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ANNUAL REPORTOHIO ’S P RE MIE R E - S C HOOL2016-2017 Parent Informational Booklet 2015-2016 Annual ReportIt’s all aboutptions.QDA is able tocreatepersonalizedaLEARNING PATHofthethat fits the needsindividual.

QDA Chief OfficersRichard Varrati, Ed.D. – CEOJulie Erwin – TreasurerSteve Eckert – PrincipalBoard of Directors QDAPerry Hershberger - PresidentAgnes SwigartGreg GoodieCharles Gil SnyderHugh BerrySponsorshipThe Quaker Digital Academy isa public digital school sponsoredby the New Philadelphia CitySchool District.Academic & GoalsThe State of Ohio ModelCourses of Study are the basisfor QDA curriculum K-12. TheAcademy implements theseresources as well as a variety ofexceptional curricular options.Our teaching staff is comprisedof caring, highly qualified andlicensed teachers, counselors,and administrators.QDA is a non-profit, publiconline school in the State ofOhio for students in gradesK-12. Any student residing inOhio may enroll in QDA withoffices conveniently located inNew Philadelphia, Berlin, EastLiverpool, and Steubenville.Contact us today to learn howcyber education can meet yourchild’s needs.QDA is state funded.There is no cost to thestudent. A computer isprovided and up to 40a month for internet access.Home schooling parentswill save money by sendingtheir children to QDA.2tech updateThe QDA Technology Department is committed to continuousnetwork infrastructure upgrades to improve efficiency,reliability and performance. Here are a few projects we havebeen working on:In the CloudWe have moved the QDA homepage, learning management system, and various web servicesfrom an internal server to a virtual environment hosted on the Google Cloud. Over the years weexperienced the occasional Internet or power outage that would take our systems offline. Withcloud based hosting we have 10x more network bandwidth, failover redundancy, and the abilityto scale our system to meet user demands. For example, the chart below shows our LearningManagement System (lms.go2qda.org) activity from August 7th – August 20th in orange and theactivity from August 21st – September 2nd in blue.On QDA’s first day of school (August 24th) we saw a 260% increase in user traffic. We preparedfor this by switching the hardware from “off peak” mode to “high traffic” mode thus ensuringour students didn’t run into any issues on the first day of school.Phone System ExpansionThe final phase of our network and phone system expansion is expected to be completed inthe fall of 2016. The Berlin office will now be tied into our main phone system so students andfamilies can reach any staff member at any office through the New Philadelphia office.Student LaptopsWe have continued to replace hard drives with solid state drives to make our student laptopsquicker and more reliable.Ohio 22 Adult High School Diploma ProgramTwenty-two Ohio adults have received their high schooldiploma through QDA since September 2015. The Ohio 22 Adult High School Diploma Program has been a great successat QDA during the past school year, with even greater outreachfor 2016-17. Ohio adults over the age of twenty-two mayearn their high school diploma through QDA’s online learningenvironment.The QDA On-Line Adult 22 High School DiplomaProgram is a two-year program and is in year two of legislativefunding.  Only students who are able to complete all of theirgraduation requirements by June 30, 2017, will be enrolled inthe program for the 2017 fiscal year. Through a review of yourtranscript and discussion with a counselor, QDA will help you tomake an informed decision regarding the best possible pathwayfor you. Some of the available options to you are: mezeimJydnaRduatearGADRecent QMrs. Georgia ZionRecent QDA Graduatea high school diploma through QDAa career pathway through an Adult Diploma Programa GEDa referral to a local ABLE Program in your area.Each adult 22 student will work on his/her own personalizedlearning plan and complete independent work in order to earncredits for graduation. Students will complete their academiclessons on-line. The academic program is competency basedand is dependent on the mastery of state standards.For more information contact the QDA Officeat 1-866-968-7032 – Jill Westbrook.

A Message fromSuperintendent Richard VarratiSUPERINTENDENT AND CEO FOR QDAWhy Quaker Digital Academy?The principles of the school, as instituted by its CEO, Dr.Richard Varrati, suggest that a student’s school should be“made of choices, not bricks.” To this end, QDA constantlyseeks to provide new opportunities to those enrolled,providing individual attention that may not always beavailable in the shuffle of a classroom. Whereas a studentat a brick and mortar school has a group of classmateswith which to vie for attention, each individual enrolled inQDA is assigned an Instructional Supervisor (otherwisereferred to as an “IS”) that serves as a main point of contactfor the student and their family. The IS handles all school related issues for thestudents, and keeps in regular contact to ensure success in their studies.Furthermore, each student’s education is tailor-made for the individual. QDA isfully aware that what helps one student learn may not work for the next student.That is why at QDA we have invested in expanding our curriculum so that manyoptions are available. By offering a selection of cutting edge, state-approvedcurriculum, QDA is able to create a personalized learning path that fits the needsof the individual.With the ever-rising number of students turning to cyber education, QDA has morethan proven it is ready to meet the challenges of the shifting landscape and theneeds of those enrolled. QDA’s growth mirrors that of the changing world, andreflects the need for students to be able to choose their own education and findtheir own way to successRecentGradsMaxwell MeadInstructional Supervisors Bob Zontiniand LuAnn Kennedy, Brooke Penrod(graduate), Instructional SupervisorsNikki Gautier and Linda Ball, andDr. Richard Varrati, SuperintendentContact us today to learn more!Toll Free: 1-866-968-7032or information@go2qda.orgDr. Richard Varrati, CEO and Superintendent at QDAhas worked for 35 years in the field of educationParent Workshops Held at QDAInstructional Supervisor Tony Casiniwith recent graduate Brittany BuzzeoQDA will be offering four phonics workshops to teach parents how to teach phonicsat home. The first workshop was offered in November. Participants learned howto teach phonics with a multisensory approach. The workshop will focus on thefollowing areas: Phonemic Awareness SkillsSound-Symbol DrillShort VowelsDictation words/sentencesSight WordsParticipants will receive materials to utilize at home.Zachary Caddy3

Educational Field TripsScheduled for 2016-17Secrest ArboretumSept. 14 11:00 am-12:30 pmOhio CavernsSept. 21 12:00-2:00 pmZoar VillageSept. 23 9:00 am-3:00 pmRaptor EncounterSept. 27 12:30 pm-2:30 pmPerforming Arts Centerat Kent State TuscarawasNewark Earthworksand Flint RidgeSept. 28 10:30 am-2:30 pmAshtabula’s Maritime Museumand the Hubbard HouseUnderground Railroad MuseumOct. 5 11:00 am-3:00 pmMagical TheatreCompanyOct. 11 12:30pm-2:30 pmPerforming Arts Centerat Kent State TuscarawasRamseyer FarmsOct. 12 10:00 am-2:00 pmJigsaw Jones and theCase of the Class ClownNov. 16 12:30 pm-2:30 pmPerforming Arts Centerat Kent State TuscarawasEverybody’s Hero:The Jackie Robinson StoryFeb. 8 12:30 pm-2:30 pmPerforming Arts Centerat Kent State TuscarawasRainbow FishMarch 1 12:30 pm-2:30 pmPerforming Arts Centerat Kent State TuscarawasOhio River Museums and theValley Gem SternwheelerMay 10 10:30 am-2:30 pmToledo Zoo and AquariumMay 17 11:00 am-3:00 pm4Title One HighlightsQDA offers Title I Programmingfor our StudentsA Year in Review.Title I programming provides a variety of opportunities for our students to experiencecultural and educational activities.During September 2015, QDA students and families visited The Great Serpent Moundin Peebles, Ohio. Serpent Mound’s educational tour consisted of three educational features:The first was an educational tour of the mound. The second was Native American games,which included atlatl throwing, corn toss, double bag, and the chunky stick game. The thirdwas the study of reptiles, where guides explained the importance of the reptile to nativeculture.In the month of October, QDA students and families visited the Get Lost at MazeCraze in New Springfield, Ohio. Students participated in over 20 amazing acres of corntransformed into a life-size maze, with 7.8 miles of trails that twist and turn and sometimescame to a dead end! Students and families also visited The Historic Schoenbrunn Villageand enjoyed a live drama of Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow reenactedby the glow of a bonfire.Last November, QDA participated in the Reading Festival sponsored by the EducationalService Center. Instructional Supervisor and Title One Coordinator, Darla Kish, along withInstructional Supervisors Linda Ball and Nikki Gautier, planned literacy activities around thetheme, The Oregon Trail. A QDA Book Fair was held which allowed students the opportunityto purchase books for their personal collections. TheNationalHonorSociety and National Junior Honor Society membersassisted as student workers at the event. Many studentsfrom surrounding counties participated.QDA students and families attended the Class ActsSeries held at the Tuscarawas Performing Arts Center. Thisseries is a collection of performances designed for andoffered exclusively to local schools. These performancesare scheduled during the school day and last between40 and 50 minutes each. The performances included:The Cashore Marionettes, Kamikaze Fireflies, AChristmas Story for Caroline, Walk on: The Story ofRosa Parks, and Dr. Insecta.The 2015-2016 school year field trip tour endedwith a visit to Stan Hywet Hall in Akron.

National Honor Society andJunior National Honor SocietyQDA Eighth GradersGo to Washington D.C.Every year schools in our area take eighthgraders to Washington D.C. May 18-20three QDA students and their chaperoneLinda Ball made this trip with Weltyeighth graders. These were three dayspacked with a tour of the Capital Dome,visits to Arlington National Cemetery,George Washington’s home at MountVernon, and the Smithsonian Museums.The trip also included stops at the manymonuments and memorials that representgreat US historical figures and events.Trip highlights included the changing ofthe Guard at the Tomb of the UnknownSoldier, the Twilight Tattoo at Fort Myer, the911 Memorial at the Pentagon and a viewof the White House. Students also hadchances to do some souvenir shopping atthe museums and souvenirs shops. Thistrip brings a new perspective to the historyof our nation to our students.(Pictured Above) NationalHonor and National JuniorHonor Societies Volunteeredat the registration table for theTuscarawas County Patriot Rally.Our NHS and NJHSmembers come fromall over the state ofOhio. This year, NHSand NJHS familiescame from citiesas far as Dayton,Toledo, and Oberlinto be at the NHS/NJHS Induction Ceremony. The ceremony givesQDA Board Members, Administration, andInstructional Supervisors an opportunity to showappreciation for the hard work our students andfamilies devote to their digital education.5