Virtual School Made It Possible

Heidi Duke’s memories of high school vary a bit from the norm. Instead of going to her school’s campus, she studied online; and instead of doing assignments in a classroom, she did them at her house, in car trips on the way to doctors’ appointments, and in hospital waiting rooms.

In Heidi’s sophomore year, doctors diagnosed her with epilepsy. A condition, she said, she may have had since birth. Her seizures made it impossible to continue school at a traditional brick and mortar location, and so she enrolled as a student at St. Johns Virtual School.

Just this month, Heidi, 18, graduated with high marks from the program and plans to attend the University of North Florida in the fall.

“I’m proud of myself,” she said. “I didn’t think I’d finish with straight As. … I’m privileged they have virtual school for situations like mine, and for kids like me who need it.”

More here.

Georgia Cyber Academy offers unique learning experience

By 11 a.m. Monday through Friday, Owen, Payton, Melinda Kaye and Nathan Mercer of Port Wentworth have already completed a variety of school subjects — all without ever having to leave their family property. 

The four children are all students at the Georgia Cyber Academy, a K12 Inc. powered online public charter school, and are earning school credit through their own unique classrooms.

“I really like that we get to have smaller days,” Nathan Mercer said.” We can take of some school work on one day or work ahead. And so we get done with school a lot faster.”

GCA is the state’s first virtual charter school and has about 14,500 enrolled students. The Georgia Cyber Academy uses online curriculum and services provided by K12. Learning can happen at home, on the road, or wherever an Internet connection can be found, according to school officials. All students interact with one or more state-certified teachers and communicate regularly with their teachers through e-mail, telephone and online meetings. Students spend about four to six hours a day engaged in schoolwork.

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New Jersey girl masters virtual school, violin, piano at age 10

MEDFORD, NJ (WTXF) - Mastering a musical instrument can open the door to a world of possibilities. For Ariana Carden, those possibilities are being realized before the age of eleven.

With fast fingers and a gentle foot on the pedal, Ariana works on Chopin’s Minute waltz.

“She would pick up rhythms, hear the sounds and want to do something with the motion of her hand and the beats,” Ariana’s mother, Gina Carden, told Fox 29.

Read more about Ariana and watch the video here.

Virtual schools provide options for families

On May 7, the Walla Walla-based Merritt family shared its experience with online school in an article, “Home-based K-12 schools on the rise in Washington,” in the Union-Buletin.

As principal of Washington Connections Academy, the public online school that first-grader Preston Merritt attends, I want to share why I feel online school is an important option for families in Washington.

Continue reading here.

Virtual school student excels in taming wild horses

When doctors first diagnosed Shelly Nice with breast cancer, she wasn’t upset. She wasn’t concerned with the potentially life-threatening disease that invaded her body or the years of strenuous treatment ahead.

“Does this mean I don’t have to go to work this summer?,” she joked to her doctor.

But while Nice stared down her own mortality with a positive attitude, her 11-year-old daughter, Cat Zimmerman, struggled.

“She’s the one who was really affected,” Nice said. “I think people forget about the kids. You worry about the patient, and nobody thinks about some of these kids.

“They become collateral damage.”

And Nice said her daughter would have become collateral damage. If not for her horses.Zimmerman, a native of Morristown, New Jersey, and a soon-to-be full-time Alachua County resident, trains mustangs for competition.

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Virtual school helps young mother succeed

Carson Woodward holds numerous titles, including mother. Now, she can claim two more: graduate and valedictorian. Woodward was top of her class of 32 seniors who received diplomas Wednesday from the Performance Learning Center (PLC) during a ceremony at James Brown Arena.

“I wouldn’t be where I am without this school,” Woodward said. “Because of (PLC), I now have plans for my future.”

To put it mildly, it’s been a challenging, yet rewarding two years for Woodward, who was originally scheduled to graduate in 2016.

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Ohio sisters graduate from e-school to college classroom

They’ve read the news headlines mocking the dismal performance of Ohio’s charter schools. They’re aware of the studies that conclude kids learn better in traditional school classrooms compared to online. They’ve met some of the e-school students who fell behind and didn’t return the following year.

But for Scott and Janeen Robinson of Massillon, online schooling through Ohio Connections Academy has given their two daughters, Emily and Sarah Robinson, a rigorous, well-rounded education for the past nine years. They also credit the online environment for helping their daughters develop the discipline, self-motivation college classes require.

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Beloit Virtual School Student Earns Scholarship

BELOIT - A Beloit teacher and two Beloit students have received awards from the Kohl Foundation Scholarship and Fellowship program.

Terri Gile, an educator with Todd Elementary School was awarded a Kohl Foundation Fellowship. She will receive a $6,000 grant and Todd School also will receive a $6,000 grant. Fellowships are awarded to educators to recognize their efforts to inspire the love of learning in students. Gile is among 100 educators to receive a Kohl Fellowship this year in Wisconsin.

Continue reading here.

A student’s defense of school choice

Cheick Diallo started out Tuesday morning looking a little nervous. In a few minutes, the high school senior would be giving a presentation to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who decided to visit Providence Cristo Rey High School while she was in town.

It turns out Diallo didn’t have anything to be nervous about. He, along with five classmates, told DeVos about their experiences at the school and the corporate work study program that makes Cristo Rey schools unique. Detroit is home to one of these Catholic schools, too.

For Diallo, who has clocked many hours at Eli Lilly, the global pharmaceutical company based in Indianapolis, the experience at Cristo Rey has been “life changing.” He’s gained confidence, direction and discovered he’s an extrovert.

More here.