Transitioning in and out of the Gainesville Virtual Academy will be a little easier for the second semester, but families wanting to exercise their options should move quickly to make sure they are learning where they want to learn.
The academy begins second semester in January and will run through June. The Gainesville City School Board heard more about the updated process to move in or out of the academy at their work session Monday evening.
The first step was to manage enrollment. Director of Technology Jill Hobson said they have 1,137 students enrolled virtually, so they developed a quick paper trail.
“Already, it’s on the website, a form for entry and exit,” said Director of Technology Jill Hobson. “You’ll use the same form whether or not you would like to continue enrollment, enroll for the first time, or move back to face to face instruction.”
Hobson and the board discussed how the virtual academy will remain a semester-long commitment, so no one would be able to switch over once the semester started. The deadline to sign up or transition back to in-person. Superintendent Jeremy Williams also added they had been working to clarify language so families knew the virtual academy was not the same as the remote instruction process.
Also at the meeting, the board talked about an upcoming event aimed at alumni. The Elephant Nostalgia Walk will be a self-guided tour on Sunday, October 18 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Alumni, community members and students are welcome to spend as much or as little time as they like at some of their favorite campus spots around the horseshoe.
Williams said the idea sprung to life with a group of 30 or so alumni who were part of the Gainesville High School Legacy Committee, which first met last Tuesday. “One thing that we talked about as a group is that, while we know that it will take time to effectively plan for that campus, we wanted to identify pieces that we know are instrumental to the legacy of Gainesville High School.”
The four hour long event will have a history leaflet of certain favorite buildings, like the Red Shed. But it’s also designed to allow social distancing during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2020/10/944444/gainesville-city-schools-hope-to-streamline-the-ins-and-outs-of-virtual-learning