St. Johns Virtual School 2021-2022 School Year

St. Johns Virtual School (SJVS) is excited to be one of two platforms offered to students by the St. Johns County School District (SJCSD) for the 2021-2022 school year.  Families may choose to participate in the traditional brick and mortar platform, or a virtual platform at SJVS. 

All students Kindergarten through 12^th grade in St. Johns County are eligible to participate in our virtual platform.  It is important to note, the St. Johns County School District will not offer the school-based distance learning format it did in the 2020-2021 school year.  SJVS will serve as the school district’s virtual option.  Parent of PreK students interested in virtual learning will need to contact Early Childhood Services at 547-7500.   

If you would like your child to participate in SJVS, the application will be open from Friday, April 16 through Friday, July 16.  SJVS is a semester commitment and students are required to complete virtual curriculum from lesson 1 through the end of the course.  Please apply online at www.stjohnsvirtual.com.  Applications received after July 16, will be submitted for approval through an appeal process.

Parents/guardians of students new to St. Johns County after the application deadline of July 16, 2021 may complete the online application at www.stjohnsvirtual.com.

For students with disabilities following the Access Points modified curriculum, SJVS ESE teachers and other service providers will provide virtual instruction as determined by the IEP team.  This will include direct instruction via computer utilizing Schoology or Zoom.  There will be an option to schedule therapies (speech/language, OT, PT) at the home-zoned school if parents prefer that to virtual therapy.

For all other students, the SJVS full-time program offers a unique online program that provides students the flexibility to learn at a place and on a pace that suits their needs.  Each semester, a full-time virtual student is expected to complete a minimum of five courses for elementary and six courses for middle and high.  To be successful, virtual school students must be self-disciplined, self-motivated, responsible, and challenged by rigor.  Parents and guardians must play an active role in monitoring their child’s progress and make sure their child maintains a regimented schedule.

A parent/guardian, especially in the elementary grades will serve as a hands-on learning coach. Parents/guardians will need to be able to assist their children each day to navigate the platform and submit work. Students in grades 6-12 are more independent in navigating the system and will be able to submit work and contact teachers as needed.

SJVS elementary teachers will host live lessons twice per week.  English and Mathematics are covered for roughly 30 minutes per subject. There are also office hours where teachers are available to assist each day/week.

SJVS middle and high school teachers will host live lessons at least once a week and will have established office hours. These office hours allow for students to schedule a time to talk with their teachers. Teachers also are available and will answer all questions within a 24-hour period. With middle and high school, the program is very self-motivated in meeting the completion percentage each week.

For students with disabilities, SJVS ESE teachers and other service providers will collaborate with the general education teachers and provide direct instruction to students virtually as determined by the IEP team. 

While the full-time program does allow students to establish their own weekly schedule as to what day and time they complete schoolwork, students must achieve adequate weekly progress in order to continue with SJVS as a full-time option. Students who fall behind in their weekly progress will be required to complete schoolwork at the SJVS office until they reach and maintain the proper pace. Adequate weekly progress is defined as roughly 6% completion per class, per week. Students not able to maintain the proper pace will return to their zoned school.

SJVS has seen students reach extraordinary goals with teacher and family support through the full-time virtual program. If you would like to learn more about this program, do not hesitate to contact us directly.

Facts about SJVS

• The SJVS program format is setup to be semester based, self-paced and teacher supported. The curriculum is provided by Florida Virtual School (FLVS) and instruction is delivered by St. Johns County School District teachers.  Students must complete a minimum of five courses in grades Kindergarten through fifth grade and a requirement of six courses in grades sixth through twelfth. Each student must complete roughly 6% of the course work each week to stay on pace.

• All SJVS teachers hold valid teaching certificates and have been specifically trained to assist students in the virtual setting.

• SJVS serves all students, including those who have an IEP, EP, 504, ELL or RtI intervention plan, and those who wish to take accelerated course work. Advanced Placement (AP) courses are available as an opportunity to earn college credit.

• Students who have an IEP for a modified curriculum using Access Points, will use the Schoology or Zoom platform and participate in supported direct instruction as determined by the IEP team.

• There are times when SJVS students are required to visit campus – FSA/End of Course Exams (EOC), iReady are examples of when students will be required to come on campus for in person state and district testing. All state testing is required to be administered on the SJVS campus. SJVS will ensure that all SJCSD COVID protocols will be followed.

• Students who are successful in SJVS are self-directed and have support at home. Students who struggled with virtual or distance learning in the past will be encouraged to remain engaged in the brick and mortar platform.  

• Socialization opportunities with SJVS as appropriate and allowed per SJCSD COVID protocols include:
  • Monthly Field Trips. Examples include trips to downtown St. Augustine, tours of the Jaguars football stadium, Department of the Treasury tours, and much more.
  • Weekly Academic Days. On campus opportunities for students to interact with peers, get one-to-one assistance from their teacher(s) in person, complete Discussion-Based Assessments and more.
  • Weekly Fun Fridays (Elementary). Free time to just let loose and interact with peers and teachers.
  • Marvelous Mondays. New this year, middle school students will have the opportunity to talk all things Marvel Superhero during an open lunch Zoom discussion.
  • Monthly activities on our campus for elementary students to do arts and crafts or play games with peers and teachers.
  • Additional opportunities to get together and do activities.

If you would like to learn more about St. Johns Virtual School visit our website at www.stjohnsvirtual.com.