The RCS Virtual Download
March 11, 2022
Greetings Virtual Voyagers!
Thank you for your support and partnership as we wrap up another week at the Virtual Campus! Spring officially begins in 9 Days, and although no one seems to have told the weather (as the snowflakes continue to fall over her at the Schultz Campus), we are feeling the energetic hustle and bustle of the season upon us. As was the case in previous weeks, the newsletter this week has quite a bit of important information for students and families. This is another update that I would recommend keeping handy as it will serve as a reference for the coming weeks ahead. I would like to particularly draw your attention to the following topics:
- Elementary, Middle & High School Testing Dates
- Secondary Course Selection Information
- Virtual Campus Orientation Information
- March is Reading Month
- Elementary Yearbook Order Forms
- Club Joining Information
- Introducing: Virtual Campus Study Hall
On behalf of our entire team, have a wonderful and restful weekend Voyagers!
Sincerely,
Jeff Frankowiak
Principal
RCS Virtual Campus
Virtual Campus Important Dates
March 18th- Half Day of school/End of 3rd Quarter (6-12) & Elementary Spirit Day - Get Cozy for Reading
March 25th- The Great Read Aloud Swap
March 28-April 2nd - Spring Break (TK-12)
April 11th- May 6th - State Testing Window (See schedule below for specific times)
Elementary, Middle School & High School Testing Dates
Elementary, Middle School & High School Testing Dates
Please contact our Virtual Campus test coordinator, Patti Galuszka with any questions: pgaluszka@rochester.k12.mi.us
Secondary Course Selection for the 2022-2023 Year is Active
As the 2021-2022 school year comes to an end, the Virtual Campus is beginning to create schedules for upcoming school year (Grades 6-12). It is important that students sign up early to ensure they can be enrolled in the classes of their choosing. As the RCS Virtual Campus continues to grow, we want to support all students in any learning pathway they find interesting.
To schedule your classes for next school year please click Secondary Course Selection If you have any questions, email the Virtual Campus Counselor at smarr@rochester.k12.mi.us
2022-2023 Virtual Campus Orientation Information
We still have three months of the current school year but if you can believe it, we are already planning for the fall! Whether you are a returning family or would be new to the Virtual Campus in the fall, the 2022-2023 Virtual Campus Orientation Night information includes beneficial updates for everyone.
We hosted a very successful elementary and secondary presentation this past week. If you could not attend the program, the links from the live sessions are available below. You will be able to check them out whenever is convenient for you, and please feel free to spread the word!
Elementary Presentation (Grades TK-5): https://youtu.be/V_1ulE0Yqow
Secondary Presentation (Grades 6-12): https://youtu.be/J-E-o2RKhNw
Our next upcoming event is our kindergarten information night, which will take place on Wednesday, March 23 at 6:00PM. We will send out a joining link to this Virtual Orientation soon, and as before, will make the recorded link available to families to view at your convenience.
If you know of someone who is considering enrolling at the Virtual Campus either full or part-time, please pass along the program information. New RCS families who would like to enroll their child(ren) can complete the following contact form: https://forms.gle/b12sEqF9be1WXj5y9
March is Reading Month
How it all works...
Weekly Introduction Video: We begin each week with an overview of the weekly theme as well as a reminder of the activities students can choose to complete throughout the week. You can access these videos by clicking on the first book cover each week (located next to a blue hand clicking icon) on the first day of each week.
Maker Challenges: Each week, students will have the opportunity to participate in themed Maker Challenges, each of which will have its own explanation slide and in some cases, extra planning slides and templates. You can access these slides by clicking on the red, underlined Maker Challenges listed each Tuesday on the calendar or by just viewing the slideshow and navigating to the slides you want to view.
Weekly Discussion Prompts: Along with each maker challenge, we want to encourage students across grade levels at Virtual Campus to share their thinking with one another. Students are invited to think about weekly discussion questions and post their responses on our community Flipgrid each week. You can find the Flipgrid links by clicking on the red, underlined Week #: DIscussion Question area on the right side of the calendar. There are different links for each week so be sure to click on the correct weekly links to respond.
Themed Book Talks/Read Alouds: Staff members from Virtual Campus share read aloud and/or book talk videos connected to our weekly making theme each week. You can find these by clicking on the book covers located on Wednesdays and Thursdays in the calendar.
Dress-up Days: No elementary school event would be complete without thematic dress-up days. We will have three, and they will all take place on Fridays.
- March 11: Dress-up As Your Dream Job Day- Students research jobs they might like to do throughout the week and then dress-up as someone who chooses that career during their morning meeting Zoom on Friday.
- March 18: Get Cozy for Reading Day- Students get dressed in comfy reading gear whether that means sweatpants, sweatshirts, or pajamas. It’s a half-day, so why not read away?
The Great Read Aloud Swap! On March 25, students will have the opportunity to sign-up and listen to Virtual teachers read some of their favorite books across grade levels. More information will be shared closer to the event date.
We are looking forward to a fun March is Reading Month and continuing to cultivate innovation and creativity in our school community. To access the Making Together Calendar, please click on the shared link below and make your own personal copy: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zt1iwsnmIQDetw93ihYin2GQDYgsWMqVbPZrGs9ZNS0/copy
Dress as your dream job day!
Elementary Authors in April: Now Accepting Book Orders!
We are pleased to announce that our Authors in April online store is now open for business! Founded in 1984, Authors in April is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that promotes literacy in the greater Rochester community by bringing in renowned authors and illustrators each year to the public and parochial elementary and middle schools. Unique to Rochester, this one-of-a-kind program inspires children to read, encourages them to appreciate a variety of literature, and opens their worlds to a life-long love of reading. Each year four authors are invited to participate in Authors in April. Throughout the school year, students explore the authors’ books with the support of their information literacy specialists (ILS), librarians, art teachers, classroom teachers, and parents in each school. Families have the opportunity to encourage their child’s passion for reading by purchasing Authors in April books at discounted prices at their school.
At Virtual Campus, students have the opportunity to order books online and have them delivered to the Schultz Campus for pick-up. In addition, students have the opportunity to have their books signed by the authors when they come to visit in April. To place an online order, please click the following link: https://authors-in-april-inc.square.site/
IMPORTANT NOTE: When you select a book to purchase, there is an option for families to choose if they are a part of the Virtual Campus so we can bring those books to the Schultz campus for distribution. Please be sure to mark that option, so we can be sure to get the books delivered to the right location.
Elementary Yearbook Orders
Virtual Campus Club Information
Secondary Book Club
Secondary Book Club starts this Monday, March 14th! This Google Form includes the Zoom link, a place for you to register, and all Book Club details:
Secondary Gaming Club
Perspective Gaming Club Members need to complete the following survey by Sunday March 13th 11:00 PM: Gaming Club Interest Survey
Mr. Majask will gather the information and send out a time for your first meeting next week. That meeting will most likely be the week before spring break. Email Mr. Majask if you have any questions: pmajask@rochester.k12.mi.us
Elementary & Secondary Art Club
Virtual Campus Study Hall
High School Student Tech Crew
Hello, 9-12 RCS Students,
We are putting together a Student Tech Crew and you are invited to join. This group will help create technology tutorials and resources to help support RCS students and families. This program provides opportunities for increased career-readiness skills such as communication, collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving. We are looking for students who want to help make an impact in their community. You don't have to be an expert on technology to join. We will collaborate together to create videos and learn new skills along the way.
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Mainero rmainero@rcs-k12.us
Applications are due March 18: Link to complete application https://forms.gle/91ecsP9iFek8BHf79
Zoom Update
This week, our video conferencing program, Zoom, received an updated on student-issued Chromebooks. This update involves students taking a few necessary steps in order to ensure that they are able to access their live classes. The information below will walk you through step-by-step in order to complete the installation of the new application
Step 1: Have students restart their Chromebooks
Step 2: Have students follow the guidance document to login to Zoom and consolidate their accounts to the new application UPDATED_ Sign In to Zoom on Chromebook.pdf
Step 3: Students should log into Zoom with their Google credential issued by Rochester Community Schools
A video tutorial has also been created to walk you through this process:
CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO TUTORIAL
Please do not hesitate to contact the Virtual Campus Main Office at (248)726-5900 with any questions.
Chromebook Pickup and Technical Support
As a reminder, all RCS students are required to have a district device for use in the classroom.
If you do not yet have an RCS device, please schedule an appointment by using this link: https://form.jotform.com/203207837751153.
Families may use this checklist to ensure an efficient device pick-up.
- Device deployments will take place at the RCS Administration Center, located at 501 W. University Dr.
- Directions and available times will be provided during appointment sign-up.
- For faster service, please arrive with a completed Student Device Loan Agreement.
- High-school students may pick up their own device, as long as the agreement form is signed by a parent or guardian.
We truly appreciate your support in providing our students with the necessary tools and resources for a productive year of growth and learning.
If you already have your Chromebook device, we strongly recommend viewing these Chromebook tutorials to remind you how to take care of your device and get signed into Zoom:
- Chromebook Do’s and Don’ts: https://youtu.be/GakzWneZqzk
- How to Sign into Zoom on a Chromebook: https://youtu.be/O6zXGySnozQ
Getting Logged Into Your Chromebook
For our elementary students or those new to the district, we have a tutorial to walk families through how to access your student’s login information on ParentVUE: https://youtu.be/R2NqkOlgQNA
For our secondary students, we have a tutorial that walks students through how to navigate StudentVUE. This will be most helpful to our 6th graders as they now have full access to the platform: How to Use StudentVUE- https://youtu.be/w8CMwxzZf9E
Technology Troubleshooting
Just like students new to middle school may get locker jams or our little friends may need help finding their classroom cubby, there may be some virtual snags that happen as we kick-off our new school year. Should you run into any technical issues (that are not Brightspace related), we recommend the following steps:
- Visit our district Family Technology Support Page. There are tutorials and information on many of our common technology tools including: ParentVUE and StudentVUE, Zoom, Flipgrid and Seesaw.
- If that does not solve your problem, complete a Technology Support Form and our district technology support staff will get back to you as soon as they are able.
- If you still have questions or need assistance, please contact Julie Rains at jrains@rochester.k12.mi.us
All Day Absence Reporting
Senior Update
Seniors,
Virtual Campus Seniors are invited to all of the home school building culminating events like Senior Portraits. Please be sure to stay up-to-date by checking in with your home school's "Senior Class Information" website.
Check out the links below to connect to each High School's Senior Page:
Adams HS - CLICK HERE
Rochester HS - CLICK HERE
Stoney Creek HS - CLICK HERE
RCS Virtual YouTube Channel
About Us
Email: rcsvirtual@rochester.k12.mi.us
Website: http://www.rcsvirtual.com/
Location: 1440 John R Road, Rochester Hills, MI, USA
Phone: 2487265900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RCSVirtual/
Twitter: @rcsvirtual