FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
FAQs
Great! We look forward to meeting you. Please visit our enrollment page for the next steps.
Yes. We register with the state of CA every year as a private school. If you register with us, you do not need to file any additional paperwork with your state to homeschool your children.
CDS Code: 44 75432 6147615
If you enroll with us, you have met the legal requirements of enrolling your child in a school. (Please check the compulsory education laws of your state). We never give your family’s name or any information to the state. Your information stays with us. If you live in California, you do not have to file a Private School Affidavit or enroll in a charter.
Yes, we work with students in any state, and even internationally. Enrolling with Pacific Sands Academy will meet the requirements of most states compulsory attendance laws.
Pacific Sands Academy itself is not accredited; however, we work with a sister school (West River Academy)which acts as an umbrella for us. Students can pay an extra fee of $250 per year and benefit from this accreditation. West River Academy is accredited by the National Association for the Legal Support of Alternative Schools (NALSAS). Students who pay this fee become students of the Pacific Sands Program of West River Academy.
Pacific Sands Academy is an independent private school in the state of California, also known as a Private School Satellite Program. CDE Code: 44 75432 6147615.
Pacific Sands Academy
216 Mount Hermon Road Suite E
Scotts Valley, CA 95066
831-515-8250
info@pacificsandsacademy.com
Director and Head Teacher: Shauna Reisewitz 831-515-8250
Family Liaison: Maryam Shafaghi 831-331-9749
Intern and Support: Katina Hago-Saenz 805-504-5605
The Director of Pacific Sands Academy, Shauna Reisewitz, holds valid California Teaching Credentials for both Multiple Subjects and Single Subject (Science) and is CLAD certified. She works directly with each enrolled high school student.
We also work closely with West River Academy, and some of our students are in the program Pacific Sands Program of West River Academy. Students in this program receive diplomas and transcripts from West River Academy, but still work directly with Shauna Reisewitz.
West River Academy
33721 Bluewater Ln.
Dana Point, CA 92629-2173
CDS Code: 30 66464 6134720
Director of West River Academy : Peggy Webb
West River Academy is Accredited by: the National Association for the Legal Support of Alternative Schools.
We offer an interest led, self directed focused program, and students of both programs work closely with Shauna Reisewitz to set and follow Individualized Educational Plans based on student strengths and interests, following curricula appropriate to each student’s learning styles and strengths.
Grading Scale is based on mastery of subject matter: 90-100% A, 80-89% B,70-79%C, 60-69% D and 59% and below F. We award AP credits when students pass the AP exams. Honors credits are occasionally awarded when a student works at an extremely high level, and completes honors curricula.
Student Population as of January 2022
| Grade levels | #Enrolled PSA | #Enrolled PSA Program of WRA | Total |
| KN – 3 | 10 | 3 | 13 |
| 4-6 | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| 7-8 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 10 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 11 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 12 | 5 | 9 | 14 |
| Total number | 25 | 24 | 49 |
Number of Graduates from the 2020-2021 School year: 12
Expected Graduation 2022: 17
Known College Acceptance 2016-2021
Quinnipiac, Cal Lutheran, Hampshire, Wheaton, American University of Paris, Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Orange Coast College, Central Oregon Community College, Foothill College, Sierra College, Midlands Technical College.
Updated 2/2/2022
No. California state law prohibits students from being enrolled in two schools at once. However, we can work with your teen as a non-enrolled student to create monthly work samples, if this is a struggle for you. This would be an out-of-pocket expense, as we are not a vendor at any of the charters. Please set up an appointment with our director for more information.
Enrollment in Pacific Sands meets most states compulsory education laws. Your child’s private information does not go any further than our system. We also offer monthly parent Zoom meetings, weekly Discord teen meetings, and a graduation ceremony at the end of the year. For teens, enrollment in our school allows for dual enrollment at local community colleges and access to work permits.
For teens, monthly tuition covers mentoring meetings. We have found over time that different teens prefer (or need) varying amounts of mentoring meetings, so we have developed a three tiered system. Families can pay tuition for 1 meeting, 2-4 meetings, 5-8 meetings, or even more.
We do not offer online classes per se, but we do give credits for students who take online courses through organizations such as Coursera, Future Learn, Khan Academy, Master Courses, Duolingo or even YouTube. We also have subscriptions to programs that students can access: for example, Thrively (which personalizes education and content to student interests), Curiosity Stream, and Skillshare.
Meetings tend to run about thirty minutes and there is some flexibility. Some students prefer longer meetings and they “double up.”
Zoom is our typical way to meet with students. We can also utilize the telephone if that is preferred by your student.
We have a partner program,Vision Quest for Teens that does this work. For $590 per month, your 6th-12th grader can get daily support. A California Credentialed teacher is in a Google classroom from 9:30-5 PM daily and meets with students throughout the day. We do not, at this time, offer a similar program for our younger students. You enroll in this program in addition to our school and pay them directly. (In this case you would pay 0$ per month to us, and pay enrollment, registration, and graduation fees only. )
Teens can earn credits for their natural strengths and passions. For example, if they play in a band, they earn instrumental music credits; skate- earn PE credits; build a skate ramp- construction or woodworking credits; follow politics –earn government or current events credits; love taking pictures– photography credits.
We also find ways for students to earn credits for subjects they don’t typically enjoy. For example, we have some math games for Algebra and Geometry, and use YouTube, Historical fiction or scientific feature films and documentaries of interest for social studies and science credits.
In addition, students can earn high school credits for interesting pursuits that you may not find in a typical high school. We have students who have earned credits for courses like Aviation, Crime Investigations, Personal Growth, MakeUp Skills, Gaming Logic and Strategy, Anthropology, and History of Latina Women.
Yes. Sometimes students just need a year’s break from regular high school. Students can enroll in the Pacific Sands Program of West River Academy and earn credits that they can then most often take back to their high schools. (We recommend you check with your high school counselor first). Some high schools will allow students to earn credits at a different online school (us) while still attending their high school. Students can also work over the summer to earn extra credits.
Ultimately to move forward with a family, we need to have the student’s buy-in to the program. We operate very much on a respectful relationship basis with our teens and don’t force learning in any subject that the teen rejects. However some parents come to an agreement with their teens that they will allow and pay for this program if their teen agrees to learn a particular subject, or have a particular number of hours per day to do their “school work”. This has happened occasionally. We enjoy working with parents and teens to come up with a program that is more than satisfactory to all parties involved.
To graduate from Pacific Sands Academy, students must complete an online portfolio or powerpoint presentation that celebrates their strengths and interests. We want students to be able to use this portfolio for their next step in life- whatever that may be. We also work with students to create a resume as part of their requirement.
Yes! Teens can graduate when they are ready to take their next steps in life. Some students come to Pacific Sands and graduate within a month, others will stay for 5 years or more… Our youngest graduate was 14 years old.
Yes. We work with adults. If they meet the graduation requirements of Pacific Sands Academy, they can earn a high school diploma.
Generally, most students fit in the 2-4 meeting per month plan; however, we will discuss the best fit for your teen in our initial meeting. We can be flexible as we move forward through the year. If we find that your teen needs more time, we can discuss moving to the longer time tier. If they need less time, we can move forward to the shorter-time tier. However, you will be responsible for payment of the tier you choose until we have a discussion and change programs the following month.
This year because of the Covid situation, we are offering a family program. Families can sign up and receive support from a CA Credentialed teacher with over 20 years of homeschool teaching experience. You will receive ongoing curriculum guidance and homeschooling support in monthly to weekly meetings (up to 4 per month). You will also have weekly fun Zoom meetings for kids, monthly coffee hours for moms, and monthly outdoor field trips in the San Francisco or Monterey Bay areas.
We tailor our program to each family. If your middle schooler is ready for independent teen meetings, you can use some of your family meetings for independent teen mentoring.
You can hire our K-8 specialist directly for a month or two to get yourself situated. She comes highly recommended. Contact Maryam directly at mkshafaghi@gmail.com
Traveling is one of the greatest ways to learn about our world. We absolutely support and love traveling. As you travel we would still love to meet with you and hear about your wonderful adventures!
Yes. If you have your own homeschooling program you want to follow (such as Independent Minds Academy), you can use us as your PSP (Private School Program) that you are enrolled in. You will not need to file a PSA.
Yes! Siblings pay $100 each for Pacific Sands Academy enrollment and $100 each for accreditation. Siblings can also share mentoring meetings and mentoring meeting plans.
- One student earned an A.A. from her local community college at the same time as earning her high school diploma
- One 15 year old is working on his pilots license
- One student likes to do Civil War reenactments
- More than one student has worked on developing their own video game
- Several students focus on playing instruments
- Some students graduate early and earn Legal-18 status in the entertainment industry
- Some students surf or skate every day
- Some students are active in their community scout programs—Sea Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts
- Two students competed in video games and got into the top 100 of the world, one in Fortnite and League of Legends
- Some students have their own small businesses
Our students have been accepted into several small liberal arts colleges: Quinnipiac, Cal Lutheran, Hampshire, Wheaton, American University of Paris, University of Connecticut, College of the Canyons, Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Florida Southern College, Oral Roberts University, William Jessup University, Loyola University New Orleans to name a few… They also have attended community colleges such as Cuyahoga Community College, Orange Coast College, Central Oregon Community College, Sierra College, and Ventura Community College. Some students have gone on to bigger state schools such as University of Washington and even graduate school!
We do not have a required curriculum. You have absolute power to choose the curriculum that best suits your family, and for families who want it, we help you find a curriculum that best matches your needs. For our teens, we come up with ideas and educational plans that become a unique curriculum for each teen. If you have a particular curriculum you love for any subject, we support you in following that curriculum.
Yes, we believe in freedom of religion. Your curriculum can absolutely follow the religion of your choice, or it can be secular.
