The Lions' Lens

As a friend of TLA, we value your support. The Lions' Lens, a quarterly newsletter filled with updates and activity highlights, is our way of sharing all of the great things happening at TLA throughout the year with you. Enjoy these updates from the second quarter of 2022-2023!

We stepped into the second quarter of the year celebrating scholar achievements related to academics, attendance, character development and career exploration during the first quarter. Click here to see the first quarter honor roll for 3rd - 10th grades. Of course, it wasn't a celebration without music, dancing and a few fun games thrown in!

The Lincoln Academy recently hosted the popular PBS series Make48, an innovation competition sponsored in Beloit this year by Beloit200 and in collaboration with Beloit College. Eight local teams of 4 individuals, including TLA's very own Mighty Lions, were selected to ideate, prototype and create a new innovation that addressed the challenge: Outdoor Winter Activities - all within 48 hours! Beloit industry leaders in innovation, as well as 24 talented tool technicians, collaborated with the teams throughout competition activities to bring their innovations to life. The Beloit competition will be included as part of Season 6 of Make48 in mid-February on Roku's This Old House Maker's Channel (channel 458). Tune in to find out which team won Make48 Beloit!

We are fortunate to be able to partner with the Welty Environmental Center (WEC) throughout the school year to provide K4-10th grade scholars with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with the biological, physical and chemical elements of nature and to learn about local, regional and global environmental issues. Thank you WEC for your partnership in engaging with scholars to learn about, experience and explore interests related to the environment!

Winter sports are going strong and include boys & girls basketball, cheerleading and wrestling. TLA scholar athletes continue to work hard, build skills and display great team spirit and sportsmanship. Shout-out to our scholars and families for their support and sportsmanship at games and matches! GO LIONS!

After-school clubs this quarter included Art Club, Culinary Club and Scholar Council. In addition to planning for Spirit Week and special activities throughout the year, Scholar Council took the lead planning school efforts that benefit the community. Activities this quarter included a Thanksgiving Food Drive that benefited Caritas and a Candy Cane sale with proceeds benefiting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

School spirit was on full display during Winter Spirit Week. Each day of the week featured a special dress down day, including Winter & Ugly Sweater Day, Travel & Adventure Day, Favorite Winter Movie Day, Santa's Workshop Day and "Twas the Night Before Break Day.

The 2022 Winter Sing was a heartwarming night filled with music and joy as scholars from our elementary grades filled the gymnasium with the sounds of the season in front of a standing room only crowd. It was a wonderful evening!

K4-10th grade scholars spent the months of November through January exploring careers in business, government and arts & communication. Activities included learning through our career exploration platform, participating in career chats and business panels, and hands-on exploration and field trips. Thank you to all of our local partners who supported these learning and exploration activities for scholars!

Our young scholars stretched their entrepreneurship muscles through participation in a Mini Business World program in partnership with Wisconsin Business World. Scholars were broken up into small groups and tasked with building a small business from the ground up, showcasing their new product in a mock trade show at the end of the day. Filled with opportunities to learn about creating a new product, building a prototype, developing a marketing plan and thinking about price, scholars came away with early exposure to business principles, entrepreneurship and understanding the role of businesses in the community.

During the second quarter, all K5-10th grade scholars finished-up their Individualized Learning Plans (ILP's). Each scholar wrote a mission statement and wrote or drew a picture about their excellence and growth areas and the job they want to do in the future. We love to see scholars dreaming big and creating a learning plan for how to achieve those dreams!

During November through January, we focused on the character virtues of creativity, courage and responsibility. Virtues were infused into all of our curricular subject content and taught through direct instruction with a focus on citizenship and service. At the end of each month, scholars who embodied the monthly virtue at each grade level were recognized. Way to go TLA!

Our Chief Education Officer, Dr. Cole, has started a monthly blog. November's blog focused on accountability and how TLA fits into the State report card system.

December's blog addressed the myth that charter schools do not serve with special education needs.

We will begin accepting applications on February 1st for NEW enrollments in grades K4-4th and 6th-11th for the Fall 2023 school year. The initial application period will run through February 28th.

The application will be available on the school website, or you can apply in-person Monday-Friday between 8am and 4pm at The Lincoln Academy, 608 Henry Avenue, Beloit.

The application process involves completion of the application and submission of both proof of Wisconsin residency and a birth certificate for the enrolling scholar. There are no additional eligibility requirements and there is no cost to attend.

If more applications are received than there are seats available, a public, random lottery will be held on March 7th to determine enrollment for the available seats and the waitlist order for the coming year. Only completed applications received by midnight on the last day of February are eligible for the lottery process.

As an independent charter school, TLA receives thousands of dollars less per pupil funding than the traditional public school. It is imperative that we make up the funding gap, partnering with our generous community to ensure we can offer an environment that will give each and every scholar a chance to succeed. Click on the donate button above to learn more and join us in being part of something transformational!

The Lincoln Academy (TLA) is a K4-12th grade public charter school serving Wisconsin residents and committed to reflecting the diversity of Beloit. Built with input from the community, access and equity drives TLA as an innovative, high quality, free public-school option. We expect ALL scholars to graduate from high school with a clear pathway to success.

Email: info@tlabeloit.com
Website: https://www.thelincolnacademybeloit.com/
Location: 608 Henry Avenue, Beloit, WI, USA
Phone: (608) 690-5100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TLABeloit
Twitter: @TLABeloit