Registration at One Spark Academy for 2020-2021

One Spark Academy, at its present location (the Thousand Oaks Teen Center), has limited capacity. We use four classrooms, the kitchen, the gym, and the beautiful outdoors. However, we also keep our classrooms small in size and try to balance the various grades and learning levels. Often, some classes close during pre-registration and remain closed all year. We expect that trend to continue this year.

Class size for ON-SITE courses at One Spark Academy during 2020-2021 will be strictly limited. As of July 5, interest in courses at One Spark Academy is high.

We currently have no Pre-Registration spots. However, there will be spaces in some courses once Pre-Registration scheduling is completed (July 27-August 1). General Registration begins August 3 (when our Session 1 Schedule becomes public), on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please note that we currently have no spots for non-immunized students in on-site or off-site courses. However, there is no immunization requirement for student taking online courses; those students will automatically be waitlisted for a non-immunized spot (on-site or off-site) should one become available in the coming year.

The following spots currently have priority after August 3:

  • Incoming 6th, taking Foundations math and ELA. Flex Plan only (three spots)
  • Incoming 6th, taking enrichment only (three spots)
  • 7th/8th enrolled in the IvyTech/OSA Cohort (four spots).

Important Dates:

  • General Registration starts Monday, August 3. Website will be updated on that date with the Session 1 Course Schedule and Course Descriptions. Please fill out the form below if you would like to have General Registration priority.
  • Parent Information Meeting: Thursday, August 6th, 6:45- 8:15 on Zoom. RSVP here. This meeting is for anyone who didn’t already attend a parent information meeting, and who intends/hopes to register for courses in the coming Fall.
If you would like to be added to our waitlist for General Registration on August 3, please fill out the following:

2020-2021 Student Registration Waitlist

Registration is currently only available to those who previously committed to Pre-Registration, with few exceptions*. General registration begins August 3 and all available spots will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to the various scheduling challenges for the coming year, all students interested in general registration after August 3, 2020 will be waitlisted, and contacted in the order received should spaces in courses of interest be available (this includes on-site, online, and offsite). * Some spots for core courses are currently being held for 7th and 8th graders registered with IvyTech Charter School. * Some spots may be available for 6th graders wanting full-time placement.
    Our proposed schedule for the year is a mix of on-site, online, and off-site courses. Our on-site courses, if we're able to provide them, have strict limits on numbers of attendees due to physical distancing. Most core courses will be offered on-site.
    One Spark Academy allows for up to 10% of its student body to be non-immunized. Currently, we have no available spots for non-immunized students in our on-site or off-site courses. There is no immunization requirement for students taking courses online. Those students would automatically be added to a wait list, if a non-immunized spot becomes available.
  • Please provide any other information, such as preferred days, or schedule limitations. You will be notified when general registration begins and the full schedule is available, and if an available spot in preferred courses becomes available.

Here’s how our registration works:

  1. Priority: Priority for 2020-2021 was given to students who were enrolled in Session 4. Priority is also given to full-time students, or those committing to our full year courses, which have limited space. Students coming 4-5 days a week and/or who are on our Flex Plan are considered “full time”.
  2. Pre-registration: We only accept as many pre-registrants as we can guarantee spots for in our full year courses (directed math, ELA, English Literature, Mapping the World, etc). Once we know who is committed to returning, then we open up remaining spots for new families.
    1. We have an immunization requirement, with a limited number of spots available for non-immunized students. As of June 12, there are NO SPOTS available for non-immunized students taking any on-site courses.
  3. Get involved! Sign up for our monthly newsletter, come to events, and follow us on FaceBook. This helps ensure that prospective families are “in the loop” for upcoming events and feel confident in the program’s mission.
  4. Parent Information Meetings EVERYONE who plans to attend next year should attend a Parent Information Meeting. This meeting will include important details about the coming year, including our planned approach for safety measures, a hybrid schedule of onsite and online courses, and requirements for attendance.
  5. FAQs:
    1. What if I don’t get a pre-registration spot? Can I still enroll? YES! We often have students enroll at the last minute, mid-year, or even in the last session. However, full-time spots with your student’s first choice courses will not likely be available after the summer. 
    2. Who can pre-register? As a general rule, we only will accept pre-registration deposits if we’ve met your child, if you’ve toured our program, and if you have attended a meeting or are registered to attend the meeting in June. This ensures a higher likelihood that everyone is happy.
    3. What if I just want to take a few classes, or just have enrichment? No problem. We will have more spots available in enrichment classes than we have in our full year courses.
    4. What if I’m not sure what math class my child needs? We leave a little wiggle room for moving kids around should math placement require it. We will assess students in math in August, and make adjustments if needed. We also may request work samples.
    5. When do I submit registration paperwork? All paperwork is collected after General Registration opens in August, or upon registration. Paperwork is updated annually. 
    6. Do you provide scholarships? No, not officially. We barely have enough money to run our program. However, we do our best to help families in need once they are in our program, by offering a spot in a class that has room, or by providing assistance for special programs. We ask that families that have the means to donate annually to our program, so that we can maintain low annual registration fees.