February is a month focused on love. We love our VCS faculty, students and families! Read on to see how you can share the love this month with our Valentine Card Challenge and more!  

Be sure to check out our next issue to read the heart-warming story of Beth Edwards, a learning facilitator in Ironton, Ohio, who has a passion for helping others succeed. (Pictured Above.)
Valentine Card Challenge
Optimus Prime Spinoff Promotion & Research Challenge

Optimus Prime and NASA Spinoffs have a lot in common: they both come from space to solve problems here on Earth. NASA Spinoffs have already arrived. They work to save lives and protect our planet. Optimus Prime and NASA challenge you to create your own Spinoff inventions from NASA technologies and share them in the form of glogs. 
Click Here for more information about the contest.
Click Here to get started on Glogster.
Buick Achievers Scholarship Program

Buick is awarding 50 renewable scholarships of up to $25,000 a year to first-time freshmen or existing college students majoring in the Science, Technology, Engineering or Math fields.

Don't wait!    Apply TODAY! 

Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. EST on Monday, February 29th.
All high school seniors interested in attending a 4 year college for 2016-2017 are encouraged to apply.

For additional information, visit: 
Around Town...


Wednesday, February 17th is Digital Learning Day 2016!

Celebrate by participating in Digital Learning Day Live! which will feature a series of live webcasts, Twitter chats, and online conversations highlighting schools and innovative partnerships throughout the day, beginning at 10 am ET.
Sign up here to receive an email alert when the complete schedule of free online events is announced.
INFOhio

Do you have trouble finding the time to get to your local library? Are the books you need already checked out? Have you looked on INFOhio.org?

INFOhio is a network of online resources put together by Ohio public libraries that can be used as a supplemental tool for parents or Learning Coaches to help their online learners. Students can sign in for themselves too! Every VCS student, parent, and teacher can use this site to find electronic resources that are age-appropriate, curriculum-related, librarian-tested and teacher-approved. This free 24/7 resource includes access to eBooks, encyclopedias, magazines, newspapers, digital videos and more.

**Mrs. Linik, a certified INFOhio Coach, will be offering a 30 minute INFOhio Intro session for parents and Learning Coaches on February 17th at 7 p.m. in Blackboard. Gaby has used INFOhio as a parent and as a teacher, often reminding her kids that they can find whatever they are looking for on this database. A Blackboard room has been created for the session.
Don't miss out on this informative session!
Participant Dial In 571-392-7703  
PIN 91 248 901 929

On Thursday, March 10, 2016, educators can join in on one of the many webinars offered through INFOhio:  Blended Instruction + Powerful (free) INFOhio Digital Content = Supercharged Student Learning, where you can learn how to access and incorporate INFOhio's free digital content into your blended or online class to improve collaboration, individualize learning and raise the bar for students' learning.
Recordings of past Webinars are also made available on INFOhio.org to view anytime.
Student Spotlight:  Tabatha Downing
VCS was not the first virtual school for 
Tabatha Downing. She previously attended ECOT and K12 without much success. When she went to Elizabeth's Hope Pregnancy Center in Circleville, she was not only given information about her pregnancy, but also learned about Virtual Community School of Ohio.
 
Tabatha did not want to miss school due to morning sickness or doctors appointments, so she decided to give VCS a try. A year later, she is so glad that she did.
 
"It is much easier to get ahold of the teachers at VCS," Tabatha says. "They are really there and wanting to help you. They are really good at giving feedback on assignments." She has been able to flourish at VCS, even making Merit Roll for the first semester.
Tabatha feeds her daughter, Harper, her bottle from home. Something she gets the chance to do while keeping up with her school work thanks to the flexibility offered through VCS.
 
Tabatha loves all of her teachers at VCS because they really care about her as a person. "I actually have teachers ask me all the time about Harper," Tabatha explained. "One even asked to see a picture of her, which I thought was really cool." She has been able to connect with a few teachers in particular who have children close to Harper's age, but she is closest with Guidance Counselor, Mrs. Kelsey DePompei. "She really understands me and helps me when I have questions," Tabatha said, which is something she said she had not experienced at other schools.  Mrs. DePompei, in turn, appreciates Tabatha's commitment. "Tabatha is one of the most extraordinary students I have had the pleasure to work with, Mrs. DePompei said. "Her drive to overcome obstacles and be successful for herself and her family is truly inspiring.  I have no doubt that she will accomplish great things!"
 
VCS has gotten Tabatha closer to her long-time goal of becoming a nurse. She plans to attend Ohio Christian University in her home town of Circleville after graduation to get her LPN. Tabatha was introduced to OCU through our College Credit Plus program, which is allowing her to take a Reading for College Success course at the college for VCS credit.
 
Elizabeth's Hope is still a big part of Tabatha's life. The Earn and Learn program allows her to volunteer at the center while also receiving credit. Each week, she goes through donations, organizes the baby store and helps with cleaning. When she sees someone come in who is struggling to keep up with school work, she has the opportunity to then tell them about VCS and how it is helping her. 
Tabatha looks at school work while also getting to spend time with Harper.

Tabatha loves getting to spend time with her daughter, Harper. VCS allows her to do this while working on her schooling at her own pace and from her own home, without requiring her to log in at certain times. Real World Parenting, a class she is taking at VCS, has taught her about positive parenting. She has been able to apply this concept to her relationship with Harper.
 
When Tabatha finds time between taking care of Harper, volunteering at Elizabeth's Hope, and taking classes through VCS and at OCU, she loves to cook, scrapbook and spend time on Facebook.
February Contest Update
Good Things...
 
Kailey McDermott, 10th Grade
Kailey loves to write. Dr. Ken Prater's Creative Writing class allows her to explore her passion in a guided setting. Kailey would be writing no matter where she was, but VCS provides her with "a space and encouragement where she can [write]," says Dr. Prater. In her essay, Kailey explores the idea of writing and what it means to different people. To her, writing is "freedom" from her internal battles with autism.

Click Here to read Kailey's essay.
Click Here
to read more about Kailey in our November Voice Student Spotlight.
Cianna Maiolini, 9th Grade
When Coach Mac assigned students to interview 3 people about their exercise habits/routines and write a 5 paragraph essay, Cianna went above and beyond. "She did a great job developing a thesis for this paper and interviewing the 3 people to determine if her thesis was correct," Coach Mac explained. Cianna also created a title page for this assignment, making it look professional. Great work, Cianna!

Click Here to read Cianna's essay.

Katarina and Kerianne Bowyer, 8th Grade
Our middle school newspaper, Leader of the Pack, will be published this spring, but Mrs. Karen Miller could not wait to share the poems that her English students submitted. Katarina and Kerianne have done some outstanding work! Look for this year's edition of Leader of the Pack to see these poems and other contributions from our 7th and 8th graders.
 
Click Here to read Katarina's poem.
Click Here to read Kerianne's poem.

Josh Curtis, 9th Grade
Mr. Fogelsong took note that many of his students liked to draw. He decided to challenge his Physical Science students to combine their hobby with his coursework and illustrate a learned concept. Mark Haner, Josh's learning coach, saw what Josh did for this assignment and was impressed. We are too! Great work, Josh!
  Honor/Merit Roll
Congratulations to our High School First Semester 
Honor/Merit Roll Students!
We are proud of your academic successes.

Click Here to see the 9th-12th grade List
 
Fun Around Ohio
Are you tired of being stuck inside because of the snow? 
Here are some fun events across Ohio to check out this month!


Now - Feb. 29                        Everything Thomas at EnterTRAINment Junction
                                                West Chester, Ohio
 
Mon., Feb 15                          Kids' Maple Day at The Park
                                                Farbach-Werner Nature Preserve
 
Tues., Feb. 16                        Delaware Play-Doh Party
                                                Delaware Main Library
 
Wed., Feb. 17                         Make A Glass Bead (Ages 10+)
                                                Glass Axis
 
                                                Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
                                                Toledo Heights Branch - Public Library
 
Fri., Feb. 19                            Daddy Daughter Dance
                                                Bowling Green Community Center
 
Sat., Feb. 20                           For the Love of Chocolate (Ages 12 - 18)
                                                Cincinnati Library - Anderson Branch                                      
 
Fri., Feb. 19 -                          Charlotte's Web
Sun., Feb. 21                          The Historic Palace Theatre - Marion, Ohio
 
 
Feb. 20 & Feb. 21                   Snow White and the Dancing Dwarfs
                                                Taft Theatre
 
Sat., Feb. 20                           Happy Feet Movie Screening (Ages 6+)
                                                Westerville Public Library Activity Center
 
                                                Interviewing 101
                                                Toledo Main Library
 
Feb. 21, Feb. 23 & Feb. 28    BGSU Planetarium Show: Dawn of the Space Age
 
Mon., Feb. 22                         Financial Workshop for Teens
                                                Credit Union of Ohio - Hilliard Branch
 
Thurs., Feb. 25                      College 101: SAT Changes
                                                Worthington Northwest Library
 
Sun., Feb. 28                          Pysanki Egg Painting Workshop (Ages 6+)
                                                Ohio Craft Museum
 
                                                Glaciers & Ground Sloths
                                                Sharon Woods Park - Cincinnati
 
Check the February Metro Parks Event Calendar for more family fun!
Upcoming Events
Be sure to check vcslearn.org and Like us on Facebook for additional announcements!

Wed., Feb. 17
6:30 p.m.

Mon., Feb. 22

2:00 p.m.

Tues., Feb. 23
11:00 a.m.

Wed., Feb. 24
10:00 a.m.

Thurs., Feb. 25
12:00 noon

Fri., Feb. 26
12:00 noon

School Board Meeting


Digital Photography
Club Meeting

Healthy Lifestyles
Club Meeting

Creative Writing
Club Meeting

Patriot Club Meeting


Gamers Unite
Club Meeting
Virtual Community School of Ohio  
 
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Virtual Community School of Ohio