eCampus Academy Update May 2026

Jason Bull

Dear eCampus Families,

I want to take a moment to share an important update and, more importantly, to express my gratitude for the partnership we share.

Like many school districts, we continue to navigate challenging financial realities. These realities have required difficult decisions across all schools in our district, and our school is not immune. As part of these adjustments, we will be reducing one elementary teaching position within our program.

With that, I want to recognize and thank Jenna Retzlaff for the incredible impact she has made on our learning community. Her years of service, commitment to building meaningful relationships, collaboration with colleagues, and unwavering focus on both learning and the whole child have left a lasting mark on our students and families. While this change is difficult, I am grateful to share that Jenna will continue to serve within our district, and I am confident she will thrive in her new role and continue to make a difference.

I also want to be clear: there are no plans to eliminate our school. eCampus remains an important part of our district’s commitment to meeting the needs of our learners. These staffing adjustments are part of broader district-wide reductions that have impacted every school.

Looking ahead, our entire eCampus team will be working closely together in the coming weeks and months to plan for next year and beyond. Our focus will remain strong, ensuring we continue to provide the high levels of learning, engagement, service, and support that you have come to expect. We are committed to maintaining the strength of our program while continuing to grow and improve.

We will keep you informed as plans take shape. We also invite you to join us for our next Parent Advisory Committee meeting on May 19 from 3:30–4:15, where your perspective will help guide the continued growth of our eCampus community. Your partnership and trust matter deeply to us.

Thank you for your continued support and for being an essential part of our learning community.

In Community & Education -

Jason Bull

Interested in Joining Our Parent Advisory Committee?
We are always excited to partner with families and hear your perspectives on how we can provide the best educational experience for your student. Our Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) provides a space for parents and guardians to share feedback, discuss important topics, and help strengthen the eCampus experience for all students and families. We will meet one more time this school year in May, and we would love to welcome additional family voices to the conversation. If you are interested in being part of the committee, please complete the Form below.

Interested? Fill out this quick form:

https://mywusd.jotform.com/252386641547060

Thank you to families that attended the field trip to City Hall. They worked with the media production team to explore making videos with the green screen 🎥

eCampus Elementary School visited Wisconsin's largest recycling center in Germantown. We partnered with Waste Management (WM) and Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful campaign to learn about ways we can recycle, and what products are made from recyclable materials. We toured the sorting facility, saw front loaders pushing the recycling piles, and got to ride in a recycling truck!

Open Enrollment

If your student was open enrolled to eCampus Academy for the 2025-26 school year, you do not have to fill out open enrollment paperwork again. We will assume that you will continue enrollment with eCampus Academy unless you notify us otherwise or if we receive a records request from your new school.

Registration

Registration does need to be completed every year for each student. This opens in July and should be completed prior to the school year start. Registration is completed in Skyward. If you have troubles accessing Skyward, feel free to reach out to vandersteega@mywusd.org.

Morning Meetings (weekly)
4K- 2nd Grade Morning Meetings with Mrs. Hail Tuesdays at 9:00am - GoogleMeet Link
3rd - 5th Grade Morning Meeting with Mrs. Retzlaff Wednesdays at 10:00am - GoogleMeet Link

May/June Events

May 4- Lambeau Field Tour (prior sign up required)

May 4- Timberdoodle Artifact Submissions Due

May 5-21- AimsWeb Math Assessment, Heggerty Assessment Window

May 20- Last 4K-2nd Grade Morning Meeting

May 21- Last 3rd-5th Grade Morning Meeting

May 25- Memorial Day- NO SCHOOL

May 27- Fifth Grade Farewell Lunch - Virtual

June 1- Timberdoodle Final Artifact Submissions Due

June 4- Student’s Last Day!

Mrs. Houchin offers a variety of different opportunities that can be found in her weekly email. If you are not receiving her emails, please reach out and let us know. Use the link at the bottom of her schedule to access all of the free activities!

4K Learners- May is a reporting month. Please be sure to assess your learner in all areas. Just a reminder that if your learner has not mastered a specific concept area that they will not be faulted, but rather a good place for instruction to continue, in order to be prepared for Kindergarten standards. A copy of this spreadsheet will be included in your learner(s) cumulative folder along with the report card.

Spring Assessments- Just a reminder that this month your learner will be participating in various assessments. These assessments are a great tool to help gauge your learners' understanding of the concepts that have been taught so far this year, and help make a roadmap for future learning. Please establish an environment where your learner can be successful during testing sessions, especially by minimizing distractions and volume. Results will be shared from your learner(s) teacher.

End of the Year Material Drop Off- Reminder that you can return any unused Timberdoodle Kit materials or materials students have not written in such as teachers manuals to the eCampus office at the end of the school year. Students may keep materials that they are going to be using over the course of the summer or into next school year. Stay tuned for more information on how to turn in your chromebooks, hot spots, or document cameras into the eCampus office.

Report Cards- Reports cards will be available to be viewed in your learners Skyward account after the end of the semester. If you are unable to access their report card, please reach out to your learners teacher. If you are wanting a paper copy, please be sure to ask for one to be mailed to you.

You can find student test scores and report cards right in Skyward. Upon login, select the student name from the dropdown menu if you have multiple students. Then click on Portfolio from the menu on the left side. Click on the name of the document you want to view. See screen images for reference below.

NEW!!! Math Wednesdays at the Watertown Library! Starting April 8, Mrs. Barr (eCampus Math and Science teacher) will be working with students from 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM every Wednesday; find her in one of the meeting rooms and come work on math! Get immediate help when you need it, or just work on your math in a really cool space! Email Mrs. Barr (barrm@mywusd.org) to let her know to expect you. PS you can work on other classes as well!

NEW!! eCampus Walks Watertown Wednesdays! Also starting April 8 at 1 PM, meet outside the south entrance of the library for a nice hour-long walk around town. RSVP to Mrs. Barr (barrm@mywusd.org). All eCampus members and families are welcome; make sure to pay attention to the weather and dress accordingly. Note: walks will be cancelled in case of thunderstorms.

Start College Now provides an opportunity for high school students to earn college credit and high school credit at the same time. High school juniors and seniors are eligible to take classes during the Fall and Spring semesters. Tuition and books are paid by the school district. Contact eCampus for more information as deadlines do apply for each semester and can vary by Technical College.

Credits earned can by applied towards a degree at the Technical College and many other Wisconsin colleges.

The ECCP statute allows Wisconsin public and private high school students to take one or more courses at an institution of higher education for high school and/or college credit. Under this section, “institution of higher education” means an institution within the University of Wisconsin System, a tribally controlled college, or a private, nonprofit institution of higher education located in the state. While technical colleges are not eligible institutions under the new program, pupils that have completed 10th grade will continue to have the option to take courses at technical colleges through a separate statute, 38.12(14).

Students MUST submit their ECCP applications (no exceptions) to their school by:

• October 1 for spring courses
• February 1 for summer courses
• March 1 for fall courses

You can request a transcript through Parchment: Click Here for Parchment

If you are seeking an unofficial copy, please contact the eCampus Academy Registrar at vandersteega@mywusd.org

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.

At the Watertown Unified School District, we are proud of the work happening every day across our schools—including our two innovative charter schools, eCampus Academy and Endeavor Charter School. Each learning community reflects our shared commitment to tradition, innovation, and transformation, and one way we can share that story with others is through Niche.com, a nationally recognized platform that rates and reviews schools across the country.

Why Niche?
Niche school ratings help families learn about the strengths and experiences of schools directly from the people who know them best; our parents, students, and staff. These ratings play an important role in shaping how our schools are seen by prospective families, staff, and the broader community.

What You Can Do
We invite you to take a few minutes to visit https://www.niche.com/k12/survey/, search for your child’s school, and share your experience. Your feedback helps highlight what makes our schools special; our caring educators, personalized learning environments, and commitment to helping every student succeed.

How It Helps
Every review builds a stronger, more accurate reflection of who we are and the exceptional opportunities our schools provide. By sharing your story, you help strengthen our schools’ positive online footprint and showcase the incredible learning happening across our district.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership and support. Together, we’re ensuring that our schools, and our students, shine brightly for all to see.

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 25-26