I recently found out about a charter school that is serving the whole of Los Angeles county, including Santa Clarita, who still has some open spots for the fall 2011 semester! It is located in Thousand Oaks and has joined forces with Ventura Charter School. Their name is Bridges Charter School. This charter indicated that they are still accepting applications for this fall on a first-come, first serve basis, so I wanted to get the word out to you all, since I know there are long waitlists at so many, if not all, of the charters.
On their brochure, they say, "At BRIDGES Charter School we focus on the whole child. This approach to education is founded on relationship and choice which develops the whole child's social, emotional, cognitive, kinesthetic, spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal and natural intelligences."
This homeschool charter school is part of a site-based charter school, so they offer optional weekly enrichment classes to the homestudy students at their site. The homeschool classes are only for the homeschoolers though in a separate classroom, but homeschoolers are welcome to socialize with the site-based charter's students during recess and fieldtrips. Homeschooled students get divided into groupings for K-1, 2-4th grade and 5th grade and up for each of the classes. If students choose to attend classes at the site, the days start at 8:30 with a study hall and then at 10:00 with classes until 3:00. Studens don't need to sign up for the classes, they can just show up. The only classes they ask for regular attendance are those which are on a continuum, like Spanish and Language Arts. Some of the classes are taught by their own supervising teachers (Language Arts, Spanish, Geography, Art and Yoga) and for others they employ specialists who teach (Lego, Science, PE, Music, and more).
If you are familiar with the model at SCVi, you will find many similarities. There is one big difference. They do not offer instructional funds for outside approved vendors, but you can use instructional funds to purchase curriculum from approved vendors ($200-$350 max.) and then you can attend their weekly classes on Mondays and Wednesdays. Since the they joined forces with Ventura Charter School's home study program, they also offer enrichment classes there as well, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Bridges School's students are welcome to attend any of these classes too. Students can also participate in the school's Harvest Festival, Spelling Bee, Science Fair, and more.
Bridges also have a school library for curriculum that can be used by families in the homestudy program.
Feel free to email Claudia Weintraub at Claudia.Weintraub@bridgescharter.org or bridges.ventura.charter@gmail.com if you have any questions.
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