TLA Times 3/24/23

Translation is available in other languages - click on Translate Newsletter

Traducción al español está disponible si presiona la palabra Translate Newsletter

Hello TLA Families!

We hope your weekend is off to a GREAT start. This week was a busy week focusing on all three pillars: Academic Rigor, Character Development, and Career Exploration. Read through this edition to learn all about the amazing things we accomplished this week at TLA.

Here's what's on the docket for next week.

• 3rd-8th grade Forward testing in Math and ELA - Monday through Friday 8:30 - 10:30 am
• Parent Teacher Conferences and the Book Fair - Thursday and Friday
• No school for scholars - Friday

More information about each component below.

Now, let's go be great.

Tavi Riddle - Principal, K4-5th

Priscilla El-Amin - Principal, 6th - 12th

Third quarter conferences are by teacher or parent request. Teachers will discuss academic strategies and strategies to be used at home to encourage continued growth. Emails were sent to all parents for any scholar required to attend a mandatory conference. Conferences are mandatory for the scholars that meet any of the below criteria.

• D or F in a class in Middle School and High School
• 1 or 2 in Elementary School ELA in Fluency or Foundational Skills and for Math in Fluency or Assessments
• 2 or more infractions
• Reading Corps
• Less than 90% attendance

Conferences will be Thursday, March 30th, 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm, and Friday, March 31st, 8:00-12:00.

Use the Skyward Conference Scheduler option in Family Access-see attachment below.

Hello TLA Families! Did you know that charter schools receive less per student funding from the state than traditional public schools? Each child receives thousands of dollars less than a child in a traditional public school. Charter schools always have to spend time fundraising to make up the financial gap. Now is the time to talk with your state legislators to share your concerns. The Joint Finance Committee will be hearing public testimony regarding the state budget in Waukesha on April 5th. If you are willing to speak up and share your stories about why you think the scholars at The Lincoln Academy are deserving of equal funding, please reach out to one of our TLA parents, Laura Grube - laura.grube@gmail.com. We thank you for your support!

Kristi

Thank you to all the parents who joined us this past Tuesday. We had a great time working together and packing test goodie bags for scholars. Please note the time and date change below:

• Our next PLC meeting will take place Tuesday, April 25th from 8:00 - 9:00 am. Parents will have the opportunity to observe our morning assembly and dive into some planning and preparation.

PLC is open to all TLA parents. If you are interested in a more hands-on opportunity to support TLA, join us next month.

The Literati Book Fair is coming to TLA! Visit us in the gym during parent/teacher conferences. We will be open on Thursday evening, March 30th from 4:30 - 7:30 and on Friday morning, March 31st from 8:00 - 11:45. Cash and credit will be accepted. If you prefer, early shopping is available online now by visiting our companion fair, which includes a wider range of titles. Ask about joining the monthly book club and help teachers build their classroom libraries with gift cards. We look forward to seeing you!

Make48 is returning to Beloit, Wisconsin this year with their 48-hour invention competition. Last year the event surpassed all expectations and The Lincoln Academy will once again host the 2023 event. Teams will build a prototype for the challenge with a new set of participants. The competition is set to take place August 11-13, 2023. Applications are now open.

Competitors will be able to participate in the unique maker competition, which helps participants discover what is possible in just 48 hours. Teams will have access to The Lincoln Academy’s technology & engineering center with a makerspace full of equipment and tools to fabricate their ideas. With a group of Tool Techs and mentors to assist them, teams will collaborate and bring their idea to fruition in just 2 days. The winning team will win $2k and advance to compete at the national competition, slated for November 2023.

Details about the event can be found at https://www.make48.com/beloit

Today Officers Henderson and Cornell from the Beloit Police Department visited TLA to talk with scholars about making good choices and various topics that have immediate and long lasting impact. We were fortunate to be able to reschedule these sessions that were announced earlier this quarter. Today scholars learned:

• Laws are the state and country's expectations and with all expectations there are consequences.
• Many behaviors that can sometimes seem insignificant to scholars can be misdemeanors and even felony crimes. In particular: bullying/harassments, inappropriate use of social media, vandalism, fighting/disorderly conduct, sharing inappropriate content, possessing and using vape pens and other illegal substances.

We continue to move towards becoming the premier charter school in the state and are very fortunate to partner with the Beloit Police Department to educate our scholars and ourselves.

Today scholars who modeled good character during quarter three celebrated with Bingo. Scholars one some great prizes, shared lots of laughs, and celebrated one another.

The criteria for participation included:

2 or fewer infractions

0 suspensions

***Scholars with egregious attendance were not able to participate.

Check out some of our winners below.

Biology class has been studying bacteria this past week. The scholars made observations, gathered the data, and wrote conclusions. They enjoyed contemplating the possible reasons for their findings.

This week our 8th grade scholars and sophomores took the Forward Social Studies and Science Exams. Sophomores are completed with the Forward Exam. 8th grade testing continues this week.

3rd -8th Grade Scholars Test from 8:30-10:30 This Week

• Monday, March 27 - Math
• Tuesday, March 28 - Math
• Wednesday, March 29 - ELA
• Thursday, March 30 - ELA
• Friday, March 31 - Makeups

This week, scholars interested in healthcare, took a field trip to Beloit Health Systems. During our visit scholars were given a tour of the hospital and had the opportunity to talk to staff that work there in different departments.

Middle school scholars in Makeup Artistry Exploratory wrapped up quarter 3 with a Makeup Showcase. A few lucky staff members enjoyed being pampered by the scholars. Check out the makeup skills they have gain in just one quarter.

So what is “truancy” anyway?

Did you know that the State of Wisconsin defines “habitual truancy” as being absent from school without an acceptable excuse for part or all of 5 days in a semester? As a reminder, any scholar who is absent for 3 or more consecutive days for illness is required to provide a doctor’s excuse upon return. Unexcused days can add up quickly, so please be sure to report any absences for your scholar(s) by 8:00am via the following:

• School Attendance Line: (608) 690-5165

• attendance@tlabeloit.com

Your child’s presence at school helps to set them up for success. If you have questions or concerns about your child’s attendance, we are here to help! Please reach out to the School Social Worker, Mrs. Nitz, at (608) 690-5158 or jennifer.nitz@tlabeloit.com

Attendance Goal - 95%

Year To Date - 92.72%

Weekly % - 93.12%

Hello TLA Families,

Spring sports for the high school scholars began on Monday, March 20th. Middle school spring sports and soccer club begin the week of April 17th. If you are still interested in joining a track and field, baseball or softball, it’s not too late. Email Athletic Director Mr. Clothier to get signed up.

Soccer club has reached the roster limit for both the 1st-3rd grade and 6-10th grade teams. Additional scholars will be placed on the waitlist. Mr. Clothier will reach out to families on the waitlist if a spot becomes available.

Sport Specific Information:

• Baseball

• Who: 6 - 10th grade scholars

• Where: Practice and Home Games will be held at Leeson’s Park

• Address: 2200 Milwaukee Road - Beloit, WI 53511

• Coaches

• Head Coach - Coach Cieplewski email: robert.cieplewski@tlabeloit.com

• Assistant Coach: Coach Davie email: shane.davie@tlabeloit.com

• When

• Grades 9 and 10 start March 20th and end May 25th.

• Grades 6 - 8 start April 17th and end May 25th.

• Softball

• Who: Any 6 - 10th grade scholars

• Where: Practice and Home Games will be held at Leeson’s Park

• Address: 2200 Milwaukee Road - Beloit, WI 53511

• Coaches

• Head Coach - Coach Swanson email: brianne.swanson@tlabeloit.com

• Assistant Coach: Coach Cole email: hanna.cole@tlabeloit.com

• When

• Grades 9 and 10 start March 20th and end May 25th.

• Grades 6 - 8 start April 17th and end May 25th.

• Track and Field

• Who: 6 - 10th grade scholars

• Where: Practice and Home Games will be held at and around The Lincoln Academy campus.

• Coaches:Head Coach - Flor Finley email: flor.finley@tlabeloit.com

• When

• Grades 9th and 10th start March 20th and end May 25th.

• Grades 6 - 8 start April 17th and end May 25th.

• Soccer Club

• Sign Up - Email Mr. Clothier the name of the scholar sport and grade.

• Who: 1st -3rd Grade and 6- 10th grade scholars

• There is limit of 22 athletes for 1st-3rd grade and 22 athletes for 6-10th grade

• Where: Practice and Home Games will be held at Telfer Park

• Address: 2101 Cranston Rd, Beloit, WI 53511

• When: April 19th - May 24th.

• Grades 6-10 meet every Wednesday 4:30 - 6:00

• Grades 1-3 meet every Friday 4:30 - 5:30

• Coaches:

• Coach Aceves email: cesar.aceves@tlabeloit.com

• Coach Perez email: ivan.perez@tlabeloit.com

All athletic schedules are available at TLA Athletic Schedules. You can also download the rschooltoday “Activity Scheduler” to get notifications and updates for each team.

Quarter 4 clubs will begin the week of April 3rd. To sign-up, scholars will report to the club room the first day it is scheduled. Scholars must be eligible to participate and bring the $10 fee for the quarter. Scholars are ineligible to participate in a club if they fall into any of the categories below for the previous quarter:

• Two or more F’s or a GPA less than 2.0

• Two or more Unexcused absences

• Two or more school suspensions

Our very first primary club has launched. Here are some photos from week one and two. Scholars are exploring, creating, and sharing while interacting with engineering and science activities from PBS KIDS!

Badger Precollege invites scholars to the UW–Madison campus for summer 2023. They offer a variety of programs designed to help scholars:

• Gain insight into university-level academics, explore research labs and makerspaces, and learn skills for college success
• Develop your independence, learn how to navigate a college campus, and build resilience and autonomy
• Build a community of instructors and mentors who can support your academic and career endeavors
• Meet new friends from around the world

All high school scholars are invited to apply. Scholarships are available. Explore all the high school programs here.

Beloit College is offering an intensive foreign language summer program open to rising high school juniors. Scholars would be a part of a community with students from around the country learning a different language such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Russian. For more information click here.

Anthony Swindell, Director of gBETA Beloit came to The Lincoln Academy this week to talk to high school scholars about the gALPHA Spring program. Scholars have the opportunity to participate in the program at school. gALPHA is a free, four-week venture-creation workshop designed to help entrepreneurially minded youth and technologists create high-growth startups. Get product ideas, mentorship, and one-one coaching to develop a high-growth startup company. Following the program will be a pitch competition for a cash prize of $1750 for all participants of gALPHA.

March

Career Focus - Healthcare (3/1)

• 3/27 - 4/28 - Character Virtue - PERSEVERANCE
  
• 3/30 - Parent/Teacher Conferences & Book Fair
• 3/31 - Parent/Teacher Conferences & Book Fair
• 3/31 - NO SCHOLAR ATTENDANCE

April

Career Focus - Hospitality

• 4/4 - Primary Awards Ceremonies
• 4/5 - Middle School and High School Awards Ceremonies
• 4/6 - Dress Down Day
• 4/7 - NO SCHOOL
• 4/10 - 4/14 -NO SCHOOL - Spring Break
• 4/24 - Progress Reports Sent Home
• 4/25 - PLC Meeting (8:00 - 9:00 am)
• 4/26 - Primary Spring Sing
• 4/28 - Middle & High School Spring Production