Inspire Insider
Bringing families together, one newsletter at a time!
School News and Important Dates
Meet Our Orange County Family Liaisons
We would love to meet you! We are holding a coffee chat- we hope to see you there!
Meet Our High School Success Coordinator
We know parents have lots of questions about the various high school options, so we have set up an in-person High School Info Session with Liz Palmiter, our High School Success Coordinator! We hope to see you there!
College & Career Fair
Orange County will be hosting a College & Career Fair on April 16, from 12:30-2:30pm at Urban Workshop. We will have local colleges available to talk to students and parents. There will also be representatives from different professions and trades available to share their experiences with students. This is a great place to have all your high school questions answered!
If you are planning on attending, please fill in the short form below the flyer. Thank you!
2019 Promotion and Graduation Ceremony
Please save the date for our 2019 promotion and graduation ceremony! We will have many more details coming soon!
5th, 8th and 12th grade families should complete this RSVP form here.
Senior Grad Night
We would like to invite all Inspire Seniors to Inspire’s Grad Nite at Disney California Adventure on June 11, 2019! Your ticket includes access to Grad Nite festivities like dance parties and California Adventure rides and attractions from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Instructional Funds cannot be used as payment for this event, only credit card payments will be accepted. When buying your ticket, please select credit card from the payment options and not the student fund option. Contact your HST for the link.
Celebrate Pi Day with Us
March 14th is the international day of Pi! Come to Living Spring Church to celebrate with our Inspire teachers from 1 to 3pm. There will be activities for all ages! Click on the flyer to RSVP!
Tell everyone about Inspire!
Enrollment for the 2019-2020 year has opened! Tell all of your friends and family about us, and encourage them to join too! Inspire's OSP opt-out amount has increased to $400!
Current parents do not need to re-enroll, your HST will send you a Master Agreement at the end of the year to sign for 2019-2020.
Testing Resources
Testing dates are nearly upon us! Our wonderful teachers have complied a list of resources and links to practice tests to help your student feel comfortable with the testing process.
CAST Resources
SBAC Resources
À la Carte OSP Subscription Options
We’re excited to begin offering our remaining available OSP subscriptions à la carte! Families may begin submitting requests via the À la Carte OSP Subscription Order Request Form.
The available subscriptions and prorated cost (Instructional Funds only) are listed on the order request form. All subscriptions are valid through September 1, 2019 (unless otherwise noted) and are subject to availability.
Funds will be manually deducted from the student’s Enrichment account and the subscriptions created within 1-2 weeks of the request submission.
If you have any further questions, please contact the OSP Team -- osp@inspireschools.org
OSP Subscription Survey
Please fill out this survey to help us better plan for next year's Online Subscription Package (OSP) offerings. Even if you opted out, we would like to hear from you too! Thank you for your time and consideration!
More High School Info Sessions!
Amy Edwards, Inspire teacher and homeschooling parent, held an amazing High School Information Session on Friday. If you were not able to attend, here are the upcoming dates in which she will hosting more sessions.
If you have a student approaching the High School years, or have a friend that is considering options for High School, this would be a great place to start! Everyone is invited!
Special Education Newsletter- March 2019
From our wonderful department of Special Education:
"Spring is just around the corner! We can definitely see a difference in our students this time of year. We have a long stretch of instruction without interruption and consequently, it is also the time when students want to be outside and having fun. Please encourage your child to continue to work to his/her fullest potential, even when the weather is calling them outside. We are excited for them to “show what they know,” as the school year begins to wind down. Thank you for all your daily hard work and please let us know how we can assist you."
Read the full newsletter here.
Coolest Projects at Discovery Cube OC
Coolest Projects is a world-leading showcase that empowers and inspires the next generation of digital creators, innovators, change makers, and entrepreneurs! The event is both a competition and an exhibition to inspire and enable innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship, and technology skills in young coders ages 7 to 17.
Do you have an idea for a creative tech project you’d like to showcase? Register now to participate in the coolest event in North America happening at the Cube on March 23, 2019!
In addition, adults and kids of all ages are welcome to attend this free event at the Cube to support hundreds of young innovators and celebrate them in their accomplishments. Attendees will hear from inspirational speakers, leading educational technology experts, and get the chance to join a global community of digital makers.
*Activities, times and dates subject to change without notice.
Click here for more information.
Imaginology Project Build Sessions
Your student's project build session will include materials and assistance with Imaginology project registration! Click on the flyers to reserve your student's spot!
There are many incredible field trip opportunities! Click on the flyers to go straight to the booking page.
Steve Spangler's DIY Sci
Steve Spangler, the man behind the fun science kits, has an amazing YouTube series and TV show, called DIY Sci. The audience is captivated as engaging science and engineering experiments are demonstrated in each episode and viewers can re-create most of them at home. This series is sure to strike your child's curiosity, and can be found on YouTube, Amazon Prime, and is available with certain television network providers.
Vendor Spotlight: American Martial Arts Academy
In 1992, Brad (a retired Police Officer) & Bonnie Wenneberg left the comfort of their successful careers and took a leap of faith to open a martial arts studio. Their very first student was a 10-year old boy in desperate need of self-esteem. Seeing him transform into a confident Black Belt leader, they knew that they were on the right path.
Now, with a community of over 1,000 families, their greatest joy still comes from hearing stories from parents of how the dojo has transformed their children. With their kids working by their side, and a team of instructors who have been with them for over a decade, Shihan Brad & Bonnie are more passionate than ever about helping people.
The American Martial Arts Academy have two locations: Fullerton and Placentia. Call 877-899-3919 to set up a trial class!
The Importance of Reading Aloud to Older Children
'Experts say reading aloud to children, free from accompanying work or exercises, is key to fostering reading for pleasure. A 2018 National Literacy Trust study found that children who enjoyed reading were significantly less likely to have mental health problems, while the Centre for Longitudinal Studies found in 2013 that reading for pleasure has a four times greater impact on academic success than one parent having a degree.
Egmont’s consumer insight director and author Alison David called on the government to make space for reading in the school curriculum, stressing that a daily story time “should be an intrinsic part of the school day, as normal, unquestionable and as unchangeable as lunch break”. Ideally, she said, this should run into their teens.'
Read the full article
here.
Vendor Fair at the American Academy of Strategic Education
One of our wonderful Preferred Vendors is having a Vendor Fair! Check out all of the details in the flyer. You can also talk to them about their Inspire funded drop off programs!
Stonyfield Free Park Days
Stonyfield Organic is teaming up with the various cities and non-toxic neighborhoods for a Field Day celebrating parks becoming organic! As part of the StonyFIELDS Initiative, they are working with communities like Costa Mesa and Tustin to make fields and parks healthier for all by replacing toxic pesticides with organic alternatives
Join them for their two upcoming FREE park days for organic yogurt, live music, eco-crafts, and more information on making your favorite parks healthier places to play!
Wednesday, March 13, 2019 from 3pm to 5pm
Tustin Sports Park, 12850 Robinson Dr, Tustin
Saturday, March 30, 2019 from 10am to 1pm
TeWinkle Park, 970 Arlington Dr, Costa Mesa
Orange County Cherry Blossom Festival
The Orange County Cherry Blossom Festival in Huntington Beach is an annual spring celebration of Japanese and Japanese American culture in Southern California. Each year the festival brings together a broad spectrum of performers and activities that span the traditional to the contemporary. Taiko drumming, minyo, classical dance, gagaku music, origami, ikebana are presented alongside cosplay contests, anime characters, electronic music, jazz, video game tournaments and beyond. The event is also all about tasting the best of Japanese food and drink vendors in the region!
Festival hours are 5 pm-9 pm Friday; 10 am-9 pm Saturday and 10 am-4 pm Sunday, with a Sakura Night Market debuting on Friday and Saturday nights.
Where: Huntington Central Park, 18000 Goldenwest St, Huntington Beach
When: March 15, 2019 – March 17, 2019
Cost: Free
International Children’s Festival
Celebrating the amazing talents of children of many cultures, this festival features West African, Mexican, Pacific Islander, Cambodian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Persian, Irish, Slovak, and Czech dance performances. Enjoy performances by a children’s choir and martial arts demonstrations. Kids of all ages can partake in an international percussion circle and Native American and Pacific Islander traditional children’s crafts and games. On Saturday at 12:20 p.m. the Aquarium will honor Ryan Hickman with its annual Young Hero Award in recognition of his efforts to make the planet a better place.
Where: Aquarium of the Pacific
When: March 16th and 17th. Check out their timetable of presentations here.
Cost: Included with price of entrance to the aquarium.
The 11th Annual World Dance Celebration
Facebook Page
Did you know we have an Orange County Facebook page? We have new parents in the group who would love to hear from you! We also advertise our field trips here, and upload the newsletter there every week.
Instagram Page
If you are on instagram, we'd love to hear from you! Join our page, learn about our upcoming events and field trips, and tag us in your homeschooling photos!
Orange County Parent Resource Site
Have you visited Inspire's Orange County Parent Resource Site yet? If not, head on over to meet our regional team, stay current on school events, and find general school information. This website is a great resource and one you'll want to bookmark!
Ladan Rashidi - OC Family Liaison
I have three children who are 2, 6 and 8 years old, and I was previously a high school math teacher. Four years ago, our family chose the path of homeschooling and we have enjoyed it ever since! I am passionate about helping families navigate their way on their exciting homeschooling journey, and connecting individuals to build a community!
ladan@inspireschools.org
Shaemanique King - OC Family Liaison
I am a mom of four children, ranging in ages from 8 years to 6 months, and have homeschooled for the past four years. I consider my homeschooling style to be “eclectic” as I draw from many sources and philosophies. I have a background in Project Management Support and enjoy planning and hosting activities and events. I look forward to interacting with and supporting homeschooling families!
shaemanique@inspireschools.org
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