GIRARDVILLE, SCHUYLKILL COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Some kids in our area aren’t doing much to get ready for their first day of school. Students who go to cyber school don’t need to pack their backpacks, or catch the bus in the morning.
It’s the first day of ninth grade for Jacob Sachleben of Girardville. But he doesn’t have to leave the house. He attends Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School — online.
The school sends students the curriculum, books, a laptop, and a printer with ink.
“Just open the boxes and put it on his desk and he’s ready for school!”
His mom says, when Jacob was younger, he was a gifted student — and she felt he wasn’t being challenged enough in a traditional school setting. So she signed him up for cyber school.
“Well, its a very fun program, it looks challenging at first, but once you get into it you’ll fly through it,” said Jacob.
Traditional schools have a start and an end time. But with cyber school the student makes the schedule and is able to go at their own pace.
“It’s definitely nice to have your own schedule. You don’t have to wake up super early on a day,” said Jacob.
That’s one of the perks — Jacob tells me he woke up at eight this morning — but once he gets settled into the new school year he’ll start getting up around nine.
This semester his classes focus on math, language arts, and music. He says most of the work is done offline, but is then scanned in.
Because he’s working from home, he’s able to get most of his “homework” done during his school day.
That allows him more time for his activities — which include boy scouts, theatre and church groups.
The charter school also hosts outtings for the students.
“We have traveled all over the state for outings,” said his mom, Brenda.
This cyber school is a public school option, without tuition.
