Online learning enables local students to thrive

David and Heather Smith, of Imperial, have three children, Sullivan, Abigail, and León. All three children have different needs, different interests, and different learning styles. When the 2020-21 school year was about to begin and exposure to COVID-19 became a serious concern, having a medically fragile child made the Smiths realize they needed to pursue virtual education opportunities for all three children.

They heard from friends and family in other states about the high-quality education that was offered by Connections Academy. When they discovered a school had been opened in Missouri, they decided to seriously consider enrolling.

“Our family has the unique situation of dealing with autism, ADHD, and medical complications,” Heather said. “Each of these issues has been greatly benefited by the tools provided at Missouri Connections Academy and the personal relationship the staff has developed with our family.”

According to David and Heather, with each child having learning differences, being able to study in their own unique way has been greatly beneficial. Their children’s sensory issues are much improved by not having the stress from a full classroom. Being able to study and concentrate with the freedom to use sensory tools in the comfort of their own home has made the children more successful.

“Finding the right school for our children was a great relief. It removed a source of tension and was a great comfort knowing they would be educated by quality instructors in a safe environment,” they said. “Our students are getting more individualized attention from their instructors and have been able to adjust their learning environment to accommodate for their sensory and learning differences in ways that were not able to be accomplished in the traditional classroom setting.”

One of the most effective tools at Missouri Connections Academy for the family is the planner. This provides Sullivan, Abigail, and León the ability to visualize their day, and to look ahead at upcoming projects and tests. With the planner, Heather said her students are learning to manage their time, mitigate unnecessary stress, and study in a more fruitful manner. It also allows the family to adjust their schedule for medical appointments or other activities that would be difficult to work around in a typical school setting.

“We love camping and taking vacations as a family. We are also involved in our local church and youth group,” Heather said. “If we have activities, functions, or vacation schedules that are in conflict with school schedules, it is very easy to either look ahead at the planner and work ahead, or to work with staff to re-run the scheduler to adjust lessons around the time away.”

León, who is in the fifth grade, loves Math. He is extremely detail oriented and this plays to his strengths. At Missouri Connections Academy he enjoys researching and preparing portfolios that are based on his interests. He was able to write a paper about the history of Lego, and another about beagles. He also enjoys participating in the club pop-up events like the most recent Lego event.

“I love Connections Academy because they make it easy to learn and easy to follow,” León said.

Abigail, a seventh grader, enjoys Science, Math, and Physical Education. According to her parents, Abigail is very social and loves the LiveLesson online classroom sessions and all the opportunities to build friendships with other students and relationships with her teachers.

“I love Missouri Connections Academy because it is a great place to make relationships with friends and teachers from all around the country. It is also a fun and safe way to learn,” Abigail said.

The oldest child, Sullivan, is a freshman and a history fanatic. He enjoys taking both Honors U.S. History and Art and World History as an elective. Sullivan’s favorite experience at Missouri Connections Academy has been his History LiveLessons. They recently studied the era of Westward Expansion by using the Oregon Trail game in the virtual classroom portal.

“I love Connections Academy because it offers a safe yet engaging way to further my educational interests,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan plans to pursue a college degree majoring in either education or political science, followed either a by a career in politics or education.

In addition to their academic work, both Abigail and Sullivan are serving as peer mentors this year. They enjoy being student leaders at MOCA and meeting other students.

In addition to a well-rounded curriculum giving their children a rich education, Heather said she appreciates how the teachers at Missouri Connections Academy have always gone above and beyond expectations.

“They always respond quickly to any questions or concerns we may have. They have been very understanding and accommodating when adjustments have been needed, whether it be with schedules, or even allowing alternative topics for papers when our children have expressed an interest,” she said.

To give an example of the relationship her children and their MOCA teachers enjoy, Heather shared how they were recently notified that their LiveLesson schedule was going to be adjusted to allow the teachers to work one-on-one with students who needed additional support. Heather said her children were extremely upset they would not have their regular call times.

“Our daughter loves her teachers and looks forward to their LiveLesson time,” Heather said. “We reassured them it was only for a brief time and that the lessons would begin again soon. Even in this, the teachers reassured our children that they were available for any needs they had.”

For those families joining Connections Academy for the first time, Heather said they will need to practice patience when seeking their local school district’s approval. She also encouraged them to make use of any offered assistance from Connections Academy, both from the local staff and from the admissions team.

“When first starting, it can be overwhelming, but the computer systems and lessons become second nature in very short order,” she said. “Do reach out for help with even the smallest questions. The staff is always gracious and helpful.”

She also encourages parents and students to do the following:

· Use the planner wisely. Make sure to schedule time adjustments as needed, and don’t hesitate to contact the teaching staff if they need assistance with these adjustments.

· Plan to have students attend all LiveLessons. They will thoroughly enjoy the interactions, and they are great reinforcement times of learning to help solidify skills learned through the lessons.

· Arrange your student’s school days and learning environment in a way that gives your student structure. Encourage them to take good notes and participate in all written practices and examples. This will help them focus and get the most from their lessons, both live and computer driven.