- Spartanburg District Five
- Frequently Asked Questions
Spartanburg Five Virtual Academy
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Calendar
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Will Virtual Academy students follow the same academic calendar as the rest of Spartanburg District Five?
Yes, the Virtual Academy will follow the same calendar.
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Enrollment
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How do I enroll my child in the Virtual Academy?
You can enroll online by filling out this application form.
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What is the deadline to enroll in the Virtual Academy?
The deadline for enrollment is July 29, 2020. Due to staffing and curriculum constraints, no new students will be accepted in the Virtual Academy after this date.
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How will attendance be handled?
Attendance regulations for the Virtual Academy will be the same as in-person school. Teachers will take attendance daily.
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If I enroll my child in the Virtual Academy, can I change my mind and move my child back to face-to-face instruction?
Enrollment for the Spartanburg Five Virtual Academy is for the entire 2020-21 school year. If, at the end of semester one, I wish to return to my zoned school, that decision will be based on space and teacher availability.
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If I choose face-to-face instruction, can I move my child at any time over to the Virtual Academy?
Once the deadline to register for the Virtual Academy has closed, you will be unable to move into the program.
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Will there be programs for Gifted and Talented students?
Yes, students will have gifted/talented opportunities as part of the Virtual Academy.
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Communication
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Will teachers reach out to the parent/guardian if a child is not participating virtually?
As with traditional instruction, monitoring student progress is a team effort. Parents will be expected to monitor their student's grades and participation through Parent Portal. However, teachers will also stay in regular communication with parents about their student's progress.
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Curriculum
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Is there a daily schedule?
Yes. See the samples on the Virtual Academy page for Elementary, Middle and High School tentative daily schedules.
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Will students be able to take RD Anderson classes if they enroll in the Virtual Academy?
Yes, however most, if not all, of the RD Anderson classes will be offered IN PERSON since many require hands on learning. Transportation will be provided to RD Anderson, if a student needs it.
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Will my child still have opportunities for related arts courses in subjects like art and music?
There will be limited related arts or fine arts classes.
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What sort of curriculum options will be available (i.e., honors or gifted courses in ELA, math, science, SS)?
Students will have access to the core content (ELA, math, science, and social studies). APEX for middle to high school students will drive their curriculum.
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What is the APEX curriculum?
APEX (Academic and Professional Excellence) is a complete digital curriculum in math, science, English, and social studies for grades 7–12th. Students complete courses through an online learning platform, where they work at their own pace toward scheduled due dates. A teacher facilitates each course.
Apex Learning is accredited by the Northwest Accreditation Commission and its courses are approved for National Collegiate Athletic Association eligibility
APEX is a Mastery-based System. You must show successful completion at each step in the course in order to move forward.
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What is the minimum grade to pass a course?
There is no minimum grade for work completed in courses that a student is enrolled in. Students will receive the grade they deserve for the work they complete. The grade earned will be the grade reported.
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What about arts/humanities electives?
There will be limited arts/humanties’ classes.
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Will any language courses be available?
There will be limited language courses available.
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Differentiation
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Does the virtual classroom allow for any individualized instruction and evaluation?
Students will be able to work at an individual pace through assignments tailored to meet their instructional needs. The virtual platform will allow for students to receive appropriately challenging work as they demonstrate mastery of skills and content.
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Extracurricular Activities
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Will students in the Virtual Academy be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities (ex. marching band or sports)?
As guidelines allow for certain extracurricular activities, students would have the opportunity to participate in after-school activities at their home school. Transportation will not be provided.
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Fees
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Will there be student fees in the Virtual Academy?
There is no cost to attend the Virtual Academy, since we are a public school system. However, there may be applicable student fees, like technology, etc., just as we have with all other Spartanburg District Five Schools.
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Instruction
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Will there be flexibility in a student's pace of learning (can they go ahead or are they limited to go at the pace of the class)?
Pacing depends on their grade level. There may be more flexibility at the secondary level. In grades K-6 students will follow the pace set by his or her teacher.
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Will teachers be accountable for having "live" instruction?
Yes, teachers are accountable for live instruction as a component of the Virtual Academy.
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Will students in the Virtual Academy be able to login to a live classroom?
Yes, students will login to a live instructional session composed of a teacher and other students. These sessions will be at set dates and times and students will be expected to attend.
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Will young learners in the Virtual Academy have paper packets?
There will be some supplemental material needed in the primary grades such as a consumable math workbook,and English language arts materials. These will be provided along with the district issued devices. Consumables will not be returned to schools.
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Meals
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My child participates in the free and reduced meals program. If I enroll her in the Virtual Academy, is there a way that she can get meals?
Meals will be available for pick-up.
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Peer Interactions
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How will the Virtual Academy offer opportunities for my child to socialize/interact/get to know fellow students during the school day?
Virtual Academy classes will have opportunities for live whole-class lessons, discussions about topics, and social opportunities on a regular basis.
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Schedule
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Is there an expected start time such as 8:00 AM?
As described in the sample schedules, there will be certain times when students are expected to attend live class sessions with the teacher. Outside of that, students have some flexibility in their daily schedule. They are still expected to complete work daily and submit work by set due dates/times.
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How many hours per day will the children receive direct classroom video instruction from the teacher (or participate in live learning)?
The hours per day of direct classroom video instruction will vary by grade level and course. However, all students will have a component of live instruction as part of their daily schedule.
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Special Services
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Would our child still be able to receive speech and other IEP services virtually?
Yes, special services as a result of an IEP would be provided virtually in accordance with individual student plans.
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If my child has Physical Therapy in school how would that work if I decide to do virtual schooling?
IEP services such as physical, occupational, and speech therapy may receive services through telehealth or other delivery options determined by the IEP team.
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My child has an IEP and receives special services. Will my child be able to participate in the Virtual Academy?
Yes. Virtual Academy is open for all students. This includes students with varying disabilities
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Staffing
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Will teachers in the Virtual academy be responsible for classroom learning, too?
No, Virtual Academy teachers will only be responsible for virtual instruction.
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Will virtual teachers be from your child’s specific zoned school?
All teachers in the Virtual Academy will be from Spartanburg District Five, however, we cannot guarantee they will be from your child's zoned school.
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Will my child’s Virtual Academy child’s teacher change after the first semester?
Spartanburg District Five teachers sign up to commit to a year of teaching in the Virtual Academy. Changes may occur under undue circumstances.
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Student Support
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Would my student still have access to school counselors, if needed?
Students will be able to complete online requests as needed to be contacted by one of the district school counselors.
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What kind of emotional supports will there be for Virtual Academy students?
The Virtual Academy will have opportunities for students to socialize with one another virtually. Additionally, there will be a planned social-emotional component to daily instruction.
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What kind of resources are in place to help struggling students outside the virtual classroom?
As students are struggling, there will be remedial content to help them understand concepts, as well as opportunities to request additional tutoring or small group instruction.
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Technology/Internet
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We don't have a reliable internet. Is the district going to help with that?
There is a possibility the district may have hotspots to loan families for virtual learning, but decisions will be made on a case-by-case situation.
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Will the district issue the equipment needed for Virtual Academy participants?
Yes, students will be issued a district device from their home school site in Spartanburg District Five on the check-out date arranged. That information will be provided at a later date.
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Will the parent/guardian get training in programs if their children are in the Virtual Academy?
There will be parent tutorial videos available on our website.
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What will be the layout of Virtual Academy? What services will the students use? Will it be Google classroom? Zoom?
The primary platform will be through Schoology, SeeSaw, and Zoom particularly for live classroom learning.
