredited course division at (386) 968-1263 or call the main information number at (800) 829-3727

Submitted by Steve Lacy

DECEMBER 2018 PAGE 9

Leersquos First Semester Filled With ActivitiesItrsquos hard to believe the first semester is almost over It has been filled with activities for students and families Drones amp Technology Club a new entry on the Activities roster has kept members busy with visits to a shop specializing in equipment and accessories and planning a competition Reading material for the Book Club added a shelf of options to the school library The National and National Junior Honor Societies hosted a bake sale which netted the highest profit in the history of Lee Virtual School bake sales Proceeds from the bake sale will be donated to the Buckingham Exceptional Center a special center within the District at their annual Hoops for Hope fundraiser

Field trips have taken students to the oldest osmosis water treatment plan in the world a STEM ldquoBuild Your Futurerdquo event a math competition and for elementary students a luncheon presentation of the musical ldquoMadagascarrdquo Elementary students have also enjoyed visiting with pups up for adoption during a presentation from the Gulf Coast Humane Society and a lesson in culinary arts during which they consumed waffles and quesadillas of their own making while elementary parents capitalized on a workshop which provided tips for success in a virtual environment

Academically the new attendance reporting system based upon completed learning assignments per week also known as ldquopacerdquo and a ldquohome roomrdquo component which assigns teachers to mentor groups of students have increased overall student success with a much higher percentage of students surpassing pace and attendance requirements All secondary level grades also held class meetings to be sure students are on track with requisite studies

Submitted by Ann Taylor

Fuel Education Sponsors FLDVIPN

Fuel Education is happy to be a sponsor of the Florida District Virtual Instruction Program Network (FLDVIPN) conference for 2019 The conference hosted on March 6th through March 8th at The Florida Hotel and Conference Center will be an event featuring exhibitors speakers and participants that are excited about virtual learning and the impact it is having in the world of education FLDVIPNs motto is Excellence Through Innovationrdquo Fuel Education is proud to partner with FLDVIPN this year to share practices teacher experiences and successful resources to be a part of the future of education Fuel Education looks forward to learning from

many colleagues throughout the virtual education world to gain a greater knowledge to share with students and staff

K12 Florida Virtual Instruction teachers are having fun with their students at local field trips Last month the Florida teachers met with families across the state to experience local fun They visited Gatorland Orlando Science Center Weeki Wachee Springs and the Butterfly World The students had a blast meeting teachers and other students while learning

Submitted by Kristen Randolph

PAGE 10 THE VIRTUAL VIEW