February 1, 2021
Greetings, everyone!

We have a few highlighted notes for our schools and districts:

  • NCVirtual teachers will be reaching out to schools for updated student and parent contact information.
  • Our first progress reports will be posted Thursday. Visit our Progress Report Action Steps page to see what you can do to support your online students.
  • Today, Feb. 1, is the last day to drop or add students in Standard Start courses.

See all the news and highlights below, and forward this e-lert to any stakeholders who may need it. They can subscribe to the e-lert here.
Trending Updates
Student and Parent Contact Information

We task our teachers to have regular communications with their students' parents or guardians. However, our teachers often find the contact information in PowerSchool is not accurate. Please help our teachers find update-to-date contact information for both students and parents. Our teachers will be reaching out to you, as we rely on schools to provide that information. We are sure your school will need current student and parent contact information, too!

Live Sessions for Middle School Students

NCVirtual knows that the transition to online learning has been hard, especially for middle school students. We are committed to providing extra support to help your middle school students be successful in their online classes.

Beginning the week of January 23rd, a group of NCVirtual teachers will begin offering live coaching sessions for middle school students. Attendance is NOT required for these live sessions; although, we hope you will encourage your students to participate. Students will be enrolled in another Canvas section in order to be able to access the zoom link for the live coaching sessions. We are sending similar communications to middle school students and parents. Here are the details:

  • Session topics will be repeated throughout each week. Your students are welcome to attend multiple live sessions in the same week if they like - just know the topics will be the same.
  • Your students do not have to attend a session with their teacher.
  • Sessions will be recorded and students may review the recordings afterward.

Requesting Final Grade Early for Spring Classes

We have a new two-step process for requesting final grades early for spring Standard Start classes. Our spring Standard Start courses end on May 18, 2021, and final grades will be reported on May 28. Schools can request an early May 14 reporting date. Here's the process:

Step 1: Districts and schools can opt for early reporting on May 14 by submitting this form.

Step 2: Communicate your end-date expectations to your students and our NCVirtual teachers. Do this early in the semester so that our teachers have time to adjust the pacing guides for your students.

Communication between the school, student, and teacher is essential here.

This process is for Standard Start classes only. Our Early Start classes will report on May 14, their original end date.
Spring 2021 Classes
Important Dates

Early Start Begins: Jan. 4
Standard Start Begins: Jan. 19
Early Start Last Day Drop/Add: Jan. 15
Standard Start Last Day Drop/Add: Feb. 1
Early Start Classes End: May 4
Standard Start Classes End: May 18

Semester Success with NCVPS

See our Semester Success with NCVPS page for some sure steps to help you and your students in their NCVPS classes.

Printable Guides and Checklists

We have a number of printable guides for ELAs, students, and parents.

Canvas Parent App

Parents, facilitators, and mentors and track their student’s progress with the Canvas Parent App. See the full details on our Canvas Parent App and Web Portal page.

NCVPS App

Download our NCVPS app to receive notifications on your smartphone. Search for “NCVPS” in the Apple and Android stores. See our App Announcement for details.
Current Reporting
What Grades Are Currently Posted?

Jan. 27 - Standard Start No-show Report Posted in the NCVPS Registration System

What's Next on the Schedule?

Feb. 4 - Progress Report Posted in the NCVPS Registration System

Progress Report Action Steps

What should your action steps be with our progress reports? We’re glad you asked! Visit our Progress Report Action Steps page for all the details.

Reporting Overview

See our Grades and Testing Quick Reference Guide for an overview of our reporting. We have details on our Student Status (No-Show) Reports, Progress Reports, Final Grade Reports, and how we calculate grades.
Student Spotlight
Digital Transition Webinar Series
Our Digital Transition webinar series is back!

We have a great set of experienced online teachers lined up to bring you a webinar series with a variety of topics that will help you in your remote instruction and online learning environments. Here's what we have scheduled:

Event: Leading the Reading: Guided and Independent Reading Tips and Tricks
Dates and Times: Feb. 10 at 4:00 p.m. and Feb. 17 at 9 a.m.
Session Details: Tips and tricks for teaching guided and independent reading virtually.
Audience: Teachers and Curriculum Coordinators are the main audiences, but all are welcome to attend.
Presenters: ImplementEd with Erin Fisher, Lisa Hibler, and Craig Tucker.
NCVirtual's Teacher Online Training Course
Prepare your teachers for success in the online learning environment. Visit our Teacher Online Training page for details and registration. The course is free!

The next course begins on Feb. 1, 2021. Additional start dates will be based on interest from individuals and districts.

This course is asynchronous and facilitator-led. Facilitators have many years of experience in online learning and are specially trained to work with educators transitioning to this environment.

* Participants work in cohorts to complete five modules.
* A cohort is 35 to 50 educators.
Open Webinars
NCVirtual is pleased to host online events through our Culture Café, IworkNCVirtual Speaker Series, and Open House Events.

Here's what we have coming up:

Culture Cafe Event - Holocaust Survivor Tale ~ "Inheriting the Role of a Witness"
Details: The session is led by Sharon Halperin from The Center for Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Education of North Carolina.
Date and Time: Feb. 9, 7:00pm to 8:00pm.
Location: Join the live session through our Culture Café page.

Iwork Event: Paying for College
Date and Time: February 11 from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM
Event Details: CFNC representatives Amy Denton, Brittany Privott, and Timeka Ruffin, will share important aspects of resources that you can use to pay for college. Topics Will Include:
  • Financial aid basics
  • College costs
  • Applying for financial aid
  • Other ways to pay for college
  • Eligibility for financial aid
  • Scholarships, Grants, Work-Study, Loans
  • CFNC tools and materials
Location: Join the live session through our Iwork page.

Iwork Event: How to work in education without becoming a teacher.
Date and Time: February 11 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Event Details: Students know about school-based careers in education because they see and interact with teachers, counselors, principals, and sports coaches every day. But the education industry includes so much more. Start your own education business. Join a giant education corporation. Launch a nonprofit. All are possible in the field of education. Let’s explore with Dan Gonzalez!
Location: Join the live session through our Iwork page.
Daily Office Hours
The Outreach and Support team has office hours Monday-Friday from 12:00 to 12:30 p.m. We are prepared to stay longer with visitors who need assistance. Anyone can join, and we have breakout rooms ready if needed.

Students & Parents - Do you have general questions about our program or concerns about your course? Visit the Outreach team during the lunch hour. We're here to help!

E-learning Advisors - Are you new to NCVirtual? Do you have questions about student performance? Unique enrollment requests? We're here to help!

E-learning Coordinators - Are you leading your district's e-learning program? Are you looking for new ways to partner with us? Drop into the office hours, and let's chat!

Teachers - Want to learn about the Outreach team? Let's talk!

Visit our Lunch with NCVirtual page for details and the link to join us in our online room.
Help
NCVirtual is a support organization, and we are here to help! Check out our guides and support pages below.






Virtual Support Center (Be sure to create an account before you submit your first ticket.)
THANKS, EVERYONE!
Your North Carolina students appreciate your dedication and hard work!