This April, we officially launched our new and improved school website! Complete with a new look and optimized functionality, viedu.org helps families get connected to the information they need to make informed decisions about their child’s education. In addition, it’s a great place to tell stories, highlight our students, and share all the amazing things we’re doing in our communities!
To commemorate this 8-month long initiative, we figured we’d share a few iterations of our old website. Head back to the early-mid 2000s and take a peek!
Time for a Scavenger Hunt!
To really get a feel for how things used to be, we identified some artifacts that we want YOU to find! Take a look at each website iteration and find the below items:
Charting a New Path: A Spotlight on the Online Middle School Department
Online Middle School is Visions’ newest program that serves 7th and 8th grade students. What began as an identified need for families has evolved into a dedicated program for our middle schoolers, blending aspects of our other three academies to better target the needs of these families.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer a program that provides an alternative choice for our 7th and 8th grade students,” exclaims Brian Albright, Principal. “We saw a need to offer a different program to meet the unique needs of our middle school students. We sought to create a ‘hybrid’ program that continued to offer the flexibility of learning from home in a safe environment and provide some needed additional instructional support.”
Online Middle School is a bridge between our Home School Academy and high school academies, providing direct instruction and structured support to our middle school students. Credentialed teachers work one-on-one with students and their families to deliver instruction, complete assignments, monitor academic progress, and foster an engaging and supportive learning environment.
“Online Middle School teachers are passionate about creating a learning experience beyond just lessons. We understand that independent online learning can be challenging, so we bring depth and meaning to our students’ curriculum through our live classes in a way that makes learning come alive,” explains Credentialed Teacher April Ashton.
“Our primary focus has been to adapt our program to meet the needs of our students, ensuring they remain our top priority,” adds Chelsea Little, Credentialed Teacher. “In Online Middle School, we have a unique opportunity to foster a truly iterative environment. Our Online Middle School team continually builds on successes and addresses challenges through ongoing iterations that reflect our commitment to being student-centered.”
Just like Visions, our Online Middle School program is unique in its structure, supports, and services to students. Like our other academies, OMS students work from the comfort and safety of home, however unlike Home School, where the parent is the primary educator, or our high school academies, where learning is more self-paced, OMS students receive daily live instruction from a credentialed teacher in all core subjects.
“This program is unique in that students work from home but are supported daily with online instruction and support from credentialed teachers. The program offers flexibility while still providing enough support for students who need more teacher interaction,” says Credentialed Teacher Brian Hoffman.
“From the beginning, the Online Middle School team has placed a strong emphasis on collaboration and student needs,” adds Credentialed Teacher Rita Wingfield. “By prioritizing these aspects, we have been able to create a program that is adaptive, flexible, and upholds a high standard of student success.”
In addition to teacher support, Online Middle School students have a dedicated counselor, Connie Mandujano, who ensures they are not only supported academically, but mentally and socially-emotionally as well.
“As a counselor, it has been incredibly rewarding to directly connect with students, enabling more personalized support,” says Connie Madjunao, Counselor. “Our OMS students benefit from dedicated homeroom sessions that provide valuable opportunities for college and career exploration, as well as social-emotional learning, further enhancing their overall development.”
It’s Good to be Visions
We are coming up on the end of our 25th anniversary year, where we have reflected on everything from growing enrollment to enhanced social opportunities. As we continue on this journey to expanding our services to students, we are reminded of the path we continue to lay for charter success, and how good it is to be Visions.
“I began at Visions when we were one academy. Visions then added additional high school offerings to better meet the needs of students,” says Christine Garrard, Credentialed Teacher and 23-year Visionary. “As part of our Online Middle School academy this year, it is exciting to see Visions expand again as a way to provide an additional option for families. It’s a special honor to be a part of an organization that continues to refine its focus and find new ways of uniquely serving the diverse needs of our student population.”
Sometimes, the breadth of our work here at Visions can get lost in our day-to-day service to students, but Credentialed Teachers Alexis Preston and Emily Haley are able to provide perspective through two unique lenses.
“As a [former] TOSA, I developed resources to support teachers, families, and the organization, focusing on creating effective learning experiences for both educators and students,” explains Alexis. “I am actively using the curriculum I reviewed to create engaging learning opportunities for synchronous instruction, providing deeper support for students.”
“During my first few weeks here, I was pleasantly surprised by how intentional the teachers, support staff, and administrators are at fostering personalized connections with students despite it being an online program,” says Emily, who began at Visions in January. “My new colleagues are highly skilled and truly passionate about serving students’ individualized needs and work together to make sure students are successful and meet their full potential.”
“Every day in OMS, we collaborate to enhance our delivery of instruction, build and strengthen relationships with students and families, and ultimately drive student success. But, our impact goes beyond academics,” says Credentialed Teacher Lesley Storz. “The Visions programs designed to engage students, including clubs, sports, tutoring, and counseling, as well as dedicated support from our social workers, are cultivating a vibrant school community in OMS that is second to none. By encouraging student involvement in our extracurricular programs, we’re not just building a strong community of learners – we’re preparing them to succeed in our rapidly changing world. It’s good to be Visions!”
Ink & Inspiration: How Visions Students Became Published Authors
The Visions In Education writing community came together on April 10 to celebrate the Find Your Voice Book Release featuring published works from students in this year’s Find Your Voice writing class offered in partnership with 916 Ink. The event showcased three collections of student writing: Mark Our Words, The Power of Ink, and Rhythms of Rain.
By fostering both technical skills and creative freedom, the program helps to empower students by transforming their thoughts and experiences into powerful written works. Students in both our high school and middle school classes worked with instructors to refine the pieces that they wanted to publish in the anthology.
The course creates a nurturing yet dynamic environment where students can discover and expand their writing potential. Students met weekly to hone their writing voices in a supportive atmosphere, engaging in creative exercises and receiving positive constructive feedback. This judgment-free space encourages young writers to take risks, share their perspectives, and develop confidence in their artistic expression.
“Everyone is a writer when given a safe environment to express themselves,” says Crystal Linnet, Middle School Find Your Voice Coordinator and Visions teacher.
From Written Word to Spoken Word
The authors were provided with copies of their books and shared their work with the crowd of families and staff who have been eagerly waiting to hear what they have been working on over the course of the semester. As the young authors shared their stories; parents, guardians, friends, and staff listened intently, laughing at punchlines, and cheering for each student who shared.
Students who were not prepared to speak in front of the crowd had the opportunity to have their work shared by one of their peers or teachers, ensuring that everyone had an opportunity to have their voices heard. After the event concluded, 916 Ink held a signing session where students were able to sign and leave notes behind sharing their experience with the program. Congratulations to our published authors!
Check out the video below to learn more about the program from past participants!
Interested in writing?916 Ink will hold Creative Writing Camps this summer at the 916 Ink Imaginarium located in South Sacramento for Grades 3-8.
Note: these events are hosted by 916 Ink, not Visions In Education. We are sharing this opportunity as a courtesy to our families.
Chief Academic Officer Dr. Micah Studer was recently featured on the More Than A Test podcast, where he got to talk about Visions and our mission as a charter school. The episode, titled “Redefining Education: Doctor Micah Studer’s Vision for Charter Schools”, explores everything from the types of students we serve to the way that we build community in a non-classroom based school. With insight into instructional practices, family-teacher relationships, interpersonal student support, and more, Dr. Studer discusses how Visions’ student-first mentality has created a successful learning environment for over 25 years.
“We at Visions believe that we can never let go of the responsibility to ensure sufficient academic progress for all of our kids,” Dr. Studer explains in the episode. “Education is our future and we have a duty to serve all students.”
Serving our students includes academic support, such as Synchronous Instruction classes and one-to-one relationships with teachers, social opportunities like field trips and events, and social-emotional supports, such as mental health and social worker access. Most importantly, we serve each student in a way that honors their backgrounds, individual needs, and personal journeys.
“All students come to us with a story,” says Dr. Studer. “They had to make a choice to come here [to Visions], and there’s always a story attached to that.”
Looking Ahead
Every year, Visions continues to build on our successes. We know that our values, which are to accept, align with, and meet our students where they are, impact our school in ways that are both measurable and incalculable.
“The longer students are with us, the better their academic progress becomes,” explains Dr. Studer in the episode. “Those data points are incredibly inspiring because they mean our teachers and administrators are doing the great work of helping our students and families be successful.”
As the host Jennie Tookoian says in the episode, “Dr. Studer’s leadership is bold, reflective, and personal,” and we are grateful to him for sharing Visions’ story. Thank you Jennie and More Than A Test for having us!
About More Than A Test
The More Than A Test podcast focuses on literacy in the classroom, but also explores how school leaders are adapting to an ever-changing educational landscape. Their goal is to analyze the shortcomings in literacy education and tech while still finding a sense of hope in what’s possible in education through learning and technology.
This may be the Boslands’ first year at Visions, but they always knew they wanted to be a homeschool family. Resources, flexibility, and personalized support were priorities for mom LeiLoni, who now has all three boys, Armoni, Andrew, and Anthony, enrolled in our Home School Academy.
“The flexibility of helping my children learn in a way that best fits their learning style is extremely important,” LeiLoni shares. “Most days we wake up and hop on our laptops after breakfast, group discussions after lunch and we end our day with either physical education or physical science like an experiment from their science kits. No two days are ever the same, just similar expectations of learning and growing something new everyday whether it’s a business idea or recipe.”
As a homeschool mom, LeiLoni is supported by the boys’ Credentialed Teacher, Kristi Mojalli, who is there to answer questions, support instruction, and ensure all three boys are staying on track academically.
“My CT is amazing! She is almost always a call away. She listens and acknowledges my children as individual learners and helps me keep them excited about school,” says LeiLoni. “The staff all seem to take on that characteristic of being helpful and supportive. We almost always leave a school event with new friends to see at the next event and that’s always fun!”
“It has been such a pleasure to get to know the Bosland family this year. Armoni, Andrew and Anthony are always eager to share what they have learned and what they are currently working on,” Kristi shares. “It is not easy to homeschool three children, but LeiLoni has done an amazing job. In addition to teaching and monitoring progress, she also brings the boys to as many events as possible, allowing them to socialize and make friends with other Visions students. I hope to work with the Bosland family until all of the boys go off to high school.”
A Message from Armoni
At Visions, Armoni, Andrew, and Anthony are members of Black Student Union, a club that provides students the chance to engage in activities and discussions centered around the experiences and issues that impact African-Americans. At one of BSU’s recent events, 5-year old Armoni stood up to give an impromptu speech to a room full of students and adults, sharing his dreams of becoming a firefighter.
“I want to be a firefighter to save people, even if they are not a part of my family,” said Armoni. He went on to explain how nothing and no one could stop him from achieving his dream, and that he could do anything he set out to do, a statement that deeply resonated with everyone in attendance.
“Armoni’s courage to speak up in front of older students and adults, sharing his dreams with clarity and conviction, is both heartening and inspiring,” shares Independent Study Academy Vice Principal and BSU club advisor David Doyle. “His fearless attitude and belief in his limitless potential not only celebrates his personal achievements but also encourages all our students to pursue their dreams without hesitation.”
Although Armoni was “a little nervous because it was kind of crowded,” he spoke from his heart in that moment, something that LeiLoni was not surprised to witness.
“I feel really proud to see the courage and leadership exude from my little man. Collecting these moments are priceless!”
About the Bosland Boys
Until Armoni can join the fire academy, he’ll be cooking and creating recipes to share, playing soccer, or learning about outer space. You’ll find Andrew working out, skateboarding, or helping someone in his community. Anthony will either be kicking the ball around with Armoni, on the court playing basketball, or working on anime pieces to add to his collection. All three boys are also starting their own vending machine business, hoping to provide healthier and tastier snacks to their community.
“Academically since starting with Visions, the boys are taking more initiative and ownership of completing their work and making progress throughout the lessons,” LeiLoni shares. “Also, I notice their confidence around learning new things and taking on new challenges. They are all pushing themselves a little more. If you are considering homeschool, try it out through Visions! You will be glad you did.”
As shared last month, we’ve been working on refreshing the look and feel of Visions’ website, and we’re happy to announce that as of April 5th, the upgraded viedu.org is now live!
In partnership with Grow Enrollments, we worked to reimagine our website in a way that stays current with the needs of our families. The changes that we implemented helped modernize the appearance of the site, optimize the site for mobile and improve loading speed, and make it easier for prospective families to request information and apply.
What’s New?
Don’t worry! Our URL and site navigation are the same; our teams simply made visual changes to better reflect our brand and the resources Visions has available for current and prospective families. You’ll still be able to access our academy information, news articles, student spotlights, and everything else you need to stay in the know at Visions, just with a new look!
Thank You!
We would like to express our deep appreciation for Grow Enrollments and Visions’ Marketing and Technology Services teams for their hard work and commitment to delivering an exceptional final product for our families. We hope you all take a moment to explore the site and get a feel for our new look!
On the morning of March 27th, sixteen inquisitive TK students entered Safetyville nestled in Sacramento. This pint-sized town was the perfect place for our little learners to explore real-world safety in a fun and interactive way.
Students practiced pedestrian safety as they navigated miniature streets, complete with stoplights and crosswalks, and a railroad crossing area learning the rules of the road. From role-playing as responsible citizens to discovering how to stay safe in everyday situations, this hands-on experience made learning come to life. It was a fantastic day filled with excitement, discovery, and valuable lessons that will stick with our young scholars for years to come!
Thank you TK Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) Kristyn Migliori for supporting this opportunity for our little ones! For more information about our Transitional Kindergarten program, see our Home School page.
For this #TBT feature, we’re throwing it back to 2010 (cue skinny jeans, selfie sticks, and Lady Gaga’s meat dress) and sharing some of our “Why I Love Visions” video contest submissions!
15 years ago, we asked students to create a video explaining why they love being a Visions student, and we received some amazing submissions! If you like puppets, claymation, or poetry, you’re in for a treat – check out some of the videos below!
You know the drill – subscribe to our YouTube channel for graduation performances, staff interviews, video contests, and more! We can’t wait to continue sharing the stories of our students!
Recap: Basic Life Support Student Certification Event
On March 20th, 17 Medical Careers CTE Pathway students gathered at the SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity for Basic Life Support Certification training. This certification teaches students basic CPR skills, how to respond effectively in critical situations, and how to take action during emergencies to administer lifesaving care.
We’re proud to say that all 17 students passed the test and received their certification! After a celebratory lunch, they were joined by three University of the Pacific (UOP) nursing students currently in their Master’s of Nursing program. The students asked great questions and received insight on not only the road to the healthcare industry, but the process of applying for a graduate school program. After the nursing panel, Visions students were able to explore the museum, including the Health Connections exhibit. Our students greatly enjoyed the day and the extended experience!
“Having the opportunity to talk to the nursing students was great. They answered all our questions and brought up so many interesting things that we hadn’t even thought about, from applying to school to choosing a specialty in healthcare. Just getting the opportunity to learn how to save lives is truly rewarding.” – Ellie C., 11th grade Medical Careers Pathway and CTE Student Leadership Ambassador
Click through the gallery below to see some photos from the day!
Making Meaning From the Numbers: A Spotlight on the Internal Data & Systems Services Department
If you’ve ever wondered what a “business analyst” does, you’re in the right place. Our Internal Data & Systems Services team members are the ultimate number crunchers, and they’re sharing all of their spreadsheet secrets to shed some light on what they do and how their roles function in an organization like Visions.
“We have a small but mighty team of four Business Analysts who provide a variety of technical and analytical support to Visions,” explains Soren Gutierrez, Director of Accountability & Data Services. “They provide support to our Special Education Department, Instruction, Student Services and even some of our business departments like Assessments. All the analysts also support ad hoc analyst support requests to help our staff get the data they need!”
These four analysts include Saige Miranda, Spencer Summerhays, Christie Benavides, and Angelica Gallardo. Each with their own bodies of work, all the analysts strive to tell a larger story with their data.
“Ultimately, our goal as analysts is to transform data into valuable information that supports our students’ education and well-being. We play a crucial role in gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data to help guide decision-making processes for all departments within Visions,” says Saige.
Although it may seem like just facts and stats, the data that this team assembles, disaggregates, and communicates impacts how we serve our students, the areas for improvement that we identify, and the changes that we ultimately implement.
“I feel that our work greatly helps staff plan, organize and analyze areas where they can support students better,” says Spencer. “This has a trickle down effect on students and families. When their data is consistent and we make it meaningful, it adds context to our areas of opportunity.”
In Practice
On paper, it may not be totally clear how this team’s findings impact the organization. In practice however, it’s evident how their work supports student success and Visions as a whole.
“For example,” Spencer begins, “when we create trackers that help the Assessments Department and staff plan for events and upcoming assessments, we are able to achieve higher completion rates, eliminate scheduling confusion for our teachers, and remove any unnecessary barriers to the student’s testing process. Maybe we include 504 accommodations or SPED information that helps the teacher identify special needs unique to each student. When our processes and systems create an organized workflow, it instills confidence and trust families have in our staff and removes excess questions or confusion.”
Not only does their work impact our students, it makes our organization 1% better by bridging staff, teams, and departments. For example, as a former Administrative Assistant for our Student Services Department, Angelica has garnered a better understanding of the needs of our families through layering her business and instructional experiences.
“I’ve been able to enhance trackers that I originally created as an Administrative Assistant by incorporating an analytical perspective,” says Angelica. “Many of the projects I currently work on as a Business Analyst are for the Student Services Department, which gives me a unique advantage in understanding and supporting their needs.”
Cell-ebrating the Team
As with many other departments at Visions, one of the team’s favorite parts about working here is the camaraderie and support they feel from one another.
“We have a great team of analysts. We frequently check in with each other and support each other with the projects we are working on, whether it’s to share expertise or just bounce ideas off of each other,” shares Christie. “We all work hard, but also find time to laugh and keep up with how everyone’s doing.”
“The best part of being an analyst is the variety of tasks I work on and being part of a fantastic team. Our team is small, but we work well together, and I love how we each bring something unique to the table,” adds Angelica.
Between all the functions and formulas, the group often reflects on the importance of their work and the impact they have on Visions, and in turn, the impact that Visions has on them.
“I have learned just how integral this team is in supporting student education behind the scenes. Everyone on our team is ready and willing to help each other or any department with a task or project, no matter how easy or challenging,” says Saige. “Although we are not student-facing staff, this team is always some of the first people to volunteer for Visions events like PFTs, graduation, etc. We love seeing our work behind the scenes become a reality!”
“Visions…cares about staff opinions and ideas. These efforts make me feel like Visions is investing in me as an employee. This in turn makes me want to invest in them,” Christie shares. “Visions…makes me feel like I’m a part of the whole and helps me see how what I do supports…staff, beyond just providing numbers on a spreadsheet. It is good to be Visions!”
Ctrl+ by Soren
“Saige and Spencer provide a considerable amount of support to our Special Education Department specifically around invoices for the third party companies that provide the majority of services like Speech Therapy and Counseling to our students with Disabilities.”
“Angelica works with class registration workbooks that allow Counselors and Teachers to easily collaborate and select classes for students for the next semester, which in turn are data loaded in School Pathways and save everyone involved a lot of time.”
“Christie supports i-Ready and Ellevation by checking that the nightly data bridges from School Pathways are working so that all students are properly rostered. She also has created several workbooks to support Synchronous Instruction focused on students who are two or more grade levels below based on their i-Ready results.”
What Makes Online Middle School Unique?
It’s Good to be Visions
