Summer School FAQ

High school students with a parent/guardian who resides in Virginia Beach may register. Middle school students are not generally eligible for high school courses and must seek individual approval through school counselors and middle school principals before registering for an online course.

Visit our page “Is Online Learning for Me?” where families will find help to decide if the online learning environment is appropriate for your student.

Each online Summer School course requires approximately 25 hours of work per week. We recommend that no one attempt more than two summer school courses, whether face-to-face, online, or a combination. Even a two-course load makes it difficult for most students to succeed.

The experience of many families is clear; THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA! Students who plan to be away during parts of the online course find it hard to successfully complete it. Even if you plan to continue working in the course while away, unexpected technical problems or time conflicts can make online work impossible. Virginia Beach Digital Campus courses are not built so that the student can "work ahead" before vacations or "catch up" after returning. All our online courses have weekly deadlines. Our teachers are not required to structure individual course calendars to accommodate vacations and extended student commitments.

A refund is available ONLY if you withdraw before the first day of class. Requests for refunds must be made by e-mail. Because teachers must be hired in advance, no refunds will be honored after that date.

If you register for English 11, Geometry, Algebra 1, Algebra 2/Trig, Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, VA/US History, World History I, World History II, or World Geography, you will be expected to attend the SOL Test scheduled during the summer school program. SOL tests are scheduled in a face-to-face setting at the Renaissance Academy. Information about dates, times, and locations for these tests will be provided by your online instructor.

All rising ninth-grade students are eligible to take online HPE I and rising tenth-grade students are eligible to take online HPE II. Students who need to complete one of the courses for credit recovery are also eligible. Certain academy students are ineligible. Please contact your academy before registering for an online summer school course.

During summer school Online Health and PE classes, students will be required to participate in an activity of their choice for a minimum of four hours per week. An adult will sign a log for verification.

During summer school Online Health and PE classes, students will be required to participate in an activity of their choice for a minimum of four hours per week.

Online HPE I classes will require a face-to-face meeting for fitness testing and hands-on CPR training. The Online HPE II course requires a Driver ED final assessment that is proctored and a face-to-face fitness testing meeting. Your student's online HPE teacher will provide potential dates at the opening virtual meeting for the class.

Since this is an online course, students who have reliable access to an adequate computer and a high-speed internet connection should be able to travel while taking the course. However, our experience has shown that online students who plan to be away during parts of the course sometimes have difficulty successfully completing their work by their required due dates. Even if the intent is to continue working in the course while away, unexpected technical issues or changing motivation can affect the likelihood of success. Virginia Beach Digital Campus courses are not structured so that the student can "work ahead" before extended absences or "catch up" after returning. All of our online courses have weekly deadlines and interactions among coursemates. Teachers are not required to structure individual course calendars to accommodate vacations and extended student commitments.

In general, any activity that raises your heart rate is acceptable. You’ll be able to choose your activity as long as you can continue for an hour at a time.

The same grading guidelines will be followed whether the student is taking a Health and PE course online or face-to-face at a school. Completion and demonstration of content attainment of the online health component and successful participation in the individualized physical education portion of the class will each count 50 percent of the overall grade. Students will be responsible for a final assessment.