Check out the December 2020 Newsletter!
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Check out the December 2020 Newsletter! See the online version at vvschool.ca/news-events/newsletter. Learning Without Limits Whew! December is upon us, and not a moment too soon! Who would have thought a year ago that face masks would become fashion items and that “distance learning” and “virtual school” would now be household terms, not just in our world but among the general public? A return to some sort of “normal” in 2021 would be more than welcome! As the holiday season approaches, we find ourselves in the midst of a new COVID-19 lockdown, and while VVS is far less directly affected by this than most other schools, we fully recognize the grinding toll this global health crisis continues to take on our students, families, and staff. We sincerely hope the holidays bring you all peace, happiness, and respite amid these trying times. While COVID continues to place limits on our school activities, there is still plenty going on this month. If you have not already done so, subscribe to our website updates find out about upcoming student opportunities, including virtual work experience orientations, post-secondary fairs, student social clubs, awards, and more. As always, we welcome your comments. If you have any questions or concerns, please phone us toll- free at 1-855-974-5333 or talk with your teacher. If you have any VVS-related stories you’d like to share, please contact Ben Freeland, our communications and marketing specialist. We hope you have a wonderful month of December and a happy and safe holiday season. See you all in 2021! Sincerely, ` Mike Loitz, Treena Bradbury, Frank McCallum, Principal Associate Principal Associate Principal New This Month New COVID Restrictions Due to the Alberta government’s new COVID-related restrictions, all VVS support staff will be working home until Friday, January 8. The Calgary campus will remain open for exams and other business, but strictly by appointment. Those wishing to visit are requested to book an appointment in advance and to wear a mask. Our phone line (1-855-974-5333 x5317) is being monitored but not answered in person. All voicemails are being redirected to the VV Support email inbox and are being responded to in the order in which they are received. Our support staff may respond to messages either by phone or email. All other phone numbers and extensions will remain the same unless otherwise noted. Diploma Exam Exemptions In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Alberta Education has announced that the remainder of the year’s Provincial Diploma Exams, which include the January, April, June, and August sittings, will be optional. Students still wishing to write Diploma Exams are encouraged to talk to their teachers. For more information on Diploma Exam exemptions, please read this web update. Online Career Fairs with CAREERS: The Next Generation CAREERS: The Next Generation will be holding two more interactive online career showcases this month as part of its Virtual Exploration Events, with a focus on mechanical trades. Students interested in automotive mechanic careers will not want to miss the December 6 event, while those interested in industrial mechanics will want to check out the millwright virtual exploration event on December 16. CAREERS: TNG is also continuing its Young Women in Trades & Technology (YWITT) virtual mentorship series for female students in grades 9 to 12 with a December 15 session, also focused on the mechanical and automotive trades. For more information on all this, visit the CAREERS: TNG website or the Vista Virtual School website. ShadOnline 2021 December 7 Deadline Applications for Shad 2021 will close on December 7. Normally a live-in program, the nationwide STEAM and entrepreneurship program for grade 10-11 students will take place entirely online next year in virtual campuses from July 5 to July 30, 2021. Calgary Fire Cadet Program The City of Calgary’s Fire Cadet Program will be accepting applications from January 1 to March 31, 2021 for its 2021-22 training program. The program is open to high schoolers in the Calgary region who are between the ages of 15 and 18 (as of July 1, 2021) and ready to commit to an 18-month program starting in September 2021. Read more about it here. Junior High Student Social Clubs Vista Virtual School is launching its new online junior high social clubs on Friday, December 4. If you still want to register for a group or have questions about your first meeting, please email [email protected]. Skills Investment Bursary (SIB) for Adult Students The Skills Investment Bursary is a fund provided by Alberta Works for adults (aged 20 and up) enrolled in high school upgrading courses. Vista Virtual School has already allocated all its available SIB funds for the 2020-2021 school year, but funding will once again be available for the April–September 2021 academic session. Adult upgrading students interested in SIB funding can start submitting their applications on Monday, December 21. Alberta Works usually takes about ten weeks to review SIB applications. The cutoff date for applications for April–September funding is January 22, 2021. More information on qualification criteria and the application process is available on our website. Accessing the Student Information System (SIS) Parents and guardians who have not yet logged into VVS’ Student Information System (SIS) should do so as soon as possible, as this is the best way to monitor your child's progress, review correspondence, keep track of course timelines, and stay up to date with your child's activities and submissions. You should have received an email providing you with login information for your account. To get started, visit the school website and select the Course Login quick link button (below the rotational spotlight window) to be directed to the SIS login page. If you have forgotten your username and/or password, you can retrieve them by submitting your email address. You can also contact us at [email protected] or by phone at 1-855-974-5333 x5317 if you have any trouble. Adult Learning at Vista Virtual School School-aged registration for grades 1 to 12 are now closed for 2020-2021 (except for interjurisdictional and international students), but we are still welcoming adult students aged 20 (as of September 1, 2020) and up. For more information on our adult upgrading program, please visit our website or email us at [email protected]. Student ID Cards Available Are you or your child interested in having a Vista Virtual School ID card? Email us at [email protected] with your (child’s) name and Alberta Student Number together with an appropriate headshot, and we will get this sent off to you. School Council and Parent Input Although we do not have a formal School Council, we welcome parents, guardians, and students to provide input on the operations of the school. Your suggestions can be directed to Mike Loitz, Principal. Monthly Events Calendar Check out our monthly events on our website. We update this calendar as events are added. Important Dates in December December 1 – World AIDS Day December 3 – International Day of Persons with Disabilities December 10 – Human Rights Day December 10 – First Day of Hanukkah (Begins at sundown) December 11 – Anniversary of the Statute of Westminster December 18 – Last Day of Hanukkah December 21 – Winter Solstice/Shortest Day of the Year December 21 – VVS Winter Holiday Begins (VVS campuses closed) December 24 – Christmas Eve December 25 – Christmas Day December 26 – Boxing Day December 31 – New Year’s Eve Safe Volunteering This Holiday Season ‘Tis the season once again to embrace the spirit of volunteerism, and not a moment too soon! 2020 has been a brutal year for people the world over who have had to deal with the double impact of a global pandemic and the resultant economic contraction that has left millions out of work and plunged countless families into poverty and hardship. But while the need for charity has never been higher, so too has the need for caution when embracing volunteer causes. The decision to volunteer at a food bank or a soup kitchen during the Christmas holidays might be a no-brainer under normal circumstances, nobody could be blamed for having reservations about doing so in the time of COVID- 19. What, then, is one to do to help people in need this holiday season while also protecting one’s own physical safety and that of others? Here are a few ideas you might consider. 1. Write letters for or have phone/video conversations with seniors. Many senior citizens struggle with isolation at the best of times, and the ongoing pandemic has exacerbated this type of isolation. Why not contact a senior citizens’ home and offer to be a pen-pal for a resident, or to brighten somebody’s day with a Zoom conversation? 2. Sew masks for charities. Got a sewing machine and a knack for needlework? Why not carve out some time to make masks for people in need. Food banks and other charitable organizations always need masks for their own frontline workers, as do those people on the receiving end of charity. What better way would there be to get into the holiday spirit, 2020-style? 3. Offer to clear snow for a neighbour. There is always a need for snow removal and de-icing this time of year, particularly for seniors in your neighbourhood, and unlike many other forms of volunteering, this can be done easily via social distancing. It is also easy to organize. 4. Donate to your local food bank. Both the Edmonton and Calgary Food Banks are continuing to accept food and monetary donations throughout the holiday season, with extra precautions.