Norris News

Welcome to the first edition of Norris News for the school year! Can you believe we’re already a month in? Time is flying, and so much excitement has already filled our halls. From new opportunities for learners to explore their interests and curiosities, to staff—both new and returning—bringing energy and enthusiasm every single day, the year is off to an incredible start.

Just yesterday, we hosted our annual Grilled Cheese Competition! The afternoon was filled with laughter, cheering, and taste-testing six delicious creations—including a vegan option. After some tough (and tasty) competition, this year’s Grilled Cheese Champion was crowned: The Deep Fried Bacon, made with thick-cut bacon, sharp cheddar, and classic white bread, fried to golden perfection in savory bacon grease. A crispy, cheesy victory well deserved!

Throughout this week and into next Monday, we have the privilege of welcoming Gravity Productions’ film crew to our campus. They’ve been capturing powerful moments at Norris, Learn MKE, and within the community to create a memorable piece highlighting the Norris School District and our mission to meet every learner “where they are.”

Their presence has already made a big impact on our learners, and they’ve done an incredible job of authentically telling our story. We are truly grateful for this opportunity and look forward to sharing the finished project with you in the months ahead!

This month’s Norris News is packed with stories, highlights, and a peek into all the amazing things happening across our community. Grab a cup of coffee (or maybe a grilled cheese), and dive in!

ELA

🚨 Breaking News! 🚨 The very first learner work samples are live on the ELA website! Be among the first to check them out and see the amazing work our students are creating. Click the link below before everyone’s talking about it!

Click Here: https://sites.google.com/norrisacademywi.org/ela/home

The year is off to a strong start! Learners at Norris have been diving into personal finance in ELA with great excitement. So far, they’ve explored setting spending goals, different methods of payment, the dangers of excessive credit card debt, and strategies for staying safe online.

In the coming month, learners will focus on avoiding overspending, creating commercials, and even exploring how to start their own businesses. We can’t wait to see the creativity and innovation they bring to these projects!

Mathematics

Math at Norris has started strong this school year! Learners at all levels began by shaking off the cobwebs with math activities like integer slapjack and escape rooms. Middle school learners have now moved on to factoring and exponents, while our high school learners are working through a variety of algebra concepts. Students have also been joining smaller math groups during open spaces in the morning and afternoon to practice geometry concepts such as area and volume.

A popular math lab this month was “Combining Like Terms with Candy.” In this activity, learners were introduced to—or reviewed—the concept of adding or subtracting terms that share the same variable and exponent by assigning each variable a type of candy and solving problems that way. Once the lab was completed, learners got to enjoy their math spoils. It was both a tasty and engaging learning experience!

Science

Learners have been exploring a variety of energy topics this month. They experimented with plane aerodynamics to create their own energy and expanded their understanding of green energy by using solar, wind, and stored energy through Snap Circuits. Learners also dove deeper into solar energy, building their own solar ovens and conducting experiments to see how different colors interact with the sun’s power.

Social Studies

Exploring the Past and Present

This year, we’re taking a new approach in the Social Studies lab by beginning each session with a discussion on either a current event or an important day in history. Staying informed about the world around us helps learners make meaningful connections between the present and the past.

Our current events discussions have covered a wide range of topics—from natural disasters to more challenging conversations, including ongoing safety and violence issues within schools. These discussions provide a space for learners to process events thoughtfully and respectfully.

We’ve also explored significant historical events, such as 9/11, and celebrated National Hispanic Heritage Month by learning about influential figures like Sonia Sotomayor and César Chávez.

Academically, learners have studied Ancient Civilizations such as Mesopotamia and the Indus River Valley. Other labs have explored Indigenous peoples of the Americas, and we are now transitioning to learning about the explorers and countries that began venturing into what is now the United States.

To bring history to life, we recently sampled Indigenous recipes, including Native American Vegetable Stew made with the “Three Sisters”—beans, corn, and squash—as well as smoked salmon. It was a wonderful way for learners to explore culture through food.

It’s been a great start to the year, and I’m excited for the learning journey ahead!

Orientation

Welcome to Norris! I am excited to welcome new learners and help them get settled into our community. During our short (up to 10 school days) time together, learners explore their interests, learning style, and engagement preferences. Each learner will be featured in the Learner Showcase at the end of the trimester - what that looks like is up to them. Learners are also creating portfolios of the work they’re most proud of this year, which are linked on their profiles.

This month, I am excited to kick off an endorsement campaign with our learners, promoting the Norris Practices. The Norris Practices are the core of our program and a focal point for Orientation. They include Learner Agency, Solution Seeking, Socially Embedded, and Dynamic Leadership. Learners assess themselves on these practices during Orientation and, throughout their time here, receive endorsements from staff when they exemplify these practices. In this campaign, learners will endorse staff for exemplifying the Norris Practices by writing their names on the wall of practices in the library.

Library

Salutations and welcome to the Library! There are so many events and resources available for learners (and families!) to take part in. We are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by highlighting some of those resources.

Destiny Discover - an app (and website) allowing learners to log in with their Norris Google account and access our library catalog from any digital device, any time.

Learning Ally - to access ebooks and audiobooks.

We have also launched our celebration of Fancy Words* this month! As learners discover new vocabulary words in their pursuits or think of unique words they appreciate and want to share, they can fill out a Fancy Word card to post on the wall in the library. These cards can have as much or as little pizzazz as they like, but should all include the word, the definition, and an example sentence. I will make a hebdomadal trek to collect the Fancy Words, catalog them, and post them in the library. This will help everyone develop their vocabulary and spark curiosity by introducing and celebrating new words. So far, Science is winning.

*bolded words are a smattering of the Fancy Words collected so far!

Be sure to check out our library catalog and digital resources on Destiny Discover!

It’s a brand-new school year, and learners have already jumped into a variety of exciting, interest-based learning activities! Here are just a few highlights from September:

Curiosity Labs & Hands-On Learning

• Planting micro-seed greens

• Pico Park collaborative puzzle-solving game

• Rollerblading, skating, and skateboarding

• Lego Masters challenges

• Succulent bowl creation

• Outdoor exploration

• Robinhood archery shoot-off

• Table tennis and chess

• Cooking, sewing, and D&D sessions

• Shark Tank presentations

Internship & Externship Opportunities

• Meeting with an accountant ELO at Atos Medical

• Virtual meeting with an accountant based in California

• Accounting externship at River’s Edge

• Interviews for on-campus internships (Office Assistant)

• Upcoming interviews for Building Beautification and Kitchen Assistant positions

And that’s just the beginning—there’s probably even more we missed! There are so many exciting opportunities happening—go explore your curiosities or discover a brand-new interest!

Whew! What a whirlwind the first month of school has been! Learners have been busy with archery, skateboarding, climbing the high ropes course, building fires, making applesauce from our campus apple tree, and so much more. Many are pursuing guitar and drum lessons, with some already working on songs they hope to perform at the learner showcase. Others are diving into the studio equipment, creating original music and collaborating with peers. With so many projects underway, we’re thrilled to roll up our sleeves and jump into it all!

The first month of the school year has been extremely busy at NAVS/Learn MKE! Learners have enjoyed getting to know one another, and returning learners are excited to welcome so many new faces. Current enrollment has grown from 4 learners at the end of last year to 13 currently enrolled, with an additional three learners expressing interest in joining.

We’ve already participated in several off-campus activities that were both fun and filled with learning opportunities:

• Milwaukee County Transit: Learners became familiar with public transportation, learning to use the Umo app, read bus schedules, understand bus rules, and ride safely. They even took a bus ride around Milwaukee!

• Mitchell Street Library: Learners obtained their own library cards, learned to reserve study rooms, use computers, and check out materials. In the Makerspace, they experimented with water marbling, watercolor painting, and even built working electronic game controllers.

• Coach Erica Visit: Coach Erica, a published author, entrepreneur, life coach, and part-time school social worker, began working with learners twice a month on financial literacy. She also plans to bring interested learners to the radio station where she hosts a show and encourages participation on air.

• Urban Ecology Center: Learners practiced observational science skills through a nature scavenger hunt and explored the year-round programs and activities offered to the Milwaukee community.

In addition to these experiences, learners have been hard at work in the classroom:

• Drawing and maintaining sketchbooks

• Daily journaling and writing practice

• Practical math skills

• Effective writing techniques

• Creating resumes

• Setting up and observing two ant farms

• Studying forest biomes and forest animals

It has been a fantastic start to the school year, and we look forward to more learning, exploration, and fun as the year continues!

September – Creativity Falling into Place

Artventure had an amazing summer, and our learners stayed busy bringing their creativity to life through hands-on, team-based pursuits!

• June: We kicked things off with the Soapbox Derby Car Race, where learners teamed up with staff navigators to design, build, and race soapbox cars. Congratulations to our Social Studies and Math team, who took home first place!
  
  

• July: Next came the Cardboard Boat Regatta, where learners built boats using only cardboard and duct tape. They tested their designs by racing across the pond—an exciting event with plenty of splashes! The Locker Room Crew paddled their way to victory.
  
  

• August: We ended the summer with our thrilling Destructive Castle Pursuit. Learners chose either the light or dark side, first competing in a castle “beauty contest” before testing their creations against the unstoppable Robert the Barbarian. In the end, the Science Crew’s castle stood strong through all rounds.

Welcoming a New School Year

As we moved into September, learners returned energized and eager to dive back into their creative pursuits. The Artventure space has been buzzing with projects in clay, drawing, and bracelet-making, giving learners a chance to express themselves and explore new ideas.

This month, we also began focusing on the Elements of Art, laying the foundation for upcoming projects that will challenge learners to think more deeply about how line, shape, color, texture, and form communicate meaning.

Looking Ahead

We’re excited to carry this momentum into October, where learners will continue exploring the Elements of Art while preparing for the changing season and the creative fun of Halloween. With fall officially underway, we can’t wait to see the imagination and innovation our learners bring to their next projects.

🍂 Happy Fall from the Artventure Team! 🎨

Logan is our featured Bakari learner for the month of September! He joined Norris at the beginning of August and has already shown great initiative in pursuing his passion for accounting.

Within his first month, Logan worked hard to secure an externship in the accounting field. Now, for one hour each week, he works alongside a professional accountant to gain hands-on experience and explore his career interests.

Way to go, Logan!

Mindful Breathing (1 Minute)

1. Find a comfortable position: Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor or sit on the ground.

2. Close your eyes: This helps to reduce external distractions.

3. Focus on your breath: Notice the physical sensations of breathing, like the air moving through your nostrils or the rise and fall of your chest or belly.

4. Gently bring your mind back: When thoughts or distractions arise, acknowledge them and then calmly return your focus to your breath.

5. Conclude: After about a minute, slowly open your eyes and carry this awareness into the rest of your day.

📍Milwaukee's online guide to everything for kids, teens, & families!

https://milwaukee.kidsoutandabout.com/

📍New State Suicide Prevention Plan

Prevent Suicide Wisconsin recently released Wisconsin's Suicide Prevention Plan: Strategies for Action and Hope.

This plan is designed to increase the effectiveness of suicide prevention efforts by providing statewide data along with best practices, resources, and recommended action steps.

This plan was created to be both practical and aspirational and includes something for all collaborators in suicide prevention. Please consider applying the prevention guidelines listed in this plan where you work and live. By using this plan, we can work together to generate hope through action.

The state suicide prevention plan is updated approximately every five years.

Prevent Suicide Wisconsin is a statewide public-private partnership that includes DHS whose mission is to reduce the number of people who attempt and/or die by suicide in Wisconsin.

Visit the suicide prevention section of the DHS website for tips to cope with life's challenges, tips to be supportive of others in distress, data, and information on state supported strategies to save lives.

Contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline if you are experiencing distress or are worried about someone who may need support.

What kind of computer sings the best?

A-Dell

10/8 Spirit Day: Orange Out

Bully Prevention Awareness: Wear orange!

10/31 Halloween

Learners may wear costumes to school. NO masks, weapons, or inappropriate costumes will be permitted on school grounds.

5 Heidi

31 Kris

Supporting Learners, Strengthening Community

Norris Cares, founded in 2023 by Norris School District staff, was created to meet the growing needs of learners in our community. Many learners face challenges such as food insecurity, unstable housing, and limited access to essentials like clothing and hygiene products. These hardships can make it difficult for them to focus on school, stay engaged, and believe in their potential.

We believe every learner deserves the opportunity to thrive—academically, socially, and personally. Meeting their basic needs allows learners to concentrate on learning, build confidence, and fully engage. Access to meals, warm clothing, and supplies not only supports their well-being but also fosters dignity, stability, and belonging.

The need in our community is great, and Norris Cares cannot meet it alone. We depend on the generosity of individuals, businesses, and community partners to make a difference. Monetary and physical donations—whether food, clothing, or hygiene products—are used exclusively to support learners and are distributed equitably based on need.

Your support directly impacts learners’ lives and strengthens our entire community.

For questions or to donate, contact:
Amber Ehrmann, Community Liaison
aehrmann@norrisacademywi.org

Together, we can uplift our learners and build a brighter future.

As the new school year begins, we want to remind families about items that should not be brought to school. Including items such as pillows, blankets, open beverage containers, money, and backpacks. These items can be distracting and potentially harmful, so they will not be allowed in school. For more details on our policies, please visit our website at https://norrisacademywi.org/.

https://www.norrisacademywi.org/learners-families/calendar.cfm

Please use the online absence form if your learner will not be attending school on any given day due to illness, vacation, personal leave, or another reason.

Click Here: https://tinyurl.com/onlineabsenceform

Email: hello@norrisacademywi.org
Website: https://norrisacademywi.org/
Location: W247 S10395 Center Drive Mukwonago, WI 53149
Phone: (262) 662-5911
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/norrisacademywi/
Twitter: @NorrisAcademyWi

Norris School District prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to the Title IX Coordinator. The notice of nondiscrimination is located at https://www.norrisacademywi.org/