If you’re reading this blog today, you’ve probably had a fantastic summer, chock full of great memories and things to fantasize about. Summer offers so many wonderful opportunities to explore new things, catch up on needed R&R, spend time with friends, or travel. Coming back to school after such a whirlwind is not easy for anyone. It has been said that adjusting yourself to a new habit can take anywhere from 2-3 weeks. So, that means adjusting back to your school-working self is going to take time.
Here are a few helpful hints that may ease the transition! If you have some suggestions of your own, don’t hesitate to contact us at kely@21cccs.org.
1.) Create a schedule. Making your game plan is a great way to consider what you want to accomplish and how to accomplish it. Your learning coach is especially good at this and can help you to construct something to get you off on the right foot. Consider what worked for you last year. Repeat what worked and consider changes that can help you to get ahead. Maybe you’ve learned that you need more time for math homework than you do for social studies. Maybe you need to write more than one draft of your English assignments. Whatever the case, create a schedule for yourself that reflects your own strengths and weaknesses so that you can achieve what you want to this year!
2.) Contact your teachers! Your teachers and learning coaches want to know you! Something as simple as a telephone call, a chat through the VO, or an email will help you get to know your instructors. They want to know not just how they can help you instructionally, but what your dreams and aspirations are as well!
3.) Make a list! Lots of times when we begin a new school year, the workload looks unbearable! The best thing to do is create a list for yourself and start at the top. When you check things off, you will feel accomplished and proud to know you’re getting things done. Starting small will pay off in the long run. You can do anything you put your mind to.
4.) Don’t get down on yourself! Remember that everyday is an opportunity to do great things. Think of every morning as a new beginning. You have the power to learn, question, explore, and grow. School can be overwhelming, especially when you can see an entire quarter’s worth of work staring at you on a computer screen. (Oh, Moodle! You crazy cat!) Remember, you are not the first student, and you will not be the last, to complete what is there for you. Take one day at a time and treat everyday like a fresh start. You can do this!
5.) Make an effort to get to know your classmates. Each member of this school feels pretty darn lucky. We have some incredible students! Get to know your classmates in the VOs. Join us for field trips and community outreach events. You never know how special your classmates are until you take the time to get to know them!
Have a great school year everyone! Ahh, to be young again! We are excited for you!
Students learn a lot when they have an opportunity to use their skills, patience, and humility to give something back to the community. Here at 21CCCS, we encourage student curiosity and devotion to helping others. Here are some great resources that can help you to reach out and help organizations and causes in a town or city near you! Hey, go ahead and invite your friends and family members to participate with you! You’ll be surprised what you can accomplish with a little motivation to do good.
1.) www.Idealist.org: This site lists jobs and internships, but it also offers lists upon lists of volunteer opportunities. This site is easy to use, search-friendly, and a huge resource for anyone interested in getting involved!
2.) www.Volunteermatch.org: This site lets you search for volunteer opportunities that fall into categories such as “Advocacy and Human Rights,” “Animals,” “Arts and Culture,” or “Board Development.” This will help you to pinpoint the kinds of opportunities you’re searching for.
3.) www.Volunteerlv.org: This site will show volunteer agency postings for opportunities within the Delaware Valley. If you know you have some free time coming up in your life, you can even search for opportunities by date! This is a great way to get started with some smaller scale projects.
4.) http://www.Nature.org: This site provides information about The Nature Conservancy, which operates to protect and preserve nature. In Pennsylvania, it serves to protect a wide array of preserves across the Northwest, Central, and Southwest regions of the state. For more details on volunteering, take a look at their link for volunteering, which is called “Give Back to Nature.”
5.) http://Pspca.org/volunteer: If animals are your thing, this is a great resource for you. Animals need your help all over the state, and this does not have to mean only adopting or fostering animals. There are needs for office assistants, photographers, special events assistants, and more. Check out this site if your heart melts for animals! You can make a difference today!
Please tell us about your experiences! If you are volunteering already, or if these sites help you to find opportunities, we want to hear all about it! Email kely@21cccs.org with details and/or pics!
This year for the first time, consideration of the Keystone Exams and its results were added to our school’s discussion of standardized tests. When we received test scores for the testing completed throughout April and May, a lot of information was revealed about student performance.
This year, teachers were given time during the week of professional development, scheduled the week before the start of school, to really consider what they can do to help improve test scores. Teachers were broken into groups by grade level and tasked with identifying patterns or reasons for the test results. Then, they systematically thought about the things that can be done to help make a difference in student learning. Areas in which students performed the worst, along with areas in which students scored proficient and above proficient were analyzed. It is very easy for teachers to concentrate efforts more so on areas of weakness. But, students also need continued efforts on areas of strength, so they do not lose those skills over time.
Here are some of the key factors teachers noted that can improve this year’s learning objectives:
1.) Pay more attention to vocabulary! The Keystone Exam incorporated a lot of vocabulary. Teachers hope to spend more time focused on building stronger vocabulary with students across a variety of content areas this year.
2.) More face time with students! Our time together may be virtual, but many teachers feel confident that the more time they have to work with students, the better they are able to grasp concepts. Our Live Class schedule has been enhanced with more direct instruction, work sessions, and test prep sessions. Building attendance for these sessions will continue to assist students. So, in talking with your children, encourage them to pop into our sessions when they can!
3.) Get more writing practice! Teachers have recognized that because our current Classroom Diagnostic Tool does not offer open response practice for students, they need to incorporate more open-response practice into lessons throughout the school year. Teachers are excited to bring new sorts of assignments into their classes that meet the needs of students.
Good luck on your studies this year! You’re all off to a great start!
It’s back to school time! One of the most critical things you can do to help get back in the saddle is reboot your mind and body! Here are some quick and helpful hints from our fabulous physical education teacher, Ms. Kennelly.
1.) 30 Minutes a Day!
It is recommended that you have some type of physical activity that lasts for up to 30 minutes, for at least 5 out of the 7 days in each week. Your physical activity does not have to last for 30 minutes straight. You can break it up here and there throughout the day if you need to. Some great ways to incorporate a little movement into your day can be as simple as walking around mealtimes. Go for a walk for 10 minutes in the morning and in the afternoon before or after dinner. You’ll be surprised by how much extra energy you can gain from a quick walk!
2.) Recognize and Deal with Stress!
Returning to school can be stressful for most people. It is important to recognize signs of stress in your life and develop coping skills to work through it. A good start to coping is learning to manage your time. You can easily develop a plan to distribute your workload evenly and avoid feeling overwhelmed. See your learning coach for help!
3.) Avoid Bad Snacks and Other Eats!
Try to stay away from heavily caffeinated drinks (coffee) and energy drinks. These things will not help you, but may lead to a crash later on. If you’ve got a case of the munchies, try something natural like bananas and Peanut butter! It’s a great way to combine potassium and protein in a healthy way!
School is starting this week! Everyone wants to know, “What are the best ways to get prepared for school?” Here are a few easy tips to help you get ready and succeed once things get started.
1.) Organize Your Workspace:
In cyber school, where you complete your schoolwork is not provided to you, nor is it swept and cleaned by the school’s cleaning staff each day. Where you work is up to you. It’s important to make this spot comfortable, but also a place without distractions.
2.) Check Your Laptop:
When you receive your laptop, be sure to use the checklist provided to you by our Tech Department. Be sure that you can open applications, check your email, and get online successfully. If anything is not functioning as it should, be sure to contact Tech. They are available in the Tech Virtual Office and over the phone at 484.875.5467.
3.) Clean/Organize Your Desktop:
Once you get your laptop running, there will be a lot of files and documents you’ll want to save to the computer on a regular basis. You should not delete things in case a teacher needs it at a later time! Keeping things organized means starting off on the right foot. Create folders on your desktop for each of your courses and remember to drag documents into the folders as you work! Delete old emails and make room for the things to come!
4.) Get to Know Your Learning Coach:
Your teachers and learning coaches want to get to know you! They are here to help. They can offer assistance with academic support, lesson differentiation, communication with other subject teachers, and more. They will reach out to you throughout the year, but be sure to reach out to them whenever you need help with something! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Cyberschool Announcements, Moodle, and the Website Blog! We are always providing more information for you there.
5.) Reflect On the Past Year:
It is likely that you were in a class of some kind last year! Now it’s time to get back into the academic mindset. What were some things that worked or didn’t work last year? How can you improve this year? Talk with your teachers and learning coach to decide the best practices you can put into place this year to become the best student you can! We want to help!
Have you got ideas of your own to share with others? Email kely@21cccs.org, and share your preparation practices with us! We’ll blast your responses on Facebook and Twitter!
What makes our students successful? This is a question we are asked time and time again because it has been noted that cyber school may not be the best educational option for everyone. Well, who is it a great option for? What makes cyber school difficult? What makes it a winning educational option?
Like so many other things in life, there is no simple answer to this question. Students come to our school for a variety of reasons, with a variety of ability levels, learning needs, and study skills. We are all different and we wouldn’t want to be the same. But, this means that a school must adapt so that it can provide a variety of learning models for each of its students.
One thing you’ll hear from various staff and faculty members here at 21CCCS is that a successful student is a self-advocate. This means he or she wants to learn and wants to actively participate in his or her education. How can that occur? A student can actively reach out to teachers when help is required with a given lesson or assignment. A student can communicate regularly with learning coaches and teachers, to ensure understanding and appropriate pacing of coursework. A student can also request changes when an assignment is not quite resonating. Sometimes a lesson simply does not make sense. A self-advocating student will likely take note of that and ask for help.
We’re also a great option for students in need of specific scheduling. For example, some students are athletes, dancers, gymnasts. These activities can often occur during a traditional school day. The struggle of traveling back and forth between school, practice, and other responsibilities can create a stressor in a family. For students with these kinds of demands, cyber school can be a perfect fit!
There are plenty of students for whom we are an ideal learning option. The best way for us to successfully determine this is to give us a call! We want to get to know you and your student. We are happy to answer questions, get to know you, and help you to make the best decision possible for your family. Call us today!
We LOVE our alumni! They teach us a lot of things about the opportunities just waiting around the corner after graduation. We are so proud of our students and feature their success stories HERE on our blog. This month we’d like to introduce Jessica. She is an animal lover, a writer, and an advocate for bullied teens. To learn more about Jessica, read below!
In her words:
“Hello! My name is Jessica. I am currently living with all of my pets, which include: two cats, two dogs, and six little puppies (only one of which I will keep). What have I been up to since graduation? Well, to answer that is simply, I have been working my tail off. But not just at work. I have many personal goals in life as well– which I am working toward in exciting ways each day.
Let’s begin with my work life. I work at a Bon-Ton, which is near my current home. I am a make-up and beauty adviser. I love my job so much. I get to work with amazing, fun people everyday. I have the opportunity to make others feel good about themselves when they leave my counter. It has been a challenge to transition into working, but I’m working through it a little everyday.
I have also been working on my most loved passion: my writing. I recently entered a contest for a newspaper. This contest aims to find a new advice columnist for the newspaper agency. This would be a very exciting opportunity for me because I love to give advice. I am hopeful about the future. Additionally, I have written a children’s book. I am excited to one day become a published author. I hope that my children’s book can be the first of many others to come. Currently, I am working on a novel. It may be a while before it is finished. It contains a ton of different characters and plot lines. The intricate details make for a lot of hard work on my end, but I am excited to complete the project.
Finally, I am also managing my time to work on a personal website. It is a work in progress. My website is designed to help kids, teens, and adults to understand the effects of bullying. Bullying can have a lot of negative effects on people. I feel that it is important to get help, talk to someone, and learn to live life to the fullest. My website hopes to help people dealing with bullying.
In the future, I hope to go back to school to pursue my interests. But, until then I will continue to work on several projects with the hopes of succeeding.
Feel free to check out my new anti-bullying website at:
http://originaljess.wix.com/dontbullyme
Life takes each of us to a different place. Sometimes, we are pleasantly surprised to see where we land. After leaving 21CCCS, Teresa found herself in the rainforest. In this “Alumni Spotlight Blog,” read below to learn more about her incredible adventures following graduation!
Teresa:
A few years ago I couldn’t possibly have imagined that the summer after my freshman year of college, I would find myself in the rainforests of Malaysian Borneo, living out my dream of studying birds. But, last summer that’s where I was: living in an idyllic cabin on a pond in the jungle, watching and filming the most beautiful birds I’ve ever seen, and helping to answer (and ask!) questions about their poorly-known biology.
I had this wonderful opportunity because I joined a research group at my college. Participating in it has taught me so much about planning international expeditions, coming up with research questions, and doing real-world science (which is a lot more exciting than reading textbooks!) My experience with Borneo and my classes at Cornell have reinforced my desire to pursue this kind of work for the rest of my life, and I plan to continue my studies to become an ornithologist.
My advice to current high school students is that you shouldn’t dismiss your dreams, even if they’re a little out of the ordinary. Doing what I love motivates me to work hard and do the best that I can. I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Also, get to know your professors if you go to college; they may seem a little intimidating at first, but in my experience they love what they do and they love sharing it with their students. Some of them know of exciting research opportunities as well!
If you’d like to read about the research I helped with in Borneo (or just see pictures of gorgeous birds and other Bornean wildlife), check out my group’s website by CLICKING HERE.
Yesterday marked the last day of school for our teachers. If you were in the building with us today, you would hear teachers whirling through the office, finishing their tasks for the end of the year. They have worked with their students to get them through the end of the year. They have entered final grades, mailed out report cards, and attended the end of the year party and graduation ceremony. So, what’s next?
805 Springdale Drive has been busy with the sounds of shuffling, taping, box moving, and cleaning! Our teachers have spent the last two days organizing their desks, clearing out closets and supplies, and checking off checklists to be sure that everything will be ready for next year!
But our school will not close entirely! Several staff members (including our Enrollment Team!) will be available to answer questions for next year, enroll new students, and to help those enrolled in summer school courses! We are just a phone call or email away! Our office will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday through Thursday of each week! Your teachers will miss you, and a few of us will be here, thinking of you!
So, where will your teachers be this summer? Here are a few things that will keep them busy:
I’ll be Teaching at Bryn Mawr’s Summer Institute for the Gifted. I’ll also be working on our new house in Ardmore.
I will attend carnivals and fairs with my family. I love to fish at Blue Marsh Lake. I’ll take my kids there!
I will catch up on my sleep and work on community theatre shows in my area!
I’ll get to the beach in Ocean City, MD. I can’t wait!
We are planning to camp on Assateague Island and spend a week in Ocean City, Maryland! Personally, I’ll be spending lots of time as a chauffeur for my daughters–taking them to camps, swim meets, and to visit friends!
We are going to see the Grand Canyon, the Hoover Dam, and a few cities in California. We will be gone for two weeks straight.
I am traveling to Spain to explore the country and practice Spanish!!!
We have a family vacation to the Delmarva Peninsula planned. I will also be teaching social studies for summer school.
My kids and I will be spending 2 weeks in Maine, going to the beach, eating lobster, and having a blast!
We are headed to New England. We stay in a lovely little house on the beach in Plum Island. We will be spending July 4th in Boston. After that, it’s just horse shows and flies!
I’m teaching an ESY program for high school students with disabilities. It’s like school and summer camp all wrapped in one!
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @21CyberSchool to keep up with your teachers and friends! We’ll see you next year!
It’s that time of year again! School’s out and many students will have plenty of time on their hands to READ! There is great material to consider out there. Whether your interests lie in fantasy, sci-fi, non-fiction, or romance, the selections are varied. Check out your local library or bookstore soon. Ask your teachers, librarians, or booksellers for reading suggestions, OR check out this list of suggestions below.
(Please note these suggestions are not reflective of the 21CCCS curriculum committee. These are merely for readers interested in finding new and interesting literature to help them think critically and explore through the reading process. Please be proactive, and consider learning more about these texts to note what content may be included before encouraging your child to read.)
Great Summer Reads for Middle School Students:
1.) Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz. After the death of the uncle who had been his guardian, fourteen-year-old Alex Rider is coerced to continue his uncle’s dangerous line of work. *series*
2.) Belle Prater’s Boyby Ruth White. When Woodrow’s mother suddenly disappears, he moves to his grandparents’ home in a small Virginia town where he befriends his cousin. Together, they find the strength to face the terrible losses and fears in their lives.
3.) Ranger’s Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan. When fifteen-year-old Will is rejected by battle school, he becomes the reluctant apprentice to the mysterious Ranger Halt, and winds up protecting the kingdom from danger. *series*
4.) Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper. Melody is not like most people. She cannot walk or talk, but she has a photographic memory. She is smarter than most of the adults who try to diagnose her and smarter than her classmates in her integrated classroom—the very same classmates who dismiss her as mentally challenged. However, Melody refuses to be defined by Cerebral Palsy, and she’s determined to let everyone know it.
5.) The Girl Who Invented Romance by Caroline B. Cooney. While waiting for her first big romance and observing the sometimes rocky love affairs of her parents and brother, sixteen-year-old Kelly develops a board game called Romance.
6.) If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson. After meeting at their private school in New York, fifteen-year-old Jeremiah, who is black and whose parents are separated, and Ellie, who is white and whose mother has twice abandoned her, fall in love and then try to cope with peoples’ reactions.
7.) The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor. When she is cast out of Wonderland by her evil aunt Redd, young Alyss Heart finds herself living in Victorian Oxford as Alice Liddell and struggles to keep memories of her kingdom intact until she can return and claim her rightful throne. *series* The current sequel is Seeing Redd.
8.) Heat by Mike Lupica. Pitching prodigy Michael Arroyo is on the run from social services after being banned from playing Little League baseball because rival coaches doubt he is only twelve years old and he has no parents to offer them proof. Mrs. Ball says this is the best baseball book she’s read in a long time.
9.) Throwing Like a Girl by Weezie Kerr Mackie. After moving from Chicago to Dallas in the spring of her sophomore year, fifteen-year-old Ella finds that joining the softball team at her private school not only helps her make friends, it also provides unexpected opportunities to learn and grow.
10.) The Million Dollar Putt by Dan Gutman. Assisted by his neighbor, Birdie, blind thirteen-year-old Ed “Bogie” Bogard will win one million dollars if he can sink a ten-foot putt in Hawaii’s fifth annual Angus Killick Memorial Tournament.
Great Reads for High School Students:
1.) Twistedby Laurie Halse Anderson. Tyler Miller, a high school senior, tries to clean up his reputation, succeed in school, and deal with his demanding, explosive father and his alcoholic, distant mother. With gripping scenes and a rousing ending, Anderson authentically portrays Tyler’s emotional instability as he contemplates darker and darker solutions to his situation.
2.) The Caddie Who Knew Ben Hoganby John Coyne. It’s 1946, and Jack Handley is a 14-year-old caddy at a posh country club near Chicago. Add in Jack’s entanglement in Matt’s secret romance with the daughter of the club’s rich and powerful president, and anecdotes of other legendary players (like Jimmy Demaret, Gene Sarazen and Lefty Stackhouse), and the results rank with James Dodson’s nonfiction, and John Corrigan’s PGA golf mysteries.
3.) Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier. Cold Mountain begins with the protagonist, a Confederate soldier named Inman, injured in battle during the Civil War. During his recovery in the hospital, he realizes that once he is well enough, he will be sent back to the front lines, a realization that causes him to make the arduous journey home to Cold Mountain.
4.) Catch 22by Joseph Heller. Published in 1962, this grim satire attacks the foolishness and senselessness of war. Even though the subject matter is intensely serious, the story, mainly due to the Yossarian’s brutal realism and caustic sarcasm, is often humorous with the intent of illuminating the horror and absurdity of the situation in which he is mired.
5.) The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston.Kingston’s poignant memoir tells the story of a Chinese American growing up in Stockton, California. As she grows up, Kingston begins to create her own stories to fill in the gaps between her mother’s world and the reality in which she lives.
6.) Pigs in Heavenby Barbara Kingsolver. When a Cherokee tribal lawyer informs Taylor that she must relinquish her illegally adopted daughter, Taylor refuses to give up her daughter, and a life of flight and uncertainty ensues.
7.) Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie and Ina Rilke. The main characters, Luo and the narrator, are two male teenagers who are sent to a remote village in China to be re-educated under Mao’s regime.
8.) Invisible Manby Ralph Ellison. A classic since its publication in 1952, Invisible Man recounts the story of a young, nameless, black man as he experiences the insidiousness of American intolerance, prejudice, and cultural blindness.
9.) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.Jane is orphaned at a young age and subjected to the cruelty of her new guardian, Aunt Reed. When Jane attends Lowood charity school, her situation does not improve. Readers admire Jane because in spite of her seemingly miserable lot, she transcends misery and betrayal to find love, happiness, and acceptance.
10.) Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. A poor farmer, Ethan finds himself stuck in a miserable marriage to Zeenie, a sickly, tyrannical woman, until he falls in love with her visiting cousin, the vivacious Mattie Silver. A powerful tale of passion and loss—and the wretched consequences thereof—Ethan Frome is one of American literature’s great tragic love stories.
