Principal’s Message

Welcome to Our School

In a world where online learning has now become widespread and common practice, Virtual High School continues to stand apart with its student-centred approach to education. As Ontario’s oldest online high school, we designed the original asynchronous virtual experience to help students who needed more flexibility and support. If I had to select a quote to illuminate my philosophy of education, it would be that nothing worth having is easily obtained. The concept of an online school was not stumbled upon in a brilliant lightbulb moment. Consistent creativity and hard work were required to give it life outside of the traditional education system.

It was only after moving from my teaching position in a small fishing village in Newfoundland’s northeast coast to teaching in alternative classrooms in Ontario that my views on education began to change. A new way of delivering education was needed for students who couldn’t reach their full potential within the parameters of a bricks-and-mortar school. Luckily, there were members of local school boards and the Ontario Ministry of Education who were in agreement and willing to explore the possibility of a fully online school. Everything was in alignment as the internet was gaining popularity and I hung around with a couple of younger teachers who encouraged me to learn the new requirement—HyperText Markup Language (HTML). I was hooked. Solving problems kept me working long into the nights in the mid 1990s, one course at a time, as Virtual High School slowly emerged.

VHS has come a long way since those early days, expanding beyond anything I could have ever imagined when I created that first biology course for my Grade 11 classroom. With all the changes over the years, the original vision remains the same: to create a better world where every student has the opportunity to succeed and personalize their education. I consider it a privilege to be part of each student’s education and look forward to continuing to help the next generation of online learners.

With Kindest Regards,

Stephen J. Baker, B.Sc., B.Ed., OCT
Principal, Virtual High School
principal@virtualhighschool.com