🧪🎈🎃⚡️🦉 BCS Virtual Academy (BCSVA) offers lots of great opportunities for kids to meet and learn in person.
On Thursday, K-6 students met at Roy Pope Memorial Park for an afternoon of hands-on experiments and fun. Science in the Park is part of a new monthly science initiative aimed at giving virtual learners opportunities to connect in person while exploring STEM activities. Excited kids launched Alka-Seltzer rockets; built simple circuits with voltmeters, cucumbers, and potatoes; created “puffer fish” with vinegar and baking soda balloons, and more.
"We made electricity, and then we did pumpkin stuff,” said Raven, one of the elementary-aged students. “And we made rockets. My rockets were higher than the playground!"
The activities balance scientific inquiry with socialization, which is especially important for virtual learners, said K-2 teacher Julia Doran.
"We’re really trying to put science experiences as a priority to our school,” she said. “Being that we’re virtual, we’re trying to make as many in-person activities or events to bring the students together and have that time to work and meet each other and learn."
The Virtual Academy has several upcoming in-person clubs and events, including a baking club, college fair, a mushroom observer project, a forensic science club, and many class meetups.
BCSVA is a versatile educational program designed to respond to the needs of students and families who are looking for opportunities beyond traditional school schedules. Full-time enrollment in the BCSVA is free for families residing in Buncombe County. Visit BCSVA’s FAQ to find answers to some of the most common questions about Virtual Academy.