Entries by Justina Janas

2020 Virtual Summer Graduation Ceremony

Class of 2020 Commencement text overlaid grad cap image

2020 Virtual Summer Graduation Ceremony

Dear Graduates, Families, and Members of the Visions’ Community,

We thank you for bearing with us through these unprecedented times and joining us in celebrating the success of the Class of 2020.

While we wish we could celebrate with you in person, our hope is that these videos will bring the experience of graduation into your homes. The videos are in sections so they can be viewed at your leisure and enjoyed with your friends and family by sharing the link to this page. Clicking on each tab will direct you to the playlist on YouTube where you can navigate each video individually.

On behalf of the Visions’ Board of Directors, and our entire Visions In Education team, thank you for choosing us to partner with you on your educational journey. We congratulate you, summer Class of 2020, on your accomplishments and wish you all the best in the years to come.

Sincerely,
Dr. Jody Graf
Superintendent

To see the June graduates, please click here.

Welcome & Remarks

Join us for our opening processions including a commencement address from our Superintendent and some words of wisdom from two very special guests. 

Pledge of Allegiance: Abigail Delgado
National Anthem: Performed by Isabelle Weaver
Welcome & Remarks: Dr. Jody Graf, Visions In Education, Superintendent
Special Guest Speaker: Jamie Anderson, Olympic Gold Medalist, Professional Snowboarder, & Visions In Education Alumnus
Special Guest Speaker: Alyssa Nakken, Professional Baseball Coach, San Francisco Giants

Graduation Performances

Three talented graduates of the Class of 2020 have prepared musical performances to celebrate your accomplishments.

“I Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston: Performed by Eve Sterling
Nocturne in E Flat Major by Frederic Chopin: Performed by Yevgenia Neverov
“See You Again” by Charlie Puth: Performed by Stephanie Manthe

Remarks & Certification

Please join Visions In Education Board of Directors Chairperson Katie McCleary for some inspiring words of wisdom followed by the presentation and certification of the Class of 2020 by Board of Directors Member Thomas Knox.

Remarks: Katie McCleary, Visions In Education Board of Directors Chairperson
Presentation & Certification of the Class of 2020: Thomas Knox, Visions In Education Board of Directors Member

Class of 2020: Summer Graduates

Please join us in celebrating the summer Class of 2020!

Tassel Turn & Farewell

As we bring our ceremony to a close, we invite our graduates to participate in the symbolic turning of the tassel to celebrate your accomplishment of becoming a high school graduate!

Tassel Turn: Dr. Jody Graf, Visions In Education, Superintendent 

Student Spotlight: Visions Reignites Student’s Love For Learning

Student Spotlight graphic with online high school student's artwork of bread, donuts, strawberries and anime characters

Student Spotlight: Visions Reignites Student’s Love For Learning

Shalini K. came to Visions last year after having a difficult time in another school’s independent study program. Her family was looking for a school that would provide a flexible schedule, academic support and college planning. In Visions’ online high school program she has been able to get back on track and reignite her love for learning.

Preparing For Her Future

At her old school Shalini felt lost and was unsure what her goals were. She’s an artist and she’s currently exploring different career options including law, medicine and entrepreneurship. At Visions, she’s found the support and opportunities she needs to learn, grow and plan for the future.

“Every day I look forward just to sitting at my desk and studying. You [Visions] made learning a hobby for me,” said Shalini. “This school is a genuine lifesaver.”

Path to Success

With the support of her teacher, Kristen Wetzel and counselor, Jen Nino, Shalini has found her passion for learning again. She’s participating in a career technical education heath course and plans to take college classes during her senior year. In addition to her studies, she’s focusing on her art and plans to open an Etsy shop to sell her designs.

“Kristen is the best teacher I’ve had in a very long time. She emails me almost immediately and she explains things well and in detail,” said Shalini.

Anything Is Possible

Shalini is ready to jump into the new school year. She’s working with her counselor, Jen, to plan for college and creating sticker designs for her online shop. We can’t wait to see what she does in the future!

Grad Spotlight: Bilingual Artist Found Flexibility At Visions

Linda Graduate Spotlight female online high school graduate smiles at camera in blue cap and gown holding diploma

Grad Spotlight: Bilingual Artist Found Flexibility At Visions

Linda R. found Visions in 8th grade while researching schools that offered flexibility and extra support. She knew she needed a school that would help her pursue her various interests and goals.

Linda took honors courses and began exploring her interest in healthcare by earning her CPR certification. She’d always had an interest in the medical field but also wanted time to pursue her artistic interests including painting and manicuring. At Visions, she was able to pursue both her academic and personal interests in our online high school program.

“Visions helped me tremendously, they offered tutoring, college classes, driver’s education, honors courses and the tools I needed to achieve my goals,” said Linda.

Linda is also bilingual and was awarded the California State Seal of Biliteracy for mastering both Spanish and English. This award recognizes high school graduates who are able to proficiently speak, read and write one or more languages in addition to English.

Teacher And Counselor Support

Linda credits much of her success to her teacher, Don Bisio and counselor, Julie Winalski. Don always liked to start each week with motivational quotes to inspire his students. Julie provided the additional support Linda needed to prepare for college.

“Julie is an incredible counselor. She always makes time for her students,” said Linda. “During my senior year, she helped me and my other classmates tremendously.”

Linda graduated in 2020 and is moving on to pursue her degree in nursing at California State University, Sacramento. #VisionsProud

Graduate Spotlight: Student Accelerates His Learning At Visions

Male online high school graduate smiles at the camera wearing a blue cap and gown

Graduate Spotlight: Student Accelerates His Learning At Visions

When Jeremiah C. was in third grade he read his science textbook in 24 hours. At that moment his parents realized they needed to find a school that could fit his advanced needs. Fast forward nine years and he is proudly graduating from Visions’ online University Prep high school program.

Learning at the Speed of Light

At Visions, Jeremiah’s teachers encouraged him to dig in and learn more about the topics he studied. His flexible high school schedule allowed him to pursue his various interests while also accelerating his learning. 

Jeremiah woke up early each morning to attend seminary class, participated in various Shakespeare productions, helped plan and lead a week long camp and served as an intern at SeaQuest Folsom and the Sacramento County Election Office. During his senior year he served as the President of the Visions’ chapter of the California Scholarship Federation. He also joined his local First Robotics team and competed nationally. During his two years with the team they were awarded various honors including the Creativity in Engineering award which came with a $5,000 NASA sponsorship!

“He just didn’t fit the traditional school model,” said Jeremiah’s mom, Brenda. “We liked that Visions was flexible with creative ways to ‘show-what-you-know’ beyond just workbooks and tests but still held him accountable and challenged him to progress and grow at his accelerated pace.”

Jeremiah worked closely with his teachers, principal and counselors to find ways to get ahead. He took AP Calculus and participated in Visions’ community college program by taking Physics at Cosumnes River College. This experience helped him prepare early for his college career. Being able to learn at home also gave him the time to advance in his studies while also enjoying his hobbies like kayaking, mastering complex board games and solving Rubik’s cubes.

What’s Next?

Jeremiah will be attending UC Santa Barbara in the fall to pursue a degree in Physics. After a year of school he plans to take a break to serve on a two year mission for his church. In the future he hopes to work at CERN, a European research organization that studies subatomic particles. 

Join Us to Celebrate National Charter Schools Week!

National Charter Schools Week logo with heart

Join Us to Celebrate National Charter Schools Week!

National Charter Schools Week is May 10-16 and this year’s theme is “Above and Beyond”. We’re proud to be a charter school with students, parents, teachers and staff that are going above and beyond to keep moving forward during this difficult time.

We want to use this week to celebrate the fact that Visions In Education was built to meet this challenge and our students, families and teachers were already well equipped to continue learning. In fact, in early April as we made changes to accommodate social distancing, 96% of our amazing students continued to be engaged in their studies!

Three Ways to Celebrate From Home

  1. Post a badge on your Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter to show your charter school support (right click or screenshot the badges below to download). Use hashtags #CharterSchoolsWeek and #VisionsProud.
  2. Share your story about how you have continued learning during this time. Post your story in the comments below or on social media using #CharterSchoolsWeek and #VisionsProud.
  3. Participate in Spirit Week! We’re all looking for easy ways to have fun these days. Participate in the National Charter Schools Spirit Week and share your photos with us – this includes teachers and staff! Send your photos to marketing@viedu.org or post them on social media using #CharterSchoolsWeek and #VisionsProud.*

National Charter Schools Week Spirit Week schedule

Social Media Badges

I love my charter school text overlaid on a heart shape

Charter Schools Go Above and Beyond #CharterSchoolsWeek

*By submitting photos to this email or using the hashtags #CharterSchoolsWeek and #VisionsProud you are granting Visions In Education permission to share them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, the Wire and viedu.org. Please make sure your social media profiles are set to public so we can see your photos.

Student Spotlight: Student Author Starts a New Chapter

Female student smiles at the camera

Student Spotlight: Student Author Starts a New Chapter

Many young writers dream of publishing their first book, few can claim to be a published author before they even start high school. But Visions 8th grade student, known as Allie Kat*, has been writing since she was ten years old. She is the proud published author of multiple children’s books. 

“My friends moved away a few years ago,” Allie Kat said when asked why she started writing. “[My book characters] were immediately my friends.” 

At the urging of her mother, Allie pursued her passion and turned her first writing project into her first story. As she made the transition into middle school, Allie and her family looked for a flexible choice that would allow her to pursue her writing career. This eventually led her to Visions In Education and credentialed teacher Megan Edens. 

“I really enjoy being her student,” Allie Kat said. 

At Visions, Allie Kat is able to work at her own pace and balance being a successful author and student. She is able to keep writing her own work, in a creative writing exploration class and as part of our Find Your Voice writing class that brings young authors together to publish an anthology. Allie Kat has been published multiple times, both as part of collaborations and in her own standalone projects. Her latest book, Adventures of Baby Matzu, is a children’s book that was inspired by her aunt and uncle’s new baby. 

“I didn’t expect it to become a book,” Allie Kat said. “I just got inspired and started writing.” 

The Next Chapter

Allie Kat was recently featured at the Great Valley BookFest and has a number of projects in the works. Including a sequel to Adventures of Baby Matzu. She is looking forward to the challenge of high school and thanks her family and teacher for supporting her in her creative journey. 

*Student’s real name was withheld by request. 

Free Virtual Learning Resources

Free virtual learning resources text overlaid on image of laptop

Free Virtual Learning Resources

During this unprecedented time where many schools are closed due to COVID-19, Visions In Education is proud to offer programs that allow our students to continue learning. Our Home School, online Independent Study and University Prep programs are already built to offer distance learning to give flexibility to families.

To help other students and families continue learning during this time, we’re excited to provide a collection of free activities and websites for children of all ages.

These Curriculum and Activity Resources for Virtual Learning include a wide array of subjects and are intended to provide meaningful and engaging instruction. Choose your grade level from the tabs along the bottom of the spreadsheet and find resources by subject including:

  • Over 40 virtual field trip options
  • Spanish lessons
  • Coding and math activities using Minecraft
  • A library of over 60,000 free e-books
  • Tons of other science, math, physical education, history and English activities

For even more online tools, visit the California Department of Education’s website here.

Please feel free to share with others that could make use of these valuable resources!

Coronavirus COVID-19 Latest News

Hand pressing an email icon on blurred cityscape background with COVID-19 Latest News text overlay

Coronavirus COVID-19 Latest News

See all of our COVID-19 Resources here.

Updated: March 22, 2021 8:20 a.m.

Visions is excited to announce that beginning Monday, 3/22/21, we are permitting in-person enrichment services for Community Partners! Visions has consulted with each county in our nine-county service area, our legal counsel, and many other stakeholders prior to this decision. Based on this input, Visions has created specific practices and procedures to allow Community Partners to again offer in-person services to our families. 

Our legal and insurance counsel have worked with Visions to create a reopening plan that ensures our processes are safe for students. Due to this, please take the time to review the Student and Family COVID-19 Enrichment Services Resource Guide

Please frequently revisit the Resource Guide (linked above) as state-wide COVID-19 information can change.


Updated: October 27, 2020 8:15 a.m.

We hope this finds you and your family well.

As part of the plan to contain the spread of COVID-19 and support contact tracing, all public schools are required to notify the County Health Department if ANY student or employee tests positive for COVID-19. Even though we are in distance learning and not having contact with our students, we are still required to notify the county.

Schools have 24 hours from the time a student or employee tests positive to notify the county. Therefore, we are requiring that if a student or employee tests positive for COVID-19 to contact Visions’ Human Resources Department immediately so that we can support you, and comply with the county requirements.

Visions’ Human Resource manager will work with families and employees to gather the appropriate information. Visions is working carefully with the county and appreciates your support in this matter.

You can notify HR by sending an email to HR@viedu.org or calling 916-883-1614.


October 13, 2020 8 a.m.

Many locations throughout our service area are again offering free meal services for students. These locations offer pick up and drive through options. These services have been extended and will now be offered through June 30, 2021.

See locations here.

For additional food assistance resources click here.


September 29, 2020 9 a.m.

Many locations throughout our service area are again offering free meal services for students. These locations offer pick up and drive through options. These services will be offered through June 30, 2020 (previously the program ended at the end of December).

See locations here.

For additional food assistance resources click here.


July 15, 2020 5 p.m.

Please know that this information and guidance is subject to change, pending any updates from state and federal officials.

On July 15 the Sacramento County Office of Education announced that Sacramento district schools will reopen in August or September with a distance learning model. Many other school districts in Visions’ service area are also choosing to reopen virtually to slow the spread of COVID-19. What Does This Mean For Visions? Visions will begin school, as planned, on August 25, 2020 for all students. As we shared at the end of the school year, Visions’ plans for the fall are based on recommendations from State and County Health Officials. As such, we have made changes to move to a completely virtual program delivery model for the first semester, and we will reassess our model during the first semester. To prepare for the new school year it will be helpful for you to know the following changes within our program:

  • Our teachers and counselors will provide educational support to students and families virtually (no face-to-face meetings).
  • Special Education, related services and IEP meetings will be provided virtually.
  • All in-person events and activities are canceled for at least the first semester.
  • Only vendor services that can be offered online will be accessible.  
  • Our main office team will support families virtually. A limited number of staff will be available to support our students and families for essential paperwork.

To prepare for these changes, Visions will continue to provide our students and families with access to the tools and resources needed to support learning under these conditions. A few of the new features for the 2020/21 school year include:

  • New Launchpad 2020 … faster, easier, and better;
  • New Online Learning System for Independent Study and University Prep Academies;
  • Additional Online Vendor Services; 
  • New and Additional Laptops Available for Students.

We look forward to returning virtually on the first day of school – August 25, 2020. Please remember to check the Wire throughout the summer. We will post resources for learning activities, information on COVID-19, and school updates. In the meantime, enjoy the balance of your summer and please take good care of yourself and each other.


April 3, 2020 4:45 p.m.

Please know that this information and guidance is subject to change, pending any updates from state and federal officials.

Hello Visions Families,

The purpose of this communication is to be clear about what our next two months look like from now to June 4, 2020, the last day of school. We will continue to follow the Governor’s Executive Order as intended: schools need to be physically closed, but continue with learning

Visions is Open For Learning even though our offices are physically closed  

Open for learning: 

-Our teachers and counselors will continue to provide educational support to students and families virtually (no face-to-face meetings); -Students will continue to engage in learning; -Attendance will be maintained until June 4, 2020; -Special education and related services will continue to be provided; -IEP meetings will be conducted virtually; -All physical events and activities are canceled for the balance of the year with the exception of graduation. This is the one event we are holding out hope to keep – and this will be determined soon. -Students and families unable to engage in learning due to circumstances related to COVID-19 will not be negatively impacted.

Our offices are physically closed:

-All employees who report to the office are working remotely until the shelter in place is lifted, except for essential work that can only be completed at the office; -Our vendors and partners continue to be paid for their services.

There was some initial confusion about why we “closed” our school, after all, Visions was made for this moment, and you have demonstrated this fact. It is encouraging to know that 96% of our students continue to be engaged in their learning. Our teachers, counselors, and leaders continue to reach out, connect and support students and families so they can continue with their studies as planned. Our special education team has designed strategies that ensure students’ learning continues to progress.

Our office is ‘physically closed’, but what you may not know is that our office staff and leadership continues to support our students, families, staff, and partners remotely from home to ensure services can continue. A few of our staff members report to our office two days a week to ensure essential services continue uninterrupted and that our technology is operating optimally.

Thank you for taking good care of yourself and each other.

Respectfully,
Jody Graf
Superintendent

March 23, 12:30 p.m. To help students and families continue learning during this time, we’re excited to provide a collection of free activities and websites for children of all ages. Check out our Curriculum and Activity Resources for Virtual Learning here.


March 15, 2020 2:00 p.m. In alignment with our community partners at San Juan Unified School District (SJUSD), Sacramento County Public Health (SCPH) and the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE), Visions In Education’s Board of Directors made the decision to close our school through April 12th. Additionally, Governor Newsom signed an executive order on Friday evening, providing flexibility to schools that close due to COVID-19. This order requires schools to continue to provide high-quality educational opportunities to their students even during a closure. Yesterday, March 14, our leadership team met to identify how Visions will continue to support student learning during this time. As promised, we will be sharing updates as they become available since this situation remains fluid. Please frequently check the Wire and your email.  We understand the decision to close our school may be confusing since many of our programs are designed to be offered online. Closing our school enables students and families to respond to the impacts caused by COVID-19 without consequence to them. Meaning, if we didn’t close and students/families had emergencies that kept them from completing work, they would be penalized. Since we have closed, they will not be impacted if they can’t complete work.   However, closing our school does not prevent us from continuing to support students and families through virtual means. To help slow the spread of COVID-19 no events will be held during our closure.  Our main office will be closed to the public. We will share information with you, through the Wire, should you need more clarification or support. Our support staff that are regularly housed at the office, will be working remotely to support our ongoing work and service to families and teachers. Our teachers will reach out to you during the week. We will provide more direction this coming week about how our educational support services will be managed during the closure. We continue to monitor the Coronavirus (COVID-19) with our local and federal community partners. Families are encouraged to stay educated and follow the CDC’s recommendations and preventative actions.


March 13, 2020 8:15 p.m. Visions In Education has been closely monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19). As you may have seen, many school districts throughout Northern California are closing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.  In the best interest of our families and staff, the Visions In Education Board of Directors decided in an emergency board meeting held on March 13 at 3:30 p.m. to close our school for the next three weeks (beginning Monday, March 16). Visions will be closed to students through the end of spring break (Sunday, April 12). School will be back in session on Monday, April 13. This means there will be no face-to-face meetings, and all activities, classes and events are canceled during this time. This evening, Governor Newsom, issued an executive order outlining the steps closed schools should take to continue to serve students. Visions, as an independent study program, is uniquely suited to continue to support student learning. To address the current situation, we need to modify how our teachers support students and families. We will provide you with more information about how we will continue to support students early next week.   We want to assure you this is NOT the result of a confirmed case of COVID-19 among any Visions students or staff. This preventative measure will make a significant difference to safeguard the health of our community.  This is a very fluid situation with constantly changing circumstances and we continue to closely monitor advice from local and federal health officials. Although Visions is closed we will be in consistent contact with you and encourage you to frequently check the Wire and your email for updates and enrichment learning opportunities available to you.  As mentioned above, we will share more information about what this closure means for our students and families next week. Information will be posted on the Wire and sent via email.   With gratitude, Jody Graf, Superintendent Visions In Education

Student Spotlight: Student Fighting Cancer Finds a Way to Give Back

Independent study high school student, Talon B., smiles at the camera in a red sweatshirt

Student Spotlight: Student Fighting Cancer Finds a Way to Give Back

If you attended our 2020 High School Youth Conference you may remember hearing about Talon Bonanno. Talon is an 11th grade Independent Study student that battled Neuroblastoma cancer.

Although he’s been fighting this high-risk cancer for a few years, his diagnosis hasn’t dulled his light and passion to help others. Talon and his family spend a lot of time at the hospital. During his time in the pediatric unit he enjoys life’s small comforts like playing video games on his Xbox One and watching anything he desires using his Amazon Fire Stick. He brings these items with him to the hospital and realized that many other pediatric patients don’t have the same comforts. 

Drink Chocolate Milk for a Cause

Talon created the #TalonStrongChocolateMilkChallenge (aka #TSCMC) to raise awareness about his fundraiser. His plan is to buy items like video gaming systems and Fire Sticks for every room on the Kaiser Roseville pediatric floor. He hopes to raise enough awareness that he can continue his mission and spread the joy to other hospitals as well.

What’s the Challenge?

  1. Time yourself drinking one cup of chocolate milk as fast as you can. (No dairy? No problem. You can substitute milk with almond milk, coconut milk, etc.)
  2. Take a video of yourself participating in the challenge and post it on social media using the hashtags #TSCMC and #TalonStrongChocolateMilkChallenge to raise awareness. 
  3. Nominate three other friends or family members to take the challenge to help spread the word!

To prepare to take the challenge, check out these clips from Good Day Sacramento! Talon explains the challenge and the Sacramento Metro Fire Department chugs chocolate milk for a good cause.

#TalonStrong

Talon credits his mom and teacher, Amy Salvatori, for motivating him. In the future he hopes to help find the cure for cancer and be a pediatric oncologist. When asked what he would tell other students struggling with health issues while trying to complete high school he said,

“You have to push yourself. If you want to succeed you have to fight. Don’t get down on yourself.”

Visions In Education’s Independent Study high school program allows Talon to complete classes online from home and at the hospital. This flexible program helps him continue his education while making his health his priority.

Fun fact: even UFC fighter Urijah Faber has taken the #TSCMC!

Student Spotlight: Meet the Sacramento State ATS Ambassador

Bailey, female student stands in front of ivy covered wall

Student Spotlight: Meet the Sacramento State ATS Ambassador

Meet Bailey Flath, 9th grader and Ambassador for Sacramento State’s Academic Talent Search (ATS) program. Bailey has been a Visions student since Kindergarten and this past summer she attended the ATS program for the first time. Her enthusiasm and success in the classes earned her the attention of a professor who recommended that she become an ambassador for the program! #VisionsProud  

What is the Academic Talent Search Program (ATS)?

Sacramento State’s ATS program offers summer classes to students in grades 4 through 9. Students take the classes on campus and can choose from tons of different subjects including forensic science, graphic design, Lego robotics, Japanese, engineering, programming, broadcast journalism and much more. Students in the program meet new friends, continue learning over the summer and start thinking about their future college and career goals. 

ATS from Bailey’s Point of View

“[ATS] is a good way for students to try something new,” said Bailey. “You learn more about yourself and what you want to do.”

Last summer, Bailey took Python programming and Photoshop classes. She was able to explore the campus and get a taste of what college classes and life will be like. As the ATS Ambassador, she promotes the benefits of participating in the program, informs students and parents of the opportunity and works with Visions counselors to share information.

Hear from Bailey herself by watching the short video clip below!

About Bailey

Bailey’s family chose Visions so she could focus on her studies and also participate in extracurriculars like dance, soccer and advanced classes. She’s still figuring out what her future plans are, but participating in the ATS program and having the flexibility to explore her interests, like dance, are helping her find her way.

“We appreciate all Visions is about and provides,” said Sharon, Bailey’s mother. “I don’t think there are words to describe just how much you mean to so many families.”

Bailey credits her success to her mother and her teacher of 10 years, Heather Himmelman. 

“[Heather] is amazing,” said Bailey. “She challenges me, keeps me on track and is very helpful.”