Inspire Insider
Bringing families together, one newsletter at a time!
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Quote of the Week

School News and Important Dates
35+ Vendors at Orange County's Vendor Fair TOMORROW!
We will have Cabrillo Point teachers at the Vendor Fair approving orders for families to take home on the day.
For all other families, Enrichment will enter orders into the system, and if they are approved by the family’s HST before 12pm, they can be taken home. So please come early and let your HST know that you’re attending!
Our generous vendors have donated lots of wonderful prizes to our raffle! Raffle tickets are one per student, and winners will be announced at 12pm.
SunDog Therapy
Usborne Books
WM Music Lessons
WM Tutoring Services
Tinker the Robot
Russ Miura’s Subfighter Jiu Jitsu Academy
American Academy of Strategic Education
Buzzy Mae Music Academy
A Tree of Knowledge
Bright bosses ALOHA Mind Math/Reading/Writing
Money Munchkids
Homeschool Campus OC, Inc.,
DBA: World Class Educators
Cadenza Music Academy
Innate Math
BookShark
Innate Math
MoxieBox Art
Dance All You Can
Tutoring Club of Newport/Mesa
Best in Class Education Center
Discovery Toys
Elite Soccer League
Tinker the Robot
Russian School of Music Irvine, llc
Brain Builders STEM Education
Discovery of Learning
Real Life Spanish
Tinker the Robot
Craft and Light Creative Arts Studio
The Madden House
Teaching Writing to Homeschoolers
Hernandez Studio Productions
Karate For All
Urban Workshop
Code Ninjas Los Alamitos
Sew Outside The Box
Constitution Quest Game by Cognitive Square, Inc.
Code Ninjas Garden Grove
Fired Up Arts

Leap Year Fun Day!

Test Preparation Workshops
Please sign up using the sign-up links below. Registration is in on a first-come, first-serve basis and spaces are limited.
Registration Links- Please only sign up for one workshop per student.
February 25- 3rd- 8th Grade Laguna Niguel
March 10th- 3rd and 4th Grade- Costa Mesa
March 17- 3rd and 4th Grade - Costa Mesa
March 24- 5th and 6th Grade- Costa Mesa
March 31- 5th and 6th Grade- Costa Mesa

Parents' Night Out

OCPL Fine Free Library Days
Between February 14 and February 29, Orange County Public Libraries are waiving fines on any overdue books!
Please note, this does not apply to lost books. The fee on a lost book would need to be paid.

Starry Night- Prom 2020
You're Invited...
Join us for hors d'oeuvres, desserts, interactive art, raffle prizes, all-night photo booth, and rooftop dancing under the stars! High School Inspire students grades 9-12 are eligible to attend and may invite a non-Inspire guest (age 14-20) to join them at this event, so grab a friend and dance the night away at the historic Riverside Art Museum in downtown Riverside. Tickets are limited, so purchase yours early!
Riverside Art Museum
3425 Mission Inn Avenue
Riverside, CA
Friday, April 24th, 7-11 pm
There are a limited number of tickets for this event.
Ticket Price: $100 each
This event is not eligible for Instructional Funds use.
Questions? Summer Davidson summer@inspireschools.org

Costa Mesa Mobile Lending Library Locations
Return your items to our librarians at the following locations!

CAASPP Testing
Each year, the State of California requires public schools to reach a 95% participation rate for state standardized testing (CAASPP testing, sometimes also referred to as SBAC testing). If a school has less than 95% of its students participate, they are at risk of losing their charter and WASC accreditation. We are not asking our parents to change their homeschool style or “buy-in” to Common Core State Standards. However, we do need your support in ensuring that our students are in attendance at testing and that they do the best they can. Your participation in helping us meet the minimum 95% requirement is one important way you can aid in safeguarding the survival of our charter. Our school is penalized on our performance levels in math and language arts when we do not meet the 95%.
A second way you can help is to make sure your students are familiar with the testing platform. This will give them the best advantage to show what they know. Please utilize this resource of How to Take a Practice Test and Check-Out Designated Supports to walk them through how to navigate the testing portal. We know our homeschool students are smart and we need to make sure they do their best during state testing to demonstrate that our programs are working. Even if a student scores below grade level, our school can benefit academically when students show growth from year to year.
Inspire Charter Services’ Testing Department has created a series of presentations in response to questions and concerns received from our homeschooling families about state standardized testing. I hope you will find these videos, along with the additional supporting resources and articles, to be helpful in alleviating any fears or anxieties your family may be facing with regards to testing. Please take the time to review these Parent Testing Videos and Resources to see if you feel any would be beneficial for your family. We would also appreciate it if you could complete this Parent Testing Video Survey and give us your feedback.
We appreciate the opportunity you have given us to partner with you in your homeschooling journey. We look forward to many more years of supporting the homeschool community and their unique styles of education
Enter Imaginology's Student Competitions!
Imaginology at the OC Fair and Event Center is a huge STEAM event that families and schools love! This year, it will be on Friday April 17th to Sunday April 19th and Inspire will be there! At Imaginology, kids and their families will not only see a world of wonder, but can participate in a wide range of fun and educational hands-on activities designed to inspire and encourage academic and career exploration.
Did you know that Imaginology holds competitions for children that have a $50 cash reward? This is the time for your child's creativity to shine!
There are 19 different project divisions, and they are:
Fiber Art
Fashionista!
Upcycle It
Cardboard Engineering
Wood & Metal Arts
Digital Art
Make It With Clay
Jewelry
Drawing
Read & Draw
Painting
Photography
Manipulated Photography
Poetry
Farmology
Lights, Camera, Action
Mobiles
3D-Printed Art
The project registration deadline is March 27th, so start thinking about what you might be interested in building and stay tuned for more information about how to submit your projects!

Join Inspiring Parents on the First Wednesday of the Month
Our featured guest speaker and Student Services writing specialist, Genieva Davidson, provided a close up tour of the Writing Interventions website she developed. If your student is working at grade level, or above, then in your mind, change the title of this website to Writing Resources because everyone can benefit from the treasure trove of free lessons and how-to videos found here.
Missed the live webcast? Sign up here to receive the February 5th recording link via email.
Click this link to view the clickable topics which will transport you to the free writing resources and how-to video web page. On the site, you can scroll down to view the grade level and resources you need.
Inspiring Parents meets the first Wednesday of each month from 1-2 p.m.
In March, we will focus on Elementary Writing Strategies from 1-2 p.m. and Middle to High School Writing Strategies from 2-3 p.m. Bookmark this link to join the online session each month. Come and grow your teaching toolkit with us!
Field Trip Tip
1. Log in to www.icsinspirationstation.net and you will see “Hi (your name)” on the top right, with a little drop down arrow next to it. *Tip: if you're on your phone, just turn it horizontally and this will show.
2. Press the arrow and it will offer the option of viewing “My Account.”
3. Click on "My Account" and it will list all of the field trips you have signed up for. This includes all the links to the pages where you signed up, so you can find the lead teacher's name, email address and phone number!


Special Education Parent Newsletter
January Greetings!
As we start off 2020, we are excited to share with you the January Special Education with Care newsletter! In this newsletter, you'll find some great information on:
- Extended School Year
- Academic Crafts
- Going Back to School After the Holidays
- Positive Reinforcement
If you missed the Bravewriter webcast
Julie Bogart, creator of BraveWriter shared techniques for how to incorporate writing across the curriculum and ways to make it fun.
If you missed the live webcast, click on this link http://bit.ly/BraveLearnerFreeResources to add your email address and receive Writing Across the Curriculum, Writer's Jungle and High School Writing Help, as well as the Brave Learner Companion Guide.
Parent Testing Resources Website
Academic Video Library
Instructions to access Academic Video Library can be found here.
Orange County History Day - Natural History Day
To learn more about this unique opportunity, please visit https://ocde.us/EducationalServices/STEMandHumanities/History/Pages/History-Day.aspx
If your child is interested in participating in this year's contest, please contact Chuck Glowacz: chuck@inspireschools.org

Field Trips and Events
Click on the flyer to view the event!
All new field trips open on Wednesdays at 8am for ticket bookings.
Community Connections: park days, high school hangouts and more!
Below is the newsletter for February and March. Although there are some fun events planned for both months, be sure to check out your nearest Test Prep Party going on in March. Also, If you have attended a Community Connections event, will you please take the time to fill out THIS survey? We would appreciate your feedback. Lastly, you may bring any non-consumable Enrichment item you need to return to the mobile Lending Library. They will be at select Community Connections events that are happening at parks throughout the county, but for returns only at this time.
February OC Community Connections Newsletter
March OC Community Connections Newsletter
We would like to ask that if you are unable to attend an event that you have RSVP’d for, please cancel your ticket and inform the coordinator for that location. It helps with supplies and planning. Thank you!
If you need any assistance, please reach out to the CC in that area or to our Regional Community Coordinator, Gina Garland: ggarland@inspireschools.org
Educational Tools
The Call of the Wild + Free
Allow your children to experience the adventure, freedom, and wonder of childhood with this practical guide that provides all the information, inspiration, and advice you need for creating a modern, quality homeschool education.
Inspired by the spirit of Henry David Thoreau—”All good things are wild and free”—mother of five Ainsley Arment founded Wild + Free. This growing online community of mothers and families want their children to receive a quality education at home by challenging their intellectual abilities and nurturing their sense of curiosity, joy and awe—the essence of a positive childhood.
The homeschool approach of past generations is gone—including the stigma of socially awkward kids, conservative clothes, and a classroom setting replicated in the home. The Wild + Free movement is focused on a love of nature, reading great books, pursuing interests and hobbies, making the entire world a classroom, and prolonging the wonder of childhood, an appealing philosophy that is unpacked in the pages of this book
The Call of the Wild and Free offers advice, information, and positive encouragement for parents considering homeschooling, those currently in the trenches looking for inspiration, as well as parents, educators, and caregivers who want supplementary resources to enhance their kids’ traditional educations.

Homeschooling Advice
Why Homeschooling is the Best: Peaceful Morning Routines
The morning often dictates how the rest of your day is going to pan out. So a positive start to the day can mean success, harmony, and, of course, learning. If you can ease into the day with gentle activities, rather than frantically rushing around, you can create a soothing learning environment for your kids and a less stressful day for you. "
Read the rest of the article here.
Local Events
Irvine Park Railroad's 24th Anniversary
To celebrate our 24th year of business and to show our appreciation to all our loyal customers… we’re rolling back to our original 1996 prices!
The cost is $2.00 per ticket; this price is valid during the Anniversary Celebration weekend only. Coupons, discounts, and any other promotions are not valid on the Anniversary Celebration dates.
February 29 – March 1, 2020
Saturday and Sunday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
ENTRANCE TO THE CELEBRATION IS FREE
Activity tickets are $2.00 each
Tickets are only valid during the Anniversary Celebration
IRVINE REGIONAL PARK ENTRANCE FEE
Weekdays $3.00 per vehicle
Weekends $5.00 per vehicle
Holidays $7.00 per vehicle
Please see Event Parking for details
Your Orange County Team

Community and Connection
Facebook Page
Instagram Page
Orange County Parent Resource Site
Ladan Rashidi - OC Family Liaison
Shaemanique King - OC Family Liaison
Feedback
We would like this newsletter to best reflect the needs of our community! If you have any suggestions or input, please complete this survey. We appreciate your feedback!
