SCHOOL’S OUT FOR SUMMER!!! (cue Alice Cooper’s 70’s Classic Rock song)… In the past week I’ve wrapped up the 2019-2020 school year at Yellow Parachute Academy, and we’ve had our end of the year celebration. I’m exhausted and so very thankful that despite the challenges of the past three months, our students at Yellow Parachute Academy continued to thrive. We’ve kept learning in high priority due to the structure our online curriculum provides, scaffolded by the personal support of Learning Coaches who assist students in building life-long learning habits.
In the past couple of weeks I’ve been having a lot of “front porch conversations” about education with my friends. There is still a large amount of fear and uncertainty in what the 2020-2021 school year may look like… and it comes from parents of kids on both ends of the traditional school and learning spectrum. The parents of students who have excelled in the distance learning environment aren’t sure if they (and their kids) will ever want to go back to a traditional classroom. Parents of students who are struggling with distance learning are recognizing their family’s need for a change, and feel strongly (and fear) their kids won’t progress if their child’s education continues next year in the same manner as the past three months.
Even though it might seem premature, if not exhausting, to be looking ahead at the next school year in the same week school has wrapped up, the time is now. We have the opportunity to establish a new vision, a fresh start, a time to examine tradition or explore a break in tradition. Sit down and make time to take stock in what’s important. Put a list together of what’s working, and what has not been working for you and your kiddos. Join me for a conversation on my front porch or a ZOOM meeting to talk about Yellow Parachute Academy and education options.
We all have choices and now is the best time to examine our options for the 2020-2021 school year. Maybe you don’t want to wait and see what the state is going to say about resuming the school year in a traditional school setting but instead want to choose what is best for your learners now, so as to put them in the best possible environment where they can succeed. I am anticipating a high demand from families who want to sign up for something now for their children, rather than waiting to see what the State of Minnesota will decide.
And with that in mind, I’m working on my plan for what the 2020-2021 school year will look like at Yellow Parachute Academy. What I can tell you is that next year Yellow Parachute Academy will be for grades 2 – 12, will accommodate up to 15 students, and will very likely be incorporating parents of students (only if they’re interested!) as Learning Coaches, to assist with the online lessons and personalization of content for our learners. Our vision is of a homeschool cooperative environment, filled with opportunities for connection and multi-aged learning, infused with all of the best personalized and executive function coaching that laid the foundation for our success this year.
Please stay tuned for updates from me, and reach out if I can assist as you’re formulating your plan for the 2020-2021 school year. We are holding weekly Wednesday morning Zoom calls and will add you to the attendee list. Hope to see you soon!
Be well.
Cara Thorpe
Founder & Visionary
Yellow Parachute Learning Partners
www.yellowparachute.com
612-361-7266
