Old North News

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis last March, schools and families have been struggling to meet the demands and challenges posed by school closures. Students, in particular, are in a difficult position as they stand to lose important academic progress. 

A report by USA Today noted that students’ grades have fallen dramatically since the beginning of the pandemic as school closures have left students without the support from teachers and the structure needed to learn age-appropriate materials. 

“With more and more districts switching back to virtual learning for the winter months, educators wonder is there hope to get kids back on track this year,” USA Today asked. 

Keelan Denny and his family from North Carolina turned to Acellus Academy, an online learning platform, for schooling this year.

Keelan, a seventh grade student who has experienced challenges in the past with public and charter schools, made the transition to Acellus’ online platform in August. 

“From the start it was just amazing [in] restoring his love for learning," his mother, Kim Denny, said in an online review. "It has been a game changer in his education and confidence. I backed him up to reteach the missing learning blocks he needed in math and ELA.”  

The nature of Acellus is that it is self-paced, giving students the ability to learn at the speed that best suits them. 

Topics are tackled one at a time and classes include attention-grabbing videos to ensure that the students learn the material well. 

“We are forever grateful to Acellus Academy," Kim Denny said. "Thank you so much for giving my son the love of learning. He used to say he would never go to college, and now it seems we’ll be on our way in a few years. I’m so thrilled with his progress.”