Happy New Year!

The start of the new year is a very busy time for students and staff. I hope your student found time to reflect and relax during our most recent Winter Break. Now that we have returned, our teachers are using this week to grade any assignments submitted over the break and updating grades in PowerSchool. Students in our Semester 1 classes should be working on completing any outstanding assignments and making plans to finish their second proctored activity before the end of the term. It is imperative that your student knows the deadline for submitting assignments they want included in their final grade.

The best way to support a student taking an online class is to ensure they:

• Access their class daily.

• Regularly communicate with their teacher(s).

• Develop a plan to complete the course and their two proctored activities on time.

At this time of year, we find students are more inclined to use outside resources, such as Artificial Intelligence, to shortcut the learning process. While these tools can sometimes be helpful, they should not replace genuine effort or critical thinking. Encouraging your student to engage directly with their coursework will lead to a deeper understanding and better results.

Thank you in advance for your patience during the next few weeks as our staff diligently grade assignments, proctor activities, finalize grades for Semester 1, and prepare classrooms for Semester 2. Students may experience some delays in grading, responses to emails, and limited feedback on assignments as we transition from Semester 1 to Semester 2. Students enrolled in Trimester 2 online classes should experience fewer disruptions, but there may still be some delays as we approach the end of the month.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in your student’s education. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Your partner in online learning,

Principal Lauer

The following proctoring events are open to all students. Students do not need to register in advance. We ask that they bring their device and, if needed, a power cord. Students are expected to complete two proctored activities per class. Information about the specific activities are available in Schoology classrooms.

The following events are scheduled at Skyline High School in the Media Center. Please enter the building through the student entrance.

Middle and High School students can coordinate other opportunities through their building liaisons.

The deadline to request up to a two-week extension for a Semester 1 class is Friday, January 10th. Students may apply for a maximum of two extensions. Extensions are designed to help students who have been actively working throughout the term and are close to earning credit.

Extensions will not be approved for students who:

• Wish to improve a passing grade.

• Did not regularly access their class each week during the term.

Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for an extension, students must meet both of the following criteria:

1. Final Grade or Activity Completion: The student’s current grade must be between 45%–59% of the total points, OR they must have completed 45%–59% of the total activities in the course.

2. Engagement: The student must have logged in and actively engaged in the course consistently, spending at least 5 hours per week, every week, throughout the term.

How to Request an Extension
If your student meets the criteria above, visit our website to find more details and the Extension Request Form. Upon completion of the Extension Request Form, an email will be shared with a Google Doc containing the next steps.

For Michigan Virtual Classes
Extension requests for Michigan Virtual classes are submitted by the student’s AAPS mentor. Please complete the Extension Request Form mentioned above to start the process. Michigan Virtual determines whether the extension is granted. You can review the Michigan Virtual Extension Policy here.

Registration for A2 Virtual+ and Michigan Virtual Semester 2 online classes is now open. As a reminder, if you wish to continue your current online class or add a different online class for Semester 2, you must register for the class through our website. Students must register each term for each online class they intend to take during the school year.

If you are not familiar with all the classes we offer and when they are available, here are links to our two catalogs:

High School Catalog: https://a2virtual.a2schools.org/high/high-school-course-catalog

Middle School Catalog: https://a2virtual.a2schools.org/middle/middle-school-catalog

Registration for Semester 2 is available on our website in the Registration section until February 7th.

Here are links to the registration webpages:

High School Requests: https://a2virtual.a2schools.org/registration/23-24-high-school-enrollment-request

Middle School Requests:

https://a2virtual.a2schools.org/registration/middle-school-enrollment-request

Middle School Math Acceleration Requests: https://a2virtual.a2schools.org/registration/math-acceleration-enrollment-request

If you have any questions about specific classes or class availability, please contact the appropriate A2 Virtual+ counselor.

High School Students: Diane Grant @ grantd@aaps.k12.mi.us

Middle School Students: Allan Loeb @ loeb@aaps.k12.mi.us