Welcome to Physical Science!
North Carolina Virtual Public Schools, Mrs. Melissa Partin
Course Information
The course you registered for is entirely online. You will need to log in to your class each day and the work will take you roughly 90 minutes to complete each day--sometimes more and sometimes less.
You can access the course by visiting https://ncvps.instructure.com/, logging in using the user name and password provided by your counselor or Electronic Learning Advisor and choosing the Physical Science course under "Courses."
When you first log in, learn how you can contact me by viewing my information on the Home Page, please read all the material under “Course Documents” and then begin in the Getting Started Unit.
- Remember, as an online student, it is your responsibility to actively participate which we will discuss in more detail by phone within the next week.
Technical Information and Support
The technical requirements for this course are provided at the NCVPS website (www.ncvps.org). Please ask your Electronic Learning Advisor (ELA) for assistance if you do not know how to verify your computer requirements.
Here are a few cautions and recommendations:
Occasionally Internet Explorer may become corrupt and cause problems with accessing your course. Downloading Firefox and using it as your internet browser may fix your access problems.
Issues have been raised about the compatibility of AOL dial-up, MSN, Juno, and CompuServe with distance learning courses. Therefore, we do not recommend these providers.
We do not recommend working within the course on Google Chromebooks or tablets as there are often issues with accessing certain activities and laboratory assignments. If you run into these issues, please be prepared to have an alternate computer to use during those assignments.
You may have problems with pop-ups being blocked. Pop-up blockers can come from several different places. If you have toolbars such as Yahoo, Google or others, they automatically block pop-ups unless directed by you to allow certain website pop-ups.
The NCVPS Virtual Support Center (VSC) can help you or your students with a wide variety of technical problems, including:
Username and password issues
Canvas functionality
Common application errors associated with Canvas courses
The Virtual Support Center is open Monday-Friday from 8-4, however you can visit http://help.ncvps.com/ to open a ticket for the help desk at anytime. The help desk can be reached by telephone at (919) 480-8770. Tickets and voicemail should get initial responses within 24 hours.
Time Commitment and Participation
Participation in the course is required. Student participation is defined as posting work, communicating with me, the instructor, through email, Blackboard Instant Messenger, sending messages through Canvas, texting or phone calls and participating in discussions with classmates through discussions when assigned. If a student attempts assignments without spending time in the notes and practices in the units, they have not yet met their responsibilities.
If a students find that they are in need of a Peer Tutor, they can visit the Peer Tutoring Center! A peer tutor can answer quick questions through the BlackBoard Instant Messenger or the student can even contact me to help them sign up for a Virtual Buddy that will be assigned to them all semester!
If you, the student, are interested in accessing the course through a mobile device, you are going to be super excited about the Canvas App that you will learn about in the Getting Started Module!
Class Announcements and Communication
How will I be communicating with you and how should you communicate with me?
Students will receive an announcement each day with information for the course that day.
I will be publishing a weekly letter similar to this and sending it out via email each week to students, parents, and schools. Please be sure that I have an email address that you check regularly. I will ask that you will email me back or text me to let me know that you have received the information. I would also like for you to please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!
Students, parents and advisors at the school can certainly email me anytime at melissa.partin@ncpublicschools.gov.
Students can send me instant messages through the Blackboard Instant Messenger and get real time feedback. In addition, we can video conference if needed!
Students can send me messages through Canvas while working in the course!
Students are expected to send a text to me once a week and let me know how they are doing both in the class and just in general! I am excited to get to know them.
Parents and students can identify the student's grade and assignments missing through clicking "Grades" in Canvas. Parents, this may require students to share their log-in information with you or sitting down together and logging in to view the student's progress. To view instructions of how to access grades, please view the following short instructional video.
What do I, as a student, do now?
Please respond to this message by emailing me, Melissa Partin, at melissa.partin@ncpublicschools.gov OR texting me at (336) 485-8450 to verify you've received this newsletter and that you understand and accept the terms.
Complete the below linked student survey so that I can learn more about you! This is your first assignment so complete it now!
Thanks for your time! You can expect a phone call from me within the next week to allow time for one-on-one introductions and questions! Save my phone number into your contacts now so that you know it is me when I call or text!
About Mrs. Partin
Email: melissa.partin@ncpublicschools.gov
Website: ncvps.instructure.com
Location: Randolph County, NC, United States
Phone: (336) 485-8450