IVSA Newsletter

As we celebrate Independence Day this weekend (and the TEAM USA World Cup WIN last night), we also begin an exciting year of remembrance as our nation marks America's 250th Anniversary. Over the coming year, communities across the country will reflect on our nation's history, the people who shaped it, and the freedoms we enjoy today.

This week, our family had the opportunity to experience that celebration in a unique way. Two of my children, Kelsey and Luke, participated in the Relay for America, joining over 1000 runners who are carrying a single American flag more than 3,000 miles to honor 3000 veterans from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., where it will arrive on July 4 in celebration of our nation's 250th birthday. They proudly ran Segment 177, which passed through San Jose in Logan & Mason Counties in Illinois.

What made the experience especially memorable wasn't just the miles they ran, it was the people they met along the way. As they entered the small town of San Jose, they were greeted by a welcoming crowd of community members cheering them on. The local fire department even brought out a fire truck to help celebrate their arrival. It was a beautiful reminder that while America is a large nation, it is our local communities, neighbors, and shared traditions that truly make it special.

The Fourth of July is a wonderful opportunity to slow down, spend time together, and create meaningful family memories. Whether you're watching fireworks, enjoying a backyard barbecue, visiting a local parade, or simply gathering around the table, take a few moments to talk about what freedom means and how our country has grown over the past 250 years. See the activities corner in our newsletter for more ideas to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S.A.

From all of us at Illinois Virtual Schools & Academy, we wish you a safe, joyful, and meaningful Independence Day. Thank you for being part of our IVSA family. Here's to celebrating our nation's past, embracing the opportunities before us, and continuing to learn, grow, and make history together.

Happy Fourth of July!

Melissa Lundgaard

IVSA Executive Director

⭐ 250th Anniversary Family Challenge

Spend just 10 minutes learning something new about America together.

⭐ History Hunt

• Why do we celebrate on July 4?
• How many stars are on the U.S. flag?
• Can you name the 13 original colonies?
• Which state was the most recent to join the Union?

⭐ Create a Family Time Capsule
Include photos, newspaper headlines, a favorite recipe, and a letter describing life in 2026. Pick a future Independence Day to open it together.

⭐ Visit Local History
Explore a local museum, veterans memorial, historical marker, or community celebration and discover something new about your hometown.

⭐ Acts of Gratitude
Write a thank-you note to a veteran, active military member, first responder, teacher, or community volunteer who helps strengthen your community.

⭐ Learn Together
Watch a short video about the Declaration of Independence or America's 250th Anniversary, then ask each family member:

• What freedom are you most thankful for?
• How can you use that freedom to make a positive difference for someone else?

Alan B. Shephard HS - Palos Heights, IL

Big Hollow Middle School – Ingleside, IL

Carmi-White County HS – Carmi, IL

Hubert Humphrey Middle School – Romeoville, IL

Jackson Middle School - Villa Park, IL

Madison School - South Holland, IL

Rosary College Prep – Aurora, IL

York Community High School – Elmhurst, IL

We are GLAD you chose to join the IVSA FAMILY!

Spanish IV:

Our Spanish IV students were given the following assignment by Mrs. Messina: "Your mission is to write a comunicación formal to your boss where you share all that you have studied and researched. It can be a formal email or letter. You will also need to discuss whether or not you believe in the theories of one of the following: calentamiento global, la contaminación del agua o del aire o la deforestación. If you believe that humans are affecting the environment, give suggestions for improving the situation. If you don’t believe that humans have an impact, explain why you don’t think that we need to take action. You will then present the information to your classmates."

See Mehar's video on her topic. Can you decipher what she is saying? She is speaking about Global Warming and the impact she thinks it is going to have in 2026. Spanish IV Speaking Assignment with Mehar

Intro to AI:

One of the biggest wins during Summer Spark was learning that a student aspires to be a videogame designer. The teacher was able to use AI tools to show the student how they can support the game development process, which made the lessons more meaningful and engaging for him. Mr. Bruner said, "It was rewarding to connect AI to something the students are passionate about and to see their interest grow."

Digital Drawing & Design:

Mrs. Burhans speaks of a WIN she had with a student: "One student showed me her amazing artwork that she did on canvas using what she had learned to do digitally by using the app as a sandbox to get a good template and plan for her work, using the techniques I taught her throughout the course."

IVSA offers over 350 courses in our Fall Program. Do you need Consumer Economics, Health, PE, World Languages or an Elective? What about taking Photography, Geometry, Digital Media, Forensics, or get credit for working this fall with our Workplace Experience course.

IVSA COURSE CATALOG

We are excited to offer 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 three Illinois Dual Credit courses during the 2026–2027 school year. Through this initiative, students can earn both high school and college credit simultaneously.

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

● ASTR 150: Killer Skies: Astro Disasters

● 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, as we may have a few seats still available for our Full-Time Academy students and possibly for our Partner Schools.

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

CLICK HERE to read more about the Partnership!

• 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.

If you anticipate a need for IVSA to support your school in SY2627 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.

Synchronous or Asynchronous options are available!

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.

Registration for our August 2026 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.

July 9: Last Day of Summer Bootcamp

July 31: Last Day of Summer School

August 18: SY2627 Begins

September 15: Cohort 2 Begins

October 13: Cohort 3 Begins

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)