Sept 9th - 13th

Announcements and Updates:

Please check the Schoology calendar for events and announcements. This is where we make any changes from the calendar that was released at the beginning of the year. Also, to help clear up any confusion between the two sites, we will post information for both sites, each month. 

9/10 CAO Homecoming Assembly - 130 Woodward Ave

9/11 CAHS Club Rush at lunch - 207 E Pennsylvania Ave

9/12 CAO Club Rush at lunch - 130 Woodward Ave

9/17 Junior Night - Hosted together at CAHS - 207 E Pennsylvania Ave

9/17-27 Homecoming tickets go on sale for each campus. Students will receive priority for their own campus and they must purchase them at that campus. Tickets for the alternate campus will be available October 1.

9/24 Senior Night - Hosted together at CAHS - 207 E Pennsylvania Ave

Stay tuned for monthly updates on the calendar and events. 

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Let's Talk About Goal Setting and Self-DIrected Learning

In Summit Learning, students are constantly setting and achieving goals -- both short-term daily or weekly goals and longer-term college and career goals. To achieve these goals, students develop a set of strategies they can use in any context, and teachers learn how to coach and offer targeted support to students as they set up the cycle and move through it. Students set goals, select strategies that will allow them to meet those goals, and practice and show those strategies to eventually see if their plan worked. This cycle of learning can be applied to any task in the adult world and is developed across all aspects of Summit Learning. Depending on their fluency with the self-directed learning cycle and/or the challenge of the materials they’re seeking to learn, students need various levels of support. 

Summit Learning Self Direction has the follow key characteristics: 

There is a self-directed learning cycle

The self-directed learning cycle is the process by which students set a goal, plan, learn, show and reflect on the process. 

• Set Goal: Set a goal.

• Plan: Develop a plan to achieve that goal.

• Learn: Learn what you need to know.

• Show: Show evidence of what you have learned.

• Reflect: Reflect on the process.

Self direction happens across Summit Learning

Students are able to practice the self-directed learning cycle in Mentoring and Projects. Much of the content of the mentoring conversations is focused on goals. In collaboration with their mentors, students consider how they can plan and learn what it will take to stay on track. Similarly, the self directed learning cycle can be used to work on specific Habits that have been identified by mentors and students as high priority. In Projects, students work to build self-directed learning skills as well. They set goals on everything from their Cognitive Skill performance to when they will hand in checkpoints or final products for feedback. 

Summit Learning Schools dedicate specific time to self directed learning 

In Summit Learning, the primary application of self direction learning happens with Focus Areas. Focus Areas are units of content knowledge that are organized into diagnostic assessments, sets of resources and summative assessments known a content assessments. The material is connected to a Project and self-paced. Learning the content covered in Focus Areas helps prepare students for Projects by priming them with some of the information they will need to engage deeply. Since the material is self-paced, students have to build plans to pass the required content assessments. By passing these content assessments, students see direct evidence of the benefits of the self-directed learning cycle and build learning strategies that they can generalize and then transfer to new situations. At most Summit Learning Schools, schedules are adjusted to give dedicated time for students to work on their self directed learning with Focus Areas. At others, teachers use some amount of time during their Project classes to build and practice self-direction with Focus Areas. 

Roles in Self Directed Learning 

Students 

Students commit to setting goals and developing strategies for self-directing their own learning. They understand that they can apply the self-directed learning cycle to the topics that are interesting to them now and in the future. They also learn the pitfalls of self-direction when no one sets a goal for them or tells them exactly what strategy to apply to move their learning forward. Students are ready to show their learning so they can reflect with themselves and others on the efficacy of their plans and strategies. 

Teachers

Teachers learn the self directed learning cycle and provide the fewest scaffolds needed for students to work through it. This requires sometimes allowing students to proceed down a path the teacher doesn’t see as the most efficient but requires that the teacher be available to rigorously reflect with students about the decisions they made and the impacts of those decisions. Teachers adjust scaffolds based on data and personalize these scaffolds whenever possible so that students don’t use supports that they could build for themselves just because another classmate would benefit from them. 

Platform 

The Platform includes Focus Areas that students work on at their own pace. It includes resources to support students in building learning strategies that allow them to practice the self directed learning cycle, and it shows them real time data about their progress. The Platform prompts students to set goals and to ensure that those goals are rigorous.The Platform makes this information available to their mentor and family as well, so that all adults can support the student in building self direction. 

We hope you will review goal setting and self directed learning with your student!

Dr. Stacey Perez

September 10

• • Assembly Schedule (Classes start an end at different times - please see schedule below!)

September 12

• • Club Rush at Lunch (New Club Application below)

September 13

• • Big Deadline (student progress will be checked in all areas. Students should be up to date by this day)

  • Last Day to order CAO Gear (https://classicalonline2019.itemorder.com/sale)

September 17

• • Fall Junior College Info Night @ 6pm (AT CAHS) - All Juniors and one parent should attend

September 24

• • Fall Senior College Info Night @ 6pm (AT CAHS) - All Seniors and one parent should attend

October 1-4 

• • Spirit Week

October 4

• • Big Deadline

  • Homecoming Football Game

    • vs. Tri-City Christian 7pm @ Del Norte High School

October 5

• • CAO Homecoming Dance

Click here for Homecoming Court Nominations - Nominations close on Friday 10/20

Homecoming court final voting and crowning at the dance.

Tickets go on sale starting September 17th at lunch and at the front desk.  Cash or check only.

(Studio students can purchase tickets to Online’s Homecoming starting October 1, and vice versa.  Studio’s Homecoming tickets will be sold as supplies last)

Click here to download Guest Pass Applications - Guest Pass Applications are due October 2nd

Students will need to bring their Student ID to the dance! 

Attire is Semi-Formal.  Dress code is safe and modest. 

Once students have entered the dance, they will not be allowed to leave until 8:45pm unless given special release from Ms. Lindsey or Dr. Perez.

SAVE THE DATE - Wednesday, October 16th is the PSAT

We will be giving the PSAT to all of our studio student sophomores and juniors on Wednesday, October 16th. If possible, please do not schedule any outside appointments for your son/daughter as this National Test cannot be re-scheduled. Students should go to the campus they are registered (CAHS for Studio students, CAO for Online students). 

Testing will begin at 8:00 a.m. until approximately 12:15 p.m. for standard test takers. All sophomores and juniors will be assigned specific classrooms upon arrival. 

The PSAT is an important testing tool. These test results will determine which of our 11th grade students will qualify as Commended Scholars and National Merit Finalists. This affords our students a number of very competitive scholarship opportunities. Additionally, it is a wonderful practice for the SAT and will give students opportunities to get great college information. We believe it is critical that each of our students is given this important test.

Freshmen and seniors will be having a home study day on October 16th. 

FYI

The school will not allow deliveries from third party services, such as (DoorDash, UberEats, etc.) 

Breakfast Program at CAO

We will be serving Breakfast at CAO including Free and Reduced options - see the link below for more info

https://classicalacademy.com/about/meal-program/

Future Europe Trip Information

• The travel dates are in June 2020

• Italy, France, and Spain

• Mr. Moen, Mrs. Haigler, and Ms. Mills the current chaperones

• Family members 12 and older are welcome to sign up

Click the link below for more details:

www.eftours.com/2150848dc

The information in this section is provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only. It is independent of Classical Academy Online and is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by The Classical Academies. Please contact the service provider directly with all questions or concerns.

Need Community Service Hours?

We continually publish new community service opportunities for students. Don't leave hours until the last minute!

This year, we have an opportunity to support the Fitness Freedom Project, which provides affordable gym memberships to Veterans. By filling a two-liter plastic soda bottle with dimes, you can donate the bottle to FFP for 50 community service hours! A filled bottle is a $500 tax-deductible donation that helps Veterans in our own community. This community service opportunity is in memory of Jay Coon. 

Students Think STEAM Expo-FREE Tickets, Fri, Oct 4, 2019 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite

www.eventbrite.com

Eventbrite - National College Resources Foundation presents Students Think STEAM Expo-FREE - Friday, October 4, 2019 at Los Angeles City College, Los Angeles, CA. Find event and ticket information.

San Marcos Youth Strings is accepting new students for free violin and cello instruction and performance opportunities. Rehearsals are on Friday afternoons at Gateway Community Church in San Marcos beginning Sept 6th for the school year. Four levels of play from beginner to advanced are available. SMYS also has positions available to earn community service hours at their concerts for videography, photography, and as stage hands. Please talk to Andre Ricardo if interested or email smysca@gmail.com for more information. To see the group in action, please visit @smysca on Instagram or Facebook. 

Taking Public Transit Just Got More Affordable for Students

Students in San Diego County now have more affordable transit options. As of Sept. 1, youth passes for the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and North County Transit District (NCTD) are $23 per month (down from $36). Additionally, a new youth day pass option is available for just $3.

Youth passes are available for students ages 6 to 18 (children 5 and under ride free). A school ID, transit identification, or government-issued photo ID is required to purchase and use a discount pass.

Students can get Youth Compass Cards at the MTS Transit Store (downtown San Diego), NCTD Customer Service Centers (Escondido, Oceanside, and Vista), and at all Albertsons and select Vons stores in San Diego County. The passes will also be available on the Compass Cloud mobile ticketing app (additional eligibility requirements apply).

Parent Volunteer Opportunities!

Parent volunteers help keep our programs running! Remember every $10 spent counts as a volunteer hour.

The Student Store is an ongoing fundraiser that helps us purchase extra items for classrooms, fun events for students, and teacher appreciation.  

We will always take donations of the following items to help with this fundraiser:

Bottled water, gatorade, juice, chocolate milk and any other single serving packaged drinks. Granola bars  (kind bars), Chips, Oatmeal, Fruit cups, Pretzels, Frozen single serve foods, Dried fruit, Hummus cups, Yogurt, Any other healthy options!

As we do have students with peanut allergies, we ask that no peanut products be purchased for the student store and that the student lounge remain peanut free zones.

Here are a few supplies we can always use:

• Plastic forks

• Plastic spoons

• Paper plates

• Paper Towels

• Kleenex

• Feminine Hygiene Products

• Dry Erase Markers

Make sure you create your account on Help Counter (helpcounter.net/volunteer) so that you can see more Parent Volunteer needs that we have and sign up!

Click here for more information on how to use Help Counter!

Counselor's Corner

Laura Hughes, Lead Counselor and Classical Academy High School

Charles Threat III, Classical Academy Online

Jessica Novello, Coastal Academy High School

Alissa Atkins, Classical Academy Middle School

Jennifer Meehan, Coastal Academy

Chad Chandler, TCA Bear Valley

Charity Marino, TCA Vista

Program Feedback

Comments, Suggestions, Great Ideas….

Do you have a comment, suggestion, idea to share? We have a special email address just for you, comments@classicalacademy.com.

Your partnership is valued. Your ideas strengthen our programs. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Once you have designated Classical Academy Incorporated as your charity, you must make purchases through smile.amazon.com (not amazon.com) for TCA to receive credit for your purchases.

Past Editions