PA Virtual: Middle School

Helping Your Child Take the Lead

Middle school is a pivotal time in your child’s education, where they begin developing the independence and confidence needed for high school and beyond. At this stage, success is about more than just grades—it’s about empowering students to take ownership of their learning, explore their interests, and build skills that will guide them through their education, career, and life.

Your child is supported by a dedicated team of educators and staff, including a principal, assistant principals, certified teachers, school counselors, nurses, and family support coordinators. This collaborative team works with your family to create a personalized plan that helps your child grow as an independent learner. With access to specialized teachers and subject experts, students receive the focused guidance they need to thrive academically and socially.

Academic Highlights

Looking for a middle school program in Pennsylvania that truly challenges and supports your child? At PA Virtual Charter School, we offer rigorous coursework for advanced learners while also providing the guidance and resources that students may need for extra support. Our goal is to meet every student where they are, making sure they’re both challenged and supported.

In our online middle school program, students in grades 5–8 learn how to set personal goals, track their own progress, and reflect on both successes and challenges as they progress. With the highly respected Stride K12 curriculum, our certified teachers create engaging, interactive lessons that keep students motivated while also building leadership and critical thinking skills.

Throughout middle school, students explore the following topics that are integrated across subjects:

Business, Computer, and Information Technology — accounting, career management, communication, computer and information technologies, entrepreneurship, finance and economics, global business, management, marketing
English Language Arts —grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension, literary analysis, composition, spelling, writing, punctuation, research skills, literary genres, communication skills, sentence structure, portfolio building, informational and persuasive techniques
Family & Consumer Science —balancing family/work/community responsibility, child development, financial and resource management, food science and nutrition
Math — expanded multiplication/division, fractions, proportions, decimals, ratios, data analysis, multi-step word problems, geometry, 3D figures, graphing equations, statistics, linear models and equations, functions, etc.
Science — geology, oceanography, meteorology, astronomy, atom structure, taxonomy, animal physiology, plate tectonics, solar system, gravitational pull, cell biology, periodic table of elements, genetics, chemical reactions, etc.
History — Civil War, civics, economics, Native American civilizations, European exploration, American Revolution, Industrial Revolution, Renaissance, prehistoric civilization, classical civilizations, world religions, scientific revolution, Russian and Asian civilizations, etc.
Physical Education/Health — monitoring heart rate, choice of physical activity, aerobic and anaerobic exercise, strength training, fitness testing, heredity, personal hygiene/health, nutrition, safety awareness, harmful substances, emotional well-being, etc.
Art — realistic and abstract art creations, impressionism, cubism, weaving, art historians, architectural models, sketches, medieval and Renaissance art, principles of design, applied arts, prints and paintings, etc.
Music — understanding music concepts, music theory, authentic recordings, creative movement, singing & dancing, real & virtual instruments (recorder, tambourine, etc.), focused listening skills, etc.

Honors Program and Advanced Work

For students seeking advanced work, the Middle School's Honors Program is designed to encourage and support outstanding students who display exceptional academic ability and desire rigorous learning opportunities. Honors Program courses delve more deeply into the content, move at a rapid pace, and have elevated expectations for both quality and quantity of student work.

Students in the program can take advanced courses in any of the following subjects: English language arts, math, science, and history.
Those participating in the program may be required to complete additional reading, research, and writing as well as both individual and collaborative projects.
Want to earn high school credit? Eighth graders who qualify may be eligible to receive high school credits for the honors English and/or math courses.

To learn more about our Honors Program click here:

Middle School Honors Program

Student Support

It's important to know when to draw on the expertise of other people, so Middle Schoolers at PA Virtual learn how to collaborate with others for even better outcomes.

The PA Virtual Pillars Program offers academic help to those who need extra practice or just want to sharpen their skills.
Our Family & Support Services Department offers a variety of resources for students and families.
Four dedicated Middle School counselors offer mental health programs and work with students through small group meetings, classroom visits, and individualized assistance.
Guidance counselors lead career exploration activities to help students with future goals.

Opportunities for Middle School Students

As a leading cyber charter school in Pennsylvania, we recognize that every student learns uniquely. That’s why we offer two instructional formats:

- Synchronous learning, which is a structured option with live, teacher-led classes that mirror a traditional classroom experience and keep students engaged with their peers and teachers in real time.

- Asynchronous learning, which is a flexible option with independent, self-paced learning; ideal for families who need more control over their daily schedule while still receiving full academic support.

This flexible approach to online education in Pennsylvania ensures that students can thrive in an environment that matches their learning style. To help parents make the best decision for their child, we’ve provided a chart on this page outlining the available middle school courses in each format and more details on each learning style below.

Synchronous

Students log in to their virtual classroom with other students and attend live classes with PA-certified teachers. Teachers provide direct instruction, guide student work, and assess student progress. Classes occur Monday through Thursday; students work asynchronously on Fridays. View sample synchronous schedules >

Asynchronous

Students work independently with their learning coaches each day. PA Virtual teachers plan the students' coursework, supervise their progress, and are available to support student daily. To read more and learn about student eligibility for the asynchronous program, click here. During Orientation, you’ll further explore each of these formats.

Opportunities for Middle School Students

Engaging learning for every student

Clubs and Activities

Our Middle School students have an array of opportunities to meet other students and explore new skills and topics that excite them. Clubs meet virtually on a regular basis. Examples of the clubs available include National Junior Honor Society, Student Council, Interact Club, Chess Club, Virtual Voices, and Photography Club. Students are also able and encouraged to participate in their local school district’s extracurricular activities.

Field Trips

Each month, we offer in-person outings across the state, allowing students to meet other PA Virtual families and make new friends. Throughout the year, we offer virtual outings as well. Activities can include sporting events, observatories, environmental centers, history tours, winter sports, charity events, state parks, and much more. Students in all grade levels are encouraged to attend.

Service Learning

PA Virtual helps families serve their local community through established partnerships with local organizations, including food banks, animal rescue centers, homeless shelters, and donation centers. Our students across the state participate in school-wide service learning, including opportunities with the Pennies for Patients drive, Food Drives, Toys for Tots, and more.

Individualized Instruction

PA Virtual students use Study Island, Exact Path, and other tools that help our teachers determine a student’s individual needs. These programs provide lessons and activities to support academic growth and are personalized for your child’s own learning path.

Top 25% Of the 174 charter schools that
have SPP scores listed for the
Final Academic Score, PA
Virtual ranks within the top 25%
of all charter schools in PA.

74% of Middle School teachers have
a Master's Degree.

96% of Middle School parents
would recommend PA Virtual
to other families.

Highly Impressed by the Organization & Communication!

We went through orientation last week and my two sons started the 6th and 5th grades this week. In just only on day 3 of synchronous learning I am EXTREMELY impressed!! The organization from orientation till now is wonderful—when you contact someone you are contacted back in a well above average time frame! Communication is outstanding!