Welcome to VLACS!

We are very pleased that you have chosen to enroll in this course.  Below you will find information about our course policies and accessing your course.  Your instructor will be able answer any questions that you may have about this information. 

Virtual Learning Academy Policies:

• A 1.0 credit course is normally completed in 36 weeks; an 0.5 credit course in 18 weeks. You may work faster, but must maintain the minimum pace.  The first 28 days that you are in a VLACS course is the "grace period". You may contact your instructor to drop the course with "no grade" during that period.
• At the end of the "grace period", your instructor may remove you from the class automatically if you have not completed the required lessons for the first four weeks.
• Withdrawing after the 28-day grace period will result in a withdrawal /failing (W/F) on your transcript. You are expected to stay on pace or you may be dropped from the course if you are not submitting the minimum 3 assignments each week.
• Progress Reports will be issued monthly.  Instructors will also make a monthly phone call to you and your parents to discuss your progress in your course(s). 
• Academic integrity is very important to VLACS, therefore students agree to submit authentic work, not copied from another student or from another source without citing that source. You will be asked to review and agree to four policies which describe your rights and responsibilities as a VLACS student.  If you need to see any of these policies again let me know, otherwise I will assume you have seen and subscribed to all of them.
• It is the policy of the Virtual Learning Academy Charter School (VLACS) that its students have an educational experience that is safe, secure, peaceful, and free from student harassment, also known as bullying or cyber bullying. VLACS will not tolerate unlawful harassment of any type and conduct that constitutes bullying or cyber bullying as defined herein even if it occurs outside of students’ academic interaction with VLACS is prohibited.  To read the complete policy click here.

Course Competencies:

• Students who are activated in a high school course on or after March 14, 2011 will be required to master course competencies in order to earn credit from VLACS.  This will not affect students who have been activated in a high school course before March 14, 2011.    If you are interested in learning more about course competencies please click on this link. 

Course Policies:

• Whenever you send an e-mail, please include a specific topic within the subject line and be sure to sign your name. You will receive a response within 24-48 hours.
• You are strongly encouraged to do all your assessments in the order they are presented to you; completing them out of order will make your course more difficult and may give you a false impression of your overall progress in completing your course. Assessments that are not completed will negatively affect your final course grade.
• You will need to develop a pace chart for your course. This will be discussed further during our Welcome Call.
• Parents play an important part in the VLACS online community. We rely on parents to check the pace chart regularly to see that their student is on pace
• When you submit assignments, they will be graded and returned to you within your course. If you wish to resubmit an assignment (not an exam/test - see below) to improve your grade, you may do so and it will be re-evaluated for a final grade. A third submission for assignments is not allowed.
• Mid-term and final exams allow only one submission and are to be taken without a dictionary or notes. Be sure you are ready to complete and submit the exam when you access it to avoid exceeding the 6-hour time limit and being locked out. Please be aware that the mid-term and final exams are password protected and must be administered by an approved proctor.

Preparing for the Welcome Call:

• If you are instructed to schedule a time for the welcome call via Tungle, you can find help on using Tungle here (please note that the student will need to login to view this page).
• Please have the following website open during the welcome call (you will need your VLACS u/n and p/w to access this):  http://courseinfo.vlacs.org

This is our course information area and your instructor will review many of the items found here.  Feel free to "look around" before the welcome call. 

To Log In:

• After the Welcome Call, I will activate your course and you can log in and begin to work.
• All students should access courses through the student login button on our website. Go to the VLACS website at http://vlacs.org and click your the “Student Login” button to navigate to Virtual School Administrator (VSA). (If you have forgotten your password, click on "Forgot your username or password?" and VSA will e-mail you a new password.)
• You will be asked to review your registration information the first time you log in. Once you have completed the registration review you will be presented with a link to your course. You will be automatically taken to your course. This page also shows messages in the system for you to read.

Blackboard IM and 

  One of the primary methods VLACS uses for parent/student/instructor communication is "Blackboard IM". Blackboard IM is an instant communication program designed for online schools. Blackboard IM includes unique features that benefit students including audio and video conferencing, instant messaging, computer application sharing, whiteboard, and a queued chat for office hours and access to our academic and technical helpdesk. It’s very important that all students install Blackboard IM and have access to a headset (combination headphones and microphone).     

Once activated, students must go to courses.vlacs.org, click on the Blackboard IM "promo" viewable on the right hand side of the page and begin the download and instrallation

For help information related to Wimba/Blackboard IM click here (please use your VLACS u/n and p/w for access): https://courses.vlacs.org/mod/wiki/view.php?id=131332&page=view/Wimba%2FBlackboard IM

Headphone/Microphone Requirement

Many students own headsets that are used with MP3 players or gaming systems.  In most cases, these headsets are also compatible with desktop and laptop computers.  If you don't own one you can purchase a basic headset for as little at $8 at discount department stores.  Be sure to purchase a headset that is compatible with your computer.

Click on the links below to see sampling of available headsets.

Walmart: http://goo.gl/4Qx4o

Walmart: http://goo.gl/AhBAW

Amazon: http://goo.gl/cXhoV

Amazon: http://goo.gl/3qXVH

Please know that we can assist families who cannot afford to purchase a headset.  If you would like us to send you a headset please include the following text and information in an email addressed to our guidance department at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The request must come from a parent or guardian.

Dear VLACS Guidance Department: 
We are not able to purchase a headset at this time.  I understand that the headset which I will receive from VLACS will become my property and that VLACS will not be responsible for repairing or replacing the headset and/or computer to which it is attached.

Parent/Guardian name:
Student name:
Course(s):
Mailing address:

Once we receive your request we will send a headset to you as soon as possible.  We ask that you request only one headset per family.

Once in your course:

• Print out the pace chart located in the Course Info Area.  Keep a copy of this readily accessible, such as in a folder on your computer. Read through every link in the Course Information Area. You will learn about how to submit assignments, how to avoid a no contact letter, tech requirements, etc.  (Please be aware that your instructor may ask you to send him/her a copy of this pace chart.)
• Check Announcements and your e-mail before you begin working each day. Each module is sort of a chapter of a book. Each lasts one month and is 10% of the course grade. On each module tab you will see a button that points down. Click on the down button to show each section of the module. When you finish the module test you may move to the next module.
• Read through every part of every module. Begin with Module 1 and proceed in order.
• Do NOT begin at Assessments.
• Within each module is the progress chart; print this out before you begin each module to keep track of your progress.
• Look for the assignment by either name or number.
• Click on the assignment you need to do.
• When finished with most assignments - check the "submit all and finish" button at the bottom to submit or the "save without submitting" button (if there is one), if you want to save and come back at a later date. On many assignments you may receive an initial grade of "0" or a much lower score than you anticipate - that is a temporary score - you must wait for your assignment to be fully graded (1/2 is done manually) to get your full score. Please allow up to 72 hours for work to be graded.

Helpful Hints:

• Maintain a regular schedule for working on your course.
• Don't hesitate to work ahead of pace, but it is highly recommended that assignments be done in order.
• Back up and save ALL work submitted for the course. VLACS recommends creating a separate folder for each course on your computer (if possible), or on a USB thumb drive.

Access to Student Information:

• VLACS values parents as partners. From approving course requests to monitoring progress, the Guardian Account allows parents to have a hands-on approach with their student’s academic life.  This account can be accessed at: www.vlacs.org using your Guardian username and password (click on the button labeled "Student Login." Information on how to create your account can be found here: http://vlacs.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=75&Itemid=116

How to Get Help:

• Your instructor will be able to help you with most any issue, however, there may be times when you will need extra assistance.  Below is a list of additional sources of information and/or assistance.

Helpdesk:  VLACS has two types of helpdesk available to students.  Each of our helpdesks are hosted on Blackboard IM, our online chat, voice, and video application. 

• Technology Helpdesk - A technician is availble to help you with any technical issue related to VLACS courses or software.  Sorry, we can't repair your computer for you. Our helpdesks are hosted on Blackboard IM, our online chat, voice, and video application.
• Academic Helpdesk - There are certified instructors avaialble to help with your course related questions when your "regular" instructor is not available.  Our helpdesks are hosted on Blackboard IM, our online chat, voice, and video application.
• Technology helpdesk email:  You can contact our technology department at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 603-778-2500, press 2.
• Guidance:  You can contact our guidance office at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 603-778-2500, press 1.
• General Information:  You can contact our office anytime at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 603-778-2500, press 0.

Enjoy your class!