As some of you may or may not know, Oliver Ames offers Virtual High School classes (VHS) to all of its students. These classes do not seem to be heavily advertised to OA students, meaning it results in few kids who actually end up taking a class. So I am here to inform you and tell you if I think taking a VHS class is worth freeing up a block in your schedule for.
I personally took American Sign Language 1 in my Junior year and I am now taking American Sign Language 2. If ASL is not your thing, fear not, VHS itself offers over 250 courses that you typically would not find at OA. For example, they offer European History for all of the history lovers out there, or maybe Music Theory for someone who is interested in music. If you like to look at the stars check out astronomy. Maybe you want to be a business person, give Business and Personal Law or Business Math a shot. To name a few more: Criminology, Epidemics, History of Photography and Investing in the Stock Market.
Virtual High School is a non-profit organization that works closely with high schools to provide unique classes and a unique learning experience. They offer a range of classes from summer programs to AP classes. It is a completely asynchronous, online way to learn. You get a student log-on and must log on three times a week. You are able to complete the work at your own pace, just as long as you have it turned in on time. The new week begins every Wednesday and you have until Tuesday to finish that weeks work. You can do this outside of school, but OA offers plenty of time to get the work done in school. Your VHS class will have its own block where you go to the guidance conference room to work. For example, my VHS is A block. Because you work in guidance, you will always have support around you to help you out and answer any questions.
The downside to this is it takes up space on your schedule, so you may have to make a tough decision and drop another class you had your eye on. But, you do not have to commit for a full school year, they also offer half year courses! You also have the first two weeks to try it out and if you find it is not for you then you are free to drop it. This program is recommended for kids who are self motivated and have no problems with working independently. Although Mrs. Mancuso is there if you need help, it is mostly up to you. No one will be over your shoulder making sure you are getting the work done and reminding you of certain deadlines. If this sounds freeing to you, go for it! If this sounds like your worst nightmare, maybe stick to in person classes at OA.
But do not just take my word for it, hear it what senior Jordan Kodzis (who is taking a pre-vet class through VHS) has to say. When asked about the workload, Jordan expresses that it has not been “crazy,” and it has been manageable without having a teacher there. She adds that she has already learned so much and she loves it even more because she actually got to choose a field to learn about that she was interested in. Jordan believes that it is “easy to connect with students who are also taking the course”. The most overwhelming part of this class can be trying to figure out the user interface at first. I asked her if she had any problems figuring out how her class worked and she said that at first it was confusing, but “after the initial week it becomes easy to understand”.
If you have a specific field of interest that maybe OA does not offer a class on, I would highly recommend checking out VHS!