Boston – May 9, 2019 – Second languages  and strong communication skills are often cited as important 21st century skills. The Virtual High School (VHS Inc.), a non-profit organization empowering schools with the industry’s most extensive variety of online and blended learning programs, is beginning the 2019-2020 school year with two new year-long language courses, American Sign Language 2 and Latin 3. Additionally, in the 2019-2020 school year, students can enroll in a new semester-long course  Cybersecurity, which will launch in spring 2020. The new courses are conducted entirely online. Registration for the 2019-2020 school year opens today, May 9th. Click here to learn more: https://go.thevhs.org/getstarted2019

American Sign Language 2 (ASL) builds upon skills developed in the VHS course American Sign Language 1. It will expand students’ ability to understand and express themselves in American Sign Language and increase their vocabulary and speed. This second-year course introduces higher-level ASL techniques such as classifiers and indexing to help students understand that ASL is a visual language that delivers one’s ideas and thoughts using more than individual signs. Students will use online dictionaries, a web cam and other media tools to support their learning. This course targets Novice-High Level of World Language Standards and Benchmarks and will address the five goal areas targeted in the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages: communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities.

Latin 3 is a pre-AP Latin literature survey course that prepares students to read, comprehend and analyze various authors and genres of Latin literature as well as their historical and political contexts. Students will write essays and conduct class discussions on relevant themes based on Advanced Placement® (AP) rubrics as well as participate in group projects and group wiki translations. They will also hone their skills with oral readings and audio recordings in Latin. The course will include quarterly etymology activities for increasing students’ knowledge of their own language. Latin 3 provides excellent preparation for subsequent completion of the AP Latin literature syllabus, the SAT exam for Latin as well as the National Latin Exam, level III.

In the Cybersecurity course, students will begin by exploring the latest threats that exist in our digital world. They will investigate protective measures across networks, software, and encryption, including fundamental programming concepts for cybersecurity. Students will reflect on what behaviors and actions are consistent with good cyber hygiene.

“Our new ASL course focuses on everyday communication, our new Latin course strengthens second language acquisition skills as well as English language skills, and our upcoming high-demand Cybersecurity course shares information essential for all students in today’s tech-driven world,” said Carol Ribeiro, President & CEO of VHS. “We’re pleased to offer these hard-to-find new courses to give students more academic choices.”

About The Virtual High School (VHS, Inc.)

The Virtual High School (VHS Inc.), based in Massachusetts, is an online learning pioneer. Since 1996, the nonprofit organization has collaborated with schools worldwide and set the standard for quality online education. VHS prepares students for college, careers, and life through supportive, instructor-led online and blended classroom experiences.  The organization offers high school and middle school courses taught in global online classrooms and online professional development for teachers, as well as custom course development and offerings tailored to meet each school’s unique needs. The Virtual High School program is accredited by both Middle States Association Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS), and AdvancED. Courses are approved for initial eligibility by NCAA. For more information, visit www.vhslearning.org or call (978) 897-1900.

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