The Lucerne Valley Virtual Academy held its 2021-22 Year End Awards Banquet on Wednesday, May 18th in the Sgt. Brian L. Walker Memorial Gymnasium at Lucerne Valley Middle High School. A number of awards were handed out to Elementary and Middle and High School students by Academy teachers Mrs. Eller, Mrs. Lazenby and Miss Evans.
Student Annabell Housler welcomed the attendees and Gunnar Parker led the Pledge of Allegiance. Mrs. Eller introduced the program, which provides Lucerne Valley students and parents with an option to traditional school. The program, which was started during the pandemic, is still going strong as families continue to support the option for students who want to work faster, or need extra assistance, or ones with health issues or those who serve as caregivers for family members.
“Some students work themselves and others are taking college courses concurrently,” Mrs. Eller said. “For these and many other situations we are proud to offer an education platform that fits those needs.”
The instructors and students work in small groups and one-on-one to tutor students on Zoom and in person. Students also have participated ion many in-person activity days such as STEM challenges, holiday projects, science experiments, Game Day and Reader’s Café. “They competed in engineering challenges with their pinewood derby cars, and engineered safe packaging for raw eggs in the Egg Drop Challenge,” according to Mrs. Eller.
Students have started vegetable garden seedlings, planted potatoes, created Chia Pets, and learned about the importance of bees with community member Sue Nolan. Josh Brander, an aeronautical engineers and LVUSD alumni, instructed students using model planes to learn about engineering by conducting test flights, re-engineering their planes and testing again. The culmination was a field trip to the Palm Springs Air Museum through a grant from the Mitsubishi Cement Corporation Education Foundation.
Mrs. Eller also thanked parent volunteers including Sara Courtney, Malia Davis and Ammy Housler, also resident parent photographer Valerie Enright and district social media consultant/photographer Peter Day. She also thanked Mrs. Evans and her restaurant occupation class for preparing and serving the banquet meal and Superintendent Peter Livingston and the Board of Trustees for supporting the Virtual Academy Program and helping it grow. Mrs. Eller also thanked her fellow teachers Mrs. Lazenby and Miss Evans who joined the team in February.
THE AWARD WINNERS:
Elementary
Working ahead: Annabelle Housler, Allan Housler, Jaxon Avila-Barajas and Colton Reichow (excellent writing award)
Working ahead and completed one or more courses before May 1st: Dexter Enright, Celeste Moore, Serenity Moore-Madison Terrill and Jennaeve Terrill
Completed one or more courses in just 16 weeks: Hunter Critchlow and Yolotli Arias
Working in next year’s course work since April: Jayden Garcia and Belen Macias Carmona
Working ahead and completed one or more courses before May 1st: Dexter Enright, Celeste Moore, Serenity Moore-Madison Terrill and Jennaeve Terrill
Completed one or more courses in just 16 weeks: Hunter Critchlow and Yolotli Arias
Working in next year’s course work since April: Jayden Garcia and Belen Macias Carmona
High School
Coming on strong — and finishing early: Sayge McFarland and Derrick Tyler
Straight A students
Hunter Critchlow, Violett Dakin, Elijah Davis, Jayden Garcia, Hana Harris, Belen Macias Carmona, and Serenity Moore.
Pegasus Award
The Pegasus award is given each Trimester for elementary students or each Quarter for middle/high school students who demonstrate excellence in their school work. The following students have earned the Pegasus Award for 4th quarter or 3rd trimester. Students: Yolo Arias, Hunter Critchlow, Violett Dakin, Elijah Davis, Jayden Garcia, Allan Housler, William Kramar, Belen Macias Carmona, Celeste and Serenity Moore, Izaac Mrillo, Jase Nichols, Madison Terrill, Jaxon Avila-Barajas, Annabell Housler, Colton Reichow, Jennaeve Terrill. High school: Aliana Arias, Elizabeth Davis, and Diana Evans.
12-Silver Pegasus: Hunter Critchlow, Jayden Garcia, William Kramar, Belen Macias Carmona, Celeste Moore, Serenity Moore, Izaac Murillo, Annabell Housler, Colton Reichow. High school students: Aliana Arias, Elizabeth Davis, and Diana Evans.
7-Golden Pegasus: Madison Terrill, Jennaeve Terrill, Violett Dakin, Elijah Davis, Allan Housler, and Jase Nichols. High School: Gunnar Parker
