Shark Bytes
An update from the Virtual Academy
Week of February 12, 2024
Student Spotlight
Each week we share a reason to celebrate a Virtual Academy classmate. Do you have something great to share? Do you have something you'd like to share about another Virtual Academy student? Please fill out this form.
Highest Honors
Please help us congratulate the following students for achieving Highest Honors (straight A's) on their report card for Marking Period 2.
9th Grade
David Sergio Vela May
Taniyah Deja McCaskill
Jenna Grace Wheeler
Evalise Adelle Blazel
Alexis Faith Marshall
10 Grade
Jayden Briley Hughes
Stephanie Lynn Roberts
Skylah Meiyon Zh'aya Smith
Angelina Lydia Vela May
Danielle Lynn Heubel
William Paul Downs
Aniyah Lacey Philyaw
11 Grade
Takoda Alexandros Jones
Abigail Nicole McClintock
Katherine Elizabeth Cuevas
Michael Wayne Cullison JR
Joshua Abram Philyaw
12 Grade
Amadi Saige Bryant
Mikayla Bonnette Cheseldine
Laci Lynn Copsey
DeLaneo Arturus Jones
Hannah Marie Paschal
Taylor Renee Boothe
Lillian Patricia Edmondson
Honor Roll
Please help us congratulate the following students for achieving Honor Roll (all A's and B's) on their report card for Marking Period 2.
9th Grade
Camryn Jo Stone
10 Grade
Kaelyn Dominique Clark-Middleton
12 Grade
Demitry Gabriel Simmons
Ireland Grace Webb
Merit Roll
Please help us congratulate the following students for achieving Merit Roll (achieving the GPA of 3.5) on their report card for Marking Period 2.
9th Grade
Angelica Ella Madison
10 Grade
Nathaniel Alan May
Gracie Michelle Welch
Jason Matthew Wheeler
Adam Joseph Craig
Taylor Nicole Fields-Wilkins
Mason Matthew Blazel
11 Grade
Hailey Jordyn Kirkey
Chase James Penrod
12 Grade
Kemauri Tevon Blackwell
Soledad Alicia Belanger
Emily Rose Quade
Rhiannon Grace Wright
Top Five in Five
The top five things you need to know for this week!
1. Maryland School Survey & Tech Upgrade
What:
Students will be completing the Maryland Survey to give feedback on their experience at the Virtual Academy
Students will be receiving a memory upgrade for their Virtual Academy laptop
Time:
Use the Appointment Link to select a time for February 21 9th and 10th Grade
Use the Appointment Link to select a time for February 28 11th and 12th Grade
You only need to select one of the appointment slots for the time you are choosing
Student should anticipate being on site for 45 - 60 minutes
Where:
The Virtual Academy located at 20833 Great Mills Road in Lexington Park
Enter through the red front door
Materials:
Required:
Fully-charged SMCPS laptop
Laptop charger
Please note the following:
Students must be CHECKED IN at drop off and SIGNED out at pick up
You must present a valid ID for PICK UP
The person picking up MUST BE listed as the guardian or emergency contact
If the student is going to be picked up by someone OTHER THAN the listed parent/guardian or emergency contact, the parent/guardian must provide the name & phone number of that person via email to virtual@smcps.org PRIOR to the day of testing
All questions about testing can be directed to virtual@smcps.org
While this is highly encouraged, it is NOT a graduation requirement.
2. College and Career Readines
The newly adopted CCR Standard offers students two options for achieving the CCR designation.
Option 1: Students can meet the CCR Standard by demonstrating both Academic Success
and Math Mastery. Academic Success is achieved by earning a High School Grade Point
Average (non-weighted GPA) of 3.00 or higher. Math Mastery may be achieved by either
earning a final course grade of A, B, or C in Algebra I OR by scoring Proficient or above (a
score of 3 or 4) on the Algebra I MCAP assessment.
Option 2: Students can meet the CCR Standard by scoring Proficient or above (a score of 3 or
4) on both the English 10 MCAP assessment AND the Algebra I MCAP assessment.
CCR status is not determined until the end of the 10th-grade year.
Students who have not met the CCR standard can request a retest for the Spring 2024 MCAP English 10 or Algebra I assessment by contacting their guidance counselor no later than Friday,
February 16th.
If you would like to retest, you must send us an email at virtual@smcps.org by Friday to notify us.
3. Tech Center Application Closes Friday!!
4. Attendance
DID YOU KNOW?
• Students should miss no more than 9 days of school each year to stay engaged, successful and on track to graduation.
• Frequent absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with a bully or facing some other difficulty.
• By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school.
• By 9th grade, attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.
• Missing 10%, or 2 days a month, over the course of the school year, can affect a student’s academic success
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Make school attendance a priority
• Talk about the importance of showing up to school every day.
• Help your teen maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.
• Try not to schedule dental and non-Covid-19 related medical appointments during the school day.
Help your teen stay engaged
• Find out if your children feel engaged by their classes, and feel safe from bullies and other threats.
• Make sure your teens are not missing class because of challenges with behavioral issues or school discipline policies. If any of these are problems, contact the school and work with them to find a solution.
• Monitor you teen’s academic progress and seek help from teachers or tutors when necessary. Make sure teachers know how to contact you.
• Stay on top of your child’s social contacts. Peer pressure can lead to skipping school, while students without many friends can feel isolated.
• Encourage your teen to join meaningful after-school activities, including sports and clubs.
• Notice and support your students if they are showing signs of anxiety.
5. Tech Tip of the Week
Varsity Tutors
Did you know you can get on-demand homework help 24/7? Did you know you can also get feedback on your essays?
The Virtual Academy has partnered with Varsity Tutors to provide free access to all students to this dynamic resource. Students can access it through Clever and explore the many features available.
Upcoming dates
- Monday, February 19, - President's Day - No school, all offices and schools closed.
- Wednesday, February 21, 2024 - Maryland school survey and tech upgrade 9th and 10th grade
- Wednesday, February 28, 2024 - Maryland school survey and tech upgrade 11th and 12th grade
TECH HELP!
Having trouble getting to Google Meets, Schoology, using your camera, mic or other tech problem? If so, reach out to Ms. Barker for help! Contact her at ajbarker@smcps.org or call the Virtual Academy at 301-863-4090 and dial 16122 to talk to her directly.
Ms. Barker is also reaching out to student whom the teachers have reported are having difficulty.
College and Career Counseling Corner
College Spotlight: University of Maryland
History: The University of Maryland traces its history to 1856, when the General Assembly chartered a state agricultural school. The Maryland Agricultural College was established on ancestral land of the Piscataway tribe, which it purchased from a slaveholding farmer and agricultural education advocate, and three years later opened with 34 students.
It eventually grew to encompass new disciplines in engineering, science and the liberal arts, welcomed trailblazing women and people of color, survived the Great Fire of 1912, re-emerged as a public college and boomed following World War II. Today, the university is a national powerhouse in research, academics, the arts and athletics; committed to embracing diversity in its campus community of 50,000; and tackling the grand challenges of our time.
Mission: The mission of the University of Maryland, College Park is to provide excellent teaching, research, and service. The University educates students and advances knowledge in areas of importance to the State, the nation, and the world. The University is committed to being a preeminent national center for research and for graduate education, and the institution of choice for Maryland’s undergraduates of exceptional ability and promise.
Read our entire mission statement (PDF).
Values: The University of Maryland is a community of individuals living and working together to support and advance the educational and research mission of the institution. We aspire to become a community that is:
United: We are diverse but have much in common. Members of the UMD community foster a sense of belonging based on acceptance and a unity of purpose. We strive toward overlapping goals, sharing resources, and spending some of the most significant and productive times of our lives together in a common space. To that extent we depend on one another and are our best selves when we support one another. Accordingly, our actions are guided not only by what is good for self but also by what is good for all.