CAHSEE - Tomorrow and Wednesday!

Who:
10th, 11th, and 12th graders

Where:
Community Presbyterian Church - 2800 Georgia Street, Vallejo

When:
English Portion - Tuesday, March 12
Math Portion - Wednesday, March 13
Plan to arrive by 9:45, the test will start promptly at 10.

Practice materials can be found here:
CDE Resources
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/hs/resources.asp

Math Practice Test 
www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/hs/documents/mathpractest.pdf

ELA Practice Test 
www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/hs/documents/studyela08prac.pdf

2013 Visions Student Writing Contest

The writing contest last year was very successful.  We enjoyed honoring our top 10 winners at our staff meeting and are proud of the writing that is published in The Word Squad as a result of this contest.  Last year, we had over 100 students submit writing to the contest.  We would like this year’s contest to encourage our students to explore their world and their beliefs through writing.

This year’s contest theme is “This I Believe.”  Please visit the 2013 Writing Contest description in The Word Squad to participate.  

Grades 7-12 
Write a short essay about a personal belief.  The following link will take you to a page explaining the essay guidelines.  To explore essays written by youth under age 18 on the "this i believe" website, click here.

How to Submit your Writing Contest Entry 
Please email your writing entry to thewordsquad@viedu.org.  Please write "Writing Contest" in the subject line of the email.  You must include the following information at the top of your writing: name, grade, academy, teacher's name, and email address.

You will receive a confirmation email within a couple of weeks that your entry was received along with a certificate that makes you an official member of The Word Squad.

Deadline 
All writing contest entries must be received by April 15, 2013.  Any entries received after midnight of this deadline will not be considered for the contest.   Contest winners will be notified by the end of the school year.

Prizes 
Contest winners will receive $50 gift cards, a Word Squad t-shirt and a certificate of accomplishment. The winning writing entries will be published on The Word Squad website.    

Google Science Fair Has Opened for Students Ages 13-18

Deadline for submissions is April 30, 2013

The third annual Google Science Fair has been launched in partnership with CERN, the LEGO Group, National Geographic and Scientific American to find the next generation of scientists and engineers. We’re inviting students ages 13-18 to participate in the largest online science competition and submit their ideas to change the world.

Here’s some key information for this year’s Science Fair:

• Students can enter the Science Fair in 13 languages.
• The deadline for submissions is April 30, 2013 at 11:59 pm PDT.
• In June, we’ll recognize 90 regional finalists (30 from the Americas, 30 from Asia Pacific and 30 from Europe/Middle East/Africa).
• Judges will then select the top 15 finalists, who will be flown to Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. for their live, final event on September 23, 2013.
• At the finals, a panel of distinguished international judges consisting of renowned scientists and tech innovators will select top winners in each age category (13-14, 15-16, 17-18). One will be selected as the Grand Prize winner.

To learn more about how to participate and about the prizes, visit Google’s blog here.

Visions Student Chandler Collier and Lotte Win Best of Breed at Westminster

Visions In Education (Visions) student, Chandler Collier, who graduated this January, and her Irish Wolfhound “Lotte” (registered name “Kerryarc Favorite Sin”), an 8-year-old Irish wolfhound, brought home Best of Breed honors for Kerryarc Kennels of Lake Camanche.

Lotte qualified earlier to compete at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City. Chandler’s dog was included in the Top Five dogs within its breed, based upon the number of dogs defeated in Best of Breed Competitions at AKC Shows held between January and October, 2012.

Westminster KC is the most prestigious all-breed dog show in America and this country’s 2nd oldest sporting event, with only the Kentucky Derby being older. A win at Westminster is a highlight in any show dog’s lifetime record and a huge accomplishment for the dog’s breeders and owners.

Chandler, her mother and her brother work together to raise, train and exhibit their Kerryarc Irish Wolfhounds, and are based in the Lake Camanche, CA area. Facing credit deficiency, Chandler enrolled at Visions in 2010, and whose teacher was Nancy Ortner, was seeking a way to earn her high school degree while traveling across the country to exhibit their Kerryarc Irish Wolfhounds. In addition, Chandler attended Modesto Junior College while finishing her Visions coursework. Chandler credits Visions for giving her the flexibility and support to finish her coursework with such a demanding schedule.

Read more about Chandler and Lotte HERE.

Congratulations Chandler and Lotte!

Visions Student is Author of Young Adult Book, “Frost Fire”

11th grade Visions student, Laura Cummings has written a teen book titled “Frost Fire”.  Laura has written the book using the pseudonym or pen name, Olivia Rivers. Her book is available both on Nook and Kindle, as well as in paperback. The genre of her book is Young Adult Paranormal Romance.

About the book:

Like sand in an hourglass, Allai’s future is dwindling away. She’s spent her entire life fighting the Mages who threaten humanity, and dreams of someday eradicating magic. But all it takes is an anonymous phone call for the truth to spill out: Allai is the one thing she despises most.

She’s a Mage.

Though ancient law mandates Allai’s death, she still has one last chance of survival. His name is Drake Rhaize, and he swears he can lead Allai to a sanctuary for Mages. Allai hasn’t seen Drake in years, but she remembers him as the Demon boy who used to hold her close and softly whisper that he’d keep her safe. But Drake has changed since then: He’s now suspected of murder, and has been out-casted for betraying his own kind.

While Allai doesn’t trust Drake, she has no choice but to put her life in his hands and hope he can get her to safety. Because Allai’s father has hired a pack of Demons to bring her back to him, dead or alive–and Demons never stop the hunt.

ASVAB Test Available for 10th -12th Grade, March 21

The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) is the most widely used multiple aptitude test battery in the world, developed and maintained by the Department of Defense. Over half of all high schools nationwide participate in ASVAB testing.

• The first step for a student towards a career is to spend some time finding out about you. Grades and test scores are only part of the picture. 
• Students get to know themselves better. They are able to think about what they are good at, what they enjoy, what kind of personality they have, and the values they possess. They can learn more about themselves and the world of work. 
• Identify interests and skills. 
• In today’s world, where there are hundreds of careers to choose from, it’s a smart idea to spend some time looking closely at the options before they decide.

Date: Thursday, March 21, 2013 

Time: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm 

Place: Visions’ main campus (map) (Professional Development Center)

Doodle 4 Google Art Contest for K-12

2012 Google 4 Doodle winne

Doodle 4 Google, now in its sixth year, is an annual program that invites K-12 students in the United States to use their artistic talents to think big and redesign the Google homepage logo for millions to see. This year, Google asks students to exercise their creative imaginations around the theme, “My Best Day Ever…”

One talented student artist will see their artwork appear on the Google homepage, receive a $30,000 college scholarship and a $50,000 technology grant for their school along with some other cool prizes.

The deadline for contest entry is March 22, 2013. Get an entry form and learn more at the Google 4 Doodle Web site

CASH for College!

 

Deadline for applying for Financial Aid is 

MARCH 2.

Seniors planning on attending college next year need to fill out their FAFSA ASAP! The California Student Aid Commission is holding financial aid workshops.

To get help go to:

http://www.calgrants.org/index.cfm?navId=16

and find a CASH for college workshop near you.

Note from the Visions Office (Posted on Wednesday 2/6)

Report Cards To Be Mailed Today
Expected Arrival Within the Next Week

Dear Visions Students and Families,
Due to a delay in ordering and receiving envelopes, report cards for fall semester are being sent out via San Juan Unified School District mail today, February 6, 2013.

Parents and students should receive report cards for fall semester sometime within the next week.

Thanks, Michael Brubaker
Attendance and Accountability Manager

Important Notice for Students Applying for Financial Aid & Cal Grant

In order to be considered for a Cal Grant for college, students must complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) and have their high school GPA verified by the March 2, 2013 deadline.


Visions will submit all 12th grade students’ GPA electronically, however students must do the following for the California Student Aid Commission to match and record students’ GPA to their corresponding FAFSA:

• Students must use the name that appears on their social security card; 
• All student’s demographic information entered on the FAFSA must match Visions’ Launchpad records (full name, address, phone number, student’s date of birth, e-mail address guardian’s last name and e-mail address). 
• Please take some time and review your records in Launchpad. Contact your teacher as soon as possible to change any inaccurate information, discrepancies will cause delays.

Are you an 11th Grader? Interested in taking the EAP?

EAP Test is Great Opportunity for 11th Graders to Assess Math and English Skills
11th grade students have the opportunity to take the Early Assessment Program (EAP) beginning on March 4th. The Early Assessment Program (EAP) measures student English and math skills toward the end of their junior year to let students know in advance if they are ready for college level work.

How the EAP Helps 
The EAP allows students, their teachers, their parents, and colleges to know exactly how well prepared 11th-graders are for college-level work. Furthermore, it gives high school students a chance to polish their skills before enrolling in college.

If students elect to take the EAP math and English tests, they will receive an EAP status at the beginning of their senior year informing them whether or not they are ready to enroll in for-credit math and English courses.

 If a student is not ready, he or she can take advantage of senior year to prepare for college.

• It’s a one-time test for 11th graders to assess college readiness with writing and ELA skills. 
• It’s set up as a basic writing assessment that will require multiple paragraph writing (for example; 5-paragraph essay). 
• It works in conjunction with the 11th grade STAR multiple choice test (meaning that the student takes both the writing and the multiple choice portions for a complete assessment). 
• More information is located here. 

Benefits of testing: 

• A student who performs at a proficient level may be placed into “normal” credit level courses in participating community colleges and CSUs for English without having to take the school’s internal assessment. 
• A student can get a better understanding of how their current English skills match up to college expectations. 

To recap, the EAP is a great tool to: 

• Possibly skip the otherwise required college English and/or mathematics placement tests. 
• Identify the need for additional preparation in English and math and adjust senior-year coursework to prepare for college while still enrolled in high school. 
• Save time and money by avoiding college remediation courses that do not count toward a degree. 

If you are interested in taking the EAP, please let me know by next Friday, February 15 so I can sign you up. Thanks!

Applications Available for Two Visions Scholarships

Supported by Akademos, the Achieving Beyond Scholarship is open to all graduating seniors.

The Steve Phelps American Dream Scholarship is open to motivated graduating students who have both attended community college and were employed while enrolled at Visions.

Students interested in applying for either scholarship can download an application from the Visions e-Handbook (https://ehandbook.viedu.org/node/200).

Applications should be submitted to Visions' Counseling Department at 4800 Manzanita Ave. Carmichael, CA 95608 no later than March 1, 2013.

Visions to Host FAFSA Workshop for College-Bound Students on February 20th

Visions’ counselors will be hosting a Financial Aid Workshop (FAFSA) to assist grads with their FAFSA and online community college applications for the spring semester on Wednesday, February 20th, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., in the PDC room.

We encourage students to bring parents with copies of their 2012 income tax returns or have students bring that information with them and know their social security numbers as well as their parents. Please see the flyer for more information.

Welcome Back

I hope you all had a great winter break!

Here are some reminders:

• This week is the last of Semester One. 
• This Friday is the last day to submit any work for your Semester One grades, Semester 2 begins Wednesday, January 16. 
• Monday, January 14, and Tuesday, January 15 are teacher work days.
• If we don't meet this week, you will have to submit all outstanding semester 1 work electronically, either through launchpad, or email by 5pm on Friday.

Please check your grades as soon as possible and make sure you are up to date with all of your work. Let me know asap if you have any questions about semester 1 grades or work so we can take care of them before the semester ends.

Thanks!

Join the Visions Bowling Club

Compete against other local high schools by representing Visions

in Education in a weekly bowling competition!

Teams consist of 3 bowlers per team.

The league is divided into four divisions: North, South, East and West.

Each division competes and the winners of those divisions play against

each other. The top two divisions play against each other and one

comes out the over all victor!

League runs from February-May on Mondays (matches) and

Wednesdays (optional practices) from 3:30-5:30pm and rotates each

week for 11 weeks between Diablo Valley Lanes on Monument Blvd.

and Clayton Valley Bowl on Clayton Rd. A schedule will be provided.

Other local high schools that participate:

Carondelet, Clayton Valley, College Park, Concord High, De La Salle,

Ygnacio Valley High, Berean High School

Sign-ups begin in January.

Cost:

Visions pays for the league for students in the ISP.

Homeschool- New students: $100.00 ($70 league, $20 shirt fee, $5 awards fee,

$5 USBC sanction card, practices, matches and free shoe rental) (Diablo Valley

Bowl is working on becoming a vendor)

Contact Cyndee Gutierrez for more information: 4viedubowling@gmail.com

Upcoming Important Dates

Winter Break
Monday, Dec 24 - Friday, Jan 4 (School is back in session Monday, 1/7)

End of Semester
Friday, January 11

Teacher Work Days
Monday, January 14 & Tuesday, January 15

Happy Holidays!

Visions In Education Offers FREE Homework Help for students in the 9-12 Academy! 

When: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM (except vacation weeks)

What: A tutor available to help you.

How: Submit a request through launchpad, and get a call back. (usually within 10 minutes)

Click here to view the flyer.

Visions Offers Tutoring in Concord!

Visions is now offering tutoring and study hall in Concord!

• Where: Concord’s New Life Church, 3525 Chestnut Ave. Concord, CA 94519.
• When: Tuesdays, 9:00-3:30
• What: Live tutor with laptop and wi-fi, adjacent room for student meetings

Click here for the flyer.

I have also placed a link to the tutoring site and schedule flyer on the right under links so you can access this information whenever you need it. 

  

Semester 2 Meetings

Just an early note that the meeting schedule for next semester will require some changes. I have a number of students graduating and will be getting a few new ones. Others will be working around a community college schedule that can be rigid.

Please begin thinking about any days and times that you will absolutely NOT be able to meet so I can do my best to accommodate everyone. I will be setting up next semester's schedule at our f2f meetings between Thanksgiving and Winter Break.

Thanks!

Important Upcoming Dates

CAHSEE - English 11th and 12th Grade Students
Tuesday, Nov 6 

CAHSEE - Math 11th and 12th Grade Students 
Wednesday, Nov 7

End of LP3 
Friday, Nov 9

Veteran's Day Holiday 
Monday, Nov 12

Teacher Workdays 
Monday, Nov 19 - Tues, Nov 20

Thanksgiving Holiday 
Wednesday Nov 21 - Friday, Nov 23 

Who:
11th and 12th grade only

Where:
Northgate Christian Fellowship, 2201 Lake Herman Rd., Benicia

When:
English Portion - Tuesday, November 6
Math Portion - Wednesday, November 7
Plan to arrive at 9:45

Spring Classes

It is time to plan your classes for Spring. At our next face to face we will  take some time to plan your Spring Master Agreement. Meanwhile, take some time to think about what electives you might like to take.

November CAHSEE

Who:
11th and 12th grade only

Where:
Northgate Christian Fellowship, 2201 Lake Herman Rd., Benicia

When:
English Portion - Tuesday, November 6
Math Portion - Wednesday, November 7
Plan to arrive at 9:45

Do you want some help?
Go to the tutoring center in Concord tomorrow with your practice tests or come to the online Math review through Elluminate tomorrow or next Monday. See the Visions CAHSEE site for more info.

Deficiency Notices

A deficiency notice is a notice sent out by Visions when a student has at least one grade that is a D or an F. All students with a D or F in the LP2 progress grades will be receiving one in the mail.

Since we discuss your progress at every meeting, and your LP2 grades have been posted, those of you getting a deficiency notice in the mail will not be surprised.

If you have ANY questions about grades or progress, of if there is something I can do to help, please don't hesitate to contact me.

And remember...
You can get homework help by phone through launchpad, and there is a tutor available to you on Tuesdays from 9 to 3 in Concord. (See the Homework Help Flyer and Tutoring Flyer links on the right)

LP2 Progress Grades are Posted

To see your Progress grade:

• Log in to Launchpad 
• Click on My Progress Grades 

Your Engrade grade may be different from your Progress grade as it may include work that has been done in the new LP. Let me know if you have any questions!

ALEKS Math breaks after Mac update – how to fix

Posted on the CT Blog by: Tony Cervo

Apple released an update to Mac OS X on Wednesday that removes the Java plugin from all Mac-compatible web browsers (Safari, Chrome, Firefox, etc.) That means the next time you try to access ALEKS, you’ll see an error message that says “Missing Plug-in”.

Luckily, the fix is easy. Simply click the little down-arrow icon next to the warning message, then wait a minute while the Java plugin is re-installed. ALEKS should then start working again.

If you’re wondering why Apple decided to make this move, here’s an excellent article that goes into all the details. The short answer, though, is security. From the article:

Over the past five years or so, Java has emerged as one of the most widely exploited software packages. This is due to its wide availability on computers running Windows, OS X, and Linux and because of the ease hackers have in exploiting vulnerabilities.

This Week's Meetings

Monday

Online

Jaysen - 12:00

Alex - 1:00

Jalila - 4:00

Tuesday

Antioch Public Library

Haven - 12:00

Anthony - 1:00

Armani - 2:30 
Jeremiah - 4:00 (home)

Wednesday

Starbucks - Port Chicago Hwy., Concord

Katie - 11:30
Brandon 1:00
Starbucks - 2190 Main Street, Oakley
Alex M. - 3:00
Brianna - 4:00
Allison - 5:00

Thursday

Benicia Public Library

Ana - 11:30

Jalila - 1:00

Audrey - 2:30

This week's meetings

Tuesday

Allison - Phone 3:00

7 p.m.
Benicia - Visions Celebrates Success  
Northgate Christian Fellowship
2201 Lake Herman Road
 
Wednesday

Benicia Public Library

Sara - 11:30 p.m.
Natalie - 1:00 p.m.
Donovan - 2:30 p.m.

Thursday

Clayton Public Library

Griffin - 11:30 p.m.

Michael - 1:00 p.m. 

Clayton Peet's

Jaysen - 2:30 p.m.

Friday

Concord Starbucks (1170 Concord Ave.)

Alissia - 11:30 a.m.
Alex - 1:00 p.m.
Walnut Creek Public Library
Margaret - 2:30

Extra Credit Question - Science

I can grow my body back in about two days if cut in half. Many scientists believe I do not undergo senescence.

What am I?

Email the correct answer to Ms. Bryon by noon on Friday to earn 1 point extra credit to your course with the lowest current grade. 

Powered by a Google a day, search challenges for the classroom.

This Week's Meetings

Tuesday

Antioch Public Library

Haven - 12:00

Anthony - 1:00

Armani - 2:30

Wednesday

Starbucks - Port Chicago Hwy., Concord

Katie - 11:30
Brandon 1:00
Starbucks - 2190 Main Street, Oakley
Alex M. - 3:00
Brianna - 4:00
Allison - 5:00

Thursday

Benicia Public Library

Ana - 11:30

Jalila - 1:00

Audrey - 2:30

This Week's Meetings

Wednesday

Benicia Public Library

Sara - 11:30 p.m.
Natalie - 1:00 p.m.
Donovan - 4:30 p.m.
Phone
Allison - 5:30 p.m.

Thursday

Clayton Peet's

Jaysen - 10:00 a.m.

Clayton Public Library

Griffin - 11:30 p.m.

Michael - 1:00 p.m. 
Brentwood - Home
Jeremiah - 3:00

Friday

Concord Starbucks (1170 Concord Ave.)

Alissia - 11:30 a.m.
Alex - 1:00 p.m.
Walnut Creek Public Library
Margaret - 2:30

Getting Ready for Online Meetings

This week we will have our meetings online. Please read the following to make sure you are ready.

Return Students:
Before (at least a day before) your meeting time check that you can get into the virtual classroom by clicking on the link that says "Onine Meeting Room" on the right side of this page. If you have no trouble, great! I'll see you at your meeting time. If you can't get in, follow the directions below for first time users.

First Time Users:
Go to the blackboard collaborate first time users page. Follow Steps 1 and 2. Step 1 checks your computer configuration and Step 2 helps you to set up your connection settings and configure your audio. (Steps 3 and 4 are optional.) Once you have done that you will be all set to join my room at your meeting time, just click on the "Online Meeting Room" link on the right side of this page.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

This Week's Meetings (Online)

Tuesday

Online

Haven - 12:00

Anthony - 1:00

Armani - 2:30

Wednesday

Online

Katie - 11:30
Brandon 1:00
Alex M. - 3:00
Brianna - 4:00
Allison - 5:00

Thursday

Online

Ana - 11:30

Jalila - 1:00

Audrey - 2:30