NCVA Beacon Herald
November 2018
Our Mission
A MESSAGE FROM OUR HEAD OF SCHOOL
When we hear the word “November,” we typically think of Thanksgiving. However, I want to shift to a date earlier in the month – Veteran’s Day on November 11. Stop and think about that for a minute: this holiday is on the 11th day of the 11th month. Have you ever wondered why?
The answer is historical and simple. So as a former history teacher, I’m going to share that aspect with you! World War 1 officially ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month and “Armistice Day” was celebrated on November 11, 1919 as the one year anniversary of the war’s end. It “stuck” and Congress passed a resolution in 1926 to establish an annual observance of the day, and it became a national holiday in 1938. This month has family history for me as my great-great grandfather received “Foreign Service Pay” in the U.S. Army for time spent in France right at the end (and after) World War 1. Take a look at this photo of the first page of his pay book. In case you were wondering, he made $33 a month as a soldier BUT only took home $15 a month. He sent $15 home to his family and paid $3 for life insurance.
Why does Veteran’s Day matter? We have a wonderful opportunity this month to do something that many in other nations cannot – go to the polling places to cast a vote for leaders of our country. This freedom that we have was won and protected due to men and women that fought for our country. I think it is special that these two unique days – Election Day and Veteran’s Day – fall within the same month (along with Thanksgiving).
We do have much for which to be thankful.
~Dr. Medley
Important Dates
- 11/2: LC Social Hour via BbC
- 11/2 (Cont): K-2 Town Hall via BbC
- 11/9: K-8 "Bonus" Adventure Day Event (RSVP Required)
~ See LC e-mail for details and RSVP Link~
- 11/9 (Cont): 3-5 Town Hall via BbC
- 11/12: Veteran's Day (School Closed)
- 11/13: LC Information Exchange via BbC
- 11/19: High School Town Hall via BbC
- 11/21-11-23: Thanksgiving Holiday (School Closed)
- 11/26: Middle School Town Hall via BbC
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 ccameron@ncvacademy.org.
Daylight Saving Time Ends
K12 Cares: Veterans Appreciation
Our November Community Service project involves showing appreciation for the many sacrifices made by the veterans of the United States Armed Services. Let's stand together to show our support!
~Ways to participate~
- MAKE cards to deliver to a military veteran or current service member in your community.
- Participate in a local Veteran's Day activity.
- POST a picture on our NCVA Facebook Page of your student in action!
*TRACK your community service hours here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K12Cares *
K12 Support 1-866-512-2273
K12 Customer support is open 24/7 to provide assistance to our families.
New to NCVA?
- READ the Strong Start Newsletter: https://www.smore.com/ae15n
- REQUIRED New Student Orientations (Will appear on Student OLS Schedule)
*Parents & Students attend*
Mondays: 10:00 a.m.- 11:00 a.m.
* Only 1 is required per grade band (ES,MS, and/or HS)
For example, a family with 3rd and 5th graders only attend 1 ES session. Whereas a family with a 7th and 10th grader would attend both MS and HS sessions.
- Complete Online Learning/Welcome to Online Learning Course
- Complete a Connection Call with your student(s) Homeroom Teacher(s)
- Log-in to Student and Learning Coach Accounts daily
We are here to support you! Thank you for choosing NCVA.
Fire Safety
Every year firefighters respond to hundreds of thousands of house fires, and just over 50% of them are caused by cooking accidents. Please review this safety checklist with your child(ren) and make sure your family has a plan to stay safe. Remember, prevention is the best medicine!
(taken from https://p.widencdn.net/ohbroq/145733-Tier-61-Home-Fire-Checklist-Regional-FINAL2-002)
Were you displaced by Hurricane Florence?
*NEW* NCVA Social Events Quarterly Calendars
Features include:
- Community Service Activities
- *Bonus* and Gradeband Adventure Day Activities
- Town Hall Topics
- LC Events
Check it out and print a copy. Hopefully, this additional tool will help our families with advance planning and e-mail reduction!
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.
OPEN REGISTRATION!
To register, visit: http://www.k12.com/k12-student-clubs. Student and Family questions about national clubs & other national programming may be directed to clubs@k12.com .
NCVA T-Shirt Fundraiser: Open Through 11/15
The NCVA T-shirt fundraiser is open through November 15th. There are 3 different styles from which to choose. Funds raised from this campaign will go toward NCVA’s prom, graduation, and Middle School semi-formal. More details on these events to come!
Shirts will begin to ship on November 20th. Thank you for your support!
Thank you for Supporting our 1st Barnes & Noble Bookfair!
Elementary School Updates
Don't Forget to Check out the K-5 Website!
Big Universe
Website: https://www.biguniverse.com/signin
User Name: Student ID#
Password: ncva
Group Name: ncva
Stride
K-5 Math Outing
Professional Development
Kinder- 3 Blind Mice
1st- Characters
2nd- Rock, Paper, Scissors
3rd- Spice Girls
4th- Candy Police
5th- Cards Against Humanity Game
K-5 Reminders...
2. Class Connects- These are required sessions that all students must attend.
3. OLS Lessons- Follow your daily plan to ensure you are on track with your lessons.
4. Overdue Tab- Check this often to make sure you do not have any late assignments.
5. Attendance- Should be entered DAILY!
Middle School Updates
Can you believe we're already in November and Quarter 2 of our school year? The middle school team is looking forward to the second part of Semester A and we all know it's going to be better than ever.
November starts the season of our holiday breaks, so let's all work to make sure we stay on track! Make sure to read the reminders below. These are the SUREFIRE tips and tricks to help you have the best year you can. Get in these habits now, and every day will get a little bit smoother.
Your teachers had a little fun dressing up at PD the last week of October! Check out these stellar team costumes. Which is YOUR favorite?
6th grade team
7th grade team
8th grade team
Reminders
2. Follow your lesson plan and schedule (not necessarily lesson numbers).
- Follow the DUE dates on your Schedule and Class Plans.
3. Make sure you're completing assignments in Go Formative as well - these are required.
4. IMPORTANT: log into individual courses to do work - don't click assignments on your schedule. This will allow you to read announcements that may apply to that day and will show your teachers that you have logged in.
5. Remember that Class Connects are required! It's super important that you're on time and an active participant in any session that may be scheduled for you.
** Class Connect times have changed! Make sure you look at your schedule EACH DAY. **
For all technical errors, please call k12 tech support at 866-512-2273
Microsoft Suite & K12 Help Articles
This is free for K12 students. Assignments will only be accepted in these Microsoft programs! The directions and links are about half way down the page. https://www.help.k12.com/s/article/How-to-Download-Office-365-School-Email-for-Students
If you have questions on how to use Lockdown Browser or other programs, remember that the K12 website has tons of helpful articles, videos, and visual aids! You can use the search box to look for ANY topic: https://www.help.k12.com/s/article/Download-and-Install-LockDown-Browser
Coffee with Mrs. V
Learning Coaches: Be on the lookout for a “Coffee with Mrs. V” invitation on your learning coach class connect schedule. This a special session held for the middle school learning coaches covering a variety of different topics and is hosted by our administrator Mrs. Villegas.
We'll bring the info, you bring the coffee!
Stride
Learn more about Stride here: https://start.k12.com/national.html?st=stride&product=public_schools_generic&leadsource=drtv
High School Updates
Reminders
Please remember that certain high school courses have EOC's (End of Course Tests) Thus, if your student has an EOC course and has a scheduling conflict, they should attend the EOC course first and then watch the recording for the other course. Work still has to be completed in BOTH courses.
Just a reminder, if you have a scheduling conflict you need to let your teachers know if you have live CC sessions that overlap and an EOC course: (Math 1, Math 3, Eng 2 and Biology)
EOC courses have State Exams at the end of the semester that count for 20% of their grade!
Other Resources:
Help raise money for your school!
Watch the video to find out how.
We are excited to have you as part of NCVA's High School! Please make sure to check your email daily and keep an eye out for important info coming your way.
Meet Your High School Team
Meet Marybeth Mechalske
Name: Marybeth Mechalske
What college did you attend?
Undergrad: Christopher Newport University, Newport News VA
Graduate: Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
Favorite thing about your subject? Science teaches us how the world works… how much cooler can it get?
Grade level and subject: 9-11 SCIENCE!!! Generally I teach biology and earth/environmental,
What is a fun fact about you? I have completed 3 half marathons, some 10ks and a bunch of 5 ks!
Meet Lydia Rhine
Mrs. Lydia Rhine
Favorite thing about your subject? History teaches us about where we have been and where we are going.
Grade level and subject: 9-12 Civics and Psychology
Fun Fact about me: I am left handed
What college did you attend?
Undergrad: East Carolina University B.S. History Education
Graduate: North Carolina State University MA.ed. Digital Teaching and Learning
What do you like to do for fun? I like to hang out with my kids and my husband or be outside.
Mrs. Rhine and Mrs. Mechalske at Professional Development
Department of Exceptional Children
Counselor's Corner
High School
Join the Counselor Chat!
Counselor Chat sessions will begin in November. Our first topic will be Community College Dual Enrollment. Watch your email for information about the specific day and time.
Driver’s Education
NCVA students should register for a driver’s education class in their county of residence. Once they complete the class and driving portion, they should email Mrs. Beck to request a Driver’s Eligibility Certificate. Students must pass 2 of 3 classes each semester to qualify for a certificate.
K-8 Counselor: Whitney Cress
Mrs. Whitney Cress has joined NCVA as the new Elementary and Middle School Counselor. She is very excited to work with our students and families. She offers brief individual counseling services, small groups and support groups, and you will see her in our monthly Town Halls. Feel free to reach out to her for social, emotional or academic concerns and support.
Monthly Town Halls
Town Halls will show up on your class connect schedules. We look forward to seeing you there! The topics for October will be:
K-2: November 2 @ 12:00 Being Thankful and Showing Appreciation
3-5: November 9 @ 12:00 Being Thankful and Showing Appreciation
MS: November 26 @ 1:00 Thankfulness
HS: November 19 @ 1:00 Thankfulness
Learning Coach (NEW!): November 6 @ 9:00 and 2:00 Is it Time to Ask for Help?
FAST (Family Academic Support Team)
A "Strong Start" for EVERYONE
Welcome back! The FAST Team would like to wish all of our families a "strong start" to the new school year. Check out this S'more for resources you will use all year long!
Strong Start Newsletter: https://www.smore.com/ae15n
LC Information Exchange (ONLINE VIA BbC)
Tuesday, 11/13
(Under the LC Account)
Specially designed to connect LCs with one another by location!
- K-5 @ 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
- 6-12 @ 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
*Regional Parent Groups
*NCVA Staff
Were you displaced from Hurricane Florence?
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
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ncva_k12
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ncva_k12/
**NEW** Regional Parent Groups
- 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 *NEW*
Region 4 ncvaregion4@googlegroups.com *NEW*
Region 5 ncvaregion5@gmail.com
Region 6 ncvaregion6@gmail.com
Region 7 ncvaregion7@yahoo.com
Region 8 ncvaregion8@gmail.com
RPG Newsletter (Quarter 1 2018): https://www.smore.com/0rd4z
Quarter 2 Newsletter COMING SOON!
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 LC Development
- Learning Coach University
- Coach to Coach
K12 Learning Liftoff Newsletter
Register here: http://www.learningliftoff.com/
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
K12 is working diligently to eliminate and replace content that was built on Flash, as web browsers are ceasing support of it. However, you may still encounter some Flash content.
For the best user experience, we recommend accessing your online classes using the Mozilla Firefox browser. To download the most recent version of Firefox, please visit: http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/ .
If you are using a Chromebook or need to access your online classes using Chrome, we recommend not updating to the newest release (Chrome 69), which forces users to re-enable Flash every time they restart their browser. Please refer tohttp://www.help.k12.com/s/article/Enabling-Flash-in-Chrome-69 on help.k12.com for a step-by-step guide to enabling Flash in Chrome 69.
HELPING OUR SCHOOL
Box Tops for Education
As a public school, NCVA is able to participate in Box Tops for Education by General Mills and has signed up to create an account. As you shop and purchase normal, everyday products, you can cut those box tops off and get them to our school so that we can gain additional supplies. The products vary and include food, storage, paper products, and cleaning supplies.
When you cut them off, there are printable, fun sheets to be able to collect them. The link below will take you to those sheets:
http://www.boxtops4education.com/~/link.aspx?_id=CD4A2815C2894609BCBA7A1A3DB6E65F&_z=z
Once you have collected several, here are the ways to be able to get them to our coordinator – Carrie Daniel:
- Bring them with you at an outing and give to a teacher
- Bring them with you to a testing site and give to the Site Coordinator
- Mail them to the Office at the school address attention to Ms. Daniel.
"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