Getting Started at EVA - Evergreen Virtual Academy

Getting Started at EVA

Most of your materials will be mailed to you and should arrive in late summer. These materials include, but are not limited to:

  • Laptop with instructions for set-up
  • Books, and lab materials.

Once you receive your computer, please follow the set-up instructions. Tech Support is available if you have any questions.

School Supply List

There are only a few supplies you may need to get as we will supply most of what the students will need each semester/year.You will need:

  • Writing utensils (pencils and/or pens)
  • Coloring utensils such as crayons, colored pencils, or markers
  • Notebooks or notebook paper

Other recommendations (optional):

  • Extra ink and paper for printer (using printer is optional so we will not replenish ink and paper)
  • Highlighter (secondary students)
  • Notecards (secondary students)
  • Extra handwriting paper (we send a handwriting book for younger students, but once it is filled up, you may want more)

Most materials needed for assignments, experiments, etc. are provided, however they will not send more common household items such as ziplock bags, salt, 2-liter bottles, etc. Please see the materials list for each assignment ahead of time to ensure you have what is needed. If you find that you are unable to provide items your student needs, please reach out to our resource coordinator.

Once school begins, there will be live Class Connects (CC) to attend each school day. These CCs are usually scheduled between 8am and 3pm and with time for coursework between them. These are required classes and student must attend as scheduled. Attendance provides live instruction, help from the instructor, social interaction, and meets the state’s attendance requirements. Work outside of CCs may be completed at any time and allows for a flexible schedule.

How Attendance Works »

Time Zone

Setting your time zone correctly is extremely important.

On Your computer:

  1. Check your time and date on the bottom right side of your screen
  2. In the bottom left search bar type “change the time zone”
  3. Make sure your time zone is set to Pacific Standard Time

Text Message Opt-In

All families must opt-in to receive important updates from staff via text messaging. Opting-in is easy, just complete this short online form.

Platform Transition Extravaganza Checklist

You should have received an email from Spitzer Tech giving you instructions on how to log into Office365 with your new evergreenvirtual.org email.

Here are the basic steps:

  1. Log out of your current oregonva.org account
  2. Go to http://office.evergreenvirtual.org or https://portal.office.com/
  3. Sign back in using your new login information
    1. username is your new email (first initial, last name, last 4 digits of your NEW school ID number, @evergreenvirtual.org EXAMPLE: Name. Charlie Brown; ID number: 12345 – email would be CBrown2345@evergreenvirtual.org)
    2. password is your birthdate in this format: 3 letter month, 2 digit day, 4 digit year EXAMPLE: birthdate is January 1, 2008 – password would be Jan012008

You will receive an email from Canvas in your NEW email account with instructions on how to log into your StrongMind account. Here are the basic steps:

  1. Access the welcome email and select “Create Password”screenshot of StrongMind account setup webpage
  2. Create a unique password. You may also update your username if desired.
    screenshot of StrongMind password setup webpage
  3. Select “Save Password.” You will then be redirected to the logout screen.
  4. Navigate to https://smor.instructure.com
  5. Use your newly created username and password to log into Canvas.

Log into your StrongMind account and go to “Dashboard” or “Courses” and click on the Onboarding Course. You will have modules in that course that you can go through to help guide you through the onboarding week.

During this Transition Extravaganza week, you will have orientation sessions each day. You will also see other sessions as well. All of these sessions are required each day. Please click on your grade band to see your schedule.

Elementary (Kindergarten-5th Grade)
Middle School (6th-8th Grade)
High School (9th-12th Grade)

You can find your orientations and other sessions here in the “To Do” section of your dashboard:

screenshot of StrongMind dashboard showing to-dos

Or here in your calendar:

screenshot of StrongMind calendar view

Once you click on the session in the calendar you will need to click on the conference link.

Close up screenshot of conferencing link within StrongMind calendar event

You will get more training on Big Blue Button during orientation, but please see the images below for a few tips you will need to know when joining the sessions.

Once you click on the session from your calendar or To Do list, you will need to select your audio setting. Please click on the microphone.

screenshot of Big Blue Button audio settings

You will then be asked to do an audio check. If you can hear yourself echo back when you speak, click the green thumbs up button. If not, click the red thumbs down button.

screenshot of Big Blue Button audio check

More instructions on Big Blue Button will be shared during your Day 1 Orientation. We look forward to seeing you there! Please reach out to your advisor if you have any questions or need any assistance.

New Student Onboarding Checklist

Welcome to EVA We are excited that you have chosen us. This checklist is your guide on what you need to complete your first week of school. It is important that you complete everything on this list by the end of your first week (onboarding week) so that you can have the strongest start possible to guarantee a successful school year. Some of these steps you can even complete before your start date. In fact, you will want to complete step 1 right a way so you can be sure to attend your first orientation on Wednesday. Let’s get started!

New Student Onboarding

When you are approved for enrollment you should have been emailed a registration ID to set up your learning coach account. When that is complete, you will be prompted to set up your student account.

Log in to online school »

*If you have been with us before, or you did not receive the email with the registration ID, please contact our enrollment office at 541.751.3003.

You should have received an email from Spitzer Tech giving you instructions on how to log into Office365 with your new evergreenvirtual.org email.

Be sure to check your email multiple times each day when you log into your Online School. This is one of the primary ways your teacher and other staff members will be communicating with you. Learning Coaches will be receiving a copy of every email sent from or received by their student in their personal email they provided as their Learning Coach email.

Setting up Office 365

In order to send and receive email as a student, you will need to have Office 365 downloaded on your computer. If you need help setting up Office 365, please reference this tutorial, or contact Tech Support.

All students at Evergreen Virtual Academy will be assigned an Advisor. They will be contacting you soon if they have not already. It is very important that they speak with both the Learning Coach and Student. Please return their phone call if they leave a message. Communication with your advisor must be voice to voice or via text and not email for this initial call.

During your onboarding week, you will have required orientation sessions in the online school each day. You will also see online class links for work sessions or Open Office Hours. You will not see your full schedule of live classes and your courses until after the onboarding week is over.

Orientation Schedules

Day 1

Elementary Students Day 1 orientation Wednesday @9am

Middle and High School Students Day 1 orientation Wednesday @10:30am

Day 2

Elementary Students Day 2 orientation Thursday @9am

Middle and High School Students Day 2 orientation Thursday @10:30am

Day 3

Elementary Students Day 3 orientation Friday @9am

Middle and High School Students Day 3 orientation Friday @10:30am

Required Orientation Sessions

Live orientation sessions are required for attendance. If a student is unable to attend a session, they must watch the recording and email the Community Engagement Specialist a summary of the orientation.

Your student will have baseline assessments online for Reading and Math which they need to complete their first week of school. They will take these assessments again two more times during the school year.

All students must take the test with no help given by the Learning Coach or others. It is important for the teachers to see what the student knows and doesn’t know so they can best support them.

MAPS Resources:

K-5 graders complete the 3 lessons in the course called Introduction to Online Learning (IOL) in the online school under the courses tab. Learning Coaches, be sure to mark those lessons complete and enter in the time spent on those lessons for attendance.

Middle and High School students will be required to attend a work session where their advisor will explain this process in detail. This guide is here for your review to reference as needed. If after the work session and reviewing this guide, you are still not sure how to submit assignments, please reach out to your advisor and they will be happy to work with you on this until you are comfortable with the process.

  • Find a place with good internet connectivity
  • Find a place with limited distractions
  • Is there enough space for your computer and a notebook/textbook?
  • Consider printing and posting your weekly schedule where you can easily see it (Elementary schedules can be found in LC account)
  • Make it your own! If it won’t be a distraction, add pictures, items, etc. that will make the space feel inviting.

Tips for setting up an Elementary student’s workspace »

Video Tutorials

If you feel lost, have questions, or need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out! We will have help sessions just for Learning Coaches during the onboarding week and throughout the school year. You can also reach out to your student’s advisor, teacher, or Student Engagement Coordinator for one on one support. We also have a Learning Coach Academy where you will have the opportunity to get more in-depth training as well as useful tips and tricks.

Resources for Families & Learning Coaches »

Tips from EVA Families