Entries by Justina Janas

August Online Information Sessions For New Students & Families

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Student wearing glasses and headphones smiling working on a laptop with text "RSVP Today!"

August Online Information Sessions For New Students & Families

Thinking about enrolling but looking for a bit more information? One of the best ways to learn more about Visions In Education’s programs is to attend one of our Online Information Sessions (or watch a recording)! Our administrators, principals and enrollment team explain our programs and the benefits we offer our students. Attendees are encouraged to ask questions.

Recordings

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Home School
(Grades TK-8)

Prospective parent educators will learn about curriculum, assessments, student budgets, credentialed teacher support, enrichment activities & much more.

TK-8 Info Session Recording

Watch this recording to learn more now.

Independent Study & University Prep
(Grades 9-12)

Parents & teens will learn about both high school programs. Once enrolled students receive a free Chromebook, student budgets for extracurriculars & community college, 1:1 teacher support & more.

High School Info Session Recording

Watch this recording & read the FAQ to learn more.

Ready to enroll? Submit your online application here!

Still have questions? Contact our Enrollment Team at 916-883-1615.

Visions Partners with Amazon To Make Ordering Easy

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Visions In Education has been partnered with Amazon since 2015. This partnership ensures that the process for parents to purchase curriculum, supplies and materials is a fast and user-friendly experience.

Visions Partners with Amazon To Make Ordering Easy

Visions In Education has been partnered with Amazon since 2015. This partnership ensures that the process for parents to purchase curriculum, supplies and materials is a fast and user-friendly experience. To recognize the success of our collaboration, Amazon featured our work in a case study. Read more about how our families benefit from this partnership here.

Optimized Ordering To Help Students Succeed

“I have appreciated being able to order items off of the Amazon [Business] site for any needs we have regarding homeschooling. It’s been easy to navigate the site and find what I’m looking for, often offered at a reasonable price or lower than other vendors. The prompt shipping of items is also a plus as there have been times we’ve needed items more quickly,” said Visions In Education parent educator, Bernadette K.

Leveraging Amazon Business has made buying easier by bringing choice to our charter school families. This streamlined process allows our families and staff to spend more time helping students succeed. Amazon logo

“In the past, purchasing was a tedious task. Parents had to research materials from a vast number of vendors and then manually type orders into an ordering system. Once entered, parents then had to wait for the school to approve and process orders which often took a substantial amount of time, resulting in a delay that impacted the student’s learning,” said Tom Tafoya, Visions In Education’s Chief Operating Officer.

88% of Visions In Education parents leverage the Amazon Business account to purchase their student’s materials and supplies throughout the year. Visions is proud to innovate and improve our systems in partnership with major businesses like Amazon to provide our students and families with the best education experience possible.

Read more Case Studies from our other technology and curriculum partners here.

About Visions In Education

Visions In Education is a free, public charter school that serves nearly 7,000 TK-12 students in Amador, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, Sutter and Yolo counties. Visions offers students flexible and personalized service in their Independent Study high school, University Prep high school and TK-8 Home School programs. Learn more at viedu.org.

Visions Student Signs National Letter Of Intent to Dive at Eastern Michigan University

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Home School senior Cate Migliori signs National Letter of Intent to dive at Eastern Michigan University

Visions Student Signs National Letter Of Intent To Dive At Eastern Michigan University

Visions In Education is proud to announce that Home School Academy Senior Cate Migliori of Stockton signed to the Eastern Michigan Swimming and Dive Team on May 2, 2022! Visions helped Cate focus and master her athletic pursuits while earning her diploma.

“Visions’ support these past 10 years was outstanding, and I couldn’t have done it without you,” said Cate.

About Cate

Cate started recreational gymnastics at the age of four. By the age of six she was competing, and by 10 she was listed as one of the top 100 gymnasts with USA Gymnastics. In 2018 she had hip surgery and started a year-long recovery. With a lot of hard work and physical therapy, she was finally ready to resume training. Unfortunately her coaches moved to a new gym and after 10 years of competitive gymnastics Cate needed to find a new sport.

It was in her sophomore year that Cate found Delta Valley Diving, located in Stockton. As she began getting acquainted with this new sport, she put her gymnastics training to work. Eight months in, the pool was shut down due to COVID-19, and she wasn’t able to use the pool for two years. During her junior year in high school she began talking with college coaches.

“After a very long recruiting process, I finally found a school that seemed to fit me best: Eastern Michigan University,” beams Cate. “I am beyond excited to dive Division I at EMU, as well as continue my academic career studying exercise science.”

Cate, a lifetime California Scholarship Federation (CSF) member, currently has an academic GPA of 4.39 and has completed 312.50 high school credits. While enrolled with Visions, Cate attended San Joaquin Delta College, where she currently has a 3.86 GPA, and will close out her senior year with 50 college units.

According to her mother Kristyn Migliori, “Visions In Education gave our daughter the opportunity to follow her dreams while receiving an exemplary education. Her credentialed teacher kept her on track academically and tailored the educational choice to her. I cannot thank Visions enough for such a wonderful educational experience.”

National Letter of Intent Signing

The National Letter of Intent Signing was attended by her teacher, Steve Huck, counselor, Deanna Stevenson, Superintendent Steve Olmos, Delta Valley Diving coach Robert Wimberly and her family.

Coach Robert Wimberly had this to say about Cate’s success: “Working with Cate for the last few years has been an excellent opportunity for me to become a better coach and to help her transition from gymnastics to another sport … She’s obviously been very successful and I’m very proud of her to go on and continue diving at a Division I level.”

“Congratulations, I know how difficult it is to get to that next level. The day they start competing they are always thinking about how to get to that next level and you’re there. You’re the top 1% that goes on to compete at the college level. You’re making your parents proud and you’re making our school proud,” said Visions In Education Superintendent Steve Olmos.

Thank you to Kristyn for contributing Cate’s background for this article. 

Grad Spotlight: Guitar Virtuoso Takes Center Stage

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Zac came to Visions looking for the flexibility to pursue his passion for music and a schooling environment free of distractions.

Grad Spotlight: Guitar Virtuoso Takes Center Stage

For Zac S., playing guitar is more than just his career of choice. It’s a way to express himself through music. For more than ten years (since he was twelve years old) Zac has been honing his skill with his instrument as a way to communicate his feelings.

“I’ve never been good with words,” says Zac. “[Guitar] is how I communicate to other people how I feel.”

With aspirations of playing professionally, Zac came to Visions looking for the flexibility to pursue his passion and a school free of distractions.

“You’re not exposed to bad influences as much,” says Zac. At Visions, Zac connected with Credentialed Teacher Donald Bisio who helped Zac plan his schedule so that he could complete his schoolwork while continuing to improve his musical talents. In his sophomore year, Zac took community college classes to get a jumpstart on college while touring with musical groups across the country.

“If you just put your mind to it, you’re gonna get it done,” says Zac, when asked how he managed to balance his obligations as a high school student and his budding musical career.

Zac worked with his teacher Mr. Bisio to get his assignments completed ahead of his tours across the country to places like Germany and Ukraine. In 2017, Zac even set a world record by playing 41 notes in .98 seconds!

Turn the Page

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Zac has continued to travel and play guitar since graduating as part of Visions’ Class of 2020. Compelled by his love of music and his faith, Zac has since been touring the country, performing with acts such as Dennis Agajanian and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Organization while completing his undergraduate work. He is currently on the cusp of receiving his AA in Recording. After performing at Liberty University in Virginia, he has accepted an offer to study there in the very near future.

“There’s no way I would have been able to do all this stuff in a conventional high school,” Zac says, looking back on his time with Visions.

Whatever the future holds for Zac, it seems that his love of music will continue to take him far.

Celebrating The 30th Anniversary Of The Charter Schools Act

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30 Years of California Charter Schools graphic

Celebrating The 30th Anniversary Of The Charter Schools Act

In September 1992, Governor Pete Wilson signed the Charter Schools Act (SB 1448). Authored by state Senator Gary K. Hart, this act gave charter schools, parents, teachers, and educators more independence and flexibility to build schools that meet the different needs of all students. Thirty years after the enactment of this legislation, California’s charter public schools have educated more than eight million students and currently serve nearly 700,000 throughout the state.

Charter School Facts

  • All charter schools are public, free and open to all.
  • Charter schools are public schools that follow the same state and local requirements as traditional district schools.
  • Unlike traditional schools, charter schools have the flexibility to personalize a student’s education to meet their needs and prepare them to succeed in college, career and life.

To educate and celebrate the success of charter schools the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) created an interactive website chartersat30.org.

  • CCSA wants to share stories from students, parents, teachers and staff! Record a brief video here explaining how the charter school movement has positively impacted your life or your student’s life.
  • Check out this interactive timeline that includes charter school milestones from the last 30 years.
  • Share your support for the charter school movement on social media using these downloadable graphics.

Virtual Celebration

To celebrate the 30th anniversary CCSA hosted an online event to discuss the history and impact of charter schools throughout the state.

Recognizing Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

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March is recognized as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. This recognition promotes the respect of people with developmental disabilities.

Recognizing Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

March is recognized as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. This recognition promotes the respect of people with developmental disabilities and raises awareness of the barriers that people with disabilities still sometimes face.

Developmental disabilities are defined as impairments in physical, learning, language, or behavior areas. These conditions begin during a child’s developmental period and may impact day-to-day functioning throughout their lifetime. Recent US estimates show that approximately 17% of children aged 3 through 17 years have one or more developmental disabilities, such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, vision impairment and other developmental delays.

Watch this video to hear the perspectives of four people with different disabilities.

Post artwork by artist Calvin “Sonny” Clarke. 

March Is Women’s History Month

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Women’s History Month recognizes the vital contributions of women throughout history and inspires girls to have the courage to achieve everything they set their minds to.

March Is Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month recognizes the vital contributions of women throughout history and inspires girls to have the courage to achieve everything they set their minds to.

Get Inspired

Check out these resources including stories on historical women, podcasts, books and activities.

Quote of the Month

“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fears; knowing what must be done does away with fear.” – Rosa Parks

Video Lesson

Watch this quick video to learn about the origins of Women’s History Month and how a school teacher in Sonoma County, California helped make it an annual event.

Student Spotlight: Young Tennis Champ Serves Up Success

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Emon is an aspiring tennis pro, he needed a school that supported his ambitions while providing him with the academic skills to succeed in college.

Student Spotlight: Young Tennis Champ Serves Up Success

Emon V. was playing tennis before he could lace up a pair of tennis shoes. Since three years old, he’s been honing his athletic abilities and climbing the tournament ranks as his skills on the court improved. 

“I really started enjoying tennis when I started competing,” says Emon. “That’s what pushes me every day to work harder.” 

With aspirations of one day going pro, he needed a school that supported his ambitions while providing him with the academic skills to succeed in college. As he transitioned into 9th grade and joined the University Prep academy, Emon began balancing his schoolwork with more rigorous tennis training.

“I have a busy schedule,” says Emon. “I couldn’t miss that much time in a traditional school. When I joined Visions, my tennis improved.” 

Following the advice of his teacher, Lily Nichols, Emon plans his schedule carefully to complete his work at his own pace, working hard to stay on top of his studies while continuing to push his skills as a tennis player and compete in tournaments. He’s even planning to take community college classes this fall!

“I appreciate his intrinsic motivation to challenge himself to achieve his best,” says Lily Nichols. “Whether on the court or in class.”

Match Point

Emon’s hard work has not gone unnoticed. This last fall, Emon interviewed at a number of universities interested in enrolling him to play tennis at their school. After being offered admission into Harvard, Cornell, Notre Dame, and UCLA, Emon decided to enroll in UCLA to play tennis upon graduating Visions! He says that while it was a difficult choice, the quality of UCLA’s tennis program and his family’s history with the school were the deciding factors. His goal is to start competing as a professional tennis player in college and advance into the Top 100 tennis players in the country. Looking back, he’s grateful for all the support he’s received so far and hopeful about a future that’s looking bright. 

“I’m thankful for my parents, family, and friends, and Visions for helping me out with this process,” says Emon. “I’m looking forward to graduating and going to college.”

Grad Spotlight: Student Finds the Perfect Fit at Visions

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Visions online high school student Taiba featured in student spotlight

Grad Spotlight: Student Finds The Perfect Fit At Visions

Taiba Rahmani’s interests have always been eclectic and personal to her. As someone who enjoys spending time in nature and volunteering, Taiba seeks balance between her personal life with her professional and academic ambitions. 

Naturally, when it was time to start high school, Taiba and her family wanted a school that allowed her to pursue her interests and make time for the things that were important to her. A family friend recommended Visions In Education and Taiba started her freshman year where she connected with credentialed teacher Matthew MacKay. 

“I thought it was the perfect fit for me,” Taiba says. “My relationship with my teacher and counselor was great. They were extremely helpful and understanding.” 

At Visions, Taiba got the experience of managing her time and taking responsibility for her education. With her teacher’s support, Taiba worked diligently at her own pace while making time for her family and personal interests. As a student, she participated in the Find Your Voice writing program which featured her work in a published book alongside her fellow classmates. She also participated in the Folsom Lake College Patient Care Pathway program which exposed students to the realities and employment opportunities available in the rapidly growing medical profession. On top of all this, Taiba managed to complete high school while working.

“To be an Independent Study student and manage my own schedule allows me to explore my opportunities and interests deeper, and I can make important decisions,” says Taiba. 

Forging Ahead

Taiba recently graduated early as part of the Class of 2022! After graduation, she plans on attending a community college for two years before transferring to a university of her choice. She looks back on her time with Visions fondly and found that the flexibility and opportunity she received were beneficial in the long run to her academic success. 

“As a student at Visions I believe it is an awesome opportunity,” says Taiba. “I have attended all four years of high school at Visions and have not felt as if I ‘missed’ out on school as some may think.”