Hey there, Bear family! Can you believe we’ve made it to the end of the school year? Time really does fly when you're learning, growing, and having fun!

Our final newsletter of the year is jam-packed with all the good stuff: a quick look at how Wy-Topp went, updates on our school goals, shout-outs from our awesome teachers and principals, and some tips to help you slide into summer break like a pro.

So grab a snack, get comfy, and let’s celebrate everything we’ve accomplished together in Quarter 4!

Mrs. Karli Thompson, Principal K-6

Dear Families,

It is hard to believe that we are almost to the end of school year 2024-25. I hope that you might take this time to reflect upon the growth of your students and how far they have come. As you look towards next year you might think about what you want to STOP doing, START doing, and KEEP doing with your school day. This is a strategy our teachers regularly implement into their own reflective practice. Teachers are busy digging into their student data and are eager to celebrate your student’s growth! We will have an all-school assembly that we want to honor students for their academic success. Please watch for details about this from your teachers. Summertime is an important time to let students rejuvenate and play. However, there tends to be a slide in reading if students don’t keep up with this important skill. Please make a plan to attend your local library and join in on their fun summer activities to keep kids reading. You will also still have all our supplemental links within your Canvas dashboard available to you, as long as you have let us know you are returning next year. This includes i-Ready and MindPlay. Both are excellent tools to retain and grow your students in math and reading over the summer. Thank you for allowing us to partner with you in your student’s education this year. We hope to see you back next year as well!

Dr. Kayleen Marble, Principal 7-10

Dear Families,

As we approach the final stretch of the school year, I want to express my gratitude to each of you for your invaluable partnership in helping our students thrive until the end of the year. Our school's foundation is the partnership with families as a key role in student success. We also realize the importance of persistence in achieving success. We encourage you to continue providing your unwavering support, knowing that not only your child's teachers, but also all school staff, are here to assist you every step of the way.

As we wrap up the 2024-2025 school year, please take a moment to look back on all that your student has accomplished this year. Be sure to recognize the growth they have had and the part that you have played in that this year. Take a moment to celebrate and also thank the teachers you work with for their support and guidance. If you have not yet let us know your plans for next year, please let your teacher know ASAP so we can make plans for classrooms. As we look forward to the upcoming year, we are adding 11th grade students and look forward to the collaboration and partnership in the upcoming school year. With that, I would like to wish students, parents & caregivers, and school staff a safe, restful and rewarding summer. Hopefully we will all get the opportunity to spend quality time with family and friends and come back to school with a sense of rejuvenation in the fall.

We’re thrilled to share that we had a 99% completion rate on our end-of-year Wy-Topp assessments—what an incredible achievement for our virtual school! This level of participation speaks volumes about the dedication of our students, families, and staff.

We know that making it to testing sites wasn’t always easy, and we’re so thankful to the families who went the extra mile—literally and figuratively—to make it happen. Your effort ensured that our students had the chance to show what they’ve learned and how much they’ve grown.

These assessments give us important insight into student progress in reading, math, and science. And while they’re just one piece of the puzzle, they help guide our planning and support for next year’s learning goals.

One of the best parts? Our teachers got to meet many of their students face-to-face for the very first time! Wy-Topp is our only in-person requirement of the year, and seeing students in real life was a highlight for staff across the state. 💛

Score reports will be shared soon, but for now—thank you again, and way to go, Bears! 🐾

Our teachers have been busy making noise—in the best way! Check out what each grade level has to share as we wrap up an unforgettable year.

Next week, we will celebrate the end of our amazing school year! You’ve learned so much, made new friends, and worked every single school day since August.

Here’s what you need to know for our final week: ✅ Live sessions will stay the same—no changes to your schedule. ✅All assignments are due by Monday, May 19th— for honor roll grade calculations. However, students can still turn in work until the last day of school.

🌟 Honor Roll Awards 🌟 We have three special honors for students who have shown outstanding effort and achievement:

🐻 Blue Ribbon – This is the highest honor! Earned by getting all As, having great attendance, and showing strong growth on tests like i-Ready and DIBELS.

🐻 Green Ribbon – Awarded for passing all five courses and making improvements on end-of-year tests.

🐻 White Ribbon – Given to students who have shown hard work, improvement, and perseverance.

Honor Roll students will be celebrated at the All-School Assembly on Friday, May 23rd, at 11:30 AZ / 12:30 WY!

We can’t wait to cheer for you! You’re all amazing, and we are so proud of you. Let’s finish the year strong! 🎉

Ms. Skinner

As the school year wraps up, please make sure to check your grades, update any offline time in your offline tracker, and finish up any remaining assignments—it’s your time to shine! Your teacher is so proud of all your hard work and knows you’ll do amazing things in 3rd grade! Keep up the great effort kiddos, let's finish this year strong! -Mrs. Lydic

Third graders are currently reviewing key Math and ELA concepts from earlier in the year. This review is designed to support their transition to fourth grade and help prevent learning loss over the summer. Students have shown great patience and dedication during end-of-year testing, and their growth has been impressive.

4th Grade: This upcoming week, we will continue with our regular homeroom schedule. Our main focus will be on finishing the book, Holes. Additionally, we will work on completing our iReady/Mindplay minutes and fluency flight.

If needed, students will stay in with me to work on any missing assignments to help boost their grades. We will wrap up the week with a viewing of the movie Holes and a fun class party to celebrate our hard work!

ELA: We wrapped up our novel study on Esperanza Rising and are finishing up our informational presentations. Students are showing off their computer skills along with their writing and research skills.

Math: We are wrapping up our final geometry standard on the classification of 2D shapes. Our brains were swimming when we realized there are so many ways to classify a 4-sided figure. Did you know a square is classified as a square, rectangle, rhombus, parallelogram, trapezoid and quadrilateral?

Science: We are wrapping up Unit 3 on space systems. Space is a favorite unit among students, covering gravity, stars, plants and much more.

Social Studies: We are wrapping up our Unit on the Civil War. Students have been learning about slavery, Lincoln’s presidency and the division that lead up to the war. They’ve also learned about the many events and battles during the war itself.

Get those assignments done! Go back over your work and make sure it is done well! The race is almost done, finish strong! YOU GOT THIS!

7th grade: In 7th grade we are finishing our last unit which covers Probability and Sampling. We are finding the chance of something, looking at experimental data, and reviewing statistics having to do with a population. This is a fun and simple unit to end the year with!

8th Grade: In 8th grade we are finishing our last unit on Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers, we are finding different side lengths of right triangles and understanding how to approximate irrational numbers to help us find our solutions. While this is a challenging unit to end with, the students are rocking it!

9th Grade: In Algebra 1 we are wrapping up our unit on Data and Statistics, we have been exploring two way tables, scatterplots, histograms, box plots and many other representations of Data. The students are enjoying the change of pace from functions and working really hard at understanding how to read and understand different data types.

10th Grade: In Geometry we are finishing up our Probability unit. We are working on determining if an event is independent or dependent. What the chance or likelihood of an event happening is and the conditional probability. For our last few lessons we are going to look at two way tables and how we can make predictions using those.

7th Grade ELA - We are wrapping up reading Shakespeare's The Tempest, analyzing the development of plot, character, and theme.

8th Grade ELA - We finished up The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, and began our final unit - Choice Reading: Nonfiction. For this unit students have to select a Nonfiction book and fill out a Reading Log about it. In class we discuss the expectations and goals of this assignments, and are beginning to prepare for the Final Exam.

9th Grade English - Our final unit is about develop arguments using solid reasoning and evidence, as well as the use of counterclaims to undermine counterarguments. Students will submit through discussions both an argument and counterargument about the merits of online school. And then we will be reviewing for the final exam.

10th Grade English - We our finishing up a unit on East Asian Literature, which includes some great selections from Japan and New Zealand. Next week students being writing a narrative essay using excerpts from a Buddhist text that will be used to examine experiences in their own lives.

Our 7th grade science students are wrapping up their unit on Earth’s Resources and Human Impact using the OpenSciEd curriculum. They’ve enjoyed exploring how human activities affect the environment and discussing real-world solutions to conserve natural resources. Students have especially liked investigating topics like water use, pollution, and renewable energy. We’re now completing the final assignments and preparing for the Semester Exam, which is scheduled for May 16th. Families can support their students by encouraging review at home and celebrating their hard work this quarter!

Our 8th grade science students are finishing their unit on Natural Selection and Common Ancestry through the OpenSciEd curriculum. They’ve been exploring how traits are passed on and how species change over time in response to their environments. Students have especially enjoyed using fossil evidence and genetic data to figure out evolutionary relationships. We’re now wrapping up our final assignments and getting ready for the Semester Exam on May 16th. Please encourage your student to review their notes and stay focused as we head into the final stretch!

Our 9th grade students in Physical Science have just finished their final unit on electricity. They enjoyed learning about circuits, current, and how electricity powers the world around us. This week, we’re focused on reviewing key vocabulary and preparing for the Semester Exam on May 16th. Students are encouraged to use their study guides and practice tools to reinforce their understanding. Let’s finish the semester strong!

Our 10th grade Biology students have just wrapped up their final unit on Ecology. They explored how organisms interact with each other and their environments, and enjoyed learning about food webs, ecosystems, and environmental impacts. This week, students are focused on reviewing key concepts and preparing for the Semester Exam on May 16th. Families can support their learners by encouraging regular review and study time. We're proud of their hard work this semester!

7th grade WY: We are wrapping up our final unit on the Phillipinnes. We've been able to cover every continent in the world on our geography studies. We agreed as a class we wish we would have been able to do a fieldtrip around the world.

8th AZ: In our class we're looking at how economics has changed over time in the United States. We're researching different technological advancements that have had a major economic impacts on the country.

In 7AZ/8 WY, 9 and 10 our final unit covers many of the current challenges we face in our country from things like terrorism to problems that arise with technology and the digital age. We covered a lot about war over the year and we talk about how war techniques will look different with advancements in technology.

Academic Goal 1

Academic Goal 2

Academic Goal 3

Engagement

Engagement Goal 1

Engagement Goal 2

Stakeholder Relations

Stakeholder Relations Goal 1

Stakeholder Relations Goal 2

1. Keep a Light Learning Routine
Even 15–20 minutes a day of reading or practice can make a big difference in keeping skills fresh!
📚 Try This: Storyline Online – Celebrities read books aloud with animations. Great for younger learners!
🧠 Bonus: Khan Academy – Free lessons in math, science, and more for K–12.

2. Try a Virtual Museum Tour
No need to leave home—explore the world from your couch!
🖼️ Start Here: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History – Walk through exhibits from home.
🗺️ Also Fun: Google Arts & Culture – Art, history, and hidden treasures from around the globe.

3. Create a Summer Learning Challenge
Make a summer checklist with fun activities like “Write a letter to a friend,” “Learn 5 words in another language,” or “Build a fort and read inside it.”
📝 Make it Easy: PBS Summer Activity Booklet (PDF)

4. Schedule Weekly "Tech-Free" Days
Balance screen time by planning unplugged fun like scavenger hunts, cooking, or drawing.
🎨 Creative Ideas: The OT Toolbox – Great hands-on, sensory-friendly activities for kids of all ages.

5. Prep for a Strong Start in Fall
Review login info, clean up digital files, and set up a cozy workspace before school starts back.
🖥️ Bonus Tip: Create a countdown calendar to get back into a routine gradually.

May:

5/19- Parent Training, 6:30pm

5/23- Last day for students, course cards close at 10:00 pm MST

June:

6/28 - Super Day; come say hi to Mrs. Cline at the VPAW booth at Super Day in Cheyenne!

July:

April:

4/1 - Kaydence B.

4/15 - Jancarlos R.O.

4/20 - Soren-Kai A.

4/26 - Jheyaun W.

May:

5/1 - Christopher C.

5/2 - Annavaeh C.

5/6 - Trina S.

5/10 - Gabriel W.

5/11 - Mrs. K. Sullivan

5/13 - Laynie T.

5/17 - Malenkaya H.

5/18 - Drake V.

5/26 - Alani L.

5/26 - Liam B.

June:

6/1 - Gracie L.

6/2 - Hali H.

6/8 - Benjamin G.

6/14 - Devin K.

6/19 - Audren L.Y.

6/22 - Creighton L.

6/23 - Arlo H.

6/29 - Khushi C.

July:

7/1 - Mrs. Andrus

7/2 - Riley H.

7/6 - Daxton B.

7/9 - Jessica M.

7/15 - Heaven D.

7/18 - Kayla L.

7/23 - Michaella B.

7/26 - Aurora C.

7/26 - Deon L.

August:

8/7 - Brylee H.

8/11 - Carley T.

8/12 - John C.

8/15 - Wesson L.

8/22 - Lilah B.

Website: Virtual Preparatory Academy of Wyoming | K-10 Online School
Location: 11 Adaville Dr Diamondville, WY 83116
Phone: 307-459-5531

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vprepwy