IVSA Newsletter

As we move into April, many of us are either returning from Spring Break or eagerly anticipating it. This time of year brings a much-needed pause, a chance to rest, recharge, and step away from the daily routines of school.

And that pause matters.

For some of our students, summer should be just that, a time to work, relax, spend time with family, or head off to camp. These experiences are valuable and help our students grow in ways that go far beyond the classroom.

But for others, summer is also an opportunity.

An opportunity to stay connected.
To build momentum.
To take the next step forward.

At IVSA, we believe summer learning isn’t one-size-fits-all, but it’s about meeting students where they are and helping them move toward where they want to be.

🌟 Three Ways Students Can Stay Connected This Summer

1. Catch Up & Move Forward (Grades 6-12th)
Some students need the chance to regain momentum. Summer is a powerful time to complete credit recovery courses and get back on track for graduation, or even get ahead and create space in their future schedules.

2. Stay Sharp in the Foundations (Grades K-5th)
Our Summer Bootcamp helps younger learners stay connected to math and reading during the summer months. With engaging, structured support, students can maintain (and even grow!) the skills that set them up for success in the fall.

3. Explore, Create, and Discover (Grades 3–12th)
Summer is also the perfect time for students to explore new interests. Through enrichment opportunities in art, music, world languages, CTE, STEM, and financial literacy, students can discover passions, build confidence, and connect learning to the real world. Register for SUMMER SPARK today!

Spring reminds us that growth doesn’t always happen all at once. Some students bloom early, others take a little more time, and both are exactly where they need to be. Summer is simply the next step in that journey. Whether a student needs rest, recovery, or enrichment, our goal is to provide pathways that keep them connected, supported, and moving forward.

If you’d like to learn more about IVSA’s summer programs, we’re here to help you find the right fit for your students. Let’s continue to help every student grow, this spring, this summer, and beyond.

With gratitude,

Melissa Lundgaard

IVSA Executive Director

The IVSA Summer Bootcamp program will leverage award winning curriculum that is designed to personalize a plan for your students to support essential skill development in math and reading. We believe that this program, along with the live sessions with our teaching staff, will be an excellent opportunity for your students to learn, grow, and have fun this summer.

IVSA Summer Bootcamp - Grades K-5th

IVSA presents SUMMER SPARK. Summer SPARK is a two-week virtual enrichment adventure where students explore their creativity, curiosity, and future careers through hands-on courses. From art, music, and world languages, to coding, robotics, design challenges and real-world skills like finance and entrepreneurship, learners discover new passions, while building confidence and practical skills.

IVSA Summer SPARK - Grades 3rd-12th

Summer SPARK Course Descriptions

IVSA offers over 300 courses in our Summer School Program. Do you need Consumer Economics, Driver's Ed, Health, PE, World Languages or an Elective? What about taking Photography, Geometry, Digital Media, Forensics, or get credit for working this summer with our Workplace Experience course.

IVSA Summer School - Grades 6-12th

IVSA Game Club practices twice a week and competes throughout the semester. Students have the opportunity to earn points through STEM challenges all semester.

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

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

● 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!

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.

We invite you to join Illinois Virtual Schools & Academy (IVSA) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) for an informational webinar focused on navigating the Illinois Virtual Course Catalog (IVCC) reimbursement process.

During this session, we will walk through:

• How the reimbursement process works
• Eligibility requirements
• Step-by-step application guidance
• Key timelines and documentation needed
• Time for live Q&A

Our goal is to make the process simple, clear, and accessible so your schools can confidently access available funding to support students.

Date: April 28
Time: 1:00 PM
Location (Zoom): https://zoom.us/my/illlinoisvirtualacademy

Whether you’re new to the process or just need a refresher, this session will ensure you’re ready to apply successfully.

We hope you can join us!

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.

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 March 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.

April 27-30: iReady Diagnostics for Academy Students

May 22: Last day of school for IVSA students

May 29: IVSA Grades posted for 2nd semester

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)