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VIRTUAL SCHOOLHOUSE MISSION STATEMENT

Virtual Schoolhouse is designed to address the unique differences of students in grades K–12 who have special needs such as significant cognitive dis-

abilities, severe emotional and/or academic challenges. Virtual Schoolhouse provides a safe and caring environment where students are empowered to

develop the individualized life and academic skills and character necessary to reach their full potential and rejoin their communities with success.

CONTENTS

Principal’s End of Year Summary, Dr. Kenneth Schmiesing............................2 Chuck Whitehill, VSH Board ............................................................................4 Mary M. Markle, Financial................................................................................5 Vivian Garfunkel, Special Education Department ............................................6 Dawn Shaffer, Teacher Licensure ...................................................................8 TITLE Programs ..............................................................................................9 Vivian Garfunkel, 21st Century ......................................................................11 Elementary Report.........................................................................................14 Middle School Report ....................................................................................19 High School Report........................................................................................23 In-Home Instruction, Malky Dym....................................................................29 School Security, Paul Burton .........................................................................32

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2011–2012 End of the Year Report

Dr. Kenneth Schmiesing, Head of School

Principal, Grades Kdg–12 In response to our report card rating as a school, one needs to look at all the infor-mation shared within that report card. Although we have a score of “academic emergency” based on the state indicators, we are a school that serves 400 students, including over 64% that are students with disabilities. Our student/teacher ratio is 14:1. This is quick evidence to illustrate our individual attention to our student population. A section of the District Report Card is labeled as the Value-Added Measure. This section is much more pertinent to our unique situation than any of the other statistics that are shared. The Value-Added rating represents the progress our school has made with our students since the last school year. Our students have met the Expected Growth level in 4th , 5th , 6th , 7th , and 8th grade Mathematics and have met the Expected Growth level in and have scored at the Expected growth level in 4th , 5th , 6th , 7th , and 8th grade Reading. This means that these students have achieved a year of progress in their classes. As a parent of a special needs child, I am certainly going to look at the school’s performance in this area. If I am assured that my special needs child is going to receive individual attention, and the school has a proven track record of showing student growth for special needs students, what more proof is needed? Perhaps we should take a look at the facility. We offer a state of the art special education wing. This wing contains the facilities for three psychologists, two speech therapists, a physical therapist, and an occupational therapist. We have many support people and we also have the therapy rooms, which are huge, with all the apparatuses needed to complete quality evaluations and offer the necessary therapies. We provide services both in and out of the classroom, whichever is deemed best for the child.

Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 3314.03(D)(2) specifies that the sponsor of the school must “monitor and evaluate the academic and fiscal performance and the organization and operation of the community school on at least an annual basis.” In addition, under ORC 3314.03(D)(3), the sponsor must “report on an annual basis the results of the evaluation conducted under division (D)(2) of this section to the department of education and to the parents of students enrolled in the community school.” The Educational Service Center of Lake Erie West served as sponsor for Virtual Schoolhouse during the 2011-2012 school year. ESCLEW monitored the school’s academic and fiscal performance, as well as organization and operation of the school, and determined that the school was partially compliant.

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It is easy to look at the numbers given by the indicators, but be sure to do your homework and find the deeper meaning to what is best for the education of your child. You will like what you see. The Virtual Schoolhouse can do great things for your child. You will be even more satisfied when your child’s scores are moving in a positive direction. We offer a safe, caring educational alternative to our students and parents. Please visit us to see our updated facilities. Our new parent resource room is set up through our 21st Century program to offer parents up – to-date reading materials, an access to technology, and a place to relax knowing that your child is being well cared for by our Highly Qualified staff. The 2011- 2012 School Year was highlighted by several events and also the addition of key staff members who came aboard, and along with the current Virtual School staff members gave their time and hearts to our students, our children. Our slogan this past school year was ”We Love, We Share, We Care.” We were impressed by the students at the Kindergarten, 8th Grade, and Senior Graduations. Our beautiful students were awesome at this year’s Senior Prom. We had a great Science Fair, where the students displayed their projects. There were field trips to the Science Center and the Zoo. Thank you for choosing the Virtual Schoolhouse for your child’s education. We are proud of the accomplishments of our students and staff!

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Chuck Whitehill President, VSH Board

On behalf of the board of directors, the teachers, administrators and the staff, I want to thank all of the parents and students for an amazing school year. It is with great excitement that a new law passed which will enable Virtual Schoolhouse to go back to its roots and offer blended learning for the new school year. Virtual Schoolhouse was the first charter school to offer this type of learning and we are excited to once again offer this type of programming.

GEOGRAPHY FAIR AT VSH!

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2011–2012 Financial Report Mary M. Markle, VSH Treasurer

The fiscal year for Charter Schools begins on July 1 of each year. As of July 1, 2011 Virtual Schoolhouse had a beginning cash balance of $72,956.99. During the year receipts totaled $4,910,294.36 and expenditures were $4,913,632.16. The ending cash balance on June 30, 2012 was $69,619.19. The General Fund began the year with a $22,323.59 cash balance and ended the year with a $166,277.69 cash balance. The revenues for this fund were $3,894,072.44 and the expenditures were $3,750,118.34. The remaining monies were from Grant funds and the Food Service program. Grant funds are restricted in use under the terms of each grant. The major grant programs are Title I (for disadvantaged students); IDEA-B (for special education students); 21st Century (for expanded learning opportunities); and School Improvement Competitive Grant.

Accounting and payroll functions, under the supervision of a treasurer, are contracted through Charter School Specialists. Mary Markle has served as the treasurer since April, 2011.

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2011–2012 Special Education Year-End Report Vivian Garfunkel, SPED Coordinator

. It is with great pride that VSH has received 100% compliance when audited by its sponsor ESC of Lake Erie West. Items of note: include: streamlining the psychological/special education department which addresses student referrals and evaluations, organizing the documentation of IAT meetings, revising the schools’ special education handbook, plus continuous professional development for all staff

members and new and improved student portfolios. Virtual Schoolhouse shows great parent involvement as evidenced in the file review. The VSH staff does a fine job of turning in student data for student evaluations and the ETR process. Finally, it must be noted in student special ed. files, the measurable goals and objectives are well written. During the 2011–2012 school year, the Special Education Department at VSH has successfully accomplished ongoing goal of “Bridging the Disconnect.” The department instituted several new ways of collaborating with regular ed teachers. Each intervention specialist gave the regular ed teacher a SPED packet which contained the following: schedule of services, IEP at a glance, case manager contact information, CST Teacher-Input form and other pertinent information. Special ed case managers met with individual teachers on a monthly basis to review their students’ progress. The entire staff received professional development in “How to provide accommodations and modification in the classroom.” Collectively, the department continued to be more visible in the classrooms, consulting with the teachers, and completing tasks with a team approach. This year we also partook in the SPED ratio grant study to determine appropriate teacher student ratios in resource room settings. The department was granted an additional year to continue to study and implement suggestions already made. As a result of our study, we have instituted training in co-teaching and have begun using co-teaching models. The department hopes to expand on this, using additional models based on Marilyn Friend’s work in the coming school year. Sped staff has become adept in record keeping, using data to drive instruction, using IEP anywhere for IEP writing. Professional development in IEP writing was ongoing all year and all SPED staff has become adept in writing compliant IEPs. Professional Development and coaching in alternative assessment was ongoing as well.

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This year we had one self-contained classroom teacher in the high school, one resource room teacher and two para-professionals. In the middle school we had one math intervention specialist and one reading specialist. In the upper elementary we had one resource room teacher. In the lower elementary, we had a reading specialist and math specialist and one para professional. A grid with student’s determination and service needs is on file to ensure each student is receiving services dictated by the IEP. Students received services in reading, writing, arithmetic, support for content area subjects, and auxiliary services in speech, OT, and PT as per IEP. The Special Ed staff has always had an open door policy for consultations within the department office and via email. One of the best ways we have included SPED students was through 21st Century after school activities. Students participated in talent show, sports, ongoing reading and math activities, art and preparation for state tests. It was a joy to see them excel in areas other than academics and it impacted attendance and grades positively.

LITERACY NIGHT AT VSH

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2011–2012 Teacher Licensure

Year-End Report Dawn Shaffer, LPDC Coordinator

The licensure office centered around the following Licensure issues during this school year:

• Reviewing resumes and licensure for new hires to begin the 2011–2012 school year.

• Transcript review for hiring substitute teachers

• Orchestrating correct licensure for building subs

• Reviewing and updating files for home tutors

• Responsible for communicating with the Home School Administration as needed

• Advising and preparing applications for licensure

• Updating Five-Year License holders on their renewal process

• Setting up and conducting IPDP meetings

• Proctoring Para-Pro testing for the acquisition of required Educational Aide Licensure

• Advising staff on all licensure concerns and procedures

• Attending ODE required trainings for mentoring

• General transcript reviews for Alternative Licensure

• Mentoring all Alternative Licensure holders and keeping updated on their requirements and renewal

• Conducted the 2011–2012 Transitional Mentoring Program

• Reviewing files for informing VSH staff about pending licensure expiration.

• Advising the Administration of all VSH Staff Licensure expiration dates

• Updating all VSH 2011–2012 Tool Kit, HQT forms

• Filing HQT forms

• Creating HQT files for Principals, EMIS and Title Offices

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TITLE Programs End of the Year Summary 2011–2012

Virtual Schoolhouse is a school-wide Title school. This is a federal program under the auspices of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). School-wide programs form the centerpiece of the ESEA’s vision, and are among the most promising changes brought about by the Improving America’s Schools Act. Our school-wide program uses Title funds to upgrade the school’s entire education program rather than targeting specific students to receive certain supplemental educational services. In our school-wide status we consistently revise, strategize, reform and develop our curriculum, our methods of instruction, the school climate, parent engagement, professional development, and our overall plan to improve each student’s education and work towards achieving high standards. VSH utilizes many intervention methods to aid our educational design which positively impacts each student, regardless of the level of intervention that is needed. We are committed to both continuing short term and long term effective planning to carry out a very beneficial school wide plan for our students and their families. During the academic year of 2011–2012, the Title Department of VSH offered individual and small group pull-out sessions where students were grouped by skill ability in reading, math and written expression. We also offered Supplemental Educational Services outside the regular scheduled school day to those students who qualified and chose to take advantage of such an opportunity. Continuous data collected indicated that progress was made in all areas. We will not be offering the Supplemental Educational Services this next year, although we will be offering services through our Title One and School Improvement Grant funds. VSH also provided a three week summer reading program for elementary and middle school students and a credit recovery program for students in grade 9–12. The response was overwhelming. Students participated and made gains based on pre- and post-assessment data we received. We anticipate providing a similar program this for the summer of 2013. In addition to curriculum-based assisted services, Virtual Schoolhouse maintained services that address the emotional, social, and behavioral issues that students face on a daily basis. Social workers, classroom aids, and security officers worked hard in an effort to create a safe educational environment.

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Virtual Schoolhouse received the School Improvement Grant that will fund an assistant principal position this year as well as the addition of two school LSWs/guidance counselors and a family resource/truancy officer position. The money is renewable each year for a total of four years and will help support our students in ways we have not been able to in the past. We are excited to have added these four key positions to assist our students and our families. Virtual Schoolhouse also maintains a parent resource center that contains eight computers for parents to utilize. Reading materials are also housed in this room and other parent-friendly materials to assist parents with educating their children. The parent resource center is an excellent first step for parents to get the needed resources to help for their children. In addition to new books, Virtual Schoolhouse will be implementing technology into our programs. Two Smart Boards were purchased for teacher use in the classrooms as well as projectors, cameras and video recorders. Staff will receive training on the new technology and begin adding the new technology into the classroom curriculum. As always, our professional development opportunities remained vast this year. Teachers received opportunities to learn about variety of educational techniques that can enhance the student learning experience. Response To Intervention, Differen-tiated Instruction, Formative Assessment, student portfolio creation, and classroom management. An additional component that was offered was Phonics for Literacy based on the Wilson Reading Program, presented by Nicki Salfer. The Wilson Reading System was created to provide students of all ages an organized, systematic, and sequential phonics program that not only teaches decoding, but encoding as well. A student is tested to discover at which level to begin Wilson instruction. After this, the student must master each level completely before moving on. The program provides a multi-sensory experience for the student. A portfolio is provided and maintained to track progress. Throughout the week teachers took part in hands-on training that included role play and workshops as well as viewing videos and testimonials about the program. The Wilson Reading System includes the “Fundations” program for K–2.

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2011–2012 21st Century/Parent University Year-End Report/Final Report

This year marked the end of our five year grant. It has been a wonderful journey and offered students opportunities to improve reading and math skills, develop the love for reading and writing, improve student achievement on state tests, develop social skills, participate in sports, drama, dance and music. Through parent University students and parents were offered the opportunity to share their educational and artistic abilities. Highlights of year were: � Art show � Ceramics � Holiday fest � Amazin’ Me � Black History Month activities � Student council � OAA/OGT Boot Camp � Social skills/Social Thinking � Talent show � Portfolio Exhibition Evening � Basketball � Literacy evening for parents � Weight Training � Dance � Service Learning —and much, much more. Throughout the year, program did not lose sight of improving academic skills in an enjoyable format. Elementary division always s began with homework and read aloud. Middle school included OAA boot camp, writing and publishing into its daily lesson plans. High school students involved in sports and cheerleading had to spend minimum one period per week catching up on academics and maintaining a passing grade acume. 21st Century is a wonderful after school experience and has enhanced many of our students’ lives by allowing them to shine in both academic and artistic areas. We hope to reapply for the next school year.

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2011–2012 21st Century Year-End Report

The 21st Century program at VSH is very, very active and varied. The schedules show the many activities offered, but

can’t begin to convey the learning and fun!

ELEMENTARY KDG–5 DAY TEACHER ACTIVITY TIMES GRADES

MONDAY– THURSDAY

STAFF

READING, MATH ENRICHMENT, HOMEWORK HELP, COMPUTER WORK

TO ENHANCE LEARNING, PHYSICAL

ACTIVITIES

3:00–5:00PM KDG–5

MONDAY–WEDNESDAY

LEYSER ART 3:00–4:00PM KDG–5

FRIDAYS DORFMAN SOCIAL SKILLS 1:30–3:30PM KDG–5

MON–THURS NOV–DEC

STAFF MUSIC & DANCE FOR WINTER PERFORMANCE

3:00–5:00PM KDG–5

MON–THURS MAR–MAY

STAFF MUSIC & DANCE FOR TALENT SHOW 3:00–5:00PM KDG–5

TUES/THURS PENNY AMAZING ME! SOCIAL SKILLS (4TH QUARTER)

3:00–5:00PM GIRLS 3–5

ALTERNATE

WEDNESDAYS STAFF

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES (VALENTINE’S

DAY, BLACK HISTORY, PORTFOLIO

EXHIBITION) 3:00–5:00PM KDG–5

5/3/12 STAFF PORTFOLIO EXHIBITION EVENING 3:00–5:00PM KDG–5

5/16/12 STAFF TALENT SHOW 6:00–8:00PM KDG–5

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MIDDLE SCHOOL 6–9 DAY TEACHER ACTIVITY TIMES GRADES

MONDAY MONSKE/STAFF MATH ENRICHMENT/PUBLISHED

WRITING/“SHORT ACTING” 3:00–5:00PM MS

TUESDAY MONSKE/STAFF STUDENT COUNCIL 3:00–5:00PM MS

WEDNESDAY MONSKE/STAFF ART/CERAMICS 3:00–5:00PM MS

THURSDAY MONSKE/STAFF FILM APPRECIATION/MOVIE

PRODUCTION/ART LAB 3:00–5:00PM MS



3:00–5:00PM MS


STAFF MUSIC & DANCE FOR TALENT SHOW 3:00–5:00PM MS

TUES/THURS UMIDOT STAFF

PARTNERSHIP DRUG PREVENTION/LIFE SKILLS 2:00–3:00PM MS

5/3/12 STAFF PORTFOLIO EXHIBITION EVENING 3:00–5:00PM MS

5/16/12 STAFF TALENT SHOW 6:00–8:00PM MS

HIGH SCHOOL 9–12

DAY TEACHER ACTIVITY TIMES GRADES

MONDAY– THURSDAY

STAFF WEIGHTLIFTING, BASKETBALL 3:00–5:00PM HS

MONDAY– THURSDAY

MILLSTEIN LIFE SKILLS 7:30–8:30AM HS

MONDAY– FRIDAY

ARRA DANCE 7:30–8:30AM HS

SUNDAY SCHNALL SCRAPBOOKING/WRITING 1:30–3:30PM HS

TUES/THURS BUFORD CHEERLEADING (2ND/3RD QUARTER) 3:00–5:00PM HS

TUES/THURS SCHUSTER PHYS ED 7:30–8:30AM HS

MON/WED BUGGS COSMETOLOGY FOR FLEX CREDIT (2ND QUARTER)

3:00–5:00PM HS



3:00–5:00PM HS


STAFF MUSIC & DANCE FOR TALENT SHOW 3:00–5:00PM HS

TUES/THURS UMIDOT STAFF

PARTNERSHIP DRUG PREVENTION/LIFE SKILLS 2:00–3:00PM HS

5/3/12 STAFF PORTFOLIO EXHIBITION EVENING 3:00–5:00PM

5/16/12 STAFF TALENT SHOW 6:00–8:00PM HS

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JOSHUA SOWERS, KINDERGARTEN:

I can’t believe it is the end of the year already! I have been proud to have gotten to work with such a wonderful group of kindergarteners. My students have been enthusiastic and eager learners. I am so proud of all the progress they made learning to read and write. We have gone from a group which didn’t know the letters in their name to sounding out and spelling CVC words. My students have worked very hard in math also. They have learned to count and write the numbers. They have also learned to do

problems of the day. My students have grown so much, physically, socially and emotionally. I can’t wait until next year!

LEAH GOLDIN, KINDERGARTEN:

What an exciting, productive and fun filled year kindergarten had this year. I am very proud to say that my students have made significant strides this year in social, emotional, social, and academic areas. We learned to share, take care of materials, and follow directions, which still remains a challenge for some of us. We mastered writing our names, numbers, and letters as well as identifying letters and sight words. We explored animals’ habitats their characteristics and primary needs. We also enjoyed our fairy

tales theatrical unit, where we compared and contrasted various fairy tales and created our own puppet show. JILL LEYSER, 1

ST GRADE:

The 1st grade class had a great year! It was definitely a challenging one and I feel that the students and I grew a lot. They learned so much and became better readers and spellers. We did many wonderful projects. The student’s really enjoyed learning about the solar system and black history leaders. All of them perfected their math facts in addition and subtraction. The students worked very hard on respect. Earning it, Showing it and giving it to others. They earned prizes for good behavior as a group and individually. I have really liked watching them grow over this year not just academically but socially as well. The class of 2023 was a very energetic class and I look forward to seeing what they can do in the future!!

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KRISTINA GLUSAUSKAS, 2ND

GRADE:

First, I wanted to thank all students, families, and elementary teacher, for such a great and productive school year. I was so fortunate to have such a wonderful group of children this past year. They all have touched my life and this school year in very positive and rewarding ways. Students were coming in each day with smiling faces and excitement for learning. I truly appreciate working with such enthusiastic children, supportive families, and dedicated teachers.

We have covered a lot of material and participated in many fun and exciting projects. We have started to develop skills needed for the third grade. We made many new friends along the way too. In math we have studied graphs, tables, and completed many interesting surveys. The students have learned to read and make their own graphs. In language we have learned how to write paragraphs and learning parts of speech. Second graders grew so much in their reading skills with the use of our daily Fundations reading program. We have used Fundations every day to reinforce fluency and comprehension skills. Fundations provided a systematic and explicit approach to reading and spelling with phonics. We have combined these phonics instructions with the reading of good literature, which was important for students’ development. Again, thank you for a wonderful year. MICHELLE CAIN, 2

ND/3

RD GRADE:

This year in our second/third grade split class we learned and grew a lot. We really enjoyed our school year. We learned how to do two-digit addition and subtraction. The students really got a kick out of the idea of borrowing a ten from “Mr. Ten.” We also worked on fact families, learned how multiplication and addition are related. Our class really enjoyed learning place value while using (eating) licorice (tens) and marshmallows (ones). Then we moved into fractions using cupcakes. We had a blast learning and eating! In Language Arts we covered different types of writing. We wrote personal narratives and letters to our families. We learned about story elements as well as the different genres of passages. I have really enjoyed my year with this group of students. I wish nothing but continued success and growth for them in their years to come.

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ELIZABETH HICKS, 3RD

GRADE:

In Language Arts the students continued to develop strategies to effectively use language. Through the presentation of reports and journal writing, they learned to write and speak for a specific purpose. Students learned to become strategic readers by identifying the elements of a story. Vocabulary development continued to include the refinement of phonetic and decoding skills. Word analysis strategies include: homonyms, antonyms, synonyms, analogies, multiple meaning and compound words. Students expanded their vocabulary by learning strategies for identifying unfamiliar words. Reading comprehension skills taught included: understanding fiction and nonfiction reading selections, identifying main ideas, sequencing events, recalling details, making predictions, drawing inferences, and understanding cause-and-effect relationships. In Mathematics the students focused on fact families in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They continued developing strategies for multi-digit addition and subtraction problems. Learning multiplication facts through the 10s was a goal for this year. Since the third-grade curriculum focused on the physical, earth, and life sciences, we wanted to further enhance the students' understanding of the interdependency of the animal world. Students had the opportunity to visit the zoo and create their own unique zoo animal as an art project. Students also studied the four layers of the earth and had an opportunity to create their own version of the earth’s layers using graham crackers, raisins, honey, and jelly. We all enjoyed this activity! While learning the social studies curriculum in third grade reviews the concept of community. A unit on Cleveland gave the students knowledge about the city in the areas of geography, government, history, and business. Students participate in activities that taught them

skills in geography, problem solving, and study skills and how to run for the govern-ment. Aerin Cook and Eyanah Eatmon both ran for Governor of the state and Janae Thomas ran for Mayor of the City of Cleveland! Great times for all.

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KIRSTEN CALLAHAN, 4TH

GRADE:

The 4th grade experienced a big change this year with our move to the second floor! We also grew as the year went on from 14 to19 students! Along with learning the basics, some highlights were the winter program, our Underground Railroad projects, and writing Ohio reports. In reading we explored many genres, and had a lot of fun learning several styles of poetry! We studied weather, matter, the human body and plants. We participated in centers on a regular basis in math! Finally we grew socially and emotionally as we worked on maintaining friendships and accepting others. Mr. Piccus and Ms. Acree also spent a lot of time helping students one-on-one and working with small groups! It has been a productive year!

MEG OEDER, 5TH

& 6TH

GRADES:

This year the 5th grade went GREEN!

After moving to our new classroom in January, we were fortunate to be given a cart of Netbooks, and a Smartboard. We spent a lot of timing learning about how to use a computer, other than to just play games. We watched news clips about things going on in the world; we used our Netbooks to do research; and we created PowerPoint presentations about a state. We also created 3D maps for the geography fair, and made our portfolios on line so we could share with our parents.

It has been a very exciting year. We are really looking forward to a FULL year of technology use and learning.

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Middle School End of the Year Report 2011–2012 School Year

MICHELLE MONSKE, SOCIAL STUDIES

Why did we study so much social studies in the 2011–2012 school year? We did it because social studies develops the key values and attitudes, knowledge and under-standing, and skills and processes necessary for students to become active and respon-sible citizens, engaged in the democratic process and aware of their capacity to effect change in their communities, society and world. Social studies provides learning opportunities for students to understand their rights and responsibilities in order to make informed decisions and participate fully in society, and understand historic and contemporary issues, including controversial issues, from multiple perspectives (e.g., our Geography Fair).

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AARON HUMPHRIES, MATH

We had a good year in middle school mathematics grades 7-9. We were able to cover many topics in Mathematics. This was done through content instruction and hands on labs for students. A portion of the concepts covered were Order of Operations, Integers, Prime and Composite Numbers, Rational Numbers, Percents Decimals, Ratio, Geometrical concepts of measurement, Multiple Step Equations and inequalities, graphing Y-Equals Equations, Slope Intercept, Data Analysis and Probability and other topics. The 7th and 8th grade students completed a

thorough OAA camp which included short answer and extended response questions in differing mathematics topics, learning new methods for answering word problems, and reviewing of important concepts of mathematics using math centered games. The OAA camp continued from January through the duration of months leading up to April date (OAA Month!!!) The students did a commendable job in taking on the task of completing the OAA camp. As well, the 9th graders spent time on OGT preparation in mathematics which was beneficial for them as they venture closer to taking the OGT. All math classes, grades 7–9 were involved in class projects throughout the year where mathematics concepts were used in life applicable situations. A few of these involved budgeting activities for planning Thanksgiving dinner, Holiday shopping for given a particular number of family members with a specific budget, statistics given a population etc. One of the 9th grade projects worked on this year was the completing of a thorough cross curricular content instruction in the classroom on velocity, motion and the study of roller coasters in Mathematics, Science, and English. This activity culminated with the students attending an educational field trip to Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, OH. Nineteen students went on the field trip, along with Mr. Humphries, Ms. Bear, Mrs. Richter, and Mr. Anderson. It was an altogether superb event! This year has been an exciting year with great accomplishments and I look forward to more in the future.

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PATRICK WEAVER, LANGUAGE ARTS

The 2011–2012 school year was another fast-paced and thrilling adventure. Students worked exceptionally hard at mastering a variety of poetry: Haiku, Sonnet, Tonka, Limerick, Diamante, Concrete Poetry, and Cinquain—just to name a few. It was a great pleasure to see all the up-and-coming poets we have in our student body. With each week, their confidence in their writing abilities seemed to soar. Some even commented on how they never imagined they could author such creative works. Whether writing business letters or writing persuasive arguments, each learner delivered in impressive fashion. In addition to their written wonders, students read a plethora of memorable literature. These pieces ranged from wonderful plays such as A Raisin in the Sun, Twelve Angry Men, and a Jury of Her Peers to classic authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, Maya Angelou, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Jack London. Their willingness to embrace and learn from a myriad of different cultures and societies was very pivotal in their continued academic growth throughout the year. Each week called for a new challenge, and each week the students responded well to the call. For all your hard work and effort, I say thank you, and always strive for your best! SUSAN BEAR, SCIENCE:

After joining the Virtual Schoolhouse staff in January, my task at hand was to familiarize my students with my expectations and determine their prior knowledge. Since that time 7th grade covered Animal and Plant Classifications, Biomes and Ecosystems, Weather and Environmental Science. 8th grade covered Plate Tectonics, Space, Heredity and Environmental Science. 9th grade covered Force and Motion, Simple Machines, Matter, Molecular Structure and Compounds, and Environmental Science. In addition, all students participated in our Science Fair displaying Inquiry Based projects. The students also enjoyed presentations by Jason Nicholas, Channel 5 Weather Anchor, and a naturalist from the Cuyahoga Valley Soil and Water Conservation District. Our favorite day was “Experiment Thursday”—once a week all classes spent class time conducting student driven experiments and learned how to incorporate graphs, tables and charts to visually display their results. Finally, all classes enjoyed the use of the “Eyeclopse”—my microscope that connects to a television—to investigate plant and animal specimens collected outside.

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High School End of Year Report 2011–2012 School Year

ANNA CAUSHAJ, MATHEMATICS:

I am proud to say that my class has yearly significant changes in their OGT scores and my students enjoyed learning math this year. I was able to make math a fun enjoyable experience for everyone who walked in my room. Being a member of the RTT team, has helped me find more ways in achieving better results. I cannot say enough how proud I am of our students and what a great organization we really are. I believe that if we all work together we can achieve anything as if we have mastered the portfolios and alternative assessments. All the wonderful changes such as announcements has motivated students to be on time everyday and I can’t thank our security enough and Dr. Schmiesing for making our days go so much smoother. We are all working together; believing in ourselves and believing in our students have only brought the best out of our children and enjoyment out of us. Using step by step instruction has helped my students understand that math is fun and not as hard as people make it out to be.

STEPHANIE GAJDZIK, SOCIAL STUDIES:

The Social Studies Curriculum at Virtual Schoolhouse is still computer based and the students work on A+ on-line program. Classes include World History, United States Government, American History, World Geography and Economics. Students are also practicing formative assessment assign-ments, which are based on the State of Ohio Standards, to get improved summative assessment results. The students practice answering extended response questions based on OGT practice tests.

We also had a wonderful school-wide Geography Fair, with many beautiful projects about other countries and their cultures!

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MIHAELA ILIE, SCIENCE:

Over all we had a wonderful school year in Earth Space Science, Biology, and Chemistry class. Our students learned, our staff collaborated with each other and parents, and our administration guided us. High School students accomplished many important lessons through A+, books, hands-on activities, and community outreach projects. Our main focus has been to incorporate more hands on activities in our class, and to improve our OGT test scores. We accomplished these goals by working on mini lab activities each week and by working on

OGT practice questions each day. Students collaborated with each other, staff and community, through their community projects monthly. Students assignments included lessons that deal with the following areas ;Earth and Space Sciences, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Science and Technology, Scientific Inquiry, and Scientific Ways of Knowing. Our main community outreach projects included Recycling, Energy, Cell Cake, Atom Cake, Lithosphere Puzzles, Botanical Garden Applications, Portfolio Creation, Science Fair, and Research Projects. Students had fun and learned all the required material thought. The Year End Portfolio Exhibit showed the students’ accomplishments, which allowed them to reflect back on their work and acknowledged their growth. Parents were happy to see their children’s achievements and visited our school events. Thank you, staff, for always being helpful. Thank you, VSH Administration, for providing us with resources and support.

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DENISE ARRA, HEALTH/PHYS ED:

According to the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD), students at the secondary level should have at least 225 minutes per week. My curriculum also includes: (A) instruction in a variety developmentally appropriate motor skills that challenge the students to develop physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally: (B) Fitness activities that educate and help students understand and improve or maintain optimal fitness levels; (C) instruction in concepts that lead to a better understanding of motor skills and fitness development; (D) opportunities to engage in experiences that enhance cooperation and develop multicultural awareness; and (E) experiences that foster the desire for life long participation in physical activities.

Secondary school’s curriculum included a wide variety of team and individual sports, utilizing motor skills introduced and refined from elementary. This activity based approach is most common at a secondary level. My curriculum uses activity units in sport, fitness and dance while meeting the Ohio state standards of Physical Education. My students will stay healthy and physical throughout their lifetime.

JIM GROBLE, COMPUTER LAB:

The 2011–12 school year saw the start up of an ongoing after school credit recovery program. Courses were custom designed to best suit the student’s strengths. Multiple avenues were available for course completion. Students taking advantage of the program were able to catch up and often get ahead of their age peers. The classroom routine revolved around customizing the A+ tutorial program for each student.

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MARY JO HOGAN, LA SPECIAL EDUCATION, HIGH SCHOOL

The High Language Arts class completed an eight-week unit on the memoir Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night, which describes the horrifying experience of Elie and his family during the Holocaust. Students participated in a Literature Circle to discuss and understand the memoir. Upon completion of the unit, the class collaborated with Mr. Kolman, Social Studies teacher, to learn more about the Holocaust and World War II. As a culminating activity, students created posters and an interactive display for the Integrated Geography Fair. They connected what they learned about Elie’s experience, and how it fit into the larger picture of the events of World War II and Nazi Germany. The 9th and 10th grade classes completed units on Figurative Language and Poetry. Projects included 3-D representations of similes and metaphors; Poetic Devices Collages, and original poetry. Both classes also read short stories and novels. They completed Reading Logs to practice reading comprehension strategies of summari-zing and making inferences and predictions. DOV DYM, PERSONAL FINANCE:

This year at the Virtual Schoolhouse was a very productive year. I am a big believer in making education real and usable; mathematics in particular should meet this requirement. To this end, my students worked on Career Essentials and Personal Finance. These two classes help prepare a young person for the real world. Students learned to manage their finances and prepare for their future. Many students also prepared to enter the workforce by creating accurate and working resumes and plan for job interviews. I look forward to the successes of our students! BRENDAN KOLMAN, OGT PREP:

It has been a wonderful first year with Virtual Schoolhouse. I am a high school social studies teacher and also an afterschool OGT tutor. We made great progress with our students in preparing them for the OGTs and working with students to prepare them for their first year in college. I am proud to say that four the students I worked with graduated this year and have been accepted and enrolled in college. I look forward to expanding the tutoring sessions for next year and helping to prepare a new class of seniors for their college experience.

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In-Home Instruction End of Year Report 2011–2012 School Year

Malky Dym, Director of Tutoring Services The 2011–2012 school year was a productive and successful year for the In-Home Instruction Department. The In Home Instruction department continued to provide top notch special education services to children who qualified to receive their education in their home with a certified teacher. Our staff worked diligently to ensure that academic requirements were being met and that the students were making progress. As done in the past, we continued to gather data and work samples to create portfolios of each student’s work. We also work to accommodate each student’s individual learning needs and styles. The In-Home Instruction Department services approximately one-third of the students enrolled in Virtual Schoolhouse. All students who are serviced by our department are considered special education students. This placement has been determined by the IEP team to be the least restrictive environment for greatest academic progress. The students work on the A+ curriculum, which can be modified according to level and ability. Teachers work closely with their students to ensure academic and behavioral progress is being made, which can eventually lead to the students’ reintegration back into the traditional education setting. Some of our students, however, will receive instruction in their homes until graduation. This year again, we are proud to say, both the Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the Virtual Schoolhouse were students receiving their instruction in their homes. Additionally, this year, the department made every effort to include and encourage students with a home placement to be involved in regular school activities. We made a lot of progress in this area. Students participated in Century 21 activities, all senior activities, the talent show, the science and geography fairs, parent committee and parent field trip, family news letters, and three students even received free glasses when the students were taken to Lens Crafters. Rabbi Rennert continued to be an effective Special Education Coordinator for the department. Rabbi Rennert ensured that all testing was administered and that data was collected on each student’s progress and skill level. He worked on meeting the special education requirements of each student and monitoring OGT and OAA preparations. Additionally, Rabbi Rennert worked with Lori Raskin, who joined our department this year, on completing all the special education paperwork. Lori, like Rabbi Rennert

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is a licensed intervention specialist with much classroom experience and special education knowledge. Florenca Xhoka has held our department together, as usual. As our efficient admini-strative assistant, her responsibilities included keeping records/files, constantly being in contact with parents and teachers to ensure services were being administered, and assisting with payroll, among other obligations. She is amazing! Thank you to both staff and students for another successful year!

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2011–2012 Year-End Report Department of Security and Safety

Paul Burton, Security Director

This year was another year of growth for us in the security department. We instituted the new policy that students are not allowed to bring in the following:

Under 6.1.1 Weapons No student is allowed to bring in the following items that can be converted into a weapon:

• Glass bottles/containers of any kind( If for drinking , contents must be consumed before entering building and glass bottles will be confiscated and disposed of by security. If perfumes or other contents in glass bottles/containers will be confiscated by security and though not required, may at their discretion return to student at the end of the school day.

• Aerosol spray bottles of any kind are not allowed into the building and will be confiscated by security and though not required, may at their discretion return to student at the end of the school day.

• Metal and/or plastic hair combs or picks with a sharp edge of any kind are not allowed into the building and will be confiscated by security and though not required, may at their discretion return to student at the end of the school day.

This will help to increase safety by preventing students from having items that can be converted into a weapon. Also, we have increased patrols in the halls to prevent students from loitering in unauthorized areas. We work closely with administration (as a team) and document any students that are out of compliance with school safety and security polices. Next year we are planning on instituting a clear book bag policy for all students. This will make screening students more efficient and timely as well as discourage any students from attempting to carry around any contraband in their book bag.

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Externally, we have built a strong relationship with Commander Drummond (Fifth District Cleveland Police Commander) to help efficient response time. We have also, instituted a Nuisance Policy that details the necessary steps we take (internally) to prevent excessive calls and allows us to prioritize when calls need to be made versus those situations that we can handle internally. We will add an additional security officer next school year, if possible. Finally, during training this spring I attended training on Crisis Communication (Managing the Media) and Social Media During Crisis. The two courses taught me how to write a Crisis Communication Plan for the school and how to use social media to communicate during a crisis. We are always continuing to take steps to make Virtual Schoolhouse the safest school in our area.

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