My children are not in school yet, and honestly, the thought of sending my oldest to school in a year and a half is kind of scary to me. Luckily, I am so glad to know I have many different options for my son, with each offering a different experience. He can go to public school, a local charter school, or I could even homeschool. Another option many of us don’t think about often is online public school!
Did you know that Idaho Falls District 91 offers D91 Online Academy for children in Kindergarten through 8th grade for all children in Eastern Idaho?
The mission of D91 Online Academy is “to build meaningful relationships and partnerships with students, families, and the community in order to create a flexible, safe space where all students receive equal opportunities to thrive and learn.” This flexibility can be an incredible help to parents who are looking for the right type of schooling for their children. If a child may struggle with the rigidity of the daily school schedule, being able to learn from the comfort of their own home is an excellent option. The students can feel seen and heard in the smaller class setting and create strong relationships within that setting and, while it is online, it is still local so you can be sure that your children are still feeling a sense of community and belonging.
D91 Online Academy uses the engaging and interactive FlexPoint Curriculum that is aligned with the Idaho State Standards. They have morning meetings that are used to emphasize social-emotional learning. At 9:00 am, Monday-Thursday, students meet with their teacher in a Webex room where they greet each other and share personal news. This sharing helps students listen to one another, think about what they hear, formulate questions for their fellow classmates, and learn more about each other. The class then has an activity to help them feel united as a group, reinforce academic skills, and help the children learn how to cooperate and solve problems. The morning message ends the meeting by helping the students think about the day ahead so that they can be organized for their independent and collaborative time throughout the day.
The principal for D91 Online Academy, Brooke Stosich, is looking forward to growing the program. She gave us several reasons as to why this online learning option would be a great fit for your child:
- Online learning is facilitated by D91 high-qualified teachers
- Smaller class sizes
- Combination of synchronous (collaborative) and asynchronous (independent) learning
- Flexibility for students and families
- Access to district field trips and activities
- Weekly access to Art and PE special classes
- Monthly family nights, both virtually and in-person
- Supportive school community
- Strong school and family partnerships
My friend and Owner of East Idaho Moms, GiGi, had this to say about her experience with D91 Online Academy: “While online schooling wasn’t a great fit for my learners, I really appreciate the enthusiasm and organization of the school! My boys enjoyed special themed days and even built friendships with their classmates through their interactive work. I would have loved to stay for years, but my boys had social needs I couldn’t meet for them outside of traditional schooling! I think D91 Online Academy offers great flexibility and would be a great fit for many families!”
Ultimately, the vision of D91 Online Academy “is to inspire students and teachers to be reflective guides on our unique quests for knowledge through cooperative, authentic, and rigorous learning experiences on and off screen to prepare them for college and careers.” This school is unique and different from our typical ways of learning. The fact that we have so many different options as parents is incredible! Online learning is something that most of us moms didn’t have access to as children, and it probably would have benefitted some of us. We are grateful to have Idaho Falls District 91 here with so many options for us as we navigate the best decision for our child’s education.
Learn more about what D91 Online Academy has to offer by visiting the academy’s website or by contacting Principal Brooke Stosich at 208.525.7507.
