Diamond Gazette
October 2015
School Spirit Month
Welcome ARVA Diamonds!
In light of this being a month celebrated across the states with homecomings and Spirit Weeks we thought it a fun time to celebrate our school too!
Each school has their own mascot, colors and motto.
WE are the Diamonds!
Teal & White!
“Enduring pressure, yields precious results”
What does it mean to be a Diamond?
Diamonds come in all colors, shapes and sizes. Each one is uniquely its own, just like each of you. Diamonds, though they each be different, also have something in common. They all were formed through pressure.
Millions of years ago our own special diamonds were formed in Arkansas. They were formed by enduring pressure and heat miles underground in a volcanic vent. Eventually after enough pressure and heat was applied, carbon crystallized into beautiful diamonds. Now we get to enjoy the results of all of that pressure by digging for diamonds.
We, as the ARVA Diamonds, endure pressure in learning. Pressure to follow the pacing guide. Pressure to stay on track. Pressure to learn something that may be hard for us to understand. Pressure to stick to a routine. Pressure to get back on track when you get behind. Pressure to follow the rules. Pressure to go to class connects. Pressure to communicate with our teachers. Pressure from the community about educating our children in an at home environment. We endure a lot of different pressures in our learning environment. All of that pressure yields PRECIOUS results!
You needn’t look any further for precious results than in your own home, but for the sake of encouragement of those of us in the midst of those pressures here are some PRECIOUS Results…
"I love ARVA! It is a life saver for our family and son."
"We LOVE our school!!!! This is our first year ,we got off to a rocky start but I am sure now that ARVA is a perfect fit for my 2 children!! They are 10 & 7 and had a hard time getting what they needed in regular school.They're where they need to be."
"We love ARVA!!! It is the best decision we made in my child's education."
"ARVA has made my daughter's schooling experience so much better."
"We love ARVA. We have students in the high school, middle school and elem. It's an amazing experience at every grade level!"
As our year continues to move forward take the time to OWN our school. Develop a sense of School Spirit and Pride. When asked, “Where do you go to school?” ,practice your response to be something like, “I attend Arkansas Virtual Academy. Home of the Diamonds”. Wear your Booster shirts and hoodies with pride! Because WE ARE THE DIAMONDS!
ARVA's Strong Start Help Room
The session will begin with a short presentation on a hot topic, followed by an open Q&A where you can ask the questions that matter most to you!
ARVA's Strong Start Help Room Schedule:
Click here to attend.
Wednesdays: 2-3pm
Our next topic is Attendance at ARVA ~ the what, why, and how on
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2pm.
Have You Been to the Island Lately?
Students log into Study Island using their student ID number in this convention: 12345@arva and using the password: arva.
Autumn Sniffles
- Wash hands with soap and water (the more bubbles the better!)
- Use the inside of your elbow or a tissue to cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough
- Stay away from sick people (Pass paper airplanes instead!)
- Get a Flu Vaccine
The Arkansas Department of Health is offering Mass Flu Clinics across the state. Click here for a link to the listing of clinics by county.
Parent Booster Club
The next Booster meeting will be held
Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015, online from 8-9PM.
Click here to attend.
2015-2016 Booster Meeting Schedule
Thank you for supporting our school!
Box Tops
Outings In Your Area
Sharing YouTube videos safely with your students
Shared by Dustin Cook, ARVA middle school teacher.
Did someone say...FREE BOOKS?
To kick off the 2015-16 school year, Amazon is offering TWO free Kindle books for grades K-6(ish). From October 1, 2015 through October 31, 2015, parents can download free Kindle copies of You Are (Not) Small by Anna Kang & Christopher Weyant and Secrets of the Book by Erin Fry. Download and enjoy Kindle books on Kindle e-readers, Fire tablets, iPhones, iPads, Androids, or any web browser compatible with Kindle Cloud Reader! What a great (& FREE) way to motivate and reward your students for a job well done!
LCU: Managing the Rest of Your Life While Schooling at Home Monday, Oct. 12 at 3pm
Life brings challenges and surprises, including the loss of a loved one, financial struggles, relational issues, and more. Join Susie Ebie from OHVA for help to work through those challenges, and continue to school at home when life impacts your family.
LCU: Understanding and Preventing Bullying Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 3pm
LCU: How to Keep Going When You Feel Like Giving Up Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 3pm
K12's Art Competition through Oct. 30, 2015
1. Calling all artists! What do the decades look like to you? Step up to the drawing board and enter the 2015 Art Contest for your chance to win cool prizes! Can you draw? Paint? Create a digital image? Share your artistic talent with us!
Prizes: All winners will receive a canvas of submitted artwork, a plaque of recognition, and a sketchbook
· 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place grade level winners
· Overall Best in Show
· Best of the Decades (1900s, 10s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, 2010s)
Blog Post: http://bit.ly/1FIYFQJ
Link to Rules: http://bit.ly/1Kizs0F
K12 Learning Circle ~ Lights, Camera, Action!
Do you enjoy attending plays and performances? Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a performer on stage? Can you see yourself writing or directing a show? Do you like to pretend or act with your friends? If so, then join your K12 classmates on October 22nd for the Lights, Camera, Action! Learning Circle series, part 2! This is a two-part session. Several ARVA students attended and enjoyed the first one. Here's what some had to say about the experience:
"I liked it because the teacher was really nice. We got to talk about which plays we have been to. We got to go to a website where we could record ourselves talking in silly voices. It was really fun!" - Aaliyah S., 5th
"I loved it a lot. I really enjoyed getting to learn about the different "types", if you would say, of a skit and play; the drama of a play or what makes a good performer. If I had to rate this Learning Circle from 1 to 10, 1 being I hated it and didn't learn anything and 10 being I loved it and it taught me a lot, I would rate it a 10. They really covered a lot and I enjoyed it a lot." - Malachi C., 7th
Find more information here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Byiu66oA4VBfMTM5ZW9HLVRfYk0/view?usp=sharing
October is National Bullying Prevention Month ~
October is National Bullying Prevention Month – and we’d love to tell the stories of your students who have overcome bullying to find success at Arkansas Virtual Academy.
As you know, K12 provides a place where students who struggle at traditional brick and mortar schools can find success. Bullying is a common reason that many of our students chose to become a part of our Arkansas Virtual Academy family. Bullying takes many forms and can affect each individual student differently which makes sharing individual student experiences very powerful. October is an opportunity to share stories about what our students have overcome in hopes that we can help other students who struggle in similar situations. Although we have already helped many students share their inspiring stories, we know there are many more that we don't know about. We need your help to identify these amazing students.
Please email Stephanie Byrnes, sbyrnes@arva.org if you have student stories you could share with our PR/marketing team.
Also, you can get involved with the ZeroBullying awareness campaign on social media by posting your picture to your favorite social media site with the hashtag #ZeroBullying. More info is here: http://www.learningliftoff.com/zero-bullying
ARVA's Family Academic Support Team (FAST) and the Strong Start Site
Website: http://arva.k12start.com/
Location: 4702 West Commercial, Suite B3, North Little Rock, AR 72116
Phone: 501-664-4225
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArkansasVirtualAcademy
Gina Moore, editor
Amanda Lloyd, assistant editor