PLA Virtual News
Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy
"Bytes" From Your School Leader
January 28, 2022
Greetings Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy Families,
Happy Friday! Can you believe we are already nearing the end of January? Where does the time go? Just when we think we have time, we don't, which is why our teachers and staff are always pushing positive supports to keep all scholars on track with academics. Our school model is designed with our scholars in mind, as we know and understand that LIVE interactions and support are critical for success and we strive to optimize this for you!
We have several testing dates for our Class of 2022 Seniors, Class of 2023 Juniors and 3rd Grade Scholars soon approaching, which also means that we will soon get to meet some of our scholars again face to face. We have and will begin sharing with families with grade levels that are impacted and will need to be present in person for mandatory state testing. As discussed in orientation, although we are a virtual school, we are a public charter school, and we must align to state laws which includes in-person Indiana mandated assessments that all public schools participate in and used as part of our overall school grade.
Please always remember, that we are here to help. Although we are not in a physical building, you welcome us into your homes daily, so we are family and we are always here for one another. Never hesitate to reach out to a teacher or academic coach if you need help. All questions are welcome, because your question is most likely the same as someone else's who may be a little more shy or reserved to ask, but they would love an answer. We take great pride in communicating with you and love the opportunity to speak with you on the phone or via email as we work together to provide a high quality education with filled love and care for your scholar.
Please stay connected. I hope to see you next Friday, February 4, 2022 at 9:00am online via Zoom for Principal Coffee and Conversation with me!
Have an awesome weekend!
With Gratitude,
Dr. Townsend
Elementary Scholars of the Week!
URGENT UPDATES: Scholar Technology Device and Help Desk Support
ALL DEVICE and HELP DESK SUPPORT IS VIRTUAL ONLY.
- We no longer offer On-Site device pick-up.
- Families may not drop off or pick up devices.
- We do not have a building location.
If your scholar is experiencing technical difficulties with their device, Learning Coaches (parents) MUST call the Phalen Virtual Leadership Academic Main Line at 317-939-3787 and press "4" to be connected to the PLA Virtual Help Desk. A Help Desk Specialist will access the device and determine next steps.
If a replacement or repair is needed, materials will be shipped to the families home to return the device with specific instructions based on the need (it is a case by case basis).
All new families who qualify to borrow a device for the school year will be mailed a device and a signature will be required to confirm receipt with full liability of the receiving family.
Mark Your Calendars
Teacher Professional Development (Alternate Live Schedule)
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
Please check your Grade Level Newsletter for a Detailed Schedule with Times
Virtual Principal Coffee and Conversation with Dr. Townsend (Via Zoom)
Friday, February 4, 2022
9:00am
PLA 2022 Virtual Black Speaker Series
Friday, February 4, 2022
2:00-2:30pm
Grades K-6: Valerie Mitchell-Johnston
Grades 7-12: Ketsia Vedri
President's Day (School Closed)
Monday, February, 21, 2022
ISTEP Make-up (Applicable to select Class of 2022 Scholars ONLY)
Week of February 21, 2022
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 Student Portal 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.
If you need to report an absence, please call our school at 317-939-3787 and press “2.” All excused absence documentation should be e-mailed directly to our Office Administrator Mrs. Jones, email: tijones@phalenacademies.org.
Please review the PLA Virtual attendance policy for more specific details.
Setting up your Family Infinite Campus Student Portal Access Letter Emailed to ALL Families September 2021
Hello Parent/Guardian of PLA Virtual Scholar,
You now have a Campus Student account! The following are your login credentials:
• Navigate to the following link or Download the PLA App on your Phone:
https://incloud1.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/students/phalen.jsp
• Your new username is : Your Scholar’s 9 Digit STN (this is the same number they use to login daily to Blackboard)
• Your Password is : Your Scholar’s 9 Digit STN (this is the same number they use to login daily to Blackboard)
Please note, you will be prompted to reset your password on your first attempt. Please use your scholar’s date of birth as a new password. i.e. 01/02/2008
Look at the tools that you will have available in Campus Student.
• Calendar
• Attendance Check-In
• Assignments
• Grades
• Schedule
• Fees
• Reports
• Message Center
If you have any questions, please email operations@phalenacademies.org or Dr. Townsend at ttownsend@phalenacademies.org
Thank you!
Tora H. Townsend, PhD
Principal
Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy
(317) 939-3787
PLA University Announces Its 2021 Training Start Dates, Expanding Free Job Training in Health and Information Technology
Indianapolis, IN - Phalen Leadership Academies is honored to announce the official launch of the upcoming 2021 cohort of PLA University, a tuition-free job training program for the adult family members of current PLA scholars.
Last year’s cohort launched with Health & Life Sciences training. The new cohort, beginning August 23rd, expands training to include Information Technology (IT). PLA families can now apply for training to become: IT support professionals, Forklift Operators, Certified Nursing Assistants, Veterinary Assistants, Pharmacy Technicians, Medical Billers and Coders, or Medical Assistants.
“We are excited to expand the offerings of PLA University to bring more training options and training partners for PLA families,” said PLA University Executive Director, James Swift. “We have been bolstered by the support of local businesses and institutions such as the Launch Hope Foundation, the Hardon Educational Institute and Penn Foster College. These partners are helping us to lay a strong foundation as we work to help our families secure jobs with competitive salaries and long range potential.”
Created in the wake of the murder of George Floyd to foster self-sufficiency and economic parity, PLA University is among the first career training institutions of its kind as it seeks to improve the outcomes of both PLA scholars and families. The program works to teach families life skills, provides certification training and job placement. The program is located at James and Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy on Indianapolis's Far Eastside.
The next PLA University cohort begins August 23rd. For more information or to apply to join this PLA Universitycohort, please visit PLAUniversity.org and apply or contact info@plauniversity.org.
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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: 317.939.3787
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhalenLeadershipAcademies
Twitter: @AcademiesPhalen