In the past 20 years of serving Pennsylvania students, PA Virtual has been supporting our families both inside and outside of the classroom. We understand the importance of continuously supporting our students and parents so that your child can reach their full academic and social potential in this model of education. So, how exactly does PA Virtual offer additional support to our students and families? Great question! Here are just a few support services and resources we provide throughout the year.
Family Support Coordinators – We are proud to be the only cyber charter school in PA to dedicate a Family Support Coordinator (FSC) to each and every family. Our FSCs are regionally-based and serve as a point-of-contact for families with various non-academic matters such as monitoring daily attendance, coordinating monthly outings and field trips, and assisting with general technology support. Think of FSCs as your personal guides to all things PA Virtual. Once an FSC is assigned to a family, they remain with that family throughout their time at PA Virtual, allowing them to build strong, long-lasting relationships with each other.
Pupil Health Department – Our Pupil Health staff strives to keep our students and families healthy. In addition to ensuring all of our students are compliant with statewide health regulations, our Pupil Health staff offers families an opportunity to receive free health screenings, which are held throughout the state on an annual basis.
Guidance Counselors – Our guidance counselors in elementary and middle school provide grade-level appropriate programs to help our students develop social skills and positive character traits throughout their time at PA Virtual. Our high school guidance counselors help with advising students in course selection and providing them with resources for post-graduation planning.
New Student Onboarding and Orientation – This two-week comprehensive program is led by state-certified teachers and administrators and is for all new students and Learning Coaches. The program helps the student transition into the virtual learning model, helps the parent understand their role in this model, and helps both parents and students learn how to get the most out of their online learning experience.
Parent Ambassador Program – This program enhances our parents’ knowledge and education by providing online parent learning sessions, parent certificate programs, and an optional one-on-one mentorship with an experienced PA Virtual parent. This mentorship allows our parents to connect with a knowledgeable parent who can help guide and support them throughout the year by both phone and email contact. The Parent Ambassador Program gives parents the opportunity to learn tips and tricks to be a successful Learning Coach to students. We also offer opportunities for parents to volunteer and connect with other parents in the school and local community.
Student Assistance Program – The goal of the Student Assistance Program (SAP) is to link students with the help they need in order to overcome barriers so they can remain in school, succeed academically, and work towards graduation and post-secondary success.
Are you interested in learning more about how PA cyber charter schools work? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Attending a Cyber Charter School in PA that will give you information on everything from teachers and curriculum to what happens after graduation.
