| Sage Oak Virtual Academy Update: May 4, 2026 |
| Hello Virtual Learning Academy! We have the most amazing teachers here, and we want to honor them during Teacher Appreciation Week this week! We invite you to share a note of gratitude on our padlet below. Please note the important information below, and do not hesitate to email virtualacademy@sageoak.education with any questions. We are here for you!  May 4th-8th: Teacher Appreciation Week (Padlet) Monday, May 4th: Sage Serves hours due and parent summer counseling webinar @ 11am Friday, May 8th: Honor Society Applications due, Sage Stage, Parent Survey window closes Monday, May 11th: Student summer counseling webinar @ 2pm Friday, May 15th: End of Learning Period 9 and Future Ambassadors hours due Friday, May 29th: Promotion Ceremonies and End of Year Social Tuesday, June 2nd: End of Year Assembly @ 9am 2025-2026 School Calendar VLA Year-at-a-Glance: Some of these dates/events are subject to change  Teacher Appreciation Week This week, we’re celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week from May 4th – 8th! To honor our incredible teachers at Sage Oak, we’ve created a Padlet where you can share kind messages, notes of gratitude, and words of appreciation for your teachers. We encourage every student and family to participate by creating a short thank-you video for your teachers! These videos will be featured on our social media platforms as a special way to recognize and celebrate the impact our teachers make every day!  Promotion Ceremonies & End of Year Social Sign up for our End of Year social on Friday, May 29th in Rancho Cucamonga. Promotion ceremonies for our Kindergartners, 5th graders, and 8th graders will also take place. Let’s celebrate together with your teachers and classmates before we head off to summer break! There will be summer-themed activities, amazing science activities, and a food truck!  Parent Survey If you haven’t completed the 2025–26 Sage Oak Parent Survey yet, there’s still time! The survey will remain open through Friday, May 8th. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us continue to improve and better support our students and families. We truly appreciate you taking a few minutes to share your thoughts-thank you!  Counseling Corner Welcome to our May edition of the VLA TK–8 Counseling Connection Newsletter. This month, we’re featuring helpful summer resources for students and families, including two upcoming webinars on May 4th and 11th. We are recognizing Mental Health Awareness Month and honoring Military Appreciation while exploring future career paths. If you’d like to learn more about how your School Counselor can support your student, we’d love to connect. Please join us for our Coffee with the Counselor drop-in this Thursday, May 7, at 9:00 AM, or reach out anytime to Ms. Allie Whalen at awhalen@sageoak.education.  Sage Serves We are so proud of our Sage Serves students for the incredible time, effort, and heart you have put into volunteering this year. Your impact in the community has truly made a difference, and it has been amazing to see all that you have accomplished. As a reminder, Sage Serves has officially wrapped up, and we will no longer be accepting volunteer hours starting Tuesday, May 5. Thank you again for your hard work and for representing Sage Oak in such a positive and meaningful way!  Join us for our next Advisory Committee meetings! Join us for our upcoming Advisory Committee meetings to stay informed, and learn more about the work guiding our programs. Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) When: Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 9:00am Where: Zoom Link English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) When: Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 2:00pm Where: Zoom Link We hope to see you there!  Sage StageMy job is “PHOTOGRAPHER” with Katie Marble Join us for another Sage Stage as we step behind the scenes of the entertainment industry through the lens of brand photographer and creative director, Katie Marble! Katie turned her eye for cinematic storytelling into a powerhouse career, where she now shapes the visual worlds of global icons like Disney, Netflix, and Marvel! Come prepared to learn about this career by joining another Sage Stage on Friday, May 8th from 9:00-9:45am via this Zoom Link. Click here to sign up today! *Students who enroll will be entered into a raffle for a prize! Students must register by May 7th at 8am to be eligible for the raffle and must be present to win. Signing up is not required to attend the Sage Stage session. Questions? Please reach out to oakschool@sageoak.education  National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society Applications Are Now Open! There is still time! Sage Oak is accepting applications for the National Honor Society (NHS) and National Junior Honor Society (NJHS). These esteemed organizations recognize and promote excellence in scholarship, leadership, character, and service. To be eligible, applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 and demonstrate a strong commitment to community service and leadership. The application deadline is May 8th, and selected candidates will be notified of their acceptance in June. NJHS Application: 7th-9th Grade for the 2026-27 School Year Hear from our NJHS members! Students who are already members do not need to reapply. For questions please contact Kayce Betzel at kbetzel@sageoak.education for NHS and Amy Elwood at aelwood@sageoak.education for NJHS.  Local Assessment Post-Test Window The Local Assessment post-test window opens May 8 and runs through May 15! Students in grades TK–11 will be assessed in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. Encourage students to set themselves up for success by getting a good night’s sleep, taking their time on each question, and showing their work using paper and pencil. Most importantly, remind them to give their very best effort. This is their chance to shine! Teachers will be reaching out with specific proctoring schedules and are excited to celebrate and share student progress.  New Sage Studio Episode “Exploring Trade School Opportunities for High School Students” In this episode, host, Tiffiny Webster welcomes Sage Oak High School counselor Coral Prendergast to discuss growing student interest in the trade school pathway. Coral highlights common trade careers such as electrician, welder, construction, cosmetology, firefighter, and EMT, often available affordably through community colleges. She walks through a Trade School Resource Hub she and a team created, including a recorded parent webinar, community-college program search tools by career or by school, and industry-sector tabs with descriptions, certifications students can pursue in high school, and county-based listings of community colleges and private trade programs with cost, length, and links. Click HERE to watch the full episode now!  Sincerely, Mrs. Lana Beshara Virtual Learning Academy Principal |
