Tag Archives: isupport meeting

Building Confident Communicators at iLEAD AV Studio

At iLEAD AV Studio, we believe that education is about more than just memorizing facts. It’s about igniting a lifelong love for learning, fostering critical thinking, and equipping kids with the skills they’ll need to succeed in our rapidly changing world. Our academic programs are thoughtfully designed to achieve just that, blending rigorous standards with innovative, engaging educational methods across all core subjects.

When it comes to English Language Arts (ELA), iLEAD AV Studio learners are immersed in a dynamic environment from their very first steps into our classrooms. We go beyond traditional reading and writing, focusing on developing well-rounded communicators.

We emphasize collaboration and peer review throughout the learning process, understanding that constructive feedback is crucial for continuous improvement. These principles culminate in regular presentations of learning, where learners of all ages gain comfort speaking to adults and the wider community, proudly sharing their work and insights.

Foundational Excellence (TK-2): Building Literacy from the Ground Up

For our youngest learners, we build literacy skills from the ground up. We use a well-rounded program that includes a strong focus on basic reading skills. This means we specifically guide kids to do the following:

  • Recognize sounds in words (phonological awareness, like rhyming).
  • Connect letters to sounds (phonics).
  • Read smoothly and easily (fluency).
  • Learn new words (vocabulary).
  • Truly understand what they read (comprehension).

We check their progress regularly, use special books that are easy to sound out, help them master common words, and teach clear grammar rules. All of this gives your child the essential tools to read, understand, and express themselves well in a fun and supportive classroom.

learners book

Building on Baselines (3-5): Deepening Understanding and Expression

As our learners grow, our program builds on those strong foundations, using tools to deepen their reading comprehension, make their reading even smoother, and expand their vocabulary. Learners also develop important writing skills through our writing program, focusing on the following:

  • Correct grammar.
  • Spelling.
  • How words are built (like prefixes and suffixes).
  • How to organize their thoughts into clear essays and stories.

We use various assessments, including state tests, to track their progress. Plus, we weave in social-emotional learning (SEL) to help our learners manage feelings and work with others, recognizing that strong communication is linked to emotional intelligence. Regular opportunities for peer review and collaborative projects are integrated into their coursework, fostering a culture of mutual support and continuous improvement.

Advanced Mastery (6-8): Preparing for High School and Beyond

In middle school, our literacy program guides learners to tackle advanced reading, become highly fluent, and develop a sophisticated vocabulary. This prepares them for college and beyond. They’ll refine their writing, focusing on the following:

  • Complex grammar.
  • Precise word choice.
  • Understanding word origins.
  • Structuring their writing for different purposes.

State tests and other assessments help us ensure our learners stay on track. We use a variety of educational methods, like graphic organizers to help learners structure ideas, along with continued social-emotional learning, to encourage critical thinking, strong analysis, and effective communication across all subjects.

A cornerstone of this advanced mastery is our emphasis on public speaking through regular presentations of learning. These opportunities are designed to build confidence, allowing learners to articulate their ideas clearly, respond to questions, and engage effectively with their peers, facilitators, families, and community members.

At iLEAD AV Studio, academic rigor in English Language Arts is intertwined with innovation, collaboration, and a deep sense of purpose. We’re not just preparing learners for tests — we’re preparing them to be confident, capable, and compassionate communicators ready to make their mark.

 

About iLEAD AV Studio:

iLEAD AV Studio is a free public TK-8 school in Lancaster, CA, that fosters personalized education through project-based learning, social-emotional development, independent critical thinking. Our approach integrates technology and the arts, encourages entrepreneurship and collaboration, and values family participation. Our unique hands-on projects, including aerospace and glider-flight opportunities, prepare learners for success in high-demand careers. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook and find us at www.ileadav.org.

Join our exciting school today!

Get Ready for School with a Free Backpack from the City of Lancaster

The new school year is almost here, and the City of Lancaster is here to help! For the fourth year, they’re giving away 9,000 free backpacks filled with school supplies to students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Where to Get Yours:

You can register to pick up a backpack on Saturday, August 2, at one of these four spots:

  • Lancaster Municipal Stadium: 45116 Valley Central Way
  • Park View Educational Complex: 44327 Fig Ave
  • Eastside High School: 3200 E Avenue J8
  • Joe Walker Middle School: 5632 W Avenue L8 (No health services at this spot)

More Than Just Backpacks!

It’s not just about school supplies! Bring the whole family for fun activities. Plus, you can get free immunizations and other health services at most locations.

We are so thankful to the City of Lancaster for helping our learners start the year strong. If you need one, be sure to register for a free backpack and get ready for a great school year!

Upcoming Events

iLEAD AV Studio

  • Mon., 6/9 – Mon., 8/11: Summer Break
  • Tue., 8/12: First Day of 2025-26 School Year
  • Mon., 9/1: Labor Day – No School
  • Thur., 9/4: Minimum Day – All Grades
  • Thur., 9/4: Back to School Night
  • Thur., 9/11: Minimum Day – All Grades
  • Thur.-Fri., 9/25-26: Individualized Learning Plans

Click here for the school year calendar.

iLEAD AV Exploration (Home Study)

  • Mon., 6/9 – Mon., 8/11: Summer Break
  • Mon.-Wed., 7/28-8/1: Returning Family Early Curriculum Pickup
  • Wed.-Thur., 8/6-7: New Family Curriculum Pickup
  • Fri., 8/8: Popsicles in the Park – Meet Your Facilitator, Rawley Duntley Park, 10:00 AM to noon
  • Mon., 8/11: Parent Back to School Event on Zoom, 12:00-2:00 PM
  • Tue., 8/12: First Day of 2025-26 School Year
  • Tue., 8/26: School Pictures
  • Mon., 9/1: Labor Day – No School

Click here for the school year calendar.

iLEAD AV Exploration 2025-26 Curriculum Pickup

As we gear up for an amazing 2025-26 school year at iLEAD AV Exploration, we want to make sure families know which curriculum pick-up dates apply to them.

Returning Families

If your learner is returning to iLEAD AV Exploration, your curriculum pick-up dates are as follows:

  • Monday, July 28, through Thursday, July 31

Be sure to sign up via ParentSquare to select your time slot.

New Families

If you’re new to our program this year, welcome! Your designated pick-up dates are as follows:

  • Wednesday, August 6, through Thursday, August 7

Please sign up via ParentSquare to reserve your pick-up time.

Curriculum pick-up will take place at our iLEAD AV Exploration site.

Be sure your Master Agreement is signed before arriving.

Let’s make it a smooth and successful start to the year!

iLEAD AV Exploration Popsicles in the Park & Meet Your Facilitator: August 8

iLEAD AV Exploration families, please mark your calendars and plan to join us at Rawley Duntley Park for a SWEET play day with new and familiar friends! This will also be your opportunity to meet your child’s facilitator! We’ll meet Friday, August 8, from 10:00 AM to noon. Stay tuned for more information coming soon.

iLEAD AV Exploration Parent Back to School Event: August 11

Mark your calendar for our Parent Back to School event on Zoom on Monday, August, 11, at noon to 2:00 PM. This event will help you know what to expect throughout the year, what our independent study learning model looks like, the various types of assessments we use at iLEAD AV Exploration, school culture, and much more. It is a very informative evening where valuable information will be given. Stay tuned for more information as the date gets closer. We look forward to seeing you there!

The Congressional App Challenge Is Open for the Summer!

Is your child interested in technology, problem-solving, or just looking for a fun and engaging summer activity? Middle and high school students (grades 6-12) in California’s 27th Congressional District have an exciting opportunity!

Representative Whitesides is hosting a Congressional App Challenge (CAC). This competition encourages students of all coding abilities to develop critical thinking and creativity through computer science.

Why Your Child Should Participate

  • Boost College Applications: Participating in the CAC is a fantastic way to make college applications stand out. It shows initiative, technical skills, and a commitment to learning.
  • Develop Real-World Skills: Students will build valuable computer science and leadership skills that are increasingly important in today’s world.
  • National Recognition and Prizes: Your child could earn national recognition for their winning app and even receive a waiver of copyright registration fees!
  • Foster Leadership and Teamwork: Students can work individually or in teams of up to four, which is a great way to develop leadership and collaboration skills.
  • Make a Difference: The CAC encourages students to create apps that address real issues in their community or across the country, blending civic engagement with STEM education.
  • Flexible and Inclusive: Students don’t need to be enrolled in a computer science class to participate! This competition can be a summer enrichment activity, an extra credit opportunity, or even a fall project. It’s designed to be inclusive and engage a wide range of learners.

We encourage you to have your child get involved in this initiative! To learn more about the rules, prizes, and how to participate, please visit the Congressional App Challenge website. Submissions are due by October 30.

We can’t wait to see what amazing apps your children create this year, and we wish you all a great summer!

Free Summer Meals for Kids & Teens

We want to make sure all our families have access to meals this summer. Nutritious summer meals are available for all individuals ages 18 and under at nearby locations. Meal sites often include fun activities for kids as well!

Find a Nearby Meal Site Using These Resources

Download the California Department of Education (CDE) CA Meals for Kids Mobile Application

Search the CDE Summer Meal Service Sites web page

More Ways You Can Find Healthy Food During the Summer

Learn about SUN Bucks, a program that provides money to families to buy groceries for their school-aged children during the summer.

Visit the California Association of Food Banks website to find a food bank near you.

Learn how to participate in the Market Match Program to double your CalFresh Food dollars at a farmers market.

Find a farmers market using the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Certified Farmers Markets Locator.

Call 2-1-1 for information on food assistance programs.

Upcoming Events

iLEAD AV Studio

  • Mon., 6/9 – Mon., 8/11: Summer Break
  • Tue., 8/12: First Day of 2025-26 School Year
  • Mon., 9/1: Labor Day – No School
  • Thur., 9/4: Minimum Day – All Grades
  • Thur., 9/4: Back to School Night
  • Thur., 9/11: Minimum Day – All Grades
  • Thur.-Fri., 9/25-26: Individualized Learning Plans

Click here for the school year calendar.

iLEAD AV Exploration (Home Study)

  • Mon., 6/9 – Mon., 8/11: Summer Break
  • Mon.-Wed., 7/28-8/1: Returning Family Early Curriculum Pickup
  • Wed.-Thur., 8/6-7: New Family Curriculum Pickup
  • Fri., 8/8: Popsicles in the Park – Meet Your Facilitator, Rawley Duntley Park, 10:00 AM to noon
  • Mon., 8/11: Parent Back to School Event on Zoom, 12:00-2:00 PM
  • Tue., 8/12: First Day of 2025-26 School Year
  • Tue., 8/26: School Pictures
  • Mon., 9/1: Labor Day – No School

Click here for the school year calendar.

Developing LEADers: Focus on iLEAD AV Exploration’s Learner Outcomes

At iLEAD AV Exploration, a TK-8 free public school in Lancaster, California, we believe education is about more than just memorizing facts. Our Learner Outcomes — our goals for iLEAD AV Studio learners — is that they will LEAD by becoming…

  1. Lifelong Learners
  2. Empathetic Citizens
  3. Authentic Individuals
  4. Design Thinkers

These outcomes shape learning at every stage of development at iLEAD AV Exploration, from our youngest explorers to our most experienced learners.

Let’s dive into what each of these outcomes truly means for an iLEAD AV Exploration learner.

Lifelong Learner: “I am a self-directed learner, focused on personal growth and development.”

In our rapidly changing world, it’s important to keep learning — in other words, to be lifelong learners. At iLEAD AV Exploration, we tap into kids’ wonder and curiosity to cultivate their love of learning for a lifetime.

What does this look like in practice? It means encouraging our youngest learners to explore and investigate new things. It means fostering an inspiring environment where learners of all ages take an active interest in learning. We encourage every learner to identify strengths and areas of growth, to persist through difficulties, and importantly, to see risks as opportunities to fail forward — because true learning isn’t about avoiding mistakes but about learning from them and growing stronger. Ultimately, our learners become adults who are eager to continue learning, both for professional and personal fulfillment.

Empathetic Citizen: “I seek to understand and appreciate what others are thinking, feeling, or experiencing.”

In order to thrive as a citizen of our world of diverse cultures, beliefs, and ways of thinking, it’s important to be an empathetic citizen. At iLEAD AV Exploration, we encourage our learners to seek to understand and appreciate what others are thinking, feeling, and experiencing.

Our learners embrace diverse cultures, beliefs, and perspectives, finding ways to make their community a better place through responsible action. We emphasize the importance of listening carefully, using kind words, and treating others with respect. By encouraging learners to work to understand what other people think, even if it’s different, we are cultivating individuals who can build bridges, foster collaboration, and contribute positively to both local and global communities.

Authentic Individual: “I am true to myself, my personality, values, beliefs, and principles.”

At iLEAD AV Exploration, we celebrate authentic individuality. We encourage learners to be true to themselves, their personalities, values, beliefs, and principles. We believe that when individuals can genuinely express who they are, they are empowered to make their greatest contributions.

We support authentic individuality by providing opportunities for learners to share their strengths to help others and to follow their dreams and passions. We foster an environment where learners can speak their thoughts and ideas in a healthy, respectful way, and where their actions match their words, beliefs, and values. We emphasize the importance of self-care, encouraging learners to take care of their minds, bodies, spirits, and hearts, because being authentic starts with nurturing oneself.

Design Thinker: “I am a creative, imaginative individual who explores original ideas, takes risks, and develops innovative solutions that I share with others.”

The challenges of our current and future world require creative, innovative solutions. To work toward our design thinker outcome, our iLEAD AV Exploration team works to inspire individuals who aren’t afraid to explore original ideas, take risks, and develop innovative solutions that they share with others.

We are focused on empowering learners to be problem-solvers. Through project-based learning, we give kids ongoing opportunities to use the design process to solve problems and create products. We encourage them to explore many different ideas and to think outside of the box. We also instill a mindset of continuous improvement, where learners seek to continually improve processes and products. We foster an entrepreneurial spirit, encouraging learners to think of ways to share their products or ideas with others. We also provide opportunities for kids to demonstrate what they learn through artistic expression.

The iLEAD AV Exploration Difference: Preparing for Life

Our Learner Outcomes are not isolated concepts but are interconnected pillars that support a comprehensive educational experience for each of our learners at iLEAD AV Exploration. By fostering Lifelong Learners, Empathetic Citizens, Authentic Individuals, and Design Thinkers, we are committed to developing individuals who are not only academically prepared but also socially conscious, emotionally intelligent, and capable of navigating and shaping the future of our world. This is the iLEAD AV Exploration difference – preparing learners not just for a test but for a fulfilling life.

 

About iLEAD AV Exploration:

iLEAD AV Exploration is a free public TK-8 school independent study program in Lancaster, CA, where flexibility meets robust support. Our credentialed educators empower each family’s journey with personalized guidance, award-winning curriculum, technology, vendor funds, engaging field trips, and the convenience of free drop-off workshops. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and find us at ileadav.org/av-exploration.

Join our caring school community today!