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| Quick Links |
vcsbranching.orgTo read the latest edition of the VCS Voice newsletter for students and families, click here. |
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Calendar of Events | |
End of semester
May 20
ESC roundtable
June 15
Summer school session #1
June 13-July 8
Summer school session #2
July 11-August 5
KSU/Dual credit deadline
August 1
First day of school
August 24 |
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| Greetings! | |
It's hard to believe the school year is winding down once again! As we head into summer, many school districts are stressed about budget cuts they're facing. I've reached out to the school districts around the state whose levies failed last week. I sent them an e-mail explaining how VCS can save them money, time and resources. I encourage you to reach out to the cash-strapped districts in your region to see if we can form a partnership to ease their strain. It really is a win-win-win situation! If you need any assistance, please let me know. Remember, you have been provided marketing folders, sample letters, news releases and a PowerPoint presentation to help you spread the word about our opportunities.
I hope to see you at the meeting on June 15! See the article below for details.
Sincerely,
Mr. Rick Teeters
Director of Special Programs
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VCS to hold roundtable discussion | |
If you haven't already done so, please mark your calendar for Thursday, June 15! VCS will host a roundtable where the discussion will be driven by you, our VCS partners! You will have the opportunity to discuss what's working, what's not, how we can collaborate and plan for next year. The meeting will be held at the VCS office from 10am-1pm. Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP to Jill Workman at jill.workman@vcslearn.org or call 866-501-9473 ext. 2045. We hope to see you on the 15th!
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| Kent State dual credit fall line-up announced | 
Students save a lot of time and money when they receive high school and college credit for the same course! VCS has a partnership with Kent State University to offer online dual credit courses. Courses are free for full-time VCS students and only $185 per credit hour for non-VCS students through VCS Branching. Students must have an ACT or SAT score to apply. The registration deadline for Fall 2011 is August 1. Click here for more details and course descriptions for the upcoming semester. If you have any questions, contact Eric Williams via e-mail or call (866) 501-9473, ext. 2013. |
| Summer school registration is now open! |
 VCS is officially ready for summer! Our summer school schedule is set and registration is NOW open for students in grades 6-12. For pricing and course listings, download the summer school flier.
Remember: It states in your contracts that you will receive 10% for every student you get to sign up for summer school using your microsite! Contact Rick Teeters if you have any questions.
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| Get to know your ESC partners! | |
Meet Ms. Bonny Buffington!
Bonny is a consultant at the Knox County ESC
How do you utilize VCS?
We are using VCS currently as the curriculum for our alternative school in Knox County. We had used A+ as the online curriculum prior to this, and the students like VCS much better because it's so interactive with multi-media experiences. Even though it's more rigorous and there is a lot more work involved, the students appreciate having something to do besides read a screen and click an answer. We are also using VCS for our summer school with all of the Knox County schools, as well as Ashland-West Holmes Career Center. This fall, we have Galion City Schools and Centerburg Schools already committed to using VCS Branching for their credit flex in order to expand curricular offerings, and most of our schools will be using the Credit Recovery program with VCS, as well.
What programs have been the most popular within your schools?
We have used Branching at our Alternative School the most so far, but we anticipate using the summer school program heavily and I'm sure credit recovery will be used a great deal more this fall now that we have other schools on board with the program.
As an additional comment, we have found that principals, guidance counselors and superintendents who see the VCS program are generally impressed with the difference between an online curriculum and an online SCHOOL where teachers are highly trained in the use of technology and offer rigorous multi-media lessons that engage students instead of the "read and click" methodology used by most of the other software available.
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Branching Student Spotlight: Kayla Summers |
Meet Miss Kayla Summers!
Kayla used the VCS Branching program to graduate early and pursue her dream to become a Rockette
Kayla Summers, of Westerville, isn't an ordinary teenager. She started dancing at the age of 6, and at 17 she auditioned to be a world-famous Radio City Music Hall Rockette.
As a high school student at Westerville North High School, Summers often had to travel to dance competitions and occasionally had to miss school. When she became serious about auditioning for the Rockettes, she knew she could not travel to New York City and still maintain a traditional school schedule. Kayla needed the flexibility to finish her senior year while going back and forth between Westerville and New York. That's when Kayla and her parents found VCS!
Westerville City Schools and VCS Ohio worked together to ensure Kayla could graduate early. The credits she earned at VCS Ohio transferred, and she was able earn her diploma from Westerville North High School. She now makes frequent trips to New York to audition for various roles on and off-Broadway. She also plans to go to college and major in pre-medicine with the intention of becoming a pediatrician.
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| VCS Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Bryn Stepp |
Mrs. Stepp teaches 6th grade language arts and social studies
What is your favorite thing about VCS? I really enjoy the wonderful staff of VCS. They are wonderful people. I also enjoy getting to know the students and their families.
What do you want students to accomplish while they attend VCS? I want students to learn as much as they can and to enjoy learning. I would also like them to learn to love reading. In my 6th grade English class we have read a few chapter books together. I think the students have enjoyed it.
What advice do you want to pass on to students? The best advice I can give is to stay in contact with your teacher.
Favorites
Food: I like seafood
Sport: My favorite sport to watch is football. I don't play sports much, however, I do get exercise through walking about an hour a day.
Movie: I don't really watch many movies. Probably, the last good one was the Twilight movies that I went to with my daughter.
TV Show: The Office
Hobby/Interest: I love to read! I read anything-the Bible (mainly) newspapers, magazines, books, food labels whatever. I also enjoy going to my kids' sporting events, politics, and exercising especially when I have a friend to talk to while doing it.
Season: All of the seasons have something special about them that I enjoy. Summer is probably my favorite though because I get to relax and enjoy the outside more.
Vacation Destination: I like vacations at historic destinations or in a big city where I can tour. I like beach vacations too, but it's hard for me to just sit on the beach and do nothing.
School Subject: I love history.
Childhood Memory: The best times I had as a child were when I would go to my grandparents' home which was a couple of hours away and my cousins would be there. I have nearly 30 cousins. We would have so much fun playing in the creek, chasing each other through the house, making up ghost stories, and playing hide and seek after dark.
Quote: Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Anything else interesting that you want people to know?
My husband is a teacher too. I have 3 kids. One is a freshman at Ohio State. One is a sophomore in high school and the youngest is a 7th grader. This is my 9th year with VCS. I have been with VCS since the first year it opened.
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Watch for the VCS Partner Post to arrive in your e-mail the second Thursday of each month. If you have any content ideas, send them to Lori Berkheimer or Jill Workman. |
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