Create & Connect

Welcome to the End of Year Summer Edition of Create & Connect! Inside this edition, you will find everything you need to close out the year with confidence and look ahead to a summer full of learning and inspiration, including Know Before You Go tech tips, Summer Spark PD opportunities, and resources to keep students and families engaged all summer long.

As always, we love hearing from you. Have feedback, ideas, or something you would like to see in a future edition? We would love to hear from you!

As you wrap up the school year, here are a few quick reminders to help you finish strong. Taking a little time now can save you a lot of time later.

We are so excited to bring you Summer Spark '26, a collaborative professional learning experience that brings together educators across all departments for a morning filled with meaningful, practical learning.

Save the Dates:

• Wednesday, August 5 | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Fugett Middle School | Registration Link
• Tuesday, August 11 | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Peirce Middle School | Registration Link

Let us know you are attending by clicking the links above (be sure to sign into Frontline first).

Here is what to expect at Summer Spark '26:

• Keynote with Dr. Reynolds, setting the tone and vision for the year ahead through the lens of the Portrait of a Graduate
• 70-minute workshops led by your district curriculum supervisors and instructional leaders, designed for deeper exploration of high-impact teaching practices
• 45-minute workshops for focused, targeted skill building
• Poster sessions for informal, drop-in learning and conversation

Check out the Summer Learning Resources, which provides families with flexible, engaging ways to support reading, problem solving, and exploration through both digital tools and real-world experiences. These opportunities help students continue learning and growing all summer long.

Please feel free to share with your families as an optional resource for summer learning.

✨ Try This: Design a Classroom Poster with Copilot

A great entry point is using Copilot to create fun, meaningful visuals for your classroom. Here is how to get started:

1. Sign in to Copilot using your Microsoft account
2. Look on the left-hand side for the Create option
3. Write a simple prompt describing the poster you want

Example prompt to try:

Create a simple, colorful classroom rules poster for a 2nd grade classroom with 5 rules that are positive and student-friendly (personalize with PBIS or other classroom expectations).

Did you know every teacher in the county receives a $10 monthly allowance at the CCIU Teacher Resource Center? From lamination to classroom materials, this is an incredible resource to support your classroom without spending your own money.

• Design your poster in Copilot or Canva
• Send it to the CCIU for full-size poster printing
• Check out these great examples from Hillsdale's Design Lab for inspiration

As we close out our first year in the new standards-based grading system, we want to take a moment to recognize the work you’ve all done. Learning a new system while supporting students is no small lift, and your flexibility and persistence have truly made a difference.

As you finalize Trimester 3 grades, here are a few important reminders and recommendations to help ensure a smooth finish:

✅ Key Reminders:

• Reporting Standards not assessed this trimester should be marked as N/A

• Do not leave any reporting standards blank

  • Every reporting standard should have either a score or N/A

• Double-check for consistency

• Review grades across trimesters to ensure they accurately reflect student learning
• Look for any accidental entries or missing scores

📅 Important Dates:

• Report card info into PowerSchool - Friday, June 5, 2026 at 8:00 AM

• Data Processing - Friday, June 5 through Monday, June 8, 2026

• Verification Window - Tuesday, June 9 through Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at 12:00 PM

• Data Processing - Wednesday, June 10 at 12:00 PM through Thursday, June 11, 2026

• End of Marking Period - Friday, June 12, 2026

• Report Cards Available Online - Friday, June 12, 2026

This year, we successfully completed our AI Pilot with SchoolAI and MagicSchool AI across our district. This was a year-long journey of learning, exploration, and collaboration, and none of it would have been possible without the incredible teachers who participated.

A heartfelt thank you to every educator who joined the pilot, engaged in ongoing training, explored new tools, and shared feedback throughout the year. Your willingness to try, reflect, and grow made this work meaningful.

We are excited to share that we are looking ahead to the 2026-27 school year with a clear focus on the intentional use of AI in education. Stay tuned as we share next steps and what this work will look like moving forward for students, teachers, and our district community.

Supporting learning doesn’t stop at school! We’ve got tutorials you can share directly with parents, plus the Elementary Tech Handbook, a one-stop guide to everything WCASD technology. From navigating apps to understanding digital tools, these resources help parents stay informed, support their children’s learning at home, and feel confident with district technology. From navigating apps to understanding digital tools, these resources help parents stay informed, support their children’s learning at home, and feel confident with district technology—including instructions for logging into Clever from home, so accessing apps like IXL and Happy Numbers is simple for both parents and students.

👉 Parent Portal Resources - Standards-Based Grading Edition