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| Upcoming Events | |
Graduation
May 21
OIP Meeting
May 26
Summer Session I
June 13-July 8
Summer Session II
July 11-August 5
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| Race to the Top News | |
VCS Ohio was awarded federal Race to the Top (RTTT) grant funding to improve teacher effectiveness and student performance. VCS utilized some of this funding by forming a Student Participation School Leadership Improvement Team. The mission of this team is to increase student participation and retention. In February, the team piloted a program called uBoost. uBoost is an online performance recognition and rewards platform where points are awarded for positive behaviors and redeemed for relevant rewards. So far, our students have earned over 1 million points! |
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| Greetings! | |
 Here we are at the last week of school. Unbelievable! Thank you for another great year! We have accomplished so much this year, and we've made a difference in the lives of many students. That's what it's all about. Don't forget, graduation is Saturday at 1 p.m. at Bridgewater Conference Center. You are encouraged to attend and join me in congratulating the students who have worked so hard to earn their diplomas. Graduation is one of my favorite days of the year because I get to see the joy and sense of accomplishment on our students' faces. Some of our students would have never graduated without VCS. Thanks again for a successful year!
Go Wolves!
Jim McCord, Superintendent
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| Summer school off to a strong start | |
May isn't even over yet, and we already have 40 students enrolled in more than 60 courses! Significantly more from this time last year!
If you know anyone who might be interested in summer school, please pass along the information. Download the summer school flier by clicking here. Remember, we have extended summer school to students in grades 6-12! First session starts June 13.
VCS students can register for summer school through the LMS or speak with their guidance counselor. Non-VCS students can register online at www.vcslearn.org.
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| Teachers... order your yearbooks! | |
 With the school year winding down, time is running out to order a yearbook. High school teachers can order a yearbook here. Elementary and middle school teachers can order a yearbook here. The order deadline has been extended to Friday, May 27.
If you have any last minute photo submissions, please email them to jill.workman@vcslearn.org.
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| Wolf Pack Praises |
Congratulations to Jen Sherman for earning her Masters of Education in Talent Development from Ashland University!
Have anything you want to include in Wolf Pack Praises? Send them to jill.workman@vcslearn.org.
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| Students and faculty gather at the spring picnic | |
VCS students, families and teachers gathered at the Hoover Y Park in Columbus to celebrate the annual VCS spring picnic. Luckily, the April showers held out, and we had wonderful weather! Attendees enjoyed delicious food catered by Donatos as well as activities for all ages such as an inflatable bounce house, prize basket raffles and even a giant game of kickball! Thank you to everyone that attended, it was the best turn out yet! See some pictures from the picnic below. View all the photos by clicking here.
  
  
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| Congrats Leadership Academy grads! | |
Our vision at VCS is to be a world class organization. What better way to be world class, than to have world class employees? This year, VCS offered both Leadership Academy I and II and more than 40 VCS employees participated. Each group met once a month and covered leadership topics such as the critical factors of leadership, understanding vision, mission, goals and objectives, organizational culture, effective meetings and leadership styles.
Left: Group shot of LA I graduates ; Right: Mr McCord with guest speaker, Cheryl Krueger
To see all the photos from Leadership Academy I, click here.
Left: Group shot of LA II graduates ; Right: Mr. McCord with guest speaker, James McClaugherty
To see all the photos from Leadership Academy II, click here.
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| Introducing... the National Honor Society inaugural class | |
 Monday, May 9 marked a big day for VCS. Not only was it the last professional development of the year, but it was the first annual National Honor Society induction. The ceremony has held at the Ohio State University Golf Club and honored four VCS students. Each student was selected by the committee for showcasing the five pillars of NHS membership: character, scholarship, leadership, citizenship and service. VCS is proud to announce the National Honor Society inaugural class!
National Honor Society
Mae Altman
India Johnson
National Junior Honor Society
Alexandria Hitchcock
Erin Gabby Brown
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| VCS extends a helping hand | |
Last month, devastating tornados tore through the south, killing almost 300 people and injuring hundreds more. The VCS Spiritual Fellowship Club, led by Denny Hammond, decided to focus their efforts on helping these victims and their families. Students are giving away baked good at local churches in return for donations that will go to the American Red Cross. Letters of encouragement will also be sent to the victims for moral support. Fundraising efforts were led by Alexandria Thomas. Other members of the Spiritual Fellowship club include, Fahtee Zeinou, Kayle McGlone, Chelsea Dehart, and Taylor Howell.
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Pam McFerran's Language Arts II&III classes are putting together a package of letters to send to Army Sergeant Justin Hoerst. Justin is from Troy, Ohio and is stationed in Iraq. If you or any of your students would be interested in sending a letter to Justin, you can e-mail the letter to pamela.mcferren@vcslearn.org or mail the letter directly to Justin at the address below.
Sgt. Hoerst, Justin
B/1-174 ADA CRAM
Camp Basrah, APO AE
09374
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| Student Spotlight: Jo Ann Schendel |
Full Name:Jo Ann Betty Schendel
Goes by: Jay
Grade:10
Lives in: Alliance, OH
What is your favorite thing about VCS? My favorite thing about VCS is that students get the opportunity to go at their own pace. If I have trouble, the teachers are always there for me. VCS tailors to its students, and that speaks well for every teacher.
What are your plans for after graduation? After graduation, I plan to go to a post-secondary school. I plan on heading to Full Sail University for Game Design, 3D Animation, or Game Development.
What do you like to do for fun? If it isn't abundantly clear yet, I love video games and art. Video games provide a sense of completion and achievement, and art provides a way to create a fantasy or recreate a reality. They're productive hobbies that require patience and active imagination. I love them! Do you have any siblings? Yes! My brother, Seth, my half-brother, Eddie, and my half-sister-in-law (if that's a possible connection...), Kerry.
What is your favorite food? I don't really have a favorite food. I suppose chocolate! :) What is your favorite movie? My favorite movie, as of right now, is I Am Legend.
What made you choose VCS versus a traditional school? I left my brick-and-mortar school because of a few reasons -- mainly drama. I'm an Honors student, too, and traditional schools don't provide the chance to go at your own pace, especially if other students require more time to understand something I may have already gotten.
I have yet to regret my decision. :) Any advice you would like to share with your fellow students?
My advice is to manage your time. Self-discipline is a make-or-break thing here at VCS. You need to want to succeed in your education to succeed. It's okay to spend a day playing a game -- just make sure you don't get too behind. Make a schedule, if necessary. Spend three days a week behind the computer, the other two workdays watching movies and playing games, and use the weekend to read up on your material. Balance your fun with your work! It's possible, even if you struggle!
See some of Jo Ann's artwork above and below!
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| Teacher Spotlight: Bryn Stepp |
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 The Pack Press to arrive in your e-mail the third Thursday of each month. If you have any content ideas, send them to Lori Berkheimer or Jill Workman.
Go Wolves!
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Jim McCord, Superintendent
Virtual Community School of Ohio
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