Rockford Virtual Newsletter
Important Dates
- January 6: School Resumes
- January 20: No school - MLK Day Observation/Staff Professional Development
The 6 Attributes of an online learner
One of the 6 attributes of successful online learners (see above) is good time management. In an effort to support student learning and time management in trimester two, staff will be unlocking content one unit at a time. The unit test will end the unit. Late work will not be accepted after the unit is complete and any remaining incomplete work in that unit will receive a zero. Many classes are at this point and finishing up the first unit. Please check in with your student to make sure they have completed all the work for the first unit.
Another attributes of successful online learners is independent study habits. Students are always expected to spend at least one hour per class on every school day. This time should be spent studying the material and completing assignments. To help students be accountable for this learning, tests and exams will be taken in person at Rockford High School. Students will take tests in the Testing Center, room 136, with Mrs. Rodts. Information on how this will work will be posted in Schoology for students. Please check in with your student about scheduling their in-person tests. If they have questions about the process they should reach out to their teachers!
Effective Communication is another attribute. Students should be regularly communicating with their teachers and attending their Google Meets. Check Schoology for times and meeting codes. Meeting codes will be the teacher's last name beginning with a capital, followed by virtual. For example, Mrs. Thompson's code would be Thompsonvirtual. All communication with teachers outside of Google Meet should be in Schoology. Teachers will be checking Schoology regularly. All assignments should be submitted through Apex messaging. That is where teachers will check for work submitted. Following this process will speed up response time by streamlining your requests and work.
Self-motivation is important for successful online learning. In signing up for trimester 2, students were encouraged to think about why they wanted to take a virtual course and how a virtual course would help them get to graduation and their post-secondary goals. Students, use your vision for the future to motivate you now! Let's learn, grow, and get to graduation! The staff of Rockford Virtual is here to help you get there!
Who else is able to provide support?
Mrs. Kelly Fischer, Rockford Virtual Coordinator, Mrs. Ann MacDhubhain, Social Worker, and Mrs. Jenny Thompson, Director, will support students and families.
WHere will announcements and other important information be located?
Students sign-in to Schoology to view Group Updates. The 9-12 Virtual Schoology Group will include orientation details as they are finalized and will be an essential tool for communicating with virtual students during the trimester. Teachers are posting important announcements daily! Please check in with your student to make sure they are keeping up and checking for messages daily!
How can parents support their students at home?
Rockford Virtual students at all grades will benefit from an adult in the home to monitor progress, support a daily routine and provide extrinsic motivation. Apex Learning sends a weekly "coaching report" to parents via e-mail. Please look at the "Grade to Date" as the best measure of your student's progress.
- Monitor weekly coaching reports from Apex Learning.
- Contact school staff with concerns about your student.
RV Team
- A caring group of educators dedicated to meeting students where they are and helping students grow and succeed!
Email: jthompson@rockfordschools.org
Website: http://www.rockfordschools.org
Location: 350 North Main Street, Rockford, MI, USA
Phone: 616-863-6324
Early Release Days
- February 5
- February 26
- March 12
- March 26
- April 23
- May 7
Students will eat lunch at school and dismissal will be at 12:17 pm on those days. Please plan ahead for transportation changes.
What if I fall behind in my classes?
Rockford Virtual staff will be checking in regularly with students and parents. A continuum of supports will be implemented including goal setting, session logs, and required attendance sessions, to insure student success.
What does academic integrity look like in virtual?
Rockford Public Schools expects the very best from our students. Conducting oneself with integrity is important in all aspects of life, and the classroom is no exception. Rockford Public Schools will not allow or accept cheating or plagiarism. Academic Integrity is of the utmost importance in the virtual setting, as the student’s work is the only window into student learning.
Academic Integrity is the way you conduct yourself as a student. This includes your behavior in class as well as the quality and the originality of the work you submit.
Plagiarism is the act of trying to pass someone else's work off as your own.
How do I know I am acting with academic integrity?
Do your best to do all your work, on time.
Only submit work that you, yourself have completed
Don't hand your work to your peers.
Use the golden rule in all virtual and in-person communication
What counts as plagiarism or cheating?
Copying and pasting anything into your assignments without citing it.
Turning in something someone else (like another student or AI) has written.
Pasting text from a source into a "rewording" or "paraphrasing" website and submitting that as your work.
Anything presented as yours that you did not complete yourself. Students are never permitted to submit an assignment which is all or in part, the work of someone else, including internet sources.
Students are never permitted to get answers from others for graded work
Artificial Intelligence and AI
AI is useful, can save time, can be used as a tool for creativity, and is being used more and more. Why can’t I use it in school?
Remember the definition of plagiarism? AIs are basically word calculators. They cannot come up with new ideas, only rearrange existing ones. So, anything an AI gives you likely contains plagiarized material.
Experts use AI to make the menial or repetitive parts of their jobs easier and faster. High school is where you are gaining the skills and knowledge necessary for you to decide what you want to be an expert in.
Who will be my teachers?
Mrs. Stephanie Campbell - Sociology
Mrs. Becky Caterino - Math, business, and electives
Ms. Deb Edwards - Speech and electives
Mr. Jacob Grasley- Science, co-op, and electives
Mr. Lance Johnson - Social Studies, PE, and electives
Ms. Anne Liskey - Chemistry
Ms. Jen Lutz - College and Career Preparation
Mrs. Amira Ponne - Spanish
Ms. Sarah Powell- Music
Ms. Leeann Randall Anderson - English and electives
Mr. Steve Story - English
Mrs. Krysta Woycehoski - Art and Multicultural Studies
Be sure to review their Syllabi for information specific for each classroom! To reach teachers via email, most RPS email addresses are the first initial followed by the full last name @rockfordschools.org. For your convenience, teacher emails are linked in this document.
How are you doing? People care and want to help!
Hand 2 Hand can help with food and toiletry needs.
RVA has an amazing staff, social worker, and mental health liaison who can listen and connect you to resources!
North Kent CONNECT: Clients | North Kent Connect (nkconnect.org)
Mobile Food Pantries: https://www.feedwm.org/findfood/
Assistance with housing, food, utilities:
contact 211 by phone or text (800-877-1107), text your zip code to 898211
Youth in need of shelter: The Bridge 616-451-3001 or 877-275-7792 the bridge - Arbor Circle
Dear RPS Family,
The boys' and girls' varsity basketball teams will be playing East Kentwood on Friday, January 10 in our annual Hoops for Haiti basketball game at RHS. Funds raised will support the Haiti Foundation Against Poverty (HFAP), a non-profit organization that we have served alongside since 2010.
Our most recent fundraising efforts have focused on Harvest Preschool in Southern Haiti. In January 2023, the funds raised at Hoops for Haiti were used to finish building Harvest Preschool. That fall, Harvest Preschool welcomed its first preschoolers, all of whom were dressed head to toe in Rockford orange! Go Rams!
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