Monday, March 5, 2018

Ordering Deadlines & Curriculum Vendor Fair

The deadline for ordering curriculum, vouchers and computers for the 2017-18 school year is
Friday, April 6.

Early ordering for the 2018-19 school year begins Monday, April 9.



Looking for curriculum ideas for next year? Come to the vendor fair in Carmichael on Tuesday, March 20 from 11 to 1. More info and a list of participating vendors click here.

Upcoming & Notable


  • High School Information Meeting - Wednesday, April 4 - 11am - 1pm - Grace Church in Jackson. Sign up here.
  • Ordering Deadline (Curriculum, Computers & Vouchers) - Friday, April 6
  • Early Ordering Begins  - Monday, April 9
  • CASSP and CAST Testing in Jackson - Monday, April 10 through Friday April 13
  • CASSP and CAST Testing in Rescue - Tuesday, April 17 through Friday April 20

This Week's Meeting Schedule

Monday 3/5
Office Day

Tuesday
Ione
Grace & Faith - 1:30

Wednesday
Jackson Library
Billy - 11:00
Isabeau & McKenna - 12:05
Rescue Project Fair 3 - 6

Thursday
Jackson Library
Leila - 11:00
Charles & Ella - 1:30
David - 3:30

Friday
Office Day

Monday, February 26, 2018

Upcoming & Notable

**I still haven't heard about the ordering deadlines, but they will be coming up soon!**




  • High School Information Meeting - Wednesday, April 4 - 11am - 1pm - Grace Church in Jackson. Sign up here.
  • Early Ordering Begins  - Monday, April 9
  • CASSP and CAST Testing in Jackson - Monday, April 10 through Friday April 13
  • CASSP and CAST Testing in Rescue - Tuesday, April 17 through Friday April 20

Student Testing Location Assignments


The testing location assignments have been posted.

Please check your assignment below and let me know if you have questions or need to request a change of location/time (Jackson is AM only, Rescue is both AM and PM). If you would like to request a change of location, please let me know ASAP as Visions is trying to organize for materials and proctors for each site. Deadline for location change requests is March 16.

Remember, not all students will need to test all four days. Some students take only two days to complete testing, some take longer. Tests are not timed, so students can take as long as they need.

Thank you!

-->
StudentTesting DatesTimeLocation
AustinApril 10 - 139 to 12Grace Fellowship - Jackson
WilliamApril 10 - 139 to 12Grace Fellowship - Jackson
GraceApril 10 - 139 to 12Grace Fellowship - Jackson
EmmaApril 10 - 139 to 12Grace Fellowship - Jackson
JasmineApril 10 - 139 to 12Grace Fellowship - Jackson
RoxieApril 10 - 139 to 12Grace Fellowship - Jackson
HunterApril 10 - 139 to 12Grace Fellowship - Jackson
MadisonApril 10 - 139 to 12Grace Fellowship - Jackson
TiffanyApril 10 - 139 to 12Grace Fellowship - Jackson
LeilaApril 10 - 139 to 12Grace Fellowship - Jackson
CharlesApril 10 - 139 to 12Grace Fellowship - Jackson
LillianApril 10 - 139 to 12Grace Fellowship - Jackson
EllaApril 10 - 139 to 12Grace Fellowship - Jackson
AkiraApril 10 - 139 to 12Grace Fellowship - Jackson
JezreelApril 10 - 139 to 12Grace Fellowship - Jackson
IsabeauApril 10 - 139 to 12Grace Fellowship - Jackson
McKennaApril 10 - 139 to 12Grace Fellowship - Jackson
WyattApril 10 - 139 to 12Grace Fellowship - Jackson
YarrowApril 10 - 139 to 12Grace Fellowship - Jackson
DavidApril 109 to 12Grace Fellowship - Jackson
EmilyApril 109 to 12Grace Fellowship - Jackson
MayaApril 17 - 209 to 12Foothills United - Rescue
AlexApril 17 - 201 to 4Foothills United - Rescue



-->

This Week's Meeting Schedule

Monday 2/26
Office Day
Wyatt - 11:00 - Virtual

Tuesday
Ione
Joseph & Alex - 11:00
Tiffany, Madison & Logan - 1:00

Wednesday
Ione - Pizza Factory
Jaxon - 12
Ione
Charlotte - 1:30
Khloe & Sadie - 2:35

Thursday
Ione
Austin - 12:30
Jasmine & Roxy - 2:00

Friday
Office Day/CT Meeting

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Upcoming & Notable

**Semester 2 official work samples to be collected during LP6 meeting**




  • High School Information Meeting - Wednesday, April 4 - 11am - 1pm - Grace Church in Jackson. Sign up here.
  • Early Ordering Begins  - Monday, April 9

Testing Practice

Students who are familiar with the test interface and can navigate it comfortably have a definite advantage going into testing in April.

Please consider spending some time with the SBAC practice tests located here (answers and printable test questions here).

Practice sessions will be held at Grace Church in Jackson on Wednesday, March 14th. Info here.

Remember grades 5, 8, 11 & 12 will also be taking the CAST science field test. Info can be found here.

Let me know if you have questions!

Enrollment Deadlines



Visions has many new students waiting to get in, so they have modified the enrollment deadlines this year.

  • Visions began taking Fall applications the first week of February.
  • There will be a lottery for all new students in all areas - Lottery begins 3/20/18.
  • Siblings are exempt from the lottery as long as the applications are complete by 4:30 pm on 3/16/18.
  • Current student academy change request deadline is also 3/16/18.

This Week's Meeting Schedule

Monday 2/20
President's Day - No School

Tuesday
Office Day

Wednesday
Jackson
Charles & Ella - 11:00
Wyatt - 1:00

Thursday
Office Day

Friday
Office Day

Monday, February 12, 2018

Upcoming & Notable

**Semester 2 official work samples to be collected during LP6 meeting**



President's Day (No School) - Monday, February 19
Sutter's Fort Environmental Living Program - Tuesday, February 20 & Wednesday, February 21
Ski Day - Friday, February 23
Crest Center - Pete the Cat - Thursday, February 22
End of LP6 - Friday, February 23
LP7 Begins - Monday, February 26
Mondavi Center – Cudamani: Gamelan and Dance of Bali - Monday, February 26
Mondavi Center – Words Take Wing - Tuesday, February 27
Alliance Redwoods Environmental Science Camp (5th & 6th Grades) - Monday, February 26 - Friday, March 2.


Last Day to Add/Drop (HS Students) - Friday, March 2
Rescue Project and Performance Fair - Wednesday, March 7
Ski Day - Friday, March 9
Daylight Saving Time Begins - Sunday, March 11
Interim SBAC Test Prep & PFT - Jackson - Wednesday March 14 (More information coming!)
Ski Make-Up Day - Friday, March 16
End of LP7 - Friday, March 23
SPRING BREAK - Monday, March 26 - Friday, March 30

Olympics Resources




Brave Writer Olympic Guide

Education World

Education.com

Flag Rocks



Scholastic

Teacherstarter - most resources require a subscription, but some don't and you can get inspiration from what you can see online.

Have good ones to share? Just email me and I will update this page.

This Week's Meeting Schedule

Monday 2/12
Lincoln's Birthday - No School

Tuesday
Pollock Pines
Alex M. - 10:00
Somerset - Crossroads Cafe
Justin - 11:30
Maya - 12:30
Akira - 1:30

Wednesday
Jackson Library
Sterling - 11:00
Hunter - 12:15
Lilly - 1:20
Jezreel - 3:00

Thursday
Jackson Library
Billy - 10:30
Emma - 11:30
Connor- 12:30
Wyatt - 2:00

Friday
Somerset
Yarrow & Alder - 1:00

Monday, February 5, 2018

Sac State Summer Courses


Exciting Sac State Summer Courses: Take Academic Talent Search (ATS) Exam to Qualify
Interested in getting a taste of the college experience?

Offering of a host of exciting summer courses, Sacramento State’s Academic Talent Search (ATS) program gives current 4th-9th graders the opportunity to take challenging and engaging classes taught by college professors, area instructors, and industry professionals. Students can choose from classes that include LEGO Robotics, law, neuroscience, art, engineering, theater, broadcasting, photography, foreign language, writing and many more.

To join, students must take the ATS qualifying exam, which Visions will be administering on March 2, 2018 at 10 a.m. at the Visions In Education office in Carmichael. You must take the exam to apply for the classes. The test takes a little over one hour and costs $15, payable to ATS on the day of the test.

To sign up for the exam, contact Deanna Stevenson at dstevenson@viedu.org or (916) 971-5523. Additional details including course offerings and financial aid information for qualifying students can be found here.

High School Information Presentation


From the WIRE:
Incoming and current high school students in grades 8 through 11 are invited to attend a High School Informational Presentation to learn about academic planning to meet your student’s post-secondary goals and learn about the resources available to you.

Led by Visions’ Home School Counseling Department, the presentation will cover several topics that are focused on preparing students for high school graduation and beyond.
Topics include:
High school graduation requirements
4-year university A-G admissions requirements
Honors classes and grade point averages (GPA)
PSAT, SAT, and ACT information/prep
Community service
Concurrent community college enrollment
How to academically plan for high school and post-high school goals

Upcoming dates, locations, and times are:


  • March 6 – 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Pleasant Hill Tutoring Center, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian, 1601 Mary Dr., Pleasant Hill (RSVP by 3/2)
  • March 7 – 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Lodi Tutoring Center, Century Assembly, 550 W. Century Blvd., Lodi (RSVP by 3/2)
  • March 12 – 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Cameron Park Library, 2500 Country Club Dr., Cameron Park (RSVP by 3/8)
  • March 13 – 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Carmichael Office, 5030 El Camino Ave., Carmichael (RSVP by 3/9)
  • March 15 – 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., St. Luke’s Tutoring Center, 7595 Center Parkway, Sacramento (RSVP by 3/13)
  • March 19 – 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Carmichael Office, 5030 El Camino Ave., Carmichael (RSVP by 3/15)
  • March 22 – 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Vallejo Tutoring Center, Community Presbyterian, 2800 Georgia St. Vallejo (RSVP by 3/20)
  • April 4 – 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Jackson Tutoring Center, Grace Fellowship, 8040 CA-49, Jackson (RSVP by 3/30)


To RSVP for this valuable presentation, please fill out the High School Informational Presentation Sign-Up Form.

This Week's Meeting Schedule

Monday 2/5
Office Day

Tuesday
Ione
Wesley - 12:00
Grace & Faith - 1:30

Wednesday
Jackson Library
Billy - 11:00
Isabeau & McKenna - 12:05
Emily - 2:30

Thursday
Jackson Library
Leila - 11:00
Lucas - 12:05
Charles & Ella - 1:30
David - 3:30

Friday
Office Day

Monday, January 29, 2018

Upcoming & Notable

**Semester 2 official work samples to be collected during LP6 meeting**



LP6 Begins - Monday, January 29
Mondavi Center - Circa's Carnival of Animals - Monday, January 29



Ski Day - Friday, February 9
Lincoln's Birthday (No School) - Monday, February 12
President's Day (No School) - Monday, February 19
Sutter's Fort Environmental Living Program - Tuesday, February 20 & Wednesday, February 21
Ski Day - Friday, February 23
Crest Center - Pete the Cat - Thursday, February 22
End of LP6 - Friday, February 23
LP7 Begins - Monday, February 26
Mondavi Center – Cudamani: Gamelan and Dance of Bali - Monday, February 26
Mondavi Center – Words Take Wing - Tuesday, February 27
Alliance Redwoods Environmental Science Camp (5th & 6th Grades) - Monday, February 26 - Friday, March 2.

Last Day to Add/Drop (HS Students) - Friday, March 2
Rescue Project and Performance Fair - Wednesday, March 7
Ski Day - Friday, March 9
Daylight Saving Time Begins - Sunday, March 11
Interim SBAC Test Prep - Jackson - Wednesday March 14 (waiting on more info)
Ski Make-Up Day - Friday, March 16
End of LP7 - Friday, March 23
SPRING BREAK - Monday, March 26 - Friday, March 30

This Week's Meeting Schedule

Monday 1/29
Office Day

Tuesday
Ione
Joseph & Alex - 11:00
Tiffany, Madison & Logan - 1:00

Wednesday
Ione
Jaxon - 12
Charlotte - 1:30
Khloe & Sadie - 2:35

Thursday
Ione
Austin - 12:30
Jasmine & Roxy - 2:00

Friday
Office Day

Monday, January 22, 2018

Virtual Meeting Survey

Testing, Testing...

Now is a great time to start some no stress practicing for state testing.

CAASPP Practice and Training Tests
Scoring Rubrics (Answers) to CAASPP Practice Tests


Here is a refresher of the testing info I have so far...

*CAASPP - California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (Language Arts and Math)
*CAST - California Science Test
*PFT - Physical Fitness Test

Which Grades Take Which Tests?
PFT - Grades 5, 7 and 9
CAASPP - Grades 3 - 8 and 11
CAST (field test) - Grades 5, 8, 11 and 12

CAASPP Interim Test Prep - NEW THIS YEAR - More info in this should come soon!
Jackson - Grace Church - March 14
Rescue - Foothills Methodist Church - March 7

CAASPP/CAST* Testing
Jackson - Grace Church - April 10 - 13
Rescue - Foothills Methodist Church - April 17 - 20
Make-ups (Carmichael, Concord, Fair Oaks, Lodi, Rescue) - May 8 - 10

PFT*
Dates and Times - Working on a Jackson testing day - will keep you posted
El Dorado Hills - Promontory Comm Park - 3/13 @ 9:00 am
Lodi - Katzakian Park - 3/22 @ 9:00 am
Elk Grove - Derr-Okamoto - 3/22 @ 1:00 pm
Sacramento - Howe Park - 3/21 @ 9:00 am
Fair Oaks - Fair Oaks Park - 3/7 @ 1:00 pm

CAASPP Practice and Training Tests
Scoring Rubrics (Answers) to CAASPP Practice Tests
Info on CAASPP Score Reports
CAST Info
PFT Info

Rescue Area Project Fair


You are invited to participate in a homeschool Project Fair in Rescue.  It is open to Visions students of all grades.  This fair will be a wonderful opportunity for students to display their work and for families to connect with each other.   Please bring a completed project to display.  Projects may be from any subject area, not just science. For more information, see this link on The Wire.


When:  Wednesday, March 7th, 2018, 3:00 – 5:00

Where:  Foothills United Methodist Church
               3301 Green Valley Road, Rescue, CA 95672

Students will have table top space (or floor if needed) to display their results/ models/ diagrams/ photos.   There is no cost to participate!

Attendance Change

Pathways updated the attendance (Activity Log) page so there is one extra step to log your attendance.

To log attendance:

  • Go to Launchpad
  • Click on School Pathways
  • Click on Activity Log



If you need to change the Learning Period, under Select Learning Periods, click the drop-down arrow and deselect the incorrect Learning period, then select the correct Learning Period.   






  • Click Review Log. The Learning Log will then appear on the screen.
 Check boxes and click Save Screen. 


This Week's Meeting Schedule

Monday 1/22
Virtual
Emily - 11:30
Yarrow & Alder - 1:00

Tuesday
Jackson Library
Isabeau & McKenna - 11:30
Ione
Leila - 2:00

Wednesday
Somerset
Maya - 9:30

Thursday - CT Work Day - No School

Friday - CT Work Day - No School

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Spring Semester Work Samples


Here are the optional work sample folders for the official work sample collection at our LP6 meeting. Remember, you do not have to use these. You can also use a combination of your own samples and the provided samples.

Don't worry about the standards matching on your semester plan. Things have been changing with how assignments are being logged with the Visions system (see next post), so we will check that together at our LP6 meeting.

TK/K Samples
1st Grade Samples
2nd Grade Samples
3rd Grade Samples
4th Grade Samples
5th Grade Samples
6th Grade Samples
7th Grade Samples
8th Grade Samples
9-12th Grade Samples

If you have any issues with them, or suggestions on better options, please let me know. I am open.

More Changes




Previously, I was required to create a semester plan with you AND then copy that information into Launchpad (now Pathways).

This year, Visions administration has decided to allow CTs to share (with their admin) and upload (to Pathways) the semester plans instead of duplicating that work.

What this means...
Starting LP6 (spring semester), your semester plan will be an "official" school document that is shared with your Visions administrator and logged on School Pathways.


How this changes things...(for most people, not much at all)

  • Semester Plan titles will include "Semester Plan & AWR" (I added that already)
  • Semester plans will need to be updated regularly, and at the end of each LP they should accurately reflect the work completed that LP (already being done :)
  • Grades and progress will need to be updated each LP (already being done :)
  • For those using religious texts and materials, we will no longer be able to use the titles of those materials on the semester plan. (Example:"Bob Jones English 4" becomes "English 4")
  • Students working above or below grade level will need to have "grade level" standards on the semester plan. (I was putting the standard of the grade level students were working at, but now I won't be able to. I'll be changing this over the next few weeks.)
Please let me know if you have any questions about this change. Thanks!

And remember, you can always make a copy of your semester plan for your own use if you like.

Math Webinar

Hi Visions Families,
Would you like to add more depth and creativity to your student's daily math lessons?  If so, then please join us for Math Webinar #4 on January 29th@ 1:00.  Our Math Instructional Coach, Melissa Meyer, will be hosting this webinar which will look at multidimensional math and how using diamond paper can engage students in higher level math thinking and reasoning.

To Register Please Click Here
To see a schedule of future Math Webinars or watch a recorded Math Webinars, Click Here.


Our goal is first and foremost to make math fun and engaging so that your student is not stressed by math but rather enjoys it and can apply it to real world situations. Remember, “textbooks don’t teach, teachers teach!”

Cool Share

Another cool share from Shelly...


Get it here - 2017 Year in Review Coloring Page
Feel free to use this as a Language Arts or Visual Arts work sample!

This Week's Meeting Schedule

Monday 1/16
MLK Day - No School

Tuesday
Virtual
Alex M. - 11:00
Akira - 1:30

Wednesday
Virtual
Justin - 11:00
Hunter - 12:15
Lilly - 1:20
Jezreel - 3:00

Thursday
Virtual
Emma - 12:00
Connor- 1:00
Wyatt - 2:00

Friday
Office Day

Monday, January 8, 2018

Mother Lode Guitar Lessons


Visions Vendor - Mother Lode Music
11310 Prospect Dr. Ste. 80
Jackson, CA. 95642
(209) 223-4323

Upcoming & Notable

**Semester 1 report cards and grades to be collected during LP5 meeting**
**Semester 2 official work samples to be collected during LP6 meeting**



Martin Luther King Day (No School) - Monday, January 15
End of LP5 - Attendance Due & Spring Semester Plans Due - Wednesday, January 24
LP6 Begins - Monday, January 29
Mondavi Center - Circa's Carnival of Animals - Monday, January 29



Ski Day - Friday, February 9
Lincoln's Birthday (No School) - Monday, February 12
President's Day (No School) - Monday, February 19
Sutter's Fort Environmental Living Program - Tuesday, February 20 & Wednesday, February 21
Ski Day - Friday, February 23
Crest Center - Pete the Cat - Thursday, February 22
End of LP6 - Friday, February 23
LP7 Begins - Monday, February 26
Mondavi Center – Cudamani: Gamelan and Dance of Bali - Monday, February 26
Mondavi Center – Words Take Wing - Tuesday, February 27
Alliance Redwoods Environmental Science Camp (5th & 6th Grades) - Monday, February 26 - Friday, March 2.

This Week's Meeting Schedule

Monday 1/8
Office Day

Tuesday
Virtual
Grace & Faith - 1:30

Wednesday
Virtual
Billy - 11:00
Thursday
Virtual
Lucas - 12:05
Charles & Ella - 1:30
David - 3:30

Friday

Monday, December 18, 2017

REACH Classes




What is REACH?
REACH stands for Recreation, Enrichment, and Academic Classes for Homeschooling. It is a program for homeschoolers produced by Amador County Recreation Agency. REACH is a Visions Vendor and classes are $15 each

Spring Semester Classes (Register by Jan. 5th):
Art (2nd - 12th grades)
American Sign Language (7th - 12th grades)
Amador and California History (4th - 8th grades)
Spanish (1st - 12th grades)
Robotics with Legos (4th - 8th grades)

Click here for the REACH program flyer.

2018 Ski Days

From the WIRE...



Visions-Sponsored Home School 2018 Ski Days Announced!

Love to ski or snowboard? Interested in learning how?

Visions Home School students and their immediate family members will have the exciting opportunity to ski or snowboard at our annual Ski Day events!

We are partnering with Sierra-at-Tahoe to sponsor multiple Ski Days this winter. Home school students can use student funds for ski/snowboard lessons, and family members/more experienced students can enjoy winter fun at discounted school group-rates.

2018 Ski Days Dates:

  • Friday, February 9
  • 
Friday, February 23
  • 
Friday, March 9
  • Make-Up Date: Friday, March 16*


To participate, families need to fill out a Ski Days Order Form (one form for every family member) on the Visions-Sponsored Ski Days event page.

*We will have one make-up date, which will happen ONLY if a regular date is canceled due to weather. Please remember that we can’t control the weather and we will do our best to work through its unpredictability!

Payment & Cancellation Policy Highlights (more details on event page linked above)

  • Only enrolled students taking a lesson can use student funds. Parents and/or non-enrolled family members will need to pay out of pocket prior to the event date.
  • To avoid cancellation of your order and in order to allow Sierra-at-Tahoe sufficient time to hire instructors, payment is due no later than the close of business on the Monday before the ski day date. For example, payment for the February 9th Ski Day is due on Monday, February 5th. Orders are also non-refundable after that time.
  • For ski days canceled due to weather/safety concerns, student accounts will NOT be charged and all non-student payments will be transferred to another ski date of your choice. If this happens, please fill out the ski form and in the comments notate that you are transferring your payment from a previous cancellation.

If you have any questions, please contact the Home School office at 916-971-5518. We hope you’ll join us for some cool winter fun with your family and friends!

Enjoy Winter Break!



I know it is a little premature, but this is the last blog post before the holidays.
Have a wonderful, fun, and safe winter break everyone! 
(Monday 1/25 - Friday 1/5)

This Week's Meeting Schedule

Monday 12/18
Ms. Bryon at Professional Development in Carmichael

Tuesday
Virtual
Joseph & Alex - 11:00
Tiffany, Madison & Logan - 1:00

Wednesday
Virtual
Jaxon - 12
Charlotte - 1:30
Khloe & Sadie - 2:35

Thursday
Virtual
Wyatt - 11:00
Jasmine & Roxy - 2:00

Friday
Office Day