Strong Start Checklist
Resources for Grades K-12 for 2026-27 SY
START HERE: Directions for setting up your accounts.
Create the Learning Coach (LC) account first:
Within 24–48 hours of your student’s enrollment being approved, the Learning Coach will receive an email from K12-confirmation@k12.com with the subject line: Welcome and Important Next Step. This email contains the Registration ID needed to create your K12 School account.
In the Welcome email, click on Create Your Account to begin. If you do not receive the Welcome email within 24–48 hours of your registration approval, please contact K12 Customer Care at 866-512-2273 for assistance. The Account Sign Up page will display. Enter the Registration ID as listed in the email. Click the Submit button.
Please note: Best practice is to copy and paste the Registration ID from the email to minimize errors. If manually entering the ID, be sure to enter all capital letters followed by a number.
Fill out all the required fields and click Sign Up.
A confirmation page will appear, indicating that your Learning Coach account has been successfully created. You will also receive a confirmation email from K12-confirmation@k12.com verifying that your account setup is complete.
Create the Student(s) Account:
From the Confirmation page, click Sign Up Student Accounts then click Select Student. Fill out all the required fields and click Sign Up. A confirmation page will appear, indicating that the student account has been successfully created. You will also receive a confirmation email from K12-confirmation@k12.com verifying that your account setup is complete.
Please note: Repeat steps 1-3 for additional students, if applicable.
➡️Click here for a video and picture tutorial of the account creation process.⬅️
Students receive free, online access to the Office 365 programs such as Outlook, Word, and Excel. Here are directions to download Office 365 and/or find it on your loaner computer.
Do not change the student's Office O365 password. It is linked to their school account. Changing it will cause login issues and prevent access to coursework. If assistance is needed, contact your Regional Community Coordinator first.
⌚Arkansas is in Central Standard Time. If you see a different time listed in your student(s) account in the online school (OLS), then the settings need to be adjusted in order for live class times to show correctly. Time zone settings need to be checked and possibly changed in the following areas: learning coach account, student account, and on the student's computer.
For Windows 10 computer's, see directions here.
How to update time in Canvas/Online School.
Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to adjust time zone settings in an ARVA loaner computer.
Once logged into welcome.k12.com with the student username and password, be sure to complete the task list of items on the Welcome Page. They will check off as you complete them. This information will prepare you for a successful year!
Personalize your Launch Pad view: https://stride.widen.net/s/n8hwv6lcrs/k12-launch-pad-user-guide
Navigating in Canvas:
K-5: https://stride.widen.net/s/xxvkwfklkn/k5-dashboard-quick-guide
The New K5 Dashboard- K-5 navigation overview video
6-12: https://stride.widen.net/s/xcmrmr2hqr/k12-school-student-6-12-navigation-overview
The Strong Start Workshop for New Students is required for all new families to complete during the first week of school at ARVA. Both the learning coaches and students must attend.
Families are emailed the Zoom links for their student's school-level to attend these sessions and can choose either Monday at noon or Tuesday or 8am.
You do not need to tell us which session you choose; simply click the link at the corresponding time in the email to attend the session. The Strong Start Workshop is NOT ACCESSIBLE via Canvas/the online school/Launchpad.
Only Strong Start Workshops are using Zoom right now. Teachers will be using Engageli, through the Canvas online school, for their live sessions.
Complete the Online Learning course in your student's online school. This course takes about 30 minutes to an hour to complete and is due during Onboarding Week. The course provides additional practice in using the platform to prepare for the second week when courses become available.
To be ready for interim and spring testing (that all students are required to complete), students and parents/guardians need to complete these steps, unless it was provided by the homeroom teacher and have already completed.
- Ensure the student computer has a working camera & microphone. Need one? Email Operations@arva.org and provide your student's name and ID number.
- Download the secure testing browser here.
- Parent: Complete the Parent Training
- Parent: Fill out parent agreement form after completing the training: https://forms.office.com/r/bBT2TZCYiL
Students will take pre-assessments throughout the year to measure growth and guide instruction. New students are required to complete these assessments during the first week of onboarding.
You must attend the pre-assessments once they appear on the student dashboard in the Upcoming Class Connect Sessions section. In the live session, teachers will provide all the necessary information to take the test. Reach out to your homeroom teacher with questions about the pre-assessments.
💻Need a loaner computer? Send your student's student number to this email to request a loaner computer: operations@arva.org
Need to check your student's shipment statuses for the computer and/or materials?
https://www.help.k12.com/s/article/How-To-Track-Your-Course-Materials-and-Hardware-Shipments
Speak with your Regional Community Coordinator during Onboarding Week! The call could come anytime between Monday and Friday and will review important information as well as gather any updates from you.
High School students will also receive a call or an invite to a live session from their Counselor in order to choose courses and Homeroom Teachers will reach out as well. Please take the time to accept these important calls and respond to the emails you receive.
Then, fill out the short form noting that you have received it.
Another great resource is the Parent Information Packet that will provide parents and learning coaches with information on topics like:
- School Communication
- Relationship Roles
- How to Get Involved ~ Collaboration and Family Support and Student Engagement Opportunities & Outings and Learning Community
- Health & Wellness
- Who to Contact for various questions
Troubleshooting: Which web browser should I use for school?
Google Chrome is the best browser for all things ARVA. Microsoft Edge may not support certain functionalities, and while Firefox may work for some tasks, it is not the first recommendation. We still encourage you to download all three browsers, if possible, to have options available.
Please download all three web browsers:
- Google Chrome (best fit for online schooling at ARVA)
- Mozilla Firefox (good backup)
- Internet Explorer (last resort)
Want to get to know the platform you'll be using for your LIVE Class Connect sessions? See the links below for all things Engageli.
