"I like how the teachers don't just put up assignments. They just teach everything you need to know. And they have the modules completely on the subject that they are speaking at. Another thing is that they know the modules. They're not like too hard or too easy. They're like, just in the middle. But if I go back into like, second grade, it will be easy. But if I go, like, into middle school, it will be too hard. But like, I feel like fourth grade is like the average that you want to be in, like the average grade, like, meets all the tests."

-Gabriel, 4th Grade

"Fun. Very educational. And I would say that I highly recommend it for them. There's the slides that the teacher puts up, and when she switches a slide, there might be like a question on that and she tells it and the teacher tells us to, like, put the correct answer in the chat box because there is there's like three little things. There's all the names that you can use to turn on your camera and make. Then there's a chat box. Then there's the notebook in which the teacher only puts stuff on the note board. There's the cameras and we all turn on the cameras, and so does the teacher."

-Gabriel, 4th Grade

"How me was basically when it started, I was like, 'wait, what's going on? Like, am I switching to different schools because I didn't do it before.' And then when it was fourth grade, I was more feeling like it's fun."

-Gabriel, 4th Grade

"During the pandemic, when everything shut down, we got to watch the last few months of how it was done at the [brick-and-mortar] public school.  You could see they weren't prepared.  Then we found GCA, started doing some research on it and we said, this looks like a good place.  Everything was set up and we liked how it was done and ran.  Since then, it was one of the best decisions I think we did and he loves it and has grown exponentially from it."

-Tim, Gabriel's Dad

"My husband and I had been talking about going a virtual route.  We knew we wanted to homeschool, but I wanted to do an online school.  I just started doing some research and literally Googled what was available in Georgia and Georgia Cyber Academy came up.  We read some on the website, looked into it, and I called somebody and they were very helpful.  The person on the other end gave me some really great information.  We made the decision right away because it seemed like a great fit.  We enrolled him, signed him up, and it was a very good decision."

-Kimberly, Gabriel's Mom

"Independence.  I don't want to say it forces it, but it allows a child to actually learn what independence is because they aren't surrounded in a physical classroom with a bunch of kids where they can sometimes blend in or hide in the back of the room.  It pushes that ability to work on their own and still want to participate.  He's learned how to speak out more because it's kind of pushed him in that direction to learn how to work alone and still be in the classroom environment working with other kids too."

-Tim, Gabriel's Dad

"There are many benefits.  The first one I would say is definitely the flexibility that the school offers.  Gabriel has a lot of good time that's not wasted.  I felt like in brick and mortar there was a lot of time wasted in the classroom, whereas ow he has a really good schedule.  One of the benefits I love the most are the different elective he could choose.  He has Spanish last year, creative writing this  year, computer literacy, then he has health and P.E.  I really love the schedule that Georgia Cyber Academy provides."

-Kimberly, Gabriel's Mom

"I think there's more interaction with the parents.  They parents have more of influence, input too because there's definitely a direct line of contact with the parent, the teacher, or Family Engagement Liaison.  We haven't had any issue with not knowing what was going on or if we happen to have a question about something.  You get input and feedback pretty quick with somebody."

-Tim, Gabriel's Dad

"The role of the parent or learning coach at GCA definitely keeps you accountable more of how your child is learning.  I know that they have to follow a specific schedule and they have their work and everything to do.  For me, I can come in at the end of the day and I can say, 'Okay, let's make sure all these assignments were submitted'.  I can go on and I can look.  If he has a math assignment, I can look and say, 'Okay, you've submitted this, let's mark this off'.  With the parental roles, you are more having a foot in the door, I would say.  When he was in brick and mortar, I didn't necessarily always know what was going on.  That gives me a sense of relief that I always knows what's going on, and I love that."

-Kimberly, Gabriel's Mom

"He's constantly doing stuff.  Whether it's grabbing stuff for a project like rocks or leaves, we're building something.  He's made storm gauges, weather gauges; a solar oven that we actually cooked marshmallows in.  I don't remember him coming home when he was in public school doing that.  He's doing show and tell and I've been able to hear some of the stuff and listen to the classmates too.  He's shown his bird to the class and has interaction that way.  I love that stuff.  He constantly has something else besides just sitting here at the desk."

-Tim, Gabriel's Dad

"He is able to express his creativity more.  I feel that his teachers have been just unbelievable.  We've had wonderful teachers every year.  There is nothing even to say negative because the teachers are so encouraging and they really enhance his creativity.  The allow him to share when they have time.  I know that if he has any questions on classwork or anything, he can go to them.  They are available.  I think they schedule is beneficial for Gabriel.  He has done very well with it.  He knows what to prepare for.  He knows his schedule.  He knows what is expected of him every day and he follows in suit with whatever the assignments are in class and graded work.  That's helped him.  Also, again, the flexibility of being at home.  It's just the little things that you wouldn't necessarily get if you're going out to a brick and mortar school.  Those things have been extremely helpful and they have allowed him to thrive."

-Kimberly, Gabriel's Mom

"I think he should be more prepared because he's going to learn how to work independently; quicker than he would have.  With what COVID has done to a lot of businesses and e-commerce, how it's gone more remote and virtual, he should have no problem adapting to that and understanding how it is to work.  With field trips and interaction with kids in class, he still has the socialization.  I feel confident that if he did get a job in a brick and mortar office, he'll still be able to have the skills because he's still talking to the kids."

-Tim, Gabriel's Dad

"As someone who has watched their child go through third and fourth grade and now is going to fifth grade, just watching him grow to what I've seen in the two years prior have been just leaps and bounds.  I would say it's not what maybe some people think it is, where you just stare at a computer all day and you're not having any fun... that's not true.  That's not the case.  There's a lot of other stuff that goes on.  I like the scheduling, it's very functional for a child.  And at the end of the day, there's not having to wait on the bus, or waiting in line for water, or at the cafeteria.  There's a lot more, I think, freedom that kids have.  At the same time, I like how they're pushed to progress.  I would say definitely look into it.  Research and look it up.  I think it's wonderful."

-Tim, Gabriel's Dad

"It gives you a really great homeschool feel, but also like you're in a classroom setting, if that makes sense.  Your kids are almost like they're in school, but they're at home and they're in the comfort of their home.  They're not having to have nervous anxiety of leaving the house to go to school.  This is more comfortable for them and they're still getting that instruction.  They're still getting live classes, still seeing a teacher and classmates, having all of the aspects of a brick and mortar but you're in the comfort of your home."

-Kimberly, Gabriel's Mom

"There are a lot of different reasons why they should decide to enroll at GCA.  One would be if your child is struggling in any aspect in brick and mortar, whether it be bullying or learning disabled of some sort, or struggling socially or academically.  I think GCA is a really good fit for any of those aspects.  It gives you more of a comfort as a parent and the student knowing what you're going to get.  Expectations are presented upfront.  Also, if you  have a child in the gifted program, they enhance creativity in that they give more options for things like that to really enhance and allow the child to thrive.  I will say in brick and mortar, I was disappointed with that aspect, there weren't many resources at all for him to be able to use.  I also like the schedule.  I would tell somebody that if you want a schedule that's flexible but also is kind of like demanding as far as knowing exactly where you need to be at certain times, that it would work for you."

-Kimberly, Gabriel's Mom

"For him, he starts at 8:30 am and I would say he goes all the way to 3:30.  He is in either live classes or he's getting homework done or he's working on classwork.  There's an hour they give for lunch break, which is great."

-Kimberly, Gabriel's Mom

"We wake up.  I try to give them 30 minutes to an hour just to get themselves together.  So he'll get dressed, get ready for breakfast.  After breakfast, homeroom starts.  So he'll get himself into class.  Then he'll have his core content classes during whatever times they are.  For him this year, it's pretty much math and language arts and then he'll have a break or an elective based on the day.  Then he'll have another class, maybe social studies, then lunch.  For lunch, we have them eat, then he goes outside to play and have recess time.  If it's too cold or rainy he will do something else, whether it be Play-Doh or an art assignment, or he can have just some quiet playtime, whatever it may be.  After that he'll get back into his class because by that time it's about 1:50.  He'll have that class and then that takes us to 3:30.  In between some of those classes, depending on the days, he'll have a break.  During the break, he'll do work, do a quiz, whatever he has to do for that day; whatever the teacher has put on the module board.  He'll complete those assignments.  I'll come in after, make sure everything was checked, listed off his board, off his module page for that day.  Every day is a little bit different depending on what elective he has and what breaks he'll have."

-Kimberly, Gabriel's Mom