ARVA Parent Info. Packet

First, a bit of encouragement...

Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year! Take a deep breath and know that we're all in this together. Your student's success is our goal!

We have switched to a new platform and are experiencing some growing pains this morning but the good news is that this first week is built in as an opportunity to ensure the students have computers, can access the online school, attend orientations, and to ensure that classes can process smoothly as the year continues.

We know about the glitches you are experiencing and are working to resolve them. Students will not be penalized for not attending a session that is not on their calendar! Thanks for your patience as we work through this orientation week together and get these issues cleared up for a successful year ahead.

🆘 You can also search for specific help topics here:
https://www.help.k12.com/s/

We want to make sure that you have all the information you need to start this year off strong! This Information Packet is a creation of our Parent and Family Engagement Program. Research over the last several decades has shown that “when schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more." ParentsInternational.org

This research mirrors what we believe at the Arkansas Virtual Academy. We believe that positive parent and family engagement contributes to the high academic achievement of our students and that their education is a cooperative effort among the school, parents, and community. The goal of our parent and family engagement program is to facilitate better communication, support parenting skills, and integrate parents into student learning, volunteering, and collaboration.

I hope that you find useful information in this packet and that you find a way to get involved that speaks to you.

The newsletter shares district-wide information pertinent to all families on topics such as:

School Communication
Relationship Roles
Get Involved ~ Collaboration and Family Support
Get Involved ~ Student Engagement Opportunities & Outings and Learning Community
Health & Wellness
Link Up ~ Contact Us

Arkansas Virtual Academy prides itself on a high level of school-family communication. Communication is how needs, expectations, strategies, etc. are shared and supportive relationships are built. Becoming familiar with the various modes of communication strengthens your ability to support your student in ARVA. No matter which mode you choose, it's helpful to school staff if you share your child's student number when you have questions about your student. Click here to see how to find it.

ARVA Student/Parent Handbook-- outlines the systems that allow the parents and teachers and school to communicate in a regular, two-way, and meaningful manner. Please review these communication systems below. Please read and click here to sign the 'receipt' page showing you’ve received it.
Email and phone calls—are our school’s main methods of communication that allow parents, teachers, and the school to communicate in a regular, two-way, and meaningful manner. Email and voice messages should be checked daily to stay informed on all information coming from our school. Your student’s email is a secure system that is accessed directly from your OLS.
ARVA’s Regional Community Coordinators Team is a Student and Family Support Team. All new students. The RCC will provide needed training and support throughout the school year as well as set up local socialization opportunities in communities across the state.
ARVA School Website— is where you’ll see parent workshops provided by K12, local events, the school calendar, school policies and handbook, online clubs for students, and more!
Facebook—offers another way to stay connected with our online community and get school updates by ’liking’ our Arkansas Virtual Academy at K12 page on Facebook. The Arkansas Virtual Academy at K12 Facebook page shares information, such as school announcements and upcoming events, with ARVA Learning Coaches and other members of the community. Participation in the Facebook pages is completely optional.
-ARVA Learning Coaches is a Facebook page specifically for all ARVA Learning Coaches to support one another.
-ARVA Elementary is a Facebook page run by Elementary staff for elementary families.
-ARVA Middle School is a Facebook page run by Middle School staff for middle school families.
-ARVA High School is a Facebook page run by High School staff for high school families.
Attend parent-teacher conferences—Your ARVA course teacher(s) will set up conferences twice a year and as needed. Your teacher(s) will provide you with specifics for your conferences. You can make the most of your conference by being prepared. Here are some tips from Scholastic on 8 Tips for Getting More out of Your Parent Teacher Conferences (some tips are more applicable to a brick-and-mortar setting, but still a lot of good information here!).
ARVA/K12 Contacts — Your Homeroom Teacher is generally your first point-of-contact for school-related issues. For course-specific academic questions, you will find a teacher list in your OLS (Online School) under Quick Links > Contact Your Teachers.
Help.K12.com — is another great resource with answers to SO many questions and how-tos. Topics are easily searchable as well.
Read our monthly newsletters — Principals, teachers, and RCCs also send regular newsletters more specific to their region/content to be sure to peruse those as they arrive in your inbox.
School-Parent Compact-- School, staff, and parents develop the Title I School-Parent Compact as part of the Parent and Family Engagement Plan. This compact outlines how parents, school staff, and students share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the means by which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership to help children achieve the state’s high standards. The compact is emailed to parents in the fall after the PFEC approves it. The compact will be discussed during one of your parent/teacher conferences so that you have an opportunity to agree upon the components of the compact and discuss any questions you may have. The signature page of the Title I Compact can be signed digitally. You can read a copy of the Title I Compact here.
Questions regarding the Title I Compact can be directed to Michele Newnum: minewnum@arva.org.

ARVA offers opportunities for unique relationships within our school community. By nature of the school, parents are generally much more involved in their children’s education and they receive a high level of support from teachers and administration. ARVA’s Student-Parent Handbook is a comprehensive guide to ARVA policies and procedures and it, along with the Title I School-Parent Compact , offers a more comprehensive view of the recommended roles of the student, parent, teacher, and school than the general overview below.

Students:

· Work daily with the learning coach using the K12 curriculum

· Participate in assigned Class Connect sessions with teachers

· Participate in state-mandated assessments

Parents:

· Work in conjunction with the teacher

· Work with the student daily using assigned curriculum

· Log progress regularly, when needed

· Ensure students attend live class connect sessions, when required

· Submit work samples as requested by ARVA

· Participate in meetings with teachers and school

· Check and respond to email and voicemails daily

· Care for school property

· Ensure that each student participates in state-mandated assessments

Teachers:

Guide parents and students throughout the year by:

· Maintaining records of progress for state reporting

· Reviewing student assessments and building academic plans for each student based on needs

· Working with students in Class Connect to teach and remediate skills

· Conferencing with families and providing resources and strategies to families as needed

· Reviewing student work samples and providing feedback

School:

Supports students, parents, and staff by:

· Providing online curriculum and appropriate materials to every student

· Maintaining accurate records on students

· Ensuring that each student participates in state-mandated assessments

· Hiring and training highly-qualified teachers to work with families and students

Give feedback on ARVA Surveys—You may get a few surveys throughout the year (well okay…A LOT of surveys) from various ARVA staff members. “Why another survey?” you might ask as you login to your email and find one in your inbox. The answer is because we value your opinion and strive to improve our school in every way we can. Who better to ask than our fabulous Learning Coaches!
~ The Students First Survey is sent approximately monthly after the first of the year to each family. This is a short survey that allows families to share concerns and questions they may have with our staff. We want to know your needs as well as what is going well for your family. All comments are read and considered. Learning coaches can look for this email invite in approximately once a month.
~ The Parent and Family Engagement Needs Survey will be emailed out to all families in the spring of 2026. This more lengthy survey is used to gather information which will help us better understand family needs and plan topics for parent workshops, provide relevant trainings, plan educational outings, facilitate collaboration, etc.
~ There will also be other, smaller, more frequent surveys shared throughout the year. We hope that you will use these as an opportunity to share feedback in the area requested as we continue to improve for your students.
Interested in Volunteering—There are multiple areas in which to volunteer in our school. Parents can host a session about their interesting jobs, lead outings for other ARVA families through the Booster Club, assist at outings, etc. If there is something that you would like to do, just let us know. Suggestions can be submitted to Gina Moore, gmoore@arva.org. The information is compiled for ARVA staff to contact those interested as volunteer opportunities arise.
Parent and Family Engagement Committee—Arkansas Virtual Academy’s Parent and Family Engagement Committee (PFEC) is comprised of community and parent representatives from Kindergarten through high school. The PFEC reviews and evaluates the Parent and Family Engagement Plans every year, meets throughout the year to discuss ways to implement various aspects of the plans, and collaborates on other issues that pertain to our school. The Parent and Family Engagement Plans (linked below) are completed by the PFEC in the spring and summer and the plans are posted on the school website by August 1st. PFEC will collaborate throughout the school year and will culminate in the spring to review the parent survey results and discuss any impressions and/or changes based on the data.
Committee members will be sent an invite via email with directions on participating. If you would like to be a part of this valuable committee, please contact Gina Moore gmoore@arva.org.
This year’s Parent and Family Engagement Plans:
-District Parent and Family Engagement Plan 2025-26
-Elementary Parent and Family Engagement Plan 2025-26
-Middle School Parent and Family Engagement Plan 2025-26
-High School Parent and Family Engagement Plan 2025-26
Committees— Committee planning takes place primarily in the summer, but may meet throughout the year. If you would like to serve on a committee for our school, like the Parent and Family Engagement Committee or the Health and Wellness Committee, please email Gina Moore: gmoore@arva.org.
ARVA Booster Program—this is a parent-based volunteer group. The Booster Program is intended to foster local engagement through activities that promote leadership, school pride and outreach, and meaningful connections for families through its efforts. Activities that the Boosters participate in may include planning Booster Outings and organizing fundraisers. The ARVA Parent Booster Club will guide you through planning an outing in your area and message the information out to interested ARVA families. Monthly Booster meetings will be held online. Dates and links to attend will be shared via email. For more information contact Beth Moore, bmoore@arva.org.
Families wishing to host outings in their local area can refer to this guide for directions.

Get Involved: Family Support

Regional Community Coordinators Crew - New students will work closely with an RCC. See above for more information on this team. For more information regarding Family Support & Engagement, please contact Gina Moore, Family Engagement Administrator: gmoore@arva.org
Attend Parent and Family Engagement Meetings/Workshops—these online meetings will be offered throughout the year to provide parents information on school updates, our Title I programs, and parent workshops to share parenting skills and developmentally-appropriate learning activities with parents that are pertinent to online schooling—using the curriculum correctly, assessments, test preparation, tips for organization, routine building and scheduling, etc. We offer parent workshops and recordings through K12, and the schedule is updated regularly in the Family Engagement Newsletter. To attend a session, simply click on the link associated with the session.
Title I Meeting: Our annual Title I meeting will be held online this fall. More information is forthcoming.
This will give you an opportunity to learn about our school-wide Title I program, including:
~ a description or explanation of the school curriculum,
~ information on forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress,
~ information on proficiency levels students are expected to meet,
~ your parental rights
If you would like more information about the Title I meeting, please contact Michele Newnum, Title I Coordinator: minewnum@arva.org.
ARVA has also partnered with ParentGuidance.org to offer free parenting resources for parents and learning coaches from highly training parenting experts! These resources include confidential, monthly webinars on topics such as Your Child's Anxiety, How to Motivate Your Child, and Bullying ~ Stop the Cycle, and many more! You can also sign up to connect weekly and confidentially with a Parenting Coach who is a trained counselor to discuss those issues that you are struggling with while parenting. Online resources on a wealth of parenting topics and live Ask a Therapist sessions offered monthly. Details will be coming to your email! See more information below.

K12 Zone is opening Tuesday, Sept. 3 for online interaction opportunities for ARVA students! See more about K12 Zone here.
Looking to connect with other ARVA families in your area?
~ Connect with an entire virtual village of Learning Coaches on the K12 app via the ARVA LC Community. Get helpful answers, join discussion groups, set up outings, and even find sanity-saving advice. Check out the video below, download the app or login through your LC account, and learn more on learningcoachlife.com.
~ If you are on Facebook, as mentioned above, ARVA has several pages just for our Learning Coaches:
--ARVA Learning Coaches is a Facebook page specifically for all ARVA Learning Coaches to support one another.
--ARVA Elementary is a Facebook page run by Elementary staff for elementary families.
--ARVA Middle School is a Facebook page run by Middle School staff for middle school families.
--ARVA High School is a Facebook page run by High School staff for high school families.
~ Families across the state meet regularly online and face-to-face, when possible, to work together and attend interesting outings. You can find other ARVA families by setting up local Booster outings. Scroll up for more information. Contact Beth Moore, our Parent Facilitator, at bmoore@arva.org To set up an outing in your area and check out the information on additional ARVA outings below.
Educational Outings—Educational and fun outings are planned throughout the school year and throughout the state. This year, ARVA is focusing on the most popular outings and events and encouraging the Booster Club to work towards filling the events calendar with outings for families in each corner of the state. While these outings are optional to attend, they are a great way to meet other ARVA families and learn something new! For a schedule of outings and to RSVP, stay tuned to your RCCs regional newsletter.
We typically host 3 each of ARVA Adventure Days, Academic Days, and 2 Assist Days throughout the school year and across the state, both online and face-to-face. These are optional opportunities for students to take learning outside of the home classroom and participate in collaborative learning and socialization. Adventure Days are similar to any fun field trip a student may enjoy and include activities such as bowling, skating, parks, etc. Academic Days are led by teachers who engage the students in active learning projects to provide collaborative learning opportunities. Assist Days allow families to work together in service to their communities. In coordination with our Booster Club, we’ll also host Barnes & Noble Book Fairs and Winterland of Gingerbread events, all optional, but lots of fun! Stay tuned to your email and upcoming regional newsletters for more information and to RSVP for these exciting events.
End-of-Year Carnival, Prom, and High School Graduation —The end of the school year culminates in school-wide celebrations for all grade levels with End-of-Year Celebrations, the Prom, and High School Graduation. Further details will be provided in email as the time nears.

Get Involved: Learning Community

K12 Online Clubs—more than 100 clubs are offered this year, in a variety of categories—give students the opportunity to connect with peers across the country, explore hobbies and academic interests, and benefit from the leadership of a seasoned teacher in a safe online environment. More information can be found in the Announcements section in the OLS (Online School). Clubs will begin taking registrations in late August. Once you have signed up for a club, you will receive a email from the club leader and you will see the Class Connect link in your OLS. Bookmark this K-12/Stride student engagement newsletter for up-to-date information.
ARVA’s CTE—There are many opportunities for high school students to get involved through ARVA’s Destinations Career Academy and the Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO). Questions may be directed to Lisa Short: lishort@arva.org

Health & Wellness Committee Members Needed!
We are seeking parents, students, and health professionals to serve on our Health & Wellness committee. If you are interested or know someone who is, please contact Michele Newnum, Title I Coordinator: minewnum@arva.org.
Is your child eating enough healthy foods?
Only 27% of Americans eat vegetables 3 or 4 times per day as recommended!
But there’s an easy solution that you already know. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables provides the vitamins and minerals that your student’s body and brain requires to get and stay healthy; ready to play, learn, and grow optimally! Read more about how to encourage those healthy eating habits at the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, founded by the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation, works to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity and to empower kids to develop lifelong healthy habits.
Many parents also have success with sneaking in extra servings of fruits and vegetables in sauces and smoothies. Read on for more sneaky ideas.
There are many Food Banks across Arkansas hosted by organizations and churches. ARVA is even hosting food banks at some of our 'satellite' regions. Contact Carmen Rees: crees@arva.org for NW AR, Amanda Lloyd: amlloyd@arva.org for West AR and Gina Moore: gmoore@arva.org for Central AR if you are interested in either receiving free food or donating to support this cause.