Dear Lab Parents,
Thank you for joining us for the parent meeting this evening! It was wonderful seeing your faces, and also so fun that so many students also joined us! Mile's light sabers were a hit!
Here is a quick summary of the discussion;
Classes at The Lab for Fall 2020. We are hoping that we will be operating onsite again in the Fall. However, we are preparing for virtual and or combined on-site/virtual classes if that proves necessary. We will be following the recommendations of city, county and state public health officials. It is a constantly changing situation and we will let you know as we do.
Charter school selection. The Lab is a vendor for Epic, iLead, Sky Mountain and Inspire and can apply to become a vendor for other charter schools as well.
If you child is enrolled in a charter school that has approved the Lab as a vendor, that means you can apply the enrichment funds you receive to pay for enrichment programs at the Lab. Or you may choose to spend those funds elsewhere and opt to private pay for Lab enrichment classes.
Charter schools have different philosophies and cultures. Now is the time to evaluate whether the charter school your child is enrolled in fits your child's needs and your style.
If you prefer more a more child-led approach, then be sure the independent study charter your child is enrolled with allows for this. If you prefer more structure and guidance by a charter school teacher, then you will want to look for a charter school that aligns with this approach.
In addition, you will want to consider how often you want your child to attend enrichment programs each week. Some charter schools allow their students to attend as frequently as the parent wishes. Others limit the number of days a student can attend using their enrichment funds but allow them to attend other days on their own accord. Others strictly limit the number of days a student can attend regardless of who is covering the cost.
Based on our parents experience here is the breakdown of the charter schools we currently work with:
Educational Model
Model 1. Parent/child-led independent study
Parent has considerable freedom in determining what child studies and when, teacher provides guidance and monitors for appropriate progress
Sky Mountain
Inspire
iLead
Model 2. Teacher/charter school-led independent study
Charter school teacher sets the curriculum and study schedule for the child with parent feedback. Parent is expected to follow the charter school teacher's plan at home. Non-compliance can result in expulsion from charter school.
Epic Charter School
Days of Enrichment Classes allowed
5-days a week
Epic
5-days a week but only 2 days can be covered by educational funds
iLead
3-days a week
Sky Mountain
2-days a week
Inspire
End of Academic Year Schedule
May 28th Last day of regular class
June 1-4th Virtual Spirit Week! Movie Day, Virtual field trips, PJ day, Trip the
Light Fantastic Virtual Dance Party, and much more fun!
9:00-12:30
Academic tutoring
1:00-3:00
June 5th Graduation Ceremony
9:30-11:00
June 10th Start of Connected Community Virtual Field Trips
every Wed 10:00-12:00 during the Summer