A2 Virtual+ October Update

As we move into October, I want to thank you for your continued partnership in supporting your student’s success in A2 Virtual+. It has been great to see so many students actively participating in our program. In particular, more than 200 students have attended our Monday evening proctoring sessions at Skyline. This is a wonderful reflection of our students’ commitment to completing their coursework and meeting course requirements.

Count Day is an important part of our school year. Please remind your student to complete the required Count Day activity in each of their online classes. For students taking Michigan Virtual courses, it is especially important that they complete at least one activity in each Michigan Virtual course in order to be counted as participating in that class. Taking a few minutes to check each course and complete the required activity can make an important difference.

With Fall Break approaching, students will continue to have access to their online classes during the break. However, teachers will not be available for regular support during the break. We encourage students and families to consider their overall well-being when deciding whether to work on coursework. While some students may choose to use the time to catch up or get ahead, taking time to rest, recharge, and enjoy the break is also important.

There will be no proctoring session on Monday, October 12, due to Fall Break. Following the break, we will have nine consecutive weeks of Monday evening proctoring opportunities. We encourage students to plan ahead and take advantage of these sessions to complete their required proctored activities.

Thank you for helping us support our students both academically and personally. We appreciate your partnership and hope everyone has a safe and restful Fall Break.

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 7th, 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 7th.
  
  

• On Thursday, October 8th, teachers will mark attendance with the LA (Lesson Assignment) code for students who completed on time.
  
  

• Students who miss October 7th will have 10 additional days to submit their assignment.
  
  

• Starting October 8th, 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.

Time: 4:30–6:30 PM

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

What to Bring: District Device and Identification

To earn credit for each course, students must complete two proctored activities per class. The first proctored activity must be completed by November 2nd.

• 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 because our 5th-grade students come from more than 20 different schools. All 5th-grade students will receive general announcements and support information through their Math 6 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 Monday evenings, 4:30–6:30 PM.

• No sign-up required.
  
  

• We plan to leave Skyline at 6:30 pm. Students may arrive at anytime after 4:30 that allows them to finish their proctored activity by 6:30pm.

If you have a student who is interested in taking an AP exam this school year. Registration is currently open. Deadline for standard registration is October 30th. 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 A2 Virtual+ online courses is recorded differently than attendance in traditional building-based classes. There is no excused absence code for the A2 Virtual+ Weekly Attendance Requirement.

In A2 Virtual+, attendance is based on a weekly two-way interaction between the student and teacher. Each Wednesday, students are expected to complete a designated Weekly Attendance Activity in Schoology during the 24-hour period from 12:00 AM through 11:59 PM Wednesday.

• If a student does not complete the Weekly Attendance Activity during the Wednesday window, the teacher marks the student UNV (Unverified Attendance) in PowerSchool on Thursday, and the family is notified.
• The UNV designation remains as the attendance record for Wednesday. It is not changed to an excused absence or replaced when the student completes the activity later.
• The UNV designation identifies students who need to be tracked during the Attendance Week, which runs from Wednesday through Tuesday.
• Students may still complete the required activity later in the Attendance Week, through Tuesday. However, submitting the activity late may affect the student's course grade.
• When the student and teacher complete the required two-way communication, the teacher enters a CA (Completed Attendance) code on the day the teacher responds to the student and closes the communication loop. The CA code documents the completion of the required two-way interaction; it does not replace the UNV recorded for Wednesday.
• Students cannot be excused from the Weekly Attendance Requirement. This is a state requirement for participation in online learning.

Attendance is recorded every week of the term. The A2 Virtual+ attendance process is designed to monitor weekly participation and identify students who may need additional support or follow-up.