IVSA Newsletter

As we roll into December, fresh off a week filled with gratitude, family, friends, football, and maybe even a Turkey Trot - I’ve been reflecting on how powerfully our actions shape the young people in our lives. In my family, running has become a shared passion. It wasn’t something we ever required or even expected of our children; it was simply part of our daily lives.

I’ve been a runner for more than 25 years, completing everything from 5 and 10Ks to 1/2 and full marathons. My husband is also a runner, and our kids spent their earliest years tucked in jogging strollers on wooded trails, later cheering from the sidelines as I raced. Today, the roles have reversed and I’m the one cheering as they compete in high school cross country and as my older kids take on half and full marathons.

Are they runners because they watched us run? I can’t say for certain. But I do know this: children often grow into the examples they see.

This idea reaches far beyond athletics. Do your children see you reading, asking questions, or trying something new? Do they see you leaning into curiosity and embracing learning? At IVSA, one of our core commitments is to cultivate a genuine love of learning in every student. We invite you to join us in nurturing that same spirit at home, through conversation, exploration, and modeling what it looks like to be a lifelong learner.

As a reminder, we invite all of our school partners to join us for the IVSA School Partner Connect Meeting on Friday, December 5th from 12:00–1:00 p.m. This will be a great opportunity to hear updates, ask questions, and continue growing together in support of our students.

Wishing you a joyful December filled with learning, growth, and meaningful moments together.

Melissa Lundgaard

IVSA Executive Director

"Being a student-athlete is not an easy job but IVSA has allowed me to chase my dream of playing soccer during getting my education and being responsible. The staff and faculty have been very flexible and accommodating with respect to my soccer schedule and traveling schedule. The teachers and staff care about helping me succeed on the field and off the field in life, and that is very meaningful. IVSA improved my skills as a player and made me a confident balanced disciplined person. These people know how to work with others. Every day, I feel grateful for belonging in a community that believes and lets me work toward my goal."

REGISTER HERE

1. What is your full name? Evelyn Barrientos-Perkins

2. What subject(s) do you teach? Spanish and History

3. What inspired you to become a teacher? I used to be a substitute teacher at my local high school. I was often assigned to one of the special education classrooms, and I got to know the kids well. They would tell me how much they liked having me in their class, and how much I helped them. This got me thinking that if I could have such a positive influence on students being a sub, how much more could I accomplish as an actual teacher. So, seeing that I could have a positive influence on students is what led me to become a teacher.

4. What’s one fun fact about you? I like to write short stories in Spanish.

5. What’s your favorite way to spend the weekend? After doing chores, I like to relax with a good book or a fun movie/show on Netflix.

6. If you weren’t a teacher, what would you be? I would be a flight attendant. I love traveling and learning about new cultures.

7. What advice do you give students the most? I advise them to not get stressed out about difficult tasks. Everything is hard when we don't know how to do it, but it becomes easier with practice. The more we practice, the better we get at something, and the easier that task becomes.

8. What is your dream vacation destination? The beach! I love being by the ocean, dipping my toes in the water, and smelling the different aromas.

9. What does being part of IVSA mean to you? It means teamwork and support. It also means reaching schools and students that otherwise would have limited options. It also means learning new technologies and ways of teaching. Being part of IVSA keeps teaching me how to be a better teacher and to communicate with others in a clear and concise way.

10. Rapid Fire Round: Pick Your Favorites:

1. Coffee or Tea? Tea

2. Early Bird or Night Owl? Early Bird

3. Dogs or Cats? Cats

4. Pizza or Tacos? Pizza

5. Beach or Mountains? Beach

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.

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

• 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.

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.

December 5: Partner School Connections Meeting

December 19: Last Day of Class for Semester 1 for August and September cohorts.

December 22 - January 2: Winter Break, No LIVE classes, but students in October cohort may still work on IVSA classes!

January 5: Teacher Work Day

January 6: First Day of Semester 2

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)