Welcome
As I look out my office window at the vibrant colours that fall brings I am excited to see our students engaging in their academics as well as our many clubs and activities the VLC has to offer. As always, the success of the VLC is grounded in the support and partnership of our parents. As the semester progresses the expectations of students will continue to increase. Please remember that your teachers are available to help if you need it, but academic success depends on you and your ability to apply yourself to your learning. Wishing you all a great semester of learning.
Mr. Cadeau-Mark
Taking Courses Elsewhere
If a homeschooled student is taking courses with the Virtual Learning Centre and would like to enrol in courses from other programs that are privately or publicly funded, including the Independent Learning Centre (ILC), our office needs to be notified ahead of time. Failure to do so may result in withdrawal from our program.
When a student completes any external credits they should upload the final report card to their Student Profile, so the office can help them keep track of their OSSD requirements and ensure they have prerequisites for future courses. Given our students are homeschooled, it is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to keep track of their OSSD requirements but our office can provide support along the way. Our guidance counsellor will share resources with students that will help them keep track of these requirements and they can provide assistance with course selection, pathway planning and eventually support them in the graduation and post-secondary process.
Any external credits completed (outside of the VLC) will not be placed on the student’s status/credit counselling sheet or the course requirements credit summary sheet that accompanies the report card until a student’s graduating semester with the VLC.
School News and Dates
Parents are encouraged to check our website regularly to keep up to date with school news. Important school dates can also be checked on our website using the Calendar menu.
CHV2O/GLC2O Start Dates
Q1 of Civics and Careers runs from September 5th to November 7th.
Q2 of Civics and Careers runs from November 8th to February 1st.
OSSLT
EQAO has announced that there will be two writing sessions for the OSSLT students this year. The first in the Fall and a second session in the Spring.
VLC students who are in grade 10 (born in or after 2004) or above will have the option to write in either session. Instructions for signing up will be shared through email and in the Student Guide this week. Students writing in the Fall session will be writing during the week beginning November 6th. Confirmed dates will be provided based on the number of students who sign up.
Withdrawals
If you would like to withdraw from a course and you are under 18, a parent/guardian must email the registrar: [email protected] with the request from their personal email account.
If you are over 18 then you need to notify our office using your student Gmail account that you wish to withdraw from one or more of your courses. You can also log in to your application and update your Student Notes.
If you are attending another publicly funded or private school your guidance counsellor must email the registrar: [email protected] with the request.
If a student elects to withdraw course deposits will be forfeited (if applicable).
Final Exams (January 26, 29, 30, 31, February 1)
Final exams will be scheduled on January 26, 29, 30, 31, February 1. Specific dates and times for exams will be posted on student’s course homepages by the end of October. Please note that all exams will be proctored by Proctorio. For more information visit our website (https://virtuallearning.ca/frequently-asked-questions/what-is-proctorio/). Please do not book vacations or exams during this period.
Students must be available for their final exams.
Important Dates
- October 6 – PA Day (No classes)
- October 9 – Holiday (No classes)
- November 16 – Full Disclosure
- November 17 – PA Day (No classes)
- November 24 – Board Instructional Holiday (No classes)
- December 25 to January 5 – Winter Holiday (No classes)
- January 12 – Last day to submit overdue work for the midterm (by 12 pm)
- January 25 – Last day of classes
- January 26, 29, 30, 31, February 1 – Exam Days
- February 5 – First day of Semester 2
Student Guide
Both new and returning students were required to work through all the modules in the Student Guide course, even if they have done it before. Students can use the guide as a reference throughout the semester. Students need to check the Student Guide announcements regularly. All important information will be posted there.
Work Habits
With the start of a new school year, it’s important for students to get into the right routines. A routine will allow students to schedule their time each week to ensure that they’re meeting deadlines for school work. Every week, students should be checking announcements in each course to see what that week looks like. They must also get in the habit of reviewing the content in the Modules and either attending the live meetings, or viewing the recordings before they begin working on their assignments. Each student should be dedicating the ‘scheduled’ 75 minutes each day plus homework in order to be successful with their course. Remember asynchronous time is meant to be working on our modules and assignments. Our program is flexible as to when some of this time can occur but it’s helpful to schedule course time each week, with other responsibilities in mind. A ‘timetable’ document was shared in the Student Guide announcements to help students with this.
Students in their Final Year
An announcement was posted in the Student Guide on September 12th: Graduation and Post-Secondary Information Request 2023/24 – IMPORTANT (form to complete) with information for students in their final year at the VLC. Please ensure your child reads the announcement and completes the form (was due September 22nd) if this is their final year of high school. Students who have completed the form will be added to the VLC Grad/Postsecondary Club where they will have access to important information and resources for their final year of high school.
Terry Fox Fundraiser
Our annual school fundraiser for Terry Fox has officially started. Our goal this year is to raise $1000 for the Terry Fox Foundation. Our school has fundraised over $11,000 since we began in 2016. The annual school run/walk/hike/bike/skate/wheel will take place on Friday, October 13th. We encourage all students to participate in this event. Fundraising is optional. Updates will be posted to students in the Student Guide announcements. Our fundraising page can be found here (https://schools.terryfox.ca/41428).
At Risk Reports and Progress Reports
Throughout the semester families of students (who are under 18) that are at risk of not earning their credit will receive an email called an ’At Risk Report’ indicating outstanding work and next steps. Our first scheduled week for these reports to go out was the week of September 18th. The next scheduled week is December 11th.
At the 6th week of school (October 10th week) all students will receive a Progress Report email from their teacher highlighting how they are progressing in their classes. The report will focus on the learning skills and general feedback.
Technical Support
If students are having technical difficulties they can open a support ticket in Canvas by using the Help menu on the left-hand side and choosing “Report a Problem”. This will go to our support team and a solution will be emailed to the student’s VLC Gmail address.
Full Disclosure
Students in senior courses (grade 11/12) have until November 16th at 4:00 pm to withdraw from a course without the course showing up on a transcript. Students will receive their midterm report cards beforehand.
Full disclosure does not apply to students in Grade 9 or 10 courses.
Clubs and Extracurriculars
The VLC offers a large range of extra-curricular activities to enhance the experience of students and to build a school community. Clubs range from our student newspaper, the VLC Gazette, to clubs such as environment, chess, and debating.
We have a strong Student Council whose role is to build the school community and provide opportunities for students to voice opinions and recommendations to the Principal.
Clubs vary from year to year with student interests. A complete list of clubs was shared with students on September 22nd in a Student Guide announcement.
