PLA Virtual News
Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy
"Bytes" From Your School Leader
December 30, 2020
Happy New Year Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy Families,
I hope you are enjoying your Winter Break and spending some social distanced time with your loved ones. 2020 (clear vision) is nearing an end and I am pretty certain this year has taught all of us a few things, increased our gratitude, allowed us to further embrace family and friends, embark on new endeavors (extra time at home), given us new strategies to overcome obstacles and challenges, rest, slowed us down to focus on new or different things, and allowed us to connect as a community. I choose to focus on the positive that stemmed from what 2020 meant to us, as we all had our unique experiences that shaped and prepared us to launch into 2021. I look forward to what 2021 holds and celebrating victories (big and small) with you, our PLA Virtual Community (Family).
Remember, we want to always stay connected, even on breaks, because we miss you! I do not see a lot of submissions for the Winter Break Challenge...where is yours? We have a Winter Break Challenge (with prizes) that we would love for you to participate in. Additional details are in the newsletter, so keep scrolling for more information!
Are you talking about us? We surely hope so! As you continue to practice social distancing over Winter Break while connecting with friends and family (small groups, Zoom, FaceTime, Google Duo, phone calls, text messages, etc.) don't forget to share our school with others. Please be sure to tell the families you talk to about our school, to mention your name when they complete the official online enrollment form. We want to acknowledge you for telling others about our school and community.
Don't forget to join the Winter Break challenge (details below)! We will "see" you virtually on January 5, 2021 at 8:30amEST for Homeroom!
Happy New Year,
Dr. Townsend
IT'S NOT TOO LATE...JOIN THE 2020 PLA VIRTUAL WINTER BREAK CHALLENGE...GET STARTED NOW!!!
Share with us why you LOVE PLA Virtual
and/or why you love being a virtual scholar!
Not only will you have an opportunity to showcase your creativity and theatrical skills, this a fun way to connect with your family and have some fun.
As we continue to social distance during the holidays to remain healthy and safe, it doesn't mean we cant have fun and possibly win prizes.
Submission Deadline: January 6, 2021 @ 11:59pm
What can I win?:
All videos that are judged appropriate and with permission of families and faculty will be featured on our new PLA Virtual Academy Tik Tok, Instagram and Twitter social media pages.
1st Place: $25 Amazon Gift Card AND a PLA Swag item
2nd Place: $15 Amazon Gift Card AND a PLA Swag item
3rd Place: (Honorable Mention): $10 Amazon Gift Card
Check out the easy to follow video, download the app, join the challenge, choose your theme, practice a few times, record your video (up to 3 per family) and upload. It's that easy!
Click the video link below for full details and guidelines for submission!
Follow Us On Facebook!
Infinite Campus Parent Portal Access
As we partner together for our scholars success, we want to ensure you have real-time access to your scholar's academic success journey at PLA Virtual. On Friday, September 18, 2020, you should have received personalized access links for your scholar(s). If you did not, please e-mail Dr. Townsend (ttownsend@phalencacademies.org)
Here is a short Getting Started video to check out:
https://kb.infinitecampus.com/help/getting-started-with-campus-parent-and-campus-student-video
Infinite Campus is a district-wide student information system designed to manage attendance, grades, schedules, assessments, and other information about our scholars.
Parents/Learning Coaches have access to Campus Portal, a confidential and secure website that allows you to log in and view your scholars' progress. There is also an app available for both iOS and Android devices on our website.
Logging into the Campus Portal will allow you to view the following
real-time information about your child: demographics, attendance, grades, and report cards.
If you have additional questions regarding Infinite Campus - Campus Portal, please email operations@phalenacademies.org.
Scholar Attendance
Scholar attendance is critical for academic success and we must partner together to ensure it is completed daily.
You should have received an email from Dr. Townsend with your Infinite Campus Log-in Information, a video tutorial, a written guide to logging daily attendance and our school attendance policy. If you have not received the email or are experiencing difficulties logging in, please contact us and we will support you.
Learning Coaches/Parents, please remember that you must log in to count your scholar as present by 9:00am daily. In addition, teachers will take attendance during all live sessions, and scholars are expected to remain in class the entire time to ensure they receive the full lesson.
If you need to report an absence, please call our school at 317-939-3787. All excused absence documentation should be e-mailed directly to Dr. Townsend, email: ttownsend@phalenacademies.org.
Please review the PLA-Virtual attendance policy for more specific details.
Mark Your Calendars
WINTER BREAK for Scholars
December 21, 2020-January 4, 2021
Teacher Professional Development
Monday, January 4, 2021
First Day for Scholars/Semester 2 Begins
Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Download our APP!
The latest news and information from schools in the Phalen Leadership Academies Network are now available on smartphones and mobile devices with a new mobile app launching today. PLA is working to expand its communications outreach with a mobile app that is now available in the online iTunes® and Google Play® app stores for free.
The mobile app will offer a constantly updated feed of school and network news and events with photos and links to PLA school websites. The app can also be customized by the user by selecting the schools they are most interested in for news and updates. Users can also choose to receive push notifications to get breaking news, updates about school closures, calendar changes, or even sports updates.
Have Questions? Contact Us Today!
Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy (PLA Virtual) is a tuition-free online learning academy for Indiana families in grades K-12. We are backed by an accredited university to help empower our scholars and families to accelerate academic success with high-quality curriculum taught in their own environment. We use technology to provide interactive and rigorous online classes that allow our scholars to learn and thrive. Our scholars excel not just in academics, but also socially and emotionally with a blend of online coursework and options to engage in sports and enrichment at a local PLA campus.
Email: ttownsend@phalenacademies.org
Website: PLAVirtual.org
Location: Indiana, USA
Phone: 888.655.0777
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhalenLeadershipAcademies
Twitter: @AcademiesPhalen