Missouri Connections Academy Recognizes Kansas City Students

SPRINGFIELD, MO – Kansas City residents Archer Bachmann and Zara Beard were both recently selected Missouri Connections Academy’s (MOCA) “Spotlight Students” for the month of October in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the virtual classroom.

Archer, a first grader at the statewide, public online school, was nominated by his teacher, Ms. Moffit, because of his outstanding participation in class. Zara is also in the first grade and her teacher Ms. Davis nominated Zara because of the kindness she shows others in class. As “Spotlight Students,” Archer and Zara will each receive a certificate of achievement and be profiled in the Missouri Connections Academy student newsletter. Each month during the school year, MOCA will recognize students in grades K through 12 who are excelling in the virtual classroom.

“We appreciate the leadership our students demonstrate and their extraordinary commitment to learning and serving as strong role models for their peers,” said Lynsie Hunt, School Leader at Missouri Connections Academy. “The members of our faculty and staff are proud to give these virtual classroom leaders the recognition they deserve.”

According to Archers mother, Mackenzie, they enrolled him in Missouri Connections Academy when he started kindergarten because they wanted to have the freedom to learn from home with the schedule flexibility that meets their needs. Mackenzie said Missouri Connections Academy offers the “best of both worlds” where the child learns from home but with access to teachers who support the students every step of the way.

“We love the freedom of doing school on our schedule and it opens up opportunities for Archer to challenge himself,” Mackenzie said. “And we don't have to figure out the curriculum or worry that our child is behind academically.”

Zara’s mother, Destinee, said they enrolled her in Missouri Connections Academy because they wanted Zara to be in learning environment where she could work at her own pace. With the support of the faculty and staff, Destinee said they didn’t have to make any major adjustments when it came to transitioning to a virtual classroom. The lessons are already there, and it gave them the free range to teach, however best fits the student’s learning styles.

“We both like the flexibility of learning day by day,” Destinee said. “It’s self-paced learning which gives us both time to slow down and focus in on the lessons being learned.”

Virtual school is a great fit for a variety of students and each student is unique. Those who attend Missouri Connections Academy come from different backgrounds and choose full-time online school for various reasons. Some students prefer to take ownership of their education and benefit from the flexibility that virtual school offers, while others are looking for a safe learning environment.

For families interested in learning more about virtual education and Missouri Connections Academy, they can visit www.MissouriConnectionsAcademy.com or call 1-(800) 382-6010.