ORVA Welcome Back Newsletter
August 2021
In This Issue
- Welcome From Our Administrators
- Week of Welcome (WoW) Information
- Getting Ready For School - Supply List
- ORventures
- School Clubs
- FAQs
- Info Sessions
- Attendance
- Community Resources
- Immunizations
- Contact Us - New Website and Facebook Page
WELCOME FROM OUR ADMINISTRATORS!
Executive Director
Greetings Families,
It is my pleasure to welcome you back for the 2021-2022 school year. We truly believe that when a school has no walls, learning has no boundaries. The ORVA team has been planning amazing programs and experiences for our students this year. Feedback from our school community is highly valued and we continually look for ways to improve and strengthen our programs. Please feel free to reach out to your school leadership team anytime to share your comments or questions. We are all looking forward to a wonderful school year of learning and growing together.
With Gratitude,
Jamie Stiles, EdS
Executive Director
Elementary
Parents, Guardians, Learning Coaches, Students, and ORVA Community:
Can you believe it? Another school year is upon us! I can’t tell you enough how excited I am to be joining ORVA’s Elementary School as Principal. We have been hard at work putting together a team of “Superheroes” who are ready to meet all of you!
This school year is truly going to be something special. Why? Because I can promise you that your home is going to be a place filled with laughter, passion, and learning. At ORVA we want each student, guardian, parent, and Learning Coach to know they are valued and that they hold tremendous worth. We believe in fresh-starts and new beginnings. We believe in growth and potential. And we believe in bringing everyone together to accomplish success.
To the students, I want you to know how much we truly care about you. You are the reason we come to work every day. You matter to every one of us. During the school day, you are the most important thing in the world to us. We hope that every day you leave our homeroom knowing how special you are and just how much potential you hold.
To the parents, guardians, and Learning Coaches, you are just as important. Without you, we will not reach our full potential as a school. We value you and your opinions and look to you as a partner in your child’s education. We are excited to work with you and invite you to take a part in the exciting upcoming school year at ORVA.
We look forward to meeting you during our Week of Welcome—more details coming soon. I’ll have all my “Superhero” Team ready and waiting! This school year is filled with unlimited potential and we are ready to meet the challenges head on!
Leanne Moll,
Elementary Principal
Middle School
Welcome Back!
Middle school is an exciting time of growth for students, as classes become more academic and students develop their interests. We're here to support students and their families during this time of transition from childhood to the teen years — with all the milestones, challenges, and opportunities that come! At ORVA, you'll find a faculty and staff of talented, passionate educators who are dedicated to the success of every student. We're excited to help your student learn, grow and thrive as a valued member of the ORVA community.
Sincerely,
Middle School Team
High School
Welcome back ORVA High School Families,
I hope you are enjoying a wonderful summer. I also hope you are relaxed, recharged, and ready to start a new school year. I am so delighted that you are part of our amazing online learning community and I look forward to working with all of you. I have found that each school year brings about positive changes. This includes a few additional programs that I am excited to offer to all our High School students. It is with great pride that I share with you about our ever-expanding High School Credit Recovery Program, new Dual Credit Program, and our new Natural Resources CTE Pathway. We encourage all our High School students to take advantage of these unique educational opportunities that set us apart from the rest. Our skilled and devoted staff is ready and prepared to make High School a safe and joyful experience for students. Together, we can make a positive difference in each other’s lives and add value to our community. Let’s make it a great year.
Go class of 2022!
Sincerely,
Principal Foley
Special Programs
Welcome back ORVA community,
I hope all our families, learning coaches, and students had time this summer to unwind and are refreshed for our best year yet! The Special Programs team has exciting additions to our team and opportunities for students that we can’t wait to implement. Our team is so proud of the dedication and work from our students enrolled in summer school. This summer was also abundant with collaboration and visions for the future of special programs and how to best support all students. I am so grateful to be a part of such a unique and deserving community and look forward to welcoming our new and returning ORVA students!
Ashley Smithey
Director of Special Programs
Student Support Team
Welcome ORVA Families,
We are so excited to be working with you, focusing on student goals to ensure a successful school year! The Student Support Team is ready to assist with starting strong and staying connected. Our Student Resource Coordinator can assist with community resource referrals and more! Please see additional information about connecting with Mrs. Farrell below. Be on the lookout for information regarding Face-to-Face events in select areas, as state mandates allow. We have a variety of ORVA Clubs to choose from as well as monthly social events that will be added to your schedule. Please see our Student Activities Corner below. Our Attendance Specialist is here to support you and encourage our moto of “Every class. Every day.” You will see an abundance of communication from our Community Engagement Specialist regarding our monthly ORVA Community Newsletter, Week of Welcome orientations, onboarding new students as well as launching our new Learning Coach Academy. Additionally, you will have wrap-around support from our dynamic team of Student Support Advisors. They will be in consistent communication with students, hold regular social hours, monthly assemblies and provide one-on-one back-on-track support as needed.
We look forward to another fantastic year of starting strong and staying connected with you!
Sincerely,
Mindy Kramer
Student Support Administrator
The first day of school is Tuesday, September 7th!
Week of Welcome Schedule
During the Week of Welcome, all students will have required orientation sessions in the online school each day. Students will also see online school links for work sessions. It is important that students attend all of their required sessions so they will get their attendance contacts. Regular content and Homeroom sessions will begin on Monday, September 13th.
Elementary Students Day 1 orientation Tuesday, September 7th @9am
Elementary Star 360 work session Tuesday, September 7th @
12:45pm for students in Kindergarten, 1st, and 3rd grade
1:30pm for students in 2nd and 4th grade
1:00 for students in 5th grade
Middle School Students Day 1 orientation Tuesday, September 7th @10am
Middle School Star 360 work session Tuesday, September 7th @2pm
High School Students Day 1 orientation Tuesday, September 7th @ 11am
High School Star 360 work session Tuesday, September 7th @2:30pm
___________________________________________________________________________
Elementary Students Day 2 orientation Wednesday, September 8th @9am
Elementary Online Learning K-5 work session Wednesday, September 8th @
12:45pm for students in Kindergarten, 1st, and 3rd grade
1:30pm for students in 2nd and 4th grade
1:00 for students in 5th grade
Middle School Students Day 2 orientation Wednesday, September 8th @10am
Middle School ORN010 Course work session Wednesday, September 8th @2pm
High School Students Day 2 orientation Wednesday, September 8th @11am
High School ORN010 Course work session Wednesday, September 8th @2:30pm
___________________________________________________________________________
Elementary Students Day 3 orientation Thursday, September 9th @9am
Elementary WOW work session Thursday, September 9th @
12:45pm for students in Kindergarten, 1st, and 3rd grade
1:30pm for students in 2nd and 4th grade
1:00 for students in 5th grade
Middle School Students Day 3 orientation Thursday, September 9th @10am
Middle School Teacher Graded Assignment session Thursday, September 9th @2pm
High School Students Day 3 orientation Thursday, September 9th @11am
High School Teacher Graded Assignment session Thursday, September 9th @2:30pm
___________________________________________________________________________
All sessions will be through Newrow. Here are some tips to make sure you have the best experience with Newrow:
- Be sure you are using Chrome as your browser
- Close any programs and tabs on your computer that you are not needing open
- Run this system check: https://smart.newrow.com/room/testPage/
Embarking on a new educational path can be exciting, but also a little stressful. New families and students often have many questions about how to prepare for school at Oregon Virtual Academy (ORVA). Let’s explore how you can be prepared for school this year.
Most of your materials will be provided by K12 and should be arriving around August 29th. If you are a new High School student, you have to have the course placement call before materials are shipped out. Please return those calls if they missed you. These materials include, but are not limited to: a laptop with instructions for set-up, books, and lab materials. Once you receive your computer, please follow the set-up instructions. If you have any problems with your K12 provided materials, call K12 Customer and Technical Support at 866-512-2273 for assistance.
The first day of school is September 7th and will be the start to our Week of Welcome. After the Week of Welcome, your normal schedule with all of your classes and courses will appear in your online school. Beginning Monday, September 13th, there will be live class sessions to attend each school day. These sessions will be scheduled between 8am and 3pm and there will be free time to work on coursework between them. The student MUST attend the REQUIRED classes as scheduled. Attendance provides live instruction, help from the instructor, social interaction, and meets the state’s attendance requirements. Work outside of these classes may be completed at any time as long as they are completed by the due dates.
**Over the years we have gathered suggestions from successful families on what they find helpful as well.
- Have a designated work station for your student. Ensure that it reflects things that will make them stay relaxed, focused, and ready to work. Try to have it around as few distractions as possible and let your student participate in decorating it so they feel more excited to use it.
- Have pens or pencils and a blank notebook with your student’s computer so that they can take notes during class times.
- Create a consistent schedule for school days. Plan to do meals and break times around the same time each day with a designated start and end time for school time. This structure can help keep everyone organized.
- Use a whiteboard or calendar to have to-do lists. Some people work best looking at their “to-do’s” one day at a time, while others like to see how their week is laid out. Whichever method works best for your family, using a visual representation to outline what needs to be completed can ensure that nothing is forgotten in the shuffle of daily life.
- Keep important phone numbers in an easy-to-find place. Keep a list of your student’s teachers and their contact information in the same place as our customer support number. If your student also has a school counselor, an advisor, or a homeroom teacher ensure those contacts are also included.
Hopefully, this answers most of your questions. If not, try writing them down so they are fresh when we call, when you attend the orientations during our Week of Welcome, or at one of our info session (see below for more information).
We are excited to support you and your family this school year- please reach out to us if you need any further assistance in making sure you are set up to have a successful year!
Consider signing up for a club to explore your passions or learn something new! Click on the links below to see what clubs are offered for your grade-band!
Click on a link below to see answers to our commonly asked questions
Are you or someone you know looking for more information about ORVA?
Links to the live sessions in Zoom
To attend a 5:00 pm session: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86203200951
Hello ORVA Families!
My name is Anne Farrell, and I am your new Student Resource Coordinator. I am so excited for the 2021-22 school year! I want you to know that I am here to help each of you in any way I can. My job is to connect you to the resources you need in your local community. We are a team here at the Oregon Virtual Academy, and working together with you is my top priority!
Have a wonderful school year!
Mrs. Farrell
anfarrell@oregonva.org
541-294-1898
See the below links for 2021-2022 immunization requirements
CONTACT US!
Email: oregonvirtual@oregonva.org
Website: oregonvirtual.org
Location: 400 Virguinia Avenue, North Bend, OR, Suite 210
Phone: 541.751.8060
Facebook: facebook.com/OregonVirtual