See all of our COVID-19 Resources here. Updated: March 22, 2021 8:20 a.m. Visions is excited to announce that beginning Monday, 3/22/21, we are permitting in-person enrichment services for Community Partners! Visions has consulted with each county in our nine-county service area, our legal counsel, and many other stakeholders prior to this decision. Based on […]
If you attended our 2020 High School Youth Conference you may remember hearing about Talon Bonanno. Talon is an 11th grade Independent Study student that battled Neuroblastoma cancer.
Although he’s been fighting this high-risk cancer for a few years, his diagnosis hasn’t dulled his light and passion to help others. Talon and his family spend a lot of time at the hospital. During his time in the pediatric unit he enjoys life’s small comforts like playing video games on his Xbox One and watching anything he desires using his Amazon Fire Stick. He brings these items with him to the hospital and realized that many other pediatric patients don’t have the same comforts.Â
Talon created the #TalonStrongChocolateMilkChallenge (aka #TSCMC) to raise awareness about his fundraiser. His plan is to buy items like video gaming systems and Fire Sticks for every room on the Kaiser Roseville pediatric floor. He hopes to raise enough awareness that he can continue his mission and spread the joy to other hospitals as well.
To prepare to take the challenge, check out these clips from Good Day Sacramento! Talon explains the challenge and the Sacramento Metro Fire Department chugs chocolate milk for a good cause.
Talon credits his mom and teacher, Amy Salvatori, for motivating him. In the future he hopes to help find the cure for cancer and be a pediatric oncologist. When asked what he would tell other students struggling with health issues while trying to complete high school he said,
“You have to push yourself. If you want to succeed you have to fight. Don’t get down on yourself.”
Visions In Education’s Independent Study high school program allows Talon to complete classes online from home and at the hospital. This flexible program helps him continue his education while making his health his priority.
Fun fact: even UFC fighter Urijah Faber has taken the #TSCMC!
Meet Bailey Flath, 9th grader and Ambassador for Sacramento State’s Academic Talent Search (ATS) program. Bailey has been a Visions student since Kindergarten and this past summer she attended the ATS program for the first time. Her enthusiasm and success in the classes earned her the attention of a professor who recommended that she become an ambassador for the program! #VisionsProud Â
Sacramento State’s ATS program offers summer classes to students in grades 4 through 9. Students take the classes on campus and can choose from tons of different subjects including forensic science, graphic design, Lego robotics, Japanese, engineering, programming, broadcast journalism and much more. Students in the program meet new friends, continue learning over the summer and start thinking about their future college and career goals.Â
“[ATS] is a good way for students to try something new,” said Bailey. “You learn more about yourself and what you want to do.”
Last summer, Bailey took Python programming and Photoshop classes. She was able to explore the campus and get a taste of what college classes and life will be like. As the ATS Ambassador, she promotes the benefits of participating in the program, informs students and parents of the opportunity and works with Visions counselors to share information.
Hear from Bailey herself by watching the short video clip below!
Bailey’s family chose Visions so she could focus on her studies and also participate in extracurriculars like dance, soccer and advanced classes. She’s still figuring out what her future plans are, but participating in the ATS program and having the flexibility to explore her interests, like dance, are helping her find her way.
“We appreciate all Visions is about and provides,” said Sharon, Bailey’s mother. “I don’t think there are words to describe just how much you mean to so many families.”
Bailey credits her success to her mother and her teacher of 10 years, Heather Himmelman.Â
“[Heather] is amazing,” said Bailey. “She challenges me, keeps me on track and is very helpful.”
“School choice” is defined as the process of allowing every family to choose the educational option that’s the best fit for their child. Visions is proud to be a public charter school that offers options to students and families in our Independent Study, Home School and University Prep academies. School Choice Leads to Student Success […]
Visions In Education is holding job fairs for prospective teachers to meet with faculty and staff. You’ll learn more about our school and meet representatives from our Independent Study, University Prep, Home School, Special Education and Human Resources departments. Why Attend? Whether you are interested in helping students who are struggling to graduate or those […]
On December 11, 26 students participated in Visions’ annual Spelling Bee. The students, in grades 2-8, wowed the crowd with 31 rounds of words! See all the great photos from the event on our Facebook page. Spelling Bee Champion 8th grader James Grant C. won the bee by correctly spelling “fungi”. He now moves on […]
Morgan Y. is interested in a lot of different things. From her first commercial acting gig at two years old, she applies herself to her numerous personal and academic pursuits. But when the time came to choose a high school program for their student, Morgan’s family wanted a flexible program that would allow time for her numerous interests.
“Visions just seemed like the best option,” Morgan said.
Morgan enrolled in Visions’ University Prep Academy, a program designed for students with ambitions of attending a four year university. Under experienced teacher Tracy Jones, Morgan is able to make her school life work around her busy extracurricular schedule.
“I know what I’m going to do for the day, the week, and the month,” Morgan said. “Tracy makes sure I’m on the right track.”
Morgan took community college classes starting her sophomore year, getting a jumpstart on college credits and learning the skills necessary to excel in a university classroom. In addition to sitting as the Vice President of Visions’ California Scholarship Federation, Morgan also acts, models and figure skates. She swims on a local team, tours as a professional Polynesian dancer, programs computer systems, and volunteers her time at Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Honor Our Troops.
Morgan most recently took part in the Girls Who Code program at Twitter’s headquarters. An event designed for girls interested in pursuing careers in computer science. Inspired by her time in this program, Morgan taught herself Swift (Apple’s programming language). She developed a wi-fi app for iPhones with fellow Visions student Chase Forsberg called “WiFi Fuze”.
At seventeen, Morgan graduated from Visions in the summer of 2020. Her hard work has afforded her a wealth of college opportunities, but her goal is to attend Stanford. She intends to go on the accelerated track, getting her undergraduate degree in Computer Science and her MBA in five years. She believes that her time as an independent study student has equipped her with the self-direction necessary to succeed in a college setting.
“I was allowed to pursue a lot of things I couldn’t have done at a regular school,” Morgan said.
Visions In Education will be closed for Winter Break beginning at noon on Friday, December 20. Our office will reopen and classes will resume on Monday, January 6, 2020. Message from the Superintendent: On behalf of our Visions family, we wish a very merry and happy holiday season to you and your family. May the […]
When Tyler Turner was seven years old, her family knew she had been bitten by the gymnastics bug. The more gymnastics YouTube videos she watched, the more her parents realized they needed to get their daughter into a proper gymnastics class. Unfortunately, a very different bug nearly destroyed Tyler’s dream of becoming a gymnast.Â
“I thought it was a stomach bug,” Tyler’s mother Corrin said. Unfortunately, Tyler had contracted Guillain-BarrĂ© Syndrome, a rare disease that attacks a person’s nervous system, leading to paralysis. Instead of learning gymnastics, Tyler had to learn to walk again, going through a long, difficult road to recovery before she could even consider her gymnastic dreams.Â
Enrolling at Airborne Gymnastics came with new challenges as the rigorous thirty-two hour per week training schedule made traditional schooling impossible. Tyler needed a flexible home school option that would allow her to learn in her own time. A friend referred Tyler’s parents to Visions where they found the support of credentialed teacher Channel Lewis.Â
“We love Ms. Channel,” Corrin said. “She’s been really helpful.”Â
With the freedom and flexibility to do schoolwork whenever she wants, Tyler threw herself headfirst into gymnastics training. She’s competed with the Northern California State Gymnastics Team and, this past April, she beat out gymnasts from four other states to become Junior Olympics Level 7 State and Region 1 Champion! She also qualified out of 4,000 other gymnasts for national testing, making it to the top 45 out of 300+ for National A Camp.Â
Now that she’s found her footing, Tyler shows no signs of stopping any time soon. She plans on climbing the Junior Olympic ranks with the goal of becoming a college level gymnast. Her gymnastics team is going to Paris very shortly where she will compete with young athletes from around the world. Only three years after a rare disease threatened her dreams, Tyler is proof that hard work, dedication, and just a little flexibility can make anything possible.Â
“She’s kind of my hero,” her mother said.Â
Visions is proud to be recognized once again by the Russian American Media for our Home School program! On November 1, Superintendent Jody Graf proudly accepted the award for “Best Home School Program” at The Best by Russian-Speaking Community Awards Ceremony. Members of the community are asked to vote for their favorite organizations and businesses. […]
