eCampus Academy Update

Jason Bull

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.

Join us on a trip to Madison on Thursday, December 4th! We will go on a tour of the Capitol, attend the tree lighting ceremony, and attend a tour of the Veteran’s Museum. There is no cost for this field trip and transportation is provided! Please fill out the survey here by December 1st to RSVP. All family members are welcome, background checks are required for adults riding the bus. Reach out to your child’s teacher if you have questions.

eCampus students were treated to a tour of Watertown to learn more about our community helpers. Students visited the Firehouse, the Police Department and City Hall.

eCampus Elementary learners gathered for a STEAM day where they rotated through a variety of hands-on experiences. They created marble races, and paths for the ozobot robot to travel on. Some attempted the challenge of creating a boat out of aluminum foil that carried candy corn before it sank. They learned all about coding microbits, and even got to play catch with a digital baseball!

Elementary

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

December Events

December 1- November Artifacts are due to Timberdoodle Families

December 4- Capitol Trip (for those who sign up, sign up closes on 12/1)

December 8 - Holiday Tree Craft 9:00am - Google meet link here

December 9- Mrs. Hail and Mrs. Retzlaff will be out of the office (no meetings will be held)

December 10- Holiday Star Craft 9:00am - Google meet link here

December 11- Holiday Paper Chain Craft 9:00am - Google meet link here

December 22- Pizza Hut Reading Logs Due

December 23- 4K Learner Stories Due (update learner spreadsheet in google)

December 23- Half Day

December 24- January 4- NO SCHOOL

January 5- School Resumes

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!

Timberdoodle December Artifacts

Just a reminder that December/January artifacts are due January 16th. Please be sure to have all artifacts uploaded so that all work can be reflected on the semester one report cards. If you are wanting to have your learner showcase their learning via GoogleMeet with their teacher, please be sure to set this up with either Mrs. Hail or Mrs. Retzlaff.

4K Learners- December is a recording month, due by December 23rd. Please be sure to access your learners milestone document in their Google Drive, and update their skill set. Please mark an “x” with the skill that your learner has mastered. I can’t wait to see the great growth that has happened from the beginning of the year!

Join us for virtual Holiday Craft Sessions

An email was sent on Tuesday, November 25th with all the details on our holiday craft sessions. There will be three different holiday crafts we will be making using materials you can find around your home. Come to just one session or all three! We can’t wait to craft with you!

SchoolsPLP

Just a reminder that you will continue to have access to your courses over the duration of Holiday Break. Please feel free to use this time to get caught up, work ahead of pace, and or redo assignments for higher grades.

SORA (reference email sent on 11/2 for more information)

SORA is an app that is available in Clever. It is a virtual library where learners can virtually “check out” a book of their choosing. Sora includes built-in tools for highlighting and note-taking, accessibility options like dyslexic font and text resizing, and reading progress tracking with achievement badges. The books that are currently checked out will be on their bookshelf for two weeks before automatically returned. Some books can be read aloud to your learner, while other texts will be read independently by your learner

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✨ Google Calendar Skills Session – November Recap + What’s Next! ✨

Thank you to all students who joined our virtual Google Calendar Skills Sessions on November 18th or 19th for grades 9–12! It was great to see so many students take steps toward staying organized, reducing stress, and taking more ownership of their weekly schedules.

Here’s what students learned:

• How to add and organize school + personal events
  
  

• How to color-code classes for quick visual planning
  
  

• How to create tasks and reminders that actually stick
  
  

• How to build a weekly plan that supports balance, productivity, and steady progress.
  
  

⭐ Monthly Sessions Continue!
We will be offering this Google Calendar session again in December, and that session will be open to grades 6–12. We’ll also be adding a second skills session on a new topic, which will be announced soon.

🎓 Earn Credit or Bonus Points
Students who attend and complete the required activities:

• 📸 Submit a screenshot of their weekly calendar setup
  
  

• ✍️ Write a short reflection on how they could use Google Calendar to organize their days for success

…will be able to choose partial elective credit or bonus points in a current course.

Please watch your email for the December session dates and signup information.

Let’s keep building strong habits — one color-coded week at a time! 💛📅✨

📬 Middle & High School Students — Need to Meet With Your Teacher?

In addition to our weekly Advisory check-ins, students in grades 6–12 can schedule individual meetings whenever they need extra support. If your learner needs help with pacing, assignments, or course questions — or just wants a quick check-in — our team is here and ready to help.

If you’d like to meet outside of Advisory, scheduling is quick and easy. Just access the links below.

• 📅 Schedule a Meeting with Tracy Poches (Lead Teacher)
  
  

• 📅 Meet with Mary Barr (Math and Science)
  
  

• 📅 Meet with Bob Logan (Supervisor of Digital Learning)
  
  

• 📅 Meet with Julia Gibson (Social Studies)
  
  

• 📅 Meet with Alexis Ofe (English)
  
  

• 📅 Meet with Mike Burd (Middle School)
  
  

Staying connected through Advisory and individual meetings is one of the best ways to help learners stay on pace, feel confident, and make steady progress. Please reach out whenever your student needs support — we’re here every step of the way.

Looking forward to meeting with you soon!

📚 Building Community Through Reading: eCampus Virtual Book Club Update

Our eCampus Virtual Book Club has been busy building community, strengthening critical thinking, and sparking meaningful conversations through great literature. This fall, students dove into Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein — the perfect read for spooky season. Along the way, they explored big questions about humanity, ethics, creation, and responsibility, while engaging with peers in thoughtful, supportive discussions.

In December, the club is shifting gears to another powerful classic: Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Students will explore themes of censorship, curiosity, independent thinking, and the importance of knowledge — all deeply connected to our mission of empowering learners to design their futures with confidence and purpose.

If your student loves stories, conversations, or simply wants to feel more connected, the Book Club is the perfect place to jump in! 📖✨

For seniors who have received an offer letter:

Direct Admit students are required to complete this form if you are considering any of the universities. Create Account and fill in your school email and your personal email.

1. Filling out the form does not mean you are committed to attending any of the universities.

2. Technically, you have until May 1, 2026 to accept or reject any of the universities.

A university can only provide a financial aid award letter if you have filled out the form and completed the FAFSA.

As you are aware, eCampus Academy is participating in the Direct Admit Wisconsin program for the Class of 2027. UW Direct Admit is an opportunity for 11th grade students to be automatically admitted to participating University of Wisconsin system schools free of charge. Direct Admit Wisconsin offers early and proactive admission to participating Universities of Wisconsin for rising seniors at participating Wisconsin high schools.

In order to participate, 11th grade families must log into Skyward Family Access and “opt-in” by Wednesday, April 30, 2026. Directions are attached on how to locate the Direct Admit Wisconsin in Skyward Family Access. If you need help logging in to Skyward and completing this process, please contact Angel Vander Steeg at vandersteega@mywusd.org or call 920.262.1460 x3206 for assistance.

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.