Diamond Gazette
Aug./Sept. 2016 ~ Let's get off to a Strong Start TOGETHER!
Time to Reflect
Mountains of research has proven that students with highly-involved parents do much better in school and are more prepared for what adulthood will bring. You have definitely chosen to be more involved, through schooling with ARVA! If you experience difficult days - no matter the reason - recognize that is normal and your days will get easier and more enjoyable as your routine settles in.
Remember: anything worth having is worth working hard to achieve! We are here to help you achieve those goals you've set. Just let us know how we can support you.
Enduring the pressure yields precious results.
ARVA's Annual Bookfairs are here!
Barnes & Noble Book Fairs in September:
Join your classmates at your local Barnes & Nobles for fun activities for all grade levels (games, crafts, student presentations, prizes). Click the links below to sign up for the one nearest you!
· Sept. 9: Fayetteville https://www.eventbrite.com/e/back-to-school-open-house-book-fair-at-barnes-noble-fayetteville-20162017-tickets-27445850277
· Sept. 16: North Little Rock https://www.eventbrite.com/e/back-to-school-open-house-book-fair-at-barnes-noble-north-little-rock-20162017-tickets-27445693809
· Sept. 30: Jonesboro https://www.eventbrite.com/e/back-to-school-open-house-book-fair-at-barnes-noble-jonesboro-20162017-tickets-27444770046
Picture Day Is Coming!!
Get ready! They are coming back! They will coincide with some of the Hearing/Vision screenings offered throughout the state (see below). Be watching your email for more information.
Friday October 14th in Jonesboro
Craighead County Public Library (Round Room)
315 W. Oak Ave. Jonesboro, AR 72401
9am to 2pm
Monday October 24th in Little Rock
Hillary Rodham Clinton Children's Library
4800 W. 10th Street Little Rock, AR
10:30 am to 2:30 pm
Wish there were MORE OUTINGS near you?
YOU are important and needed!
Click here for information and to access recordings.
ARVA’s 1st Booster outing of this school year (ARVA-family sponsored outing):
Booster Meeting Recording
2016-2017 ARVA Student/Parent Handbook
It is important to read and understand the handbook, whether you are a student or a learning coach. Once you have read the handbook, please sign the online form here: surveymonkey.com/r/16-17_ARVA_Student-Parent_Handbook
Newsletter Archives on the Strong Start Site
Strong Start Support through FAST
- Jennifer Shelby for grades K-8: jshelby@arva.org
- Alyssa Gordon for grades 9-12: agordon@arva.org
These ladies will put you in contact with your family's assigned engagement coach.
The Great Messaging Switcheroo
Tech Issues?
K12 is constantly and consistently investigating the technical glitches that arise. A majority of issues can be resolved by clearing your cache/cookies or switching browsers (especially if you are trying to login with Internet Explorer 8 or Windows Edge 10). If you have tried both of the above and are still receiving an error, please submit your issue with the following information to K12 Customer Support: 866-K12-care
-User’s identity id of the account that is not working along with the username
-URL you are using to log in with
-Browser(s) and version #(s)
This will help expedite your issue by providing needed information immediately to the K12 Tech Team.
K12's Customer Support is also offering open office help sessions. Click here to see the schedule: https://www.help.k12.com/s/article/Customer-Support-Office-Hours
Questions about your K-5 Music Course?
A special session was held for K-5 students having trouble accessing their music courses. Click here for the recording.
Look at all the ways ARVA Diamonds SHINE across our state!
Brooklyn, 6th grade, (below) is a competitive gymnast. You may see her in advertisements for ARVA/K12! She is an ARVA student so that she can continue to work toward her gymnastic goals on a more flexible schedule than a brick and mortar school would be able to accommodate. Her work ethic would be admirable of any adult. She spends 8 hours daily at the gym, broken up into chunks with time for lunch, class connects, and schoolwork built in. During the winter months, she adds traveling for competitions to her schedule. Join us in cheering Brooklyn towards her dreams of becoming an Olympic gymnast one day!
Northwest Arkansas ARVA Families
Bentonville Summer Splash Park Outing!!
North Central AR Families
Go Exploring!!
Beginning September 1st all kids in the fourth grade have access to their own Every Kid in a Park pass. This pass provides free access to national parks across the country.
The Every Kid in a Park pass is good for the 2016-2017 school year, until August 31, 2017. Information on obtaining the pass is available by visiting www.everykidinapark.gov.
ARVA's Parent Lending Library
ARVA's Parent Lending Library has books and games to loan to parents and learning coaches. It includes book titles such as Basic Social Skills for Youth (shown here) and non-book selections and games. To find out more information about the ARVA’s Parent’s Lending Library or to check out a book, click here.
*Note that you can also request titles at most Arkansas libraries. They will often request the book from another library or order it for you to check out. Find your local library here.
FEATURED SELECTION for September: Reading Magic
Best-selling children's author and internationally respected literacy expert Mem Fox reveals the incredible emotional and intellectual impact reading aloud to children has on their ability to learn to read. With passion and humor, Fox speaks of when, where, and why to read aloud and demonstrates how to read aloud to best effect and get the most out of a read-aloud session. She discusses the three secrets of reading, offers guidance on defining and choosing good books, and—for this new edition—includes two new chapters on boy readers and phonics, a foreword, and a list of "Twenty Books That Children Love." Filled with practical advice, activities, and inspiring true read-aloud miracles, this book is a turn-to classic for educators and parents.
Recent Parent Workshop and Series Recordings
Special Needs Families ~ Click the pictures below to read more!
Community Connections in Central AR
Community Connections is a non-profit organization in central Arkansas providing extra-curricular activities for children with special needs & support for their families. Programs include cheer, soccer, football, basketball, music, art, acting, golf, ceramics, etc. Most programs are FREE!
I CAN! of Arkansas in Central AR
2 Special Needs Programs in NW AR
- Children with Special Needs and their families are invited to come to Jump!Zone in Bentonville on the 1st Wednesday of every month from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. FREE! What an exciting Booster outing this would be! Click here to see how to set up a Booster outing.
- The Special Needs Athletic Program, Inc. (SNAP, Inc.) states that their mission is to expand the quality of life for individuals with disabilities through athletics and activities, to provide positive and encouraging leadership for the development of these individuals/athletes, and to support and enrich their lives through social interactions. Contact Mark Stave: supernaturals1416@gmail.com for more information.
Do you know of more opportunities for children with special needs in your area?
Let us know so that we can share it with the rest of our ARVA community!
Have a Preschooler in Tow?
YOU are your child's first and most important teacher!
ARVA's learning coaches are already busy with coordinating their student's learning. Adding a preschooler or young child to the school day adds an additional level of planning. If you have questions on how to manage it all, we have Engagement Coaches who have expertise in schooling multiple children at once and schooling while also raising preschoolers who would love to share strategies with you. There are also several resources that we recommend you check out:
- Embark, K-12's preschool curriculum is a curriculum families can purchase to assist in building school readiness skills in their preschoolers.
- HIPPY: a free, school readiness program for parents of preschoolers
- Head Start program's approach to school readiness means that children are ready for school, families are ready to support their children's learning, and schools are ready for children.
- ABC Programs serve children, ages birth to 5, with a variety of risk factors.
- Join Me as I Play: Fun ideas to implement throughout your day or week
- Kindergarten Readiness Checklist provides a thorough list of skills that your preschooler should master prior to entering Kindergarten. Here is the same document in a more concise format: K Readiness Checklist flyer
- Getting Ready for Kindergarten calendar of daily activities to support your preschooler's learning.
ARVA's Family Academic Support Team (FAST) and the Strong Start Site
Website: http://arva.k12start.com/
Location: 4702 West Commercial, Suite B3, North Little Rock, AR 72116
Phone: 501-664-4225
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArkansasVirtualAcademy
Gina Moore, editor
Amanda Lloyd, assistant editor