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  2. MOSAIC Home Education (K-8)
  3. About MOSAIC

About MOSAIC

Mosaic K-8 is a public program of choice within the Bainbridge Island School District. Mosaic offers students a personalized, non-traditional learning environment where students and parents have a voice in determining what and how they learn. 

The majority of student instruction is at home with the parents as the primary educators. Full-time enrolled students receive support from a certified teacher during monthly meetings and students attend on-campus enrichment classes two days a week.

As reflected in our program, parents and staff actively support our mission by promoting the following beliefs. We believe in the educational benefits of:

  • small class sizes that promote academic and social growth
  • multiage groupings
  • part-time kindergarten
  • consistent one-on-one instructional time
  • strong family-directed involvement in a child's education
  • connections within a community of family-centered learners
  • nurturing independence and confidence in children

 

Mission Statement

The mission of Mosaic K-8 is to work in partnership with homeschooling families who seek a part-time experience with our on-campus, public school classes; and to provide certificated teacher guidance during monthly advisory meetings, encouraging families to strive to meet academic, artistic, and social-emotional benchmarks that are appropriate for each grade level and/or that fit the needs of their child; and to encourage lifelong learning, critical thinking, and the importance of becoming contributing members of society. We are a supportive educational community that offers a wide variety of teaching curricula, on-campus courses, festivals, field trips, and outdoor education for our families. 

 

Our History

Mosaic was designed to provide educational services to homeschooling students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Originally known as the Homeschool Support Program; the program was created in 1991 through the efforts of homeschooling parents, teachers, and administrators who recognized the need to expand the educational community that the Bainbridge Island School District served, and to make public resources available to support the educational goals of families who have chosen to teach their children outside the regular classroom. In 1995, the program added a full-time parent partnership option under Washington State Alternative Learning Laws.

To portray the evolution from a homeschool-based program to a Parent Partnership Program, the name was changed in 2010 from the Homeschool Support Program to the Mosaic Home Education Partnership. Mosaic is a partnership between families and staff. The staff provides enrichment classes taught by certified teachers. Academic advisors work closely with parents to develop academic goals and assessments, advise on curriculum choices, and offer teaching strategies.

Parents are directly responsible for providing instruction in all academic areas during their daily home instruction time.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes, MOSAIC K-8 is a specific education model of BISD, housed at Commodore Options.  MOSAIC’s teaching staff are certificated and are considered a General Education Teacher or Specialist Teacher. MOSAIC K-8 adheres to BISD’s calendar and all guidelines. 

  • Yes, your child is enrolled in the Bainbridge Island School District and generates monies for the District, just as they would if enrolled in a neighborhood school. 

  • Yes, MOSAIC does provide curriculum and materials that support the academic goals on the student’s Written Student Learning Plan (WSLP). Academic Advisors recommend BISD-supported materials to be used. In addition, there is a wealth of supplemental materials available in the Resource Center.  Families will also have access to BISD online resources.  

  • Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) is a designation by the state of Washington describing “public education where all or some of the instruction is delivered outside the regular classroom.”

    When parents choose this option, they:

    • are forming a partnership with BISD

    • are assuming the role of primary instructor of the child’s home learning 

    • are able to choose curriculum/materials to support learning

    • are agreeing to work with an Academic Advisor to develop a Written Student Learning Plan (academic goals) in early September and to meet monthly for academic review and preview. For the start of the 2020-2021 school year and until further notice, all parent and Academic Advisor meetings will be conducted via Zoom. 

  • There are two enrollment options: 

    • ALE enrollment which is explained in the answers to questions 4 and 6.

    • BEL enrollment is reserved ONLY for  Bainbridge Island families who have demonstrated a history of successful home learning.  Parents are autonomous and are solely responsible for their child’s home learning.  BEL students participate in all classes, workshops, field trips, and assessments. 

  • Yes, students may receive:

    • Special Education Services: academic, speech, OT, PT through evaluation and IEP process

    • Title 1 for reading

    • Highly Capable

    • Free and Reduced Lunch

  • Yes, MOSAIC students have the opportunity to take all district and state assessments:

    • WAKIDS for Kindergarten

    • Highly Capable assessment 

    • FastBridge 

    • Smarter Balanced SBA

    • Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) grades 5 & 8 

  • All parents are highly encouraged to sign up in Skyward to be informed about district and school information. Additionally, MOSAIC has an informal Google Group that is used by parents and staff to communicate information regarding MOSAIC.  Enrollment in this Google Group occurs in September. 

    Each Fall, many “experienced MOSAIC parents” extend invitations to new parents to chat---there will be a sign-up for this to happen. Staff members may be reached through their email addresses. 

  • Weekly participation in enrichment classes or a weekly advisor meeting with your teacher satisfies “attendance”. ALE (Alternative Learning Experience) laws require weekly contact and communication with a certified teacher and a monthly progress review of academic learning targets. Mosaic is designed to support families who choose to be their child’s primary educator and to provide feedback, resources, and evaluation of progress.