Entries by Justina Janas

Grad Spotlight: From ESL Student to ESL Teacher

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Giselle worked with her teacher to balance online high school courses while improving her English reading and writing skills.

Grad Spotlight: From ESL Student to ESL Teacher

Giselle G. is a perfect example of what happens when a hard working student connects with a teacher who understands how to help them succeed. 

As a sophomore, her battle with Graves’ disease (an immune system disorder) and requirements as an ESL (English as a second language) student made traditional schools a hard fit for her. Unable to fit a traditional school schedule, Giselle looked for a program that supported her individual educational needs while allowing her to work at her own pace. At Visions, Giselle met credentialed teacher Miguel Garcia who put her on the path to success. 

“My relationship with Mr. Garcia was great,” says Giselle. “His guidance and advice is what motivated me to step out of my comfort zone and explore different academic fields at a young age.” 

Student Becomes The Teacher

Giselle worked with her teacher to balance traditional high school courses with improving her English reading and writing skills. Not only that, but Giselle also managed to take college classes with her teacher’s support!

“Giselle is a prime example of the tenacious students we have in our EL program at Visions,” says teacher Miguel Garcia. Giselle’s tenacity and love of learning marked her as one of the more successful students in the English Learner program, one others would often turn to for help. 

“Helping other ESL students at Visions came very naturally,” says Giselle. “Their struggles with language learning were very similar to the difficulties I previously had.” 

This experience of helping other students proved to be influential as Giselle prepared to leave Visions and enter the workforce. 

Paying It Forward

“When thinking of my career options in college I thought back to helping students at Visions.” 

Giselle graduated as part of the Class of 2016 and after getting a headstart on college credit at Visions, she went on to Cal Poly to study teaching English. As part of her undergraduate program, Giselle had the opportunity to study at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea where she began studying a third language! After graduating with her BA in 2021, she returned to Cal Poly for her Master’s program focused on Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). 

Giselle’s language-learning skills have served her well in learning Korean while giving her perspective into the experience of how students learn English. She is currently working to complete her Master’s Degree and eventually intends to transfer to a Doctoral program focused on TESOL. Her ultimate goal is to become a teacher who helps other students learn English in the same way her teacher helped her. 

“I know for sure that I want to teach,” says Giselle. “I want to give students the same guidance I was given by my teachers. Mr. Garcia’s work played a crucial role in bettering me as a student and now as an adult.”

Highlighting Visions’ Partnership with Outschool

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Highlighting Visions’ Partnership with Outschool

Since 2017, Visions In Education has partnered with Outschool to offer our students and parents online group classes led by independent teachers. With thousands of online enrichment activities to choose from, Outschool has helped connect Visions students to valuable educational resources and opportunities, even as in-person enrichment opportunities became limited in 2020.

“We partner with vendors who support or enhance our ability to offer more electives and enrichment programming. The attitude and overall messaging we want from our community partners is ‘hey, we’re in this together to support every student,” says Michael Brubaker, Director of Operations at Visions In Education.

Outschool’s partnership with Visions has allowed our students the opportunity to explore new interests and support existing passions by learning from qualified professionals. We are proud to work with Outschool to give our students the best opportunities available and allow them the flexibility to learn about the things they love from their own homes.

For more information about how Visions works with Outschool, read this article!

Visions Gives Back

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Visions Gives Back

Last month, Human Resources organized an Adopt A Student program to give back to our community. Nine students were randomly selected to receive gifts to uplift their spirits. Gift and monetary donations were provided by teachers and staff.

HR collected information about each of the students and went shopping while other staff helped wrap the presents and deliver the gifts. Gifts included toys, clothes, drawing supplies, blankets, household items and books. 

Thank you to everyone that helped spread some cheer including all who donated to support our students along with our delivery elves. Check out these photos to see our happy students and community in action!

Student Spotlight: Racetrack Superstar Drives At His Own Speed

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Doug chose online high school at Visions so he could earn his diploma while having time to focus on his passion for RC car racing

Student Spotlight: Racetrack Superstar Drives At His Own Speed

The cars Doug L. drives might be a little smaller than normal, but his skill behind the wheel on the racetrack always gets him to the finish line. A talented RC car racer, Doug’s hobby has garnered him national success and attention from more seasoned RC enthusiasts. 

So when it came time to look for a high school, he needed to find a school that would allow him to pursue his passion and pair him with a teacher that understands his goals. And that’s exactly what he found with Visions teacher Sandra Trunzo. 

“She’s amazing,” says Doug. “Super easy to talk to and if I need help, I just have to reach out.” 

As part of the Independent Study Academy, Doug works with his teacher to learn at his own pace while allowing time to chase his passions. As a competitive 10-scale RC car racer, Doug’s hobby takes him all over the country for competitions. His skill on the track has earned him a number of sponsorships from RC car manufacturers and retailers such as Team Associate, J Concepts, and 1Up Racing. 

To accommodate this busy schedule, Doug works ahead to complete his studies while traveling to his next race, learning at his own pace with the support of his teacher. With the help of his teacher and counseling staff, Doug has managed to stay ahead of his studies while racing ahead of his competition!

The Final Lap

After four years of hard work, Doug is on track to be part of our graduating Class of 2022! After school, he first plans on going to a community college to “figure himself out” before deciding what he wants to do next. Whatever his path holds for him, Doug intends to continue to chase his love of racing, either as a pro RC car racer or as an R&D engineer working to make the next generation of racers ever faster. Looking back on his high school experience, Doug thanks his teacher for giving him the freedom and flexibility to go after the things he loved. 

“I really got the freedom to improve,” Doug says. “In racing and in academic life.” 

Happy Holidays from Superintendent Olmos

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Happy Holidays from Superintendent Olmos

Dear Visions students, staff, and families:

As Winter Break quickly approaches, I can’t help but think about how our lives have drastically changed over the last two years.

And yet I am deeply encouraged by how we’ve navigated the challenges and ever-evolving realities with diligence, resilience, and a willingness to embrace change. We have come together to nurture a culture of belonging in the midst of ongoing uncertainty. Even though it hasn’t always been easy, the Visions community has lived our core values of Learning, Relationships, Integrity, Accountability, Innovation, Respect and Service.

We are pulled in many directions at any given moment – whether addressing learning needs or health concerns, balancing work and home, and more. And the Visions community is here to support each of us. We are built on a strong foundation that values our students, families, colleagues, and cultures. I am eager and energized to welcome 2022 and look forward to working together to help our students succeed in a rapidly changing world in the year to come. 

Since joining the Visions community, there is so much I am grateful for, including each of you – our students, staff and families. I hope each of you has a relaxing and regenerating winter break. I’d also like to acknowledge and thank our Enrollment and Student Technology Services staff for continuing to enroll students and provide tech support over the break.

As a reminder, there will be no classes and our main office will be closed from Monday, December 20 through Friday, December 31. We will return on Monday, January 3 ready to kick-off a new year of teaching and learning together!

Wishing you and yours a joyful and peaceful holiday season,

Dr. Steve Olmos
Superintendent/Executive Director

Student Spotlight: Independent Study Offers Student a Personalized Path

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Visions’ Independent Study online high school program provided Isabella a flexible learning plan that took her personal interests into account.

Student Spotlight: Independent Study Offers Student A Personalized Path

Isabella Paul is no stranger to Visions In Education. From first to sixth grade, her family worked with the Home School Academy staff to provide her a personalized education. But after leaving Visions and spending two years in more traditional schools, Isabella felt like her needs weren’t being met so she enrolled in the Independent Study Academy.

“I wasn’t really learning anything on Zoom with my other school,” says Isabella. “I had been with Visions before. I knew that they would help me learn more but also give me flexibility and the convenience of doing school in my own home which is a plus!”

Visions’ Independent Study Academy welcomed Isabella back to our school and provided a flexible learning plan that took her personal interests into account. Isabella was able to work with her teacher, Tatyana Lazukova, to learn at her own pace while allowing her to pursue her interests, including baking, exercising, and spending time with her loved ones.

“For me, doing independent study is super beneficial,” says Isabella. “I love getting to do schoolwork around my schedule so that I can do the things that I enjoy but also still get school done.”

This includes participating in career planning activities like the Career Technical Education Patient Care Pathways program which gives students access to college courses designed to prepare them for a career in the medical field. This program also includes in-person first aid training and certifications.

“I feel like I am learning a lot about what the healthcare field may include and I am learning about lots of different careers!”

Looking Ahead

With the support of her teacher, Isabella is on track to graduate early and begin pursuing her post-secondary education. While she isn’t sure what the future holds for her specifically, her time in the Healthcare Pathway program has warmed her to a career in the medical field. Isabella thanks her teachers for helping her achieve her goals and instill in her the skills necessary to succeed outside of school.

“Independent Study is really nice because you can do everything on your own and you can choose some of your classes which makes it more personalized,” says Isabella. “Thank you for this opportunity!”

Student Spotlight Bonus

Hear directly from Isabella to learn more about her experience in Visions’ Independent Study Academy.

Students Learn to Save Lives

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Students participated in activities including mock-bandaging and CPR chest compressions on dummies under the supervision of trained CPR professionals

Students Learn to Save Lives

On November 3 and 4, twenty one high school students gathered in Carmichael to learn skills that might one day save someone’s life. 

Led by Independent Study Principal Shannon Alward and Teacher on Special Assignment Nancy Ortner, Visions students learned the fundamentals of CPR and basic first aid as part of Visions’ Career Technical Education Patient Care Pathways program.

“I’m planning on doing something in the healthcare field,” says 10th grade Independent Study student Isabella P. “So this is really helpful.” 

Students participated in activities including mock-bandaging and CPR chest compressions on dummies under the supervision of trained CPR professionals with CPR with Heart. In addition to earning credit towards their CPR certification, this course also fulfilled a requirement for the CTE Patient Care Pathways program. 

“Students were really excited to meet Ms. Ortner in-person,” says Independent Study Principal Shannon Alward. “They really enjoyed having the chance to meet each other and learn valuable, life-saving information.” 

Check out our Facebook photo album to see the students in action!

Steve Phelps American Dream Scholarship Receives Generous Donation

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Steve Phelps American Dream Scholarship Receives Generous Donation

Thanks to the efforts of former Visions employee Peter Breton and the members of the Sober Riders Motorcycle Club, Sacramento Chapter, the Steve Phelps American Dream Scholarship received a $500 donation on behalf of the club.

Peter, who retired from Visions in 2019, helped to raise funds for the scholarship by selling raffle tickets to Visions employees in July. Sober Riders members also raised funds by reaching out to people in the larger Sacramento community. Each year, the club selects a local charity to receive a $500 donation. Since many of the members have a heart for education and the future of our youth, Visions In Education has been their selected charity for eight years.

Steve Phelps was also a former employee of Visions, but tragically died of ALS in 2008. Before passing, Steve set up the scholarship as a final wish and out of a hope that students would realize their potential and see that dreams become a reality through hard work and dedication.

“Steve was a personal friend of mine who I used to fish with,” Peter said. “He was a loving and caring person who cared about his students and their success above all else. I think this reflects all the teachers at Visions, and since the Sober Riders feel our youth deserve a reward for going above and beyond, Visions has been a natural choice for the scholarship for many years.”

The Steve Phelps American Dream Scholarship essay contest will open in Spring 2022. Watch this video to hear from Steve himself about why he set up the scholarship before he passed.

Thank you, Peter, and the Sober Riders for your generous donation!

Visions Recognized with 2021 APLUS+ Pioneer Award

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The APLUS+ Association of Personalized Learning Schools and Services recognized Visions In Education with a Pioneer Award for Proactive Policy Initiative.

Visions Recognized with 2021 APLUS+ Pioneer Award

At a conference this October in Southern California, the APLUS+ Association of Personalized Learning Schools and Services recognized Visions In Education with a Pioneer Award for Proactive Policy Initiative. This award acknowledges Visions work to develop personalized learning policies and legislation to support school choice for students and families.

Founded in 2002, APLUS+ is dedicated to “supporting high quality personalized learning schools that are committed to academic excellence and to the highest standards of integrity and accountability.” At their annual conferences, APLUS+ recognizes several charter schools for their ongoing efforts in the area of personalized learning and student-centered education. We thank them for honoring us with this award. Visions was also recognized by APLUS+ in 2019 for our Exemplary Sustainability.

Thank You!

A big thanks to our Board of Directors and Leadership Team for working on legislation to support students and families in the personalized learning community. Your hard work and support ensures our school and others will be able to continue to offer high quality education options to students in California.

Student Spotlight: Aspiring Entrepreneur Gets Head Start on Her Dreams

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Online high school student spotlight about Sanaa who chose Visions Independent Study program to graduate early and focus on her career goals.

Student Spotlight: Aspiring Entrepreneur Gets A Head Start On Her Dreams

An aspiring filmmaker, homeowner, and business owner, Sanaa Brooks is keen to get a head start on her dream life and willing to put in the hard work required to get there. So when the time came to choose a high school that would allow her to work at her own pace and pursue her entrepreneur dreams, Sanaa and her family chose Visions In Education. 

“I chose to come to Visions because I wanted to graduate early and the school I was currently enrolled in wouldn’t help me with my goal,” says Sanaa. Visions connected Sanaa with credentialed teacher Jessica Wall who worked with Sanaa and her family to create a schedule that helped her pursue her goals and put her on track to graduate early. 

Girl Boss

“Managing my schedule as a student is very exciting for me because it keeps me very busy and it challenges me,” says Sanaa. “And who doesn’t love a good challenge?” 

This go-getting attitude has served Sanaa well at Visions, and as her teacher explains, Sanaa has also developed key soft skills like communication and collaboration with her teachers. 

“Sanaa is one of the hardest working students I’ve ever had,” says Jessica. “She’s also very communicative and reaches out for questions consistently.” 

Taking the Next Step

Sanaa is currently seeking to enroll in community college to get a jump start on her college education. Her goals after she graduates include attending college, starting an AirBnB business, and pursuing her dreams of becoming a filmmaker. In the meantime, she hopes to continue spending time with the people she cares about, enjoying good music, and good films as well. Looking to the future, Sanaa is undaunted by the challenges that lie ahead and relishes the opportunity to realize her full potential. 

“The more I do and learn, the more of life I get to experience,” says Sanaa. “And the more I experience, the more prepared I am for my future.”