BLUE RIDGE ACADEMY

Dear Blue Ridge Families,

We are excited to have you join the Blue Ridge Academy family! We take great pride in being able to offer our students flexible, personalized learning experiences through our many unique and dynamic programs. We love homeschool families and are passionate about providing and offering relevant resources, community events, and local supports to you and your family.

We created this newsletter to help you get started on your journey with us. As you have questions, please reach out to your Homeschool Teacher (HST) or our family liaisons with any questions:

Anna Aguilar - anna.aguilar@theblueridgeacademy.com

Shannon Eaves - shannon.eaves@theblueridgeacademy.com

Carie Sipka - caren.sipka@theblueridgeacademy.com

Please note that all HSTs are off for the summer from June 12th - August 2nd, with the exception of five working days that are noted in their "out of office" message.

In the meantime, please review your Successful Enrollment email, which outlines a variety of resources, including info sessions and office hours to help get your general questions answered.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Samantha Haynes

Executive Director, Blue Ridge Academy

samantha@theblueridgeacademy.com

theblueridgeacademy.com

The Blue Ridge school calendar appears below, and it can also be found on our website.

The Blue Ridge Academy website has a wealth of information about academics, enrichment, and various resources. Check it out by clicking the blue button below.

We are excited to welcome you to our Parent Information Center! Check with your HST or the family liaisons regarding how to create an account.

The parent/learning coach is responsible to:

• Provide daily instruction in the homeschool setting

• Meet with your HST, submit attendance, provide work samples, and other necessary paperwork

• Read and respond to emails within 24 hours

The student is responsible to:

• Complete daily assignments

• Provide neat work samples with full name and date

• Come prepared to discuss and share assignments at monthly meetings

• Take part in yearly assessments (Star 360 and state testing)

The Blue Ridge Family Liaisons are dedicated to helping meet the needs of families. Connect with them at their online events or via email.

Find all the information about events for parents on the Family Liaison page of the Parent Info Center.

Blue Ridge Bulletin Board Newsletter

Are you receiving the Blue Ridge Bulletin Board Newsletters on the 1st of each month? These are sent directly to all BR families. If you are not receiving them, please let your HST or the family liaisons know at familyliaisons@theblueridgeacademy.com.

If you are new to homeschool curricula, we are happy to help navigate the vast choices available and filter resources that would best fit the unique learning style of your student. Your HST is your #1 resource, but the flyers below provide a starting point for researching options ordered through our Curriculum Department. You will note the flyers offer information on subscriptions our school provides to students upon enrollment.

TK-5 Curriculum Options Flyer 2023-24

Middle School 6-8 Curriculum Options Flyer 2023-24

High School Curriculum Options Flyer 2023-24

We also offer our teacher-created slides, which illustrate a number of curriculum options presented in the homeschool tradition. These items are ordered through our Enrichment Department.

TK-8 Math Curricula

TK-8 Language Arts Curricula

TK-8 Science Curricula

TK-8 Social Studies Curricula

Blue Ridge also offers Academic Pentathlon and Decathlon for middle and high school students:

2023-2024 Academic Pentathlon Information Flyer

2023-2024 Academic Decathlon Information Flyer

Families are invited to an info session to learn what’s great about each of our online providers and to make informed decisions on curriculum options for the fall. Slides will highlight what to know to ensure success in the 2023-24 school year!

Part I: Online Providers (all grades), Wednesdays, June 14th & July 12th

Part II: CTE (Career & Technical Education) Pathways (grades 7-12), Wednesdays, June 21st & July 19th

Curriculum Overview & Recommendations 2023-2024 - Flyer with Zoom Link

With your HST, you will discuss the use of your Planning Amount for curricula, educational supplies, and educational activities and enrichment to expand student knowledge and experiences. Orders are placed in Procurify.

Planning Amounts are allocated so that you can provide academic and enrichment opportunities for your child. Enrichment services and products serve to expand student knowledge and experience.

Products include but are not limited to...curricula to support core classes, educational supplemental curricula, books that support student educational learning, technology, field trips, educational games, and other materials necessary to support student learning.

***Please be aware that all non-consumable items are the property of Blue Ridge Academy. If you decide to withdraw from Blue Ridge for any reason, items are due upon the commencement of the checkout process.

Services include but are not limited to...fine arts classes, academic extension courses, physical education classes, tutoring from an established business, driver's education, dance lessons, music lessons, or any other service that requires instructor-to-student interaction in an in-person or virtual setting.

Services are only authorized through Blue Ridge-approved vendors found on the Blue Ridge Approved Vendor List. Please refer to the Enrichment Guidelines 2023-2024 for a description of approved products and services.

Planning Amounts for the 2023-2024 School Year

For students enrolling and starting in the Fall semester, the total planning amount for the year is listed below:

TK- 6: $3,600

7th-12th: $4,000

For students enrolling and starting on January 6th, 2024, or later, the total planning amount is listed below:

TK- 6: $2,600

7th-12th: $3,000

*Planning amounts for all students' products and service orders need to align with the student’s academic and growth plan, which for high school are the courses listed on the Master Agreement.

Blue Ridge Academy is a public charter school and by law must remain non-sectarian in all aspects of its operation. State funds may not be used to order religious material.

**Please note Blue Ridge Academy does all it can to provide accurate and timely information, but we must adhere to any additional requirements or changes the state may make to its educational budgeting.

Get ordering and tech support and learn how to order in the Procurify Office Hours! The office hours are available for families to attend July 10th - August 2nd from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm for login and tech support. We will have ordering training every Wednesday in office hours from 1:00 to 1:30 through August 2nd.

Here are some Parent Tips and Guidelines for placing orders:

• Procurify Parent Tips and Guidelines

Once your student is enrolled, the primary parent email address will be added to Procurify within 5-7 days. To log in:

• Click the link above (the "Procurify" blue button)
• Click "Forgot Your Password"
• Enter your email address

You will then be sent an email where you will be prompted to create a new password. Your email address will always be your username and the password you create will be the one you use moving forward. It's always helpful to save that information somewhere so you don't forget it!

If you have questions, please email enrichment@theblueridgeacademy.com. A member of the team will be able to assist you.

We believe the community makes homeschooling that much better. Field trips are one of the avenues to get there. Field trips are a great way to use your student's Planning Amount to further student learning outside the classroom. Our wonderful field trip team is busy planning amazing field trip opportunities for our families.

Families will be able to view the field trips in the Ultimate Field Trip Calendar bi-monthly in the Blue Ridge Bulletin Board. Field trips will be available to request in the mid-month issue of the Blue Ridge Bulletin Board for the following month. Instructions for placing field trip requests will be included in the Ultimate Field Trip Guide.

Please reach out to fieldtrips@theblueridgeacademy.com for any questions and additional support.

Your student's Planning Amount may be used to support student learning through approved service vendors' services. Please see all tabs on our Blue Ridge Approved Vendor List to see approved service vendors, suggested product vendors, enrichment daily admission tickets, and membership passes.

Can families request a new vendor? YES!

Please fill out the Vendor Request Survey

Requests for new vendors should be submitted by families and teachers only.

Families can order student technology with their Planning Amounts through Procurify. All approvable items can be added to an order in Procurify from the catalog. You may also view all items in the Blue Ridge Academy Tech Store Catalog 2023-2024. Technology requests can be submitted during the ordering period from July 10th, 2023 through April 26th, 2024.

The following limits have been placed for tech devices assigned to students:

• 1 computer per student

• 1 tablet per student

• 1 printer per student

Please be aware that all non-consumable items are the property of Blue Ridge Academy. If you decide to withdraw from Blue Ridge for any reason, items are due upon the commencement of the checkout process.

Community Connections strives to promote community among our families, students, and staff by providing in-person events, virtual sessions, and unique enrichment experiences. We would love to have you join us for our events! All event information will be found and updated on the CC Newsletter, the Blue Ridge Bulletin, and from your HST in their email updates.

Virtual Sessions: We offer enriching virtual activities providing our students an opportunity to connect with one another while exploring new interests. Take a look at our clubs to see what you are interested in! Each of our clubs meets weekly on a consistent day and time.

In-Person Events: We are excited to offer themed monthly events in 14 areas across Blue Ridge, to enable our families to connect with other Blue Ridge families and students.

Are you interested in saving funds in your planning amount? The Blue Ridge Academy Lending Library gives families access to additional hands-on learning resources for free. Similar to the public library system, families can check out items from our Lending Library.

Orders may be placed on the Lending Library Ordering Site. All students must have signed their Master Agreement prior to placing orders. More info can be found on the Lending Library Website. Please reach out to librarians at lendinglibrary@theblueridgeacademy.com for any questions and additional support.

I CAN Statements are simple sentences based on standards and objectives for the grade level, written in student-friendly language. I CAN Statements can assist in goal setting, lesson planning, and curriculum selection. They are an excellent resource to celebrate student progress toward achieving grade-level standards.

Star 360 is a short online assessment that is completed at the beginning of the school year or within two weeks for new enrollments, and at the end of the school year. Families receive an email with all needed information once the assessment window is open.

As a public charter school, Blue Ridge is required by the state to have 95% of our students in grades 3-8, 11, and 12 participate in CAASPP yearly. We appreciate your participation in state testing in the spring as it has a big impact on charter renewal. Blue Ridge wants to continue to provide amazing programs and resources to our homeschool families and this is one way you can help us do that!

The State of California requires all public schools to administer the Physical Fitness Test (PFT) to students enrolled in 5th, 7th, and 9th grades. If you would like to do further research about the California State Physical Fitness Test, please view the California Department of Education’s PFT FAQ page here, as well as the FITNESSGRAM PDF.

The English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) is the mandated state test for determining English language proficiency (ELP). It is administered as an initial assessment to newly enrolled students whose primary language is not English, as indicated on a home language survey; and annually as a summative assessment to students who have been previously identified as EL students. The ELPAC is aligned with the 2012 California English Language Development Standards (PDF).

The ELPAC is delivered via a computer-based test delivery platform. The four domains (Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing) will be administered on the computer except for the Writing domain for kindergarten through grade two, which will remain as a paper-based test.