Newsletter

Cougar Calendar Reminders

July 17 | Express Check-In Open for all Families K-8 to Complete

Jul 22 | Office Hours 9:00am-12:00pm

Jul 25 | WCA Walking in Douglas County Fair Parade

Come walk with us

Jul 29 | Office Hours 9:00am-12:00pm

Aug 10-Aug 21 | Innovation Learning Closed

Aug 13 | WCA Office resumes normal business hours 8:00am-4:00pm

Aug 20 | Open House/Meet the Teachers

Aug 21 | Express Check-In DUE

Aug 24 | First Day of School Formal Uniform Day

Guiding Our Cougars

Dear WCA Community,

It’s hard to believe, but the start of the 2026–2027 school year is just around the corner! Our team has been working diligently to prepare for an incredible year ahead. Here are some exciting school initiatives to keep an eye on.

Carline

Based on the recommendations from our traffic study, we will be implementing changes to our carline procedures. The finalized plan will be shared with families in the coming weeks, giving everyone ample time to review the updated process before it takes effect. Please watch for this important communication, as the new procedures will be implemented beginning on the first day of school.

Open House/Meet The Teacher: Thursday, August 20, 2026 (more details below)

Teachers will be giving informational presentations at three times per grade level. The same information will be provided in each presentation; so, there is no need to attend any grade level’s presentation more than once. Parents and students will meet each teacher and will receive an overview of the class and information on classroom policies, procedures, and expectations.

Class Assignments and Schedules

Class assignments and middle school schedules can be viewed in Infinite Campus Parent Portal beginning August 10, 2026 by noon.

First Day of School August 24th

Kindergarten staggered start (see details below)

1st-8th grade Formal Uniform Day

Carline Opens 7:42 | School Starts 8:00 | Paw Pick-Up* 3:30-3:40 | Whisker Pick-Up* 3:40-3:50 | Walk-Up 3:30-3:50

Connect to the Google Calendar

View and subscribe to our Google calendar on your phone so you are always aware of important school events.

We can’t wait to see you back in the building!

Respectfully,

Bethany Merkling, Principal

Douglas County Fair Parade

WCA Participation

Join WCA at the Douglas County Fair Parade! WCA is excited to participate in this summer’s Douglas County Fair Parade on Saturday, July 25th, 2026, in Downtown Castle Rock! The parade kicks off on the south end of Town, flowing down Wilcox to 4th, over to Perry, and wrapping up at 2nd Street.

Event Details:

When: Saturday, July 25, 2026

Lineup Time: Arrive Between 7:30-9:00am
Enter the closed westbound lanes of Plum Creek Parkway from the roundabout at Gilbert.

Wear: WCA apparel, navy blue & kelly green and all student athletes should wear their athletic t-shirts
Conclusion: The parade is expected to wrap up around 10:30 a.m.

We will be proudly displaying our school banner and handing out WCA koozies and candy to spectators along the route. To make a truly unforgettable impression, we want a great turnout of WCA families walking together and sharing their school pride!

If your family is interested in joining the fun, please sign up using the attached Google Form and let us know how many members of your crew will be attending.

Thank you so much for your ongoing support and for helping us tell the WCA story to current and future families. We hope to see you all on July 25! We can't wait to see you there!

Express Check-In Open

Express Check-In is a yearly requirement by all families for each student. It is an application that allows parents to sign off on school and district forms, update household information, and update health conditions. Express Check-In must be completed by August 21st.

Express Check-In is a two part process at WCA:

Complete District forms. EngagED Parent Portal.
Complete the WCA specific forms. WCA Required Parent Form Instructions

Both sections must be filled out for the process to be marked completed

A Step By Step Guide to Express Check-in is available at https://goo.gl/xy4CN6.

Problems logging in? Please view our FAQ’s for Parent Accounts . If you are having problems logging into Express Check-In, please go to Let's Talk, (Parent Tech Support Site) and submit a Parent Tech Support Ticket. To reset your password, click the link below Password Reset

Open House/Meet the Teachers

August 20th Schedule

Preschool-grade 5 families should report to their student’s homeroom at the designated start time.

Grades 6-8 families should report to the school cafeteria at the designated start time.

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Classroom Presentation Session 1: 1:15-2:30
Classroom Presentation Session 2: 2:45-4:00
Drop-In Session: 4:00-4:45 | This open block is designed for families seeking a quick back-to-school check-in with teachers. There will be no formal presentations during this drop-in session.
Classroom Presentation Session 3: 4:45-6:00

Open House/Meet the Teacher Tasks

In addition to meeting teachers, Open House/Meet the Teacher provides many other opportunities. A checklist of all you can do at Open House/Meet the Teacher is available here.

Infinite Campus Information

Key Tool for 2026-2027 School Year

Infinite Campus is our student information system that provides students, parents, and guardians with real-time access to announcements, assignments, attendance, grades, and schedules.

This year, we’re expanding both the use of Infinite Campus and the type of information shared through the platform. It’s essential that families become familiar with it, as it will be a key tool throughout the school year.

To support this transition, every session at Back to School Night will include a segment on the enhanced features of Infinite Campus and how this initiative will help parents stay engaged and better support their students’ success.

To get started, learn more or download the mobile app here.

For information on how to access Infinite Campus Parent Portal, please click here. If you need assistance accessing your parent portal, please email andrea.arthur@worldcompassacademy.com. We will also have a table set up on Back To School Night to assist parents and guardians with Infinite Campus access.

Kindergarten Staggered Start

Kindergarten students have a staggered start to the school year. Students only attend one day, either August 24, 25 or 26 in their formal uniform. Start time | 8:15am (NOTE start time is later to provide a calm environment for our little ones to enter school for the first time. Please allow carline to finish at 8:00 am before arriving) The staggered schedule is for Kindergarten ONLY.

Student only attend one of these 3 days. Start Time: 8:15am

Monday, August 24 (Last names A-I ONLY) or
Tuesday, August 25 (Last names J-R ONLY) or
Wednesday, August 26 (Last names S-Z ONLY)

(NOTE start time is later to provide a calm environment for our little ones to enter school for the first time. Please allow carline to finish at 8:00 am before arriving)

Parents should park in the Plum Creek Church Parking lot and walk their students into the gym (entrance on the south side of the school). All kindergarten teachers will meet their students in the gym.

After dropping your student off parents are invited to stay for light refreshments and for an informational presentation on the school.

Start Time: 8:00am | Thursday, August 27 First day of School for ALL kindergarten students

After the first day, parents are encouraged to use either the walk-up drop-off (park at Plum Creek and walk to the south side of the building) or the carline. During carline, staff and middle school student leaders will assist students in finding their classrooms. Alternatively, parents can park at Plum Creek Church and walk with their students to the south side of the school. The easternmost door on the south side of the building will be open, providing direct access to the kindergarten hallway. Parents can watch their students enter the classroom from this point, but must sign in at the front office if they wish to enter the building themselves.

Donate WCA Uniforms

Got gently used uniforms? The WCA PTO is accepting donations! 👕🏫

If you have school uniforms your student has outgrown, please consider donating them. You can drop off your gently used uniform items at the front office anytime between now and August 1st. Thank you for supporting our school community!

School Lunch

Important Reminder from the Cafeteria: Managing School Lunch Accounts

As we head into the new 2026-2027 school year, we want to share a quick reminder regarding lunch accounts and a trend our cafeteria staff noticed at the end of the last school year.

1. We wanted to give the parents some refreshers for the next school year on how lunch works. As part of DCSD, we are able to give your kids a free lunch, in order for the lunch to be free, your child needs to:

Get a serving size of fruit or vegetable from the harvest bar, which we prepare fresh every morning.
If there isn’t a serving size of fruit or vegetable on your child’s tray, we are required by the state of Colorado to charge them for their meal.

2. Many students have been purchasing several "extras" (like snacks or a la carte items) at one time, as well as getting second helpings of lunch every day. In many cases, parents are unaware that their child is making these daily purchases until they check their MySchoolBucks account balance.

How You Can Manage This:

Add Funds: If you are happy with your student purchasing extras or seconds, please ensure there are sufficient funds in your MySchoolBucks account to cover these additional costs.

Purchasing Restrictions: If you would prefer your student not purchase extras, or if you would like to limit them (e.g., to once a week or one item per day), you go into your MySchoolBucks account and place specific purchasing restrictions or use this link to a google form.

Please note that our wonderful lunch serving staff is not permitted to make these decisions or deny a student an item unless a formal restriction is flagged in the system.

To keep the lunch line moving fast and maximize your child’s eating time, please help us practice their lunch number at home! While we don't expect our Kindergarteners to know theirs confidently until after Fall Break, our lunch staff needs parent and teacher partnership to help all students memorize their numbers.

Thank you so much for your partnership in keeping our lunch lines moving smoothly and ensuring your student's account is set up exactly how you want it!

New Babysitting Program

WCA Babysitting Network: Connecting Trained Students with Families

We're excited to introduce a new initiative that will benefit both our talented babysitters-in-training and WCA families! The WCA Babysitting Network will connect parents with students who have successfully completed our middle school babysitting elective course, providing them with reliable and skilled childcare options. The course includes hands only CPR, first aid for babysitting and the babysitting course. WCA Babysitter List

If you have any questions please reach out to Lisa.carpenter@worldcompassacademy.com, the Child Development Course Teacher

Please note that this babysitter list is provided solely as a convenience and resource for our families. World Compass Academy does not screen, vet, or background check the individuals on this list. WCA makes no representations or warranties regarding the character, experience, or qualifications of any service provider listed. By using this resource, you agree that WCA is not responsible or liable for any actions, services, or incidents related to arrangements made between families and babysitters.

WCA Alumni

At WCA, we hold our alumni close to our hearts and are always delighted to hear about their accomplishments and adventures! We celebrate our alumni's successes and are proud to have been a part of their journey. Keep soaring, Cougars, and don't forget to keep us updated on your latest achievements! Go Anywhere! Do Anything!