Saturday, May 1, 2021

May 2021



Appleton Area School District’s (AASD) Elementary English Language Arts (ELA) Curriculum is based on Wisconsin’s State Standards.  This month’s Literacy Corner will focus on how parents can support their child with summer reading. 

Say Hello to Summer Reading!

Why Summer Reading?
Summer is a great time for students to relax and recharge.  One great way for them to spend time relaxing is by enjoying great books.  While children often feel that reading is just for school, it is important that they continue to read throughout the summer months to avoid what many call summer slide.  Summer slide refers to the loss of reading skills over the summer months that happens when children don’t continue to practice reading and using the strategies they learned over the course of the school year.

What can you do?
Providing interesting reading material over the summer months will help to keep your child engaged in reading. This can mean reading books, magazines and even online articles.  Keep in mind, it isn’t enough to just provide material, it is also important to match your child with just right text on topics that they will enjoy reading about. Also, talk with your child about what they are reading to promote comprehension and read along with them!


Read alouds for young readers
Max and Ruby - Rosemary Wells
McDuff - Rosemary Wells
Little Bear - Else Homelund Minarik
Elephant and Piggy - Mo Willems
Olivia - Ian Falconer

Grades 1-3
Henry and Mudge - Cynthia Rylant
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle - Betty MacDonald
The Magic Treehouse - Mary Pope Osborne
Ricky Ricotta - Dav Pilkey
Keena Ford - Melissa Thomson
Ivy and Bean - Annie Barrows
Notebook of Doom - Troy Cummings
Owl Diaries -  Rebecca Elliott
Princess Pink - Noah Jones
Fly Guy  - Tedd Arnold

Grades 4-6
I Survived… - Lauren Tarshis
Kidnapped  - Gordon Korman
Hatchet Series - Gary Paulson
Among the Hidden - Margeret P. Haddix
Alvin Ho - Lenore Look

Additional May Newsletter Articles:


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Thursday, April 1, 2021

April 2021

10 Parent-Tested Educational Apps for Students

BY  
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Monday, March 1, 2021

March 2021

Plans for Next School Year

What Is the Process for Letting WCA Know Your Plans for Next Year?
Beginning on March 3, 2021 enrolled families need to indicate their plans for next school year. Caretakers need to check their Enrollment Details area of the Caretaker Home Page on March 3. Please select the Continue button in the Enrollment Details area and follow the directions provided. Step by step instructions on submitting enrollment (or withdrawal) information will appear in the Enrollment Details area of the Caretaker Home Page.


Data View and Timeline
When Caretakers select Continue to indicate their Plans For Next Year  in the Enrollment Details area, they are taken to a Data View, where they will indicate if their decision for returning the following school year is Yes, No, or Undecided.

Caretakers need to complete a separate ITR Data View for each of their students.
If a Caretaker conveys a decision to a teacher over the phone, teachers can record the decision in the student’s end-of-year Data View. Caretakers should make their decision by May 3, 2021.


What Are My Next Steps?
If the decision is YES, Caretakers will need to complete Returning Student Tasks, such as completing online forms and submitting documents if required. These tasks will appear in the Enrollment Details area of the Caretaker Home Page.                        

If the decision is NO, Caretakers will be asked to enter their student’s plans for schooling for the following year and their reason for not returning. If Caretakers would like to change this decision, they must contact the school to change their decision.

If the decision is UNDECIDED, Caretakers will be asked to enter information as to why they are undecided. Upon entering their reason, Caretakers will be asked to complete the Returning Student Tasks as if the decision were YES to help facilitate a family’s return when their decision is finalized.

Where Do I Go for Help?
Before the last day of school, Caretakers are encouraged to reach out to their student’s homeroom teacher with any questions or concerns about the process.

After the last day of school, if a Caretaker wishes to change their decision, they must contact Connections Education at 1-800-382-6010.

We hope that our families choose to continue to learn with us next year!



Additional March Newsletter Articles:



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Monday, February 1, 2021

February 2021

Let Your Voice Be Heard

In January, you should have received an email with regards to our Parent Satisfaction Survey. This email will contain a link to the survey. This is your opportunity to let the school and Connections Academy know what is going well or not so well.  Please take the time to complete the survey. The survey will close on February 26.




Additional February Newsletter Articles:


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Wednesday, January 6, 2021

January 2021

Connecting With Students

Every year the staff looks for ways to improve our school.  One area that the staff wanted to improve on was their connections with all of their students. Since WCA is a virtual school, there is not always the opportunity to connect with the students as in a traditional schooling environment, especially when the students are not part of their homeroom.  This connection is important so that the students feel a part of the school and are comfortable reaching out for help when needed.  Therefore, the teachers are calling every one of their students at least one time per semester.  These calls allow the teachers and students to get to know each other, discuss what is happening in the course, and to offer suggestions and/or  ways they can support the students.  The teachers have received positive feedback with regards to these calls from students and their families.  They do need some help from you on building this connection.  Many times the teachers need to leave messages for their students.  Please encourage your student to call the teacher back or email the teacher a good time to be reached.  
In addition to above, the staff has been working on increase positive communication with WCA families. To date, the staff has sent thousands of positive communications to students and their families. Starting second semester, Mrs. Mueller will be calling families at random to gain insights on what is working well and what areas the school can improve in.

Together, we can make a difference and open the door to a world of possibilities for all of our students at Wisconsin Connections Academy.

Additional January Newsletter Articles:


Principal Message
Meet the Staff
Winter Benchmarking/Screeners: Grades 4K-2+
First Semester Deadlines 
First Semester Report Card
Midyear iReady Assessments: Grades 4-12
No School
Open Enrollment Window
Service Project: Feeding America
WCA Thomas Scullen Memorial Scholarship
WCA eSports Team Update
Community Opportunities for Students
Spring Testing Times/Sites
Let Your Voice Be Heard
Math Resources
Math Peer Tutoring
Club Orange
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Friday, December 4, 2020

WCA First Virtual Field Trip

December 2020

WCA's First Virtual Field Trip


On Thursday, December 10 at 12:00 pm, WCA will have it's First Virtual Field Trip.  We are super excited for you to join us on this online field trip like no other! You will experience an amazing learning opportunity that will give you global access right from your own computer! There will be a live presenter, opportunities to have your own questions answered, interesting educational content for both young and old! 




You Do Not Want To Miss It!


Get ready to experience a presentation from the Dolphin Research Center out of Florida. They have been providing a sanctuary & forever home for creatures since 1984. You will hear about marine mammals and the research that is being done, you will demonstrations and interactions! To learn more about this field trip, go to the message boards by clicking here!

Come and Join the Fun!



We will investigate the many critters of the Florida Keys and the animals
that call Dolphin Research Center their home!





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Monday, November 2, 2020

November 2020

Meet the Staff Through Videos

This school year we have not had the opportunity to have an in-person gathering to meet each other.  The staff has created welcome videos so that you can have an idea of who we are. You can find the videos by going to the virtual library and clicking My School Wisconsin.


 



Additional November Newsletter Articles:



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