Healthy, Happy Students at Wisconsin Virtual Learning

For many students, medical illness can sideline their education. Routine doctor’s visits, extended hospital stays, and reoccurring symptoms can keep a student out of class for days or even weeks at a time—where they miss out on valuable instruction time, test preparation and are penalized by attendance tracking.

For students that have manageable diseases, such as diabetes or severe allergies, a tradition school setting may not be ideal. Receiving insulin shots during the day has to be coordinated with the office. Students with food allergies have to be especially careful with their diet and what they are in contact with.

Health issues are another reason that many families choose to educate their children via virtual schooling, enrolling them in Wisconsin Virtual Learning.

At WVL, students are able to work at their own pace, from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. So that means if a child is hospitalized for a day, a week, or a month, they don’t have to miss out on class. They can log in right from their hospital room.

If a child gets the flu, chicken pox or has a severe allergic reaction, no one has to know about it except them. They can log in to class from the privacy of their own home, participate in the lessons, and never miss a minute of their education.

We spoke with families currently enrolled in our sister virtual program in Pennsylvania to hear their thoughts on online learning and the health of their children:

“I love this benefit of [online school]. Not worrying about influenza going around, chicken pox, or whatever it may be.”—Dave Bressi

“This is the exact reason my husband and I signed our daughter up for [online school] this year. Our daughter isn't sick but she has inherited my muscle condition that causes severe pain and makes her muscles weak and she injures herself so easily. She could fall on the playground in a "regular" school and her teacher would see it as no big deal, all kids fall, when in reality it makes her muscles weaker and hurts much worse than a normal child would. THANK YOU [online school] for being there; you are EXACTLY what we needed!”—Kellie Wellman

“My children have normal immune systems and have been significantly healthier (even while attending public gym classes and other events) since starting [online school]. It may not be why we chose cyber school, but it is a great benefit!”—Lisa Campbell Johns

How have health issues affected your child’s education?

Call us today at 866-301-0401 to speak to a Wisconsin Virtual Learning admissions representative -today to learn how your child can be a happier, healthier and better educated student.

The Future of Science Education is at Wisconsin Virtual Learning

In May 2009, the Wisconsin Tech Council called on state business leaders and educators to encourage greater emphasis on STEM education throughout the state. In an article published by BizTimes.com, Ryann Petit-Frere of the Wisconsin Technology Council said that “Wisconsin has an opportunity to get a leap ahead of the nation and produce graduates in the fields that we know have high growth potential, the fields in science, technology, engineering and math.”

That same month, a report from the Public Policy Forum said that Wisconsin needed to do more to prepare students for careers in the STEM Fields, especially since Wisconsin students currently score above the national average on science and math tests, and more than 40% of the state's college-bound students indicate an interest in STEM-related majors (as reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).

The STEM program offered at Wisconsin Virtual Learning is answering that call. At WVL, we are just as focused on science and mathematics education as our state leaders and STEM professionals.

WVL’s Cutting Edge Science program is unlike any other kind in the state. Developed by Lincoln Interactive, this innovative curriculum covers topics including computer engineering, bio-fuels, genetics, sports medicine, alternative energy, stem-cell research forensics and much more. Lincoln Interactive, has partnered with experts from Los Alamos National Laboratory, the California University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University to develop this state of the art and cutting-edge STEM curriculum.

The program, taught entirely online, uses videos, digital labs, simulations, multimedia, and online video chats to engage students and explore some of the more pressing topics in STEM education today. Our 20+ courses (with more added every semester!) are open to all middle and high school WVL students.

Here is what students currently enrolled in the program are saying:

“I have taken epidemiology, stem cell research, and am now taking forensic anthropology. My favorite so far has been stem cell research because I truly believe that it is the future of science and medicine and holds so many opportunities to cure sicknesses that people thought would never be curable.”—Lori Mahle, 11^th grade

“My CES course, Biotechnology, has been very interesting in that it gives so much information as to how Biotechnology is being used today and what steps are being taken to give better food quality and medical care and how it has been used to further scientific explorations. I now know more about what goes on in making better medicines and foods and have obtained a better understanding of how common biotechnology is.”—Stephen Larson, 12^th grade

“I loved my forensics class! I whizzed right through it! The book is really easy to understand and the information is very interesting!! I would definitely recommend this class to students who are bored with regular old science!”—Cheyenne Watson, 11^th grade

“I took both Emerging Genetics, and Stem Cell Research. I enjoyed both courses, and I couldn't tell you which one I liked more... I’m diabetic, and have been for 14 years, so Stem Cell Research was important to me, because the cure to my disease could be in that field of research. The course helped me understand what goes into the research, and how it works. I didn't know how many diseases could be cured by Stem Cell Research! I took Emerging Genetics because that was one of my favorite parts of Biology last year. I really learned a lot from that course.”—Victoria Klein, 10^th grade

“I have taken Forensics and Genetics. I would say that Forensics is my favorite because I enjoy human anatomy and the course was mostly Anthropology. I was planning to major in Forensic Science, but now I realized that is very specific. I am now considering Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or Biology. I am definitely going to major in science though.”—Jen Cranmer, 11^th grade

“I like that the courses are so different than the average courses you take while in high school. They are about very interesting topics that you don't expect to learn about until college. With my Forensics course I can now make more sense of all the crime shows on TV. I am considering different fields of Forensics for the future. It is definitely something I can see myself pursuing as a career.”—Emily Furl, 10^th grade

Don’t you want your student to be a part of the future of Wisconsin, and this country? He can be, by enrolling in Wisconsin Virtual Learning. Call us at 866-301-0401 or visit us at www.wisconsinvl.net to learn more today!

An Education Free From Bullying

Bullying in schools has become an epidemic across the country, even here in Wisconsin.

In May 2010, a former high school student from Brookfield, Wisconsin wrote a letter to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel advocating for bullying laws and telling her own story of being bullied. She wrote:

“I know firsthand what it's like to be abused and ignored by students and school administrators. I even know how it feels to think that the only way to be taken seriously by bullies and school staff is to end your life. … Throughout middle school and high school, I was bullied non-stop. People would smash into me in the halls, shout crude comments at me, threaten me, spread false rumors about me, harass me online…Every time I went to [the administrators] about a bullying incident, they'd tell me the same thing, "We'll talk to them about what they're doing and make sure they stop." ...My mom would come to school and talk to the counselors about what was happening. They assured her that my situation wasn't as bad as I was making it out to be…”

Later that month, Governor Doyle signed a bill requiring schools to crack down on peer-to-peer bullying. But the law cannot stop kids from bullying and does not ensure that victims will be protected and offenders punished.

In May of 2011, a 15-year old boy from Waupun walked into the bathroom of his high school, covered himself in gasoline, and tried to light himself on fire. The student claimed he was a victim of bullying and was “trying to make a statement.” The superintendent of the boy’s school told news sources that kids in his school may have “occasionally” bullied this student but that the school didn’t have any “direct evidence that that's the case. We have some indications that there may have been some bullying involved” and that the claims we under investigation.

That our children would have to endure any form of bullying, from the smallest action to the most severe, is every parent’s worst nightmare. And as evidenced by these stories, the effects of bullying can be traumatic on children—even deadly. How can you, as a parent, protect your child and ensure they are getting a quality education? The answer is with Wisconsin Virtual Learning.

At WVL, students go to school completely online. They interact with their teachers and peers in real time, but they are known to the rest of the school by their thoughts, their ideas, and who they are as a person. There is no worry about people not liking how they look or how they act, what kind of clothes they wear or how good they are at sports. There is no bullying at Wisconsin Virtual Learning. The focus is on quality education for every student, and the WVL student body understands that and thrives in this type of environment.

To learn more about Wisconsin Virtual Learning or to enroll for the upcoming school year, visit our website, www.wisconsinvl.net.

And if your child has been a victim of being bullied or you would like more information on bullying prevention, please consider using one of these online resources:

• Stop Bullying | www.stopbullying.gov
• Kids Against Bullying | www.pacerkidsagainstbullying.com
• Stop Bullying Now | www.stobbullyingnow.com
• Bullying Prevention Resource Guide | http://bullyingprevention.org
• National Crime Prevention council | www.ncpc.org
• PACER Center | www.pacer.org
• Kidshealth.org article on Helping kids deal with bullies