Jan. 14, 2022
By John Mulvaney
Staff Writer
Students looking for a unique learning experience studying subjects that are not offered at LHS need not look any further than Virtual High School. With 81 class offerings that include honors and Advanced Placement courses, VHS has an abundance of options for students.
VHS site coordinator and media center specialist Mrs. DeForge said certain classes experience waves of popularity.
“Sometimes, the business classes like investing and entrepreneurship are popular, and other times, like right now, psychology is a class many students want to take,” DeForge said.
VHS offers a variety of classes, but LHS only funds 50 seats per year, with students in grades 10-12 being eligible. There are 25 seats available per two marking periods, with full-year courses requiring two seats.
“Each seat costs money, so the Board of Education pays for it,” DeForge said. “The interest is there, and I imagine if the interest blows up, we could look into more seats, but that’s only if the Board will approve of it.”
DeForge said a benefit of VHS is that it provides a different experience compared to standard classes at LHS.
“Most students will be exposed to online learning when they go to college, so it prepares the students for what’s to come. Something as simple as composing an email to their teacher will help them in the long run.”
“Most students will be exposed to online learning when they go to college, so it prepares the students for what’s to come. Something as simple as composing an email to their teacher will help them in the long run,” DeForge said.
VHS classes can also help students prepare for remote work in college and future careers. According to LinkedIn, a professional networking and career development website, jobs that require working virtually will become increasingly popular in the future, so VHS classes can help students get acquainted with remote work environments.
Senior Genesis Cedeño, who is enrolled in American Sign Language II, said she has had positive experiences with VHS.
“I love my VHS class. I take ASL II right now, and if I could, I would definitely take it again,” said Cedeño, who was enrolled in VHS’ ASL I course last year.
Cedeño said she sees long-term benefits to knowing sign language.
“Because I’m interested in working in the medical field, I believe that my knowledge of ASL could become very useful since I will be interacting with all sorts of people,” Cedeño said.
Although Cedeño enjoys her VHS class, she said it comes with downsides.
“A bad thing is that you can’t get into immediate contact with your teacher. You can ask them questions, of course, but they won’t get back to you right away,” Cedeño said. “Time management is another issue. If you don’t manage your time properly, you can fall behind, and I’ve fallen victim to that before.”
Junior Dante Riccio, who is enrolled in AP Psychology, said students who can learn material without the presence of an in-person teacher may even find VHS easier than traditional classes at LHS.
“One positive thing about VHS is that I’m able to work at my own pace. I normally don’t have to hold myself to work when I really do not feel like it,” Riccio said. “I’m never held to due dates until the end of the week, so when I work on assignments, I always feel like I am getting ahead of the work even if I am really just on track.”
Riccio said he not only enjoys the format of his VHS course but also the subject matter.
“I like learning about the brain and how we are naturally predisposed to certain behaviors and thinking patterns,” Riccio said. “This is also my first VHS class, and I’m definitely thinking about taking one again.”
