Endeavor Happenings

The outdoor classroom is done. Students have been seen working in the sunshine and warm weather this fall. Thanks to all who donated time, talent, and ideas over the years to get this done. We are proud to offer our students this unique opportunity to chose their workspace outside.

Mrs. Mullen came to reintroduce herself to us in September. She was full of stories and project ideas. Mrs. Mullen is an Endeavor volunteer. She comes into Endeavor every week to work with students on their projects. Mrs. Mullen is a retired teacher of English and social studies. She is also a great live source for many topics that she has lived through including a vast list of presidents. We were so proud that Mrs. Mullen was also honored as the WHS Distinguished Alumni this year at homecoming.

Our first trimester field trip was our annual trip to American Players Theater in Spring Green, Wisconsin. Endeavor students were treated to an amazing production of Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. APT offers sponsor subsidized tickets for student groups to see live theater in their unique outdoor theater.

Ms. Keuck and Ms. Murphy from the League of Women Voters of Washington and Ozaukee Counties were our guest speakers in October. They discussed women's suffrage and voting. In addition, they discussed the role of volunteering in their lives and the history of their organization. Everyone even got miniature copies of the US Constitution to take home!

All Endeavor students have Endeavor hour as the last hour of the day. In Endeavor hour, we focus on learning and growing in 21st Century Skills.

Mondays- Town Hall Meeting and Preparing for Community Engagement Day

Tuesdays- Collaboration Time- Some students are in mentoring partnerships and some students are doing group projects.

Wednesdays- Advisory meeting

Thursdays- Presentations and giving feedback

Fridays- Team building and goal setting/ reflection journals

• Last day to turn in Student Led Conference sheets- Monday, October 28
• Community Engagement Day- Friday, November 8 (see article below)
• Last day to present new projects for this trimester- November 14
• Last day for credit for this trimester- November 22
• Trimester 2 starts- December 2

Each apprentice in Endeavor is assigned a mentor in Endeavor. Mentors are students who have been in Endeavor for at least a year and have demonstrated success in Endeavor. They are students who want to contribute to the community of our school by helping another student. Mentors and apprentices meet every Tuesday in Endeavor hour to work on the mentor's leadership skills and the apprentice's project based learning skills. Both students earn credit for their work together.

We are proud of our Endeavor school community and we want to share it with the greater Watertown community. We will be hosting our annual Community Engagement Day on Friday, November 8. Each student is asked to host a member of the community. Students will be giving tours and demonstrating what makes Endeavor unique. If you would like to be a part of Community Engagement Day, please ask your child or contact Mrs. Mueller for an invitation. mailto:muellerj@mywusd.org

Seminars are opportunities for students to be able to earn credit in a teacher-directed or student-directed environment! They usually last 2-3 weeks depending on the topic and the advisor. Students choose seminars based on their interests and credit goals. Seminars are completely optional. Recent seminars include:

• Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare - Mrs. Mueller

• Let's Vote on That - Mrs. Oswald

• Hip Hop Music - Mr. Martin

• Endeavor Tech Squad - Mr. Harms

• Music Theory and Composition- Mr. Martin

Watch for the second trimester seminar choice list coming out in the third week of November.

Each trimester, students are given the option to choose from 2-3 digital learning courses in science, social studies and Health. Students who are taking Digital Learning classes in Endeavor must be done with those courses by the end of the trimester. Each course has a pacing guide for the student to know where they should be in the course on any given day. Some students take digital learning courses to meet graduation requirements while others take them to explore a new subject area. Digital learning courses are completely optional.

Many Endeavor students choose to meet their math requirements by taking ALEKS math online. Doing math independently can be challenging. That's why every student is part of a math study group in Endeavor. The study groups meet twice a week for 15 minutes to review their learning and ask questions of their peers. Staying on pace in ALEKS is key to successfully completing the course by the end of the year. The ALEKS math pacing chart helps students and parents know where they should be at the end of every month.

According to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics, skills like adaptability, creativity, innovation, leadership, problem solving, and decision making are all essential skills in a wide variety of careers. Sound familiar? Students in Endeavor work on these skills every day in their personalized learning time, their project based learning and their collaboration with other students.

What does it take to meet goals? Endeavor students work on this every week by setting their weekly academic and personal goals. Then, they make plans to ensure those goals are met. At the end of the week, students write weekly reflection journals reviewing how things have gone and what they need to do to be successful the following week.

While Endeavor is a largely project-based learning environment, there is much more to be done in order to learn. Here are all the ways a student can earn credit in Endeavor:

1. Doing projects in Endeavor

2. Doing seminars in Endeavor

3. Doing online coursework in Endeavor

4. Taking courses in Watertown High School

It's hard to believe, but Endeavor will soon be accepting applications for the 2025-26 school year. Word of mouth is our best advertising, and you are our best ambassadors. Know someone who might be interested in taking control of their own learning? We offer private tours and individual family orientation meetings for those who are interested. We will also be offering family open house nights this winter. Applications can be found at https://www.endeavorcharterschool.org. Students in Endeavor this year do not need to reapply.

Pacing Guide- A document created by each Endeavor student and their advisor to plan and track their learning experiences for each month in a trimester. Parents see and sign the pacing guide at the beginning of each trimester. They also see the progress made on the pacing guide at the midpoint of the trimester during the student led conference. See a sample pacing guide.

Personalized Learning Plan- Imagine having a place with all your best work from high school. A place where you show off what matters to you and who you want to be in the future. A place where you track your goals and progress toward those goals. Each student in Endeavor creates their own Personalized Learning Plan in the form of a personal website. Each trimester, students use Endeavor hour to build and update their PLPs. This digital portfolio can then be reflected on and shared. Students will earn credit for the work they put into their PLP at the end of every trimester. Ask your child to see their PLP.