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September 2011
Help Desk hours extended
Boonshoft Learning Center relocates
VCS celebrates Opening Day
COSI to host Open House
Online yearbooks now available
Mark your calendars for the fall picnic
Student Spotlight - Adrian Weist
Teacher Spotlight - Mrs. Barlage
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To read the latest edition of the VCS Voice newsletter for students and families, click here.

 

Calendar of Events

VCS Board Meeting

September 15

 

Help Desk Elluminate

September 21

 

COSI Open House

September 30

 

Fall Picnic

October 8

Race to the Top News

The School Improvement Grant Building team has meet twice with Melvina Torbert, the Transformation Specialists from ODE, to discuss the structure of the SIG grant and to the review the School Improvement assurance documents. Ms. Torbert will be meeting with Dr. Teeters twice monthly throughout the year, to monitor the progress of VCS in meeting the goals of the SIG grant.

 

In addition, VCS has met with the regional Race to the Top representative Mark Yoho, to discuss the structure of the VCS transformation team and will be meeting with VCS monthly, to monitor the progress of the VCS RTTT grant.

Greetings!

Rick

Welcome to a new school year at VCS! We are in full swing for this year and I sincerely hope your year is off to a smooth start, as well. 

 

I want to thank you again for your hard work this summer. We saw an incredible rise in our summer school enrollment and our Branching enrollment is at a 500% increase from this time last year! We couldn't have accomplished this without your help!

 

I look forward to continuing our relationships and building momentum for a strong school year and beyond!

 

Sincerely,

Mr. Rick Teeters

Director of Special Programs

Help Desk Elluminate sessions scheduled and operation hours extended

help desk

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the Help Desk has extended their hours and will be open from 9 am to 6:30 pm with phone lines open until 7 pm. Monday, Wednesday and Friday the Help Desk will remain open during their normal hours from 9 am to 5 pm. This is a trial run, so the hours are subject to change to meet the needs of our students.

 

Help Desk Elluminate sessions will continue this year, with the first session being held on Wednesday, September 21 at 10 am in the Help Desk Elluminate room. This session will cover printer installment and other printing issues. You can access Elluminate by clicking here.

 

To contact the VCS Help Desk, call 866-501-9473 ext. 5124 or email vcshelpdesk@vcslearn.org. 

 

You can also visit the new Help Desk web site at http://help.vcslearn.org/.

 

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Boonshoft Learning Center relocates

MiamiValleyRegionalCenter

This year, the 21st Century Learning Center in Dayton will relocate from the Boonshoft Museum to the

Miami Valley Regional Center. The hours will remain the same. Grades 1-6 can attend Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesday from 9 am to 12 pm and grades 7-12 can attend from 1 pm to 4 pm. 

 

The Miami Valley Regional Center can be found at 4801 Springfield Street, Riverside, OH 45431. Contact Stacey Whittaker at stacey.whittaker@vcslearn.org for more information.

  

 

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VCS celebrates Opening Day!

The VCS staff celebrated Opening Day on Monday, August 22. Teachers, directors, office staff and site tutors were all in attendance. The agenda included activities such as a keynote address from Mr. McCord, strategic plan overview, new staff induction and an awards and recognition ceremony. It was a wonderful way to kick
off the school year. See the award recipients below. Congratulations to all the award winners! 

Opening Day Group

Student Services Award
- Linda Lineback and Sherry Kuehnle  

 

Distinguished Educator Award- Gabriela Linik

 

Distinguished Classified Staff Member - Jill Workman

 

Innovation Award - Cheryl Akers

 

Inspiration Award - Mary CallicoatOpening Day 5

 

Distinguished Leader Award - Rick Teeters 

 

Technology Implementation Award - Denny Hammond

 

Best Practices Award - Heidi Varner and Shane Foglesong 

 

Teacher of the Quarter - Laura Barlage

 

External Services Site of the Year - 21st Century sites at COSI and the Boonshoft

 

Once A Wolf, Always A Wolf Award - Barb LitzingerOpening Day 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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COSI Learning Center to host Open House 

COSI signVCS students and their families are invited to visit the VCS 21st Century Learning Center at COSI in Columbus for an Open House on Friday, September 30 from 3 pm until 9 pm.

  • Learn about the services offered at the Learning Center
  • Tour the COSI exhibits during the Family Fun Night
  • Partake in craft making
  • Take the messy desk challenge
  • Listen to the guest speaker discuss study skills

Admission is free and COSI bucks for refreshments will be provided by the 21st Century Learning Center grant funds. Please register by Tuesday, September 27.

 

Online yearbooks now available!

The 2010-2011 yearbooks are now available! Please check out the online yearbooks below.


To view the K-8 yearbook, 
click here.

To view the high school yearbook, click here.

If you would like to order a hard copy of either yearbook, we have extras! Contact Jill Workman at 866-501-9473 ext. 2045 or jill.workman@vcslearn.org. The cost is $20 per book.  

COSI spread hs yb

 

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Mark your calendars for the fall picnic!

Bounce HouseThis year's fall picnic will take place on Saturday, October 8 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hoover Y Park, near Columbus. Come meet and socialize with your fellow classmates and teachers and enjoy the beautiful fall weather. Food and refreshments will be provided as well as activities for all members of the family! The picnic will take place rain or shine. If you have any questions, contact Jill Workman at jill.workman@vcslearn.org or 866-501-9473 ext. 2045. We hope to see you there!

 

 

Click here to RSVP!

  

 

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Adrian Weist

Adrian and Mrs. Varner 

 

Name: Adrian Weist

From: Cuyahoga Falls

Grade: 5

Picture: Adrian with Mrs. Varner

 

 

What is your favorite thing about VCS? Learning!

 

What is your favorite subject? English

 

What do you want to be when you grow up? A builder for the Lego company

 

What do you like to do in your free time? Play Roblox, Lego Universe and Portal

 

What is your favorite movie? Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones

 

Do you have any siblings? I have a brother named Willy and a sister named Amanda

 

What is your favorite food? Pizza

 

What did you do over the summer? I went to the Toy and Plastic Brick Museum, went to Bible school and I played with my cousins and friends

 

What made you choose VCS versus a traditional school? I like being at home for school!

 

Any advice you would like to share with your fellow students? Read!!!

 

TEACHER SPOTLIGHT: Mrs. Barlage
Laura Barlage
 

Mrs. Barlage teaches third grade

 

 

What is your favorite thing about VCS? My favorite thing about VCS is being able to work with students and parents all over the state that I would never have had the chance to know if I were teaching in a traditional environment. I love making relationships with families and helping them learn to be 21st century learners. Another thing I love about VCS is it allows me to work from home doing what I love - teaching!

 

What do you want students to accomplish while they attend VCS? I want my students to develop a love of learning, to develop confidence in themselves, and to become critical thinkers and problem solvers. I also want them to discover the joys of reading and realize the importance of how we encounter math in the real world. 

  

What advice do you want to pass on to students? Stay current with your work and turn in assignments on time so I can know right away what skills you need extra help with. Always call me for help whenever you need it. There is no such thing as a "silly question!" 

 

 

Favorites

Food: Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl and Graeter's Black Raspberry Chip ice cream

Book: Anything by Dean Koontz, Michael Connelly, or Jodi Picoult. If I have to pick just one, I would say that Jodi Picoult's book, My Sister's Keeper, is my all time favorite!

Movie: I love all the movies in the "Twilight Saga", "Bad Teacher" made me laugh, "Inception" made me think and question reality, and "Pretty in Pink" and "Dirty Dancing" are my favorite "80s flicks." 

TV Show: The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Jersey Shore, Days of Our Lives
Hobby/Interest: Gardening, animals, reading, learning new technologies, and spending time with my family
Season: Spring- I love when the world comes back to life after the dreary winter and the weather is just perfect.
Vacation Destination: Cancun, Mexico
Childhood Memory: I have lots of great childhood memories. Every summer I would take a sheet outside and tie it between two maple trees and make my own hammock, where my dog Benji and I would lay for hours reading in the shade. (Benji enjoyed me reading out loud to her, and always appeared to be very interested!) Then, at night, I would run around catching fire flies in a jar. Also, on rainy weekend days, my dad would back his pickup truck up to the garage, and we would spread a blanket out it the truck bed and play board games all day. Of course, the truck had a cab, so we didn't get wet! 
Quote: "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." AND "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." Both quotes are by Dr. Seuss.

 

Anything else interesting that you want people to know? I am not only a teacher at VCS, but I am also a VCS parent. My son is in high school and is loving being a VCS student! I have a unique perspective of VCS, because I can see it from both the teacher and and parent view points. 

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.

Go Wolves!