September 2026

The 2026–27 school year is officially underway, and we are so excited to have our students and families back at Destinations Career Academy!

September is all about getting connected, building strong routines, and starting the year successfully. As students settle into their classes, we encourage families to stay connected, check schedules and communications regularly, and reach out whenever questions come up.

This month’s newsletter includes important dates, helpful reminders, upcoming opportunities, and resources to help your family navigate the start of the school year.

We’re looking forward to a fantastic year of learning, growth, and preparing students for their future goals. Thank you for being part of the DCA community!

Here’s to a great September! 🍁

Jen Wegner
Principal
dcawi@wivcs.org

You are required to carefully review and acknowledge the DCA Student/Parent Handbook. The handbook is accessible here: DCA Student/Learning Coach Handbook - LiveBinder

Furthermore, your confirmation of having thoroughly reviewed the document independently and with your student is mandatory. The acknowledgement form can be found here.

In the event that you have multiple students, kindly ensure completion of a separate form for each student. Should your children attend schools other than DCA, please complete the form for each child in their respective school.

Please pay attention to the schedule below and when each session will be held.

Make sure your student reviews the DCA announcements page. Information on clubs, CTSOs, and new opportunities will all be posted there! Announcements are updated weekly so remind students about the wonderful things happening at DCA!

"Renaissance Star Reading" and "Renaissance Star Math" are computer-adaptive assessments created by Renaissance Learning that measure a student's reading and math skills respectively, providing teachers with data on student's individual achievement levels and growth. These assessments are built to adjust the difficulty based on each student's answers to pinpoint their current abilities in reading and math.

We take STAR Reading and STAR Math three times a year:

- Beginning of the Year (September)

- Middle of the Year (January)

- End of the Year (May)

All students are required to take both the math and reading assessments. If your student missed taking the assessments during our first week of school, they will be given alternative opportunities. Please keep an eye out for communication from our staff.

Do you want to kickstart your college education? Don't miss the chance to apply for the Spring semester before October 1st.

**Counselors will be sending out information regarding the dates and times for upcoming sessions! Watch your email!

For more information, see our Future Ready Opportunities.

Our Family Support Room is open Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM–4:00 PM (ET)—no appointment needed!

📍 Join here: https://k12.zoom.us/j/97739092933

✨ Before you join: Download the Zoom app so you can access breakout rooms and all Zoom features.

What to expect:
👋 A friendly welcome from the support team
🛠️ Guidance to the breakout room that best fits your question
📞 Personalized support for more complex issues

You'll also discover additional support resources, including:
📚 Help articles at help.k12.com
💬 Live Chat (often faster than waiting on hold!)
📝 How to submit a support case online
🎥 Helpful how-to videos and other resources

Don't struggle alone—we're here to help you get back on track! 💙

🔍 Check for Known Outages
If you're unable to log in to the K12 Online School, your first stop should be the K12 Help Center. STRIDE updates this page regularly with the latest information about system outages.

📱 Follow for Updates
You can also check these official Facebook pages for status updates:

• Stride K12 Facebook
• Destinations Career Academy of Wisconsin

📧 Watch Your Email
If there is a system outage, updates will also be sent via email. Once the issue has been resolved, you'll receive communication letting you know it's back up and running.

It is imperative that students engage with their coursework and communicate with teachers. When students start to get behind, work begins to pile up and can become very stressful for the student. We understand that life happens and sometimes a missed day is just necessary!

Students will access their coursework in the "Canvas," our Online Learning System. Their live Class Connects (live classes) will happen in Engageli. It's important for students to stay involved in their coursework and participate in live classes. If a student can't make it to a live class, they should watch the recording to keep up with the material.

To report an absence for the current day, when missing 50% or more of the scheduled school day (3 or more hours), contact the Attendance Line by 9:00 am. You can reach us at 1-608-838-9482, Option 0.

For student safety, after 1 pm, we'll send courtesy engagement notifications to the Learning Coaches of students who haven't been actively participating in school without contacting the Attendance Line first.

Beginning in October!

K12 has a ton of great resources for learning coaches and students. You can search for multiple step- by-step guides and videos for assistance with situations.

Site Link - https://www.help.k12.com/s/

First Day of School: Tuesday, September 1st

Labor Day: No school: Monday, September 7th

Attendance Count Day: Friday, September 18th

Any parent who is limited in speaking, writing, or reading English may request the school to provide access to services such as interpreters and/or translated documents. To request services please email Miriam Mueller-Owens at mmowens@wivcs.org. Prompt access to the appropriate services and/or translator will be coordinated.

Asistencia de idioma: Cualquier padre que se limita al hablar, escribir o leer Inglés podrá solicitar a la escuela para proporcionar acceso a servicios tales como intérprete y / o documentos traducidos. Para solicitar los servicios envíe un correo electrónico o llamar al Coordinador de ELL. Se coordinará el pronto acceso a los servicios apropiados y / o al traductor.