Information for Currently Enrolled Students

Important Dates

Fall:

• Fall session (semester 1) begins August 27^th and ends December 3^rd
• Teachers will begin contacting students and families the week of August 18^th
• Drop without penalty dates are as follows:

  • COURSE TYPE	DROP DATE
    FULL YEAR COURSES Regular RCPSOnline Academy	6 weeks after the course has begun
    SEMESTER COURSES Regular RCPSOnline Academy	3 week after the course has begun
    Chemistry, Biology II, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, world languages, and any mathematics course	5 days after the end of the first nine weeks for 1st semester RCPS Online Academy courses 5 days after the end of the 3rd nine weeks for 2nd semester RCPS Online Academy courses
    Dual enrollment courses	Follow VWCC policy

• NO REFUNDS MAY BE ISSUED AFTER COURSE BEGINS

Spring:

• Spring session (semester 2) begins January 14^th and ends April 29^th
• Teachers will begin contacting students and families on January 5^th
• Drop without penalty dates are as follows:

  • COURSE TYPE	DROP DATE
    FULL YEAR COURSES   Regular RCPSOnline Academy	6 weeks after the course has begun
    SEMESTER COURSES Regular RCPSOnline Academy	3 weeks after the course has begun
    Chemistry, Biology II, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, world languages, and any mathematics course	5 days after the end of the first nine weeks for 1st semester RCPS Online Academy courses 5 days after the end of the 3rd nine weeks for 2nd semester RCPS Online Academy courses
    Dual enrollment courses	Follow VWCC policy

• NO REFUNDS MAY BE ISSUED AFTER COURSE BEGINS

Important Reminders

• Fulltime or part-time Academy enrollment is a year-long commitment. Students cannot transition back to face-to-face instruction after September 17^th. This is due to the difference in scheduling – face-to-face classes operate on an A/B block for the full year, while the online classes are one-semester classes, much like college (certain dual enrollment and world language classes are full-year).
• For second semester, if adequate progress is not made by February 4^th, the student must report to his or her base school and complete their online course(s) under supervision.
• Please make sure student and parent/guardian email addresses and phone numbers are correct in Synergy – contact your school counseling department if you are unsure.
• Email is the primary mode of communication and students are expected to email with teachers regularly.

Additional Academy and Course Information

• Laptops, books, or other required resources are available shortly before the course starts and are picked up at a student’s base school.
  • Teachers will communicate with you if you need physical books or other resources. Most classes use digital resources but there are a few exceptions.
  • If you have an issue with your school laptop, please make an appointment with your school to take it in.
• Academy courses are asynchronous.
  • This means that a student does not log on for live instruction and that the schedule is different than the regular school schedule.
  • The only exception is for certain world language classes where students meet two or three times a week online for a speaking component.
  • This also means that the classes are largely self-paced, which requires a student to stay organized and diligent about working every day to avoid getting behind.
• Class grades are kept in Synergy.
  • You will find a current grade in Synergy via Parent View or Student View and each teacher will indicate the percent of the course completed. These will be updated weekly.
  • Specific information about assignments can only be found in Canvas.
• Be proactive in your communication with teachers.
  • If you have questions, need help, will be absent for a period of time, experience technology issues, or anything else that would cause you to fall behind, please notify your teacher as soon as possible.
• Pay attention to the information posted in each class – it may be different from class to class.
  • Read all directions carefully.
  • Pay attention to due dates and times.
  • Make sure you understand how to submit work.
  • Read all directions carefully (repeated for emphasis!)
  • Contact your teacher for clarity about anything you don’t understand