Late Work - Please Read

I have been too lenient about late work this semester and it hasn't helped anyone. It is my own fault. I now have many students handing in work late, and piles of late work to go through and not enough time to do it.

So...

We are reverting to the ORIGINAL late work policy.

AS OF NEXT WEEK, Monday, April 15.

(That means you have one week to get me any late work that you want graded.)

If you do not have your work ready for our meeting:

• DO NOT CANCEL YOUR MEETING! (Work is due on our meeting day regardless of whether you come to the meeting or not.)
• Go forward with your regularly scheduled work. Don't get further behind.
• You can turn in late work, however, it will not be graded, it will be checked for completeness and you will earn a D, (65%) for it.

Exceptions: If you have a parent's or doctor's note explaining a valid reason for the late work, or if we arrange a schedule change in advance, I will accept late work at full credit as long as it is COMPLETE AND ORGANIZED at the next meeting.

This week's meetings

Monday
Online or Phone Meetings
Katie - 10:00
Halie - 11:00
Michael - 12:00
Emma - 1:00

Tuesday

Antioch Public Library

Andrea - 12:00 **
Anthony - 1:00

Talise - 2:00

Wednesday

Livermore Public Library

Katie - 11:00**
Tilea - 12:00**
Margaret - 1:00**
Alex -  2:00**

Thursday

Starbucks - 2190 Main Street, Oakley
Jeremiah - 12:30
Haven - 1:30
Alex M. - 3:00
Brianna - 4:00
Allison - 5:00

Friday
Online Tutoring
By appointment
Office Day

New Make Up Meeting Schedule - Important, please read :)

Here is the problem: 
There have been so many missed meetings lately that it has been a big challenge for me to reschedule them all. (8 just last week!) Yes, 8 meetings to reschedule this week. As you can imagine, I just don't have enough time. To say nothing of the pile of late work and paperwork it entails. I know life happens, but I have to have a better way to manage my workload when meetings are missed.

The Solution: 
One day, one location, every other Wednesday, for make-up meetings.

From now on, all make up meetings will be held every other Wednesday, between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm, at the Public Library in Livermore. (1188 S Livermore Ave, Livermore, CA 94550). 

The make-up meeting day will show up on the Blog so you can keep track. The first Wednesday make-up meeting day is next Wednesday April 10.

Please remember: 

• Our bi-weekly meetings are a required part of the Visions in Education Independent Study program. 
• Do not miss a meeting because you did not complete your work! It is important that we meet regardless of your progress so we can fill out required paperwork and so I can help you make a plan to get back on track. 
• Job hours, doctor's appointments, dentist appointments, etc. should be scheduled around our meetings. 

Thank you for your understanding about this.

9-12 Summer School for English Credit-Deficient Students

Do you need to make up an English class?

Don't Delay! Applications Now Being Accepted

Visions In Education will be offering summer school for high school English.

Our summer school session is from June 5- July 3. This four-week English course is an online program that will be supported by our staff.

For specific requirements, please access the Summer School Application and FAQs HERE.

Summer school is open to 9-12 Academy students who are deficit in English credit and priority will by given to 12th graders; however, we are accepting applications from students entering 10th- 12th grade in the fall. Placement will be given according to grade level priority.

Students are selected to participate in this program based upon academic priority, CT recommendation, evaluation of the completed application (including all required signatures), and the timeliness/order/date in which the completed application packet is submitted.

Priority Registration 
Students must be deficient in English credits to apply. Students may only take English courses they have previously failed.

• Priority will be given to 5th year seniors 
• Second priority will be given to students entering 12th grade in fall 2013 
• Third priority will be given to students entering 11th grade in fall 2013 
• Fourth priority will be given to students entering 10th grade in fall 2013

Deadline to submit the application is April 26, 2013. If you have questions after reading the application packet, please contact your 9-12 Academy Counselor.

Deficiency Notices

Next week, the Visions office will be sending out "deficiency notices" to all students that have at least one grade that is a D or lower for the 7th Learning Period progress grades.

Will I get one?
To find out if your grades will trigger a deficiency notice to be sent out, go to Launchpad and check your LP7 progress grade. If you have a D or F, you will be receiving a deficiency notice in the mail.

Engrade says I have a B now, will I still get one?
Yes. The school sends out a notice based on your LP7 progress grade. However, your Engrade grade IS YOUR CURRENT GRADE. You may have improved your grade by the time your deficiency notice arrives at your home.

What should I do if I get one?
Getting a deficiency notice should not be a surprise to your or your parents since we go over your grades each week, and you have access to Engrade at all times. We should already have a plan in progress to improve your grades, however please contact me right away if:

• your are a student and you receive a deficiency notice, and we haven't discussed a plan for improving your grades
• you are a parent or guardian and you receive a deficiency notice, and you were unaware of your students' progress

Next steps
If your grades have been steadily declining or you are not making adequate progress, I will schedule a Team Planning Meeting. This meeting usually includes an administrator, a counselor, your parents/guardians and myself. At this meeting we discuss how you are doing, if Visions is the best place for you, and make a plan for your success.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Did you see this??

Health Care Volunteer   and ROP Allied Health Opportunities  for High School Students In This Issue Contra Costa Regional Medical Sacramento Mercy General Carmichael Mercy San Juan Shriners Hospital Sacramento Roseville Sutter UC Davis Sacramento Lodi Memorial Hospital Allied Health ROP Opportunities So, What Are Allied Health Professions? Allied health professions are health care professions distinct from dentistry, optometry, nursing, medicine, and pharmacy. One estimate reported allied health professionals make up 60 percent of the total health workforce. They work in health care teams to make the health care system function by providing a range of diagnostic, technical, therapeutic and direct patient care and support services that are critical to the other health professionals they work with and the patients they serve. Try Volunteering or  ROP Allied Health See if it's a good fit for you! ROP Sports Medicine ROP Medical  Front Office ROP Dental Careers So, what is the Regional Occupational Program (ROP)? The Regional Occupational Program (ROP), also known as Career Technical Education (CTE), offers tuition-free career preparation training. Programs include high demand training such as automotive, construction, office computer skills, information technology training (database design, Web authoring, network administration, and computer repair), health occupations (nurse assistant, dental assistant, EMT, etc.), retail sales, careers with children and other occupational areas. Most of the training is offered on a high school campus and has an "on-the-job" internship at an employer job site in addition to the classroom training. Learn more about ROP in eHandbook HERE (sign into Launchpad first.)  Or contact your Visions counselor for assistance about courses near you. March/2013 Dear Visions High School Students: Are you one of our many students who are interested in a career in the allied health care field? Or might you like to volunteer to gain experience and see if this could be a career for you? Visions counselors are gathering information from medical centers, health clinics and hospitals who provide volunteer opportunities for high school students. Counselors are still building resources, but as some application deadlines are coming soon--we want to send this to you now. Additionally, the counselors are in contact with school districts that offer Regional Occupational Programs (ROP) in the allied health care field. Check out our resources to see if something might work for you! Student Volunteer Opportunities "Everybody can be great.  Because anybody can serve.  You don't have to have a college degree to serve.  You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve.... You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve.  You only need a heart full of grace.  A soul generated by love."  ~Martin Luther King, Jr..  Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and Health Clinics 2500 Alhambra Avenue, Martinez, CA 94553 (map) Description: Offers a complete array of patient-centered health care services located throughout the county. Volunteer Opportunities: Surgery Recovery, clerical, art/activity cart, environmental services, healing arts, infusion clinic, gift shop, ambassadors, and spiritual care. Commitment: Minimum of one 4-6 hour shift per week/200 hour commitment per calendar year  LEARN MORE AND APPLY HERE > > > Sacramento Mercy General Hospital 4001 J Street Sacramento, CA (map)   **Only accepts applications through March 31st Description: Offers a wide range of medical services - both inpatient and outpatient. Volunteer Opportunities: All junior volunteers start off at an entry level volunteer position at the Hospital Information Desks and/or taking the Hospitality Carts to waiting areas. After a volunteer provides services for a minimum of three months and have volunteered a minimum of 36 hours they are eligible for other volunteer opportunities.       LEARN MORE AND APPLY HERE > > > Carmichael Mercy San Juan Medical Center 6501 Coyle Avenue Carmichael (map) Description: Mercy San Juan has added key specialty areas such as cardiac services, the cancer center, center for breast health, the sleep center, the neonatal intensive care unit, home health, hospice, as well as the trauma center. Volunteer Opportunities: May volunteer on the Oncology/Neurology floors, Medical/Surgical Units, Family Birth Center and various other areas. Mercy San Juan also provides scholarship opportunities for junior volunteers who have met certain criteria and plan to pursue a career in the healthcare field. LEARN MORE  HERE > > > Sacramento Shriners Hospitals for Children 2425 Stockton Blvd. Sacramento CA (map) **Application Deadline: April 1, 2013 (24 positions) Description: Pediatric healthcare system which provides excellent no cost medical care to children with orthopedic problems, spinal cord, or burn injuries. Volunteer Opportunities: Recreation therapy, medical records, nursing, environment services, out patient clinic, school room tutors and special events. Commitment: Summer (June-August): This program is designed for young volunteers 16-17 years old providing work experience in a healthcare setting. LEARN MORE HERE > > >  Roseville Sutter Medical Center One Medical Plaza Drive Roseville, CA (map) Description: A medical center including: rehabilitation institute, brain injury unit, spinal cord unit, inpatient gym, daily living treatment room, private therapy treatment rooms, and independent living apartments. Volunteer Opportunities: Admitting/information clerk, cancer registry, charts, cancer center, emergency department, fund raising sales, gift shop, navigator, physical rehabilitation, surgery information, inpatient surgery recovery, outpatient recovery, labor and delivery, neonatal, nursery and pediatrics. Commitment: Four hour shifts with a one year commitment. LEARN MORE AND APPLY HERE > > > Sacramento UC Davis Health System 4900 Broadway, Suite 1150 Sacramento, CA (map) Description: Hospital, medical school, medical group, the cancer center, as well the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing. Volunteer Opportunities: Patient care clinics, inpatient units or in the area of services to patients and/or families. Commitment: Four to six hour shifts for at least a four-month commitment. LEARN MORE HERE > > > Lodi Memorial Hospital 975 South Fairmont Avenue Lodi, California (map) Description: Offers a wide range of medical services - both inpatient and outpatient. Volunteer Opportunities: Lodi Memorial also has a Junior Volunteer Program for youth 16 - 18 years old.The hospital offers volunteers the opportunity to work in a variety of areas within the hospital and beyond, including its clinics and a number of community services. Volunteers receive a comprehensive orientation/training period in specific areas of interest, including the:Gift shop.Adult day care, Courtesy desk, Business services department, Central supply, Pharmacy department, Medical records department, Patient-advocate program, Wayfinding assistant, Medical library LEARN MORE HERE > > > Student Allied Health ROP Opportunities (Fall 2013) Students may enroll in any district Regional Occupational Program (ROP) course as long as there is room and the student has transportation. A list of course descriptions and offerings is available. Not all counties list their course offerings, however a phone number and website has been provided by county. In a typical ROP course, students receive classroom orientation before they are placed at a training site four to five days a week. ROP applications should be submitted to the admissions and counseling assistant or the student's counselor.  Students can earn 5, 10, or 15 credits (depending on the hours of the class) in addition to the 30 credits they are enrolled in at Visions. You may also call your Visions counselor for more information. LEARN MORE ABOUT ALLIED HEALTH ROP OPPORTUNITIES HERE > > > Please contact your counselor if you have any further questions about preparing yourself for a career in the allied health professions. Sincerely, The Counseling Team Visions In Education Charter School

Visions Student News

Home School Students Create Crafts to Sell for a Very Worthy Cause

Getty Storm’s parents began the Getty Owl Foundation after she was diagnosed with SMA. Learn more about Getty by clicking on the picture

Students from Visions’ Home School Academy, in grades four through nine, have been working since January creating home made crafts to sell. Each item has been personalized with creativity and passion. The students are planning to sell their creations at the East Sac Mercantile, 3257 Folsom Blvd. Sacramento, CA (map) on Friday, March 22nd from 11:00 am -6:00 pm. A flier about the event is available HERE.

One hundred percent  of the sales will go to the Getty Owl Foundation. The group chose the Getty Owl Foundation because they want to help in any way they can.

What is the Getty Owl Foundation?

 Getty Owl Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is helping families and fighting Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Getty’s family decided to give back to a world that has helped them so much. They started Getty Owl Foundation to spread awareness about SMA, advocate for and support families affected by SMA, and raise funds to help find a cure.
Along these lines, Getty Owl Foundation is proud to support gene therapy research of Dr. Brian Kaspar at Nationwide Children’s Hospital to potentially cure SMA and benefit a host of other diseases.

SMA is the #1 genetic killer of children under two, but it has also been selected by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as the disease closest to treatment of more than 600 neurological disorders. Promising research programs could really use some funding to accelerate the fight for a cure.

Sixth grader, Faith Strader says, “I never knew what SMA was until my grandma told me about Getty and after I went on Getty’s website. My grandma visits Getty weekly. She tells us how important it is to get our flu shots because if we are not protected my grandma could pass on a virus that could make Getty very sick and potentially kill her. When I met Getty I realized how life threatening SMA really was. Her life is in danger all the time. She is hooked up to a machine that helps her breath because she can’t do it on her own. I experienced that her mind was not affected because she showed some emotion by making noises, but her muscles didn’t allow her to be like  other healthy kids like me. I chose Getty Owl Foundation to raise awareness and money for research to help the children with SMA.”

The project has been a series of wonderful lessons for the students as they learn about small business, community service, and marketing. Please join us and support their endeavor.

Spring Break Next Week!

 
Visions will be on Spring Break from March 25 through March 29. So work extra hard this week to get all of your assignments completed and organized so you can have a great time and relax! 

If you are behind or worried about your grades, this is a great week to catch up. The end of the year is coming up fast and before you know it summer will be here :)

Daylight Saving Time

Daylight saving time began Sunday at 2 am. Did you set your clocks forward an hour?

Did you know:

• The modern idea of daylight saving was first proposed in 1895 by George Vernon Hudson and it was first implemented during the First World War. 
• Many countries have used it at various times since then. 
• Although most of the United States used DST throughout the 1950s and 1960s, DST use expanded following the 1970s energy crisis and has generally remained in use in North America and Europe since that time.
• The practice has been both praised and criticized. Adding daylight to evenings benefits retailing, sports, and other activities that exploit sunlight after working hours, but can cause problems for evening entertainment and other occupations tied to the sun. Although an early goal of DST was to reduce evening usage of incandescent lighting (formerly a primary use of electricity), modern heating and cooling usage patterns differ greatly, and research about how DST currently affects energy use is limited or contradictory.
• DST clock shifts present other challenges. They complicate timekeeping, and can disrupt meetings, travel, billing, recordkeeping, medical devices, heavy equipment, and sleep patterns. Software can often adjust computer clocks automatically, but this can be limited and error-prone, particularly when DST protocols are changed.

Although not used by most of the world's countries, daylight saving time is common in the Western world.

  DST observed
  DST formerly observed
  DST never observed

(From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time)

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.