April 2019 Newsletter
April 1st, 2019
Click each article below to read this month’s newsletter or read the PDF version.
Learning Without Limits
Here we are in April! We are approximately three-quarters the way through the school year, with statutory holidays on April 19 and 22—Vista Virtual School (VVS) campuses will be closed for Good Friday and Easter Monday. Campuses will also be closed April 10 for a VVS team annual meeting.
Save the date, as there are two events scheduled for students (at our Edmonton and Calgary campuses) coming up in May. More details will be posted on the website homepage and our social media accounts later this month.
Start thinking ahead for any awards you are interested in applying for, as the deadline for these come faster than you might think!
Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up-to-date on our events and activities, as well as important information such as exam periods and campus closures.
As always, we welcome your comments. If you have any questions or concerns, please phone us toll-free at 1-855-974-5333, and if you have any stories you’d like to share of your experiences with Vista Virtual School and how this is positively affecting your education experience and balancing with your diverse needs, contact Jay Zaal, our communications and marketing specialist.
Sincerely,
` Mike Loitz, Treena Bradbury, Frank McCallum,
Principal Associate Principal Associate Principal
Did you Know?
Want to know what some of our students, staff, teachers and families have been up to at Vista Virtual School? Do you want to see how they balance distance learning and some amazing experiences and overcome challenges?
Check out our new VVS Stories section on the vvschool.ca website.
New stories are added frequently, so check back often!
Do you have a story or achievement you’d like to tell? Please contact our Communications & Marketing team.
Recent News Posts on the VVS Website
Helpful Steps when Submitting Information to VVS
Each month we feature tips to help ensure you submit your registration or information to VVS correctly and efficiently, or we highlight common mistakes when registering or submitting information. This month it’s:
Proof of Citizenship is Mandatory
- You must attach proof of citizenship when submitting your registration.
- In order to enrol with Vista Virtual School, students must be a Canadian citizen, lawfully admitted to Canada for permanent residence, a child of a Canadian citizen, or a child of an individual who is lawfully admitted to Canada for permanent or temporary residence. Students must also be a resident of Alberta at the time of registration.
All students are required to submit one of the following:
- Canadian Birth Certificate;
- Canadian Passport;
- Canadian Citizenship Certificate/Card (this is a card with photo);
- Permanent Resident Card/Paper or Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) Document;
- Record of Landing;
- Child of Canadian Citizen (including a copy of your parent’s documentation); or
- Child of an individual lawfully admitted to Canada for permanent or temporary residency (including a copy of your parent’s documentation).
If you have any questions about submitting your citizenship documents, contact us at 1-855-974-5333 Ext. 5317 or email vvsupport@phrd.ab.ca.
Teacher’s Pet - Kirby
Meet Christina Waller’s pet budgie! Each month we feature one of the pets that are part of the staff families at Vista Virtual School.
Kirby is a seven-year-old budgie. He is part English budgie and that means he’s a little puffier than the budgies you might see in the pet stores.
“He’s the second budgie I’ve personally owned and I got him as a baby in February 2012,” says Waller. “Though he is a bit hard to understand if you aren’t familiar with him, Kirby is a great talker and likely has a vocabulary of 100+ words.”
Kirby seems to have at least a rudimentary knowledge of grammar as he can mix and match words 
and make up some new phrases. He can say “I love you,” “You’re special,” “How was your day?” “Oilers,” “Come here,” and many other phrases and words. He gets excited by anything with buttons (phones, remote controls, calculators, etc.), and likes to eat human food—especially carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, potatoes, and bread. He also really likes corn, especially “on the cob.”
“He is a great friend and companion to me and loves my company.”
Tips to Succeed at Distance Learning
Set Short-term Goals
When working through your coursework, focusing on smaller bits will help the assignments from becoming overwhelming. Chunking your learnings, readings and assignments will help you manage the course as a whole and makes sure you do not get in over your head (having to complete everything all at once with short deadlines).
Short-term goals for a distance learning class may include completing a particularly difficult assignment by a certain time, reading a certain number of pages in the textbook by an assigned day each week, achieving a specific grade on your exam, or even writing down one important thing that you have learned from the reading each day or week.
Take it one step at a time and complete each step as you go for each course, and before you know it, you’ll be close to the finish line!
Meet your Teachers
Lori Goetjen-Lienau
How long have you been a teacher?
I’ve been teaching for 24 years; science and math for grades 6 – 12.
Interesting fact?
I love to travel. My favourite place that I have visited is Tanzania.
What excites you each day?
The opportunity to help students learn and be excited about science.
VVS on the Road
- Medicine Hat: April 4
- Lethbridge: April 18
- Red Deer: April 25 (LOCATION CHANGE: Red Deer Public Library)
VVS May Event: The Tempest - Edmonton
Students are invited to attend the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton for a live performance of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest on May 1. More details will be posted about this event later this month (on the Vista Virtual School website and social media).
VVS May Event: High School Planning (Calgary and Edmonton)
Current Grade 9 students are invited to a high school planning event at the Calgary and Edmonton campuses on May 14. More details will be posted about this event later this month (on the Vista Virtual School website and social media).
Reminder - Diploma Exam Dates Posted
See the Alberta Education diploma exam schedule for the exam dates. If you have any questions, please contact your teacher.
Skills Canada Provincial Competition and SkillsCity
Visit the Provincial Skills Canada Competition to try our Try-A-Trades® and Try-A-Skills is May 8-9, 2019 at the Edmonton EXPO Centre. Free admission and parking.
Monthly Events Calendar
Check out our monthly events on our website. This calendar is updated as events are added.
Important Dates in April
April/May – Skills Canada Events
April 1 – April Fools’ Day
April 1 – Diploma Exams (English Language Arts 30-1 and 30-2 Part A)
April 2 – Diploma Exams (Social Studies 30-1 and 30-2 Part A)
April 3 – Diploma Exams (English Language Arts 30-1 and 30-2 Part B)
April 4 – Diploma Exams (Social Studies 30-1 and 30-2 Part B)
April 5 – Diploma Exams (Mathematics 30-1 and 30-2 and Chemistry 30)
April 7 – World Health Day
April 7 – Green Shirt Day (for Organ Donor Awareness)
April 7-13 – National Volunteer Week
April 8 – Diploma Exams (Biology 30 and Physics 30)
April 9 – Diploma Exams (Science 30)
April 9 – Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge
April 10 – VVS Annual Team Staff Meeting (Campuses Closed)
April 19 – Good Friday (Campuses Closed)
April 22 – Easter Monday (Campuses Closed)
April 22 – Earth Day
April 23 – World Book Day
April 24 – Administrative Professionals’ Day
April 28 – WCB Day of Mourning (Alberta Workplace Injury Awareness)
Free Calgary YMCA Passes (Grade 6 Students)
All students in grade six can sign up for a free Calgary YMCA membership as part of the Calgary Flames Grade 6 YMCA Program. Learn more at ymcacalgary.org/grade6.
Contacts
