A2 Virtual+ October Update

I hope this message finds you well as we begin the month of October together. Today is an especially important day for our program—it is Count Day. Across Michigan, Count Day is when schools confirm student enrollment, which directly impacts the state funding that allows us to continue offering high-quality online learning experiences for our students. To be counted present for their online class(es), every student must complete the designated Count Day Assignment in each class today, Wednesday, October 1st. These assignments are clearly labeled in Schoology and will count toward students’ grades. While students have until 11:59 PM tonight to complete them, your support in ensuring this is done on time makes a real difference. Thank you in advance for partnering with us to make sure every learner is counted.

It is also important that every student and family feel a sense of belonging at A2 Virtual+. Know that you are welcomed and valued. Our students are at the heart of everything we do, and each student brings with them their unique talents, ideas, culture, and experiences to our school community. We celebrate their successes, support them through challenges, and encourage them to grow academically, socially, and emotionally. Our inboxes are always open, we are here to support our students and families, and your voice, presence, and participation make our school community stronger. Together, students, families, and staff create a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment at A2 Virtual+ where everyone can succeed.

Looking ahead, this month also brings opportunities to connect with teachers during parent conferences, register for Advanced Placement exams, and complete required proctoring activities. You’ll find details on each of these items below, along with reminders about weekly attendance. Thank you for staying engaged and for all you do to support your student’s success.

Warm regards,
Principal Lauer

(This newsletter has been supported with the use of chatgpt.com)

Count Day is when all Michigan public schools confirm student enrollment for state funding. On Wednesday, October 1st, every student must complete a Count Day Assignment in each class.

• Assignments will be clearly labeled in Schoology and will count toward the student’s grade.
  
  

• Students may complete the assignment anytime between 12:01 AM and 11:59 PM on October 1st.
  
  

• On Thursday, October 2nd, teachers will mark attendance with the LA (Lesson Assignment) code for students who completed on time.
  
  

• Students who miss October 1st will have 10 additional days to submit their assignment.
  
  

• Starting October 2nd, our team will reach out to families of students who have not completed their assignments.
  
  

Your support ensures every student is counted and that A2 Virtual+ receives the resources needed to continue offering online learning.

Conferences with teachers wil be held on Monday, October 6th, from 3 pm - 6 pm and Thursday, October 23rd from 5 pm - 8 pm. Conferences will be 10 minutes and hosted on Zoom. We encourage you to contact the teacher via email should you have any general questions. With 10-minute conferences, we encourage participants to review PowerSchool and have questions ready at the start of the conference. These two steps help ensure the 10 minutes is as beneficial to all participants. This year, parents will be able to sign up for a conference using Appointment Bookings using Google Calendar. Please click the appointment link for the teacher you would like to have a conference with. If there are no spots on the 6th or 23rd, please contact the teacher through email and they will coordinate a time to meet with you.

To earn credit for each course, students must complete two proctored activities per class.

• The names of the required activities are posted in each student’s Schoology classroom.
  
  

• Proctoring schedules, locations, and sign-up links are available in the A2 Virtual+ Proctoring and Building Support Schoology classrooms.
  
  

• For 5th-grade students, support is not building-specific since they come from more than 20 schools. All 5th graders will use the general “A2V Proctoring and Building Support” Schoology classroom.

• Students must complete their proctored activities using their district device.

Additional Option:
Students may also attend proctoring at Skyline High School Media Center on Tuesday evenings, 4:00–7:00 PM.

• No sign-up required.
  
  

• Students arriving before 6:00 PM may complete their proctored activity.
  

Time: 4:00–7:00 PM

Students must arrive by 6:00 PM to begin a proctored activity.

What to Bring: District Device and Identification

If you have a student who is interested in taking an AP exam this school year. Registration is currently open. Looking for more information about the process, please see the website linked below:

https://www.a2schools.org/teaching-learning/advanced-placement-ap-testing

Attendance in online courses works differently than in traditional classes. In our program, attendance is defined as a weekly two-way interaction with the teacher, completed through a designated attendance activity in Schoology every Wednesday.

• If a student does not complete the Wednesday activity, they are marked as UNV (Unverified Absence) in PowerSchool.
  
  

• Students may still complete the activity later in the week (through Tuesday), but late submissions may affect their grade.
  
  

• Once completed, teachers update attendance with a CA (Completed Attendance) code.
  
  

Attendance is recorded every week of the term.