We've partnered with the LA Dodgers Training Academy. Here's what it means for our student athletes:

When we launched Elite Academic Academy last summer, we knew if we had a chance of providing every student with the ability to enhance their unique talents, we were going to need to find some incredible vendors.

And so we searched and vetted. And we found them.

One of these incredible vendors is the LA Dodgers Training Academy. Whether your child is an avid softball/baseball player or an athlete in need of strength training and conditioning, this could be a great option for your student athlete.

About the LA Dodgers Training Program

Available with Elite, students receive small group instruction to quickly progress in their ability level. Students will additionally participate in a sports performance program that includes strength, conditioning, speed and agility training.

A FEW MORE BENEFITS:

Applying educational funds toward the LA Dodgers Training Academy

Every student at Elite receives funding upon enrollment.

Funds must first be applied toward core curriculum and related materials. After that, remaining funds can be directed toward any of the Elite Enrichment Programs.

One such program happens to be the LA Dodgers Training Academy. That means your child has access to a world-training program with personalized instruction and strength/conditioning training. You can direct any remaining educational funds toward this program.

Softball/baseball player or not, here’s more info on Elite Athletic Enrichment Program

Maybe your child loves softball or baseball, maybe they prefer a different sport.

Either way, the Elite Athletic Program (EAP) is a great option. Students can direct educational funds to various athletic programs in order to improve their talents and have a better shot of earning a scholarship.

You can learn more about EAP here.

And a little more about Elite….

  • Tuition free
  • Highly qualified instructors
  • School events
  • Graduation ceremony
  • Home school, flex and independent study options
  • Flexible daily school schedule
  • Individualized learning and instruction
  • Educational funds
  • Enrichment programs including career training, athletics, fine arts and travel


Your child has more choices than a university. Here are a few options with the pros and cons of each.

Thinking about life after graduation can be daunting. First, there’s having to accept that your baby is all grown up and moving forward in life (sorry, we’ll stop now). And then, it can be particularly daunting if your child doesn’t know what they want to do yet.

A select few students knew what they wanted to be they we grew up since career day in kindergarten. If that’s your student, that’s awesome! If not, you’re really not alone.

In fact, only 45 percent of high school students feel fully confident and ready in attending college. That means the majority of students aren’t so sure what they want to do.

Today, there are more viable avenues than you might have even had for finding a solid career. Of course, your child would benefit from receiving some sort of specialized training, as it means higher salaries and lower unemployment rates than those with just a high school diploma.

While a university is a great choice, it’s no longer the only option. To help our undecided students, we talked to a few of our own College and Career Specialists and gathered some important information on your options and making a decision.

The most common types of post-secondary institutions

A Four-Year Public University

Let’s get this one out of the way since most of us know about it. A public university in Southern California includes San Diego State University, University of Southern California and the many Universities of California, just to name a few. A bachelor’s degree typically takes four years to complete and costs about $7,000 annually, not including books and dorms and meal plans.

PROS:

  • Average income of $46,000 annually
  • Opportunities to climb in your career
  • Ability to earn a master’s for a potential $61,000 average annual income
  • Jobs often follow a Monday–Friday work schedule

CONS:

  • Takes the most time to earn a degree. Four years on average.
  • High tuition costs with a national average total of $94,000.

A Four-Year Private University

A private university is very similar to public universities. The curriculum may include religious or other elements, depending on the type of private university. Or, it could be an Ivy League university that’s more difficult to get accepted into. It’s also oftentimes known to be more expensive, although it depends on the university. Tuition alone on average costs about $21,000 annually.

PROS:

  • Highest average income of $50,000 annually
  • Opportunities to climb in your career
  • Ability to earn a master’s for a potential $61,000 average income
  • Jobs often follow a Monday–Friday only schedule

CONS:

  • Highest average tuition cost of $120,000 in total.
  • Takes the most time to earn a degree. Four years on average.

A Community College

A community college allows students to earn an associate degree. This only takes two years to complete, but the average income is $36,000, about 20% less than those with a bachelor’s degree. On the plus side, community college costs about $1,636 in California annually.

PROS:

  • Tuition cost is an average of $3,272 total
  • Opportunities to climb in your career
  • Ability to earn a bachelor’s for a potential $46,000 average income
  • Only takes about two years to complete

CONS:

  • Average income is $32,000 for those with an associate degree.

A Trade School

Trade schools are often overlooked in the options, but it’s certainly worth considering. By attending a trade school, students graduate with a certificate in a specialized field. These are for those interested in mechanics, repairs, construction or sometimes even IT and healthcare. Trade school takes two years to complete with an income of $40,000, compared to a bachelor’s income of $46,000. The cost, on the other hand, is $33,000 in total.

PROS:

  • Tuition cost is an average of $33,000 total
  • Certificate only takes two years to earn
  • Quickly receive a higher income of $40,000

CONS:

  • The pay is slightly lower. After 10 years in the workforce, trade school graduates make about $1,347 less annually than college graduates.
  • The work schedule can be more varied, with night hours or weekends required.
  • More physical labor is generally required (which might not be a con for your student).

Things to consider when making your decision

According to our faculty staff and advisors, there are three major things to consider in when helping your child make a decision:

Academic Prowess

A four-year university is known to be rigorous with large class sizes. For a lot of our independent, homeschool and flex students, staying on task and discipline isn’t a hard task since it’s a skill already learned.

If you know your child needs more personalized support from teachers, a community college could be a better route. It’s not easier, as can be a common misconception, but it’s much cheaper with much smaller class sizes.

 “

A mythology that surrounds Community college is that it does not have rigorous as a university, however, this notion could not be further from the truth. Many Universities have pathway programs that allow students to take their first two years, including 200 level courses, at a community college, before starting the last two years of a four-year degree at a university. This means that those universities consider the academic prowess of community college courses equal to what they offer at a university level for the first two years.” – Ms. Meghan Freeman

Costs

You may qualify for financial aid and there can be several scholarships available. But it’s important to consider how much each path will cost. We’ve broken it down already, but here are the average costs of schools:

  • Four-year private university: $120,000
  • Four-year public university: $94,000
  • Trade school: $33,000
  • Community college: $3,272

On average, the cost for yearly tuition at a community college is $1,636 versus $7,000 a year at a University level. However, there are other costs to consider. If a student is living with their parents, then the cost of living might free up monies to attend a university from the beginning of a degree path. However, a student who does not live at home, has to consider the cost of food, rent, internet, and phone whether or not they are living on campus (university- Often have additional living fees such as internet and food cards) or off-campus (Community college- most do not have on-campus living) in addition to the cost of the courses they need to take. Scholarships, grants, college savings, and family contributions are also factors students need to take into consideration when choosing between a community college and a university. Creating a cost of living budget will help all students to choose the route they should take. – Ms. Freeman

Socialization

Have your child think about what they want their life to look like. Are they more of a homebody, or are they counting down the days until they can move out? Would they like smaller interactions, or do they enjoy being in a large crowd? All these factors can make an impact on which route they choose.

For many students, socialization is a deciding factor between universities and community college routes. Not all community colleges have the sports teams or the variety of clubs that universities do. Smaller colleges and community colleges, however, do have smaller class sizes that allow students to get to know their teachers and their peers.  Students who are concerned about the socialization factor of college should conduct research into what the colleges around them offer in terms of class size, clubs, online courses, sports or other activities they may be interested in. – Ms. Freeman

The CTE ACADEMY: Earn a trade certificate while in high school

Your student doesn’t have to wait until graduation to start career training.

If you know they enjoy working with their hands, or maybe they want an early start in healthcare, Elite’s Career Technical Education Program is a great option. Students can use remaining educational funds toward real-world learning skills. A few of the programs offered include:

  • Fashion
  • Welding
  • Carpentry
  • Healthcare
  • Computer Science
  • Finance
  • Criminal Justice
  • Marketing
  • Psychology

To learn more, head here.

Still not sure? Ask an Elite advisor!

As you move along in this process, remember, your Elite advisors are here to help you! A big part of their job is to help you plan out your student’s life after high school.

In fact, our faculty and advisors are experts in the fields of financial aid, college costs and earning scholarships. They know the pros and cons of every route, even if your student wants to jump into a career or join the military.

Don’t forget to reach out to them. 🙂


Meet Ms. Wood, Elite virtual middle school teacher


Behind every graduate are several dedicated teachers. We’re grateful to our Elite instructors, and that’s why we take a moment to shine the light on them in this Teacher Spotlight blog series.

This month, we bring the story of a virtual middle school teacher, Ms. Michelle Wood. She teaches a variety of courses at Elite. Check out her story below.

About Ms. Wood, virtual middle school teacher

“Hi! My name is Ms. Wood and I’ve been a teacher for two years. Prior to getting my teaching credential, I worked in mortgage banking for 11 years. Teaching was a career change for me, which was not an easy path, but I couldn’t deny my passion for education! I decided to be a teacher at Elite because I believe strongly in our core values of Responsibility, Communication and Teamwork. The student-centered focus is evident in all aspects of the organization.”

Ms. Wood has two children, a daughter who is a competitive dancer and a son who plays for a travel baseball team. When she does find free time, Ms. Wood enjoys hiking, going to the beach and camping.

Something else Ms. Wood enjoys: teaching our incredible students here at Elite!

“I enjoy teaching Elite students because I am rewarded by the ability to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of each of my students,” said Ms. Wood. “Some advantages of being an Elite teacher is getting to know my students and their families and working with them one on one to help them be successful! I think that Elite is more beneficial to students than a traditional school because of the structured flexibility that it offers students. Also, the personal connection students get with their teachers and the ability to learn in an environment that works best for them.”

When it comes to advice for her students, Ms. Wood often reminds her students to include physical activities in their daily routines.

“Students, don’t forget to get outside and moving! As independent learners, it’s easy to forget how important physical exercise is along with getting outside and enjoying the world around us! Balancing all important things is key!” – Ms. Michelle Wood, virtual middle school teacher

We incredibly grateful to have Ms. Wood as a part of our dedicated faculty and staff!


A few tips to help your busy student balance school and life

About  57% of students between the ages of 6–17 participate in at least one extracurricular activity.

Participating in activities outside of school certainly has its value. It helps your Elite student discover talents and passions while learning important traits like being on a team and pushing themselves beyond what they believed possible. If your high schooler is working part-time, that not only earns them extra cash, it teaches time management and budgeting.

School is the first priority. Obtaining good grades opens the path to a much brighter future.

With school requiring at least 30 hours every week, balancing that with a time-demanding activity (including a part-time job) can get overwhelming. But balancing school with other life activities is completely manageable. All it takes, really, is scheduling and discipline.

Easier said than done, of course.

But it certainly can be done. To help our moms of busy students, Elite faculty and staff members have compiled some tips and tricks to balance school and life.

Tip 1: Eat Well and Get a Good Night’s Rest

Keeping a teen on an “early to bed, early to rise schedule” is at times nearly impossible. But whenever you can encourage your student to rest and help them eat healthily is key. Sometimes it may just be helping them prepare snacks in advance. For ideas on easy healthy snacks, check out this post.

As Cheif Academic Officer Ms. Meghan Freeman said:

“Living a healthy lifestyle can help you manage the stress of school and work.  Adopt these healthy habits to stay energized for your busy schedule:”

  • Exercise regularly.
  • Eat more fruits and vegetables.
  • Eat less sugar and processed foods.
  • Drink more water and fewer sodas.
  • Get between 7 – 8 hours of sleep each night.

“Balancing my life begins with sleeping and eating” – Ms. Karen Makkai, flex director

“Sleeping-n-eating affect EVERYTHING. So I have blackened my bedroom windows and have relaxation music ready to go before I go to sleep,” said Ms. Makkai. “Also, I don’t eat after 6 p.m. so that my body is actually resting instead of digesting a heavy meal.”

Eat lunches that will help your body 

“For me, life is so busy, I keep cases of my favorite healthy foods in my refrigerator so I can grab-n-go. I find if I make the healthy foods as convenient as junk food, I’m a lot more likely to stay healthy and keep my energy.”- Ms. Makkai.

Tip 2: Find a Job That Will Be Flexible With School

We said it once, we’ll say it again, education is the first priority. There are some activity leaders who will not work with your schedule; they will try to schedule you as many hours as possible. Avoid those if possible. There are plenty of other leaders, coaches and employers who want your child to do well in school. As  Virtual Director Ms. Ashlea Kirkland-Haynes said:

“To avoid being overwhelmed with too many responsibilities, you should let your manager, advisor or coach know that you can work no more than 10–15 hours per week.”

Being upfront and honest with your schedule before you’re hired will prevent many tough situations since you’ve made your schedule clear.

This is also where Elite comes has a huge advantage.

Students who enroll with Elite have the option to additionally enroll in a few different enrichment programs. These include:

If your child is aspiring in one of these fields, it makes sense to have it built into school. Not to mention your child will have funds to help with the costs of these programs.

Learn more about these programs here.

Tip 3: Set a Schedule

One of the most important aspects of balancing high school responsibilities and a part-time job is scheduling your daily tasks.

Get a planner or find an app 

“Invest in a daily planner or use an app on your smartphone to schedule your daily responsibilities,” said Ms. Freeman. “This includes study hours, work hours, project due dates, social time, etc. Avoid conflicts by planning your schedule as far ahead as possible.”

Be realistic in your planning

“I tell my independent study students to be real with your schedule,” said Ms. Kirkland-Haynes. “If you only have two nights each week to work, then realize you will need to complete approximately three lessons each night you work.  Plan to complete approximately seven lessons each week!”

Tip 4: Separate School, Activity and Free Time Whenever Possible

Generally, daily routines can be separated into three categories: School, extracurricular activites and free time.

Try to keep the three separated in order to help your brain transition from task to task. This can be as simple as having separate locations for each place. Work is the simplest one. Wherever you work is your designated location.

Free time and school time are a little different. Since you are an online student, you can study anywhere. But to help your brain focus, try not to do schoolwork at places where you usually relax, like the couch or your bed. Instead, create a designated workspace.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t make your workspace fun! In fact, we encourage you to incorporate some of your favorite items in your workspace. This will help your brain make positive associations with your schoolwork, so you don’t dread working so much.

“Once you know your work days, choose the LARGEST CHUNK of time to complete your online work,” said Ms. Kirkland-Haynes. “Flush your body with healthy food before sitting down to work. Consider placing your favorite drink, candles, music, pictures, blanket near your computer –  It’s time to camp out online!!”

When you’re finished with schoolwork and ready to relax, go to a new place. Head to the couch in the living room, your bed or head somewhere fun.

Tip 5: Help your teen learn to use free time wisely

Yes, earlier, we said to keep work and school separate.

But we also recognize that participating in outside activities means a lot less free time. Whenever free time is encountered, the temptation is to just relax-or sleep! Allowing your child to take time to relax is important, and they should set aside time to do so.

But it’s also important to make sure you use free time wisely. And sometimes that means finding small times throughout the day that you can focus on homework–even if only for 15 minutes.

Time management is key

“As they balance school responsibilities and life, students will learn time management,” said Ms. Makkai. “They learn to take any free time throughout the day to complete reading assignments or homework.”

For example, maybe your child works a part-time job with a lot of downtime on your shift. Encourage them to ask their boss if they’d be able to do homework during those times. Some bosses won’t be OK with it, but many will be.

Or, maybe your teen is a night owl who prefers studying during quiet hours.

“Has your student ever thought about getting up in the middle of the night OR  early in the dark morning to work online?  This can be a quiet time without distractions and the computer network will be faster too,” said Ms. Kirkland-Haynes. “Just rub your eyes and type!”

Tip 6: Use Your Support System

This might be the most important tip.

You know your child has people in their life who want to help them succeed. Utilize their support as you figure out balancing high school and life.

“Students: Discuss your schedule school and work schedules with your family,” said Ms. Freeman. “Your family will be able to assist you in creating a schedule that supports both school and work. They may also be able to help you determine how many hours you are able to work each week to allow you to maintain your responsibilities for school.”

Whether you have a supportive family or not, you do have guidance counselors and teachers readily available to your teen at Elite. Your guidance counselor and advisor’s jobs are to help your student succeed academically. If you feel you need support, don’t hesitate to contact your counselor.

You should also notify your teachers of your child’s schedule. That way, you can get help in scheduling your projects, online sessions and other assignments.


We asked independent study students how to succeed in school, and this is what they said:

Switching to online, homeschool or flex is a lifestyle change. It has its benefits, but it takes some getting used to. Our students can contest to that.

That doesn’t mean your child won’t excel in the independent study environment. All it takes is a little discipline and hard work.

It’s easier said than done, we know.

When it comes to motivating your child–or really anything to do with raising your child–the number of tips and unsolicited advice you’ll receive is limitless.

We could find a lot of articles and share our own expert opinions on how to best help your child excel in independent study. But for this article, we thought we’d get straight to the source: independent study students themselves.

We asked a few students tips they’d give fellow classmates for succeeding in online, flex and homeschool. Here’s what they told us:

Stay on track and don’t procrastinate

Don’t Procrastinate! The thing about independent study is you have so much time and freedom, so don’t say, ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’ because that leads to more skips and time sneaks up on you! At the end of the day, the time dwindles down with you being a few lessons short of your finished class!” – Alexis G., 10th grade

“Don’t get behind! When you get behind it is so much harder to catch up! Take it from someone who has been behind it is way easier to just do your work!” – Kambri S., 6th grade

“Getting behind in a course can cause you to work twice as hard. You also start to get stressed since there is so much work piling up. Staying on pace will ensure that you pass the class and stay away from unwanted stress.” Andrew A., 10th grade

Make your own schedule and stick to it

“One thing I do to stay on pace with my schoolwork is keeping a regular routine schedule and staying on top of my assignments.” – Jasmine G., 11th grade

“Always make a checklist of the classes that you’d like to complete and excel in every day! Also, make a strategy for how you’ll complete them.” – Kiiri M., 9th grade

When feeling stressed or overwhelmed, take a break

“Know how to stop and relax when things get way too hard. What I do to relax when things get stressful is take a deep breath get some water and read carefully the question or prompt,”- Jasmine G., 4th grade

Find a comfortable place to do schoolwork and organize it

Find a quiet place to work so that you can focus and do your best.” – Angelina B., 8th grade

Have different binders or notebooks for each class! Never use those notebooks for anything other than those classes!” – Kiiri M., 9th grade

Create rewards for motivation

Self motivation is key! When doing independent study, you need to have a lot of self discipline! It is important to keep yourself motivated and never give up!” Kambri S., 6th grade

Create an incentive for yourself when you finish a week’s worth of work. Mine is a victory milkshake!!” Angelina B., 10th grade

Ask for help

Ask for help! You know that the teacher may hold once or twice a week sessions but they are available to you for help! I honestly would say reaching out when your stuck or need something is the BEST thing for you to do! They don’t bite.” – Alexs G., 10th grade

“You will have a lot of trouble with courses if you don’t understand something and don’t ask for help. The teachers are always open to help you and there are various ways to get a hold of them.” – Andrew A., 7th grade

Take notes

“My second tip is to take notes. While going through courses, a lot of material is covered. Taking notes helps verify what you’ve learned and can go a long way when preparing for the checkpoints and exams.” Andrew A., 7th grade

Strive for your best

“Do your Best! The one thing that’s great is the chance you get to be your best! Don’t finish that assignment at a 90% when you know you can take it another time for that extra 10%. Don’t be afraid to contact your teacher for another chance at that exam that you missed a few questions on! Every grade counts so why not raise your grade when you have the option and know you can?!” – Alexis G., 10th grade

“WORK HARD!! Don’t think that just because it is independent study that it is easy! You still have to put the time in. Give it your all to succeed!” – Kambri S., 6th grade


Your high schoolers may not be terrible at math, they just might not be learning the right way

4 out of 10 Americans hate math.

Ouch.

If you have a teen, that’s probably not a surprising stat.

It’s not really fair to give math so much trouble, though, when we think about the way high schoolers generally learn the subject.

Generally speaking, this how most students learn math in high school:

The teacher stands at the whiteboard and introduces a new chapter to the class. Students go home and start on homework. If your student is a really quick learner, they might not have any questions. But most likely, they’ll get stuck on a problem or two. You might be able to help them out, but if not, they bring the question to class the next day.

Although, that doesn’t help the homework grade…

By the time they get to class, they might find time to ask the teacher. But even then, it’s time to learn a new chapter. So, the teacher gives another lecture and assigns more homework.

Now your student is not only stuck on yesterday’s homework, they’re trying to learn something new. And more likely than not, something on that newly assigned homework will be confusing because they’ve fallen behind.

Now your high schooler has even more questions, and the teacher introduces yet another math concept. Before they know it, the homework and confusion have piled up and it’s time for a quiz.

As the homework piles on and your student falls behind, it’s frustrating. And it’s why many students give up on the subject altogether.

Sound familiar?

It’s not the best solution to expect students to seek out help, tutoring and keep up with the curriculum. It can work for some, but for many, it’s disheartening and it loses student engagement.

Instead of expecting the student to adapt and keep up, it might be time to rethink the way math is taught to our students.

Flipped Classroom: Elite’s method of teaching math

With Elite’s Virtual Academy, we flip the classroom.

It sounds a little funny, we’re sure, but the flipped classroom is actually an important method of teaching. It means that we find out student’s weaknesses and strengths before introducing any subject.

With online math courses, students log in and start with the coursework first. They’ll read through some instruction, watch videos and complete some math problems, or our version of ‘homework.’

Student’s answers are recorded and sent to the teacher. The teacher then reviews and examines which areas the students did well, and which areas need help.

Then the instructor presents the lecture. Teachers don’t go in blind, they know exactly how to help their students. And so, when students log in to a live synchronous session or listen to a lecture in class, they can discuss specific struggles and get more insight.

If a student is still stuck on a math problem, they can email, call their teacher or set up a one-on-one online session to help them truly master the concept. They also have access to live video chat or in-person tutoring with either their math content teacher or their teacher of record.

While independent learning requires discipline to stay on track, they can often be much less frustrating because the teachers don’t move on without students. They have the ability to learn at their pace.

Helping your child enjoy learning with online math courses designed for them

Math doesn’t have to be boring.

Don’t laugh, it truly can be an entertaining subject for your teen. All it takes, really, is a curriculum designed for them, the teens, known as digital natives.

Elite offers an award-winning curriculum jam-packed with videos, games, fun stories and interactive content throughout the lessons. Your student won’t be just reading textbooks, they’ll work through online courses that will help them actually enjoy what they’re learning.

You can learn more about Elite Virtual Academy here.


Actually Engaging Your Child in Schoolwork

It happens.

You look over at your child and guess what he’s doing?

Yep, on the phone. Probably when he is supposed to be doing something else.

Engaging a teen in today’s world when there are so many other ways to be entertained is no easy task.

And then when you are supposed to help them focus on something that’s not usually well-loved—like, say, homework—your job becomes particularly difficult.

Should we really blame the child, though, when the curriculum is outdated, or filled with text-heavy PDFs? Really, that’s not an issue of an ‘attention-spanless’ generation, that’s simply boring. Period.

Whether it’s online, homeschool or a flex education, students can receive an engaging curriculum.

That’s why we’ve vetted thoroughly to find the best curriculum offerings.

Among our curriculum offerings is StrongMind. Available to our 6–12th grade students, here’s what you can expect.

Award-winning multimedia designed for digital natives

As the parent, you know all too well that students are not going to spend the necessary time in their studies if they’re not enjoying it.

That’s why we provide a curriculum that’s been newly re-designed for today’s learners. Courses are not just aligned and A–G approved, they’re actually backward designed.

In other words, the curriculum developers (who are former educators themselves) didn’t just edit some content to so it passes the standards test. They actually scrapped everything, looked at the standards first, and developed new content around it.

More importantly, courses are packed with award-winning multimedia.

There are animated videos, real-life videos, graphic novels and interactive content throughout to help the students grasp concepts in a way they’ll actually enjoy.

This method of engaging the learner with interactive multimedia courses is proven. In fact, a recent study from StrongMind is showing percentage increases in grades among students using this curriculum.

Flipped Classroom for better personalized support

It’s kind of a funny term. But essentially, flipped classroom means working the opposite way of a traditional class.

In the brick-and-mortar traditional setting, a teacher usually presents the topic in class, then assigns homework.

Our students start with the homework first. Here’s why:

When students log in, read material and watch videos, it helps them start to understand concepts. Then they go through workbooks, aka homework.

Our system gathers data from the workbooks and sends it to the teacher. The teacher then analyzes and determines strengths and weak spots where their students need extra help.

That way, once it’s time for the instructors to teach, they don’t go in blind. They know exactly what areas to focus on because they’re better equipped with data.

Speaking of personalized support….

Each academy at Elite is coupled with certified teachers and educators. They are solely dedicated to helping our students succeed. Teachers are available via emails, messages and live online sessions to answer questions individually on homework.

Whether it’s homeschool with Elite educators, a flex education where there’s face-to-face instruction or online school, the added personalized support is the same.

About educational funding

Should you decide to enroll in Elite Virtual Flex, or Elite Homeschool academies, you can receive educational funds. This gives families the freedom to select the curriculum and enrichment options from Elite’s high quality vendors and partners that best suit their child’s specific needs, interests and goals.

Students must use initial funding toward core curriculum and any related materials and necessary tutoring. As long as a student is making academic progress any remaining funds can then be directed to enrichment opportunities, like:

Funds are granted per student, per school year. Both virtual and homeschool students receive funding. Learn more here.

If you’d like to learn more about the curriculum available to TK–5 graders, head here.


About Elite's Travel Academy

There is no better way to learn than through experience.

Seeing the world is arguably the only way to truly develop new perspectives and become more aware of other cultures and societies. It takes you away from the world you’re comfortable with and makes you branch out and learn. It’s also incredibly fun.

But traveling can be expensive. How do you let your child have fun and gain this type of real-world learning without going broke?

Well….

Take a trip with Elite

Elite Academic Academy has partnered with Education First Tours (EF Tours) to bring you Elite Travel Academy.

This enrichment academy provided by us allows students to take a trip with their classmates, chaperones and our highly qualified teachers. The trip doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, it could come at very little cost, thanks to EF tours.

It all depends, really, on your student’s grades.

Your child earns the grades, we help with the cost

Put down the hammer. Save the credit card. You don’t need to smash that piggy bank just yet.

Because we want to reward good grades, you’ll be able to use your educational funds toward any of the trips, so long as your student maintains at least a 2.0 GPA.

About Educational Funds

You can learn more about educational funds here.

But essentially, we vet for vendors that we feel can enhance our student’s education. These vendors receive a partnership with us if we feel they can offer a wider variety of both traditional and digital curriculum options.

EF Tours is one those vendors that we believed provided a resource for our students we couldn’t pass up. Because every student should have the opportunity to travel, not only those whose parents can afford it.

This year’s planned trips and how you can learn more

Below are a list and link to our 2019 Travel Academy trips. If you’re interested in any of the upcoming trips, please join the webinar. You’ll get to learn more on the trip details, safety, education, payment options and more.

Washington DC Tour

Dates: February 18-21, 2019
Your out-of-pocket cost: $79.00 (if student uses all educational funds* toward trip)
Webinar: August 23, 2018 @ 6:15 p.m. Click here to join webinar from your computer, tablet or smartphone.

London, United Kingdom Tour

Dates: March 8-14, 2019
You out-of-pocket cost: $1,690.00 (if student uses all educational funds toward trip)
Webinar: August 28, 2018 @ 6:30 p.m. Click here to join webinar from your computer, tablet or smartphone.

NYC Broadway Tour

Dates: April 26-29, 2019
Your out-of-pocket cost: $199.00 (if student uses all educational funds toward trip)
Webinar: August 21, 2018 @ 6:15 p.m. Click here to join webinar from your computer, tablet or smartphone.

We hope you join us online at one (or more!) of the webinars. To learn more about Elite Travel Academy, click here.


These easy study snacks will fight 'hanger' without you having to cook

All that studying is bound to make a kid hungry.

It’s actually a fact.

Studies show that intellectual activities, like studying, cause a big fluctuation in glucose and insulin and makes you hungry. Unfortunately, though, thinking doesn’t burn a ton of calories; it’s only about three more calories per each intellectual activity. You know you don’t want to deal with ‘hanger’ from your child. You want them to be able to concentrate on studies, so you’ll need something quick for them to snack on. But you also don’t really want to put much effort into cooking snacks. After all, who wants to cook more than necessary? And that’s when we go for the junk food.

Healthier snacks do require a bit more prep. It’s not quite as easy as opening up that bag of chips, but there are some simple recipes just about anyone can follow that will actually add some nutrition to your hungry student’s diet.

A snack in a jar you can easily assemble ahead of time

It’s really not as difficult as it sounds. Stoves and ovens aren’t needed, and it’ll allow your student to grab something quick when he or she is in the zone with schoolwork.

Your jar can contain whatever your child likes to eat. Maybe the go-to celery, peanut butter and pretzels? It could also be hummus at the bottom, and your pre-cut bell peppers, carrots or whatever you like in the jar. Or even a bean dip with some chips on top. Putting a quick assembly together will help you be ready to go for snack time.

You can find some easy ideas here.

These ‘banana dogs’ even the pickiest eater will like (maybe)

Here’s what you need: a banana, peanut butter and a tortilla of your choice. That’s it.

Spread the peanut butter on a wheat or flour tortilla (your choice), add the banana, roll it up like a burrito. If your child prefers it cut into bites, go for it. It’s a healthy snack that will take little to no energy.

We’d share a recipe, but we think you get the idea.

Or, if your child is a dill pickle lover, these roll ups

Your student is definitely going to have to be a dill pickle lover for this snack. But it’s just as easy to assemble as the other ideas, and it’s a low carb, high protein option.

Really, all you need is a favorite lunch meat, cream cheese and a whole dill pickle. Just like the banana dogs, you’ll spread the cream cheese on the lunch meat, place the pickle and make a lunch meat burrito.

If you want to view the recipe, head here.

If you’re feeling up to some cooking, there’s this easy pizza

If you’re feeling like putting forth a little more effort, opt for this simple pizza recipe.

You’ll need a tortilla, pizza sauce, cheese and pepperonis. It doesn’t take much work and it’s a filling snack. It’ll make you look like a pro when you pull out a ‘thin crust’ pizza for your kids done in such little time.

You can see the recipe here.

Or go all out and make yourself some no-bake energy balls

This healthy snack option is meant to be loaded with foods that will boost energy, something greatly needed when studying in the afternoons or early mornings.

Energy balls, also known as power balls, usually consist of peanut butter and oats. You can add things like fruits, chocolate chips or m&ms for taste. They don’t require an oven and are a great go-to snack you can store in your fridge.

Here’s one example of an energy ball you can try out.

Some advice from homeschool, blended and online instructors:

As one online educator, Donald Mitchell said:

“Living a healthy lifestyle can help you manage the stress of school and work.  Help your child adopt these healthy habits to stay energized for their busy schedule:”

A few more tips on eating and studying from online, blended and homeschool instructors:

“Balancing my life begins with sleeping and eating” – Lauree Russell

“Sleeping-n-eating affect EVERYTHING. I have blackened my bedroom windows and have relaxation music ready to go before I go to sleep,” said Ms. Lee. “Also, I don’t eat after 6 p.m. so that my body is actually resting instead of digesting a heavy meal,” Ms. Lauree Russell, math teacher.

Eat Lunches That Will Help Your Body

“As for eating, life is so busy, I keep cases of my favorite healthy foods in my refrigerator so I can grab-n-go.  Right now I have a case of Greek Yogurt, a case of green juices, 12 boiled eggs, a case of mixed nuts and two different bags of home-made chicken frozen enchiladas (individually wrapped) that can be microwaved in two minutes.  Of course, a large box of mixed greens or spinach to add to my meals is nutritional too!”- Ms. Lee, math teacher.


Online students could be better prepped for college and here's why

It might sound strange. How would attending school online or at home make a difference, especially when there’s the stigma of it not holding the same value?

A diploma earned online, in a homeschool or blended setting, is no different from a traditional diploma. So long as the school is accredited, of course.

In some ways, an online diploma might be more valuable for students. As colleges integrate more online aspects, learning online could mean better college and career prep. Here’s how:

In all of the Elite Academic independent study academies (online, blended and homeschool), there are no assigned seats or raising hands to use the bathroom.
Independent study means enjoying the freedom of completing schoolwork on the student’s schedule. But with this comes great responsibility.

Teachers are always readily available to help students. But it’s up to the student to complete assignments and tests. In other words, online students have to gain discipline in order to succeed in their classes.

Sound like college life? It can be a huge adjustment in college when you have to learn how to stay on task or how to study. Already possessing those traits can be a huge jumpstart to starting college.

There’s less structure to the day, which means more time management

College students choose the time and day to attend classes and study. Elite Academic Academy students do the same. So why not start developing these personally structured schedules early?

Most home study students have to balance their school with other activities in their lives, like working a job or a sport. As a result, they become prepared for college as they learn discipline and how to manage their schedules.

Online students gain experience communicating with teachers outside a classroom

In a brick and mortar school, students see their teachers every single school day. At many colleges, classroom sizes can range anywhere from 100-500 students, and the professor likely doesn’t know their names.

As a result, college students communicate with professors via emails and phone calls, just like at Elite Academic Academy

Our Elite Educators are available by phone, email, and online or in-person tutoring. They get the personalized support they need and get used to communicating with a teacher the way they would with a college professor.

They become familiarized with completing online assignments

Even students who attend college courses in person will most likely still have an online aspect to their curriculum.

Now, more than ever, in-person colleges include online assignments, exams and resources online. Online students are comfortable with the idea of logging in and completing coursework, exams. They also conduct research online, helping the transition to college become much easier.

Counselors help students get ready for college

With Elite, our guidance counselors work hard to help students prepare for life after high school. If you know you want your child to attend college, consider enrolling with Elite. We will help your teen graduate and get prepared to go to the college they want to attend.