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Currently NO meetings scheduled.
“These meetings are for parents looking for information about
Homelink and K12,” said Homelink Advisor Teacher Pam Clayton. “We
will have registration packets available to pick up or fill out during
the meeting.”
For more information about the Homelink Program, contact Clayton at
(509) 527-3010 or by e-mail: pclayton@wwps.org.
Our Mission is to serve the needs of families in Walla Walla County by providing quality educational choices with flexibility for children grades K-8. Our alternative approach to traditional public schools offers a blend of home based instruction, campus classes, online courses and enrichment opportunities to meet the unique and individual needs of our students.
Homelink is a Parent Partnership Program with approximately 130 students in grades K-8. Students can either attend classes on campus two days per week for a maximum of 9 hours or complete their educational hours entirely at home with weekly meetings (online or in person) with their advisory teacher.
Homelink parents work directly with an advisory teacher to design an individualized written student learning plan based on the Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements. This plan includes the learning time that is spent off campus as well as any on campus instructional time.
To offer support and guidance, advisory teachers communicate monthly with parents either in person, by phone or through e-mail to ensure students are achieving the goals established in their written student learning plan.
Students attend two days a week, choosing either the Monday/Thursday or
Tuesday/Friday strand of classes. The school day begins at *8:20 a.m. and ends at 2:00 p.m. Homelink follows the school district’s schedule for holidays, conferences, school closures and weather cancellations.
*start and ending times are subject to change
Download the 2010-2011 Homelink Schedule (.pdf)
One of the unique aspects of Homelink is that we have a curriculum library available to families. This is stocked with materials families order each year for their own use. At the end of each school year, families turn in the curriculum supplies they
purchased with their student allocation fund and these are then made available to check out to other families in Homelink free.
Each student is provided with state generated funds to help parents acquire materials, resources and enrichment options to help individualize and support the Written Student Learning Plan goals. The size of the Student Allocation Fund varies depending on time of enrollment and enrollment option selected.
Option A: Full Time (100% FTE) student
- $1,200 student allocation fund which can be used to purchase:
- Community based enrichment opportunities
- K12 online courses (up to 3)
- Educational and instructional materials.
- Homelink campus classes are available at no charge.
- Required to participate in all district and state assessments including WASL.
Option B: Part Time (.95% FTE) student
- $1,000 student allocation fund which can be used to purchase:
- Community based enrichment opportunities
- K12 online courses (up to 2)
- Educational and instructional materials
- Homelink campus classes are available at no charge.
- Required to participate in all district assessments, WASL is optional.
- An Intent to Home School form must be signed.
Option C: Part Time (.4%-.9%) student
- $500 student allocation fund which can be used to purchase:
- Community based enrichment opportunities
- One K12 online course
- Educational and instructional materials
- Homelink campus classes are available at no charge.
- Required to participate in all district assessments, WASL is optional.
- An Intent to Home School form must be signed.
Homelink requires full time students in the program to take the Measurement of Student Progress (MSP) at grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8. The program also offers the Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment, a computerized test that measures yearly progress in reading and math for full time and part time students in grades K-8. Other various assessments are available for testing beginning readers and early math skills.
Homelink offers Kindergarten, Science, Art, Writing, Primary Reading/Writing and P.E. Music and library are offered by Berney instructors when space is available. Other classes may be offered based on needs of families and space available on campus.
Classes are organized by age groups (strands). There is a Kindergarten, 1st/2nd grade strand, 3rd/4th grade strand, 5th/6th grade strand and a 7th/8th grade strand.
In addition to classes, some of the other school activities that students can participate in are: skating parties, plays, field trips, enrichment classes* (wall climbing, archery, Spanish, dancing, music...) and project displays of student work.
*Enrichment classes change based on student interest and parent input.
Homelink offers new student registration in the spring. If you are
interested in joining mid-year, please feel free to contact us anytime for an application or information.
Do I have to live in Walla Walla to enroll in Homelink?
No. Homelink serves Washington students within driving range of our program. If you live in a different school district, you will need to have an Open Enrollment form filled out by your home school district before enrolling.
Is there a fee charged for enrolling?
No. Homelink is a public school program offered through the Walla Walla School District and is free for all families.
What is Community based enrichment?
Families have the opportunity to enroll in enrichment classes taught by community instructors scheduled by Homelink throughout the year or families can take advantage of private or group lessons arranged personally and approved by Homelink staff.
Do you offer On-line classes?
Homelink is the local provider of the K12 curriculum for grades K-8. We also provide on-line learning opportunities through the Digital Learning Commons.
Does my student have to take campus classes?
No. Students can complete all their educational time at home. Classes are available to enhance the students’ learning experiences if the parent chooses
| Walla Walla Homelink Virtual School |
Why Walla Walla Homelink Virtual School Program?
- Families receive a $1200 student learning fund to off-set costs for
materials, enrichment classes and K¹² classes
- Students have access to Homelink campus classes: Art, Science, PE and
Writing.
- Local assistance from certificated teachers and local support from
other home schooling families
Homelink
|
The Walla Walla Homelink Virtual School (WWVSP) and K12 ignite all
kinds of minds to bring learning and possibility alive. And as an online
public school serving Southeast Washington students in grades K-8 with
the K12 curriculum, Walla Walla Homelink Virtual School (WWSP) is
tuition free.
K12 will provide its nationally-acclaimed online curriculum and
education materials for the district’s Homelink program.
The K12 online curriculum will be added to the current Homelink program
choices which include a selection of the popular two days per week
Homelink campus classes, individualized off campus studies, and
community based teaching to create a premier “blended learning”
education model for families in the Walla Walla valley. Teachers work in
close partnership with parents to make sure that students are making
progress toward achieving the goals set forth their individualized
Written Student Learning Plans.
Virtual School Highlights:
- Nationally acclaimed online learning program
- Free
- Families receive a $1200 grant to off-set course fees
- Local assistance from certificated teachers
- Expanded course offerings
- Learn a foreign language
- Self-paced
For more information contact:
Pam Clayton -- (pclayton@wwps.org)
Valerie Gentzler -- (vgentzler@wwps.org)
Call: 509.527.3010.
About K12
K12 Inc., a technology-based education company, is a leading provider
of proprietary curriculum and educational services created for online
delivery to students in grades K-12. K12 provides individualized,
one-to-one learning solutions to public and private online schools,
traditional schools, and directly to families.
In the U.S., the K12 academic program is used by more than 40,000
students in 17 statewide online public schools, many of which are among
the nation’s top-performing online schools. K12 operates the K12
International Academy, a private, diploma-granting online school serving
students in grades K-12 in the U.S. and around the world.
K12 offers education solutions for students using an outstanding,
highly effective curriculum that enables mastery of core concepts and
skills for students of all abilities. The K12 program combines a
cognitive research-based curriculum with individualized learning
approaches designed to deliver results. (www.k12.com)
The K12 curriculum includes thousands of lessons and assessments in
the core subjects of math, English/language arts, science, history, art
and music, along with a suite of elective, foreign language and AP®
courses for high school students. The curriculum brings lessons to life
with a rich mixture of on- and offline teaching tools, including
interactive animations, award-winning printed books with beautiful
illustrations and narrative, original CDs and videos, and materials for
hands-on experiments.
K12 Inc. is accredited through the Commission on International and
Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA) and is the largest national K-12
virtual school provider to be recognized by CITA.
More information can be found online at:
www.K12.com
What is the Digital Learning Commons and when was it established?
The Digital Learning Commons (DLC) is a nonprofit organization established to improve access to educational opportunities and learning resources by providing high-quality educational materials, online courses, and technology tools for Washington's students, teachers, and parents.
The DLC was established in 2003 with support from the Washington State Legislature, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
How is the DLC different from online schools?
The DLC is not a school and, therefore, does not award credits or diplomas. The DLC exists to support schools and educational programs across Washington. Students, educators, and parents can make use of a range of online resources to personalize student learning. Resources include educator-reviewed and safe reference materials, supplemental curricula to enhance instruction, and 300+ online courses in a variety of subjects, including foreign languages and advanced-level courses.
www.learningcommons.org
Testimonials of Homelink Parents
The flexibility of home schooling coupled with the social opportunity
at Homelink has been a good "fit" for my son with learning difficulties.
Initially, when we wondered if he would EVER be able to read, the
teachers went out on a limb to try to help him with private tutoring and
specialized materials. Traditional school hours and curricula don't
accommodate all learning styles. So I appreciate the combination of the "freedom" of home schooling with the supplemental classes offered by
Homelink staff. All of my interactions as a parent/teacher have been
productive with the Homelink folks. Thank you!
-Elizabeth Reese (Parent of Homelink student, Alexander, Grade 8)
As a home schooling mom for the past 15 years, I would just like to
share a few observations about our experience over the years. Our "adventure" began with home schooling our two now-adult daughters in
their 3rd and 4th grades. We tried many different approaches, including
a teaching-mom co-op, home schooling with one other family, a home
school/ESD class combination in La Grande, OR, along with at-home
teaching exclusively. For us, the past five years with Homelink has
been by far the best combination, giving us the advantages of
traditional home school and Homelink's enrichment and positive social
interaction. In addition, I've very much appreciated Pam and Valerie's
approachability and professionalism and will miss Homelink when our
youngest son completes 8th grade next year.
-Cheryl Dowdy (Parent of Homelink student, Trevor, Grade 8 and
Justin,
Grade 7)
Our family is forever grateful for the warm community and support
Homelink provides for our son Rylan. Due to sensory processing
difficulties, when Rylan needed to discontinue attending private school
in November 2007, our world became very small in order to support his
healing and growth. This last fall Rylan was longing to develop
friendships and begin to interact more with others so we joined the
Walla Walla Home School Association. Attending classes there on Friday
mornings offered him the opportunity to begin to stretch his world a
little bigger and receive support with learning. When I learned about
Homelink in December, I arranged to observe the classes with Rylan and
he immediately wanted to begin attending. We placed him in second grade,
wanting him to experience success re-entering a classroom setting and
confidence in completing seatwork. At first he was easily overwhelmed by
the number of students attending Berney, especially at lunch time and
recess, however he has been able to develop a trusting relationship with
Valerie Gentzler knowing she will hear him and support him any time. He
has also been able to develop trusting relationships with each of his
teachers and is experiencing budding friendships with his classmates.
The K-12 program truly supports our continued learning at home. History
has really come alive for Rylan. He loves reading and creating picture
narratives. Having Valerie's support in creating a curriculum that meets
Rylan's unique learning style as well as teach me how to navigate the
materials has been such a blessing. Now Rylan eagerly looks forward to
school days exclaiming an enthusiastic "Yes!" upon hearing it's Tuesday
or Friday. The transformation in our son in just a few months amazes us;
he is enjoying learning again! We are so grateful for the opportunity to
become a part of the Homelink Program and experience an environment that
truly supports our sons continued learning and growth as well as offers
support to us as parents.
-With profound thanks,
Richard and Gloria Lybecker (Parent of Homelink student, Rylan, Grade
2)
As a homeschooler, the financial support from partnering with the
Homelink program has made a big difference in helping me to expand the
educational opportunities for my five children.
-Tracy Klassen (Parent of Homelink students, Jocelyn, Grade 8; Morgan,
Grade 6; Corren, Grade 4; and Evan, Grade 2)
Homelink has been a great experience for my son, Thomas. He has
blossomed academically through the Homelink Program. I’m absolutely
thankful for it!
-Sherry Kau (Parent of Thomas, Grade 3)
Walla Walla Homelink
Berney Elementary Campus
1718 Pleasant Street
Walla Walla, WA 99362
509 527-3010
Donna Painter, Principal
dpainter@wwps.org
Valerie Gentzler, Advisory Teacher
vgentzler@wwps.org
Pam Clayton, Advisory Teacher
pclayton@wwps.org
Vicki Shafer, Art Teacher
vshafer@wwps.org
Cindy Palmer, Writing Teacher
cpalmer@wwps.org
Heather Nelson, Science Teacher (grades 1-6)
hnelson@wwps.org
Angie Butler, Science Teacher (grades 6-8)
abutler@wwps.org
Richele Locati, Kindergarten and Reading/Writing Teacher (grades 1-2)
rlocati@wwps.org |
