Online charter school information session planned tonight
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 11:52 AM PDT
ONTARIO ” Families interested in an exciting new alternative for their child’s education are invited to attend an upcoming information session free of charge at 6:30 p.m. today at Four Rivers Cultural Center, 676 S.W. Fifth Ave., Ontario.
Oregon Connections Academy is the largest online public charter school in Oregon, headquartered in Scio.
“We offer a unique learning experience for our students,” ORCA High School Principal Ben Kolb said in a press release. “They get more individualized instruction from teachers, greater involvement from parents and a high-quality curriculum enhanced by technology.”
In Ontario, Sandee Bell acts as learning coach for her son, Mayson, who is in kindergarten at ORCA.
“My child needs a more flexible schedule so he can work at his own pace,” she said. “ORCA helps meet their individual needs.”
Oregon Connections Academy started in 2005 and is now serving more than 2,600 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. There is no tuition to attend ORCA, and the school accepts students from all over the state.
At the information sessions, parents will have an opportunity to meet with the school’s certified teachers and other ORCA families, view the curriculum, see a demonstration of the online Learning Management System and thoroughly explore the program.
In 2008-09 Connections Academy will serve students in Arizona, California (southern and central), Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Minnesota, Missouri (through the Missouri Virtual Instruction Program), Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin. Connections Academy offers grades kindergarten through 12th, though some schools do not offer all grades. For more information, call (800) 382-6010 or visit www.connectionsacademy.com.
