The Howl
IDVA Newsletter - January 2020
Newsletter Table of Contents
ALL SCHOOL:
- February Statewide Events - You Are Invited!
- December Events Slideshow
- K12 App
- System Outage - January 18th
- The Resource Corner: Youth Empowerment Services
- Feeling Overwhelmed? IDVA Help Request
- K12 National Clubs
- IDVA Leadership Class Introduction
- Idaho 5th & 6th Graders: Ski and Snowboard Passport
- NCAA and IDVA
- Past Issues of the The HOWL, School Year 2019-20
- Technical Tips Library
K-5 SCHOOL:
- Message from K-5 Principal, Keri Brown
- Gifted & Talented Screening
- Map Growth Assessments
- Learning Coach Tip
- Elementary History Courses
- K-5 Reading Tip
6-12 SCHOOL:
- Message from 6-12 Team
- Hour of Code Assembly
- Friday Fast Facts
- IDVA and ISID Scholarships
- What is AVID?
- Invitation New Counselor Series - Social Emotional Learning
- IDVA Class of 2020 Graduation Planning Guide
- IDVA Ski Days
- IDVA College and Career Website
- U.S. Selective Service System
ALL SCHOOL
STATEWIDE EVENT DAY
Friday, February 14, 2020
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 pay in advance or bring exact cash for admission.
- There are no classes scheduled on event days.
- All events are optional.
- Please note that IDVA may cancel events due to extreme weather and road conditions.
- 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 your 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: Board Game Day
Where: Treasure Valley Learning Center
Address: 1965 S. Eagle Rd. Suite 190, Meridian
Cost: Free
Start Time: 10:15 am MT
End Time: 12:00 pm MT
RSVP: Click here to sign-up.
Note: Please bring a board game or card game to share.
*****
Magic Valley
What: Board Game Day
Where: Twin Falls Library
Address: 201 4th Ave. E., Twin Falls
Cost: Free
Start Time: 10:30 am MT
End Time: 12:00 pm MT
RSVP: Click here to sign-up.
Note: Please bring a board game or card game to share.
*****
North Idaho - Coeur d'Alene
What: Board Game Day
Where: Silver Lake Mall
Address: 200 W. Haney, CDA
Cost: Free
Start Time: 10:30 am PT
End Time: 12:00 pm PT
RSVP: Click here to sign-up.
Note: Please bring a board game or card game to share.
*****
Moscow/Lewiston
What: Rock Climbing Lesson
Where: University of Idaho
Address: 1000 Paradise Creek St., Moscow
Cost: $8.00 per climber; Parking is $4.00
Check-in: 9:30 am PT
Start Time: 10:00 am PT
End Time: 12:00 pm PT
RSVP: Click here to sign-up.
Note: Closed toe shoes required. Wear athletic, comfortable clothing.
*****
**** Attention: SE Idaho has TWO event locations this month - Idaho Falls and Pocatello. ****
Please choose the event location that is most convenient for you.
SE Idaho - Pocatello (Idaho Falls also available)
What: Board Game Day
Where: Marshall Public Library
Address: 113 S. Garfield Ave., Pocatello
Cost: Free
Start Time: 10:15 am MT
End Time: 12:00 pm MT
RSVP: Click here to sign-up.
Note: Please bring a board game or card game to share.
*****
SE Idaho - Idaho Falls (Pocatello also available)
What: Board Game Day
Where: Skyline Activity Center
Address: 1575 N. Skyline Dr., Idaho Falls
Cost: Free
Start Time: 10:15 am MT
End Time: 12:00 pm MT
RSVP: Click here to sign-up.
Note: Please bring a board game or card game to share.
*****
Preston
What: Board Game Day
Where: Arctic Circle
Address: 408 Clay St., Montpelier
Cost: FREE
Start Time: 11:00 am MT
End Time: 12:00 pm MT
RSVP: Click here to sign-up.
Note: Please bring a board game or card game to share.
*****
December Statewide Events Photo Slideshow
On Friday, December 13th, students and families came together at six locations across the state for ice skating, roller-skating, and connection. Check out the event photo slideshow of the fun! Thank you to those who attended!
We hope everyone will join us at the February events on Friday, February 14th!
K12 App
It’s time to start thinking about next school year, and the K12 app can help!
The K12 app is a great resource for parents and legal guardians of IDVA students. The K12 app gives you the power to track your student's progress,* view their schedule,* and access relevant and up-to-date information.
This year the K12 app also allows you to choose your student’s registration status, making it simpler than ever to let us know your plans for next year! Download the K12 app today!
*This feature is currently available for all MS and HS families, and many elementary families as well. We are working to make this feature available to all families during the 2019–2020 school year.
System Outage - January 18th
K12 will be transitioning servers and networks to the cloud-based Amazon Web Services (AWS) to improve the speed, security, and reliability of our software and improve the quality of our software development and delivery timelines.
This is a large project; therefore, applications will be transitioned in a phased manner to minimize impacts and disruption. Periodic system outages will be required to successfully complete the transitions. During January 2020, please plan for the following outage:
Saturday, January 18, 2020, starting at 1:00 am MT/12:00 am PT:
- Systems Impacted: OLS, OMHS and Stride will not be available
- Length of Outage: Approximately 24 hours
- Users Impacted: all students, learning coaches, and school staff
Youth Empowerment Services
Youth Empowerment Services (YES) is a program administered by Optum Idaho and is focused on providing access to mental health services to children and youth experiencing severe emotional disturbance (SED). The program offers expanded Medicaid coverage for children and youth whose families may have incomes greater than the typical threshold for coverage. Please visit the YES Program web site for full details on the program and application process. The infographic below outlines the steps to applying for the program as well.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
Are you or your student struggling to keep up with school, have questions, or need help?
Please click HERE to submit your name and contact information. We will call you right away!
K12 National Clubs
School is in session! We've been busy lining up our list of K12 National Clubs and can't wait for you to sign up for the ones that interest you.
IMPORTANT things to keep in mind as you choose your club(s):
- Clubs meet from late September through early May.
- Club meetings are one hour long, and meeting times vary depending on the club and your time zone.
- Please select no more than four clubs.
- Allow two to three weeks for your sign-up details to be processed.
- Once your club registration has been processed, you'll receive an email from your club teacher, and club meetings will appear on your Class Connect schedule.
- Email reminders will be sent one week prior to club meetings.
- Email clubs@k12.com with questions regarding K12 National Clubs.
To join a club or attend a meeting, first choose a category below.
Clubs offered for Kindergarten – 3rd Grade
Clubs offered for 4th – 5th Grade
IDVA Leadership Class
by Isabella G., 7th grade
Leadership Class Mission Statement: To grow as leaders by inspiring and spreading kindness and connecting other students.
If you can't tell already by the name, this new elective is all about growing leaders. The staff at IDVA was looking for a way for the kids to be involved in creating the culture of our school, when two things happened.
One, there was a student request to have a school council this year. Two, there was a request from an IDVA board member who was looking for opportunities for the students to grow in leadership. Mrs. Percifield was willing to lead when they asked for a teacher. Thus, this class was born.
Now you may be wondering how this class grows leaders. Well, by giving us the chance to lead, of course. We have created different committees that focus on different aspects of our school. The different committees are:
- School Spirit
- Event Days
- School Assemblies
- School News
- Graduation Slide Show
We are also studying the book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teenagers, by Sean Covey. At each of our bi-weekly meetings students lead our book study discussions.
Meet our Leadership Class: Each member shared their picture and a brief bio about themselves. Click here to meet us!
Idaho 5th & 6th Graders Peak Season Ski/Snowboard Passport
Idaho is gearing up for ski and snowboard season. 5th and 6th graders have a great opportunity to join in on the fun! Visit https://www.skiidaho.us/passports/ to get your 5th or 6th grader’s Peak Season Passport for a one time processing fee of just $18. This passport will allow your Idaho 5th grader three free days at each of 18 participating resorts and your Idaho 6th grader two free days at each of 17 participating resorts!
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.
Past Issues of The HOWL
Technical Tips Library
K-5 SCHOOL
A Note from the Principal
Happy New Year!
I hope your family enjoyed the holiday break and you are feeling refreshed and revitalized to be back in school. As we approach the end of the 1st semester, I want to say thank you for your commitment to partnering with us in the education process.
We see many great things happening with students that include wonderful academic interaction in live classes, high engagement in the Online School courses, and fun peer interaction at our regional outings.
As we embark on the second half of the school year, please know we are here to support you and your student in anyway needed. Do not hesitate to reach out to your teachers or myself at any time. In the meantime, keep up the great work!
Here is to a wonderful 2020!
Mrs. Keri Brown
IDVA K5 Principal
Gifted and Talented Screening
Map Growth Assessments
We completed two successful days of Map Growth assessments for our students in 2nd – 5th grade. Thank you for your participation.
As you might recall, students completed Map Growth back in September. This school-based assessment tracks student growth over time. The purpose of taking the assessment mid-year is to measure academic growth as well as determine what students know and what they are ready to learn.
Our teachers use the data from these assessments to support planning for live classes and to support you as the learning coach. You will receive a Map Growth mid-year report via email in the coming weeks to help understand your student’s academic growth from September to January. The report also uses scores to predict how your student will do on the upcoming ISAT state assessment to be taken in spring 2020.
Learning Coach Tip - Set Expectations
At the start of each day, set realistic expectations for your student. Students relate well to routines; many families find that a regular schedule works best. If you have multiple children, a regular schedule can help you organize their activities to give you time with the children who need it most, when they need it most.
January Non-Live Class and Non-School Days for K-5 Students
There are several days to note during the next two weeks of school:
- January 16-17: Teacher work days – no school
- January 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day – no school
- January 21: Teacher work day – no school
- January 22-24: No live classes for K5 students, school is in session.
- January 27: Normal daily schedule resumes including live classes
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!
Moving to 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, medicine, and government!
All of these things and more are in store for you simply by engaging in your child’s History courses!
Beginning in 5th grade, students undertake the first year in a two-year detailed survey of the history of the United States. Building on the award-winning series from Oxford University Press, A History of US, K12’s online lessons and assessments guide students through critical episodes in the story of America. Students will:
• Study the development of various Native American civilizations
• Learn about European exploration and the growth of the thirteen colonies
• Investigate in detail the causes and consequences of the American Revolution
• Examine the Constitution and the growth of the new nation
• Become familiar with Jacksonian democracy, westward expansion, and Manifest Destiny
• Study the causes and consequences of the Civil War
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
Reading Strategies to Improve Comprehension of Text
As students prepare to read for meaning, it is helpful to offer strategies to train the mind to focus on what is being read. Try incorporating a method such as the following to aid your student in increasing their overall comprehension of text.
1. Box in and read the title.
2. Trace and number the paragraphs.
3. Stop and think at the end of each paragraph to identify a key point.
4. Circle the key word or write the key point in the margin.
5. Read and label the key words in the questions.
6. Prove your answer. Locate the paragraph where the answer is found.
7. Mark or write your answer.
Complete steps 1-4 for the entire text or source. Complete steps 5-7 for questions that follow the text.
6-12 SCHOOL
Message from Your 6-12 Team
Hello IDVA 6-12 Families,
Our time back from Winter Break is off to a great start! The two-week break gave everyone an opportunity to power-up and rejuvenate for completing the semester.
Thank you to our parents and students for a fabulous first half of the school year! January signifies a fresh start. We hope you take some time to set goals and commit to meet new expectations.
Although it is a short month for school days, it is a very busy time of year. Our students have been completing MAP testing and some have completed ISAT interim testing with their teachers.
Please observe the following dates:
- High School Final Exams: January 14 and 15
- Teacher Work Days: January 16, 17, and 21. No School for students
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: January 20th, No School for students
- Second Semester Begins: January 22nd
Everyone set your mark and reach your goals! We can’t wait to see what 2nd semester has in store!
Go Wolves!
6-12 IDVA Staff
Hour of Code Assembly
On Tuesday, January 28th, IDVA teachers, Mrs. Lake and Mrs. Wells, will host an Hour of Code Assembly for grades 6-12. This is an optional assembly, but we hope that if you have time, you’ll join us! Look for the link in your list of Class Connects.
At this assembly, you’ll get a chance to learn about the basics of coding and to work with other students on one of four coding projects. Additionally, we’ll invite you to choose any one of the four projects to complete on your own, submit the link, and then be entered into a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card.
Even if you can’t attend the assembly, you can still complete a project and submit a link to be entered into the drawing which will take place on Thursday, February 13th. More details about the project and the drawing will be sent out through email after our assembly.
So, why participate in an hour of code or work on a project? Please take a look at this short video which shares the many ways that coding and computer science are important parts of our lives and our world.
Friday Fast Facts
Please check out the library of helpful Friday Fast Facts videos by Mrs. Wells, High School Master Teacher.
Friday Fast Fact Episodes:
Dismissing and Restoring Announcements
IDVA and ISID Scholarships
IDVA High Achievement Scholarship:
- One award at $2,500
IDVA Academic Excellence Scholarship:
- One award at $2,100
IDVA Janet Aikele Excellence in Online Learning Scholarship:
- Four awards at $1,000
IDVA Odyssey Scholarship :
- Five awards at $1,500
IDVA First Generation Scholarship:
- One award at $1,200
IDVA Career and Technical Education Scholarship:
- One award at $1,200
Insight of Idaho School Scholarship:
- One award at $1,500
Only one scholarship will be awarded to an individual student.
Application Deadline: April 24, 2020
What is AVID?
- brought to you by the AVID class
Hello IDVA!
We wanted to share with you a little about our new AVID class. We hope that you get to learn a little about our class and how we are implementing AVID school-wide.
AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. That may seem a little confusing, but here are a few things that we do in AVID and how AVID is helping us prepare for our future.
AVID is a college-readiness program. AVID's mission is to close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success in a global society. Some students think that it may still be early to start thinking about college, but AVID helps students in the present as well as the future. One way we have started preparing for our future is to create vision boards. We made a collage about what we would like to do after high school for a career and then decided what we needed to do to reach that goal. We looked at colleges that offer the programs we are interested in and will continue to set goals and make plans to reach those college and career goals.
As a school we have been working on taking notes in all of our classes. AVID has taught us a lot about the note-taking process, and how much more we remember simply by taking notes. Did you know our brains are designed to forget and notes helps us to remember and cement that information into our brains?
AVID helps us to be organized. We have binder checks to make sure we are keeping our school work in order for all of our classes. AVID has also taught us how to have better time management. We calendar our time to make sure we use our time most efficiently. This has helped us to get all our schoolwork done faster! This is a skill that we will use in our lives.
In AVID we have been working on skills to help us prepare for tests like the ACT and SAT, but we are also using those skills to help us prepare for ISATs in the spring. AVID pushes us to try our hardest, to try new things, and to never give up.
We also learn more about each other and we become friends. Our class is not just a class, we are a family. We can contact each other if we have questions, etc. We also do some team bonding activities to learn more about each other and develop our relationships. We are only half way through the school year and we still have a lot to learn!
Currently, AVID is an 8th grade elective class but next year we will have an 8th and 9th grade elective class. If you are interested in being part of AVID next year, please contact Mrs. Lindsay at qlindsay@idahova.org
New Counselor Series - You are invited!
IDVA Class of 2020 Graduation Planning
IDVA will hold three formal graduation ceremonies across the state in May 2020. Please save the dates for the ceremony (or ceremonies!) you would like to attend.
Graduation Ceremony Dates:
May 19, 2020 - Kroc Center, Coeur d’Alene (Northern Idaho)
May 21, 2020 - Blackfoot Performing Arts Center (SE Idaho)
May 27, 2020 - Northwest Nazarene University, Brandt Center (Treasure Valley)
Graduation Planning Guide:
Please review and bookmark our Graduation Planning Guide. This is your one stop place for all your graduation planning information.
Attention Seniors and Senior Parents:
Please complete the "Graduation Prep" items in our Graduation Planning Guide. Be sure you complete the Senior Survey so we know your plans.
Thank you for helping us to plan for wonderful graduation celebrations for your students!
IDVA College and Career Website
Please check out IDVA's College and Career website for great resources about advanced opportunities, college, careers, military, and much more!
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.