Newsletter April 2016

It’s the final push! Quarter 3 is ending on April 14th and Quarter 4 will begin on April 15th. You are get-ting closer to the finish line with each passing day. Persevering through your circumstances and continuing your hard work will get you to your goal of graduation. You can do it!

We will be discussing tips to help support your stu-

dents and creating functional schedules in this

month’s Learning Coach University!

What: Learning Coach University (LCU) is a

monthly workshop for parents and

learning coaches.

Subject: Test Taking Tips

When: April 20th at 12:00 p.m.

Where: Click on your (parent or learning coach)

scheduled Class Connect link five

minutes prior to start time.

Teacher and Support Spotlight

April Online Opportunities

April Field Trips and Hangouts

Support Calendar

Testing and Intervention

Studying and Online Success

Counselor’s Corner

Student’s Unite

Connect With Us

Inside This

Month’s Newsletter:

Learning Coach University

Endings and Beginnings

Do you desire to be a part of our

newsletter’s Student’s Unite?

Are you passionate about your art,

hobby, craft, writing, giving advice or

storytelling?

Then join us in making our newsletter

reach even more people by contrib-

uting to it!

K-Mail Dana Mendez for more infor-

mation!

W hen I was a kid, I was sure I would grow up to be either a professional baseball player or “Maverick” from Top Gun. So naturally, I’m a teacher. I grew up in a small town in the Sierra Nevada Mountains called Hathaway Pines where I played several sports, but baseball has always been my favorite. I have also always loved movies! One of the things my Dad and I would do about once a week from the time I was a toddler until I moved away for college was to watch a movie (usually one Mom wouldn’t approve of) and split a huge bowl of popcorn. When I turned 18 and still wasn’t very close to professional baseball or flying F-14’s, I moved to Turlock, CA to attend Stanislaus State where I earned my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. During my final year of college, I interned in the front office of a minor league baseball team in Modesto. It was great to be around the game on a daily basis while I built my resume. Once I graduated from Stan State and finished my internship, I was recruited into a management program for Home Depot. I spent the next 5 years in various levels of management for the company and had several levels of responsibility ranging from overseeing 5 to 100 people at a time. I learned a lot about managing people and a business, but I wasn’t passionate about it. After a lot of consideration, I decided to make a

career change and pursued my teaching credential. While earning my credential, I subbed, long-term subbed, taught as a Home and Hospital teacher, and coached all at the high school by where I live. I have coached varsity baseball, JV softball and varsity golf. My wife and I have been married for almost 2 years now and we have an awesome English Bulldog named Dozer. In my spare time I love watching Sacramento Kings basketball, San Francisco 49ers foot-ball and have a San Francisco Giants fascination bordering on the ridiculous. I also really enjoy golfing, and I hope to be as good as Mr. Grisafi someday! You have some really incredible teachers here at Insight and I hope they don’t mind me speaking for them here, but I would like to share a quote with you about why we are all here doing what we are do-ing. “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” --- Jackie Robinson

Erica Yurman

Steve Svendsen

A loha Insight students and families! I live in beautiful and sunny San Diego, Cali-fornia with my amazing family. This year marks my second school year teaching

Special Education for Insight Schools. Before working for Insight, I taught in Honolulu, Ha-waii and in Sonoma, California. My favorite part of teaching is when students feel proud of themselves. I graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and I have a B.A. in English and a M.Ed. I’ve taught Special Education and General Education for many years. I also wrote for a newspaper in Sonoma, California about my teaching experiences, how great the kids in my class were, and my ideas about collaborative learning.

In my free time, I enjoy playing sports, and I absolutely love going to Padres games with my family, especially with my nephew Isaac! I have two sweet doggies, Elvis and Shadow and they like to lay near me when I’m working on my computer! Insight is such a great program and I really enjoy working with the amazing students and families here. I’m looking forward to this quarter and to a wonderful 2016-2017 school year as well!

Teacher and Staff Spotlight

APRIL ONLINE OPPORTUNITIES

APRIL ONLINE OPPORTUNITIES

Look at the fun

we had and

knowledge we

gained at our In-

Person Events in

March!

APRIL IN-PERSON FIELD TRIPS: Sign up NOW!

APRIL IN-PERSON FIELD TRIPS: Sign up NOW!

APRIL IN-PERSON COLLEGE OPEN HOUSES:

Sign up NOW!

Calendar of Activities, Support & Workshops

Friday, April 8th: In-person Event Warner Brothers Studio Tour

More Info: http://tinyurl.com/gskw87u

Wednesday, April 13th @ 12 p.m.: Entertainment Careers Workshop Class Connect

Thursday, April 14th @ 12 p.m.: Day of Silence Class Connect

Friday, April 15th: In-Person Event Imaginology

More Info: http://goo.gl/forms/CA7R4kVHeG

Tuesday, April 19th: K12 Legoland Day

Register at: http://tinyurl.com/h4595c9

Wednesday, April 20th @ 12 p.m.: Learning Coach University Class Connect

Saturday, April 30th: In-person Event Open House at Art Institute

More Info: http://goo.gl/forms/vJMUObqnn9

Saturday, April 30th: In-person Event SNOWHITE the musical

More Info: http://goo.gl/forms/UAjve2STSA

SBAC AND CST TESTING

iReady

Intervention!

Why is it important? So we can support you!

iReady allows us to put proper interventions into place, in our greatest areas of need. If you are in 9th,

10th or 11th, be sure to complete this mandatory aspect of our school as soon as you are asked!

PARENTS AND STUDENTS- It’s MANDATORY!

For more information, please check out the website: http://www.smarterbalanced.org/parents-students/

Testing dates will be this Spring, April 27th through May 31st.

PLUS...when you show up and complete your scheduled testing, your name will be placed into a

drawing for an awesome prize!

More details will be coming up soon!

This is a free program for students who want extra help in math or English. By participating, you will earn up to 5% of your course points in extra credit, in your class!

To earn the extra credit, you need to do 4 things:

1. Fill out the survey to let us know you want help! http://tinyurl.com/GetMeHelp 2. Complete the i-Ready diagnostic when you’re contacted – do this ASAP! That’s how we’ll

get you a class. 3. Complete a quick quiz at your first and last class meeting. 4. Attend your skills classes.** That’s it! **You must attend 70% of the classes to earn credit.

Once you fill out the survey , an intervention teacher will call you to discuss the days/times available. You will attend classes just 90 minutes per week. Most classes meet twice per week for 45 minutes,

but some meet three times per week for 30 minutes.

SBAC AND CST TESTING EXAMPLES

MATH

ELA

Taking tests can be just as challenging in an online environment as it is in a traditional school. So in order to be

successful here are a few helpful hints!

Create a Study Environment

Find a quiet place to study with limited distractions (aka. away from the television or loud siblings). Make sure

you are well rested and have a healthy snack and water nearby. Study for 1-2 hours at a time before taking a

10 – 15 minute breaks, and during your break make sure to walk away from the study materials and actually

take a break. You need this break time to actually process all the information you are reviewing.

Gather your Study Materials

When you need to study it is important to have access to all of your study materials. Make sure to be organized

so you do not waste time simply looking for your study aids. Gather all the study guides from each unit, and any

flash cards or work sheets you may have filled out. Then organize your materials so you start at the beginning

and work your way through the materials.

Study! Study! Study!

When you come across material you know well, review it quickly by scanning over the main points. If the con-

tent is a bit more challenging for you, take the time to review in detail. Go back and re-read the section and

watch the recording that covers the tricky content. If you still are having a difficult time understanding the ma-

terial, reach out to your content or homeroom teacher. They are always there to help!!!

Begin taking your test

When you feel confident with the content and you have read the directions, begin taking your test. Read each

question and each possible answer carefully before answering, then choose the best possible answer

(sometimes two answers will sound correct so read them carefully and pick the closest one). Once you have

completed your test, if you are not happy with your score, do not stress. Re-review some of the more challeng-

ing content and retake the test when you are confident.

Taking Tests in an Online Environment

By Rachel Harrison

Major World Religions April 2016 Celebrations

8th: Hindu New Year ** - Hindu 8th-15th: Ramayana ** - Hindu 14th: Baisakhi (Vaisakhi) ** - Sikh 15th: Ramanavami ** - Hindu 21st: First Day of Ridvan * - Baha'i 22nd: Hanuman Jayanti ** - Hindu 22nd-23rd: Theravadin New Year ** - Buddhist 23rd-30th: Pesach (Passover) * - Jewish 23rd: St. George's Day - Christian Lazarus Satuday - Orthodox Christian 24th: Palm Sunday - Orthodox Christian 29th: Ninth Day of Ridvan * - Baha'i Holy Friday - Orthodox Christian 30th: St. James the Great Day - Orthodox Christian Mahavir Jayanti ** - Jain

*Please let us know if we are missing any important information on

this calendar so we can celebrate YOU!

*Information courtesy of www.interfaithcalendar.org

We Celebrate

YOU!

We are happy to announce there will be two graduation ceremonies for our students this year and we are so excited to see all of our graduates there! For our LA and SD students, the ceremony will be on June 22, 2016 in Brea, CA; for our SJ graduates, the ceremony will be on June 24, 2016 in Tracy, CA! If you are on track to graduate during Quarter 3, you will receive a K-Mail with graduation in-formation from me early in April. If you are on track to graduate in Quarter 4, you will receive graduation information shortly after Quarter 4 begins on April 15th. If you have questions regarding your graduation status please send me a K-Mail.

Counselor’s Corner By Jaime Forrest

Need guidance and don’t know where to turn?

Trevor Project : Online community support, suicidal LGBT hotline, etc: http://www.thetrevorproject.org/

pages/programs-services

Any crisis, including bullying, abuse, rape, counseling or suicide, call 310-855-4673 or text “TEEN” to

839863.

24 Hour Crisis Numbers: https://teenlineonline.org/youth-yellow-pages/24-hour-crisis-numbers/

If you need information on food banks, visit: http://www.cafoodbanks.org/find-food-bank

Graduation Information

Lifelong Fitness & Healthy Living: This month’s nutrition tip: Water. Know it. Drink it. Love it. Snapple Fact - Did you know your body is composed of about 70% water?! If you are waiting to drink water until you are thirsty, you are likely waiting too long. You should be consuming about half your body weight (pounds to ounces) in water each day. For example, I weigh 200 pounds and therefore should consume 100 ounces of water each day. Seems like a lot, but this will help

with your metabolism, avoiding overeating, great cognitive function (how well your brain works), and much more! This month’s fitness trip: Strength training is for everybody. Snapple Fact – Did you know the most effective fat-burner in your body is lean muscle mass? Lifting weights sometimes gets a bad rep. Yes, if your goal is to bulk-up, lifting weights with an appropriate routine is the way to go. But did you know that one of the best ways to slim down is to incorporate strength training (weight lifting) into your weekly fitness routine? You can even do the same types of exercises as someone who wants to bulk up. All you have to do is decrease the weight and increase the repetitions for the lift. That’s it.

Healthy Habits By Steve Svendsen

Congratulations to our Student of the Quarter, Quarter 2!

“Memory”

By L. Garcia

Have you ever heard the saying you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? According to scientists this saying

doesn’t exactly work with the brain. Scientists say no matter the person’s age you can always improve differ-

ent parts of the brain. Even without thinking about it we are always using the frontal lobe of our brain. The

frontal lobe of our brain is one of the four major lobes in our brain. It is used mainly to help us reason to

make choices and store memory. Memory can be used for a vast majority of reasons but how can we prove

it to helps us with exams or a simple daily task? Easy! Scientists have done many experiments and although

it’s a very cliché suggestion they agree practice makes perfection! Practice can feel like a bummer right? But

using different marker colors or even relating your new information to something you already know can

make practice more fun and easier to remember! Another great tip for great memory would be exercise and

sleep. Having a healthy diet and body not only helps decrease many heart problems but also is proven to

increase work studies. And last but not least playing a simple game every night for ten minutes of any sub-

ject you choose is also proven to help you improve academically. Overall there’s many ways to improve your

memory for that one exam you’re trying to pass. All it takes is a few adjustments to your average studying

schedule for that A or B!

Works Cited:

Cherry, Kendra. "11 Ways to Improve Your Memory and Remember More." About.com Health. About Health,

2014. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.

McAdams, Moly. "What Are the Functions of Frontal Lobe of Brain?" Livestrong.com. Livestrong, 13 Aug.

2013. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.

Students Unite!

Celebrating our students through a collection

of stories, inspirations and art created by our

amazing students.

Students Unite!

Celebrating our students through a collection

of stories, inspirations and art created by our

amazing students.

A Day of Silence

By L. Garcia

We're all different. We dress different, and like different things. Whether it'd be music genre, food

preferences or even your sexual orientation. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have been

an easy way to encourage cyber-bullying. Cyber-bullying may not happen to everyone but it can surely

encourage students to bully in real life. One in three students in the United States have been bullied

throughout their academic studies. Bullying can lead students to develop a mental disorder or become

suicidal. 30% of LGBTQ students in the United States have attempted suicide and 41% of trans* stu-

dents have attempted suicide or thought of suicide in their life. Overall suicide is six times more seen in

LGBTQ students then heterosexual/cisgender students. (cisgender: people who identify as the gender

they were assigned at birth)

I was born in a very close minded community. I was a straight A student with loving family and

friends. It all changed when I decided to be who I really was, Lucas. Not only were students picking on

me but many teachers would purposely call me out for my differences. I isolated myself from everyone

and ended up hiding in the bathroom stalls till school was over. I gave up on school and focused on how

different I really was from everyone else.

Just like in my case many students who are constantly bullied, isolation from everyone can become

their only option. Suicide is the second cause of death in young adults. Suicide is especially on the rise

with teenage LGBTQ students. Teachers aren't there to humiliate students with differences just like stu-

dents aren't meant to tease others. We are the new generation. As the new generation we should help

each other, not put each other down. Sure, jokes are funny to tell but behind every joke is a bit of truth

and that truth can mean another person’s life.

Thanks to loving K12 teachers and staff members I became an outstanding student again. And with

the love and support of my family and friends I became happy again after five years of depression.

Love is something that comes to us naturally as a human trait. Hate is something that we learn.

Showing love and support to others does a bigger impact then adding salt to the wound. Ellen De-

Generes quoted "Here are the values that I stand for: honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating

people the way you want to be treated and helping those in need. To me, those are traditional values."

If you’re feeling suicidal or aren't sure of who you are feel free to contact 1-866-488-7386 (Trevor

project 24/7 available)

Students Unite!

Celebrating our students through a collection

of stories, inspirations and art created by our

amazing students.

Memories By P. Henderson

Connect With Us!

Have an

Amazing April!

Make entering daily attendance

easy- download the free K12 At-

tendance App for smartphones!

Your homeroom teacher can help! Call on them with

any question through k-mail or by phone!

For technical issues, please call: 866-512-2273

Have a Question? Attendance!