Volusia Online Learning Community Brief
Monday, September 18, 2023
Volusia Online Learning Community Member,

This past week marked the half-way point of the first marking period, which is significant in a few different ways. First, Mid-Term Progress Reports are being made available in Focus for traditional brick and mortar students. At VOL, we do not issue progress reports per se, but parents always have access to student progress through FLVS (if you do not know how to access your child’s progress in their classes, please contact their school counselor for assistance). Furthermore, our teachers are in constant contact with students regarding their progress and performance in their classes. This includes information on every teacher’s landing page telling students what assignment they should have completed by the end of any particular week. Second, we are in the first round of progress monitoring for reading and mathematics. All Full-Time students in grades K through 10 have been contacted by their teacher regarding progress monitoring assessments and are expected to participate. As of today, only 75% of our students have completed their reading assessment and 65% of our students have completed their mathematics assessment. If your child has yet to test, please be on the lookout for emails about make-up testing.

I bring all of this up to remind all parents that Full-Time VOL students are expected to remain on pace in their classes, attend weekly live lessons, and participate in all state testing. As a school, we analyze student progress and performance data weekly for every class and work with teachers to identify students who are in need of additional academic support. Our goal is to accurately determine a student’s strengths and weaknesses, so we then provide appropriate supports designed to help them grow as a learner. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.”

The expectations for Full-Time students are designed to help VOL fulfill that goal and help your child find meaningful success. Please help us by ensuring that your child is attending live lessons, participating in state testing, and keeping on pace in their classes.

Speaking of progress monitoring, the data VOL uses to track student progress comes from numerous sources and can be overwhelming if not organized in a meaningful way. Fortunately for VOL, we have the incredible Rachael McQueen helping us make sense of all this data. Ms. McQueen is so good at what she does that she was nominated for the Superintendent’s Outstanding Achievement Award and recognized last week at University High School. Congratulations Ms. McQueen!
That’s all I have this week. Please make sure you scroll through the rest of the Foxhole Flyer for important updates about VOL and the people who make it great.

Thank you for reading.

Dr. Serianni
Current and Upcoming Events
Spirit Night (Oct. 5th)

Attention Eastside and Westside Fox Families!
Spirit Night for Volusia Online Learning will be held on Oct. 5th, 2023 with Texas Roadhouse in Orange City and Port Orange locations from 4pm to 10pm.

Both Texas Roadhouse locations will donate 10% of total food purchases from TO GO ORDERS and to our school!

Present the flyer via phone or in physical form to your server at pick up or dine in to ensure the donations go to Volusia Online Learning.

Share the flyer with your friends and family to support our school! Both flyers will also be on our school website.
Texas Roadhouse - Port Orange
Texas Roadhouse - Orange City
Attention Seniors!
You may now schedule your sitting for Senior Portraits with Dean Stewart Photography in Daytona Beach. Use the link below.
Picture Day (Oct. 9th)

Picture Day for students is scheduled for Monday, October 9th, 2023, from 8:30am to 5:00pm.

East side students may go to the Dean Stewart Photography Studio located at
955 Foster Way Suite 322 in South Daytona any time between the hours listed above.

Students on the west side may come to the VOL (Volusia Online Learning) office located at 250 Enterprise Road, Deltona, Bldg. 3 during the same times listed above. The VOL office is in Deltona Middle School. Please keep in mind about the parent pick up and drop of traffic when planning your visit. Make up day to be determined!
S.A.C. Needs You!
Our School Advisory Council (S.A.C.), which meets monthly, assists in making recommendations on how our school operates. S.A.C. membership is comprised of elected parents, staff, and business community officials.

• Are you interested in what goes on at school?

• Are you one of our many working parents who cannot be at school during the day to help or volunteer?

• Are you willing to commit to attending eight face-to-face meetings during the school year for approximately 1 hour. Elected members serve for 2 years.

If you answered yes to the above questions, then you are just the person we are looking for to serve on VOL’s School Advisory Council! 

Contact Ms. Horne for more information at [email protected]

See preview of upcoming meeting dates:

S.A.C. Meetings
The third Wednesday of each month at 4:00pm
(Tentative Dates)
  • September 20th
  • October 18th
  • November 15th
  • January 17th
  • February 21st
  • March 20th
  • April 17th
  • May 15th
Testing
VOL students are required to participate in state testing. The first progress monitoring remote FAST assessments for Reading and Math took place during the first two weeks of September for Grades K-10. Scores are available within 24 hours on the Focus student and parent portals.
 
We are currently administering remote make-up test sessions now through September 29th. Please make sure to check students’ VCS email accounts regularly for important testing information.
 
Fall EOCs and retakes for some secondary students will begin taking place at zoned schools starting September 13th and continuing through the beginning of October. Students who were identified to take Fall EOCs and retakes should have received an email in their VCS email account with dates and times for their specific tests at their zoned school.
 
Please contact Dr. Markell if you have questions or concerns about state testing by email at [email protected] or by phone at (386) 734-7190 ext. 72701.
VOL Student Spotlight
Javin Guerrier
Javin Guerrier is a Volusia Online Learning kindergarten student. His nominating teacher, Mrs. Heidi Kochis, says “Javin is one happy boy with a ready smile. In Zoom Live Lessons, Javin comes prepared and ready to take on the content. He listens using his eyes, ears and heart! Javin collaborates and participates in all kindergarten work. He is happy to share and show his work with me and his classmates. Javin is so excited about learning you can see his wheels spinning while he listens intently with eyes, ears and heart. Kindergarten is a happy place for Javin!” 

Congratulations, Javin!
Arianna Hall
Arianna Hall is a Volusia Online Learning 8th grade student. Her nominating teacher, Mr. Ray, says “Arianna is an amazing student who is very diligent and always on pace. She completes her assignments with a lot of effort and knows when to reach out for help. Arianna is a polite young lady.”

Congratulations Arianna!
Community Spotlight
Volusia Online Learning received a donation from a former Volusia County resident who runs her real estate business in multiple counties. Mrs. Wortman stated in her donation letter, “My daughter started her academic career in Volusia County Schools. I started my business in Volusia County and purchased my first home in Volusia County, so this school system will forever have a piece of my heart."

Mrs. Wortman’s generous donation will help us support teacher and student acknowledgements in the upcoming months. Thank you, Mrs. Wortman!
FLVS Tips & Tricks
FLORIDA VIRTUAL SCHOOL

FLVS PARENTS DID YOU KNOW?

Parent/Guardian Account
FLVS values parents as partners. From approving course requests to monitoring
progress, the Parent/Guardian Account allows parents to have a hands-on approach.
with their student's academic life at FLVS.

With your Parent/Guardian Account you will have:
• 24-7 online access to submitted and/or graded assignments and your child's
grade book

• Monthly phone calls from teachers

• Monthly progress reports emailed to parent emails

• Regular email updates from teachers

• Extensive access to teachers

How to create your Parent/Guardian Account:
1. Student Account Set Up: You will need this Student Username/ Password to
create your Parent/Guardian Account.

2. Create your Parent/Guardian Account: Click here to begin creating your
Parent/Guardian Account  Virtual School Administrator (flvs.net)                        
 
How to add new students to your Parent/Guardian
Account:
1. Login to your account at- FLVS Login

2. Under “Student Records” – click on “Add Another Student.”

3. The page will refresh and ask to enter the student’s login information to connect
the two accounts.
Edgenuity Update
Volusia Online Learning encourages you to be an active part of your child’s experience with Imagine Edgenuity. As such, we want to keep you informed of your student’s progress by offering you the ability to receive daily, weekly, or monthly progress reports via e-mail.

If you would like to receive your child’s progress report, please contact your student’s Volusia Online teacher, or other appropriate school staff member, and provide them with the following information:

• Your student’s first and last name or school alpha code.
• Your first and last name.
• Your e-mail address.
• How often you want to receive the Progress Report:
  • Daily: Reports are sent out between 5:00 and 7:00 a.m. Eastern time.
  • Weekly: Reports are sent out on Mondays between 3:00 and 5:00 a.m. Eastern time.
  • Monthly: Reports are sent out on the first day of the month between 3:00 and 5:00 a.m. Eastern time.

** The progress report sent to your email will look like the example below:
Full-Time Updates
Mrs. Hamlin, 2023-2024 Teacher of the Year
Congratulations to Volusia Online Learning’s Teacher of the Year – Mrs. Vicki Hamlin! Mrs. Hamlin is our high school counselor responsible for supporting our tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students. Mrs. Hamlin truly cares about our students at VOL and goes above and beyond to connect with them and ensure their success.
Fiona Miller (2nd Grade), Stellar Student - Superintendent's Summer Reading Challenge
On Tuesday, September 12th, Fiona Miller, a second grade VOL student, was recognized by the School Board for her stellar participation in the Superintendent’s “Home Run” Summer Reading Challenge. Way to go, Fiona!
Student-Teacher Communications & Live Lessons
Studies show that regular communication with teachers is the key to success in virtual school? Encourage your child to communicate with their teachers regularly and attend Live Lessons.

1st Nine-Week Quarter Assignments
We are halfway through the first nine weeks. Please ask your child where they are in their courses to ensure they will complete all required assignments by 3:00 PM on Friday, October 13th. Please have your child schedule their required DBAs early to ensure they are complete prior to this deadline. Report card grades will be issued based on student’s progress or lack thereof for each course listed on their schedule (this includes special area and elective courses).
Teacher Spotlight
Dr. Patricia Allanson, Middle School Math Teacher
Degrees:
Educational Doctorate -Liberty University
Educational Specialist -Liberty University
Master's of Science- University of Central Florida
Bachelors of Science Elementary Education University of Central Florida

Certification: Instructional Technology Certification

Organization: Educause -research consortium NCTM

Awards:
Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, Liberty University, Spring Term, 2013
Department Chair Award for Faculty Distinction, Liberty University, Fall Term, 2013
Math Teacher of the Year -2010

Dr. Allanson started her teaching career with Volusia County Schools in 1991. Prior to that she worked in banking and the automotive industry as a service clerk. The thing she enjoys most about teaching, especially with VOL (Volusia Online Learning), is the interactions with coworkers and especially with the families. “We truly have the opportunity to make connections that you don’t get to make in the brick-and-mortar environment.” When not working she loves to go camping, spend time with her grandchildren, and work on the camper she is building! Her most memorable VOL moments are our Halloween Trunk or Treat event and the day she found out she was coming to work for VOL in 2020.

TEACHER TIDBITS

Who had the greatest influence on your education and/or career path?
The person who had the greatest influence on my education, and the reason I am a teacher would be my 10th grade algebra teacher. If it were not for her, I would have been a high school dropout. Mrs. Gleason helped me see the beauty in math and encouraged me to not give up on school. I owe a great deal to her.
-------------
Mr. Temple, Middle School U.S. History Teacher
Mr. Temple teaches U.S. History for 6th and 8th grades. Mr. Temple has been teaching for 34 years. He was teacher of the year twice, once for Holly Hill Middle School and Atlantic High School and has been nominated at Volusia Online Learning.

Mr. Temple enjoys swimming, music, photography and antiquing with Mrs. Temple. Speaking of music, one of Mr. Temple's first jobs was a DJ on college radio and he plays the keyboard, bass, drums, and the saxophone.

Something cool that is going on in Mr. Temple’s class is that a student is developing a digital 'art wall' where students can submit artwork to be displayed and it was the student’s idea.
Food for Thought for our High School Foxes
Florida Colleges & Universities: Comparative Information
Hispanic Americans earning college degrees is up sharply:
(This is National Hispanic Heritage Month, 9/15 to 10/15)
Source: US Census Bureau Read full article
U.S. student loan payments by type:
Florida flag
Have a wonderful week!
Dr. Serianni, Principal
Volusia Online Learning
Sunday, September 17, 2023
Volusia Online Learning 2023-2024 Leadership Team
Dr. Anthony Serianni, Special School Principal - [email protected]
Ms. Christa Chapple, Online Learning Specialist - [email protected]12.fl.us
Ms. Melissa Shaw, Special School Assistant Principal - [email protected]
Dr. Tiffanee Grant, Special School Assistant Principal - [email protected]
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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 [email protected] with any questions related to the program.
Volusia Online Learning | Dr. Serianni, Principal | 386.506.0014 | VOL Website