IVSA Newsletter

As we enter November, a season often defined by gratitude, I encourage each of us, students, families, and staff alike, to pause and reflect on what we’re thankful for. Gratitude has the power to shift our perspective, strengthen our connections, and remind us of the many bright spots in our lives and learning journeys.

Take a moment this month to tell someone what you’re thankful for, a teacher who has supported you, a classmate who made you smile, or a family member who’s cheering you on. A simple “thank you” can go a long way.

Looking ahead, please mark your calendars for our IVSA School Partner Connect Meeting on Friday, December 5th (12:00–1:00 p.m.). This will be a great opportunity to hear updates, ask questions, and celebrate our shared successes as we continue to grow together.

We’re also excited to announce that Dual Credit opportunities will be available next school year through The University of Illinois! If your district or school is interested in partnering with us, please take a moment to complete our Dual Credit Interest Form so we can plan accordingly.

Wishing you a month filled with gratitude, growth, and good connections.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Melissa Lundgaard

IVSA Executive Director

Meet Aedrik, one of our shining stars in the 4th grade LA class! Aedrik’s favorite subject is LA and he does an amazing job working through his lessons and activities with great detail and enthusiasm. He is constantly expanding and demonstrating his knowledge far beyond what we explore in the classroom and he regularly impresses everyone with how much he has learned!

Aedrik is always putting in his best effort, comes to class with a smile on his face and is so much fun to work with. Come join us at IVSA so you too can have the same kind of fun and success that Aedrik has been having this year!

1. What’s your name? Justin David Millner

2. What subject(s) do you teach? K-8 Language Arts & Social Studies

3. What inspired you to become a teacher? I always loved working with this age group, even back when I was in high school and college and I worked as a camp counselor during the summer. I have a unique ability to connect with kids and meet them where they are at and after a handful of years working in other fields, once I became a teacher, I turned into a classic case of "I should have been doing this all along".

4. What’s one fun fact about you? I play in three adult men's competitive baseball leagues during the summer.

5. What’s your favorite way to spend the weekend? Trying new restaurants with my wife Jess and our dog, Bear.

6. If you weren’t a teacher, what would you be? Professional Sportscaster/Analyst

7. Rapid Fire Round: Pick Your Favorites:

1. Coffee or Tea? Tea

2. Early Bird or Night Owl? Night Owl

3. Dogs or Cats? Dogs

4. Pizza or Tacos? Tacos

5. Beach or Mountains? Beach

8. What advice do you give students the most? I teach students, not subjects, so no matter what area you need help or support in, I am here for you.

9. What is your dream vacation destination? Greece

10. What does being part of IVSA mean to you? It has truly been an honor and a pleasure to work at IVSA the last 3 years and be part of their growth. To see this program working for students who may have tried all different avenues before coming to us gives me a sense of pride and happiness and continues to push me to be the best educator I can be. I look forward to seeing the continued growth, especially in the K-8 grade levels, and seeing how IVSA adapts to the ever-changing educational needs of the students and their guardians/parents.

WHEN: Monday and Thursdays, 6:30-7:30pm

WHERE: Students will meet with Mr. Krepel in Zoom. Click here for link: IVSA Spanish Learning Lab

WHAT: If your student is currently enrolled in a Spanish course, the Learning Lab offers:

• 🎯 Extra practice and support from IVSA’s Spanish instructors
• 💬 Conversation to assist in their coursework
• 🌟 Assistance on topics that students may not fully understand

For students seeking to earn semester PE credit while building life-changing resilience and mental and physical well-being skills, EmpowerU is the perfect fit. Designed for students who may be struggling with anxiety, motivation, stress, or peer challenges, and need extra support to set and meet physical and/or health wellbeing goals, EmpowerU provides strategies for how to meet them and stay on track. EmpowerU transforms mental wellness into measurable academic progress.

👉 Join us on November 6 for a free webinar to see how EmpowerU’s Strong Mind. Healthy Body. Confident You course is helping Illinois students earn credit while building the mental fitness they need to thrive.

Register for the Free Webinar →

Digital Photography I: Have you wondered how professional photographers manage to capture that perfect image? Gain a better understanding of photography by exploring camera functions and the elements of composition while putting theory into practice by taking your own spectacular shots! Learn how to display your work for exhibitions and develop skills important for a career as a photographer.

Digital Photography II: Let’s further develop your photography skills by learning more professional tips, tricks, and techniques to elevate your images. Explore various photographic styles, themes, genres, and artistic approaches. Learn more about photojournalism and how to bring your photos to life, and using this knowledge, build a portfolio of your work to pursue a career in this field!

Agriscience I: The word “agriculture” often evokes images of farms, fields, and livestock, and while all of these representations are correct and essential, the field of Agriculture is so much more! In Agriscience I: Introduction, you'll explore how agri scientists play key roles in improving agriculture, food production, and the conservation of natural resources along with the technologies used to keep the field thriving. Are you ready to explore the diverse careers in agriscience and how you can prepare to positively impact the planet? Let’s get growing!

Agriscience II: Have you ever strolled past a bright green cauliflower at the market and paused to ponder its unusual color? Ever wonder why “broccolini” is suddenly a thing? Well, if you find yourself curiously questioning these, and other, peculiar vegetables and wondering about the role of agriculture in the modern world, Agriscience II is for you. Learn how science and technology are revolutionizing our food supply and promoting innovative ways to produce healthy plant-based foods, such as developing better hybrids and growing edible plants in challenging places. Food is our most essential resource; see how plant science will change the face of eating in the 21st century and give us the knowledge to continually improve our green thumbs!

Veterinary Science: Whether you want to step into the wild side of veterinary medicine or just take care of loveable dogs and cats, explore how to care for domestic, farm, and wild animals, diagnose their common diseases and ailments, and learn about different veterinary treatments. If you have always been drawn to the world of our furry, scaly, and feathered friends, this is the course for you!

We are excited to invite Tier 1 and Tier 2 High Schools to participate in a new dual credit program — a collaboration between Illinois Virtual Schools and Academy (IVSA) and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The university’s Dual Credit Learning Accelerator is partnering with IVSA to pilot four Illinois Dual Credit courses during the 2026–2027 and 2027–2028 school years to qualifying schools.

Through this initiative, students can earn both high school and college credit simultaneously.

The pilot includes four popular 100-level general education courses from the University of Illinois:

● ASTR 150: Killer Skies: Astro Disasters

● CS/STAT 107: Data Science Discovery

● SPED 117: The Culture of Disability

● MACS 100: Introduction to Popular TV & Movies

You can view the full course menu with course descriptions on the Learning Accelerator website.

To express interest, please reach out to IVSA, and we will be in touch with next steps.

We look forward to working with you to expand access to high-quality dual credit opportunities!

✅ Elementary, Middle & High School Courses
✅ Credit Recovery
✅ AP Options
✅ Flexible Scheduling
✅ Licensed Illinois Teachers

✅ Teacher Shortage Solutions for Districts

Do you have a student that is behind in credits? IVSA has a solution to assist them get back on track. Your student can joint the IVSA Next Chapter Credit Recovery program and earn up to 2 credits every six weeks. They do this with the support of our School Counselor and Student Success Coach, meeting twice each week to help your student stay on track.

• Full-Time Academy - We offer a highly supportive full-time virtual learning option for students.
• Next Chapter - Our Brand New Credit Recovery Program
• Single Course Offerings - Choose original credit or credit recovery courses in Core Subjects, Electives, World Languages, Business and CTE courses and more.
• Teacher Shortage Solutions - Are you experiencing a teacher shortage that may eliminate programs and courses. IVSA offers synchronous and asynchronous instruction options for full classes.

We have begun to partner with several schools that have a virtual block that allows students to take Credit Recovery, Core, Honors, AP, CTE, Electives, PE, or Health as needed. You provide the space, a virtual learning facilitator, and we provide the teacher, rigorous content. If you are a public school, all enrollments are eligible for reimbursement through the Illinois Virtual Course Catalog.

If you have a need for IVSA to support your school with TSS, please fill out this TSS intake form to let us IVSA know what needs you are anticipating. Filling this out does not bind you to using IVSA, but we can begin to explore this partnership.

As we prepared for the 2025–2026 school year, we invited our Partner Schools to join us for training and IVSA updates. If you are a new School Partner or even a new additional to the school and need additional assistance in navigating our SIS, please send in a request to support@ivsaschool.org and our Operations Team will set up a time to train you on the IVSA SIS.

All FTA students are expected to complete the iReady Diagnostic three times per school year. The fall window is closing rapidly, so if your student has not completed both the Math and Reading Diagnostic, be sure to encourage them to get that done today!

Registration for our JANUARY COHORT is OPEN! Do you have a student who would thrive with a flexible learning solution? Enroll your student today.

We have a new way that you can follow your student's IVSA course(s) by creating an observer account in our learning management system, Canvas. Please use the HELP GUIDE to walk you through this.

November 26-28: No School, Thanksgiving Break

The mission of IVSA is to partner with local Illinois schools to provide engaging and supportive online educational experiences to meet the needs of all learners.

Any Questions? Reach out to info@ivsaschool.org

Website: https://ivsaschool.org/

IVSA Phone Number: 866-890-IVSA (4872)