Tag: education

Celebrating National School Choice Week at LVA

Celebrating National School Choice Week at LVA

Lehigh Valley Academy RCS

Every year, LVA proudly joins the celebration of National School Choice Week (NSCW). As an international education-focused institution, we believe in empowering families to make decisions that best suit their children’s unique learning needs. NSCW serves as a reminder of the importance of educational options and the critical role they play in shaping students’ futures.

At LVA, we recognize that every child is unique—what works for one student might not work for another. School choice provides families with access to a variety of educational environments, including public, private, charter, magnet, online, and homeschooling. This diversity ensures that students can thrive in settings tailored to their strengths, interests, and aspirations.

Celebrating NSCW aligns with our mission to cultivate a vibrant, inclusive learning community. It’s a time for us to reflect on our dedication to fostering global awareness, academic excellence, and a supportive environment where every student has the opportunity to excel.

We invite you to learn more about National School Choice Week by visiting their website to explore ways to get involved and support this important movement. Together, we can continue to advocate for educational opportunities that inspire and empower every student.

National School Choice Week is more than just an event. It’s a movement that underscores the importance of empowering families with options. At LVA, we celebrate it with gratitude for the trust our families place in us. We know that every choice made in education has the power to inspire a lifetime of success.

Education is an essential part of our lives. We are nothing without knowledge, and education is what separates us from others. I am super grateful to be given the opportunity to have an education, especially at Lehigh Valley Academy! This charter school helped me grow not only academically, but also helped build my interest and have the passion to learn. Lehigh Valley Academy has amazing staff, amazing students, and overall a peaceful environment. I believe that this school is preparing me to be college ready and pushes me to achieve my goals. Lehigh Valley Academy has a great I.B program that makes me feel secure for where I am heading the future. Overall, my experience has been a wonderful one! I’ve been attending since I was a in second grade and now I’m a Junior. Thank you LVA! I’m ready to embark my college journey! – Anonymous Niche Review by an LVA Junior in December of 2023*

Want to learn more about NSCW and how you can get involved? Visit their website today! Together, we can support this movement and continue to advocate for opportunities that make a difference in students’ lives.

National School Choice Week

Early Numeracy Tips for Parents: Fun Activities to Boost Math Skills

Lehigh Valley Academy RCS

Developing strong early numeracy skills is just as important as learning to read. Parents can play an essential role in helping their child build a solid math foundation through hands-on activities at home. Here are some practical, engaging ways to help your child practice number naming, using a 5-frame and 10-frame, and composing and decomposing numbers. These activities can make math fun and interactive, helping your child develop early numeracy skills that will serve as a foundation for more complex math concepts.

  1. Number Naming: Help your child become familiar with numbers by incorporating number naming into daily activities. Count objects around the house, like toys, snacks, or steps. You can also create number flashcards and ask your child to anime the numbers, or play a number scavenger hunt where they find numbers in books, on signs, or around the home.
  1. 5-Frame and 10-Frame Activities: A 5-frame or 10-frame is a simple visual tool that helps children understand number relationships. Draw or print a 5-frame (a grid with 5 boxes) or a 10-frame (a grid with 10 boxes) and use small objects like buttons, beads, or cereal pieces. Ask your child to fill the frame with objects, the practice counting how many are in the frame and how many are empty. This helps with number recognition and understanding quantities.
  1. Composing and Decomposing Numbers: Composing is combining numbers to make a larger number, and decomposing is breaking a number into small parts. For example, with a 10-frame, you can ask your child to fill 6 boxes, then figure out how many more they need to make 10. Practice using two sets of objects, such as 2 red blocks and 3 blue blocks, to show how they make 5 together. Ask questions like, “What two numbers can we add to make 7?”

These activities can make math fun and interactive, helping your child develop early numeracy skills that will serve as a foundation for more complex math concepts.

Mrs. Jennifer Gresser, K-5 MTSS Supervisor

Reading Strategies for Kindergarten and First Graders: Tips for Parents

Lehigh Valley Academy RCS

Helping your child build strong reading skills at home is a great way to set them up for success in school. Early reading skills are crucial because they lay the foundation for future learning. Mastering skills like letter naming and letter sounds helps children decode words, build vocabulary, and become confident readers. The stronger these early skills are, the easier it is for children to tackle more complex reading tasks as they grow. By practicing these activities regularly, you can help your child master essential early reading skills, setting them up for long-term reading success.

Here are a few fun, engaging activities you can do together at home:

  1. Letter Naming Scavenger Hunt: Write letters on index cards and hide them around the house. Ask your child to find each card and name the letter out loud. You can make it even more exciting by timing them and giving small rewards when they find all the letters!
  1. Alphabet Soup: Fill a bowl with magnetic letters and have your child “stir” the soup with a spoon. As they pull out each letter, ask them to name it. This simple activity combines play with learning, making it perfect for young readers.
  1. Letter Sound Hopscotch: Draw a hopscotch grid outside with chalk, filling each square with a letter. As your child hops, they must say the letter’s sound. This blends movement and learning, helping reinforce both letter recognition and phonics.
  2. Sound Sorting Game: Gather objects around the house that start with different letter sounds. Help your child sort them by the first sound they hear. For example, a sock and a spoon would go in the “S” pile.

What are some other reading games and activities that you like to do together?

Mrs. Jennifer Gresser, K-5 MTSS Supervisor

Celebrating Excellence in Leadership: CEO Susan Mauser Receives Legacy Leaders Award at PCPCS 2024

Lehigh Valley Academy RCS

This past week, LVA’s very own CEO, Susan Mauser, was honored with the prestigious Legacy Leaders award at the Pennsylvania Coalition of Charter Schools (PCPCS) 2024 Conference. Held annually, this event gathers educators, administrators, and thought leaders from across the state to explore innovative strategies, share best practices, and engage in meaningful discussions about the future of charter schools in Pennsylvania.

The Legacy Leaders award recognizes individuals who have made a lasting impact on education and demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advancing charter schools. Susan Mauser’s dedication to fostering excellence at LVA has not only shaped the school’s success but has also contributed significantly to the broader charter school movement.

The PCPCS conference is a pivotal event, offering educators the opportunity to collaborate, learn, and grow together. With sessions designed to inspire and equip attendees with cutting-edge insights, it’s no wonder that the energy and passion surrounding charter school education continues to thrive. Attendees left with fresh ideas and renewed enthusiasm for transforming education.

We are incredibly fortunate to have such visionary leadership at LVA. Susan’s passion, dedication, and forward-thinking approach are helping shape the future of our students and educators. Her recognition with this award is a reflection of her relentless pursuit of educational excellence and her belief in the power of charter schools to create meaningful change.

Congratulations to Susan Mauser on this well-deserved honor!