During the 2020-2021 school year, Virtus Academy faced more challenges than ever before. Despite moving into a new facility, facing COVID-19 attendance and health complications, losing an employee to COVID-19, conducting virtual learning, hybrid, and face-to-face instruction, students continued to learn, develop, and practice the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate through the 4C framework. During our physical brick-and-mortar facility attendance and implementing school-wide virtual learning, students used critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. It is hard to imagine this year’s victories or its challenges, not incorporating two or more traits. Progress and achievements were noticeably accomplished using the same rigorous academics and project-based learning approach through multiple leadership approaches and adjustments.
Our school motto: Consectatio Excellentiae (In pursuit of excellence), is demonstrated by our students and staff daily with their efforts and enthusiasm for learning. Virtus has been very blessed with dedicated and invested teachers that make every effort to provide quality education and go the extra mile for our students. We doubled our enrollment and tripled our Special Education population, with the majority being new to Virtus. Our gifted and talented students are served through our P.A.C.K. (Program for Accelerating Core Knowledge) Program that incorporates significant and applicable PBL units, field studies (conducted virtually for the 20/21 school year), and community collaboration. Additional support is available as well to our students identified through our MTSS process from our Reading and Math Interventionists. VASC implemented intensive SEL supports through two school counselors, weekly lessons, lunch bunch small groups, breakfast buddies, and SEL screening. Virtus also utilized our ParentSquare software program to increase parent engagement with Weekly Highlight Posts and Updates that included information regarding current events, reading and math tips, critical thinking prompts, and some key resource highlights. Furthermore, the school qualified for Title I funding this school year, which presented many new opportunities for our students, guardians, and staff, including professional development, PBL resources, classroom libraries, STEM night, Technology Night, Math Night, a Math Interventionist, Literacy night, and much more!
Staff and students at Virtus Academy value service to our community. We completed many community service projects, developing collaborative and life skills that help change our community. Service projects are student-led. Examples include kindness baskets for COVID-19 unit staff, cereal box donations, several canned food drives, Angel Tree adoptions, and more. Day-to-day interactions with one another and our community prove that the students at Virtus have compassion and love for our community.
To further expand personalized learning, we at Virtus Academy believe student choice needs to be evident in areas outside of the academic classroom. During the 2020-21 school year, students were provided with opportunities that challenged and engaged them. We believe that students should be exposed to a myriad of ideas, career opportunities, and areas of interest that all integrate the South Carolina State Standards and the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. Community members who work in the fields of microbiology, biochemistry, architecture, veterinary, wildlife, fitness, forestry, meteorology, medicine, and more donated time to expand the horizons of our students. Student-choice was also supported through PBL. PBL projects are student-led, allowing students and teachers to connect standards to interests.
Our ultimate goal at Virtus Academy is to teach the whole child and guarantee that we are meeting their academic and personal needs. We construct much of our planning for students around the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. The Profile emphasizes world-class skills, including creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration and teamwork, and being an effective communicator. It also focuses on instilling life and career characteristics in our students, such as integrity, self-direction, perseverance, and interpersonal skills. Through strategic planning and intentional instruction, our teachers and staff are determined to make sure that each student we serve exhibits the world-class skills and life and career characteristics that are a part of the Profile.
