Jahmal Bakare and Antoinette Adams received scholarships from the Jester Hairston Music Association during their 20th annual scholarship concert, “A Tribute to Jester Hairston.”

The association is dedicated to preserving traditional music that has suffered neglect.

Bakare, a tenor, is a student of Alphonse Anderson. Adams, a cellist, is a student at Cimarron-Memorial High School.

Both students performed at the concert.

Immar Alvarenga has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. A 2009 graduate of Shadow Ridge High School, Alvarenga is the son of Jose and Sandra Alvarenga of Las Vegas.

For the rest of the article, go to Favorite Sons & Daughters

The information sessions also allow interested families to meet with NCA’s certified teachers and parents with children currently enrolled in the school.

Local information sessions offer parents the opportunity to learn about the skilled teachers and interactive curriculum offered through the NCA program. Session participants will explore NCA’s individualized learning approach, its curriculum, the technology-enhanced learning environment, and the enrollment process. Curriculum samples also will be available, and those attending will have the opportunity to get answers to any questions they may have.

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Not only that, the district’s Virtual High School, which opened in 2004 to offer an online alternative to brick-and-mortar high schools, experienced a 33 percent jump in students enrolled exclusively in online courses this spring after a flat fall semester enrollment of 150 students.

“That was a surprise,” Ebert said.

Also, the number of Clark County high school students taking just one or two online courses increased by 37 percent this year to 12,000.

For the rest of the article, go to Online class attracts savvy sixth-graders

“Virtual school is a great choice for many students, but it requires a commitment on the part of parents to be involved in their child’s education,” says Sylvia Pryor, director for community outreach at Connections Academy. “Although many students adjust quickly, not all students are suited to learning at home. At our information sessions for prospective families, we let parents and students know what they can expect in the virtual school setting. We want students to thrive in our program, and understanding how it works and what is required is essential.”

Families interested in full-time online school should consider the following “ABCs” of successful virtual schooling to determine if this form of education is a good fit:

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Instead of working from the privacy of their homes—where a majority of their academic time may be spent—those students must go to a testing center, show identification, and take exams under the watchful eye of a proctor. The goal is to make sure students are doing the work and demonstrating knowledge without inappropriate assistance, says Sandi Foster, the coordinator for WOLF, which stands for Washoe School District Online Learning for the Future and is run by the 62,300-student Washoe County public school district.

“If they haven’t done the rest of the work on their own, they aren’t going to score well on those exams,” Foster says.

For the rest of the article, go to E-Schools Put Specific Measures for Success in Place

“Our goal is to help schools and districts to improve student achievement. The Plato Virtual Academy is an important step forward in doing that,” said Jamie Candee, Plato Learning vice president of product and marketing. “We are here to partner–not compete–with educators to meet the needs of 21st century learners.”

For the rest of the article, go to Plato Launches Virtual Academy

At the inaugural meeting of the Nevada Public Charter School Authority on Friday, Sandoval said members will ensure that the state’s 15 charter schools meet all state academic standards and lead to creation of more and better charter schools.

Because of the approval of a Sandoval-backed bill last year, the Charter School Authority was established to sponsor and oversee charter schools, which are considered public schools in Nevada. They receive the same amount per pupil in state support as do other public schools.

Before creation of the Charter School Authority, local school districts, state universities and colleges and the state Board of Education sponsored and oversaw charter schools.

Conaboy had nominated Robert McCord, a longtime Clark County educator, as president. She said she wanted to avoid any conflict of interest because she has represented the Nevada Virtual Charter School.

But other members said that they were not concerned about a possible conflict and that her government experience was invaluable. She then was elected unanimously.

For the rest of the article, go to Sandoval urges charter school panel to expand parent choices

Nevada Connections Academy

Instead of waking up early and rushing to class, 150 high schoolers get up when they feel like it and take their classes online.

“You get to eat breakfast, (you) don’t have to wake up super early and be afraid you’re going to miss the bus,” Dakota Schneider said.

Schneider is a junior at VHS. He went to Basic High School his freshmen year, but struggled.

“I noticed I couldn’t concentrate a lot with kids constantly tapping on desks, making noise.”

The shy student also worried about bullying, and says some of his friends were victims. Schneider researched VHS and gave it a try.

Dominique Quattrini is a Virtual High School senior.

She battled Hodgkin’s Lymphoma the summer before high school. After beating it she went to Silverado High School her freshman year. Quattrini relapsed the following summer and enrolled in virtual school from her hospital room, “For me, even though I was dealing with all the treatments, I wanted to – as best as I could – stay on track and finish.”

After beating cancer the second time, she almost went back to her traditional school but decided against it.

Despite the physical distance with online learning, students say they actually get more one on one time with their teachers.

“They’ll check in at least once a week and we have an instant messenger program so we can message them anytime they’re online and we need help. So, it’s definitely more personable here,” Quattrini said.

For the rest of the article, go to Virtual High School lets kids go to school at home

For the vast majority of those students, online classes give them a chance to retake courses they’ve failed. For years, high school campuses have struggled to provide enough makeup classes to the students who need them. Putting these teens in classrooms before school, after school and during summers has proved inflexible and expensive.

Now more students are being encouraged to take such classes through Virtual High. The online format might seem impersonal, but it holds students and teachers plenty accountable. Students must motivate themselves to work through the material. Teachers are available via phone, email and text messaging, and they provide personal instruction for struggling students. Meanwhile, district administrators have the ability to log into any class at any time from their desks to verify progress.

For the rest of the article, go to Virtual High School: District program appears to be working