Tag Archives: Antelope Valley Charter School

iLEAD Antelope Valley: Partnering with Home and Community

At iLEAD Antelope Valley, we don’t believe that education happens solely within the four walls of a school. On the contrary, we believe education that produces well-rounded children is a result of synergy and collaboration between the school, the home, and the community. 

That is why it is so important to us to build strong partnerships between families and communities. Parents and community partners are key resources to supporting learners’ success, which is why iLEAD Agua Dulce actively and consistently involves parents, finding ways to support them and extend learners’ education at home. 

Through our relationships with various community partners, we are able to provide learning experiences that broaden kids’ perspectives, not to mention often give back to the community. Strong community partnerships are a win-win. 

There are several ways we promote parent involvement. We strongly encourage parents to volunteer at their learners’ school during the year, with opportunities including classroom volunteering, tutoring, attending board of directors meetings, participating in events, and more. We also encourage parents to take an active role in their children’s learning. 

Other community-related partnerships we encourage and facilitate include partnering with industry professionals, business leaders, government and civic leaders, community leaders, nonprofit leaders, higher-education partners, entrepreneurs, and more. Fostering these relationships provides learners with a wealth of knowledge, advice, and insight, in addition to access to real-world learning opportunities and experiences.

Collaboration is at the heart of iLEAD Antelope Valley’s project-based learning model. When synergy is found between learners, families, and communities, something really special happens — the foundation is set for authentic learning that produces inspired leaders with promising futures.

Zoom Schedules

Parents, during our Meet the Facilitator Zoom meetings, facilitators spoke to you about the A and B cohorts (groups). Learners will check in daily for Morning Meeting/Advisory and, depending on the cohort schedule, should be with their facilitator at least three times per day. Your learners should not be on Zoom from 9:00-3:30. Instead, they’ll be on for 45-60-minute intervals, with time for PE (see below) and, at some point, enrichment workshops. Please reach out to the school office if you have any questions or concerns.

Coach Ali’s PE Schedule

(Please check your email, or email ali.vasconez@ileadav.org, for the Zoom links.)

Monday
TK-Kinder / Ms.McReynolds – 10:10am – 10:40am
Kinder / Ms. Calderon – 10:10am – 10:40am
1st / Ms. Calderon – 1:30pm – 2:00pm
1st / Mr. Leon – 1:30pm – 2:00pm

Tuesday
2nd / Ms. Basty – 10:10 – 10:40 AM
2nd / Mr. Bryan – 10:10 – 10:40 AM
3rd / Ms. Baham – 10:40 – 11:20 AM
3rd / Ms. Bogna – 10:40 – 11:20 AM

Wednesday
4th / Mr. Bogdan – 11:00 – 11:30 AM
4th / Ms. Reed – 11:00 – 11:30 AM
5th / Ms. James – 12:00 – 12:30 PM
5th/6th / Mr. Suzuki – 12:00 – 12:30 PM
6th / Mr. Z – 12:00 – 12:30 PM

Thursday
7th / Ms. Tucker – 1:00 – 1:30 PM
7th/8th / Ms. Lee – 1:00 – 1:30 PM
8th / Mr. Hamann – 1 :00 – 1:30 PM

iLEAD Antelope Valley Culture: Project-Based Learning

Spend even just a few moments inquiring about iLEAD Antelope Valley’s approach to education, and one of the first things you’ll hear about is project-based learning, or PBL. It’s at the core of our approach to school and a proven asset to education.

So what is project-based learning? In PBL, learners actively explore real-world challenges to acquire deeper knowledge of the subject at hand. Research shows that learners increasingly retain and enjoy what they’re learning when PBL is done well.

This educational model helps students learn the valuable collaboration, academic, and problem-solving skills our global economy will demand from them. Through the PBL method, learners tackle engaging projects about real-world issues that require critical thought, inquiry, and synthesis, and culminate in regular Presentations of Learning (or POLs) to their peers, facilitators, community members, and parents.

The PBL model requires learners to research, collaborate, and carefully weigh information and evidence in a nuanced problem-solving environment. It teaches learners to accept feedback, create solutions, and present their findings in a high-performance context — preparing them for the rigors of the 21st-century economy and the challenges of a global world. 

PBL provides the following benefits:

  • PBL makes school more engaging: In PBL, students are active, not passive. Projects engage their hearts and minds and provide real-world relevance for learning.
  • PBL improves learning: At the completion of a project, learners understand content more deeply, remember what they learn, and retain it longer than is often the case with traditional instruction. Because of this, students who gain content knowledge with PBL are better able to apply to new situations what they know and can do.
  • PBL builds skills for college, career, and life: Learners are preparing for life in a world where success requires more than basic knowledge and skills. In a project, students learn how to take initiative and responsibility, build confidence, solve problems, work in teams, communicate ideas, and manage themselves more effectively.
  • PBL helps address standards: Common Core and other current education standards emphasize real-world application of knowledge and skills, as well as the development of success skills like critical thinking/problem-solving, collaboration, communication in a variety of media, and speaking and presentation skills. PBL helps learners effectively meet these goals.
  • PBL embraces technology: Kids enjoy using a variety of tech tools that are a perfect fit for PBL. With technology, facilitators and learners not only find resources and information they need; they also collaborate more effectively and connect with experts, partners, and audiences.
  • PBL makes teaching more enjoyable and rewarding: Projects allow facilitators to work closely with active, engaged learners doing high-quality, meaningful work. In many cases, facilitators rediscover the joy of learning alongside kids.
  • PBL connects kids and schools with communities and the real world: Through PBL, learners have opportunities to solve real problems and address actual issues, and as such they learn more about interacting with adults and organizations, are exposed to workplaces, and can identify and develop career interests.

In short, project-based learning is at the core of the iLEAD Antelope Valley model because we believe it is at the heart of how kids learn best. Time and again, we’ve seen how PBL helps learners develop academic skills, build leadership skills and character, and lay the foundation for promising careers.