Successfully Make the Mid-Year Switch to Online Learning

Many families find themselves reevaluating their decision to enroll their child in a traditional, brick-and-mortar setting, now that they are halfway through the first semester. Some parents are concerned to discover their child is disengaged, bored, unhappy, and ultimately struggling to find the motivation to go to school in the mornings. Other families might be enrolled in an online school that does not offer them the flexibility or quality curriculum they were looking for. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. For those who find themselves facing this challenging situation at this time of year, Laurel Springs has a solution. We meet students where they are and help families adjust to a mid-year transition to online school.

Laurel Springs has been helping families find the right fit for their children since 1991. Megan Palevich, Head of School, acknowledges the school’s focus and commitment to personalizing your child’s experience, “Over the last 28 years, many things have changed, but the one thing that has remained the same is Laurel Springs’ dedication to providing a personalized, flexible learning environment to meet each child’s unique interests, talents, and learning style--regardless of their location or circumstances.”

The key to setting your child up for success during a mid-year change is working with a trusted partner to ensure a seamless academic transition. The following recommendations are tried and true lessons from families who have successfully made the switch to Laurel Springs School for their child’s mid-year academic program.

1. Secure Your Child’s Academic Records
As the parent or guardian, you are permitted access your child’s academic records at any time. In order for Laurel Springs to properly assess where your child is in their courses, our counselors will need to review their progress to date. This can be in the form of a report card or a mid-semester progress report.

2. Ensure Proper Course Placement
For full-time enrollments, Laurel Springs’ certified counselors help students achieve academic success by reviewing each student’s academic plan, ensuring their courses align with their learning goals, providing resources alongside quality curriculum to improve their learning experience, and helping with career exploration and development.

3. Know Your Role as a Parent
The role of the parent, or academic coach, is to provide organization and structure to help create a proper learning environment, and to promote continuity in the learning process. Parents also act as learning companions, facilitators, and advocates for their child. They help build and sustain a positive relationship with the school, and work closely with teachers to ensure a successful learning experience. See more about how your role changes as your child grows with Laurel Springs School.

4. Understand the Benefits of an Asynchronous Learning Model
Laurel Springs delivers instruction through asynchronous courses, meaning students may access their lessons at any time. This eliminates scheduling conflicts and gives your child the flexibility to pursue other interests. Bringing together personalized education, flexibility, quality curriculum, passionate teachers, and collaborative support, this learning philosophy honors the talents and interests of all students, ensuring they experience a high-quality college preparatory education.

5. Engaging Students
Establishing a relationship between the student and teacher is integral to the educational experience, and can make the difference between a student who is engaged and one who is disconnected. Recognizing students’ interests and goals and applying them to lesson plans shows students that their teacher values them as members of the school community. Offering students a choice between multiple assignments gives them a sense of control, and a more engaged experience of learning.

6. Making Connections
Feelings of isolation can happen for some students attending an online school. Laurel Springs is committed to the development of student engagement and socialization. Laurel Springs offers live, monthly symposia, Meetings with Remarkable Men and Women, where students engage with leaders in their fields and hear their inspiring stories. Laurel Springs also offers more than 30 clubs for students to explore and discover their passions. These clubs offer a relaxed, enjoyable experience, led by a faculty or staff member who shares the students’ passion for the topic. Shared interests coupled with respectful, engaging social opportunities deepen relationships and provide students with the opportunity to collaborate. In addition to these opportunities for student interaction, we provide more than 100 live, teacher-guided iClasses to promote academic social engagement in support of our quality curriculum.

If you are one of the many families considering a mid-year switch to an online school, contact our team of admissions professionals today at 800-377-5890. We are happy to help you find the program that will enable your child to succeed.