Elite Academic Academy Featured on 'All Access with Andy Garcia' as Showcasing the Future of Education
Elite Academic Academy may be seen on CNN, MSNBC, CNBC and FOX News and regional public television stations in a new segment of “All Access with Andy Garcia.”
Elite Academic Academy www.eliteacademic.com is transforming education by equipping teachers, collaborating with families, and tailoring learning to each student’s unique path. Elite Academic Academy will be spotlighted on CNN, MSNBC, CNBC and FOX News and on regional public television stations in an upcoming segment of “All Access with Andy Garcia.”
Public television viewers will get an inside look at Elite Academic Academy, a non-profit, non-classroom-based public charter school in California that personalizes learning around each student’s interests and academic goals. The feature will showcase Elite’s three unique academies: the collaborative Homeschool Academy; the flexible Flex Academy; and the fully immersive Virtual Academy—each built to serve the diverse and evolving needs of today’s students and families.
“At Elite Academic Academy, our mission is to provide students with the tools, confidence, and support to thrive in a world that is constantly evolving. We succeed by building an environment where education is more than instruction; it is inspiration. Our programs are designed to meet students where they are, spark their passions, and prepare them for the limitless possibilities ahead.” — Ashlea Kirkland-Haynes, M.A., M.Ed., CEO, Elite Academic Academy
The core of Elite Academic Academy’s model centers around a commitment to redefining what is possible in public education. Through its innovative programs, Elite provides students and educators with opportunities that merge academic excellence, cutting-edge technology, and human-centered learning.
The Elite X Fellowship pioneers professional development that equips teachers with the skills and confidence to harness transformative technologies and reimagine teaching in a digital era. Students experience Immersive VR/XR environments, from interactive 3D science labs to virtual field trips powered by artificial intelligence, thereby making learning engaging and limitless.
Elite also prepares students for future-ready careers through Career Technical Education (CTE), which offers pathways in rapidly growing industries, such as Digital Marketing, Animation & Game Design, Esports, Hospitality, Medical Administration, and Music Production.
For advanced learners, the SOAR Advanced Academics program provides enrichment and dual enrollment opportunities that give students access to college-level coursework, entrepreneurship training, and specialized studies in AI and creative arts.
Recognizing the need for a fully balanced education, Elite’s Peak Performance Athletics program integrates rigorous academics with the unique demands of student-athletes. This specialized program incorporates benchmark testing, training, and mental performance coaching aligned to NCAA standards.
Further, the Science of Hope & Mattering framework anchors the school’s social-emotional philosophy and ensures every student feels a sense of identity, purpose, and belonging in an increasingly complex world.
Together, these initiatives demonstrate how Elite Academic Academy is preparing students not only for academic success but for meaningful lives and future careers that demand creativity, adaptability, and resilience.
“Elite was founded on the belief that education could be both personalized and inclusive. What began as a dream has grown into a model that proves public schools can be innovative while staying true to the heart of education. At its core, Elite is about meeting students where they are, honoring their journey, and giving teachers the tools to light the way.”” — Meghan Freeman, M. ED. Founder, Elite Academic Academy
About All Access with Andy Garcia
All Access with Andy Garcia is a public television program that offers viewers insightful stories about innovative organizations and their impact on industries and communities. Hosted by acclaimed actor Andy Garcia, the program aims to inspire and educate audiences about ingenuity and dedication in American enterprise. Learn more at: www.allaccessptv.com
About Elite Academic Academy
Elite Academic Academy is a trailblazing public charter school that empowers educators to innovate, partners with families to create personalized learning experiences, and prepares students with the skills and confidence to succeed beyond the classroom. Guided by flexibility, innovation, and purpose, Elite redefines the future of education.
Learn more at: www.eliteacademic.com
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Elite Academic Academy on All Access with Andy Garcia
Digital Citizenship Week
Elite’s DECA chapter hosted a student-led workshop for Digital Citizenship Week, focusing on online safety and privacy, cyberbullying prevention, digital footprints and reputation, and respectful online communication.
As a Career Technical Student Organization, DECA gives students hands-on experience in leadership, marketing, and design while preparing them for future careers. During the workshop, students participated in a design activity, creating graphics that show how they plan to practice responsible digital citizenship.
See the creativity and ideas our students brought to life below.
Learn more about DECA at https://www.eliteacademic.com/cte/.
Be Elite Podcast-Season 5 Episode 1- Mental Health Awareness
The Be Elite Podcast is celebrating its 5th year anniversary!
To kick off this season, our podcasts sat down with our amazing Elite School Counselors to talk about Mental Health Awareness. From self care to AI, tune in to learn about why YOUR mental health matters!
Learn more about our counselors and the services Elite offers at https://www.eliteacademic.com/counseling-department/.
Student Spotlight: Nadeen
We are celebrating Nadeen and her incredible accomplishments! She is graduating an entire year early, taking on more classes than required, and earning an A in every one. Even with a heavier course load than most students, she balances her work effortlessly and brings a positive attitude to every check-in. Her dedication, discipline, and resilience inspire everyone around her and show what’s possible when talent meets hard work.
At Elite, we give students the support and opportunities to challenge themselves, excel academically, and achieve goals they never thought possible.
You can secure your spot at Elite today! Visit eliteacademic.com/enroll-now
Junior/Senior Bonfire
Peak Performance Kick-Off 2023 at SoFi Stadium
We had a spectacular, once-in-a-lifetime kickoff to our Peak Performance Program at our SoFi event! Hundreds of students from across Southern California arrived in style with their teams via charter bus, ran out of the Rams tunnel, participated in Athletic benchmark testing on the field with Zybek sports, and had several celebrity and athletic speakers, such as actor Noel G and former NFL player Spencer Tillman. It was a night to remember! Thank you, everyone, for your attendance and support in celebrating our amazing athletes!
How To Succeed In Virtual School
By Angelina A. , Elite Academic Academy Student
Originally created for our CTE Social Media Marketing course
Whether you were forced into virtual school due to the pandemic or you made the decision long before or after the pandemic came about, the switch to online schooling is hard for many students. Adapting to the schedule of creating your own school work and independent study can certainly come as a challenge, especially since we are so used to having our school schedule planned out for us. It is not anymore the days of simply just having the task of showing up to class and listening to our teacher talk.
Put The Distractions Down, Focus.
Putting your mobile device or any distractions away during study time is pivotal to your success, and in this aspect, virtual schools and in-person classes are identical. In this article published by the Science News Bureau, it states that studies show that if you constantly have some fidget or device that will cause you to lose focus on the task at hand, your brain will be unsuccessful at retaining information. Even if you think that despite your need for entertainment, you are paying good attention to the material, your brain is not going to be able to process the information effectively, and when it comes time to recall the information for a test, etc., you will be unable to. This can ultimately lead to bad grades; as we all know, oftentimes this leads to a domino effect.
Find What Time Of Day Works Best For YOU
This is another very important factor to pay close attention to. Everybody's different; some people feel their best as soon as they wake up; while others may need to get up, eat, exercise, and maybe journal before they feel their brain is performing at its best; and on the other end of the spectrum, some people feel the most alive at night time, and quite literally dead in the daytime. Whichever one sounds most like you is perfectly fine! Just be sure to utilize your brainpower when it is at its highest.
After all, trying to get schoolwork done when your brain is foggy or just simply unable to focus will not benefit you. If anything, it will cause you to lose motivation for school altogether, which we certainly don't want. Just think about it; doing your school when your brain is most powerful will allow you to be able to flow through your school work effortlessly, at least with less effort than it would take if you tried doing your school while your brain juices were performing poorly.
Set Reasonable Goals, Plan!
Setting reasonable goals is focal when it comes to succeeding in any aspect of your life, and schoolwork is no different. When I say reasonable, I don't mean to set super easy goals that you
know you will be able to complete with little to no effort, but I also don't want you to set goals that will have you working every moment of your day with no time to enjoy your life outside of
school. What I mean by reasonable goals are goals that you know you can accomplish as long as you plan your time appropriately and genuinely focus. Having goals that you want to achieve allows you to have something to look forward to, and achieving goals related
to school will make you more excited to actually do your schoolwork because of the dopamine release that you get from accomplishing goals. The article, The Importance, Benefits, and Values of Goal Setting, by Leslie Riopel, MSc., is a great guide to start setting your goals and it also talks about the effects of goal setting and accomplishment on our mind, overall success, and happiness.
Find A Study Buddy
It can be highly beneficial to have another person that's willing to sit in a quiet study room with you and work on school tasks together, giving each other support when it's needed. In simple terms, we are largely affected and influenced by those that are around us. For instance, if you are in a room full of people that are playing games and watching TV, within 10 minutes of being in their presence, you are going to be doing the same thing that they are doing. On the other more positive hand, if you sit in a room with another person that is focused and studying, you are 10x more likely to follow in their footsteps, as well.
There are plenty of ways to find somebody you can have study dates with. One of the most evident and obtainable ways is by getting in contact with somebody that is in one of your classes. You can find these people in your class discussions or even in specific assignments where you and your classmates share your projects with each other. Or, if you went to in-person classes, get in contact with your old classmates! It's always nice to get back in contact with old friends.
Utilize The Resources Available To You
Take a moment to realize the fact that you are home and free to utilize any resources that you'd like, whenever you'd like! For example, if you're a visualiser, then bring out that giant whiteboard that's been abandoned in the garage for years. That way, you have something to brainstorm your ideas for your project on. Or, if you need frequent refreshers in order to maximize your brain's focus, then utilize the fact that you can take a quick fresh-air walk break whenever you'd like. The list can go on and on, but the point I am trying to make is to utilize the fact that you are not in the enclosed environment that you are used to being in with traditional school; you have the freedom to create the best, most individualized study schedule to maximize your success.
Exercise Maximizes Brainpower
Exercise is undoubtedly the most beneficial thing anyone can do for themself. From curing depression to keeping your heart healthy and reducing your risk for health problems at every point in your lifetime. The effect that exercise has on your brain is probably the most
notable effect that we should mention in this blog. In this article published by the CDC, they touch on the exact effects that exercise has on our brain and our body. "Physical activity can improve your cognitive health—helping you think, learn, problem-solve, and enjoy an emotional balance. It can improve memory and reduce anxiety or depression". These results have come after decades of studying neuro and physical science; there's no rebutting these facts! If you want to improve your cognitive health and, ultimately, your cognitive performance, exercise for at least 8 hours every week.
Stay In Contact with Your Teachers
This is pretty obvious, but surprisingly enough, many students, including myself, forget that we have complete access to our teachers despite being at home. For me personally, this comes as a result of not having to go into a class and see my teacher daily. The reason may be completely different for you, but regardless, reaching out to your teacher when you find yourself stuck on a project or unclear on directions is essential to your success as a student. After all, being your teacher and ensuring your success is your teacher's job! Regardless if you are in person or not, these individuals are supposed to be there to support their students with any questions or concerns, big or small.
Lastly, Make A Schedule, and Stick To It
The final step to creating a master plan for success regarding this challenging new school concept is to create an effective and well-thought-out schedule for your weekdays.
This may take you a couple or even a few weeks to perfect, but the steps are simple; by just simply paying attention to what works best for you and makes you feel your best (mentally and physically), you will be able to put these findings into a master plan and set yourself up a schedule!
Elite Honored as a 2023 California Distinguished School
Elite Academic Academy-Mountain Empire has earned the honor of becoming a California Distinguished School.
This honor is a prestigious two-year honor given to the state's top-performing schools using performance indicators specified on the California School Dashboard. This is only possible due to the innovative and collaborative efforts of our fantastic teaching staff, students, parents, classified staff, community partners, and the administrative team!
Holiday-Themed Creativity: Have Fun While Learning Over Winter Break!
December is a wonderful time of year for our families! While we might be busy making holiday travel plans, cooking, or shopping, this month can also be a fantastic opportunity to inspire meaningful learning. Thematic integration of reading, writing, and math activities can be done easily with a little creativity. It can be a lot of fun too!
December is a great time for cultural learning:
You can research and write about traditions celebrated around the world this time of year. Some examples include Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, St. Lucia's Day (Sweden), The Legend of La Befana (Italy), Sinterklaas Day (Holland), Las Posadas (Mexico), Cobweb Christmas (Ukraine), the Yule Cat (Iceland) and many others.
Read holiday themed books and short stories. Check out your local library to find countless options!
Memorize and recite a holiday themed poem for family and guests.
Be sure to integrate writing projects into your daily learning. To make this even more fun, use festive paper and holiday stationery, or create your own by adding family pictures or holiday clipart. Another option is to make construction paper covers for stories topped with ribbon and a bow so the finished project resembles a present! Or add a special "peek-over" or festive frame to make writing come alive and be more fun to create and present.
Ideas for writing in December are limitless. Possible writing activities include:
Write letters to family, friends, neighbors, or even Santa! Use this as an opportunity to review the parts of a friendly letter, writing addresses, and mailing. Don't forget to add stickers and hand drawn pictures!
Read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and make tree-shaped paper ornaments with a "Gift of Love" written on the front to give to others. ( These are the gifts that money cannot buy—washing dishes, raking leaves, free babysitting... )
Write a new version of the story of the Gingerbread Man to accompany any cookies you may bake.
Write a holiday story using a winter or holiday themed wordbank.
Write about a favorite holiday memory or family tradition.
Write a persuasive paragraph. Is it better to give or to receive? Would you rather be an elf or a reindeer? Be sure to include your reasoning!
Write a sensory description about the sights and smells of your home during a special holiday meal.
Write a holiday "How-To." How do you build a snowman? Decorate your house? Plan a Party?
Write an acrostic poem using the word "Christmas," "Winter," or "Rudolph."
December is also a great time to practice real world math.
Create a grocery list complete with prices for budgeting. Use this as an opportunity to review coins, bills, and counting money. For older children, this is a wonderful opportunity to read ads and determine which stores offer the best deals.
Go gift shopping! Create a budget and plan ahead.
Cook and bake together. Use this as a chance to practice measurements and conversions.
Practice shapes, estimation, and surface area when wrapping gifts. Do you have enough wrapping paper? Will one roll be enough? How do you know?
Plan a party. What supplies will you need for your guests? How many of each item will you need?
Do some crafting. Many paper crafts require measuring and using rulers.
Plan a road trip. How many miles will it be? How long will it take? What time will you arrive? How much gas will you use? How do you know?
Project of the Month
Create a holiday themed flap book. My family made a "countdown to Christmas" calendar using this idea. After reading The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum, we numbered and sequenced the main events in the story and created flaps to reveal the writing behind each window. It was a fun and unique way to respond to literature. All we needed was a Christmas shopping bag and a backboard. Flap books can be used in countless ways to demonstrate learning.
Let creativity be your guide! Happy Holidays, Elite Families!
Post written by Erin Burhans, Homeschool Academy Teacher of Record.
Staff Highlight - Mrs. Pearce Brings Her Own Craft to the Flex Academy
There are many reasons that people get into teaching. Ms. Danica Pearce, one of our newest Flex Academy Teachers, knew from a young age that she wanted to have a career in education. We asked her about her decision to become a teacher, and how she stays connected with her students in a remote environment.
“It is so much fun to learn alongside children and see their curiosity, excitement, and understanding light up their eyes.” This is Danica’s eleventh year in education. She started as a teacher’s aide where she worked with students in small groups. Some of those students were brand new to America and only just starting to learn English! She has taught all subjects to all ages. “One of my favorites was teaching Drama and putting on plays throughout the year!”
Danica chose to join our Elite family for the 22/23 school year and is finding new and creative ways to connect with her students in a remote environment. One of those ways is to spotlight one student each week in her “Guardian of the Week” series. She draws the student in the style of their favorite show or movie! It encourages her to keep up a hobby that she loves and is fun for the students. “I love talking and joking with my students. I am a kid at heart, so I love talking about and making references to shows and things that the students and I love.”
Danica is also excited about all of the fun field trips available to students this school year! She plans on attending Amy’s Farm with the Flex Academy, where she will get to meet with her students in person and see a wide variety of plant and animal species living a symbiotic life. Danica’s students are in good hands with her enthusiasm and compassion. We are so glad she joined the Elite family this school year and are excited to see her students shoot for the moon! If you would like to learn more about the Flex Academy or our upcoming field trips, please visit our website.
