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Principal’s Corner

Principal Grey smiling in her office at Virtual Innovators Academy

A Message from Principal Grey – October 2026

Dear VIA Families, Students, and Friends,

Happy October, and welcome to our brand-new website! Thank you so much for stopping by. We hope this space helps you feel connected to everything happening across our virtual community.

This fall, I have been reflecting on how far we have come together. In 2022, Virtual Innovators Academy began as a "school without walls," a bold idea that a public high school could be fully virtual, deeply personal, and rigorous all at once. In 2023, after many months of conversations with the New York State Board of Regents about serving students of every background, VIA was authorized as its own school. We became New York's first fully virtual public high school and the only one accredited to grant diplomas. Last June, we celebrated our inaugural graduating class, our Trailblazers. Of the many who graduated, many more stepped forward as future software engineers and computer scientists. Every one of those milestones belongs to you: our students, families, staff, and partners who believed in this vision.

Now, in our fifth year, we are writing our next chapter together. Our theme this year is Relationships, Reflection, Revision, and Rigor. In every live class, advisory, and project, our Visionaries, Pathfinders, Innovators, and Trailblazers are learning that strong work grows through feedback and revision.

There is a lot to be proud of this fall. We welcomed new teachers who bring wonderful energy and expertise to our team. We opened a new hub location in Queens at 48-18 Van Dam Street, alongside our Bronx hub on Dyre Avenue. Earlier this month, we were honored to welcome district leaders for a learning walk. They saw firsthand the thoughtful teaching and learning happening in our virtual classrooms. We have also applied to the Mastery Transcript Consortium so our juniors and seniors can show their skills and real-world experiences through portfolios.

Student-Led Clubs Are Here!

Our student-led clubs have just launched, and we are so proud of the students who stepped up to lead them. Clubs meet Wednesdays, Thursdays, or Fridays from 3:20 to 4:20 p.m. This year's clubs include:

Guitar Club
Space and Aeronautics
Culinary Club
Animanga Club
Mental Health and Psychology
Sports and Recreation
Fashion and Media
Muslim Student Association (MSA)
GSA

Students, please check your interest forms and join a club that sparks your curiosity. If you have an idea for a new club, please submit your proposal by Friday, October 23.

Looking Ahead for Our Seniors

Our Trailblazers are in an exciting season. Soon they will be celebrating their upcoming graduation along with their college acceptances, and we could not be prouder. Our CUNY and SUNY application lock-in is coming soon, and seniors will also attend a college fair at Borough of Manhattan Community College on Friday, November 6. As we look ahead to the January Regents, we are working closely with our seniors to make sure they are prepared and confident. Senior families, please join us for Senior Family Night on Thursday, October 29, at 6:00 p.m. Thank you for being such an important part of this journey.

Introducing Velocity Academy

We are excited to launch Velocity Academy in November! Velocity Academy is our evening program, meeting from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., for credit recovery and accelerated learning. It gives students another path to get back on track and, for some, a path to early graduation. Please reach out to your student's advisor to learn more.

Growing Our Team

We are actively searching for our next Assistant Principal and a new Parent Coordinator. Family and community voices matter deeply in this process. Our School Leadership Team (SLT) meets this Thursday, October 22, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. We would love for you to join us!

Partnering on Attendance

I would also like to ask for your partnership in one important area: attendance. Learning at VIA happens live, together, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., and every class matters. Families, please help us by checking in with your student each morning and encouraging them to log on, turn their camera on, and join the conversation. Students, please know that your voice makes our classrooms better, and we miss you when you are not there. If something is getting in the way, please reach out to your advisor. We are always here to help.

Upcoming Dates

October 2026

October 19-23: Digital Citizenship Week
Thursday, October 22: SLT Meeting (4:30-7:30 p.m.)
Friday, October 23: Student Club Proposal Deadline
Thursday, October 29: Senior Family Night (6:00 p.m.)

November 2026

Tuesday, November 3: Election Day (Remote instruction for all students)
Friday, November 6: Senior College Fair at BMCC
Monday, November 9: Parent Association Meeting (6:00 p.m.)
Wednesday, November 11: Veterans Day (Schools closed)
Thursday, November 12: Learning Walk / SLT Meeting (5:00 p.m.)
Thursday, November 19: Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences (5:30-7:30 p.m.)
Friday, November 20: Afternoon Parent-Teacher Conferences (3-hour early dismissal)
Monday, November 23: Senior Pictures, Queens (tentative)
Tuesday, November 24: Senior Pictures, Bronx / Winterfest Party (tentative)
Wednesday, November 25: Early Release Day, all classes asynchronous (tentative)
November 26-27: Thanksgiving Recess (Schools closed)

For families exploring VIA for the future, we warmly invite you to join one of our information sessions. They take place on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 6:00 p.m. and on Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. Please note that for the 2027-28 school year, we will be welcoming incoming 9th graders only.

Thank you for trusting us with your children, for showing up for one another, and for helping us build something truly special. I am so grateful to be on this journey with you, and I cannot wait to see what we write together this year.

With warmth and gratitude,

Terri Grey
Founding Principal
Virtual Innovators Academy

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