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November 2011
November PD
First semester surveys
Help Desk hours extended
Orton-Gillingham
Holiday craft events
KSU dual credit
Spotlight on Tommy Rutkus
Spotlight on Kevyn West-Wilson
Spotlight on RacQuelle Major
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Calendar of Events

Professional Development

November 22

 

Thanksgiving Break

No school

November 23-27

 

Ravenna Craft Event

November 30

 

Professional Development

December 5

  

First semester surveys open

December 5

 

Dayton Craft Event 

December 8

 

Columbus Craft Event 

December 12

 

 

Race to the Top News

The Transformation Team last met on Friday, October 21.  Each area subgroup gave updates on their current progress. The Ohio Teacher Evaluation Model was discussed.

 

A few team members recently visited with the Ohio University Education Department. VCS and Ohio University are working on developing a pre-service training program to train student teachers on how to teach in a virtual environment.

 

The November VCS Professional Development will cover the Value Added tool and the next Transformation Team meeting will be held Friday, November 18.

Greetings!

Jim McCord

This has been a sad week at VCS with the passing of Jeanne Metzger. Jeanne was married for 58 years to our board president, Cooke Metzger. Together, they created a wonderful family, including their granddaughter, Erin Scott of eSchool Consultants. Jeanne deeply touched the lives of many children over her 32-year career as a school librarian in the Westfall School District. She was a very special lady, and she will be missed by many loving friends and family members. As you can imagine, this is a very difficult time for Cooke and his family. Let's rally around them in true wolf fashion during this trying time. "For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack."

 

Respectfully,

 

Jim McCord

Superintendent

November Professional Development 

The next professional development will take place on Tuesday, November 22. This PD will be virtual and the link to access the meeting will be sent out this Friday. Topics will include Value Added and instructional strategies as well as topics carried over from October. PD will begin at 9 a.m. Click here for the agenda. 

 

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First semester teacher surveys open to students and parents starting December 5

survey

The first semester teacher surveys will be available starting Monday, December 5 until the end of the semester. Please mark this on your calendar and encourage your students to take these surveys! Watch for more details soon.

 

 

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Help Desk hours extended  

help desk

Starting November 28, the VCS Help Desk will begin extending their hours Monday through Thursday. Students can reach the Help Desk by phone until 7:00 p.m. or visit the office until 6:30 p.m. or by appointment if later.  Friday will remain the regular schedule of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. To contact the VCS Help Desk, call 866-501-9473 ext. 5124 or email vcshelpdesk@vcslearn.org. 

 

Students can also visit the new Help Desk web site at help.vcslearn.org. 

 

  

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Orton-Gillingham program available to VCS students

According to the U.S. Department of Education, dyslexia accounts for 85% of all learning disabilities. It is a lifelong disability that is inherited and not caused by parenting style or behavior. Reading, writing and spelling are extremely difficult for those with dyslexia. 

 

VCS strives to serve the needs of each and every one of our students, many of which struggle with dyslexia.


The Orton-Gillingham method of instruction was introduced in the 1930s to help tutor individuals with dyslexia, but has been found to be beneficial to all learners, especially those struggling with reading and spelling. 

 

Orton-Gillingham is now available to VCS students at the Dayton Success Site and Kairos in Newark. For information, please contact Stacey Whittaker at the Dayton Success Site or Becky Petrey at Kairos.

 

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Encourage students to attend a holiday craft making event

holiday craft event.Students, teachers and families are invited to help VCS celebrate the season with our annual holiday craft making event. We'll have crafts, food and fun for all members of the family! The events will take place in Ravenna, Englewood (near Dayton) and at the VCS Ohio office in Columbus. For more information or to register for one of these events, please click on the link below.

  

Ravenna, Reed Memorial Library  Wednesday, November 30, 1 - 3 p.m.

 

Englewood, Englewood Government Center  Thursday, December 8, 12:30 - 2:30 p.m.

 

Columbus, VCS Ohio Office  Monday, December 12, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

 

 Click here to register now!   

 

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VCS students can take college classes at no cost! Deadline December 2

Kent State LogoDid you know VCS Ohio students can earn up to two years of college credit FREE and get high school credit at the same time? It's true! VCS Ohio is the only online school to offer dual credit courses through Kent State University. Students should apply by Dec. 2 to start taking classes in January (KSU's spring semester). Click here for a brochure featuring the latest course offerings. Topics offered this semester include, The Greek Achievement, Psychology of Adjustment, Issues in Law and Society, Science of Human Nutrition, and many more! There are more than 30 classes offered. Interested students should contact Jessica Yeager. 

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Tommy Rutkus

 

Tommy Rutkus 2Name: Tommy Rutkus

From: Leavittsburg 

Grade: 5


Tommy is currently ranked No. 1 in Ohio in the United States Tennis Association's 10-and-under rankings. His record is 40-10 in matches played and has won 18 championships.

 Tommy was also recently featured in the Tribune Chronicle. Click here to read the article.  

 

 

 

 

What is your favorite thing about VCS? I love everything! All the teachers and all the subjects.

 

What is your favorite subject? Math and English. I like numbers and I like to read.

 

What do you like to do in your free time? Play and watch tennis on TV. I also like to play video games.

 

What do you want to be when you grow up? A professional tennis player! If not, then a chiropractor.

 

What professional tennis player do you most admire? Rafael Nadal. We both are right-handed but play left-handed.

 

Do you have any siblings? I have two older brothers and an older sister.

 

What is your favorite movie? Transformers, Avatar, Sherlock Holmes and Twilight.

 

What is your favorite book? Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

 

What is your favorite food? Crab legs, steak and pasta.

 

What made you choose VCS versus a traditional school? I came to VCS in the first grade because I kept getting sick all the time. Now, I plan to stay with VCS until graduation.

 

Any advice you would like to share with your fellow students? Do all of your school work and finish on time.

 

What about advice to those kids who want to excel in a sport, like you? Watch the sport you want to play and learn from it. 



TEACHER SPOTLIGHT: Kevyn West-Wilson
Kevyn teaches 7th and 8th Grade Social Studies
Kevyn West.jpg
 

What is your favorite thing about VCS? My favorite thing about VCS is that I have the opportunity to reach students all over the state of Ohio that I never would have met! I also get to work with my dad!

 

What do you want students to accomplish while they attend VCS? I would like for my students to learn how to be productive citizens.

 

What advice do you want to pass on to students? Stay with your studies. If you get behind, don't give up. I've taken some online courses and I understand what it's like to get behind. Just don't give up.

 

Favorites
Food: Pasta or Chicken

Book: The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Movie: Breakfast at Tiffany's

TV Show: Hmm, right now it is Modern Family. But I also love reruns of the Golden Girls.

Hobby/Interest: Zumba and photography, those are my two favorite things to do.

Season:  Fall, the leaves are so pretty in the Southern Ohio hills.

Vacation Destination: Key West, Florida

Childhood Memory: My first trip to Walt Disney World with my mom and dad. I was so excited to meet Minnie and Pluto!

Quote: "Don't let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game." - Babe Ruth

 

 

 

STAFF SPOTLIGHT: RacQuelle Major
RacQuelleRacQuelle is a VCS student adviser

 
What is your favorite thing about VCS? Being able to engage with and meet students, although this is an online school. The staff welcomed me with open arms. Everyone here has a desire to make a difference in the lives of students. 

 

 

What has been your most rewarding experience at VCS? Being able meet with students and tutoring them on an area they may struggle in. When they finally 'get it', that brings me great joy.

 
 
 
When I am not working... I am COOKING!!! I am an aspiring chef (and school principal). I love to cook southern soul food classics such as smothered chicken, greens, yams, and pound cake.  

If I won the lottery I would... Open up my own soup kitchen for the poor. I would serve the BEST Soul food!! :)

 

The best vacation I ever had was... New York City. Although I am a country girl at heart, I love the sites of the city! 

 

If I could travel anywhere, I would go to... Africa. I would love to go on a safari. 

 
I am most proud of... Graduating college with honors and recently being accepted into OSU to continue my PhD studies.  

 

The person I admire the most is... My late parents. They taught me that persistence pays off.

 
Watch for 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!