Maggie (left) with her younger sister (middle) and older brother (right)

6th-grader, Maggie P., has been a PA Distance student since she was in 1st-grade. In fact, her younger sister, Gladys, and older brother, Everett, both attend PA Distance, too. Since enrolling at PA Distance, Maggie has enjoyed meeting new people by getting to know her teachers, school counselors, and classmates. 

“I really like PA Distance because of the flexible schedule, how easy it is to make friends, and the availability of the teachers,” she explained. “They [the teachers] always say, ‘I'm only one Google Chat, call, or even text away’.”

“PA Distance allows me to think through my schoolwork without being stressed,” Maggie added. “I get to spend time with my family and my pets. I can explore the things that interest me the most.”

{% video_player "embed_player" overrideable=False, type='scriptV4', hide_playlist=True, viral_sharing=False, embed_button=False, autoplay=False, hidden_controls=False, loop=False, muted=False, full_width=False, width='1280', height='720', player_id='63503247172', style='' %}

After she completes Middle School at PA Distance, Maggie noted that she wants to apply to the Philadelphia School of Creative and Performing Arts to pursue her love of creative writing. 

“PA Distance really helps me with my goals of becoming a creative writer because I had to write a fictional narrative for ELA (English Language Arts) class,” she said. “I like ELA class because there’s a lot of discussion going on and I really like being in groups of people.”

“My ELA teacher reached out and asked me to enter a short story contest, too. The teachers really reach out to try to help you achieve your dreams and goals,” she explained. 

As a young girl with a variety of aspirations, Maggie also wants to become an entrepreneur and start her own business. 

“I really want to be an entrepreneur and start an entertainment company,” she said. “I also want to be a writer and director.” 

Maggie also takes advantage of the elective course options for students at PA Distance. From world languages to music, art, and computer science, there's something to pique everyone’s interest and future career goals. 

“I’m in the Introduction to Programming class. I’m really interested in computers and programming video games so that will be really helpful in the future,” she added. 

Outside of her daily class schedule, live learning sessions, and asynchronous course work, Maggie is in Spanish Club and ASL (American Sign Language) Club that she attends virtually after-school every week. (learn more about our after-school clubs, here.)

“Right now, we're learning Spanish colors, Spanish numbers, and we're doing extra practice too,” she said. “We're learning about verbs like how to use them and when to use them.”

Maggie also explained that in addition to in-class lessons, homework is also assigned for each of her classes that she actually enjoys.

“The homework is actually really really fun to do,” she said. “And, you have such a flexible schedule that even if you have to miss a class, it's not like you missed a whole day of school. You can watch the live recording and are able to do the homework.”

“My favorite part [about PA Distance] is all the resources that are available. The teachers try to provide a lot [of educational resources] so learning is really fun,” she added. “In 4th grade, they provided something called ‘Legends of Learning’ and it made learning fractions really engaging.” 

She also explained that her parents enjoy the resources that the school offers, too. 

“My parents contact technical support if the printer is being ‘mean’ to us and contact my teachers if they have questions,” she said. “I also really like this school because my mom works the day shift and night shift. So at PA Distance, I get to see her a lot more than at any other school.”

With National School Choice Week coming up, Maggie shared her thoughts on why she and her family's choice to attend PA Distance is important. 

“The education is what you make it here, meaning the more I put in the more I get out,” she said. “This school is preparing me for the future since it's on the computer, and the future is full of technology. I wouldn't have all the wonderful options I have here if I went to a brick-and-mortar school. That's why PA Distance is important to me!” 

“I also love how I can just walk to my desk at home to go to school,” she added. 

_______

About PA Distance Learning Charter School

Since 2004, PA Distance has been providing a welcoming virtual learning environment for students in grades K-12 across Pennsylvania. Students at PA Distance engage in a blended environment that combines “synchronous” and “asynchronous” learning. PA Distance’s mission is to blend proven classroom teaching techniques with educational technologies to promote academic growth for all students.