Entries by Justina Janas

Find Free Summer Meals in Your Area

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Guests filling plates at a summer cookout

Find Free Summer Meals in Your Area

Summer should be fun and filled with food, family and friends! We’ve collected information about free summer meals in our service area so you can enjoy healthy meals and find places to meet other families.

Find Meals in Your Area

Text “Food” to 877-877 or call 211 to receive a list of locations offering free summer meals in your area.

See all the summer meal options available in our service area HERE. Click your county tab to see the full list.

Check out the flyers from local school districts HERE to learn more about what each location offers.

About Summer Meals

  • Meals are free for kids and teens under 18 (adults are not eligible)
  • Meals must be eaten “on-site” and leftovers may not be taken home
  • Some locations offer activities
  • Summer meals are held by participating school districts, we encourage you to call the district in your area for more information

Please note: these programs are not sponsored by Visions In Education. If you have specific questions, please contact the district office in your area. Contact information is listed in the spreadsheet provided above.

Charter School Capital Features Visions in “EDtalk” Interview

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Charter School Capital EDtalk with speech bubble

Charter School Capital Features Visions in “EDtalk” Interview

Charter School Capital is a leading voice in the charter school community that provides various services to help schools be successful.

They frequently feature schools and speakers in their “EDtalk” series that covers various topics including finance, enrollment, communications and more. This month they interviewed our Chief Operations Officer, Tom Tafoya, to discuss our success in establishing sustainable growth and long-term success.

Visions In Education has slowly grown to serve over 6,300 students in our Independent Study, University Prep and Home School programs. Our programs are highly desirable for students and families looking for a free, flexible and customized education. By successfully managing our growth and resources we’re able to offer amazing benefits to our students.

“We have an online [high school] program that serves about 2,500 kids. Every kid gets a Chromebook. If they’re low income, they get a MiFi unit. And those aren’t cheap,” said Chief Operations Officer Tom Tafoya. “That’s how we’re able to do those types of things is by making sure every stone is turned over and every expense is minimized.”

In the interview, our Chief Operations Officer also explains that we can attribute our success to having strong administrative systems and great staff. By maximizing our revenues and minimizing our expenditures we are able to serve our students in the best ways possible.

“It’s taxpayer money. And we’re really cognizant of that, and respecting that, and doing our best with all the resources we have and trying to serve as many kids who want to be served by us,” said Tafoya. “But doing so in a way that’s really good for them and not just for growth’s sake.”

Watch the full “EDtalk” below or click here to read the transcript.

Graduation Photos and Videos Now Available!

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Group of graduates in blue caps and gowns holding up a sign that says "#VisionsGrad"

Graduation Photos and Videos Now Available!

Congratulations to the class of 2019! This was one of the largest graduating classes in our school’s history. Almost 700 students chose to walk across the stage to accept their diploma but over 900 students graduated from Visions this year!

Relive the Excitement

See all the photos of our grads and what happens “behind-the-scenes” in our Facebook album

Watch the graduation slideshow and performances on YouTube

Share your photos using #VisionsGrad (there’s still time to be entered in the raffle for gift cards and t-shirts)

Stay Inspired

“As your next chapter begins remember; life isn’t a short story … it is a novel that you author. You will continue to grow and change and life’s circumstances will generate rich plots for you to navigate.” – Speech excerpt from Superintendent Jody Graf

“Take full responsibility as the CEO of yourself to carve the path yourself to a meaningful life. Nobody will do it for you, but there are plenty of helpers along the way. If Visions taught you anything, let it be that. You can do it! All you need is inside you.” – Speech excerpt from Board Member Katie McCleary

Cords & Medals Reference Guide

Some grads received cords and medals for their accomplishments. Here’s what they represent.

      • Green cords represent students that participated in our Find Your Voice writing class offered in partnership with local nonprofit 916 Ink.
      • Our Success Through Education Mentoring (S.T.E.M.) students wore orange cords to symbolize their participation in our UC Davis mentoring program.
      • Yellow cords were worn by students with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above and gold medals were also given to those with a GPA of 4.0 or higher.
      • Additional medals were given to students that had earned the Seal of Biliteracy for mastering more than one language.

Thank you to our office staff, teachers, Board of Directors, SJUSD administration, parents and students for making graduation day a fun and exciting celebration!

Last Day of School is June 6

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Last Day of School is June 6

June 6 is the last day of classes for the 2018-2019 school year! Congratulations on another successful year; you’ve worked hard, accomplished a lot, and have earned this time of rest and relaxation.

To our graduating seniors, we wish you all the best in your future adventures. To our returning students, we hope you enjoy yourselves and are ready to go again when school starts on August 27.

Summer Fun Ideas

Share Your Support During National Charter Schools Week

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I love my charter school shareable graphic for National Charter Schools Week

Share Your Support During National Charter Schools Week

Visions is proud to be a public charter school that offers students a flexible, safe and customized education. This week is National Charter Schools Week and we want you to help us celebrate!

Share the Love and Get Involved

Post a badge on your Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter to show your charter school support. Download the badges HERE.

Share your charter school success story on social media using #CharterSchoolsWeek and #VisionsProud.

Talk to your family members and friends about how Visions has made a difference in your/your child’s life.

Follow the California Charter Schools Association on their website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay informed about charter school events, legislation and news.

Read and share our Student Success stories. #VisionsProud

Charter School Facts

Wondering what makes charter schools different? Here are some quick facts you can share with friends and family. Charter schools:

      • Are FREE public schools built to put the needs of students first.
      • Are a community for the students and parents they serve.
      • Have flexibility so they can create programs tailored to students’ individual needs.
      • Are held accountable to state and federal public education laws and are closely monitored by their local charter authorizer.
      • Offer students the skills and opportunities they need to be prepared for the jobs of the future.
      • Make up a majority of California’s top ranked schools (according to the 2018 U.S. News Best High Schools Rankings).

Thank you for helping us celebrate National Charter Schools Week!

Visions Teachers are Superheroes! Watch Our Video to Hear from Students & Parents.

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Graphic that says "Day of the Teacher is May 8"

Visions Teachers are Superheroes! Watch Our Video to Hear from Students & Parents.

“Teachers are a big part of a child’s academic success. In my opinion, they are societies superheroes.” – Visions student, Bryanna R.

May 8 is officially Day of the Teacher! This day is celebrated by the State of California and Visions to honor our teachers that educate and inspire our students and families.

To celebrate this day we asked our students and families to tell us why their teacher is a superhero. We’re excited to share over 65 entries celebrating our outstanding teachers!

Let’s Celebrate!

Watch our Day of the Teacher video montage HERE.

Read all the heartfelt essays and poems HERE on our Facebook.

THANK YOU to all of our teachers that make Visions the best place to be for our students and families. #VisionsProud

P.S. Gift card raffle winners will be announced soon!

Tell Us Why Your Teacher is a Superhero!

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Tell us why your teacher is a superhero!

Tell Us Why Your Teacher is a Superhero!

Teacher Appreciation Week is May 5 – 11. To celebrate, we want to hear why your teacher is a superhero. Share your story for a chance to win a gift card! We want to hear from students AND parents from ALL academies.

How To Participate

Option 1: Film a 30 second video telling us why your teacher is a superhero. Just use your phone. No fancy production or special effects required, we just want to hear your story! Video submissions receive an extra gift card raffle entry.

Option 2: Write a short essay about how your teacher is a superhero. Please keep your submission to 250 words or less and include a photo, if you can! Essay submissions that include a photo will also get an extra gift card raffle entry.

Get Inspired

Here’s some prompts to help you get started:

  • What is your teacher’s super power?
  • “I love my teacher because …” fill in the blanks in your essay or video
  • Share a story about a time your teacher helped you solve a problem
  • Tell us about a field trip your teacher organized that you really enjoyed
  • Film / write a thank you letter or poem to your teacher

Submit Your Video/Essay

Submit your video or essay using this form (you’ll be required to login using Gmail). Entries are due by May 2.

We will compile the entries and share them on the Wire and social media during Teacher Appreciation Week!

Requirements and Raffle Rules

Video files must be 10GB or less. By submitting your video, essay and/or photos you are granting Visions permission to share it on the Wire, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, www.viedu.org and with the entire Visions community. The gift card raffle will be conducted randomly. Families can submit multiple entries (ex: entry from a parent and another entry from the student about the same teacher) but if they are selected in the raffle they are only eligible to win one gift card.

Spring Break Office Closures

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Spring Break Office Closures

Visions main office will be open Monday – Thursday (until 2:30) during the Spring Break.

We will close at 2:30 on Thursday, April 18 and be closed all day Friday, April 19.

Cutting Edge Home School Curriculum Ordering

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Cutting Edge Home School Ordering

We believe in investing in technology to ensure our students and families receive their supplies and services in streamlined ways. Unlike many schools, our online ordering system allows our parents to manage student budgets & create orders 24 hours a day – every day! And as a public school all of this is 100% FREE!

These systems ensure our students receive all of their materials and services faster than any other charter school in the region! Below you will find a list of leading vendors that have partnered with us to provide fully integrated student ordering systems.

Our Leading Edge Technology Featured In Two Case Studies

Amazon and Staples Business Advantage have played an integral role in helping us improve our online ordering systems. To celebrate the success of these projects, they have developed case studies summarizing the challenges, solutions, and benefits of our partnerships. Please read the Amazon Case Study and Staples Case Study to learn more.

Featured Vendors

Amazon provides free shipping on Amazon Prime items!
Lakeshore Learning provides free shipping with no minimum purchase
Rainbow Resource Center Logo
Staples provides free shipping over $35!

Curriculum Ordering at Visions has never been easier!

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Curriculum Ordering at Visions has never been easier!

Visions In Education is committed to improving the experience of our families and students. We have enhanced our curriculum ordering system. We’ve developed partnerships to streamline systems that will ensure our students receive all materials and services faster than any other school in our region! These improvements have been an unprecedented success. And, unlike many charter schools in our region, our families have the ability to manage budgets and create orders all day, every day. Our families enjoy:

  • 24/7 online access to manage student budgets and create orders.
  • Fast shipping and turnaround times to receive textbooks and supplies.
  • Seamless shopping with leading curriculum vendors, including Amazon, Staples, Lakeshore Learning, Rainbow Resource Center, and TextbookX.
  • More curriculum choices with thousands of options through our vendors.