eCampus Academy
News and Notes - November 2023
Innovative Online, Blended and Real-World Learning
A Note From Principal Bull ๐
The windows at my home are all closed. I now spend time every weekend raking leaves. I have put away my shorts and t-shirts in exchange for pants and sweatshirts. Fall is upon us. Fall is a wonderful time of year. A time to recognize the change of seasons, a time to bask in the warmth of the sun, but still able to enjoy a little chill in the air. Fall is a time to enjoy the colorful leaves, a time to get our homes, our families, and ourselves ready for the end of the year. During the fun of Fall let us not forget to continue to develop and maintain the learning routines that have been established throughout the start of the year. The routines of deeply engaging in learning, connecting with teachers and classmates, and reflecting on our journey as a learner are imperative throughout the year, yet the changing seasons provide a natural reminder for a check on our learning routines.
As you reflect on your established learning routines please consider the routines that are working really well and those that may need to be revisited and or revised. I would encourage the continuation of the routines that are supporting learning successfully while thinking and planning for changing the routines that are not supporting learning as well as you would expect. This process of reflection, evaluation and change throughout the year will provide every opportunity for learning, growing, failing forward and celebrating success.
Please enJOY all the fun that this season change brings and connect with any member of the eCampus team for extra support as needed.
In Community -
Jason R. Bull
Upcoming Dates with No School
October 26th - No School - Staff Development Day
October 27th - No School
November 20th - No School - Thanksgiving Break
November 21st - No School - Thanksgiving Break
November 22nd - No School - Thanksgiving Break
November 23rd - No School - Thanksgiving Break
November 24th - No School - Thanksgiving Break
Tis' the Season to be Thankful
Think back to those early years of school and the impact your teacher had in your educational journey. Experiences and educators we encountered in our schooling have a lasting impact in our memories. We are thankful for our staff's dedication and passion they have for teaching and making a difference in our students lives. Read some of our eCampus staff's most memorable moments from Kindergarten.
Alexis Hail: Rest Time- The teacher would pick someone to be the "wake up fairy" and you were to tap kids on the shoulder with the wand to wake them up.
Erin DeBoth: When I was in Kindergarten, I made a kaleidoscope out of a toilet paper tube, clear cellophane and some colorful paper for show and tell. My friends liked it so much that they asked me to make some for them.
Julie Pasbrig: The gift of a simple reward is one of my favorite memories from Kindergarten. When they felt they were ready, each student went to visit the principal of the school to say the alphabet. The principal would reward the student with a pencil that had the school name on it when they were able to say it correctly. It seems so basic, but it is something I remember because I was so proud of earning my pencil.
Cathy Houchin: I volunteered to take the class fish home for winter vacation. After a few days it died and so we bought a new fish. I didn't volunteer to take any classroom pets home again.
Keisha Logan: In Kindergarten we made little boxes out of cartons for St Patrick's day, when we left the room and came back there were little footprints on the floor as if someone came while were gone.
Jason Bull: The most memorable moments are rooted in the celebrations for milestones of learning that were regularly held for all classmates. For example, I still have the teacher made necklace I received for learning and writing all the letters of the alphabet
Angel Vander Steeg: Standing in line to wash hands so that we could sit in a circle and hold the baby chicks that were brought in.
Elementary News ๐
Morning Meetings
These meetings are run all throughout the school year for students to connect with teachers and peers!
Every Monday - 4K and Kindergarten Morning Meeting at 9am Link Here
Every Monday - 1st through 2nd Morning Meeting at 10am Link Here
Every Wednesday (No Morning Meetings on November 1st, 8th, or 15th)- 3rd and Up Morning Meeting at 10am Link Here
November Academic Groups! (prior sign up required)
Jolly Phonics Group - Running Mondays and Wednesdays at 1pm- Zoom Link Here
Handwriting Without Tears Group - Running Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1pm- Zoom Link Here
November Events ๐๏ธ
November 1st - NO Morning Meeting for 3rd - 5th Grade
November 8th - NO Morning Meeting for 3rd -5th Grade
November 15th - Cards for Veterans Due to the eCampus Office (111 Dodge Street, Watertown)
November 15th - NO Morning Meeting for 3rd - 5th Grade
November 16th- The Snowglobe Family Read Aloud (Zoom Link Here) and Glowforge Activity (survey due by 11/28)
November 17th- Complete survey here if you are interested in ZONES of Regulation Group- information sent on 11/6
November 17th- Scholastic Book Orders Due (if desired)
November 20th-24th - Thanksgiving Break - NO SCHOOL
November 27th- Pizza Hut Reading Logs Due (for those who participated)
November 28th- The Snowglobe Family Ornament Survey Due
November 29th - Morning Meeting Resumes for 3rd - 5th Grades
December 1st - November Artifacts are Due (Timberdoodle families only)
December 4th- Designs for The Snowglobe Family Ornaments due
December 7th- The Gingerbread Man Robot Storytelling + Cookie Decorating (email sent on 12/1)
Upcoming Social Emotional Group
Mrs. Hail is going to be hosting a group on ZOOM, once a week (day and time will be determined from participants in the survey) to work on emotional regulation strategies using the ZONES of Regulation curriculum. Each session will be around 30 minutes. All materials will be supplied to you. This is for learners 4K through 5th grade!
ZONES of Regulation- The ZONES of regulation is a curriculum focused on associating a color with an emotion. Together we will learn the color associations, learn new words for big/small emotional feelings, learn new strategies on how to regulate our emotions, and play with the materials/manipulatives that are included in the materials packet.
If this is something that you think your learner may be interested in, please fill out the survey here. The survey needs to be completed by November 17th.
Field Trips
Thank you so much for everyone who has been attending our Field Trips both in person and virtual this year! If you or your family have an idea for a fieldtrip, connection to a local establishment, or want to showcase a hobby that your family does together, we would love to hear it!
-Mrs. Hail
Please Note! ๐ถ
Mrs. Retzlaff is on maternity leave until after Christmas Break. An email will be sent prior to her absence that includes who to reach out to with any questions or needs during her time off. Mrs. Houchin will run her morning meetings starting again on November 29th.
Mrs. Houchin offers a variety of different opportunities that can be found here. Use the link at the bottom of her schedule to access all of these free activities!
High School Notes ๐๏ธ
Senior Pictures in Yearbook
Attention seniors: If you havenโt already submitted your senior picture for the yearbook, the deadline is quickly approaching. The senior photo should be a headshot with no hands in the photo. All senior pictures must be uploaded to the Herff-Jones website: www.hjeshare.com using the school code 825.
WHS Parking Permits for Grades 9-12
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 driverโs 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.
๐College Events ๐
UW Madison School of Pharmacy Preview Day
PharmD Preview Day
November 4, 2023
Experience the UWโMadison School of Pharmacy firsthand at PharmD Preview Day! This in-person event is the perfect opportunity for aspiring pharmacists to get an in-depth look at pharmacy school, engage in small-group tours led by current PharmD students, and meet our Admissions team. You will also learn about the PharmD application process, connect with pharmacy students and practicing pharmacists for valuable perspectives, and more!
Saturday, November 4
8:30 am - 12:30 pm CST
In-person: at Rennebohm Hall
This event is free to attend, and registration is required for each attendee. For groups or families, please register each attendee under a separate email address.
Click below to register, find out more information, or view the day's agenda.
Milwaukee NACAC Virtual College Fair
Attend a National College Fair virtually and explore your options. You will be able to enter a virtual lobby and visit a college or university's virtual booth.
November 12, 2023
12pm - 5pm
See a list of participating colleges below.
WHS is Hosting a Veterans Day Ceremony
All Veterans are invited to join at the Watertown High School on 825 Endeavor Drive for a light breakfast and Veterans Day Ceremony. Please see the invitation below for more information on how to R.S.V.P.
Friday, November 10, 2023
8:30 - 10 am
Career and Accelerated Degree Pathways
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.
Helpful tips and reminders for accessing Schools PLP
Since 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.
We Want to Hear From You!
In our ongoing effort to assess our efforts as a school, we're offering our families an opportunity to share their feedback so that we may reflect on what's working and on those areas where we can grow and learn in eCampus. If you would, please take a moment to complete the brief feedback questionnaire that's linked below. We definitely value your input as partners in the teaching and learning of our eCampus students! Thank you!
Contact Information
Email: info@ecampusacademy.org
Website: ecampusacademy.org
Location: 111 Dodge Street, Watertown, WI, USA
Phone: (920) 262-1420