ABOUT OUR SCHOOL
Letter from Our Head of School
Dear Parents and Students,
Welcome to a new year at Wyoming Virtual Academy (WYVA). For those of you who are new to our school, WYVA is a statewide virtual education program hosted by Niobrara County School District #1. Our main office is located in Lusk, Wyoming, and our students who are supported by state-licensed teachers and administrators are located across the state in basically every county.
WYVA is the product of a partnership between three entities—the Wyoming Department of Education (which provides oversight and funding), Niobrara County School District #1 (which provides oversight, licensed teachers, and other educational services), and the national corporation Stride K12 (which provides administrative oversight, curriculum, computer hardware, and other technical and educational support services).
WYVA provides a fully accredited, state-funded, and state-approved educational program for all Wyoming students in grades K–12. Successful completion of our high school program leads to a full high school diploma issued by Niobrara County School District and Wyoming Virtual Academy, which is recognized by post-secondary colleges, universities, trade schools, and other programs. Each year, WYVA graduates apply for and obtain college scholarships and entrance into a number of post-secondary programs. We offer high school AP® classes, concurrent enrollment, and other opportunities for advanced learning. You will find our state-licensed teachers are exceptional instructors, our curriculum in the online setting is excellent, and that we offer every opportunity to gain a strong education, all while working from home. All WYVA students follow curriculum guided by state standards and participate in all state required testing (such as WY-TOPP).
I will be serving as your head of school this year (overseeing all WYVA operations and all grades) and as the K–8 principal supporting the elementary and middle school grades. Caroline Hickerson will be our high school principal supporting grades 9–12. We also have three lead teachers who provide family support in each school: Lisa Williams supports elementary school, grades K–6; Dr. Rachel Kerr supports middle school, grades 7–8; Kim Dillon supports high school, grades 9–12. Our main office in Lusk is supervised by our longtime operations manager, Kristen Stauffer. Robyn Heth is our special education director providing support to students requiring special services. Jennifer Copeland serves as our testing coordinator. Christina Jewett is our FAST coordinator providing support to struggling students. Please reach out to any of us or your homeroom teachers with any questions or concerns as the year progresses.
Welcome to WYVA and a great new year of learning!
Best regards,
Dr. Joe Heywood
Dr. Joe Heywood
Head of School
