It is my honor and pleasure to welcome you to another school year. My name is Jason Bull. I have recently joined the Watertown Unified School District [WUSD] as the Director of Innovation, Strategy, Data and Teachnology. As part of this role, I will be supporting learning and teaching through eCampus as the principal. I am excited to join the eCampus community, district and community of Watertown and I am looking forward to supporting all members of our learning community as a way to meet students where they are at and moving them further down their personalized learning pathway.

I recently found the below list of Habits of Successful Online Students and wanted to share with you. Thank you for supporting your learner/s with these habits.

Written Communication

Be able to communicate through writing. In the Virtual Classroom, much communication is written, so it is critical that students feel comfortable in expressing themselves in writing.

Support Yourself

Be self-motivated and self-disciplined. With the freedom and flexibility of the online environment comes responsibility. The online process takes a real commitment and discipline to keep up with the flow of the process.

Speak Up

Be willing to “speak up” if problems arise. Many of the non-verbal communication mechanisms that instructors use in determining whether students are having problems (confusion, frustration, boredom, absence, etc.) are not possible in the online paradigm. If a student is experiencing difficulty on any level (either with the technology or with the course content), they must communicate this immediately. Otherwise the instructor will never know what is wrong.

Commit Time

Be willing and able to commit to 4 to 15 hours per week per course. Online is not easier than the traditional educational process. In fact, many students will say it requires much more time and commitment.

Meet Requirements

Be able to meet the minimum requirements for the program. The requirements for online are no less than that of any other quality educational program. The successful student will view online as a convenient way to receive their education – not an easier way.

Accept Crucial Skills

Accept critical thinking and decision making as part of the learning process. The learning process requires the student to make decisions based on facts as well as experience. Assimilating information and executing the right decisions requires critical thought; case analysis does this very effectively.

Think Through Ideas

Be able to think ideas through before responding. Meaningful and quality input into the virtual classroom is an essential part of the learning process. Time is given in the process to allow for the careful consideration of responses. The testing and challenging of ideas is encouraged; you will not always be right, just be prepared to accept a challenge.

Embrace Online Learning

Embrace that high quality learning can take place without going to a traditional classroom. An online student is expected to:

• Participate in the virtual classroom 5-7 days a week

• Be able to work with others in completing projects

• Be able to use the technology properly

• Be able to meet the minimum standards as set forth by the district

• Be able to complete assignments on time

• Enjoy communicating in writing

Once again, it is an honor and pleasure to be a part of the eCampus community and I am looking forward to a successful year for students, families and staff. Please feel free to connect with me at any time throughout the course of the year. Email will be the best venue for initial connection at bullj@mywusd.org.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. - Will Durant based on Aristotle’s teachings

In Community -

Jason R. Bull

Join us on a State Capitol tour on October 3rd. Transportation for this field trip will be provided leaving from the eCampus office (111 Dodge Street, Watertown WI).

Please fill out the survey here to RSVP by Friday Sept. 29th.

Who: 4K through 12th grade eCampus Academy students and families

When:

Departing: October 3rd, Meet NO LATER than 8:30am at 111 Dodge Street, Watertown

Returning: October 3rd, 1:30pm at 111 Dodge Street, Watertown

Cost: $0.00

What to bring:

1. Lunch: Bring your own bagged lunch. No coolers will be provided.

2. Dress appropriately for the weather. Depending on the weather, we may be eating outside. Wear comfortable walking shoes.

3. Bring your own water bottle.

Anticipated Agenda:

8:30-8:45am Students and families arrive to eCampus Office to get nametag, Load Bus

8:45am Leave the bus

9:45am Arrive in Madison at Capitol

10:00am Tour starts

11:00am Tour finishes

11:00-11:30am Lunch (either inside or outside depending on the weather)

11:30-12:30 Wisconsin Veterans Museum (we will walk to this location)

12:30pm Load Bus

1:30pm Arrive back to Watertown

These optional meetings are run all throughout the school year for students to connect with teachers and peers!

Every Monday starting September 18 - 4K and Kindergarten Morning Meeting at 9am Link Here

Every Monday starting September 18 - 1st through 2nd Morning Meeting at 10am Link Here

Every Wednesday starting September 20 - 3rd and Up Morning Meeting at 10am Link Here

October 2nd - Timberdoodle September Artifacts are Due

October 3rd - In Person Field Trip to The Capitol in Madison

October 9th - In Person Field Trip to Ebert’s Greenhouse Village (more details to come)

Jolly Phonics will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays starting October 2nd through November 6th. Fill Out Survey Here if Interested

Handwriting Without Tears will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting October 3rd through November 7th. Fill Out Survey Here if Interested

3rd-5th Grade Book Club - Starting the week of 10/2 - Fill Out Survey Here if Interested

3rd-5th Grade Basics of Writing - Starting the week of 10/2 - Fill Out Survey Here if Interested

For more details regarding these groups, please check your email that was sent on 9/18/2023.

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.

Monday, October 2, 2023

Watertown High School will host a College and Career Planning Night, on Monday, October 2nd, from 5:45pm-8:00pm. Junior and senior year is a critical time for developing your plan after High School. College and Career Planning Night is an opportunity to explore your options. Plan to attend with a parent/guardian.

College and Career Planning Night includes informative sessions on:

- The Free Application for Federal Student Aid(FAFSA)

- University of Wisconsin Schools and admissions

- Madison College and the Wisconsin Technical College System

- Information on Wisconsin's Private Colleges and Universities

- UW Whitewater and UW Whitewater at Rock County

- Apprenticeship opportunities after graduation

- Youth Apprenticeship opportunities while in high school

- US Military- Information from the US Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Airforce and National Guard

An agenda and session descriptions are attached to this newsletter.

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.

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

Logging in to SchoolsPLP

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.

Parent Log-in

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!

eCampus Academy - Feedback Questionnaire

Email: info@ecampusacademy.org
Website: ecampusacademy.org
Location: 111 Dodge Street, Watertown, WI, USA
Phone: (920) 262-1420

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