Greetings! I hope you are enjoying your Spring Break! With the 3rd quarter in the rearview mirror, I thought I’d set our sights on the finish line with a few important announcements about the 4th quarter:

• All students should have completed a minimum of 50% of their course by the end of the 3rd quarter. Seniors need to complete all classes by May 3rd. All other students should aim for May 24th. This will allow for a little buffer just in case. Remember that all Full-Time students are expected to complete all courses by the end of the school year. 

• State testing starts the week we return from break with the writing test. Remember that testing is required for all VOL Full-Time students. Dr. Markell has done a wonderful job organizing our testing schedule and ensuring that all students have their preferred testing location (either at VOL HQ or at your zoned school). If you are unsure about your testing location or need any assistance, please contact Dr. Markell or any administrator and we will help you out.

• We had about 100 people come out to our 2nd annual VOL Field Day last weekend and it was a huge success. A big shout out to Coach Burnam Hoyt and her team of volunteers who planned and executed a great day of fun! Coach Burnam Hoyt will be organizing other outdoor events as part of our VOL Unplugged program, so stay tuned for more information!

• The end of the year is full of appreciation days and weeks. The first week of April is designated to appreciate our VOL Dream Team—the resource teachers who help support teachers and students behind the scenes; April 24th is Administrative Professionals Day; and the first week of May is Teacher Appreciation Week! Our staff works incredibly hard to ensure that all students get the very best education possible. Please don’t forget to take some time to show your appreciation for the amazing people at VOL who work with your child every day!

That’s all I have for this week. Again, I hope you’re in the midst of a wonderful and restful Spring Break and I Iook forward to finishing the year strong with you all.

Thank you for reading.

Dr. S

 • 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 one hour. Elected members serve for two 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!

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE INTEREST SURVEY

 

Due date: April 12th at 11:59 pm

Election dates: April 15th – 19th

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

volusiaonlinelearning is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for FULL-TIME ENROLLMENT for the 2024-2025 school year. You can apply at www.volusiaonlinelearning.com.

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

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: [email protected]

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

· 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.

· Personalized testing emails were sent to students and parents in early March with the students’ exact tests listed and site-specific details.

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 [email protected]

Lily Houghtaling is a Volusia Online Learning 11th grade student. Her nominating teacher, Ms. Barnard, says “Both sides of her brain get great exercise, as Lily is a strong mathematician as well as an avid reader who selects challenging novels and loves to draw and play games. During Live Lessons, Lily always participates in a helpful and respectful manner which is great! Other students benefit from her style of explaining complex concepts in a straightforward and simpler way. Lily is genuinely a very happy person with a very good outlook on life which comes across in every meeting with her.”

Braydon Borriello is a Volusia Online Learning 6th grade student. His nominating teacher, Dr. Allanson, says “Brayden is an extremely helpful student who is always willing to participate in Live Lessons. He goes above and beyond to teach others when they are struggling. Brayden excels in his math course maintaining pace and high grades. He is quick to ask for help if needed.”

Kaylee Williamson is a Volusia Online Learning 5th grade student. Her nominating teacher, Mrs. Compton, says “Kaylee is a wonderful student who is a leader for her classmates. She completes assignments carefully and thoroughly and is always on or ahead of pace. Kaylee is polite to her teachers and classmates and brings valuable input to our class discussions. Kaylee did an excellent job on her 5th grade Science Project investigating how adding color to ice affects the melting rate. Kaylee is artistic and likes to crochet. She enjoys spending time with her family and being outdoors. She is an important part of our 5th grade class and VOL.”

Students are encouraged to continue to participate in 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.

Thank you to our students and families for joining us for Field Day last Saturday. It was a great day filled with fun challenges, dancing, good times, and free food. Special thanks to Coach Sabrina Burnam-Hoyt for planning and executing a fantastic event.

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

All Volusia County Schools are closed to the public for Spring Break Monday, March 25th through Sunday, March 31st. Although students will continue to have access to their courses, teachers will not be available for grading, DBAs, assessments, text messages, or emails until classes resume for students on Monday, April 1st.

Students in grades 3-12 must report for in-person testing in April and May for upcoming state assessments (Writing, FAST PM3, EOCs, etc.). Families received personalized state testing schedules for their students via email earlier this month. If you have specific questions regarding your child’s testing schedule, please contact our Testing Coordinator, Dr. Bonnie Markell sooner rather than later.

Attention senior parents, please mark your calendars for these upcoming dates:

We are in the home stretch of the 2023-2024 school year and the fourth nine weeks is upon us. Please plan to finish the year strong. Seniors, students in grade 12, have a target completion date of May 3rd. Students in grades K-11 have a target completion date of May 24th. This allows all students to complete their coursework and DBAs prior to graduation and the last day of school on Friday, May 31st.

Our full-time application is open for the 2024-2025 school year. Full-time families do not need to reapply unless they were advised to do so. If you know someone who is interested in joining our VOL family, please feel free to share the link:

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.

If students are on or ahead of pace according to their course pacing guide or planner, they earned the grade that’s showing in their course gradebook. If students are behind pace, their Quarter 3 grade was calculated with “virtual” zeros in place for all their missing/past due assignments, which most likely negatively impacted their reported grade in Focus. Students will still be able to get caught up by completing the work they are missing BEFORE the end of the school year so that it can be included in their semester 2 Focus grade. 

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:   

SENIORS must complete ALL COURSEWORK BY 5/3/24.  

The Hazelbaker’s, Tim (dad), Sandy (mom), Stella (sister- 19), Sophia and Frosty, our adorable, playful Jack Zhu dog. Together they love camping as a family in their travel trailer, enjoying, relaxing, and exploring the great outdoors. Sophia is currently an 11th grader at VOL who is working her way towards a black belt in karate and is a Marvel fan. Sophia aspires to go to college like her sister Stella who is a first-year college student at UNF.

In middle school, Sophia started expressing interest in virtual school. When COVID forced schools to shut down, it seemed like the perfect time to try online education. Once enrolled in VOL, Sophia loved it and thrives in the virtual setting and continues to choose VOL to fulfill her educational needs.

In The Hazelbaker Family, Sandy (mom) acts as the designated “learning coach” for Sophia. Over the past four years, Sophia has continued to be an independent, driven learner and makes “Mom's life as a learning coach very easy.” Sandy understands the dedication needed for her role as learning coach, which involves being a proctor for student exams and although rare, assisting Sophia with any questions she may have. Sophia sticks to a daily routine, getting up early to start the day as would any student attending brick and mortar classes. She organizes her assignments and tracks due dates to ensure she stays on track. She also communicates with her teachers as needed if she is unclear on anything within assignments.

The Hazelbaker Family are a successful VOL family due to Sophia’s dedication to her education. Sophia starts her week by going through her pace planners to plan out assignments for the week. She is also a Dual Enrolled college student. She attends college two days a week at Daytona State and splits her days between completing her VOL assignments and her DSC assignments. Sophia plans to remain in VOL through her high school graduation.

Sophia has enjoyed the flexibility that online school offers. She likes that she can work at her own pace and not be constrained to a classroom setting. Sophia is able to work ahead of pace and on occasion has allowed us to enjoy longer family camping trips!

The Hazelbaker Family really love the flexibility of being an online student. Sophia has really enjoyed the teachers she has had throughout the years.

The Hazelbaker’s key to success: Make sure you know your child and how they would operate in a more independent setting and communicate, communicate, communicate (with student and teachers)!

Bachelor of Art in Psychology from Flagler College

Master of Science of Counseling from University of West Alabama

Volusia County World Language Teacher of the Year 2023

Volusia County Teacher of the Year Finalist 2018

Seabreeze High School Teacher of the Year 2018

Mrs. Wilson is an ASL and Psychology teacher. She started working with Volusia County Schools in 2000. Mrs. Wilson has taught in Colorado and Hawaii. Prior to teaching Mrs. Wilson worked as a Sign Language Interpreter, a Mental Health Worker, an Employment Counselor & Coordinator, and Guidance Counselor. What Mrs. Wilson enjoys most about teaching at Volusia Online Learning is connecting with students and their families on a 1:1 basis. When Mrs. Wilson is not working, she enjoys pottery, painting, walking her dog, riding her bike, going to the beach, and spending time with family.

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York Read full article

CAUTION NOTE FOR OUR VOL FOXES: The are a number of factors that should go into choosing a college major beyond just economics (personal interests, location, industry future, family, etc.) The University of South Florida offers some practical advice for their students regarding major choices here.

More than half of Americans report it's either difficult or impossible to save enough money to cover all their expenses. Less than half of people say they could handle an unexpected cost of $1,000 or more. However, it is important to remember that even saving $25.00 a month can really add up, if given enough time.

Source: Bankrate survey, Dec. 18-20

* Short video for parents and kids on what interest is and how compound interest works (Source: United States Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis)

Source: Stone Injury Lawyers  

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