Important Information on CDE Student Records Disclosure

From the WIRE...

Recently the United States District Court for the Eastern District of the California - Sacramento Division, ruled to hand over California public school records to attorneys of a parent group suing the state. The two parent groups that have filed the lawsuit against the California Department of Education (CDE) are a parent association group from the Morgan Hill Unified School District and California Concerned Parents Association, a group with members in 80 school districts throughout the state. The parent groups have accused CDE of alleged widespread, systemic non-compliance by local education agencies with special education laws. The suit also alleges the CDE fails to monitor, investigate and correct such non-compliance in accordance with the law. The CDE denies these allegations and is actively defending the litigation.

Visions In Education is not involved in the lawsuit and is not the subject of any of the suit’s allegations.  Nonetheless, as a part of this lawsuit, CDE has been ordered by the court to release all data it has collected on general and special education students since January 1, 2008. The data will include names, addresses, social security numbers, test scores, disciplinary records, health and mental health records and more.

This release of information impacts the following groups of students/parents:

• The parent or guardian of a child (including an infant) with disabilities
• The parent or guardian of a student who is attending or attended a California school at any time since January 1, 2008
• Person over the age of eighteen who is attending or attended a California school at any time since January 1, 2008.

The court order can be found here: Notice of Disclosure of Student Records.

Parents have the right to file an objection form requesting that their children’s information will not be released. If you wish to object to the disclosure of your child(ren)’s personally identifiable information, the CDE provides an Objection Form  (Update: CDE has shared that the “County” question in the form is referring to the county the school district is located in) that must be filed by April 1, 2016. Please note that if your children have attended multiple schools, and you choose to object, you will need to complete the form for each school they attended.

For more information regarding the release of this data and how you can file an objection with the court to not release your data, visit CDE’s Web site at http://www.cde.ca.gov/morganhillcase or contact CDE at 916.319.0800.

Physical Fitness Test (5th, 7th & 9th only)

All students in grades 5, 7, and 9 are required to take a physical fitness test. The PFT.

Information about the test can be found here.

The easiest way to fulfill this requirement is to attend the Visions Park and PE Testing Day, in Cameron Park, that CT Callie Johnson is hosting. Here is the flyer. If you do plan to attend this event, please let me know as soon as possible, so I can tell her you are coming and she can put you on the list.

Alternatively, I can administer the test at one of our upcoming meetings, or you may do it yourselves at home. The test results are due on or before April 8th.

• Information regarding administration of the test is located here (remains unchanged from last year)
• This document shows information on how to administer tests. Please pay specific attention to guidelines relating to push-ups and curl-ups. They should be paced for about 3 seconds repetition.
• Administration Videos~
• One-Mile Run Video (4:08 min)
• Walk Test Video (3:47 min) For students ages 13 and older and requires a 60 second heart rate.
• Curl-Up Video (4:54 min)
• Trunk Lift Video (3:37 min)
• Push-Up Video (3:29 min)
• Modified Pull-up Video (3:14 min)
• Flexed-Arm Hang Video (3:20 min)
• Shoulder Stretch Video (3:27 min)
• Back-Saver Sit and Reach Video (4:40 min)
• Pacer Video (6:15 min) This video does not reflect the recent change to the PACER. This test no longer requires height and weight to determine aerobic capacity.
• Skinfold Measurements Video (3:52 min)
• Body Mass Index Video (3:01 min)
• Bioelectric Impedance Analyzer Video (3:42 min)

Washington DC 8th/9th Grade Excursion

Visions in Education would like to invite our 2016-17 Home School Eighth and Ninth Graders to join us on An American Adventure.  We will depart Northern California and travel by plane to our nation’s capital, Washington DC.  We will spend five days and four nights touring such sites as:

• The National Air and Space Museum

• The Lincoln Memorial

• The Vietnam War Memorial

• Ford’s Theater (Site of President Lincoln’s Assassination)

• Mt. Vernon (Home of George and Martha Washington)

• The National Museum of American History

• The US Capitol Building

• The National Museum of Natural History

• Arlington National Cemetery

• The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

• The Library of Congress


See Flyer for more info.

This Week's Meeting Schedule

Monday 2/22
CT Professional Development in Carmichael

Tuesday
Ione
Khloe & Sadie - 11:00
Tyler & Lexi - 1:00

Wednesday
Ione
Leila - 11:00
Zora - 12:30
Clark's Corner
Jaye - 2:00
Lillian - 3:00

Thursday
Pioneer
Connor - 11:00
Xanett - 12:00
Emma E.- 1:10

Friday
Office Day

Proposal to Eliminate Charter Schools

From the WIRE, posted on February 12, 2016 by Jody Graf:

PROPOSED ANTI-CHARTER INITIATIVE IN THE NEWS

Visions has received numerous inquiries from our families and staff about a potential ballot measure, the Elimination of Charter Schools Initiative that has been cleared to begin collecting petition signatures for possible inclusion on the November ballot. The initiative calls for the elimination of charter schools by repealing all laws governing charter schools, effective July 1, 2017. It would require charter schools to convert to traditional public schools or close, at local school districts’ discretion. All remaining funding and property would be transferred to the state. Secretary of State Alex Padilla made this announcement this past Monday, February 8. The initiative is in its beginning stages and would need at least 365,880 valid signatures, by August 8, 2016 before it could qualify for the ballot.

The backers of the initiative are focused more on for-profit organizations and for-profit charters, which is a very small fraction of the charter schools in California. Visions is, as are the vast majority of California charter schools, operated as a non-profit public school; it is tuition-free and open to all students. Also, as with all charter schools, Visions is held accountable to state and federal academic standards.
In the meantime here are some things you can do:

1. Share your experience about the benefits of charter schools with friends, family, your legislator, etc. The more voices that support parent choice in education, the harder it will be for misrepresentations about charter schools to take hold.
2. Help inform your friends and family members that your school is a public school and that charter schools are public schools.
3. Read the fine print in any ballot measure to make sure you understand what you’re signing. Sometimes the wording to get your attention is misleading.

We will continue to monitor this and keep you informed if there are further developments.
-Jody

This Week's Meeting Schedule

Monday 2/15
President's Day - No School

Tuesday
Plymouth
Jezreel - 10:00
Somerset
Yarrow - 11:30
Plymouth
David - 3:30

Wednesday
Ione
Grace - 11:00
Luke & Alex - 12:30
Jasmine & Roxie - 2:30

Thursday
Somerset
Teran - 1:00
Camino
Alex M. - 3:30

Friday
Office Day

SBAC Test Prep Classes (Grades 3-8 & 11)

Visions In Education is offering free Smarter Balanced Prep classes for grades 3-8 and 11 in ELA and math. Make sure your student feels prepared to take the Smarter Balanced Assessments this year by signing up for the classes. Now open for enrollment, the classes are free and are offered in multiple locations throughout our service area. Students will become familiar with SBAC test-taking procedures through topics covering exposure to the technology that will be utilized and what to expect in the performance task portion of the test. The classes will also offer a short time for student and parent questions.

The Prep classes must have a minimum enrollment of five students, 48 hours prior to the date or it will be canceled.  If a class is canceled, parents/guardians will be notified by email 24 hours in advance.

Prep Classes will be offered in Carmichael, Lodi, Concord, Fairfield, Rescue, Jackson, and South Lake Tahoe on a variety of dates towards the end of February and beginning of March.

Note: SBAC Prep Classes will not review grade-level content—test-taking procedures will be the primary focus.

Click here to find the schedule for 2016 SBAC Prep Classes. The schedule will be finalized soon and registration for the classes will take place in Launchpad.Write down the Class ID numbers, double check for accuracy and go to LaunchPad to register.

For questions regarding SBAC Prep Classes, contact our Class Coordinators James Mayo (916-971-5193) and Christina Jonsson (916-971-5192).

If you are looking for more materials to prepare your student for the upcoming SBAC test, please click here.

Another great resource is SmarterBalanced.org.

College: Making it Happen Event

Sacramento State is hosting its annual “College: Making It Happen!” college information day on Saturday, April 2, 2016. This program, intended primarily for 6th through 9th graders and their parents, is designed to convey the importance of early academic preparation and to inform families that a college education is still both affordable and attainable. The program is free and open to the public.

The program includes motivational sessions, practical hands-on workshops, career exploration, campus tours, and information sessions on preparing academically and financially for college. Representatives and counselors from local colleges and universities, tutoring programs, community agencies and other student support services will be available to answer questions and provide information about their services.  Some presentations will be offered in Hmong and Spanish.

The event will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 2 at Sacramento State University, Union Ballroom. Due to its growing popularity, pre-registration is required.

Register  at www.csus.edu/cmih
Flyer

“College: Making It Happen!” is sponsored by Sacramento State, UC Davis Undergraduate Admissions & Early Academic Outreach Program, Los Rios Community College District, ScholarShare, CAL-SOAP Consortium, Breakthrough Sacramento, and other educational and community based organizations.

Upcoming

• Lincoln's Birthday (No school): Monday, February 8
• LP 6 Ends: Friday, February 12
• Valentine's Day: Sunday, February 14
• President's Day (No school): Monday, February 15
• LP 7 Begins: Tuesday, February 16
• Last Day to Add/Drop Classes: Friday, February 19
• Last Day to Order Curriculum and Materials: Friday, February 26
• Alliance Redwoods Environmental Camp (5th and 6th Graders): Monday, February 29 to Friday, March 4th

• Rescue Project Fair: Wednesday, March 2
• LP 7 Ends: Friday, March 11
• Last Day to Add a Voucher Vendor: Friday, March 11
• Daylight Saving Time Starts: Sunday, March 13
• LP 8 Begins: Monday, March 14
• St. Patrick's Day: Thursday, March 17
• Spring Break: Monday, March 21 through Friday, March 25

This Week's Meeting Schedule

Monday 2/8
No School - Lincoln's Birthday

Tuesday
Ione
Gage - 11:00
Haley, Riley, Madeline, & Paige- 12:30

Wednesday
Jackson - Grace Church
Connor - 11:30
Ana & Baruch - 12:30
Emily - 2:30

Thursday
Jackson - Round Table
William - 11:30
Jackson - Starbucks
Wyatt - 12:30
Xannett- 1:30

Friday
Carmichael
Gage - 2:00 ?

Staples Ordering

Visions is excited to announce a new partnership with Staples! Starting on January 21st, you will be able to order educational materials and supplies from Staples. Not only will Staples be a new vendor, but the Staples ordering process will be convenient and quick.

You can now use the Launchpad Order Wizard to start a Staples order. You will then be routed to the Staples website where you can shop for items and add them to a shopping cart, and then checkout. (You will not need to type in the item numbers and descriptions into Launchpad as is done with other vendors.) 

When checkout is completed, you will be routed back to Launchpad, where the order can be approved by your CT and reviewed by resource center staff. Please see the specific instructions on how to order from Staples by clicking here.

Once an order has been approved and reviewed, Staples will process the order within a day or two, and ship items very quickly.

Please keep in mind that the Supplementary Materials Purchasing Matrix still applies when adding items to the cart for purchase. Staples may have items available in their store that are not approvable, so please do not order these items.

Visions is excited to be able to offer this new ordering opportunity to more efficiently serve our wonderful homeschool families and students!

Key Ordering Deadlines

• Last day to order curriculum: February 26, 2016.

• Last day to add a new voucher vendor: March 11, 2016.
• Last day to order computer or voucher: April 1, 2016.
• Pre-ordering for 2016-17 school year starts April 11, 2016.
• Last day to request a parent field trip reimbursement: June 3, 2016.
• Last day to turn in Textbook Transfer: June 6, 2016.
• Last day to request a community college reimbursement: June 3, 2016.
• Last day to return all returnable items: June 10, 2016.

This Week's Meeting Schedule

Monday 2/1
Office Day

Tuesday
Ione
Khloe & Sadie - 11:00
Tyler & Lexi - 1:00

Wednesday
Ione
Leila - 11:00
Zora - 12:30
Lillian - 1:35
Clark's Corner
Jaye - 3:00

Thursday
Pioneer Library
Xanett - 12:00
Emma E.- 1:10
Connor - 2:20

Friday
Office Day

Ski Days

Visions students and immediate family members are invited to enjoy a day of skiing or snowboarding at Sierra-at-Tahoe.

With multiple dates to choose from, students will be able to use student funds to learn the sport, and family members and non-lesson students will get the advantage of discounted rates.

Visions CTs Shelby Shupe and Ty Beekman are coordinating this annual event.

Remaining Ski Day Dates are:
Friday, February 5
Friday February 26
Friday, March 11

Click here for more information.
(This link will take you to the WIRE, so you will need to be logged in to Launchpad to view.)

This Week's Meeting Schedule

Monday 1/25
Office Day

Tuesday
Plymouth
Jezreel - 10:00
Somerset
Yarrow - 11:30
Plymouth
David - 3:30

Wednesday
Ione
Grace - 11:00
Luke & Alex - 12:30
Jasmine & Roxie - 2:30

Thursday
Camino
Alex M. - 11:00
Grizzly Flat
Teran - 1:00

Friday
Office Day

Testing News

A few parents have asked questions about upcoming state testing in the spring. Here is the information I have so far. Remember that it is still early days in the planning and dates may change. I do not have testing times yet. I will continue to update you as information is shared with me.

Who is taking tests and what tests will they be taking?
Smarter Balanced Tests:
• English language arts/literacy and mathematics in grades 3–8 and grade 11
Paper-pencil tests:
• California Standards Tests (CSTs) for Science—grades 5, 8, and 10

Where can we start practicing for these tests?

CAASP Practice Tests

http://www.caaspp.org/practice-and-training/

CST Practice Tests
Grade 5 Science
Grade 8 Science
Grade 10 Science

Other ways to get your child ready include:

• Typing practice 
• Computer navigation practice
• Reading long stories and other text on a computer or tablet screen

Where and when will my student test?

Jackson - Grace Church

May 3 - 6 (CST and 11th grade SBAC Tuesday, SBAC all grades Wednesday and Thursday, and Friday if needed)

Rescue - Foothills United Methodist Church

April 26 - 29 (CST and 11th grade SBAC Tuesday, SBAC all grades Wednesday and Thursday, and Friday if needed)

Visions is required by the state to have over 95% of its students test, falling under that number endangers the Charter and puts Visions at risk for state compliance monitoring.

Upcoming

• LP 5 Ends: Friday, January 15
• Martin Luther King Day (No school): Monday, January 18
• Teacher Work Days (No School): Tuesday and Wednesday, January 19 and 20
• LP 6 Begins: Thursday, January 21

• Lincoln's Birthday (No school): Monday, February 8
• LP 6 Ends: Friday, February 12

This Week's Meeting Schedule

Monday 1/11
Office Day

Tuesday
Ione
Gage - 11:00
Haley, Riley, Madeline, & Paige- 12:30
Zora - 3:00 (Clark's Corner)

Wednesday
Jackson
Khloe & Sadie - 11:00
Jackson - Grace Church
Ana & Baruch - 12:30
Emily - 2:30
Tristan - 3:30

Thursday
Pine Grove
Emma N. - 11:00
William - 12:15
Joy & Tobias- 1:30

Friday
Jackson - Starbucks
Xannett - 11:00
Wyatt - 12:00
Jaye - 1:00
Lilly - 2:00

LP5 & LP6 - Friendly Reminder

LP5 ends on Friday, January 15.

LP6 Begins on Thursday, January 21.

During our LP5 meeting we will generate semester grades (6-12), and create the digital copy of official report cards (K-5). K-5 - Please have your draft report cards ready for our LP5 meeting.

During our LP6 meeting I will be collecting official work samples for Visions. All Grades - Please have your LP6 semester plan complete for our LP5 meeting (so we can cement what topics you will cover for official work samples), and the remainder of your semester plan complete for our LP6 meeting.

Thank you!

This Week's Meeting Schedule

Monday 1/4
Office Day

Tuesday
Ione
Khloe & Sadie - 11:00
Tyler & Lexi - 1:00

Wednesday
Ione
Leila - 11:00
Zora - 12:30
Lillian - 1:35
Clark's Corner
Jaye - 3:00 (12:05?)

Thursday
Pioneer Library
Xanett - 12:00
Wyatt - 2:20
Emma E.- 3:30 - (1:10?)

Friday
Office Day