february 2012 -...
TRANSCRIPT
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2700 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Viera, FL 32940
(321) 633-1000, Ext. 304 http://virtualinstruction.Brevardschools.org
February 2012
Dear Virtual School Families,
I hope your semester is off to a wonderful start. It has been a busy January for us all, but it has been also been very productive. In January we welcomed new students and families to our program, now I would like to introduce our three new staff members. For more information on each member of our staff, please visit our Faculty and Staff page located on our website.
Ms. Judy Merashoff – Adjunct teacher for Career Research and Decision Making (9th grade course)
Mr. Greg Stauffer – Adjunct teacher for Biology and Earth and Space Science Ms. Cindy Dean – Full-time teacher for middle school Career Education and
Critical Thinking and high school Critical Thinking and Fitness Lifestyle Design. Check out Mrs. Dean’s monthly newsletter page, which contains a Wellness Corner for all students and exciting news about a new homeroom opportunity.
I am so pleased to see our program expand to offer more to our students and families. We are busy planning for face-to-face activities this semester and will provide all families with details as they become available.
This month’s newsletter is packed with information, please be sure to review it with your student. Highlights include a testing update, parent survey opportunity, and student scholarship information. As always, please contact our office if you require assistance or have ideas for improving our school. Have a great month!
Heather Price, Assistant Principal Virtual Instruction Programs
From the BVIP Office:
Director, Barbara Rodrigues Assistant Principal, Heather Price Guidance Counselor, Debbie King
Full-Time Elementary Teacher, Sara Faro Full-time Secondary Teacher, Cindy Dean Secretary, Janice Jones-Johnson
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Celebrate Black History Month
The national observance of Black History Month in February is an
excellent time for students to learn more about the contributions
African Americans have made to the history and cultural development
of the United States. We encourage all Brevard Virtual students and
families to explore online resources and participate in events
throughout the month. Visit the National Website for Black History
Month, located at: http://www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov/ or the Smithsonian
website at: http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/heritage_month/bhm/ for more
activities.
Attention all 6th graders
Prior to entering 7th grade, students are required to provide documentation of the
necessary immunizations or submit a valid certificate of exemption. Please review the
immunization requirements listed below and available for review on the BPS website,
please click here and make the necessary arrangements with your child’s doctor.
The required immunizations for 7th grade are as follows:
5 DTP/DtaP
1 Td/Tdap (any form of tetanus within 5 years)
4 Polio
2 MMR
3 Hepatitis
1 Varicella (or parent verification of Chicken Pox)
If you have questions, please contact Janice Jones-Johnson at
[email protected]. Please mail the original, valid certificate of
immunization or exemption to the Office of Virtual Instruction, 2700 Judge Fran
Jamieson Way, Viera, FL 32940-6601 before the beginning of the 2012-13 school year.
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BVSS – Discussion Based Assessments (DBAs)
The Discussion Based Assessments (DBAs) built into each course ensure that students
understand key concepts and can receive direct instruction from the teacher when there
are misunderstandings. DBAs are required to be completed in a timely manner. Last
semester many students were skipping the DBAs with an expectation that multiple DBAs
would be completed at one time. This lead to scheduling difficulties and reduced student
performance on assessments. Therefore, all students should plan accordingly and make an
appointment for the DBA in advance of when the assessment arrives on their My Path.
Students should not complete Module Exams prior to completing the DBA. I have advised
teachers that students must complete any scheduled DBA prior to taking a module exam.
Therefore, passwords will not be distributed unless the DBA is completed. Students will
be locked out of courses and/or referred to the administration if DBAs and exams are
being skipped to avoid this procedure. The DBAs are an excellent opportunity for you to
receive assistance directly from your teacher, please take advantage of this resource to
help improve your performance in your classes.
BVSS Target Completion Dates
As a reminder, the last school day for students in grades 6-11 is May 25th. The last school
day for seniors is May 21st. NO EXTENSIONS WILL BE PERMITTED THIS
SEMESTER. All students must give adequate time for the completion of all course work,
exams and resubmissions. Therefore, students should be targeting the following
completion dates. If you abide by the schedule below, you will have a one-week buffer
built in for the unexpected.
Grades 6-11
Coursework submitted by May 11th
All resubmissions and exams submitted by May 18th
Seniors
Coursework submitted by May 4th
All resubmissions and exams submitted by May 11th
As a reminder, seniors will not be permitted to participate in the graduation ceremony
unless all grades have been issued in all courses. Therefore, it is essential to plan ahead
and remain in contact with your teachers.
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Brevard Public Schools parents are invited to participate in our annual Parent Survey. The
survey will be available in English and Spanish to all parents Monday, February 6th through
Wednesday, February 29th.
Parents can access this survey online at:
http://Parentsurvey.Brevardschools.org
A district-wide summary of the survey results will be reported and posted on the Brevard
Public Schools’ Parent Involvement website. Individual schools’ results will be reported to
parents and staff. Schools will use survey results and comments to guide school improvement
to meet the diverse needs of Brevard students and families.
FAIR Testing
Our final FAIR administration will be held in March. As we have done in the past, please
schedule your FAIR appointment by emailing Mrs. Jones-Johnson at
[email protected]. The available dates are listed below:
March 13th – at the Space Coast Credit Union in Melbourne (20 S. Wickham Road, South of
Sarno)
March 20th – at the District Offices in Viera
Each testing date has the following appointment times available:
9:30 am – 10:45 am
10:45 am – 12:00 pm
12:45 pm – 2:00 pm
2:00 pm – 3:15 pm
Every student in grades K-10 and select students in grades 11-12 must make an
appointment.
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FCAT Explorer
The Florida Department of Education’s online resource, FCAT Explorer, provides students
with FCAT practice activities in grades 3-11. To log into the site, please visit
http://www.fcatexplorer.com. Your child’s username is his/her first name and the
password is 005 and your child’s last name. For example, if your student’s name is John
Smith, his username is John and his password is 005Smith. If you have any difficulty in
accessing the site, please contact our office.
Sample FCAT Test Items
To view sample test questions from past FCAT administrations, please visit
http://fcat.fldoe.org.
Box Tops & Campbell’s Soup Labels
Brevard Virtual Schools participate in the collection of Box Tops for Education and
Campbell’s Soup Labels for Education. Please collect these valuable labels and drop them
off the next time you attend a Brevard Virtual event. To date, we have collected $51.50
in Box Tops. All funds raised will be used by the School Advisory Council to organize face-
to-face activities. Thank you for your support!
Do you need help with math? If you have a question in your math class, Mrs. King may be able to help. Give her a call
633-1000, ext. 351. She will be at the office most days Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:00
pm.
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Want to meet other Brevard
Virtual school families??
Join the
Contact
Information
Exchange!
Meet new friends! Study together!
Plan activities together!
Each year the BVIP Office coordinates the exchange of contact information among
interested families. This voluntary sharing of information is designed to facilitate
communication among our students and families. Only those who participate will
receive information. We are offering a second opportunity to join the exchange. If
you submitted information during the first semester, there is no need to submit
again. You will remain on the list and receive all updates.
If interested, complete the short online survey. Only the information entered on
the survey will be shared. We ask that all interested families complete the survey
by February 29th. Information will be compiled and distributed after that time.
Please click here to complete the survey.
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Presidents’ Day
Student Holiday
Monday, February 20, 2012
BVIP Graduation
Monday, May 21, 2012
School Board Room, Viera
6:00 pm
Second Semester Ends
May 25, 2012
Don’t forget to visit the BVIP website, Current
Families page for archived Newsletters and other
resources.
--------------------
If your home address and/or phone information
change, please contact our office immediately.
“Accept challenges, so that you may feel the
exhilaration of victory.” George S. Patton
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Spring Testing Schedule
The second semester is here and testing begins this month. For your planning purposes,
we have been providing you the following testing windows. Specific dates within these
windows will be established by each testing site (zoned school). The exact number of days
for each test varies by test and grade level. The information below is merely intended to
provide you with general scheduling information. Approximately one month before each
test administration, you will receive an email with specific directions for establishing your
testing appointments. As a reminder, participation in all of these tests is mandatory for
Brevard Virtual Students.
FCAT – Grades 3-11 February 28th - March 1st – FCAT Writing (4th, 8th and 10th Grade)
April 9th – 20th - High School Retakes (Reading & Math for 11th & 12th Grade only)
April 16th – 27th – FCAT Reading, Math and Science (3rd – 10th Grade)
EOC – End of Course Exam (Algebra 1, Biology, and Geometry – Required for students currently enrolled in the
courses)
April 23rd – April 27th – Geometry
April 30th – May 4th – Biology
May 7th – May 11th – Algebra 1
ACT – Given to all 11th Grade students March 20th - Primary administration date
April 3rd – Make-up day
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Faro’s Fab Five
Lovely things are in the air for BVES for the month of
February! We have recently welcomed new students, and we
got a great start to the New Year by kicking off our first field
trip of the semester. This month, our 5th
grade class
(accompanied by the 5th
grade class from BVIP) will be taking
a musical adventure to the King’s Center for the Brevard
Symphony Orchestra.
February also marks FCAT Writes for all 4th
grade
students. I will be hosting Writing Workshops (open to all 3rd
,
4th
, and 5th
graders) on February 10th
, 17th
, and 24th
. Each
workshop will be held at the Space Coast Credit Union in
West Melbourne and begin at 10:00 am and will last
approximately 1 – 1 ½ hours. Please see message board for
more details.
*February Bonus: Write your own fairly tale (see Feb
26 holiday) and send it to me by February 29 for 5 bonus
points in Composition.*
Days of Celebrations
February is….
Black History Month
National Grapefruit Month
National Children’s Dental Health Month
February…
1 National Freedom Day
2 Ground Hog Day
12 Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday
14 Valentine’s Day
17 Random Acts of Kindness Day
20 President’s Day
22 George Washington’s Birthday
26 Tell a Fairy Tale Day
29 Leap Day
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Just because the
weather is cooler is no
reason to skimp on
consuming water.
You may not sweat as
much in the cooler
months, but your
body still requires
adequate fluid intake
to perform at optimal
levels. So how much
water should you
drink?
The Institute of
Medicine recommends
different amounts for
men and women.
Under their
guidelines, men
should drink 13 cups
of water a day and
women should drink
nine cups of water a
day. Another way to
calculate water needs
is based on weight.
Clemson University
recommends one
quart of water for
every 50 lbs. you
weigh. Source:
http://www.livestrong.com/
article/314130-
recommended-daily-water-
consumption/
This semester finds the
addition of Mrs. Cindy
Dean to the BVSS. It is
with great excitement
that she joins the
fulltime staff of BVS.
Mrs. Dean is currently
teaching two middle
school courses and two
high school courses: M/J
Career Education, M/J
Critical Thinking,
Problem Solving, and
Learning, Fitness
Lifestyle Design, and
Critical Thinking and
Study Skills.
She has been a teacher
since 1996, has taught
elementary through high
school, and has instructed
a wide variety of students
and subjects.
Having fun outdoors and
learning new things are
what she enjoys most,
especially anything
related to health and
fitness.
She is looking forward to
having a wonderful
semester getting to know
her students.
Middle and High School News You Can Use from
“Dean’s Den” Mrs. Dean Joins Brevard
Virtual School STUDENT INPUT NEEDED
If you could attend a live,
online session with the
purpose of connecting with
other virtual students, having
fun, and learning about an
interesting topic, would you?
What topics would you like to
see?
HOMEROOM sessions will
be starting Thursday,
February 9, and I want
student input as to what you
would like to have offered.
This does not have to be
purely academic, but could
be an extension of your
course. Some ideas I have
been given are: different
career area guest speakers,
local club or expert speakers,
and students teaching others.
The key is variety,
interesting, and fun! So send
me your ideas right away,
and let’s make this a great
year in HOMEROOM.
Wellness Corner
Drink Up!
Join In on
February 9, for our first
LIVE! Online Virtual
Homeroom. Watch your
email for details.
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Are you on pace for completion?
By February 4th, you should be least
20% complete in all courses.
BVSS
Study Tips
for Students
in Grades 6-12
1. Procrastination just leaves more work for
tomorrow, or the next day – the work
doesn’t go away!
2. Print the Pace Chart for every class and stay
on track every week.
3. Make a schedule for each day, be sure to
include breaks and meal times. Stick to the
schedule!
4. Work in every class at least two times a
week (a minimum of four hours per week
per class).
5. Call or email the teacher when you don’t
understand something. The teachers are
happy to help – they really do like kids.
6. Keep a notebook. DBA’s are easier when
you have notes to help remind you of the
lessons.
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College Readiness Corner Mrs. King, Guidance Counselor – (321) 633-1000, ext. 351
Bright Futures Scholarships – Time for Seniors to Apply!
Seniors – You must apply for your Bright Futures Scholarship before graduation!
Use this website and click on “Apply Here” at the top of the page in the blue
banner: http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/ssfad/bf.
There is only this one window for application: December 1 of Senior Year –
Graduation! If a student does not apply then, he/she forfeits all Bright Future
Scholarship Money for the future.
Community Service Hours are now required for all levels of Bright Futures! You must
file a proposal BEFORE you begin to log hours. The proposal form is available on our
website http://virtualinstruction.Brevardschools.org/CurrentBVIPFamilies.html.
o The Academic Scholars Award requires 100 Hours
o The Medallion Scholars Award requires 75 Hours
o The Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Award requires 30 Hours
Students may check transcripts and Bright Futures eligibility at http://facts.org.
Click on “High School Students.”
Bright Futures covers part of tuition; it does NOT cover room and board. You may
need additional financial aid for these expenses.
Helpful Links for college planning and scholarships:
www.college.gov Why go to college? How to pay?
www.collegeanswer.com Information on selecting, applying and paying for college.
www.scholarships.com Free Scholarship search/database.
www.fastweb.com Free Scholarship search/database.
www.finaid.org College costs, scholarships, college loans.
www.FAFSA4caster.ed.gov Site will forecast family qualification for financial aid.
www.FloridaNEXT.com Magazine with great college & scholarship information.
http://facts.org Finding a Florida College, programs of study, steps to apply.
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BCC Dual Enrollment
If you have completed 9th grade and are interested in taking a class at BCC through Dual
Enrollment this summer please contact Mrs. King to begin the BCC application process.
There are several steps that must be taken before you enroll.
College Entrance Exams
The SAT and ACT are the nationally recognized college/university entrance exams.
BCC will also accept the PERT test that they give locally. The SAT and ACT test dates are
listed below. Registration deadlines are approximately one month prior to the test. May
and June are the most popular tests and close out quickly – apply for them 7-8 weeks
ahead. Compare the two tests at: http://www.princetonreview.com/sat-act.aspx.
If you qualify for free/reduced school lunches, fees for the tests can be waived.
Please contact Mrs. King.
SAT
http://sat.collegeboard.org/home
ACT
www.act.org
March 10 February 11
May 5 April 14
June 2 June 9
Scholarships:
1) FAEDS, Florida Association of Educational Data Systems, is offering$3000 for a
senior who will attend an accredited Florida college or university and who is planning to
major in computer science and/or information technology related field. Apply at
http://www.faeds.org/scholarships.cfm. Deadline is February 15th.
2) Is your Father or Grandfather a former Marine? If so, scholarships are available.
Check this website or contact Mrs. King. http://centralfloridamarines.org.
3) Florida Alpha Delta Kappa (a teacher’s sorority), Beta Mu Chapter offers $500 to
a female student who will attend a Florida Community College or University.
Minimum 3.0 GPA is required. Contact Mrs. King for information.
4) Janice M. Scott Memorial Scholarship Fund will provide funding to a student with a 3.0
GPA (or higher) and will attend an accredited four-year college or university. Contact
Mrs. King for information. An essay is required. Deadline is March 31.
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College Planning for 10th and 11th Graders!
January College Planning Tips From Peter Van Buskirk: Getting Started
In many households around the country, the start of a new calendar year signals the need for greater
urgency in college planning. After much holiday talk about possible college destinations, high school
Juniors now gird themselves for the inevitable rush of activity that will culminate in college applications
less than a year from now. Many younger students will soon find themselves on the “college trail” as
well. Wherever you are in the process, keep the following in mind as you engage in college planning.
1. Stay student-centered. This is perhaps the most overlooked aspect of college planning as students and
parents are often drawn by the allure of institutional reputations (“top 25” schools, “ESPN colleges,”
etc.). Resist the temptation to start with a list of colleges. Instead, take time to make sure the student is
considered first. Important questions such as, “Why do you want to go to college?” “What do you want
to accomplish by the time you graduate?” “In what type of academic environment do you function
best?” must be answered in order to begin calibrating a list of colleges. Make sure you know yourself
before investing energy in specific institutions.
2. Focus on fit. Student-centered decision-making means that the optimal solution (college choice) will
be the one that fits the student best. It will:
(1) Offer a program of study to match your interests and needs.
(2) Provide a style of instruction to match the way you like to learn.
(3) Provide a level of academic rigor to match your aptitude and preparation.
(4) Offer a community that feels like home to you.
(5) Value you for what you have to offer.
As you look at college possibilities, be deliberate about making sure that each passes the “best fit” test.
Establish a hierarchy of importance (“essential,” “very important” or “would be nice”) as you sort
through the various factors that might influence your choice of colleges. Be honest in your assessments.
Don’t let the “would be nice” factors drive your decision-making.
3. See what you can see. Now is the time to open your mind to all possibilities. Visit schools, large and
small, urban and rural, public and private. Take tours. Participate in information sessions. Record your
visits—take notes and pictures. Be careful not to rush to judgment. Allow your list to grow. As you do,
reflect on what you are learning about yourself and the factors that define a good fit for you. Later, as you
begin working toward a short list of colleges, invoke the “hierarchy of importance” to make sure you are
targeting the places that make the most sense to you.
4. Get on colleges’ radar screens. As you learn about colleges, make sure you get credit for the contacts
you are making at college nights, information sessions at your school and campus visits. Fill out
information cards and registration forms whenever possible. Many places are keeping track and will
eventually, when you become an applicant, try to predict the likelihood of your enrollment based on the
nature of your engagement with them.
5. Make good choices. Every day, you have the opportunity to make choices that have a domino effect
on how you live the next day. Now, more than ever, the choices you make in school and in life will have
a bearing on how you will compete for admission. Like it or not, everything counts. So, make choices
that will give admission committees confidence that you are well prepared and best suited for their
environments. Don’t wait to become a college applicant—you are already one now!