eCampus Academy Update January 2025

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 January 15, 2025. We look forward to your participation as we continue to shape the future of eCampus together!

Thank you and #wegotthis

Thank you to everyone who ventured out in the snow to attend the holiday STEM party at eCampus. Students, alongside Mrs. Houchin, enjoyed engaging in STEM activities and savoring festive treats. In the image below, students are busy building marshmallow catapults.

Elementary students from eCampus in Watertown, Wisconsin were able to virtually travel in the tundra buggy with Kyle Schutt to see the polar bears. They learned how play is important for them as well as the bears! After watching the virtual field trip they were able to virtually meet Mr. Schutt and ask him questions. They were thrilled to meet him and ask questions.

Morning Meetings -

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

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

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

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

January Events

December 22- January 1- NO SCHOOL

January 2- School Resumes

January 7- Start of Heggerty and AimsWeb Assessments

January 15- Last Day to Sign up for One School One Book Event (email sent on Jan. 2)

January 17- Artifacts due for Timberdoodle Families

January 24- End of the Semester

January 29- Pizza Hut Reading Logs Due (prior sign up required)

January 31- Last Day for pick up of Out of My Mind (prior sign up required)

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!

Looking Ahead- One School, One Book

Sign up now in the survey here to participate in One School, One Book happening in February! One School, One Book is an opportunity for all eCampus families to read a chapter book together, discuss it with peers, participate in weekly trivia for prizes, and celebrate after the book is completed with a movie premier at the eCampus office. This year’s book is Out of My Mind - read more about it here.

Timberdoodle January Artifacts

Just a reminder that the January artifacts are scheduled to be due on January 17th. You can combine December and January learning milestones together, in your learner's Google Drive. If you are wanting to meet with your learners teacher, please be sure to reach out to schedule that prior to January 17th so that all work can be reflected on the 1st semester report card.

4K Learners- January is not a reporting month. However, if you would like to, feel free to upload any information mastered on your learners Google Drive. February will be the next month to report on your learners' milestone progress.

Report Cards- Just a reminder that report cards are accessible on your learners Skyward account as of February 3, 2025. If you are unable to access the report card, or want to receive a paper copy please contact your learners teacher.

Academic Testing Information- As you may have read in past eCampus newsletters beginning this month all 4k through 3rd grade eCampus students will be participating in literacy testing. 4K and Kindergarten will participate in testing called Hagerty and Kindergarten through 3rd grade students will participate in Aimsweb testing. Both of these tests will assess student’s phonics and reading skills. This testing will be a tool to better understand your child as a reader and pinpoint specific areas for instruction. Mrs. Hail will be reaching out to 4K through 2nd grade students/families to schedule the virtual testing required for your child. Mrs. Retzlaff will be reaching out to 3rd grade students/families to schedule Aimsweb virtual testing.

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.

Dear Parent(s)/Caregiver(s):

This letter shares information about how we will learn about your child's reading skills. In Wisconsin, each child in grades 4K-3 will take an assessment called the aimswebPlus early reading screener. A screener is an assessment that quickly checks your child’s reading skills.

What skills will be tested?

The screener will check important literacy skills including alphabet knowledge, letter sound knowledge, phonemic awareness, decoding, and oral vocabulary. The skills are tested differently based on your child’s grade level. Please see the end of this letter for information about these skills.

When will the reading screener take place?

The aimswebPlus early reading screener will take place 1-3 times per year. The screening will take place during the 2024-2025 school year in January and again in April of 2025.

What information will parents/caregivers receive?
You will receive your child’s test results within 15 days after they take the reading screener. The school will give you a report sharing your child’s score and how others score at the same grade level. This comparison is called a percentile rank. We also invite families to fill out this survey about your child’s experiences with reading and writing. Please fill out the survey for each child you have in grades 5K-3.

How will the information be used?

The information from the early reading screener is one way that both yourself and your child’s eCampus teacher will learn about your child's current reading skills. However, the reading screener will not diagnose dyslexia or other disabilities. If your child’s score is below the 25th percentile, an eCampus staff member will complete additional assessments and create a personalized reading plan to help your child meet grade-level goals.

How can I prepare my child for the early reading screener?

No special preparation for aimswebPlus reading screener is needed. Please follow the directions provided by your child’s teachers, on how to sign up for a testing session. An adult should be present with the learner to ensure that they are able to navigate the screen. The testing is quick and should not be a big event for your child.

If you have any questions or need more information about the early reading screener, please contact Jason Bull at bullj@mywusd.org or your child’s eCampus teacher.

In partnership,

Jason Bull

Director of Teachnology, Innovation, Strategy & Data

Watertown Unified School District

111 Dodge St

Watertown, WI 53094

920-262-1460

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!

For those of you, who have already expressed interest. Look for a forthcoming email on how to join this year's club, select your t-shirt size and get this year's swag for joining!

As you are aware, eCampus Academy is participating in the Direct Admit Wisconsin program for the Class of 2026. UW Direct Admit is an opportunity for 11th grade students to be automatically admitted to participating University of Wisconsin system schools free of charge. Direct Admit Wisconsin offers early and proactive admission to participating Universities of Wisconsin for rising seniors at participating Wisconsin high schools.

In order to participate, 11th grade families must log into Skyward Family Access and “opt-in” by Wednesday, April 30, 2025. Directions are attached on how to locate the Direct Admit Wisconsin in Skyward Family Access. If you need help logging in to Skyward and completing this process, please contact Angel Vander Steeg at vandersteega@mywusd.org or call 920.262.1460 x3206 for assistance.

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.