Entries by Ben Drahmann

LPAD Fulfills Its 1,000,000th Order!

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Galaxy background with text and logo overlay. LPAD Student Support System with rocket. Headline reads 1,000,000+ orders filled!

LPAD Fulfills Its 1,000,000th Order!

The LPAD Student Support System (LPAD SSS) has served as a resource to connect Visions students with resources for more than 17 years. As Visions grew as a school, the need to respond to student needs quickly outpaced traditional pen-and-paper ordering. Our team pioneered a unique ordering system that allows our staff to connect students in nine counties, from Walnut Creek to Lake Tahoe, with learning materials and resources that make our school run. 

This August, our Ordering Services team filled its 1,000,000th order in LPAD! This milestone could not have been possible without the dedicated work of our Ordering Services and Student Technology Services teams who work tirelessly behind the scenes to get families the learning materials they need. 

“This is an amazing accomplishment which shows how our steady and focused approach has allowed us to reach this milestone,” says Visions’ COO Tom Tafoya. “The LPAD Student Support System is a continuously evolving tool that helps our staff do amazing work!

“17 years in the making, this is the brainchild of many who saw the vision (pun intended) and potential of what this system can do,” says Visions’ Director of Technology Uriel Gonzalez. “This investment in Visions has afforded numerous efficiencies, which I’m proud to say that I was a part of that. Kudos to my team for making this LOOK easy.”

And We’re Not Done Yet!

LPAD SSS continues to improve as our hardworking Technology Services team continues to find ways to make our services better. Last week, we also rolled out a new events and announcements feature that brings upcoming news and events straight to your Launchpad dashboard!

Thank you for the years of continued support that has made this milestone possible and we hope that LPAD continues to be an invaluable resource for our students, teachers, and families. 

Congratulations Class of 2022 Summer Grads!

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Congratulations Class of 2022 Summer Grads!

At an intimate ceremony in Carmichael, Visions In Education proudly celebrated our final Class of 2022 graduates as part of our Summer Graduation ceremony! This marks the first summer ceremony we’ve had in person since 2019 and the final graduation ceremony of the 21/22 school year.

“Each hurdle cleared and challenge met spurs growth and belief and confidence in your ability to overcome,” said Dr. Steve Olmos in his opening remarks to the grads and their families. “There is also an opportunity for empathy, caring and service to others and sometimes, to be surprised by your own capacities and capabilities.”

Tons of family and friends gathered to celebrate the twenty graduates of the summer Class of 2022. As it was a smaller ceremony, our graduates were given the opportunity to briefly address the crowd and offer their thoughts on graduation and their time in high school.

“The last three years my teacher, my principal and my family have all pushed me and given me the chance of a lifetime; chance after chance,” said Monty Hutchenson (Pictured above).

“I want to thank everyone who pushed me and would not let me give up on myself. Thank you for being my motivation when I had none and for being here today to celebrate with me!” 

“I want to take this time to thank my teacher, Mr. David Boughton, for supporting me these last three years,” said Anthony Mora (Pictured above).

“Thank you for giving me a chance and being patient with me; I also want to thank my family in the audience for helping to raise me and staying on this journey with me.”

For more photos, see our Facebook Photo Album Here!

Congratulations Class of 2022! See our Summer Graduation Slideshow Here!

Celebrate with Us on Social Media!

Share your grad memories using #VisionsGrad on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Class of 2022 Merch

We still have some Class of 2022 merchandise available in our Spirit Store but they’re going fast! We will be getting ready to add Class of 2023 merch before you know it, so if you’d like to get some sweatshirts, t-shirts or swag, get them soon!

Visions Shares Lessons From the Pandemic on KVIE

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Visions Shares Lessons From the Pandemic on KVIE

As schools return to in-person education, school leaders look back to see what lessons can be learned from the two years of distance learning. As a school with more than twenty years of hybrid-learning experience, Visions In Education was able to pivot to a fully remote model of education and support our students with minimal learning loss.

Last Friday, Superintendent Steve Olmos participated in a panel of educators on KVIE’s Studio Sacramento to discuss how learning during the pandemic changed and how schools can best serve students in a rapidly changing world. Dr. Olmos was joined by Placer County Superintendent of Schools Gayle Garbolino-Mojica and Placer County Elementary Teacher of the Year Tiffany McGuire to look back on learning in 2020-2021.

“The students that we had enrolled with us, we didn’t see a lot of learning loss because they were already used to that distance learning,” said Dr. Olmos. “Over the last few years, we’ve learned that not all students learn in the traditional [school] setting.”

Dr. Olmos also shared an anecdote about how non-classroom based education benefited students who had been expelled by their previous school.

“We really thought we were going to lose these students academically,” said Dr. Olmos. “And actually we found they performed better. When I personally talked to these students they would tell me, ‘I do better because I don’t have to worry about drama in the classroom.’”

“There are children who do not thrive in a classroom of twenty to thirty children and there are children who thrive in a more unique educational setting,” said Superintendent Garbolino-Mojica. “Charter schools have really come to the surface in the past couple of years as a vehicle for families who may have a child who thrives in that type of environment.”

The pandemic changed the world as we know it and Visions is thrilled to contribute our lessons-learned to the discussion surrounding the future of education.

SacTown Magazine Recognizes Visions Alum & Board Vice-Chairperson

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SacTown Magazine Recognizes Visions Alum & Board Vice-Chairperson

“I saw a lack of creative engagement around literacy in the schools,” says Visions In Education Board of Directors Vice-Chairperson Katie McCleary in an article written by SacTown Magazine on the rise of writing nonprofit 916 Ink. “And I saw a lack of confidence, a lack of skills and a lack of knowing how to actually express your own stories, ideas, opinions and arguments.”

A member of the Visions In Education Board of Directors since it was formed after going independent in 2018, Katie McCleary’s interest in education goes much further back. As one of the co-founders of Sacramento’s 916 Ink, Katie has been empowering teens through creative writing since 2011 and teaching creative writing at the community college level.

“I grew up as a really lonely kid who had no creative outlets,” Katie says when reflecting on her childhood and the path that led her to 916 Ink where she served on the Board of Directors until 2017. The organization has grown from a small team of volunteers to a much larger nonprofit that creates a community of teen writers and encourages them to share their experiences and perspectives.

“Young people need expressive outlets to process the world and people around them as they try to figure out who they are and who they want to become,” says Katie. Even before joining Visions In Education’s board (serving one term as the Chairperson and currently serving as Vice-Chairperson), Katie connected 916 Ink with Visions to form the Find Your Voice writing program for our students, letting them experience the program as elective credit.

“Find your Voice has been a terrific vehicle for Visions students to dive deep into better understanding themselves and their peers as they share stories around the writing table and work on publishing their ideas for an audience,” Katie says.

Finding Their Voice With Visions

In the article SacTown also touches base with Visions alum, Shani. Diagnosed with diabetes at a young age, Shani’s mother searched for alternative school options that would allow her daughter the flexibility to learn from home. At Visions, Shani thrived and grew her love for writing, even winning third place in the 2017 Sacramento Poetry Center’s Teen Poetry Contest for her original work, “Boys are Better in Books”. She’s now studying film production at Sacramento State.

“916 Ink made me more confident in my writing in ways that I most likely would not have been as a teenager. It made me want to actually share my writing with people. It made me proud of my writing abilities.” – Shani

Fun fact: 916 Ink, Shani and her class were featured on an episode of KVIE’s Rob On The Road. Watch it here!

“The class was so beneficial. It was freeing, relieving and surprisingly therapeutic. It brought out the creative side of me that I never knew existed. I learned more about myself and if I hadn’t taken that class I wouldn’t be as open as I am today.” – Julianne

“I didn’t expect it to become a book…I just got inspired and started writing.”

– AllieKat (pen name) said about her published children’s book Adventures of Baby Matzu.

“I love being able to escape into a world that I can control. It just makes me so happy to write!”

– Alivia

Read more about 916 Ink in SacTown Magazine’s article here!

About 916 Ink & Find Your Voice

Visions’ Find Your Voice writing class is available to enrolled students in grades 6-12. The class is designed to manifest a creative, but safe environment for teens to realize that they are all writers. Each week, students will read and discuss published pieces and write during class to several fun and unique prompts. Students will have the opportunity to share what is written in class, but will never be required to share. All work written in class is treated as fiction and all feedback is positive.

Information about signing up for these classes will be available after the start of the school year.

Visions In Education Recognized With Technology Pivotal Practice Award!

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Visions In Education Recognized With Technology Pivotal Practice Award!

The California Department of Education recognized Visions with a Pivotal Practice Award in the Distribution of Technology category. The Pivotal Practice Program was created to recognize schools and districts who rose to the challenges of the pandemic and continued to provide excellent services to their students. Visions was one of only four schools in Sacramento County and the only school in its authorizing district of San Juan Unified to be recognized by the state in this capacity.

“I’m incredibly proud of these schools and districts for their creativity, dedication, and innovation in the face of adversity,” Thurmond said in a press release announcing the award winners.

“Technology education has been a cornerstone of Visions In Education’s success for more than twenty years,” says Tom Tafoya, Visions’ Chief Operations Officer. “When the pandemic hit in 2020, Visions was able to transition to a fully remote model of education and work with minimal disruption to our students. We were able to take what we’ve learned from years of experience and share it with other schools to help them serve their students as well.” 

Part of this process was developing new ways of connecting students with technology to ensure minimal loss of learning. This was only possible due to the hard work and creativity of our staff, especially our Student Technology Services (STS) team and LPAD Student Support System programming team, who quickly adapted to a tumultuous situation. Thanks to their dedicated work, creative problem solving, and flexible solutions, our students were able to continue learning throughout the pandemic. 

Thank You!

A big thank you to all the staff that came together to make this happen! Thanks to the STS Team, (headed by Brandon Neal and supported by Ahmed Alogaidi, Najee Burnette, Brandon Fan, Manny Morteo, Connor Puckett, Blake Sims, James Umiker, and Wellington Wong) and our LPAD SSS programming team (Michael Miller, Francois Tcha, Yamin Noor, Tony Cervo, Matthew Mueller) for ensuring that our students have top-notch technology support.

Thanks also to Justina Janas, Ben Drahmann, Mike Brubaker, Uriel Gonzalez, Soren Gutierrez and Carl Sorenson, who all helped with the award submission!

Visions Partners with Naviance to Provide College & Career Tools to Students

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Visions Partners with Naviance to Provide College & Career Tools to Students

Visions In Education strives to prepare students for life after high school by providing college, career, and life-readiness (CCLR) resources to help students make informed decisions about their future. To better serve our growing community, Visions In Education is partnering with Naviance by PowerSchool to deliver high-quality CCLR resources to our students.

Through Naviance, students can:

  • Uncover hidden strengths and interests,
  • Access helpful career planning tools,
  • Search for colleges/trade programs that align with their interests,
  • Take career assessments and,
  • Create concrete post-secondary educational goals using Naviance’s tools.

“Naviance has a proven track record of helping students successfully prepare for their post-secondary futures,” says Matt Patterson, Director of Student Services. “We look forward to offering this solution to students for years to come.”

Visions is excited to partner with Naviance to help our students identify their talents and connect with valuable college, career, and life-readiness resources. See this BusinessWire article for more details about our partnership! More information will be shared in the new school year.

About Naviance by PowerSchool 

PowerSchool is a leading provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education in North America. Its mission is to power the education ecosystem with unified technology that helps educators and students realize their full potential, in their way. For more information about Naviance, click here. 

Congratulations Class of 2022!

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Congratulations Class of 2022!

Congratulations to our graduating seniors of the Class of 2022! On June 8th, more than one thousand seniors graduated as a part of two different ceremonies in Visions’ biggest graduating class ever! Friends and families were happy to return to an in-person ceremony after two years of social distancing, and the event reflected their enthusiasm! Crowds of family, friends, and well-wishers packed Memorial Auditorium and cheered for our hardworking graduates who are going on to college, the workforce, and the armed services!

“Those of you graduating today have had to balance not only the typical challenges of school, work, family  and other obligations, you have had to do it during one of the most challenging and unpredictable moments in most of our lifetimes,” said Superintendent Steve Olmos in his opening address. “But in perseverance there is learning. Each hurdle cleared and challenge met spurs growth and belief and confidence in your ability to overcome.”

“You have shown awesome effort in bravely shaping your learning around your needs, your strengths, and your dreams,” said Vice-Chairperson Katie McCleary in the remarks she delivered at the ceremonies. “I can tell you that not many people have the courage or the tenacity to challenge themselves in this way.” 

On behalf of everyone at Visions In Education, congratulations Class of 2022!

Relive the Memories

Our photography team was on site to capture the highlights of graduation day! See our folder of highlight photos here including grad portraits taken at the Checkout events.

You can also view the Class of 2022 slideshow that played before the ceremonies on YouTube. 

Share Your Memories! #VisionsGrad

Grads, share your memories with us on Facebook and Instagram using #VisionsGrad! We’ve created a graduation photo album on Facebook so you can download, share and like photos from the big day.

But wait, there’s more! You can also download and share your portrait that was taken at Checkout – see all your classmates from the Class of 2022 on Facebook here.

Shop The Spirit Store

Don’t forget we have Visions merchandise and Class of 2022 swag available in our Spirit Store. Shop here!

Celebrating Pride Month

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Celebrating Pride Month

June is recognized as Pride Month across the world, a time to commemorate and recognize the history of activism that has paved the way toward a more equitable society for our LGBTQI+ communities. 

Celebrated in countries across the world, Pride Month commemorates the 53rd anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Riots, a six day protest in New York City. Over the years, Pride Month has evolved to serve as a reminder of the struggle for equality among the LGBTQI+ people in our communities and as a powerful opportunity to join together to proclaim equal rights and treatment for everyone in society. Events such as Pride parades and festivals are hosted in major cities, with one festival in 2005 in São Paulo drawing over two and a half million people to the festivities. 

“This month, we honor the resilience of LGBTQI+ people, who are fighting to live authentically and freely,” says President Biden in a White House proclamation commemorating Pride Month. “We reaffirm our belief that LGBTQI+ rights are human rights. And we recommit to delivering protections, safety, and equality to LGBTQI+ families so that everyone can realize the full promise of America.”

Visions In Education is proud to serve and celebrate our diverse group of staff, students and families and recognizes the storied history of the LGBTQI+ community and their fight for equality. For more information about the history of Pride, see the resources below. 

Resources

Last Day of School: A Message to Families from Superintendent Dr. Steve Olmos

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Last Day of School: A Message to Families from Superintendent Dr. Steve Olmos

Dear Visionaries:

I know all of you are working hard to finish out this year strong. I just wanted to take a moment to share my heartfelt thanks and appreciation for you and the work you have done this year.

For over two years, we have all had to make seemingly constant adjustments to the way we work with one another to ensure that we could meet our shared educational expectations while also keeping everyone safe and healthy. I greatly appreciate your patience and partnership through all these challenges.

I hope your well-earned time away gives you the opportunity to recharge and spend time with friends and loved ones. When you return in the fall, you will see some new faces and increased support for students. One thing that will stay the same, however, is our commitment to meeting the needs of the families that entrust the education of their children to us.

Once again, thank you for your hard work. Enjoy your summer!

Sincerely,

Dr. Steve Olmos
Superintendent/Executive Director

Visions In Education Renewed for a 6-Year WASC Accreditation!

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Visions In Education Renewed for a 6-Year WASC Accreditation!

After a successful visit from the Western Associations of Schools and Colleges (WASC) earlier this year, Visions In Education received WASC Accreditation for another six years! This accreditation means that the transcripts and diplomas students earn through Visions will continue to be recognized as coming from a valid institution and will be able to transfer between schools and to universities across the country!

This comes at the end of an extensive self-study process that Visions undertook as part of  years of work and self-reflection. Our WASC team polled staff, parents, and students to find out ways to better serve our students and reach our educational goals. Our offices were visited by staff from WASC in March who underwent a thorough review of our program and practices.

“We recently received news that after a year’s long self-study and a March in person visit Visions has been accredited for another six years by the WASC Committee!” Says Visions Associate Director of Internal Business Services, Soren Gutierrez. “This six year accreditation is the result of great work not only by our WASC committee but also by all of our Visions teachers and employees.”

A big thank you to all the staff who dedicated their time and effort into making this WASC effort a big success! Thank you to teachers who continue to ensure that our students receive education worthy of WASC accreditation and a special thank you to the WASC committee who worked tirelessly to prepare for the latest successful WASC visit.

Thank You WASC Committee Members!

Christopher Smith, Assessment and Evaluation Manager, WASC Coordinator

Stephanie Archibald, Curriculum Coordinator

Aaron Colburn, Former Independent Study Academy Principal

John Garrard, Former Chief Academic Officer

JoEllen Graulty, University Preparatory Academy Teacher

Kerri Harris, Special Education Teacher

Cara Larson, Teacher on Special Assignment

Connie Mandujano, Counselor, Member

Sue McCroskey, Home School Academy Principal

Sarah McFarland, Director of Instruction

Christina McKinnis, University Preparatory Academy Principal

Kristi Miller, Former Business Analyst

Jennifer Morrison, Director of Instruction for Home School

Tami Muniz, Home School Academy Teacher

Matt Patterson, Director of Student Services

Noreen Snyder, Business Analyst

Michelle Sweezey, Teacher on Special Assignment