Student/Parent Handbook

Who Do I Contact?

Attendance: Attendance Technician

Class Concerns: Teacher

Assignments: Teacher

Grade Concerns: Teacher

Social Emotional Support: Counselor

Compliments/Concerns: School Support Staff (please call the office)

Student Schedule: Counselor

General Questions: Office

Please also check out our website for information: https://bit.ly/VAOwlswebsite

Check out Parentsquare, Facebook and Instagram for real time information.

ps://bit.ly/VirtualAcademyFacebook

https://bit.ly/VAOwlsInstagram

The Virtual Academy is an alternative educational virtual learning option. Our partnership with families is essential in order to achieve the vision for all scholars.

Vision:

*All 12th graders will graduate meeting A-G requirements

*All 8th graders will be proficient in 8th grade math.

*All 3rd graders will be reading at or above grade level

Mission Statement:

We exist to partner with scholars and families to provide educational opportunities and flexibility to be problem solvers, critical thinkers and creative learners.

The Virtual Academy will support student learning in the following ways:

• Provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a safe and effective virtual learning environment that enables students to meet the State’s student academic achievement standards.
• Communicate high expectations for every student and make every reasonable attempt to motivate students to learn.
• Participate in professional development opportunities that improve teaching and learning and support the formation of partnerships with families and the community.
• Enforce rules equitably and involve students in creating a safe and effective virtual learning environment.
• Provide parents with frequent reports on their children’s progress. Specifically, the school will provide reports through the following platforms:
  • Aeries Parent Portal, Google Classroom, Progress Reports and Report Cards
  • Individual phone calls as necessary
  • Daily Office Hours

Daily opportunity for student/family contact. Specifically, staff will be available for consultation with parents as follows:

• E-mail
• Phone Contact
• ParentSquare
• Office Hours

Parent Advisory Groups will offer parents the opportunity to participate in shared decision making with other school staff and families for the benefit of students (SSC, ELAC, and AAPAC).

• Provide parents opportunities to volunteer during school activities (virtually and on campus)
• Respect the school, staff, students, and families.
• Proctor on campus, in person district and state testing sessions.

As a STUDENT I will share the responsibility to improve my academic achievement and achieve the State’s high standards in the following ways:

• Maintain a positive, ready-to-learn attitude.
• Be fully engaged-with my CAMERA ON
• Attend school regularly, coming to class on time, ready to learn(cameras on) and with assignments completed.
• Attend assigned extra support sessions to fill in academic gaps.
• Complete all my assignments daily and ask for help when needed.
• Know and follow the school and class virtual expectations.
• Follow the district's dress code while on camera and on campus.
• Talk to my parents and my teachers about my progress in school.
• Respect my school, classmates, staff, and family.
• Submit original and authentic work that is not plagiarized.
• Participate in on campus, in person district and statewide testing

As a PARENT/GUARDIAN, I will support my child's learning in the following ways:

• Talk to my child regularly about the value of education.
• Contact the school when I have a concern.
• Monitor extracurricular time commitments to ensure my child completes school assignments.
• Make sure my child is ENGAGED in school every day, on time, and completes all assignments.
• Support virtual school and classroom expectations including: cameras on and engagement in instruction.
• Monitor my child's progress in school. Sign up for weekly updates through Aeries Parent Portal.
• Make every effort to have my child attend school events.
• Make sure my child gets enough sleep, gets regular medical care, and has proper nutrition.
• Participate, as appropriate, in decisions related to my child's education.
• Partner with school staff.
• Ensure that my child submits original and authentic work that is not plagiarized
• Ensure that my child participates in on campus, in person district and statewide testing

TK-8th:

Students will all be assessed in reading and math regularly to determine academic supports and progress. Parents will receive this assessment data through your chosen mean of contact.

9th-12th: 

Any student that receives a D or F in a Math or ELA course will be required to enroll in a Credit Recovery course. Students will have the opportunity to begin Dual Enrollment with San Bernardino Valley College beginning in Semester 2 of 9th grade.

We know the importance of bringing STEAM alive for all of our scholars. All students have the opportunity to participate in monthly virtual or in person inquiry activities and challenges. See our school website for dates. Real time information will also come through Parentsquare, Facebook and Instagram. In addition, STEAM lessons are integrated in TK-5th grade and are elective offerings in 7th-12th grades.

Point of Contact: Kimberly Melendez

kimberly.melendez@sbcusd.k12.ca.us

The Arts is alive at the Virtual Academy. TK-12th graders have the opportunity to work with actors in our hybrid Broadway Now! program as they prepare for a middle and end of the year performance.

Point of Contact: Kimberly Melendez

kimberly.melendez@sbcusd.k12.ca.us

Students in grades 3rd-12th also have the opportunity to participate in choir, band and instruments. 

Point of Contact: Ms. Autumn Rufus

autumn.rufus@sbcusd.k12.ca.us

SBCUSD Enrollment Requirements

Students MUST be enrolled in an 'In-person' school before transferring to the Virtual Academy. Please have a look at the district website for more information on SBCUSD's new student enrollment.

Virtual Academy Transfer

VIRTUAL ACADEMY IS AN INDEPENDENT STUDY EDUCATIONAL OPTION FOR STUDENTS WHO RESIDE IN THE SBCUSD BOUNDARIES.

YOUR CHILD'S SUCCESS IS DEPENDENT ON:

• STUDENT TECHNOLOGY AND CONNECTIVITY
• PARTICIPATION IN SYNCHRONOUS AND ASYNCHRONOUS LESSONS
• COMPLETION OF ASSIGNMENTS
• COLLABORATION AND ENGAGEMENT WITH TEACHERS AND CLASSMATES

STUDENTS WHO DO NOT COMPLETE ASSIGNMENTS OR ATTEND CLASS SESSIONS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REMAIN IN THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY

Staying up to date is crucial to your child's success!

The partnership between families and school is essential to success in Independent Study. Students attend daily class sessions and can join a teacher's daily office hour time. Teacher work hours are from 8:00-3:00pm. Please note that it can take up to 24 hours(excluding weekends) for a teacher to respond. Teachers will not be able to respond during class time. Please call the office if a message is urgent. All contact information is on the website.

Communication Expectations

The teachers and staff at the Virtual Academy will frequently communicate with parents regarding grades, behavior, work completion, attendance, and other common school concerns. Parents and guardians of students at the Virtual Academy should expect to receive emails/phone calls on a regular basis. Please ensure that you keep up to date contact information in Aeries. Changes can be made in your Aeries Parent Portal.

Please refrain from using class time to share student information or relay information to the teacher.

Late Work

All student work is time bound in independent study. This means that there are hard deadlines on when student work must be submitted. The expectation is that student work is turned in on time by its due date. However, we do understand that situations arise and sometimes it may take a little longer to get it done. The following is the late work policy by grade level:

• Elementary (Grades TK-5): Please see teacher for more information.
• Middle (Grades 6-8): Late work will be accepted up to 1 week after the assigned due date has past.For example, it it was due on Wednesday, no late work will be accepted after the following Wednesday. All late work will be reduced 1 letter grade. After the 1 week has past, a zero will be issued.
• High (Grade 9-12): Late work will be accepted for full credit up to 1 week after the assigned due date. For example, it it was due on Wednesday, no late work will be accepted after the following Wednesday. After the 1 week has past, a zero will be issued.

Learning Lab

The Learning Lab is designed to provide students an opportunity to work with educators in a one on one or small group in person environment. The Learning Lab focus will be on the development of literacy skills to ensure that all elementary scholars are reading at or above grade level by grade 3. Learning Lab will also support upper elementary and middle school students with comprehension, writing and math skills.

STEAM LAB

The STEAM Lab is designed to provide students and families an opportunity to explore, create and collaborate around real world projects/applications. 

In Person Testing

All students will be expected to report to campus for in person proctored testing. This includes district and state assessments. See School Events calendar for more information.

GRAB and GOs

TK-12th grade students will have scheduled grab and gos to pick up supplies and books.

Promotion/Graduation/Awards

Please check the School Events calendar for Awards, Promotions and Graduation Dates. This information will also be on our website and Social Media pages.

Field Trips/Outings

Field Trips/Outings will be planned for all grade levels during the school year. Please see your child's teacher for more information will come.

Attendance in independent study is really about participation. Students at the Virtual Academy will generate positive attendance as long as they are participating and work is being completed/submitted on time. Beginning the 2023-2024 school year, we will be using new attendance codes. You will see the following attendance codes being used:

• • P = Present and Participating
  • 9 = Present but NOT Participating
  • T = Late/Present and Participating
  • A = Absent/Not Participating
  • 7 = Asynchronous Work (Predominately for High School)

If your child is not able to attend a class session, please reach out to his/her teacher for missed assignments.

Elementary (TK-5th)

• Presented 3 times a year at the end of the trimester
• Academic, Hoot Award, and "Owl-Some" Award
• Families can pick up or have certificates mailed

Secondary (6th-11th)

• Presented 2 times a year at the end of the semester
• GPA Awards: Honor Roll-3.0, Principal's List-4.0, 

High School Seniors

• Valedictorian and Salutatorian-based on overall High School GPA.
• Gold, Silver, and Bronze Academic Medals: Seniors who have earned 7 consecutive semesters of a 3.5 GPA and above will be recognized by a medal.

Bronze Academic Medal: 3.5-3.74 GPA

Silver Academic Medal: 3.75-3.99 GPA

Gold Academic Medal: 4.0 GPA and above

Graduation Honor Cords:

Graduating seniors will receive cords based on the following criteria:

• A-G Coursework Completion - Double Cord of Silver and Brown
• CAASPP State Testing - White Cord of distinction for earning “Meets or Exceeds” for both ELA and Math
• A-G and CAASPP State Testing - Triple Cord of Silver, Brown and White
• Seal of Biliteracy - Braided Cord of Brown and White for students who have met the state’s requirement for the State Seal of Biliteracy
• Dual/Concurrent Enrollment - Braided Cord of Brown and Gray for students who have earned a “C or higher” in two semesters or one year of verified college coursework

Satisfactory Educational Progress: SEP is determined by the student’s achievement of standards; participation/engagement; completion of assignments, assessments, or other indicators; learning of required concepts; and progress towards the successful completion of the course(s) of study. A program review shall be conducted whenever the student does the following in one or more courses:

-does not make progress towards the state and local standards

-does not participate/engage in synchronous/live instruction for 3 school days in a week or 50% of the school days in a month

-does not complete assignments, assessments, or other indicators for 3 school days in a week or 10% of the instructional time in a month

-Is missing 4 or more assignments/assessments

-violates their learning/supplemental agreements

When a student is at-risk of not making SEP, tiered re-engagement strategies will be used. These strategies may include but are not limited to:

-verification of contact information

-parent/guardian notification

-address technology needs

-home visit

-parent-teacher conference

-outside referrals

-returning the student to in-person learning

If it is determined that a student is not making satisfactory educational progress through tiered re-engagement or if a parent wishes to return their child to in-person instruction, the school shall develop a plan to return the child to in-person learning within 5 instructional days.

In the event that establishing services or supports within an IEP will result in exceeding this 5 day turnaround, the child will be immediately returned to in-person learning or once those supports or services are in place.