We've made it to the halfway point of the year! The staff at VPAW would like to welcome everyone back and hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. We would also like to welcome the new families that have joined after the break and are pleased to introduce our new K-2 teacher, Ms. Sarah Skinner! Ms. Skinner will also be providing academic support for students in grades 6-8.

Welcome, Ms. Skinner! 🎉

Other notable items taking place in the second semester include:

- A fresh new look at course homepages, check them out!

- All Offline time will be recorded in the Homeroom course card moving forward

- March Madness study sessions for Wy-Topp prep begins March 4th

*More Wy-Topp information below

- Parent/teacher conferences: March 22nd (no school for students)

- Spring Break will be March 23-30th

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VPAW Goal 1:

- Evidence of student growth through implementation of i-Ready and/or Mindplay in reading. (top graph, click arrows to enlarge)

VPAW Goal 2:

- Evidence of student growth through implementation of i-Ready and/or Mindplay in math. (bottom graph of the same image)

VPAW Goal 3:

- Student success in every course- Data collection in progress

VPAW Goal 4:

- Student participation in mandatory state testing (grades 3-8):

• WY-TOPP Summative: April 16 – May 10, 2024
• ELA & Mathematics: Grades 3-10
• Science: Grades 4, 8, and 10
• Writing: Grades 3, 5, 7, and 9

VPAW Goal 5:

- Student attendance to live sessions- Data collection in progress

VPAW Goal 6:

- Stakeholder satisfaction with overall experience

* VPAW POSSIP survey results compared to the national average:

VPAW students are always something to celebrate! Bears across all grade levels have shown what the power of hard work will do! We would like to acknowledge that students show progress at different rates and any growth is cause for celebration, we would like to recognize that!

Students that have grown 1 or more grade levels:

Jameson H. - has grown 1 grade level in math so far!

Juliette P. - has grown 1.2 grade levels in reading so far!

Kayliah L. - has grown 1 grade level in math so far!

Alec N. - has grown 1 grade level in reading so far!

Mormon B. - has grown 1 grade level in math so far!

Kalista S. - has grown 1 grade level in reading so far!

Zolarah P. - has grown 1.2 grade levels in reading so far!

More notable growth:

Hali H. - is showing growth in reading!

VPAW students in grades 3-8 will be expected to participate in the Wy-Topp assessment. This test will be administered in person at specified testing sites. Virtual teachers across the state will be working cooperatively to proctor the test. Some sites may not have a VPAW representative present, but the test will still be administered by certified teacher and any IEP accommodations relevant students have will be made available. Testing site information will be announced closer to the testing window. Please reach out to your homeroom teacher if you have any questions.

Wyoming’s Test of Proficiency and Progress (WY-TOPP) is a computer-adaptive assessment system, administered online, and aligned to Wyoming Content and Performance Standards in ELA (English language arts), Mathematics, and Science. WY-TOPP includes Interim, Modular, and Summative assessments administered during a series of test windows scheduled throughout the school year to gauge student progress toward proficiency on grade-level, state standards.

Can parents opt their child(ren) out of required state tests such as WY-TOPP?

No. Opting-out of state tests required by law is not allowed. In the Spring of 2014, WDE requested an opinion from the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office regarding parent opt-outs from state-mandated testing (i.e., WY-ALT, WY-TOPP). The following is part of the Attorney General’s response:

“In summary, the State Board of Education is authorized to establish the statewide accountability system pursuant to state law, including the Wyoming Accountability in Education Act. It has promulgated rules that require districts to administer the relevant assessments to all students in the appropriate grade levels. These requirements are within the authority granted to the board by the legislature. Consequently, districts may not allow students or their parents to opt them out of the assessments provided by law.”

Click the link below to learn more about Wy-Topp.

1/21: Kalista S.

1/26: Luree S.

2/21: Adison H.

2/21: Mrs. Cline

3/15: Alec N.

February 8 - Parenting Speaker Series Class, led by Mrs. Thompson - Link will be sent the day before, 7:30-8:30pm

February 14 - Happy Valentine's Day!

February 16 - House Huddle: Monthly Parent Connection, BigBlueButton in All School Assembly course card, 9:00am

February 23 - Brunch Bunch: Student Social Connection, BigBlueButton in All School Assembly course card, 11:00am

March 4-15 - March Madness- Wy-Topp prep

March 7 - VPAW Parenting Series, led by Mrs. Thompson - Link will be send the day before, 7:30-8:30pm

March 15 - House Huddle: Monthly Parent Connection, BigBlueButton in All School Assembly course card, 9:00am

March 15 - Last day of Quarter 3

March 18 - Quarter 4 begins

March 21 - Brunch Bunch: Student Social Connection, BigBlueButton in All School Assembly course card, 11:00am

March 22 - Parent Teacher Conferences - No school for students

March 23-30 - Spring Break