Lakeside Christian School, not unlike many private elementary schools in Clearwater, FL, is offering a blend of synchronous and asynchronous learning for any students who need to attend school remotely in either the short or long term. And while our virtual program is designed to continue to provide an outstanding educational experience with the flexibility for parents to assess their own needs for remote or in-person learning, we recognize that making and maintaining the transition to remote coursework is not always easy. That’s why, in today’s brief article, we’ll be going over three tips for your student to be successful at virtual learning.
Related: Starting On The Right Path By Selecting The Best Elementary School For Your Child
Your student may normally do their homework on the kitchen table or in their bedroom, but this space is often not a suitable environment for them to conduct all of their virtual learning. Instead, you’ll likely want to create a quiet, peaceful space that is exclusively dedicated to that purpose. Much like physically going to school helps your student know it’s time to focus, you’ll find that going to this designated area will help your student clear their headspace and get to work.
It doesn’t matter where the area is within your home, so long as there is enough space for your student to spread out all of their materials. It should be well-lit, free from clutter, and preferably close to an outlet so that any electronic devices needed for school can be charged. Overall, you just want a clean, dedicated area that helps your student relax and feel more prepared to study.
Without the structure of teachers and class changes, it can be easy to go to extremes. Some students may spend all day feverishly working, while others may spend five minutes on an assignment that was supposed to last half an hour. You’ll want to counteract this problem by creating and following a schedule that helps your student stay on track.
For older students, this could mean purchasing a planner or making use of an online resource like Google Calendar. For younger students who can’t tell time yet, it would be beneficial to try setting up a timer for the number of minutes they should spend on a specific activity. It may also be helpful to break the day into 15-20 minute time blocks and plan what needs to be completed in each block rather than simply working on one subject for most of the day.
Last but not least, if you ever feel like you or your student may need assistance with virtual learning, it’s important to reach out for help. This could mean contacting your student’s teachers with any questions, reaching out to your student’s counselor when they begin to feel overwhelmed, or speaking with other parents whose children are doing virtual learning about how they are coping. It’s important to ask for help as soon as possible so that your student does not risk falling behind or not fully understanding an important topic. For more information on how your student can succeed in a virtual learning program, get in touch with Lakeside Christian School — an affordable private elementary school in Clearwater, FL.
If you would like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School, one of the best private elementary schools in Clearwater, FL, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
When high schools across America went to virtual learning in early March of 2020, it was easy to think that the extra time at home was nothing more than a bonus Spring Break. Now, 2021 has rolled around, and the COVID-19 pandemic is still far from over. Each and every day, we are being forced to reevaluate the way we think, the way we work, the way we live, and the way we educate our children. For example, right now, your student could be getting their education through any number of formats, including in-person learning, e-learning, or a combination of the two.
However, even while many aspects of the world may still be on pause, your child’s education is something that just can’t wait. Admissions offices understand that parents are pressured to make the best informed decision they can for their child’s education and are finding new ways to connect with families and prospective students every day, providing more than enough opportunities for parents to learn about and engage with their schools. In this brief article, we’ll be going over just a few of the most important steps you can take to choose the best private school out of the Christian high schools in Clearwater, FL, during the pandemic.
Related: Private Schools Catch Parents’ Eye As COVID-19 Surges
Typically, the easiest way to learn about a school is to attend an open house or schedule a tour. This gives you a chance to learn the basic facts about the school, the type of students who go there, and what their classes are like before delving into some of the more nuanced aspects of what makes the school unique. However, with the pandemic and other considerations in mind, you might not be able or willing to schedule a tour of a prospective private school.
In this case, it’s important to remember that there are a multitude of options available for you to connect virtually with your school of choice, such as attending a virtual open house, visiting their website, or tuning in to a virtual information session. If this is a return “visit” to find out more about a particular area of the school, such as extracurriculars, curriculum, or the specifics of a college prep program, then a private Zoom call may be more appropriate. No matter which method you choose, connecting virtually with a private school is an outstanding chance to get a glimpse into the school’s larger culture and values, the success they choose to showcase, and how they express its mission.
Related: Narrowing Down Your Choice of Private Christian Schools in Clearwater
After visiting the website or taking a virtual visit to a prospective Christian high school in Clearwater, FL, your next step should be to reach out to any parents whose children currently attend the school you are considering. These conversations will help you get a better sense of what goes on inside the classroom and out, and ask questions about a wide variety of topics ranging from the school’s culture to its handling of remote learning during the lockdown. Below, we’ve outlined some basic questions you may want to consider asking other parents:
Whether these parents rave about the school or give it less than stellar reviews, it’s important to remember that their opinion should not be the final say in your decision. Wait until you have conducted proper research and met with admissions officers before formulating an educated opinion. And, as always, be sure that you are taking the physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing of your child into consideration when selecting a school/
If you would like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School, one of the top Christian high schools in Clearwater, FL, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
For the vast majority of children in the United States, a good education is largely contingent on the school they attend. In most states, this depends on where the child lives and limits school choice to those parents who can either afford to move to a better school district or pay private school tuition. However, in Florida, this underperformance in K-12 public schools has been counteracted with a variety of school choice programs, vouchers, scholarship tax credits, and online learning alternatives for parents to take control of their child’s education. One state-approved nonprofit scholarship funding organization, for example, awarded scholarships to approximately 99,113 economically disadvantaged students during the 2020-21 school year.
In today’s brief article, we’ll be reviewing how you can take advantage of just one of the five key scholarships available for Florida schoolchildren through Step Up For Students in Clearwater, FL — the Gardiner Scholarship. This scholarship program, whose name honors Florida Senate President Andy Gardiner who led the legislative effort to create it, helps parents across Florida individualize the education plans for their children with certain special needs. This is accomplished by directing money toward a combination of programs and approved providers, including schools, therapists, curriculum, technology, and a college savings account.
Related: Are You Looking For School Options For Your Child? Consider Step Up For Students.
Since the Gardiner Scholarship is intended for children with certain special needs, your student is only eligible if he or she has one of the following disabilities:
In order to prove that your student is eligible, you will need to provide validation of his or her diagnosis from a Florida physician, psychologist, or physician who holds an active license issued by another state or territory of the United States. To demonstrate that your student is dual sensory impaired or hospital or homebound, a current Individualized Education Program (IEP) is required. And while students can participate in the scholarship program as part of home education, they cannot be enrolled in a public school or receive any other state-sponsored scholarship, such as the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship. Lastly, this scholarship is only available for students 3 years old through 12th grade or age 22, whichever comes first.
Related: Everything Parents Need To Know About The Gardiner Scholarship
For those parents who are looking to take control of their child’s education and believe they may be eligible for the Gardiner Scholarship, now is the time to begin to prepare. The Gardiner Scholarship application for the 2021-22 school year will first be available to renewal students until April 30, 2021. Afterward, the application will then open to new students, including those on the 2020-21 waitlist. After the funding priority period has passed, applications will be processed in the following order: (1) students who were on the 2020-21 waitlist and (2) new and renewal students in the order they were deemed eligible.
As with most scholarships, applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. If funding is not available at the time an award determination is placed, your student may be placed on the waitlist. For families applying for this scholarship for the first time, it’s important to begin collecting the following items as soon as possible:
The Gardiner Scholarship amount varies according to grade and county of residence; however, the average amount of students in the 2019-20 school year was $10,400. This represents 90 percent of the 253 matrix level of funding unless your student has a matrix level of services on file with the Florida Department of Education due to public school enrollment. Most students with an IEP will not have a matrix level of services. For more information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Lakeside Christian School — one of the Step Up For Students participating schools in Clearwater, FL.
If you would like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School, one of the Step Up For Students participating schools, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
Are you ready to join the Lakeside Christian School community? Contact us, and schedule a tour today.
Parents of Students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan, Click Here.