New Virtual High School Opens at Horizon Charter School for Students in Sacramento Region

ROSEVILLE, Calif.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Teens in Placer, El Dorado, Sacramento, Sutter, Nevada, and Yuba counties looking for a cyber school now have a new option from Horizon Charter School (www.HorizonCharterSchool.org). Horizon is opening a new Virtual High School for the 2010/11 school year and will hold an informational meeting about the program for prospective students on Tuesday, May 4.

“Horizon Charter School is practically one-on-one which would fit almost anyone’s lifestyle and personality. You get your own supervising teacher and you get very individualized feedback from your teacher”

Horizon’s Virtual High School (VHS) is a free college-prep academy where students enroll in a highly rigorous program with 24/7 access to online classes. The Horizon VHS is different from most cyber schools because the teaching of classes is not contracted to an outside commercial vendor. Horizon VHS classes are facilitated by highly qualified Horizon teachers and mentors. The standards-based curriculum, supplied by APEX Learning, optimizes the online learning experience and develops 21st century skills.

In addition to the typical course load of math, language arts, social studies and science, the VHS offers electives, advanced level science and math, essential computer skills and more. Horizon will plan activities and field trips to build community awareness and cooperative learning relationships. There is even a program to loan computers to enrolled students who do not have their own at home.

Miranda, a junior from Auburn, attended Horizon Charter School last year and will enroll in the VHS for 2010/11. “Horizon Charter School is practically one-on-one which would fit almost anyone’s lifestyle and personality. You get your own supervising teacher and you get very individualized feedback from your teacher,” said Miranda. “I personally like using my computer to study and learn things. It just seems so much easier and makes a lot of sense.”

Enrollment in virtual high schools around the country is growing quickly. According to Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning (http://www.kpk12.com), over 1 million students take at least one online class to augment their classroom instruction and nearly 175,000 students are enrolled in a full-time virtual school. At-risk students or those who had trouble fitting in at traditional schools often find success in a cyber school.

“We want to offer a choice for students who are college bound and looking for a highly flexible school schedule with rigorous courses,” said Eric Sweiven, director of the Horizon VHS. “We work to build a strong sense of community at Horizon and our teachers become close mentors to their students. This kind of personalized instruction combined with our excellent curriculum helps students succeed.”

The informational meeting and webcast begins at 6:00 p.m. on May 4 at 911 Reserve Drive in Roseville. As a publicly funded charter school, Horizon adheres to the same academic standards as public schools but in a creative, more individualized manner. There is no cost to enroll in any Horizon program (enrollment information).

About Horizon Charter School

Horizon Charter School is a public charter school authorized by the California State Board of Education and chartered through Western Placer Unified School District. Horizon Charter School provides free, high-quality K-12 educational choices and small classes where students thrive. More than 3,000 students in Placer, El Dorado, Sacramento, Sutter, Nevada, and Yuba counties participate in Horizon’s many programs including those for independent study, Montessori, college-prep, advanced learning academies or instructional programs for high-risk learners. Visit www.HorizonCharterSchool.org to learn more about our various academies, traditional school programs and virtual schools.