It is hard to believe that the calendar has turned to March. We are now a mere three weeks from the end of the third marking period, and I felt it would be a good time to share a few items to help us navigate the remainder of our year-long journey:

• Remember that much of the 4th marking period is spent testing; now is the time to get caught up in all classes.

• By Spring Break, all students should be at least 50% complete with their second-semester courses. 

• Keep an eye on your child’s progress. The on-pace assignment number on teachers’ announcement pages should be your guide.

• Parents, you’re the co-captains of this voyage. Designate a learning coach—a steady hand to guide your child’s ship.

• Communication matters. Stay responsive to teacher feedback and don’t be afraid to reach out for assistance!

• If content feels like choppy seas, attend live lessons. Seek clarity, reach out to teachers.

• Remember, we’re in this together. Partnerships steer us toward success.

As March continues to unfold, let’s sail onward, united by purpose. Together, we’ll chart a course toward brighter horizons.

 

Thank you for reading.

Dr. Serianni

You may now schedule your sitting for Senior Portraits with Dean Stewart Photography in Daytona Beach. Use the link below.

Orders can be placed on the Herff Jones website (www.herfforlando.com) or you may order in person at their Winter Park office (address below). No appointment is necessary. All items ordered EXCEPT the cap and gown will be shipped to your home. Caps and gowns will be distributed at VOL during the second semester. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Herff Jones at the number below.

https://bit.ly/407hpua - CAP & GOWN PRICING & PACKAGES

https://bit.ly/48SfoWX - GRADUATION CATALOG

https://bit.ly/47PKYnO - CLASS RING CATALOG

A shout out to our Business Partner Stenhouse Roofing & Construction for their generous donation for the Graduation Class of 2024! VOL appreciates you!

Stenhouse Roofing and Construction based out of Deland, FL. Proudly serves Volusia County and its surrounding areas since 2012. Our expertise spans from both residential and commercial roofing and construction. The exceptional craftsmanship in projects ranging from new construction to remodels.

We operate on a word of mouth and referrals. We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. We have been approved and certified with the state of Florida as a minority owned A+ business. License # CCC 1331441 and CBC1264367

Phone number - (321) 356-9698

Website – Stenhouseroofing.com

Email: Stenstromconstruction@gmail.com

Taylor Whitson is a Volusia Online Learning 9th grade student. Her nominating teacher, Ms. Sexton, says “Taylor is a very conscientious student who always strives to do better. Taylor is always looking for ways to improve and is dedicated to her classes. She always reaches out when assistance is needed. Taylor is always an engaged and willing participant in her math lessons with me and is a kind, funny and thoughtful young lady. Taylor is truly a joy to work with!!!!”

Congratulations, Taylor!

Caleb Perez is a Volusia Online Learning 5th grade student. His nominating teacher, Mrs. Compton, says “Caleb puts forth his best effort during live lessons and with his assignments. He attends all live lessons and is always on time. Caleb is determined. I can count on him to be on task and working through whatever problems or questions he is given. He works very well with a group in breakout rooms or individually during class. Caleb is a superb artist and shares some of his amazing drawings with the class. He enjoys video games, playing with his brother, and just hanging out with friends. Caleb is an excellent student and VOL star.”

Congratulations, Caleb!

Charles Gorr (Picture unavailable at time of production)

Charles Gorr is a Volusia Online Learning 6th grade student. His nominating teacher, Ms. Lenge, says “Charlie is a kind, caring, thoughtful, and respectful 6th grader who is always quick to help and support his classmates and fellow Robotics Club members. The coding projects he submits always go above and beyond, showing off his creativity. He leads by example and has become a mentor to the elementary club members of VOL Robotics. He loves coding, robotics, and computer science and wants to become a video game developer.”

Congratulations, Charles!

Logan Cavanaugh is a Volusia Online Learning 3rd grade student. His nominating teacher, Mrs. Edwards, says “Logan is an enthusiastic learner with a creative spirit. His artistic creations are a reflection of his ability to see things in a unique and imaginative way. He is always willing to share his creativity with others and is an active participant in class discussions.”

Congratulations, Logan!

• Florida Alternative Assessments will continue in-person at our VOL location until mid-April.

• The ACT-NCR for specific 11th and 12th graders who registered will be at zoned schools on March 12-14.

• PERT, SAT SD, and the Classic Learning Test (CLT) will occur for eligible students in April. Eligible students were invited via email. The SAT SD and PERT tests require the submission of the digital registration form included in the email.

• VOL families can expect to receive a personalized testing email soon with the students’ exact tests listed and site-specific details.

For students who chose to test at VOL: 

April 4th: B.E.S.T Writing Grades 4-7 and Grade 9

April 5th: B.E.S.T Writing Grades 8 and 10

April 24th: Classic Learning Test CLT (Only select seniors)

April 29th-May 4th: K-2 PM3 STAR Testing (Remote)

May 1: Algebra 1 Retake Grades 11 and 12

May 2: FAST ELA Retake Grades 11 and 12

May 7: Statewide Science Grades 5 and 8 (Additional accommodated small groups on May 8th)

May 7: Biology End-of-Course Exam (Additional accommodated small groups on May 8th)

May 9: Civics End-of-Course Exam (EOC)

May 9: US History End-of-Course Exam (EOC)

May 14: PM3 FAST Reading Grades 3-7 and Grade 9 (Accommodated small groups on May 16th)

May 15: PM3 Math Grades 3-7

May 16: PM3 ELA Grades 8 and 10

May 17: PM3 Math Grade 8 (Accommodated small group on May 20)

May 17: Algebra 1 End-of-Course Exam (EOC)

May 17: Geometry End-of-Course Exam (EOC) (Accommodated small group on May 20)

May 20: 8th Grade PM3 FAST Math/Geometry Accommodated Small Groups

*Makeups occurring on various days through May 31st as needed.

April 4th: BEST Writing Test (Grades 4-10)

April 29th-May 4th: K-2 PM3 STAR Testing (Remote)

May 1: Algebra 1 Retakes (Grade 12 Only)

May 2: FAST ELA Retake (Grades 11 and 12)

May 7th: Statewide Science (Grades 5 and 8)

May 7th: Biology End-of-Course Exam (EOC)

May 9th: Civics End-of-Course Exam (EOC)

May 9th: US History End-of-Course Exam (EOC)

May 14: PM3 ELA Grades 3-9

May 15: PM3 ELA Grade 10

May 16: PM3 Math Grades 3-8

May 16: Algebra 1 and Geometry End-of-Course Exams (EOC)

May 21: Algebra 1 Retakes (Grades 9-11)

Participation in state testing is a required condition of enrollment at VOL. If you have any questions or concerns about state testing, please contact our VOL testing coordinator, Dr. Markell, at (386) 734-7190 ext. 72701, or bgmarkel@volusia.k12.fl.us

Announcing the Superintendent’s Spring Reading Challenge. Students are challenged to read at least 400 minutes between March 1st – 31st and log their minutes in Beanstack to earn a $20 Fun Card from Daytona Lagoon. Students who read more than 600 minutes will earn one water park pass and a companion ticket. Please note, students are only eligible for $20 Fun Card or the water park passes, not both.

Congratulations to our VOL Robotics Team under the leadership of Stacey Horn and Nicole Lenge. They earned a trophy during their competition last weekend for “Most Successful Code.”

Thank you, Stacey Horn, for celebrating our new inductees into VOL’s National Junior Honor Society and National Honor Society. Congratulations to Jason Sidlik, Jude Zlatos, Daisy Dickerson, Haley Belland, and Chole Carr.

We are happy to share that we will be hosting Field Day for our VOL students in grades K-12 and their families on Saturday, March 16th. The fun begins at 10:00 AM. Lunch will be provided at 12:00 PM. It will be a great day filled with fun challenges, dancing, and good times.

* High school students are encouraged to attend as a volunteer for this event to receive volunteer hours.

Please let us know if you intend to join us for Field Day, by clicking on the link.

Teachers will be assigning Quarter 3 report card grades based on student progress at the end of the school day on Thursday, March 21st. Report card grades will reflect actual student progress or lack thereof for each course listed on their schedule (this includes special area and elective courses).

Did you know that VOL has our very own virtual store where students and families can purchase school related apparel and products? Feel free to check it out here: VOL Store.

Attention senior parents, caps and gowns will be distributed through Volusia Online Learning on May 1st from 4:30 – 6:00 PM.

The Montalvo Family is a family of five. Dad, Victor remolds homes and Mom, Breanna is a stay at home mom. Their children Alauna, Devon and Victor love to spend their free time cooking with their parents on the weekends. Food is this family’s love language. Their two fluffy bunnies Benny and Bugz make the family complete. They are all excited that Devon is a senior in high school this year, he aspires to be a member of the Air Force. They originally enroll with Volusia Online Learning due to the pandemic back in 2020. The Montalvo’s have been with VOL for a little over 3 years.

Mrs. Montalvo is the VOL Learning Coach for daughter Alauna. A day in the life of this amazing Mom consists of waking the kiddos up bright and early to get the boys off to school. Once her brothers are off on their educational journeys, Alauna gets signed in to her first Zoom class at 9:00am. Once Alauna gets a break between classes, Mom makes sure she gets a good breakfast and a full belly. After all of Alauna’s Zoom classes are over for the day, Mom and Alauna go over all of the lessons for the day to make sure Alauna understands the lessons. To give Alauna some extra practice, she joins her small group instruction class with her classmates. Mrs. Montalvo makes sure Alauna completes all of her school work by the end of each day.

Mrs. Montalvo attributes their Volusia Online Learning success to really getting to know the school material and the online platforms. “Knowing the material helps me get an idea of what she is learning and what I need to teach her”. Mom likes that VOL has brought school into her own home and has taught her a lot about being a successful learning coach.

Volusia Online Learning has helped Alauna participate in one on one lessons with less disruptions. Mrs. Montalvo believes Alauna is a perfect candidate for Volusia Online Learning! Mom’s plan for schooling is for Alauna to continue being a VOL student. Alauna and Mom love their VOL teachers! “They are wonderful!”

For your student to be a successful Volusia Online Learning student, you as a parent must be a good Learning Coach. “It’s the key to success!” says Mrs. Montalvo. Don’t fall behind and have a schedule to help your student be successful. Use all the resources given to you and your child. This will set you and your child up for success!

Be sure to look at each course homepage to see your teacher’s posted “last day” to submit assignments that will be included in your Quarter 3 reported grade in Focus.

If you are on or ahead of pace according to your course pacing guide or planner, you will earn the grade that’s showing in your gradebook. If you are behind pace, your Quarter 3 grade will be calculated with zeros in place for all missing/past due assignments, which will negatively impact your reported grade in Focus. You will still be able to get caught up by completing the work you’re missing BEFORE the end of the school year so that it can be included in your semester Focus grade.

All courses will remain open and accessible for students during Spring Break. Students can access their course(s) to continue working, if needed during this time, so they can catch up and get on pace. It’s important that students are on pace heading into the Quarter 4 grading period so they can complete their course(s) successfully by the last day of school.

K-11th Grade students must have ALL Segment 2 coursework completed BY 5/24/24.

Bachelor’s Degree from Flagler College

Ms. Sexton is an ESE Case Manager, and she does math consultation and math support facilitation for grades 6-12. She has been teaching 28 years. Prior to becoming a teacher, Ms. Sexton was a behavioral counselor for the House Next Door in DeLand and for DJJ (Department of Juvenile Justice) Day Program in Daytona Beach. Ms. Sexton has been ESE teacher of the year and math teacher of the year twice.

Ms. Sexton enjoys working for Volusia Online Learning because she loves the one-on-one time that she has with students. The one-on-one time makes her feel like she is able to reach students and spend quality instructional time with them. When Ms. Sexton is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and her dogs. Ms. Sexton also enjoys outdoor work such as mowing and pressure washing. Ms. Sexton loves baking, going to the beach and going to church.

Copyright Notice

Reproduction of this material, either written or electronically, including the general layout, graphics, analyses, and content topics without the express approval of Target Performance Systems, Inc., a Florida corporation, and Volusia Online Learning is forbidden without written consent. Thank you for your support of the Volusia County Schools and especially Volusia Online Learning. Please contact Dr. Serianni at aaserian@volusia.k12.fl.us with any questions related to the program.

Volusia Online Learning | Dr. Serianni, Principal | 386.506.0014 | VOL Website