iSVA October Highlights

Crisp autumn days bring new energy, and our iSVA community is shining brighter than ever this season!

We are thrilled to bring you this edition of iSVA Highlights, packed with school news, key dates, a graduation announcement, and stories directly from our community. This issue showcases the heart of iSVA: a feature on a standout student, an inspiring update from one of our alumni, and two student-created "My iSVA" videos sharing what virtual learning means to them.

Thank you for making our school community so supportive and dynamic. Enjoy the issue!

With gratitude,

The iSVA Team

One of the coolest parts of our virtual school is how diverse, talented, and unique our student body is. You are athletes, artists, coders, workers, musicians, and independent learners balancing all types of schedules.

Take a few minutes to fill out our Student Community Survey by clicking the button below. Your answers will help us better understand who our students are, what you care about outside of class, and how we can make this school year amazing for our community!

Get creative and bring your ideas to life! Mr. Stein is hosting the 2nd Annual Stop-Motion Animation Contest and ALL iSVA students are invited to enter! 🎥✨

Whether you’re brand new to animation or already have some experience, this is your chance to create something awesome and show off your creativity. Winning entries may be featured on iSVA’s social media and in future newsletters! 👀

⭐ AV Production students: If you’re in Mr. Stein’s AV Production course, all qualifying entries will also count as a project grade!

📅 Deadline EXTENDED: Friday, October 30
📧 Ready to enter? Email your submission and any questions to cstein@responsiveedtx.com

This October, we are proudly celebrating the unique strengths, creativity, and resilience of our students with dyslexia!

Dyslexia affects roughly 1 in 5 people, meaning many of our brilliant secondary learners process language differently. In middle and high school, dyslexia isn’t just about reading, it’s about how students manage heavy reading loads, process text under time constraints, and express their high-level thinking on paper. At iSVA, we are committed to providing the targeted instruction, accommodations, and encouragement our students need to thrive.

Show Your Support: Go Red for Dyslexia! 🔴

We are joining the global community by participating in the Go Red for Dyslexia campaign to raise awareness and celebrate our neurodiverse learners.

We’d love to see our community in action! Show your support by wearing red this month:

• Post & Tag: Share your photos on social media and tag us @iSVATexas using #GoRedForDyslexia and #iSchoolVirtualAcademy.

• Send Them In: Email your pictures to gmeyer@bluexvirtual.com so we can feature your school spirit in our upcoming newsletter and community gallery!
  
  

Let’s stand together to support, empower, and celebrate all of our learners! 💙

It's a milestone season for our National Honor Society! We are thrilled to welcome our newest 2026 NHS inductees, whose dedication to scholarship, leadership, service, and character continues to inspire us all. A big thank you to everyone who joined us online last month to cheer them on!

Adding to the celebration, our school was recently named an NHS Chapter of Distinction. This national honor highlights the collective effort of our students and advisors in creating a culture of service and community impact.

Celebrating our 2026 NHS Inductees during last month's online ceremony!

We are immensely proud of our students (both new and returning) for continuing to shine bright and lead with distinction!

Thank you to our amazing iSchool Virtual Academy community for helping us Turn The World Gold on September 30th! 🎗️ By wearing gold and sharing your support, you helped bring global awareness to childhood cancer and showed our young heroes that they never fight alone. We’re so proud of our compassionate school community!

A huge congratulations to all of our dedicated students who sat for the TSI assessment in September! Taking proactive steps toward college and career readiness is a major achievement, and we are so proud of your hard work and commitment to your future.

Join us in celebrating our September TSI test-takers and passers:

Keep your eyes on our Instagram & Facebook tomorrow (Friday, October 16) for an official campaign message from Mr. Garcia... You definitely won't want to miss this one! 🤠

Check out the lineup below and start planning your outfits!

Clubs are a great way to meet other students, explore your interests, learn something new, and have fun outside of regular coursework.

In this edition of the newsletter, we are highlighting the High School Social Club! Keep an eye on our social media to check out all our club videos coming soon!

Ready to Join?

⭐Explore your options AND complete the Club Interest & Permission Form!
Check out the Club Descriptions to see what clubs are available and find one (or more!) that interests you. Once you’ve found a club you’d like to join, complete the Club Interest & Permission Form.

IMPORTANT: The form must be completed together by the student AND their guardian. Your guardian must give approval before you can participate.

📅 Keep an eye on the Club Calendar!
Club dates and meeting information will be added throughout the year. Check the Club Calendar regularly for upcoming meetings and events.

For the online ceremony, please note:

• This is a view-only event. Students and families will not appear on camera at any point. The only exceptions are the valedictorians and salutatorians, who will appear in video segments

• Graduates’ names will be displayed, but there is no need to turn on your camera or join a video call.

• Simply click the provided link (stay tuned for this as we get closer) at the scheduled time to watch the ceremony live.

• Seniors will have the opportunity to create a personalized slide to be featured during the online ceremony, allowing each graduate to be recognized and celebrated in a meaningful way. Additional details, including submission instructions and deadlines, will be communicated at a later date.
  
  

We hope this makes it easy for everyone to enjoy the celebration from home!

Stay tuned! More details about both ceremonies to come!

Click the picture above to check out our special Graduation Newsletter!

This newsletter is packed with all things graduation and will be updated with more information as we draw closer to graduation day. Be sure to refer back to this for the latest updates!

At iSVA, we're committed to supporting students in both their academic journey and personal well-being. Let's welcome back Mr. Garcia who serves as iSVA's student mentor.

You matter here

–and–

Mr. Garcia's goal is to help students feel seen, heard, and supported as they work toward their goals. Whether you’re facing academic stress, personal challenges, or just need someone to talk to, Mr. Garcia is here for you.

For Gracelyn Rogers, a typical school day doesn’t always mean sitting at a desk. As a ninth grader at iSVA and a competitive equestrian vaulter, she has found a way to balance school with the sport she loves.

Equestrian vaulting combines gymnastics, dance and acrobatics on horseback. For Gracelyn, it’s a sport that takes dedication, practice, and plenty of time, something virtual school has helped her make room for.

Her decision to attend virtual school started in eighth grade, when she realized she had more time in her school day than she knew what to do with.

“During my last year of middle school, I realized that I was spending a lot of time sitting in class after I had already finished my work,” Gracelyn says. “With iSVA, I can use that extra time to train, work toward my goals, and still get the education I need.”

iSchool Virtual Academy gave Gracelyn the flexibility to build her school day around her training schedule. Between live classes, art assignments, and study breaks, she could make time for morning riding lessons and strength training, things that were harder to fit into her schedule before.

That extra time paid off. This past August, Gracelyn’s team competed at EVUSA Nationals in North Carolina, a televised national competition featuring qualifying competitors from all over the United States. Gracelyn and her partner took first place in the 1* Trot Pas de Deux, bringing home a national title.

When she’s not training or competing, Gracelyn enjoys graphic design, which gives her a chance to combine her love of art with learning new skills. And when she needs extra support with her schoolwork, she can turn to her teachers and Success Coach.

That personalized approach has allowed Gracelyn to shape her school experience around her goals and schedule.

“It feels like ‘My iSVA’ because I have more control over how I use my time while still getting a good education,” she says.

Her advice to other students considering virtual school is simple. “Do your research and really think about whether virtual school is a good fit for you. If you’re able to work independently and stay on top of your assignments, I would say go for it.”

We’re proud to have Gracelyn as part of the iSVA community and can’t wait to see where her hard work takes her next!

From the virtual classroom to serving our country, 2025 iSVA graduate Gabe Jones is taking on big new challenges with confidence.

Gabe first joined iSchool Virtual Academy back in the 9th grade on a friend's recommendation. Online school ended up being the perfect fit for him, giving him space to focus on his studies without the typical classroom distractions. Reflecting on his time at iSVA, Gabe points to the steady encouragement he received, especially talking with his counselor, as some of his favorite moments.

That foundation paid off. Today, Gabe is serving in the U.S. Navy, working through his initial training before heading out into the fleet. "The support from my teachers and my counselor helped prepare me and gave me the confidence I've needed while going through advanced training," he shares.

One aspect of online learning that worked so well for Gabe was the safety of the virtual environment. "Being able to learn without the fear of other students laughing if I got a question wrong helped me actually learn and understand what I was learning," he explains.

When asked what advice he'd give to prospective online students, Gabe keeps it simple: "Try your hardest. You never know what you could learn unless you try." And as for advice to his younger self? He admits that he probably should have put down the video games and studied a bit more!

We are so proud of Gabe's dedication in the Navy, and we can't wait to see where his service takes him next!

At iSVA, learning fits around our students' lives, not the other way around. Check out our latest student spotlight features directly below to see how online learning helps our high schoolers thrive.

• Ellie O. | Passion & Balance: See how Ellie leverages iSVA's flexible scheduling to balance her academics while pursuing her creative passions.

• Julian | Junior & Race Car Builder : From the classroom to the shop, watch how Julian manages 11th-grade coursework while building and racing cars.
  

We’re looking for our next My iSVA student feature! Whether you’re competing in sports, creating art, volunteering, or simply love learning from home, we want to share your story.

Check out the details below to see how you can be featured! 👇

We want to spotlight your journey and celebrate everything that makes your virtual school experience unique. Want to help bring iSVA to life? Share your story with us!

We'd love to hear from you! Send an email to gmeyer@bluexvirtual.com to share your story, and don’t forget to connect with us on social media!

We enjoy the ability to connect with our students and families, share upcoming events as well as showcase our amazing students, staff and school across multiple social media platforms!

See you there!

Have you checked out our YouTube channel?

Whether it’s quick tips, how-tos, or just fun behind-the-scenes stuff, you’ll find it here.

👉 Hit that subscribe button and stay in the loop!

Click here for the iSVA YouTube Channel!

This Quick Links Document below contains links for our school calendar, course catalog, Chromebook request form and more!

In accordance with Texas Senate Bill 10, public schools are required to provide access to the text of the Ten Commandments. As a virtual school, we fulfill this state mandate via the digital resource link below.

Have you moved recently? Do you have a new email address or phone number? At iSVA, it is imperative that you keep your information up to date with our administrative office. This information is used to determine assigned testing site locations for STAAR and mailing important items to parents and students. If you have moved or have updated contact information, it is important that you update this immediately. Please reach out to us at this email address isvaoperations@ischoolvirtual.com and will will assist you.

**Please note that we will need 2 new proofs of residence for any address change.**