NCVA Beacon Herald
February 2020
Our Mission
A Message from our Head of School
Greetings NCVA Families,
With the second semester well under way, I want to take a moment to thank you for your continued support of our students, teachers, and staff members as we strive to provide meaningful learning opportunities for all students. The NCVA administration and faculty value the important contributions our families make towards a student’s success in school. There is no question about it—school success starts at home. Families are the most significant influence in a student’s schooling. I firmly believe that one of the great hallmarks of a strong school is the partnership between the school and families who work together for the best interest of all students.
February is a month of many celebrations. As we kick off the month, please join me in celebrating National School Counseling Week from February 3-7. National School Counseling Week, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association, highlights the tremendous impact school counselors have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career.
NCVA’s school counselors are vital members of our educational community. Our school counselors help students in the areas of academic achievement, career and social/emotional development, and work to ensure our students have the skills to become productive, well-adjusted citizens of tomorrow. Please join me in celebrating the wonderful counselors at NCVA. They are a vital part of our school’s success!
Thank you for your continued support!
Lauren Acome
NCVA School Calendar SY 19-20
Important Dates
- February 14th: Adventure Day/Outings (Details attached)
- February 17th: President's Day (School CLOSED)
- February 25th-27th: 11th Grade ACT Exams (Details sent via e-mail)
~Save the Date~
HS College Tours: Thursday, March 19th
Next Adventure Day Events: Thursday, March 26th
K12 Support 1-866-512-2273
K12 Customer support is open 24/7 to provide assistance to our families.
IMPORTANT: Vaccinations
UPDATE Your Contact Information
Please ensure your phone number and e-mail are up to date in the OLS under your LC Account.
- Change of Address: Proof of Residence (utility bill, lease, home owner's statement) is required to update your physical address. Please e-mail the information to the Registrar at lzuber@ncvacademy.org.
NCVA Tee-Shirt Sale!
The NCVA Bonfire.com shirt fundraiser is back! That’s right, they’re back and you will see some new spring colors in the mix. Just click the link and you will be brought to the NCVA store. All proceeds go towards the Middle School dance and Prom that will be happening in June following the NCVA graduation.
You have until February 14th to purchase. This is your last chance to snag a shirt this school year!
K12 Clubs
K12 offers a variety of student clubs where like-minded students can share their areas of interest. These clubs are offered typically two times a month, and last one hour. K12 Clubs are available between September and May annually.
Registration is now OPEN!
Register at http://www.k12.com/k12-student-clubs. Student and Family questions about national clubs & other national programming may be directed to clubs@k12.com .
K12 LC Sessions
K12 is hosting Learning Coach development sessions during the month of February. See the links below to register for available training opportunities!
- Coach 2 Coach
- LCU "Learning Coach University"
https://www.k12.com/content/dam/k12/images-pdfs/C2C_Flyer_February_2020_FINAL.pdf
https://www.k12.com/content/dam/k12/images-pdfs/LCU_Flyer_February_2020_FINAL.pdf
*NEW* NCVA Resource Website
*NEW* Family Directory
We are excited to announce our first NCVA Family Directory! Many of you have asked about additional ways to connect with other families in your area. If you choose to opt-in to the Family Directory, you can connect with other families in your area with students of the same age. Only families who opt-in will have access to the Directory.
You will only include your name, email address, and city, as well as the grade level(s) of your student(s). If you choose to do so, you can then email to connect with other families. We are so excited to be able to offer this, and we hope you take advantage of the opportunity. Please remember, this is NOT mandatory. If you have any questions, please reach out to your Advisor.
Family Directory Registration Link (Optional):
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdeD8fXlGbE9x6yLjkToaMwK0vk7LsUupHsZycVJ63ztOAs0A/viewform?usp=sf_linkAttendance Corner
Keys to Successful Attendance:
1. Attend all required LIVE Class Connect Sessions
2. Complete all lessons and assignments due for the day
3. Make up any over-due lessons
4. Manually log ALL attendance in the Learning Coach (LC) Account of OLS under the Attendance Tab
*NEW* NCVA Book Exchange
Outings got even better! Join the NEW NCVA Book Exchange Program. Do you have unused books at home? Donate them at the next outing. During the first 30 minutes of each outing, students can sign out a donated book to take home. Just bring it back at the next event. Donations are not required to sign out a book.
*Please note, all venues may not allow dissemination of materials.
February Activities
February Community Service Project
In the month of February, NCVA will participate by creating “Thinking of You” OR Encouragement-themed cards for hospitalized children in North Carolina. We have a number of NCVA families that have benefitted from the care provided by local North Carolina pediatric hospitals. February is a great time to show our love and give back.
Ways to Participate:
~Each student is requested to make at least 1 card to encourage a child that is ill.~
•On Your Own: Make and deliver cards to organizations or individuals in your community.
OR
•With the School: Please mail all cards to the NCVA Office by Friday, 2/21:
ATTN: Service Project
4220 NC Highway 55 Suite 130
Durham, NC 27713
- TRACK your service hours here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K12Cares
- SHARE your pictures: https://www.facebook.com/NorthCarolinaVirtualAcademy/
Elementary School Updates
A Message From Your K-5 Principal:
~Mrs. Shanahan
Looking Ahead
Are you thinking about the end of the year yet? EOG's will be here before you know it. Check out the released information the state has provided us. It's never too early to get a head start on preparing!
https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/testing-and-school-accountability/state-tests
Don't Forget!
Did you know that keeping up with the following items will help you and your student be successful this year?
- Check your email every day!
- Always check your class connect schedule in the morning when you log in.
- Attend all "required" class connects. These are mandatory.
- Complete weekly GoFormative Assessments.
- Log PE/Health hours every week!
- Participate – If you don’t like to talk on the mic, please answer in the chat box or use your polling tools. Let us know you are there and trying. If you will work for us, we will work for YOU!
- Ask questions – Please, please ask questions. We need to know how we can help. For those of you that are shy about asking questions in class, please email us!
- Keep that Tech Support number handy – If you have technical issues, call them! They’re available 24-7. Technical problems are not an excuse for not completing work. The number is 866.512.2273 – put it somewhere you can refer to it easily!
- Save ALL of your passwords and important information somewhere you can find it. You MUST know your NCVA email, your Student ID Number, your current Go Formative username and password. Keep them all in one place so that you're not locked out when you have important things to do!
Middle School Updates
Keep the Momentum Going in Semester B!
Tips & Tricks to Help you Succeed:
Did you know that you can print out your schedule each week to help you keep track of your course assignments? Watch this video to show you how: https://safeyoutube.net/w/Nveu
Want to Succeed? Remember, have a Growth Mindset!
Your teachers are here for you and WANT to see you succeed! We can't wait to see you in CCs and are always happy to help you out. Go team middle school!
Middle School - How to ROCK this school year:
- Check your email DAILY - This should be the first thing you do.
- Always look at your class plan AND announcements. We keep these updated!
- Required Class Connects have mandatory attendance.
- Log those PE/Health hours!
- Participate – If you don’t like to talk on the mic, please answer in the chat box or use your polling tools. Let us know you are there and trying. If you will work for us, we will work for YOU!
- Stay in your Gradebook! Check your grades in each course to make sure you do not have any missing work. This is a great benefit to online education - you have access to your grades at any time!
- Ask questions – Please, please ask questions. We need to know how we can help. For those of you that are shy about asking questions in class, please email us!
- Keep that Tech Support number handy – If you have technical issues, call them! They’re available 24-7. Technical problems are not an excuse for not completing work. The number is 866.512.2273 – put it somewhere you can refer to it easily!
- Save ALL of your passwords and important information somewhere you can find it. You MUST know your NCVA email, your Student ID Number, your Go Formative username and password (for this year, returning students!). Keep them all in one place so that you're not locked out when you have important things to do!
Also, this just in, Middle School Dance tickets go on sale at the end of February. Make sure to mark your calendars to ensure that you are part of this epic event! More information will be coming out soon so be on the lookout for these emails.
Middle School Dance: June 5th 3PM-6PM. All NCVA 7 and 8th grade students are invited.
Please direct any questions regarding the Middle School Semi-Formal to dancecommittee@ncvacademy.org .
Department of Exceptional Children
High School Counseling News
~Mark Your Calendar~
Feb 12 Counselor Chat @12:30 pm on Dual Enrollment (will be on your schedule)
Feb 25-27 ACT for 11th grade students
March 12 High School Registration Meeting for 2020-2021 (will be on your schedule)
March 19 College Tours
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National Youth Science Camp – Applications are now open!
Applications are now being accepted from high school seniors in the Class of 2020 to represent North Carolina at the 2020 National Youth Science Camp (NYSCamp). Two students from each state, Washington, D.C, and 8 countries will attend the all-expenses-paid program which is held from June 22 through July 15, 2020.
The NYSCamp is a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program hosted in the eastern mountains of West Virginia. Students will have an opportunity to conduct research at the nearby Green Bank Observatory and to explore the surrounding Monongahela National Forest through backpacking, mountain biking, caving, rock-climbing, and kayaking. For more information about the program, please see http://www.nyscamp.org. Applications must be submitted online at http://apply.nyscamp.org by 6 PM EST on February 28, 2020.
For more information, contact Geoff Coltrane at (919) 814-2024 or geoff.coltrane@nc.gov.
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Katie Beck
Counselor for Students with Last Names A-F
Nicole Hairston
Counselor for Students with Last Names G-N
Erin Farmer
Counselor for Students with Last Names O-Z
High School Updates
We are excited to have you with us for the 19-20 School Year! Welcome to Second Semester!
Friendly Reminders about Expectations
We hope you are already off to a great start here at NCVA in your second semester. Please remember Class Connects are REQUIRED– To be successful....you must come to classes… everyday! Class connects are a requirement as per the NCVA student handbook. In the rare event you cannot make it to class, you should notify your teacher in advance. Please remember that we are here to help you to be successful and in order to do that it is important for you to be in class as much as possible. Participating in class is also required DAILY – While we know that many students do not like to talk on the mic, it is still expected that you have a working mic and that you either use your polling tools or chat box on a DAILY and consistent basis. Please make sure to let your teacher know you are there and with them and trying to participate. Please do not hesistate to let us know when an issue arises so that we can work with you.
Also, make sure to have the tech support numbers on file and handy so that if a tech issue arises you are ready and able to handle it fast so that you can get back to the important things, like LEARNING! :) Also, remember, should you have to submit a ticket and a tech issue makes you miss class you MUST provide the ticket number to your teacher. If you don’t like to talk on the mic, please answer in the chat box or use your polling tools. Just let us know you are there and trying.
Please also remember to Be prepared – Each teacher may require different items or materials so make sure to check with them as your courses begin regarding what they want you to have for their course. As you are now at the high school level, a requirement is that you have a working camera and mic. Please make sure that your computer meets these requirements. Additionally, please make sure that you have WORKING internet that is consistent enough for you to attend class connects. As an online school, it is important that you are able to access the content and classes consistently.
Important dates:
Please remember to check the school calendar for upcoming testing dates. Most notably in May many students will take EOC exams for their spring semester classes. Check your email for info regarding these dates.
Additionally, please stay tuned for upcoming outing opportunities and outing opportunities specifically for high school students.
Your counselors and advisors are here to help. Please make sure to watch out for chat with your counselor presentations happening periodically throughout the year. Please check out this link for more info about student services https://ncvastudentservices.wixsite.com/ncva
Again, we are excited to welcome you to the NCVA High School and look forward to meeting and working with each of you!
Upcoming Dates:/Important Reminders
ACT -February
Keep a look out for outing opportunities
EOC Prep/Review is REQUIRED and not optional
EOC and State testing will occur in May and June and is REQUIRED
College Tours: March 19th!
~ Details will be sent e-mailed to families soon!
National Honors Society
Also, this just in, Prom tickets go on sale at the end of February. Make sure to mark your calendars to ensure that you are part of this epic event! More information will be coming out soon so be on the lookout for these emails.
Prom: June 4th 7PM-11PM. All NCVA 10, 11, and 12th grade students are invited.
Please direct any questions regarding the Prom to dancecommittee@ncvacademy.org .
Scholarship Opportunity!
Entries are now being accepted for the 2020 Religious Liberty Essay Scholarship Contest, open to all high school juniors and seniors. The grand prize is a $2000 scholarship and trip to Washington, D.C.
If you are interested, download the entry form and topic from the website: https://bjconline.org/contest/. Your essay must be postmarked by March 6, 2020.
NCVA Student Support Team
Strong Start, Strong Finish!
Introducing your Student Support Team (formerly known as the Family Academic Support Team F.A.S.T.) We have a new name, but our continued commitment to student success remains the same. The Student Support Team would like to wish all of our families at NCVA a "strong start and strong finish" for the upcoming school year!
Meet your Student Support Team
Lea King, Student Support Administrator
Aimee Hanna, Student Attendance Specialist
Paige Adams, Student Resource Coordinator
Jillian Davenport, Community Engagement Specialist
Whitney Cress, K-8 Counselor
Student Support Advisors :
K-5: Amy Baker, Rebekah Logan, Allison Mosley, Nkechi Orabuchi-Fluker, Katie Szostak, and Natalee West
6-8: Brittany Bonardi, Tiffany Carson,Kristen Herd, Lindsay Reynolds, Danielle Smithers, and Karie Shuler
9-12: Marah Barrow, Debbie DeLoach, and Jennifer Triplett
Our team is growing to better support our families. Expect to see some new faces in the coming months!
K-8 Counselor: Whitney Cress
Hello all! My name is Whitney Cress, and I am the elementary and middle school counselor. Please never hesitate to reach out for support! Your kids will see me during our monthly Beacon Times, and may see me in a support or small group.
Also, take notice of our student services website packed with a tremendous amount of helpful community, academic, social and emotional resources! See it here: https://ncvastudentservices.wixsite.com/ncva
Beacon Time!
Monthly Town Halls will continue through the spring semester. We look forward to seeing you there!
Elementary:
- K-2: February 6 @ 2:00 Strategies for Getting Along with Others
- 3-5: February 13 @ 2:00 Strategies When Someone is Rude, Mean, or a Bully
Middle School:
- February 24 @ 2:00 Self Esteem
High School:
- February 18 @ 1:30 Self Esteem
Learning Coaches:
- February 12 @ 9:00 am Behavior is Communication (on your LC Class Connect Calendar)
Spring 2020 Open Counseling Groups
Elementary School Groups (starting first week of Feb!)
Coping Skills Small Group
Students will meet in small groups to learn and develop healthy self-regulation and coping skills based on Zones of Regulation. We will practice identifying our emotions, regulating emotions, identifying effective coping skills, neuroplasticity, and creating a coping skills plan appropriate to regulating different types of emotions.
- Meets 1x a week for 5 weeks
- Grades 1-2 will meet on Mondays @ 12:30
- Grades 3-5 will meet on Mondays @ 2:00
- Email wcress@ncvacademy.org
Worry Warriors
Students will meet in small groups to develop and practice social skills including: defining worry, physical symptoms, personifying worry, making a worry monster, chain reactions from worrying, in or out of my control worries, thought checking, responsibilities, and thought checking. Coping skill techniques (controlled breathing, grounding and yoga) will be taught/suggested as well.
- Meets 1x a week for 5 weeks
- Grades 1-2 will meet on Tuesdays @ 12:30
- Grades 3-5 will meet on Tuesdays @ 2:00
- Email wcress@ncvacademy.org
Middle School Groups (starting first week of Feb!)
Survivors of Bullying (NEW!)
Students will meet in small groups with the goal of healing and learning from past bullying experiences. In this group, students will: have opportunities to share student personal stories each week (if they wish), learn how to provide support to others, evaluate and discuss the lingering affects of being bullied, learn how to take back our personal power, examine how our bully has affected our self-talk and self-esteem, share coping skills we can use to manage the long-term affects of being bullied, and share what we have learned in the NCVA Newsletter (Beacon Herald).
- Meets 1x a week for 5 weeks; Thursdays @ 12:00 or 1:00
- Email wcress@ncvacademy.org
Self-Confidence
Students will meet in small groups with the goal of building their self-confidence. Groups will have topics such as (develop healthy self-esteem, develop a positive self-image, practice positive self-talk, building confidence and accepting strengths, weaknesses and setbacks) and opportunities for discussion.
- Meets 1x a week for 5 weeks; Wed @ 12:00 or 1:00
- Email wcress@ncvacademy.org
Anxiety and Depression
Offers a chance for students to connect and support each other with anxiety and depression difficulties they share. Groups will have topics such as (triggers, positive self-talk, distorted thinking, social connectedness, conquering fears) and opportunities for discussion.
- Meets 1x a month Oct-April
High School Group
Anxiety and Depression
- Offers a chance for students to connect and support each other with anxiety and depression difficulties they share. Groups will have topics such as (triggers, positive self-talk, distorted thinking, social connectedness, conquering fears) and opportunities for discussion.
- Meets 1x a month Oct-April
- Register Here
Learning Coach Support Group
Parenting Children with Mental Health Support Group (NEW!)
Many parents never suspect their child would be struggling with mental health disorders and coaching their child through difficult symptoms. Many times, mental health can shape the family’s way of life. But—NCVA parents are not alone. Many of our students are diagnosed with a variety of mental health difficulties, and are enrolled at NCVA because they are more comfortable and thrive in a virtual setting. Parents can benefit from the support and time to connect with other families undergoing the same hurdles and successes.
- Meets 1x a month for 45 minutes
- Times will be on your LC cc Schedule (no need to register)
- January 22 @ 9:00 am: Taking Care of Yourself and Your Family
- February 19 @ 9:00 am: Managing Behaviors
- March 18 @ 9:00 am: Encouraging Healthy Social Connectedness
- April 22 @ 9:00 am: Surviving Unstructured Time
NCVA provides McKinney-Vento/Homeless support to qualifying students
You may be eligible for assistance through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Below is the definition of what qualifies a family to be considered eligible for supports and services.
According to section 725(2) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a(2)), the term “homeless children and youths”—
(A) means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; and
(B) includes—
(i) children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; or are abandoned in hospitals.
(ii) children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
(iii) children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
(iv) migratory children who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii).
Children and youth are considered homeless if they fit both Part A and any one of the sub-parts of Part B of the definition above.
If you feel you may qualify or if you have any questions, please contact Paige Adams, Homeless Liaison & Family Resource Coordinator, at padams@ncvacademy.org or at 919-346-0121 ext. 2030.
STUDENT AND PARENT OPPORTUNITIES
Social Media
Please take advantage of opportunities to connect with the K12 and NCVA communities online and social media, via:
If you have not already, take a few moments to review our school on the NCVA Facebook page. Share your experience with others by clicking on the "Review" tab. This is a great way to make friends and connect with other NCVA families.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ncva_k12
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ncva_k12/
LC Volunteers Needed!
Attention Learning Coaches
Want to get more involved? There are many exciting opportunities to participate and share your unique skills. Let us know more about your interests. Please complete the following survey to join our team: https://drive.google.com/open?id=108A-i_lEGUKXRb0weavuEN-XFWIK63QWlLCFzRhGOvg
*Background Checks are required for all school volunteers.
Meet the Regional Parent Group Teams!
- Make new friends
- Attend informal social activities outside of school
- Share tips and tricks
How do I join? : E-mail the Regional Parent Group where you reside. Use the map below to find your Region by County. Include your name, county, student(s)' name(s), grade levels, and phone number.
Region 1 ncvaregion1@gmail.com
Region 2 ncvaregion2@gmail.com
Region 3 ncvaregion3@yahoo.com
Region 4 ncvaregion4@gmail.com *UPDATED*
Region 5 ncvaregion5@gmail.com
Region 6 ncvaregion6@gmail.com
Region 7 ncvaregion7@yahoo.com
Region 8 ncvaregion8@gmail.com
PLEASE NOTE: The Regional Parent Groups are comprised of Learning Coaches. They do NOT have access to student information. Please contact your student's Homeroom or Content Area Teacher(s) for academic questions.
K12 Learning Liftoff Newsletter
Register here: http://www.learningliftoff.com/
Tallo: Digital Resume
Community Activities
Victory Junction: Located in Randleman, NC. Camp opportunities are available year round for children with special needs and various medical conditions at no cost to families. Contact Victory Junction at https://victoryjunction.org for more information.
Carolina Parent: The Carolina Parent website is an excellent resource for family friendly activities and resources throughout the state. Visit http://www.carolinaparent.com/ for more information.
Museums for All
Museums for All allows low income families (who can show proof of an EBT card) to enter specific museums across NC with an admission fee ranging from free to $3 depending on location.
Program Link
http://www.childrensmuseums.org/about/acm-initiatives/museums-for-all
List of museums that participate:
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
K12 Customer Support Videos
https://www.help.k12.com/s/topic/0TO0B000000I2moWAC/technical-support-videos#?tabset-26361=2
- Audio Set-Up: https://www.help.k12.com/s/article/How-to-Setup-a-Headset-Microphone-and-Configure-Audio-for-Class-Connect
- Time Zone Configuration: https://www.help.k12.com/s/article/How-to-Update-the-Time-Zone-in-the-Online-School-and-on-Your-Computer
- Clear Cache and Cookies: https://www.help.k12.com/s/article/Internet-Browsers-Clear-Cache-and-Cookies
When to Clear Cache & Cookies
Having trouble logging in to the OLS? Try clearing your browser cache and cookies.
OLS continually loads or redirects – “Redirecting…Please wait”
OLS navigation between pages is slow
OLS pages load but missing information
Browser error messages
Getting booted out of the OLS or LMS
After a planned maintenance outage
After an unexpected outage
How To: https://www.help.k12.com/s/article/Internet-Browsers-Clear-Cache-and-Cookies
As of July 2019, the recommended browser when using the K12 Online School platforms, for all grade levels, is Google Chrome. https://www.help.k12.com/s/article/Recommended-Browsers
Important Note for Chrome Users: In an effort to make the Chrome experience better for our users, the K12 team released an extension for Chrome that will allow the use of the latest version of the browser without having to enable Flash each time Chrome is opened.
If you are using a Chromebook or need to access your online classes using Chrome, we recommend installing the Flash Enabler Extension which will enable and save Flash settings for your classes. Please refer to Enabling Flash in Chrome for a step-by-step guide to enabling Flash in Chrome.
HELPING OUR SCHOOL
Box Tops for Education
As a public school, NCVA is able to participate in Box Tops for Education by General Mills. As you shop and purchase normal, everyday products such as food, storage, paper products, and cleaning supplies our school may now earn credit using Box Tops mobile app.
- Download the Box Tops App https://www.boxtops4education.com/bonusapp and type in "North Carolina Virtual Academy" for our school to receive credit.
- For a limited time, you may also bring physical box tops with you to an outing or mail them to the school address attention Carrie Daniel.
Please address any additional questions to our coordinator Carrie Daniel (cdaniel@ncvacademy.org). Thank you for your support!
"Together In Education Program"
Account # 3669
"Tools For Schools"
(Account # 31300)
Contact Information
North Carolina Virtual Academy
4220 NC HWY 55, Suite 130
Durham, NC 27713
Phone: 919-346-0121
Fax: 919-324-6597
Website: http://ncva.k12.com
K12 Customer Support: 1-866-512-2273