School Starts Tomorrow!

Are you ready?

Beginning of year checklist:

• I know when I'm meeting with my CT
• I have my curriculum
• I've planned my year (or at least the first semester)
• My semester plan is updated with books and materials and at least the LP1 assignments
• I know where to find the state standards
• I know what I'm doing for PE and Exploration (and/or other electives)

If you have all this, you are READY for a fantastic start to the school year. Reach out if you need help!

LP1 Meetings

Thank you to everyone who responded with meeting restrictions and desires. I tried to accommodate as best as I could.

Here is the current meeting plan.

Please check it out and make sure that our meeting time and place will work for you. Get back to me ASAP if there is any issue.

If you don't see your name on the schedule, please choose an AVAILABLE spot and let me know your choice.

Thanks!

Semester Plans

I shared out your semester plans last week. You should be able to access and edit them. If not, please let me know ASAP.

I will populate semester plans for LP1 for all new families.

All that is required (by Visions) for Tuesday is that at least something is set for books and materials, assignments and standards for LP1.

I will be checking all semester plans tonight to make sure they are Visions ready for Tuesday morning. If there isn't anything in there, I will put in a placeholder and check with you at our first meeting. (You can change this.)

Things to remember about semester plans:

• One book or material per row. Assignments from that book or material in the same row.
• If you are using multiple resources (library books, projects, field trips, online resources), please just put "Teacher Generated Activities" in the Books and Materials section and use the assignments columns to define what you will be addressing that learning period.
• You do not need to choose the standard drop downs, I will do that. But you CAN. If you do not choose the standard you will address each LP, I will need some info on the topics you will be teaching beyond "Chapter 2, Unit 3, etc."

Here are some Semester Plan samples if you are looking for ideas:

Elementary 1

Elementary 2

Middle School

High School

Enrichment

Looking for activities and field trips to enrich your child's education?

Check out the Vision's vendors in your area here:

https://www.viedu.org/home-school/enrichment-vendors/

Also, these Facebook pages are an AMAZING resource for activities and events going on in our area:

Amador homeschool events/field trips
https://www.facebook.com/groups/255180118334587/

Amador County Homeschool Connection: 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/383355335052927/
This is a Facebook Group for Amador County homeschool families to post abouthomeschool specific classes, activities, and field trips. Join the group to post, see the discussion, and comment.

Calaveras Homeschoolers:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/calaverashomeschoolers/info
Calaveras Homeschoolers is a group of homeschooling families, both private and charter. This is a Christian group, but you do not have to be a Christian homeschooler; all are welcome. All topics and activities of interest to homeschoolers are discussed. Field-trips, weekly park days, and other activities are available.

Big Oak Homeschoolers:
http://bigoakhomeschoolers.com
info@bigoakhomeschoolers.org
Big Oak Homeschoolers is a diverse group of fun, friendly, welcoming unschoolers and gentle homeschoolers.  Does not endorse any one resource, method or philosophy. Goal is to establish friendships amongst members, organize activities, share resources and create liaisons with other groups, and provide information to those considering or new to homeschool.

Amador County Homeschool Meetup:
localhomeschoolmeetup@gmail.com
Open to and welcome any and all types of homeschooling. Generally meet up the first and third Tuesday of each Month, from around 12:00-3:00, but are flexible, depending on the activity planned (hours open) and people’s schedules. We also welcome new ideas for fun. Some of the fun activities planned are: bowling, biking, tours, pool, museums, parks, picnics, and more! Please use the above email address to contact the meetup to find out about their group.

Visions Home School Group - Amador County
https://www.facebook.com/groups/289038597790927/
Serves students across the region in cities like Jackson, Ione, Volcano, Amador City, Sutter Creek, Fiddletown, Drytown, Pine Grove, Martell, and River Pines.

El Dorado Homeschoolers Network:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/360517857351491/

Homeschoolers of the Foothills:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/FoothillHomeschoolers/

Foothill Learning Academy
https://www.foothilllearningacademy.com/
Our mission is to support parent participation in education by organizing superior enrichment and supplemental classes for homeschool and charter school families. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, California public benefit corporation, Foothill Learning Academy collaborates with independent instructors to offer high quality classes to home study students in El Dorado Hills and Placerville, California.  Foothill Learning Academy is not a school or a charter school. Our classes are taught by qualified  independent contractors, known as vendors, who are paid directly by the students' parent or charter school.

*Links not working? Have a resource to add? Please contact me and I will update!

This Week's Meeting Schedule

Monday 8/26
Office Day

Tuesday
Jackson Library
11:00 - Billy
12:05 - Sterling
1:10 - AVAILABLE
2:15 - AVAILABLE

Wednesday
Ione - Corner Cafe
11:00 - Willow H.
12:00 - Lucas & Elias
2:00 - AVAILABLE

Thursday
Somerset - Crossroads Cafe
11:00 - Jette
12: 00 - AVAILABLE
1:00 - *Virtual - Uriah

Friday

Office Day 

Back to School

Whoo Hoo! It is time to plan for a great year!

Visions' credentialed teachers are back to work and we are busy putting all the processes and procedures in place to help you have a wonderful year.

Please don't hesitate to call, text or email me with your questions. I am here to help.
tbryon@viedu.org
(925) 337-1972

Meeting Schedule

I am so excited for our first meetings of the year! Help me get a plan in place that will work for everyone.

As you know, Visions requires us to meet once every learning period. Most of these meetings will be face-to-face, but we are allowed 2 per semester on a virtual platform.

I'm sure you know how difficult it is to schedule multiple families in multiple areas. It is super important that our meeting schedules are kept as a priority*. For you, it is the one day per learning period that you get to share what you have been doing and get all of the required documentation filed. For me, meetings happen Tuesday through Thursday, every week.

(I don't have meetings on Mondays or Fridays. Mondays have too many teacher trainings and holidays, and Fridays are my office/paperwork days - with the exception of the last Friday of each LP which I keep open for make-up meetings.)

Do you have days and/or times that absolutely won't work for you? If so, please email me asap, and I will try my best to accommodate your schedule.

After I get the initial emails about meeting time and date restrictions, I will send out a proposed meeting schedule. (Hopefully by Thursday.)

*I understand that schedules change. Enrichment activities are added, life events happen, people get sick. My schedule changes, too. Sometimes I get new students or have life events interfere as well. I just ask that you keep schedule changes to the important things, as they can make a lot of extra work for me :)

What to do before August 27th

Student instruction begins Tuesday, August 27th. Are you ready?

Here is a checklist of things to do:

• Understand Your Student's Courses and the Required State Standards
• You can view your student's courses via Pathways and the state standards are linked to the semester plans. Please let me know if you need help in viewing them.
• Choose and Order Your Curriculum
• There are so many options! You get the chance to decide what will work best for your student and your teaching style. Homeschooling is amazing, rewarding, fascinating, and also incredibly time intensive. What do you want to do and how do you want to do it? Do you want complete control? Do you want to teach all aspects? Would you like to have resources that teach for you and you monitor progress? You decide. You need to order your curriculum items as soon as you are able. If you need help choosing or ordering curriculum, please contact me.
• Plan Your Year
• Teachers across the country are planning how they will teach students for the year. They unpack their curriculum and decide what they want to teach and when. This is what you will be doing over the next week. Visions uses the required Semester Plans to document this planning. I shared out all semester plans last Friday so you can begin to document your academic plans for the year. The semester plan is due on our LP1 meeting. Please contact me if you need assistance in filling it out, or if you didn't get it or can't access it.
• Reach Out
• I am here to help. I have up to 40 families with incredibly different approaches to learning. Some are completely independent and only want my assistance to cross the t's and dot the i's for the state, others desire more input and support. I respect you. I respect how you decide to educate your children and how you approach that endeavor. I respect where you are in your journey. I am available to you for questions, advice, support, tutoring, extra meetings, etc. Just reach out via email, text or phone if you need anything. If I don't hear from you (aside from required communications and meetings), I assume that you have things under control and don't want or need added input.

Ordering Reminders

Curriculum and Supply Orders
You can find ordering resources, ordering reminders and ordering reference videos on your ordering screen on Launchpad.

Here are a few often used links:
Purchasing Matrix
Religious Content Review and Ordering Guidelines
Supported Curriculum Lists
Common Home School Curriculum Folder
Home School Instructional Materials and Services Purchasing


Vouchers

• Vouchers are officially non-refundable, so try to order only what you know you will use.
• Vouchers can only be ordered once curriculum has been obtained. 
• You may only use 1/2 of the remaining funds once curriculum is ordered for vouchers for the Fall semester. The remaining funds must be saved for the Spring semester.
• Be specific about dates and fees. More info is better than less. Dates, fees, quantity, description and fee type must match. 
• Visions will not approve any backdated orders. All vouchers must be dated from the date you order forward.

Acellus

For those who are using Acellus this year, you will order through Launchpad. 

Go to New Order >More Ordering Options > Curriculum >  Choose International Academy of Science in the drop down menu > No ISBN, Quantity 1, price $100, Description Acellus Academy 1year subscription.

Enrichment

There are lots of things going on in our area to enrich your educational plans.

You can do a search on the Visions website to find vendors in our area. There are new local and online vendors added often.

https://www.viedu.org/home-school/enrichment-vendors/?utm_medium=301&utm_source=/visions-vendors/


Here are some popular local vendors:

Anne Soule - Foothill Equestrian Center - Fiddletown - (209) 245-4991
Kaizen Martial Arts - Jackson - (209) 419-0803
Ko Sutemi West Karate - Jackson - (209) 296-4200
Lisa Lawson - Violin and Viola Lessons - Ione - (916) 549-3806
Karen Reed - Piano Lessons - Ione - (209) 781-6228
Dana Kreishok - Writing Class and Tutoring - Jackson - (209) 304-5671
Mary Longacre - Enrichment classes in science, history, writing, art, music, home economics - Pine Grove (209) 419-1686
Mother Lode Music - Musical lessons - (209) 223-4323
REACH - Amador County Recreation Agency - Sutter Creek - American Sign Language, Spanish, art and other enrichment courses - (209) 223-6349
The Dance Academy - Dance lessons - ballet, pointe, jazz, creative dance, tumbling, and lyrical -
Ione - (209) 256-0634

Stephanie Strong has art classes in Ione:

I will share out additional information about enrichment activities as I get it. If you have a vendor you like, or a class your student enjoys, please let me know so I can share with other local families.

Congratulations Graduates!

The Visions Graduation ceremony was today in Carmichael at the newly renovated Memorial Auditorium. It was a great turn out and a really exciting day.

Congratulations Isabeau and Maya for all of your hard work!

Have a fantastic summer!

 I'll be contacting new and returning students mid-August :)

Last Week of School Meeting Schedule

Monday 6/3 
Graduation Ceremony - Sacramento 

Tuesday - Office Day 

Wednesday 
Ione - Corner Cafe 
Willow - 11:30
Leila- 12:30
Ione 
Austin - 2:00

Thursday - Last Day of School 
Somerset 
Maya - 10:00
Carmichael 
Angel - 2:00*

Friday - Teacher Work Day

Wrapping Things Up - Checklist

Only 8 School Days Left!

End of Year Checklist

• Log LP10 Attendance (you can do it now).
• Finish up course material.
• Check standards for anything missed.
• Provide grades and comments for report cards to Ms. Bryon.
• Sign 2019/20 Master Agreement(s).
• Pre-order curriculum and materials that you know you are going to use.
• Order vouchers for summer if needed.

Upcoming & Notable

• Graduation Ceremony - Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento - Monday, June 3
• Last Day of School - Thursday, June 6
• Curriculum Returns - Tuesday, June 11, 9:30 to 11 at Grace Church in Jackson

School Year Calendars:

2019-2020

2020-2021

Last Two Week's Meeting Schedule

Monday 5/28 
Memorial Day - No School

Tuesday - Virtual/Phone Check-ins for Report Cards 

Wednesday
Jackson Library  
Austin - 10:00
Jezreel- 11:00
Lillian - 12:00

Thursday - Virtual/Phone Check-ins for Report Cards 

Friday Office Day 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

Monday 6/3 
Graduation Ceremony - Sacramento 

Tuesday - Office Day 

Wednesday 
Ione - Corner Cafe 
Willow - 11:30
Leila- 12:30
Ione 
Austin - 2:00

Thursday - Last Day of School 
Somerset 
Maya - 10:00
Carmichael 
Angel - 2:00*

13 School Days to Go!

End of Year Report Cards and Grades

I will be collecting report card progress (K-5) and grades (6-12) at our LP10 meeting.

If you are using our field trip as the LP10 meeting, please make sure to respond to the email I sent out about how you would like to handle your final report cards and grades.

Here is how to prepare for end of year report cards:

Grades K-5:
Remember, there are no real "grades" for K-5. Report cards just track progress through the grade level standards. In general: most students will be earning 3s for most categories, meaning that the grade level standard has been mastered. A student working a full grade level above will earn 4s, categories still in progress will earn a 2, 2+ or 3-.

• Download (or just view) sample report cards below. Look over the categories and see if you have any questions. Have your progress grades ready to give me at our LP10 meeting. 
• Decide if you would like to add optional effort grades and if so, have them ready to give me at our LP10 meeting.
• Write up your overall comments to read to me at our LP10 meeting. You can also email them to me if it is easier.
• You do not need to fill out the LP10 progress tab on the semester plan. The report card will count for that.

Grades 6-12:

• Have your final grades updated in your Semester Plan for our LP10 meeting. 
• Write up your overall comments and optional effort grades to give to me at our LP10 meeting. 

You can download/view sample report cards here. Yes, the samples say "Fall" but the categories will be the same and the final report card will be correct.

If you have any questions, or need any help, please contact me.

Summer Vouchers

Did you see the Wire post on Early Home School Voucher Ordering?

Here is a link to the page.
Here is what it says:

Big news; Visions In Education is introducing Early Voucher Ordering for the summer!

Our early voucher ordering process will allow ordering from May 15 to June 28 for the 2019/2020 summer months. During this time, continuing families can order vouchers for the months of July and August only.

Key Notes

• Unfortunately, newly enrolled siblings will not be eligible for early voucher ordering.
• The maximum dollar limit for July and August vouchers is $600.
• Vouchers will only be approved for continuing families that have already worked with their CT to acquire their curriculum for the 2019/2020 school year.
• At the end of day, June 28, we will turn off early voucher ordering and voucher ordering will not be turned back on until CTs return in August.

When CTs return in August, families will again be able to resume creating vouchers for an August 27 start date (which is the first day of school next year).

For our continuing families who take advantage of early voucher ordering, we hope you enjoy the ability to participate in enrichment activities throughout the summer.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the Resource Center.
*As a friendly reminder, please remember per our policy, vouchers are non-refundable.
Posted on May 1, 2019 by Michael Brubaker

Upcoming & Notable

• LP10 Begins - Monday, May 20
• SeaQuest Field Trip - Friday, May 24 - FULL
• Memorial Day - No school - Monday, May 27

• Graduation Ceremony - Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento - Monday, June 3
• Last Day of School - Thursday, June 6
• Curriculum Returns - Tuesday, June 11, 9:30 to 11 at Grace Church in Jackson

School Year Calendars:

2019-2020

2020-2021