VLAC Family News

September 8: Required Live Lesson

September 15: Required Live Lesson

September 22: Required Live Lesson

September 15-19: i-Ready Diagnostic Assessments for K-12 in Reading and Math (students may choose to take their assessments prior to these dates)

October 9 (Save the Date): Field Trip to Upland Hills Farm at 10AM - more info to come!

Remember VLAC's beginning of the year required live lessons with mentor teachers.

These will be held Sept 8th, 15th, and 22nd. During these sessions, our VLAC team will provide essential information to ensure a successful start to the year.

K-5 Link to Join Meeting - 10AM (parents encouraged to attend alongside their student)

6-8 Link to Join Meeting - 11AM
9-12 Link to Join Meeting - 1PM

If you are unable to attend the live lesson, contact your VLAC Teacher so they can arrange for you to access the recording of the lesson. You are required to either attend the live lesson or watch it at a later time.

VLAC Mentor Teachers

• Course Monitoring & Grading
  Mentor teachers monitor student progress, assess proficiency relative to content standards, and issue grades.

• Weekly Check-Ins
  Mentor teachers conduct regular interactions (via Google Classroom, text, phone, or video), required weekly, to track engagement and keep students on pace.

• Availability
  Mentor teachers are available to meet with students or families during school hours virtually, by phone, or by text.

• Attendance & Alert Notifications
  Mentor teachers actively notify students and parents when students aren’t interacting regularly or are falling behind—especially as absences approach 10%—and when academic performance raises concerns.

• Special Education Support
  Mentor teachers attend IEP and 504 meetings to support student needs in collaboration with districts and families.

VLAC Content Teachers

• Grades 9–12: Specialist Instruction
  High school students have content-area teachers contracted through accredited providers (e.g., Edgenuity/Imagine and Lincoln), who are highly qualified Michigan teachers. These educators deliver subject-specific instruction and work alongside mentor teachers.

• Content teachers have office hours during which they are available to meet with students. Students can also set up meeting and email with content teachers.

• Each student has an assigned mentor teacher. Please use your mentor teachers cell phone or email to contact them.

VLAC Counselors

• Course Selection & Scheduling Support
  VLAC counselors are available by appointment to assist both students and families with course choices and creating balanced schedules.

• Personalized Caseloads by District
  Counselors manage student caseloads based on the sending school district, ensuring continuity and tailored support.

i Ready Tutorial

VLAC Grades K-2 Schedule Ideas

VLAC Grades 3-5 Schedule Ideas

Logging in and uses of Clever

In Imagine Learning, you have access to an On-Demand Tutor to help you whenever you need extra support. Tutors are available for English, math, science, social studies, Spanish, and French, and you can connect with them seven days a week. When you reach out, you can choose to meet through a live call with an interactive whiteboard or use the chat box to send messages back and forth. To find this feature, look for the tutor icon in the bottom corner while working in your courses. Tutor hours are Monday–Friday from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM, Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and Sunday from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM. This is a great way to get help right when you need it!

New this year: Lincoln AI!

Lincoln AI is now available in Lincoln K-5 Core and 6-12 English Language Arts and Social Studies courses. While working in a learning object (lesson), you’ll find the Lincoln AI icon in the bottom right corner - ready to assist in supported courses.

This intelligent tool provides instant, curriculum-aligned support to students anytime, anywhere. Whether through on-demand video or text chat, Lincoln AI helps answer questions, reinforces lessons securely, and boosts learner confidence. Students can either unmute their microphone to ask questions aloud or type directly to get the help they need.

Students enrolled in Lincoln Learning courses can find their mentor teacher and/or content teacher (grades 9–12) by clicking the "Activities" tab on their course card within the student dashboard. From there, the teacher homepage will be displayed, and the teacher's email address will be listed.

Where do students find their content teacher's contact information?

Students in ILVP can find their content teacher’s contact information under the “Course Information” tab. From there, they can book a meeting or join the virtual classroom. When a teacher responds, students can view the reply under the “Messages” tab.

Please use this helpful guide to understand which app you need to select to find your courses in Clever.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b9DGr19RTZ5HwN7RellHDrcUbxRnpN1vXOIyKUTHn5U/edit?usp=sharing

We’re excited to welcome new families to VLAC! To help you get started, we’re offering optional one-on-one in-person onboarding sessions for those who would like extra help getting started. These sessions provide hands-on support with logging in, navigating our learning platforms, and answering any questions you may have.

To sign up, simply email info@vlac.org and request the link to schedule your session. Be sure to include the parent/guardian name and student name in the body of the email.

Sessions are held at Oakland Schools Main Campus in Waterford, MI (2111 Pontiac Lake Rd).

Please note: All students will participate in a virtual onboarding session with their mentor teacher as part of the regular onboarding process. The in-person session is completely optional and is offered as additional support for families who would like extra one-on-one guidance.

State testing results have arrived at the VLAC office!

Results for WIDA, ACT, and M-STEP will begin mailing out next week via U.S. Mail.

Accessing PSAT and SAT Scores:
PSAT and SAT scores are not sent by mail. Students can access their scores online using their login ticket from testing and visiting their College Board account.

If the student has forgotten their username or no longer has their login ticket:

1. Go to the College Board website and click “Sign In.”

2. Click “Need Help Signing In?” then select either “Forgot Username?” or “Forgot Password?”

3. Enter the email address associated with the student’s College Board account.

4. College Board will send an email with all usernames linked to that address.

5. Students can also follow the prompts to answer security questions or reset the password.

If the student is still unable to access their account, they can contact College Board Customer Service at 1-866-630-9305.

If your student has an IEP or 504 Plan, their mentor teacher will be reaching out soon to set up a time to meet and review accommodations with you and your child. We want to be sure you feel comfortable and confident using these supports in our curriculum. Your mentor teacher will walk alongside you and your child every step of the way.

As we begin the new school year, Mrs. Connell and Mrs. Wasilk have been diligently reaching out to students and families to finalize class schedules. If you have any questions or concerns about your student’s courses—or are considering a schedule change—please don’t hesitate to contact us directly. Christine.Connell@oakland.k12.mi.us or Kimberly.Wasilk@oakland.k12.mi.us

During the Live Meetings this week, some common questions have been asked by students. We included the answers below:

High School GPA Calculation, How can we see our updated GPA? VLAC Counselors can help to direct students to a school contact who can assist with the school specifics for how the sending school calculates GPAs. Schools use various weights and numerical values for different courses and grades therefore it is best to work with your VLAC counselor to find out who the best person is to reach out to.

High School Graduation: Since a student's sending school will award the high school diploma, it is important for seniors to stay in touch with the designated person at the high school that sends out graduation information such as cap and gown ordering, graduation activities, etc. We recommend that students find out who does this and ask that they send the correspondence to a personal email account. Some schools will deactivate a student's gmail account from the school district where information is sent.

Course Changes, When is the last day to request a course change? Any student who has a class that opened up the week of 9/2 will need to let their VLAC counselor know by Tuesday, 9/9 if they would like a course changed. Requesting a course change does not automatically mean that it will be changed. VLAC counselor will need to verify with the sending school counselor that the requested change is allowed. We will do so right away and make the changes as soon as we receive the approval when needed.

If you need an order of ink or paper, please submit your order on this link and it will be shipped to you before school begins. Be sure to provide the model number of your printer. Thank you.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Fj5eycWwzFSPTLUQJFpatWOUBhu7XQvDv8TAYmM5a2o/edit

Amanda McKay, Ph.D. Supervisor of Student Programs VLAC 248-804-4366

Andrea Becker VLAC Teacher Coordinator 248-941-2224

Kimberly Mason: VLAC Project Assistant 248-209-2025

Mary Kotcher: VLAC Office Assistant 248-209-2071

Kristi McAllister: VLAC Special Populations Consultant 248-410-2202

Christine Connell: VLAC Counselor 248-980-0831

Kim Wasilk: VLAC Counselor 248-980-0752

Technology Support: 248-209-2060

Email: info@vlac.org
Website: https://virtuallearningacademyconsortium.org
Location: 2111 Pontiac Lake Road, Waterford Township, MI, USA
Phone: 248-209-2071
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VLAConsortium/
Twitter: @VLAConsortium