eCampus Academy
News and Notes - March 2022
Innovative Online, Blended and Real-World Learning
eCampus Staff Spotlight
eCampus Academy has many staff members that work hard to support our students. Since we are a virtual school, many of our eCampus families may not have met our staff in person. So, we felt it was time to start spotlighting our wonderful staff.
Our first staff spotlight is on Alexis Hail. Mrs. Hail is our 4K through Grade 2 teacher. She came to eCampus from Douglas Elementary and has been with us since the 2020-21 school year. She has worked for the Watertown Unified School District for over 5 years.
Where are you from and where did you grow up?
I actually moved around a lot as a child. I was born in Wisconsin, moved to Texas, moved to Maryland (by Washington D.C), and then back to Wisconsin!
When did you realize you wanted to become a teacher?
I realized I wanted to be a teacher ever since I was a little girl. My Grandma was a teacher at the high school I attended, and my Mom was Kindergarten teacher. They were my role models.
What do you find most rewarding about your job?
I love seeing my friends join me for morning meeting with an excitement to learn for the day!
What is the last book you read?
The book called, Wonder. Hopefully all my friends will be reading it with me during the month of April!
What is your favorite thing to do?
I enjoy attending my older son’s football games, swimming lessons with my 1 year old, and gardening as a family.
Describe yourself in 3 words
Energetic, caring, and dedicated
Elementary Classroom Updates from Mrs. Hail and Mrs. Retzlaff
Heritage Honeybee Farm Field Trip
Thank you to all the students who attended the field trip to Heritage Honeybee Farm in Sullivan. We learned so much from Priscilla, a fellow homeschooled student, about bee keeping!
Wonder Book Study
We are so excited to start reading the book, Wonder, all of April with you! Our 4K and Kindergarten students are going to be reading, We’re All Wonders. If you have any questions, please check your email from 3/14/2022. Check out the book trailer here!
Learning Sight Words
Learning sight words can be so much fun! This student made sight word flashcards and plays games with them for quicker recall. This helps with both reading and writing skills.
Elementary Housekeeping
Spring Break is March 25th through April 3rd. Please note there will be no Zoom meetings this week.
Stay tuned for our upcoming Field Trip (April 22nd) with a local woodworker who is going to walk us through the steps to create a bird house for Earth Day! We ask that you fill out the survey here by April 4th to reserve your spot.
Don’t forget about morning meetings!
4K and Kindergarten- Monday’s at 9am
1st and 2nd Grade- Tuesday’s at 10am
3rd through 5th Grade- Wednesday’s at 10am
Wisconsin Forward Exam
Wisconsin students in grades 3-8 and 10 will participate in the Wisconsin Forward Exam as part of the Wisconsin School Accountability System. The Forward Exam measures the knowledge and skills students should have acquired in English, mathematics, social studies, and science at their grade level. Grades 3 and 5-7 will be assessed in English language arts and math; Grades 4 and 8, English language arts, math, social studies, and science; and Grade 10, social studies only. High School students will take the ACT Aspire in grades 9-10 covering additional subjects on April 14th at Watertown High School. Information about the Aspire exam will come from Katie Pirkel, WUSD test coordinator for the Aspire exam and administrative assistant at Watertown High School.
The testing window for the Wisconsin Forward Exam is March 21 to April 29, 2022. Students are not allowed to take the exam remotely, so all testing will be onsite, even for our students in far away places throughout the state. We will have a formal testing environment set up at the eCampus location- 111 Dodge Street in Watertown for our eCampus students.
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's Information for Families
If families choose to opt out of the exam, please send a brief notification to Lynn Linskens via email at linskensl@watertown.k12.wi.us or USPS mail to: eCampus Academy, 111 Dodge Street, Watertown, WI 53094.
Yearbook Orders
If you are in grades 9-12 and would like to order a yearbook for the 2021-22 school year, please go to Yearbookordercenter.com. The order number is 3818. The deadline to order a yearbook is in April. If you wish to not have your picture in the yearbook contact Lynn Linskens.
We Want to Hear From You!
Helpful tips and reminders for accessing Schools PLP
Because we continue to have new families each month, we'll continue to share videos and information that might be useful at anytime throughout the year. Returning students are familiar with the SchoolsPLP learning platform, but we encourage everyone to watch these short videos created by our own lead teacher, Tracy Poches, as a refresher. Who knows, you might learn something new.
Welcome to eCampus
Understanding SchoolsPLP Overview
Navigating an online course in SchoolsPLP
Parents are able to login to SchoolsPLP to check grades and see if their student is on pace. The short video below will show you how to do this. You will need your student's ID and school password to login. If you need login information, please call or email Keisha Logan.
Career and Accelerated Degree Pathways
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. Contact Dave Vitale with questions and/or visit our pathways page.
Contact Information
Email: info@ecampusacademy.org
Website: ecampusacademy.org
Location: 111 Dodge Street, Watertown, WI, USA
Phone: (920) 262-1420