The Howl
IDVA Newsletter
Newsletter Table of Contents
ALL SCHOOL:
- September Statewide Events - You Are Invited!
- Special National Learning Coach to Learning Coach Support Session
- Introducing School Social Worker, Jana Mansfield
- A Counselor's Perspective: Student Motivation
- Returning IDVA Families: Annual Home Language Survey
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Notification
- NCAA and IDVA
- Technical Tips Library
K-5 SCHOOL:
- Message from K-5 Principal Keri Brown
- Learning Coach Tip of the Month
- Overdue Lessons
- Live Class Connect Sessions
- Elementary History Curriculum
- K-5 Reading Tips: 5 Great Reasons to Read Aloud
6-12 SCHOOL:
- Message from 6-12 Team
- Congressional App Challenge
- U.S. Selective Service System
ALL SCHOOL
STATEWIDE EVENT DAY
Friday, September 13, 2019
IMPORTANT EVENT REMINDERS
- All are welcome. Remember, per IDVA policy, all students must have a parent/guardian with them at all times during school events.
- Please bring exact cash for admission.
- There are no classes scheduled on event days.
- All events are optional.
- Photo Disclaimer: Please understand that photos may be taken and could be used by K12 and/or Idaho Virtual Academy. If you would not like yours or your child’s picture taken, please let an IDVA staff member know at the event.
We want all students to have the opportunity to join an event. If cost is keeping you from being able to join, please email Lisa Stein lstein@idahova.org.
Treasure Valley
What: Park Fun!
Where: Settler's Park - Shelter 1
Address: 3245 N. Meridian Rd., Meridian
Cost: FREE
Check-in: 10:00 am MT
Start Time: 10:30 am MT
End Time: 12:30 pm MT
Note: Please join us for fun in the park!
Please bring a picnic lunch and any outdoor toys you would like.
RSVP: Click here to sign-up.
*****
Magic Valley
What: Park Fun!
Where: Thomsen Park
Address: 1036 Carriage Lane, Twin Falls
Cost: FREE
Check-in: 10:00 am MT
Start Time: 10:30 am MT
End Time: 12:30 pm MT
Note: Please join us for fun in the park!
Please bring a picnic lunch and any outdoor toys you would like.
RSVP: Click here to sign-up.
*****
North Idaho
What: Beach Party!
Where: Honeysuckle Beach
Address: East End of Honeysuckle Ave.
Cost: FREE
Check-in: 11:30 am PT
Start Time: 12:00 pm PT
End Time: 2:00 pm PT
Note: Please join us for a beach party!
Please bring a picnic lunch and any outdoor or water toys you would like.
RSVP: Click here to sign-up.
*****
Moscow/Lewiston
What: Park Fun!
Where: Ghormley Park
Address: 400 Home St., Moscow
Cost: FREE
Check-in: 10:00 am PT
Start Time: 10:30 am PT
End Time: 12:30 pm PT
Note: Please join us for fun in the park!
Please bring a picnic lunch and any outdoor toys you would like.
RSVP: Click here to sign-up.
*****
Eastern Idaho
What: Park Fun!
Where: Tautphaus Park - Shelter 2
Address: Sunken Diamond Dr., Idaho Falls
Cost: FREE
Check-in: 10:00 am MT
Start Time: 10:30 am MT
End Time: 12:30 pm MT
Note: Please join us for fun in the park!
Please bring a picnic lunch and any outdoor toys you would like.
RSVP: Click here to sign-up.
*****
Preston
What: Beach Party
Where: Idaho North Beach Bear Lake
Address: North Beach Rd., St. Charles
Cost: FREE
Check-in: 11:45 am MT
Start Time: 12:00 pm MT
End Time: 2:00 pm MT
Note: Please join us for fun in the park!
Please bring a picnic lunch and any outdoor toys you would like.
RSVP: Click here to sign-up.
*****
Calling All Learning Coaches!
Reflecting on your first days and recalling that you missed a class connect session, your printer got jammed, you didn’t have the cornstarch on hand for the science experiment, your younger children are climbing the walls and your older children are glued to their phones, you haven’t spoken to another adult or uttered a complete sentence to your spouse in days, there are toys, school supplies, books, pencils, markers, hole punch holes, piles of laundry, and stacks of unopened mail as far as the eye can see. And it is only day 2.
We are here to tell you: you are not alone, and we are here to help!
Join us for this special National Learning Coach to Learning Coach session:
Monday, September 9th at 8:00pm EDT
Link to register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K12NewLC2
Introducing Jana Mansfield, School Social Worker
My name is Jana Mansfield, and I am the school social worker with IDVA, and Mr. Rogers is my hero. If you haven’t seen the documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”, drop everything you’re doing and watch it now. Make sure to have a box of tissues handy and a puppy to snuggle, as well.
While I’m no Mr. Rogers, I do believe that each person is born into the world to be cherished; to love and be loved – it’s that simple. I hope that I can be a staff member who will help others feel heard, appreciated, and seen. I am committed to that.
My path to becoming a school social worker began in high school, when the social worker not only supported me, but really saw me. He took the time to help me understand my strengths and found opportunities at school where I could use those skills to encourage other students. Today, I hope to carry on his legacy of kindness and connection. I hope that I can be that person to some of you this school year and beyond.
As the school social worker, I’m here as a resource when students may need additional support. This support includes connecting with learning coaches and guardians to assist when resources are needed. I am also available to problem-solve with learning coaches and students when there are issues interfering with the student’s ability to succeed in their classes. I encourage you to reach out to me any time your student or your family is in need of resources, or other support. If I can’t help, I will do my best to find the person who can.
I am over-over-the-moon to be a part of Idaho Virtual Academy, and so excited for what’s shaping up to be an AWESOME school year. My contact information is provided below. I hope to hear from you soon!
Jana Mansfield, LMSW
School Social Worker
Phone: 208-401-5976
Email: jmansfield@idahova.org
A Counselor's Persepctive: Student Motivation
Check out these helpful tips on how you can help motivate your student to stay on track in school.
Returning Families: Annual Home Language Survey
Our school needs to know the language spoken and heard at the home of every child. This information is necessary to provide the best instruction for all students in the school.
If your student is new to IDVA this year, then you have already answered the Home Language Survey questions during the enrollment process. If this is the case, you do not need to fill out this survey.
If your student has been enrolled in IDVA prior to this year, English is not his/her first language, and we have not been notified, then, please use this link to fill out our Home Language Survey.
Thank you!
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act - FERPA
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) has specified that student Educational Records are confidential, with some exceptions. LEA #452 will provide Parents and Eligible Students annual notification of their rights under FERPA. The annual notice will contain information regarding the right to inspect their children’s Educational Records, the right to seek an amendment of an Educational Record, the right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information, with certain exceptions, and the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education.
Click here for more Information about FERPA.
NCAA and IDVA
If your student is interested in pursuing college athletics, please, be aware that the NCAA has all K12 schools on “extended review” status. IDVA is a K12 school so is on extended review status with the NCAA. Students graduating from a K12 school applying for NCAA eligibility will be denied currently. After they are denied, they can work with the college Athletic Director to gain a waiver. K12 has helped students through this process and has noted that about 75% of these students do get the waivers.
If you have questions or would like more information, please contact your school counselor.
Technical Tips Library
K-5 SCHOOL
A Note from the K-5 Principal
You have almost completed your first week of school!
The beginning of the school year can be a very challenging time, from getting back into a set routine to learning a new curriculum level. And, for those new to IDVA, learning a whole new schooling process can bring its own set of challenges. So, with that – congratulations on your perseverance in the education of your child!
Please do not hesitate to send your homeroom teacher any questions or concerns.
Mrs. Keri Brown
K-5 Principal
Learning Coach Tip of the Month
Overdue Lessons
The Online School overdue tab is a resource that supports your student in knowing exactly where to be each week in their courses. If a lesson is not completed on the assigned day, it will be added to the overdue tab and an overdue alert will show on the daily plan. Always complete overdue lessons before beginning the current day’s lessons. Set a goal to ensure that as you start your school week each Monday, you are starting out the new week with no overdue lessons showing.
Live Class Connect Sessions
Small Group Instruction is Set to Begin:
4th - 5th Grade: Monday, September 16th
K - 3rd Grade: Thursday, September 19th
We are excited to begin our first instructional cycle for identified students who will benefit from additional grade level instruction.
We look forward to partnering with you in assisting students in closing achievement gaps and growing academically. Students who have regularly attended our Tier 2 Intervention program in the past have made large gains in their understanding of both the K12 curriculum and grade level standards. It is important that we help bridge the gap in their learning to build confidence and to assist in their transfer of knowledge to new situations. As educators, our number one priority is your student’s academic success! And... students regularly report that live class is their favorite time of the school day!
If your student is invited to attend, you will receive an email invitation detailing class information. Specific class times and all subsequent sessions will appear in Class Connect links in the Online School. This instruction will occur Monday – Thursday of each week.
If you have any questions after receiving class information, please contact your homeroom teacher.
Our History Courses are Amazing!
K12 1st-4th grade history takes students from Stone Age to Space Age through lively stories and activities! Throughout this four year span, when engaging in our history curriculum, your student will understand how geography influences the rise of civilizations; explore recurrent themes of civilization; get to know important figures and events; and recognize lasting contributions in ideas such as democracy, government, and civil service – and that’s just 1st grade!
In second grade, your student will explore ancient Rome; hear stories about the Vikings; meet knights in armor, Robin Hood, and Joan of Arc; meet the powerful emperor, Kublai Khan; and learn about the samurai!
Moving to 3rd grade, your student will explore the Renaissance, meeting Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Galileo; journey through the age of exploration with Dias, Da Gama, and Magellan; get to know the Mayas and the Incas; visit civilizations in India, Africa, China, and Japan; meet Queen Elizabeth, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Shakespeare; explore Jamestown, Plymouth, and the thirteen original American colonies; and learn about the American Revolution!
In 4th grade, your student will learn about the Age of Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution and meet Sir Isaac Newton and Benjamin Franklin; become familiar with James Madison and American constitutional government as well as Napoleon in France; learn about revolutions in Latin America, see how great changes – nationalism, industrialism, imperialism – shaped, and sometimes shattered, the modern world, leading to two world wars; and study many inventors and innovators who achieved great advances in communication, transportation, and medicine,
All of these things and more are in store for you simply by engaging in your child’s history courses!
If you have a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th grade student, be sure to take full advantage of the amazing history curriculum we have for you!
Your child will love it, and you will, too!
K-5 Reading Tips
6-12 SCHOOL
Message from Your 6-12 Team
Dear Idaho Virtual Academy families,
Welcome to SY 19-20 with the Idaho Virtual Academy!
We look forward to welcoming your students as a part of our IDVA family. We are honored to have you sharing your students with us and we are thankful for the opportunity to build relationships and to teach and inspire your students. We are excited to partner with you as we work together to make our mission and vision become a reality.
Mission: Building a community of engaged learners.
Vision: Empowering every student to learn at high levels.
We believe that setting high expectations for our students, while offering support and encouragement, will allow ALL students to be successful and to achieve our school goal of one year of academic growth for each student we serve. We will strive to create a school culture that allows our students to feel connected to our IDVA community.
What’s new and exciting in 6-12?
- We have two new teachers this year, Mrs. Erin Douville (6-8 English/Language Arts) and Ms. Michelle McCullough (6-12 Math).
- Our 6th-12th grade students will each have one point of contact, an advisor, who will assist with all questions and support student engagement.
- Our 6th-8th grade students will move from semesters to quarters.
- Our 6th-8th grade students will take math and English/Language Arts (ELA) all 4 quarters. History and science will run for 2 quarters for each student on an alternating schedule.
- Our 6th-11th grade students will complete Math and Reading Map Growth Assessments 3 times per year (September, January, and May). Teachers will carefully review your student’s results and use this information to plan instruction and strive for mastery of grade level standards.
- We have added AVID elective for 8th grade students.
- Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) is an in-school academic support program focused on college and career readiness for qualifying students starting grade 8. AVID, a selective program with limited number of cohort participants, is designed to add an additional level of support to prepare students for college eligibility and success.
- We have added new HS courses: Keyboarding, Computer Science Principles, Adobe Certification, Leadership, DC Speech, DC Art, and Hospitality and Tourism.
- We are now offering a STEM diploma and Flexible Schedule/Early Graduation. Please contact your advisor/counselor for more information.
What’s new and exciting in our alternative school?
- Our alternative school has added grades 6-8 and changed names from Vision High school to Insight School of Idaho (ISID).
- Ms. Megan Moran has moved to our alternative school and will be teaching grades 6-8 Math and ELA.
- Our alternative school has moved from quarters to eight 4-week blocks in order to give credit deficient students the opportunity to earn more credits in one school year.
- We have added new courses: Ready-Set-Grow and Keyboarding.
We value your dedication to excellence in education and look forward to partnering with you this school year.
Sincerely,
IDVA 6-12 Team
Congressional App Challenge for 1st Congressional District MS & HS Students
Congressman Russ Fulcher has invited students residing in Idaho’s 1st Congressional District to enter the annual Congressional App Challenge, an initiative designed to encourage student engagement in STEM and, more specifically, computer science.
Middle and high school students from across Idaho's 1st Congressional District are invited to participate. Registration is now open and detailed rules and guidelines can be found on the program’s website.
Note: To check on whether you live in Idaho’s 1st Congressional District or not, click here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho%27s_1st_congressional_district
U.S. Selective Service
Attention all 17 and 18 year old young men:
Remember that when you turn 18, the law says you must register for the Selective Service.
Those who fail to register may be denied student loans, government jobs, and a driver's license in most states. In addition, if you are a male immigrant seeking to become a citizen, you must also be registered, regardless of your immigration status.
Click here to visit the U.S. Selective Service website.
Have a Question?
Have questions about your classes or our Idaho Virtual Academy school? Ask your IDVA teacher or staff.
Have technology questions? Ask K12 Customer Support.