Our Student Life Cycle: A Day in the Life of a Winston Online Student

 

Using various research-based methods and approaches, teachers create and monitor specific and measurable skill-based goals. Each student’s response to their program is incredibly important to understand. If something is not working, we change it. 

We make continual adjustments to a students’ educational program and our teaching approach. Every program changes as the student develops during their educational life-cycle and develops as a learner.

The Focus Program

Our Focus program is a separate one-to-one class period. During this time, students meet with a Winston Focus teacher for 45 minutes each day. This class is highly individualized, similar to our content classes, but even more so due to the one-to-one environment. 

Focus teachers identify the most crucial areas a student needs to develop. Then, they create a set of skill-based goals around those areas.

Focus teachers work collaboratively with a student’s content teachers to guide a student’s education. They quickly become household names as they are the family’s point person. Your child’s Focus teacher will reach out at the end of every week with an update on their progress. They always make sure to mention any areas of concern or reason for celebration. 

At Winston Prep, Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is at the core of everything we do. We have identified a particular set of research-backed SEL skills (Qualities of a Sustainable and Independent Learner). These include self-advocacy, self-reflection, self-regulation, resilience, social responsibility, problem solving, social communication, and organization and time management. Each skill is critical to a students’ academic success and general life satisfaction. 

 

At Winston Online, we incorporate the building of these skills across the academic day, both explicitly and implicitly. We want each student to be self-aware of their own learning profile, decisions, and actions. Ultimately, we want Winston Prep students to walk away with a toolbox of strategies they can use on their own.

The daily schedule for Winston Online students can look very different due to our flexible program options to precisely meet individual needs. Winston Online students engage in live, carefully designed courses tailored to their individual learning profiles. As classes are synchronous, students all sign into their Google Classrooms at the time each class begins. They proceed to meet with their teacher and classmates for 45-minutes daily. 

 

Each of the classes are small to provide even more individualized support and instruction in a safe space. We’ve found this allows for a deeper connection between the teacher and students. 

A student enrolled in the full-time Winston Online program follows an eight-period day.  The schedule includes:

There is a five-minute break between classes. It allows for students and faculty to take a quick break away from the computer screen. Students often use it to get a drink of water or snack. Sometimes they have a short movement break, or simply prepare for their next class. 

Socializing is an important part of the Winston Online experience. Students have a variety of ways they socialize in weekly all school-based activities. Wednesdays are half days, with 25-minute periods. There is time embedded into the schedule for all-school meetings. 

For those students wanting additional support and time with classmates or teachers, after school study time is also available.

Winston Online provides various program options that best serve each student’s individual needs. We’re aware that not all students need a full-time school program or have traditional schedules. Many learners, such as athletes, need a flexible school option. Winston Online can fit into any schedule. 

 

For example, some students take college classes at their local community college. Those students can enroll in our Core program. It includes three content courses and our Focus class. In this example, students get a head start by earning college credits. Meanwhile, they continue to develop the skills necessary to graduate high school. 

Our Focus only program offers one-to-one intense remediation in specific academic areas. It can be combined with a homeschool program. Some students even attend full-time public school or private school elsewhere. You can enroll in the Focus only program during the school year or over the summer.

Winston Online offers a variety of ways for our students (and their teachers) to come together to build lasting relationships. As we exist within a virtual space, we are very thoughtful and intentional about socialization. We provide space for our students to create and foster friendships, as well as develop and maintain connections with their teachers. It’s built directly into the daily student routine.

 

Our faculty and student body hail from across the United States and Europe. This diverse geography provides a unique opportunity for our students from different locations and backgrounds to learn from one another.

Virtual Field Trips and Activities

Winston Online holds a variety of virtual activities throughout the school year. Some examples include virtual monthly field trips to locations such as:

Monthly Wellness Wednesdays is a school favorite. Our students engage in an all school, teacher lead yoga class.

 

There are also activities students can participate in that take place on a weekly basis. Students and faculty attend weekly all-school meetings. Faculty share announcements and students share presentations and accomplishments. It provides an opportunity for students to survey their community as part of student-led projects. 

After School Activities

The daily routine of a student at Winston Online continues after class. Students participate in after school clubs on a weekly basis. These student-driven clubs allow them to engage and socialize with their peers in a non-academic setting. 

Our longest running after school club is our Cooking Club! Other offerings have included:

We offer new clubs each semester. Each offers a unique opportunity for students to explore their interests and have fun with their peers.

At the beginning of each school year, students come together for an in-person overnight trip. We all gather at the Frost Valley YMCA camp in the Catskills. These in-person trips provide our students with more opportunities to bond with their peers.

It’s wonderful to watch students put into practice the skills they acquire through our program. In-person gatherings are always a fan favorite.

Social Enrichment

Socialization is an important part of a student’s development. Winston Online is very mindful about how we approach and include social enrichment for our students outside of the classroom. As such, social enrichment is thoughtfully embedded into our programming.

For students who require social problem-solving development, we offer social groups during the Focus period. These exist within our online community and in collaboration with our Winston brick-and-mortar campuses. This collaboration with other Winston campuses allows our students to strengthen their social skills within the wider Winston Prep community. 

Along with school provided social activities, we mindfully work with families to incorporate in-person extracurricular experiences for their students. Many families incorporate in-person programming for their students by having them take electives in their communities.

For instance, some students participate in internships and/or classes within their home districts. Others volunteer in their local communities or are involved with in-person writing clubs. Many students also engage in sports, including swimming, soccer, wrestling, and gymnastics.

Winston Online is a fully-online program for students through 12th grade with learning differences. Our community includes learners with dyslexia, nonverbal learning disabilities (NVLD), and executive functioning difficulties (ADHD).