eCampus Academy Update Dec 2024

Jason Bull

As part of our ongoing commitment to tradition, innovation, and transformation, the eCampus charter contract will undergo a review and revision process throughout the 2024/25 school year in preparation for consideration by both the eCampus Governance Board and the WUSD Board of Education. In order to gather valuable insights from our community, we are hosting a focus group session for parents and students connected to eCampus.

This is an opportunity to share what is working well and identify areas for improvement. Your insights will directly impact the next iteration of the eCampus contract. The session will be held on January 20, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Watertown Public Library. This face-to-face gathering will ensure a collaborative and productive discussion. We kindly ask that you RSVP using the form linked below. As a way to support our planning please RSVP no later than December 19, 2024. We look forward to your participation as we continue to shape the future of eCampus together!

Thank you and #wegotthis

We are excited to inform you that our district will be piloting the use of aimswebPlus, an early literacy screener, from October 28, 2024, through November 22, 2024. This tool helps us identify students’ foundational literacy skills early on, enabling us to tailor instruction to meet their unique needs.

Literacy is the foundation of all learning, and early identification of literacy strengths and areas for growth is key to ensuring every student thrives. By screening students early, we can provide targeted support where it is most needed. AimswebPlus is a research-based assessment that provides insight into key areas such as word sounds, vocabulary, and reading fluency. This tool helps us track student progress and make informed decisions about their learning. During our pilot phase, students in grades K-3 will participate in a brief assessment to provide a snapshot of their current literacy skills. Following this pilot, we will use aimswebPlus with all K-3 students during the Winter and Spring assessment windows to monitor progress throughout the year.

We are excited to see the impact of this tool on our students’ literacy growth and appreciate your support as we work together to foster strong literacy skills across all grade levels.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jason Bull (bullj@mywusd.org)

Thank you all for attending the behind-the-scenes tour at American Family Field (Brewers Stadium) on November 14th. See pictures from our trip!

Morning Meetings -

These meetings are run all throughout the school year for students to connect with teachers and peers! The same ZOOM links will be used all year long.

Every Tuesday - 4K and Kindergarten Morning Meeting at 9am Link Here

Every Tuesday - 1st through 3rd Morning Meeting at 9:30am Link Here

Every Monday- 4th and 5th Morning Meeting at 10am Link Here

December Events

December 6- November Artifacts are Due for Timberdoodle Families

December 10- No Meetings - teachers are attending a Technology Conference

December 12- Virtual Polar Bear Field Trip at 10:30am - more details to follow

December 16- Holiday Craft Pick Up Begins for those who signed up

December 19- 4K Learner Stories Due (update learners spreadsheet in google)

December 20- Last day for pick up of holiday crafts for those who signed up

December 20- Half Day

December 22- January 1- NO SCHOOL

January 2- School Resumes

Mrs. Houchin offers a variety of different opportunities that can be found in her weekly email. If you are not receiving her emails, please reach out and let us know. Use the link at the bottom of her schedule to access all of the free activities!

Timberdoodle December Artifacts

Just a reminder that there will be no official due date for December artifacts. We have combined the months of December and January with artifacts due on January 17th. Please be sure to have all artifacts uploaded or Zoom meetings held before this day so that all work can be reflected on the semester one report cards.

4K Learners- December is a recording month, due by December 19th. Please be sure to access your learners milestone document in their Google Drive, and update their skill set. Please mark an “x” with the skill that your learner has mastered. I can’t wait to see the great growth that has happened from the beginning of the year!

SchoolsPLP

Just a reminder that you will continue to have access to your courses over the duration of Holiday Break. Please feel free to use this time to get caught up, work ahead of pace, and or redo assignments for higher grades.

Transition to Google Meet

As you may know, Mrs. Retzlaff and Mrs. Hail have been utilizing the ZOOM platform for our virtual meetings (morning meeting, tutoring sessions, field trips etc…) over the years. However, we are slowly beginning to transition to using Google Meet, as the Watertown Unified School District has purchased licenses. Therefore, we are going to be discontinuing using ZOOM. There should be no additional steps that you will need to take in order to enter the Google Meet platform. Some of the physical features on Google Meet will look different than on ZOOM, so please sit with your learner to discuss this prior to their first session. If you have any questions or issues that arise please reach out to your learners teacher.

We are still looking for members and are excited to be offering the coding club again this year for grades 3-6. Meetings will start in January of 2025. In partnership with Girls Who Code, we will be offering the opportunity to meet once a month and complete coding activities together. Please see the link below for additional information about the club in regards to the who, what, and when. The first meeting will take place for new members to get started and get set up for the year. Returning members can also attend this meeting to confirm they are all set to the start the year with the club. The club's second meeting will encompass the first coding activity. If you have questions feel free to reach out to vandersteega@mywusd.org

We will build something each week and larger projects may span over multiple meetings when game building. Club meetings will last approximately one hour, once a month. Meetings can be attended in person or virtually. In person attendance is recommended. No coding experience required!

Please remember to complete your FSA ID before the FAFSA is available on December 1st. FSA ID is needed for the student and both parents (if applicable). Make sure all the names and addresses are written exactly the same. It will take you 3-4 days to get a FSA ID. In completing the FSA ID it has a two-step verification, in most cases a computer and a phone work best.

Complete the FAFSA early! Here is why:

1. Many federal and state financial aid programs have limited funding and may run out if you apply late.

2. Colleges and universities often have their own deadlines for financial aid applications.

3. If you apply late, you might receive a smaller financial aid package than if you had applied early.

Direct Admit students are required to complete this form if you are considering any of the universities. Create Account and fill in your school email and your personal email.

1. Filling out the form does not mean you are committed to attending any of the universities.

2. Technically, you have until May 1, 2025 to accept or reject any of the universities.

A university can only provide a financial aid award letter if you have filled out the form and completed the FAFSA.

If you have a math class, you are expected to work on it for about an hour every day, 5 days a week. What is the single most important math skill? The ability to consistently work on your math! To encourage daily work, Mrs. Barr hosts math hour Monday - Friday from 10 AM - 11 AM. Join the CLASS app during this time (only Mrs. Barr can see you and/or your screen) and have a time/place to stay on pace with your math and ask questions when you need to (and get help right away!). You will find the link to the CLASS link on your SPLP landing page on your ALEKS class.

We are thrilled to introduce an Honor Roll system that recognizes the hard work and dedication of our high school students. This initiative highlights their academic achievements and serves as a celebration of their commitment to excellence. We look forward to sharing this new tradition with you as we continue to support and inspire our students to reach their full potential!

High School Honor Roll and High Honor Roll will be computed on a trimester basis. Honor Roll will be calculated five business days after the close of each trimester using only final calculated and submitted grades within Skyward. All student work must be submitted by the last day of the grading period to be considered for Honor Roll. A list of Honor Roll students will be posted in the eCampus Newsletter and eCampus Social Media. Students must be enrolled in a minimum of four classes to qualify for Honor Roll and have at least four final grades entered within Skyward.

1. 3.500 and higher: High Honors

2. 3.200– 3.499: Honors

Thank you for choosing eCampus as your educational partner.

Start College Now provides an opportunity for high school students to earn college credit and high school credit at the same time. High school juniors and seniors are eligible to take classes during the Fall and Spring semesters. Tuition and books are paid by the school district. Contact eCampus for more information as deadlines do apply for each semester and can vary by Technical College.

Credits earned can by applied towards a degree at the Technical College and many other Wisconsin colleges.

The ECCP statute allows Wisconsin public and private high school students to take one or more courses at an institution of higher education for high school and/or college credit. Under this section, “institution of higher education” means an institution within the University of Wisconsin System, a tribally controlled college, or a private, nonprofit institution of higher education located in the state. While technical colleges are not eligible institutions under the new program, pupils that have completed 10th grade will continue to have the option to take courses at technical colleges through a separate statute, 38.12(14).

Students MUST submit their ECCP applications (no exceptions) to their school by:

• October 1 for spring courses
• February 1 for summer courses
• March 1 for fall courses

You can request a transcript through Parchment: Click Here for Parchment

If you are seeking an unofficial copy, please contact the eCampus Academy Registrar at vandersteega@mywusd.org

Attention high school-aged eCampus students and families! Did you know that eCampus Academy offers a Career and Accelerated Degree Pathways Program? Students in Grades 10-12 can pursue a Technical Diploma or Associate Degree while enrolled in high school in one of 10 high-demand career areas. These online courses, in cooperation with Wisconsin technical colleges, will also count as high school credit in eCampus. Students in Grades 9-12 who plan to attend a four-year institution may complete up to 30 transferable college credits, putting them on a path to potentially graduate with a Bachelor's degree in three years from a University of Wisconsin System School.

The eCampus Academy Pathways Program saves students time and money while accessing high quality, future-ready learning experiences and professional programs. We're really excited about this opportunity for students.

eCampus students in Grades 9-12 who attend WHS for any face to face classes or go to the digital learning classroom will need a parking pass. All parking information is collected online via Skyward. WHS Parking Permit forms can be found in the Online Forms link in Skyward Family Access.

The following information is requested in the online form: student driver’s license number, car make, model, year, color, current insurance vendor, and policy number. Parents will need to add the parking fee of $50 (which is specific to eCampus students) to the checkout process when completing the registration. The parking fee must be paid in full. After the parking permit form is submitted and paid for, tags can be picked up at the WHS bookkeeper's office.