Ms. Sparks' Lab
Check back here to find out what's happening in Ms. Sparks' Technology Class
Ms. Ratchford's Lab
The Internet opens up the world for our students. This is so clearly seen by spending a day in my room. High School students have the opportunity to take almost any elective they would like by participating in the Florida Virtual School Program. Our eldest learners have already established basic keyboarding, mouse skills, and computer application. Now they have the opportunity to tie it all together and experience classes geared just to them. Some of teens have their eye focused on college and have begun taking Advanced Placement Electives to gain college credit, while other students are taking on the world in a Driver's Education Course or Personal Finance Class.
Virtual Electives
If you have a High Schooler taking a Virtual Elective it is important that they log on and work on virtual work from home as well as from school. Please set up and account to monitor your child's progress and communicate with the online teacher. If your child registered for the Virtual Class and it still hasn't been assigned, please make sure that you received the email to activate your child's account. Until a parent confirmation is received the student cannot be enrolled.
Please take time to watch this video with your child: FLVS Orientation
Important correspondence from your child's online teacher will come by email. Please ask your child to login to their account with you, be sure they listed your email address corectly. Many students also did not know their home address. This is a major safety concern! If you notice the school address is listed as your child's main address please adjust it, then review your home address with your child. Finally, verify your phone number is correct.
The following are functioning as Virtual Lab Facilitators for the 9th-11th grade FLVS electives, please consult your child's schedule for their facilitator:
Ms. Ratchford
Ms. Sparks
You can email the facilitator to discuss your child's attendance and behavior, but they are not able to make changes to your child's course. For lesson questions you must email the Virtual Teacher listed on your child's class.
You may also contact:
Mrs. Porter - Guidance Counselor
Ms. Ratchford - Technology Facilitator
Click to be redirected to Florida Virtual School
Please take time to watch this video with your child: FLVS Orientation
Important correspondence from your child's online teacher will come by email. Please ask your child to login to their account with you, be sure they listed your email address corectly. Many students also did not know their home address. This is a major safety concern! If you notice the school address is listed as your child's main address please adjust it, then review your home address with your child. Finally, verify your phone number is correct.
The following are functioning as Virtual Lab Facilitators for the 9th-11th grade FLVS electives, please consult your child's schedule for their facilitator:
Ms. Ratchford
Ms. Sparks
You can email the facilitator to discuss your child's attendance and behavior, but they are not able to make changes to your child's course. For lesson questions you must email the Virtual Teacher listed on your child's class.
You may also contact:
Mrs. Porter - Guidance Counselor
Ms. Ratchford - Technology Facilitator
Click to be redirected to Florida Virtual School
ACT Prep / PERT
All 11th grade students are required to take an ACT prep class this year. These students are taking this course through Florida Virtual School. Parents, the ACT exam is extremely important to your students success. Please make sure you have created a parent account on FLVS to help monitor your child's progress. Encourage them to work on the Virtual Class a little every day.
All information on Florida Virtual written above applies to this course, except for the facilitators. For ACT Prep / PERT they are:
Mr. Cabell
Ms. Ratchford
Click to be redirected to Florida Virtual School
All information on Florida Virtual written above applies to this course, except for the facilitators. For ACT Prep / PERT they are:
Mr. Cabell
Ms. Ratchford
Click to be redirected to Florida Virtual School
Intensive Math / Algebra I EOC retakes
If your student is taking Intensive Math this year they fall into one of two sections:
Track 1. Students who have already taken Algebra I, took the Alg I EOC (End of Course exam) but did not pass the exam:
These students are taking a class on Somerset Virtual Academy. If your child falls into this group it is imperative that your child work on their course on a regular basis. Please encourage your child to take their time and really review the material. I have sent home a Parent / Student Handbook for SVA, the back page must be signed and returned to me. There is also a student information sheet that must be completed and returned with a parent's signature. Finally parents, please sit down with your child, have them log into their account at Somerset Virtual, click Add Guardian on the left hand side of the screen and complete your contact information.
If you are missing forms you can download them from my homeroom page: Ms. Ratchford's Homeroom
Your child's teacher is Mr. Matthew Bieule.
Mr. Bieule's phone number is 786-348-6839
His office hours are: Tuesday: 3:00 - 4:30 PM; Thursday: 3:00 - 4:30 PM; Sunday: 8:00 - 10:00 AM
You can email him at [email protected]
The classroom facilitator is Mr. Brail. You can contact for Mr. Brail for attendance and behavioral issues, please contact Mr. Bieule for all matters pertaining to the course.
Click to be redirected to Somerset Virtual Academy.
Track 1. Students who have already taken Algebra I, took the Alg I EOC (End of Course exam) but did not pass the exam:
These students are taking a class on Somerset Virtual Academy. If your child falls into this group it is imperative that your child work on their course on a regular basis. Please encourage your child to take their time and really review the material. I have sent home a Parent / Student Handbook for SVA, the back page must be signed and returned to me. There is also a student information sheet that must be completed and returned with a parent's signature. Finally parents, please sit down with your child, have them log into their account at Somerset Virtual, click Add Guardian on the left hand side of the screen and complete your contact information.
If you are missing forms you can download them from my homeroom page: Ms. Ratchford's Homeroom
Your child's teacher is Mr. Matthew Bieule.
Mr. Bieule's phone number is 786-348-6839
His office hours are: Tuesday: 3:00 - 4:30 PM; Thursday: 3:00 - 4:30 PM; Sunday: 8:00 - 10:00 AM
You can email him at [email protected]
The classroom facilitator is Mr. Brail. You can contact for Mr. Brail for attendance and behavioral issues, please contact Mr. Bieule for all matters pertaining to the course.
Click to be redirected to Somerset Virtual Academy.
Track 2. Students who are currently taking Alg I with Ms. St. Clair, have not taken the Alg I EOC yet and will take it in the Spring.
If your child falls into this group they most likely did poorly on the 8th grade math FCAT and we want to give them extra math practice this year. These students will be using a fantastic program called Math IXL. Students who spent the most time practicing on IXL last year showed major gains on their FCAT scores. All our students who earned 5's on the EOC or FCAT where also the students on the IXL leader board!
These students will be required to complete 60 minutes of IXL per period they have Intensive Math. Weeks they have Intensive Math Tuesday/Thursday they need to complete 120 minutes of IXL practice. Weeks they have this class Monday/Wednesday/Friday they must complete 180 minutes of IXL for the week.
Students can and should work on IXL from home. Extra credit will be given for extra time practiced.
IXL is available for ALL of our students, Kindergarten-11th grade. We recommend it for everone.
Click to be redirected to IXL
If your child falls into this group they most likely did poorly on the 8th grade math FCAT and we want to give them extra math practice this year. These students will be using a fantastic program called Math IXL. Students who spent the most time practicing on IXL last year showed major gains on their FCAT scores. All our students who earned 5's on the EOC or FCAT where also the students on the IXL leader board!
These students will be required to complete 60 minutes of IXL per period they have Intensive Math. Weeks they have Intensive Math Tuesday/Thursday they need to complete 120 minutes of IXL practice. Weeks they have this class Monday/Wednesday/Friday they must complete 180 minutes of IXL for the week.
Students can and should work on IXL from home. Extra credit will be given for extra time practiced.
IXL is available for ALL of our students, Kindergarten-11th grade. We recommend it for everone.
Click to be redirected to IXL
Reading Plus?? Wait, Ms. Ratchford, isn't this about math?
Yes it is about Math! Did you know, many students who score poorly on math tests do so because they struggle with word problems? Increasing Reading fluency will help your student read faster and comprehend more. This means less time wasted due to difficulty reading the problem, and on a timed test like the FCAT or EOC less wasted time equals more questions answered.
All Intensive Math students on Track 2 (IXL) are required to do 1 Reading Plus lesson (30 Minutes) per class. Weeks they have Intensive Math Tuesday/Thursday they need to complete 2 lessons for 60 minutes. Weeks they have the class Monday/Wednesday/Friday they
must complete 3 lessons for 90 minutes of Reading Plus. Each lesson must have a grade of 70% of higher to count.
Extra credit will be given for additional Reading Plus lessons at 70% or higher.
Click to be redirected to Reading Plus
Yes it is about Math! Did you know, many students who score poorly on math tests do so because they struggle with word problems? Increasing Reading fluency will help your student read faster and comprehend more. This means less time wasted due to difficulty reading the problem, and on a timed test like the FCAT or EOC less wasted time equals more questions answered.
All Intensive Math students on Track 2 (IXL) are required to do 1 Reading Plus lesson (30 Minutes) per class. Weeks they have Intensive Math Tuesday/Thursday they need to complete 2 lessons for 60 minutes. Weeks they have the class Monday/Wednesday/Friday they
must complete 3 lessons for 90 minutes of Reading Plus. Each lesson must have a grade of 70% of higher to count.
Extra credit will be given for additional Reading Plus lessons at 70% or higher.
Click to be redirected to Reading Plus