What's Happening at Norris?
Can you believe it’s already October? The first few weeks of school have been action-packed as we dive into our bucket list, exploring learners' interests and fostering engagement! Our learners have been tapping into their curiosity by attending Curiosity Labs designed to spark their wonder. They’ve had a blast making homemade whipped cream, using studio equipment to create beats, competing in our Annual Grilled Cheese competition, and so much more! We’re thrilled to continue this adventure of exploration with our learners.
Norris School District is actively expanding our Community-Based Learning Ecosystem by forging new connections with community partners. We’ve been scouting exciting new locations for learning hubs, immersing ourselves in different communities, and participating in events like the Resource Fair at Community Warehouse and Partners in Hope. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a community partner, please contact Amber Ehrmann, Community Liaison, at aehrmann@norrisacademywi.org.
Let’s make this year unforgettable together!
June's Journal
I want to take a moment to inform you that the Norris School District is utilizing Speak Up Speak Out for anonymous reporting of school threats. This platform allows learners, guardians, school staff, and community members to submit safety concerns through a dedicated website, mobile app, or toll-free number. Speak Up Speak Out's resource center staff are available around the clock to respond to tips, coordinating directly with school administrators, law enforcement, and counselors to ensure a swift response.
It's worth noting that over half of public middle and high schools across the country now operate a tip line, reflecting a growing commitment to safety. For more information or to submit an anonymous tip, please visit Speak Up Speak Out. Your voice matters in helping us maintain a safe school environment!
Lab Gab
ELA:
During the month of September, learners explored all of the learning spaces at Norris. The purpose was to introduce learners to the opportunities available. Therefore, they observed various activities, academics, outdoor adventures, studio work, curiosity labs, and more. The following are reflections on observations learners made during the month of September:
“In September, I discovered my like for crossword puzzles in our ELA lab.”
“I also learned not to get in trouble at school and pay attention to school and my work.”
-Kaden T.
“One new skill I explored this month was taking my time.”
“Something I would like to learn more about is getting my hands dirty fixing bikes.”
-Leo
“In September, I learned about journaling in our ELA lab.”
“One of the most interesting labs at Norris to learn in is the studio because it’s nice & relaxing.”
-Nolan F.
“The most interesting thing I learned in September is how to use a machine in the shop.”
“My 5 favorite labs/spaces I enjoyed in September were: Social Studies, the lunchroom, the shop, the makers space, and the studio.”
-Macki
“The most important thing I learned in September was division. I’m in tenth grade and just learned division! It made me so happy.”
“My top 5 favorite labs/spaces I enjoyed in September were: ELA, Math, Social Studies, Gym, and Science.”
-Jacob R.
“The most important thing I learned in September was how to make beats and music.”
“My favorite curiosity lab we did was how to make whip cream."
-Hezzekyiah
“In September, I learned about oysters in our ELA lab.”
“Something I would like to learn more about is the ocean.”
-Keion
“This September I’ve learned a lot! I’ve expanded my skills in creating beats & writing music in the studio, learned about Thich Nhat Hahn, Al-Khwarizmi, & Hypatia of Alexandria in Social Studies, and completed an independent study on Nuclear power in Science.”
“This September I also learned how to create and submit the ELA Norris News section.”
-Michael Bauer (Co-Author)
Mathematics:
In math, we’re embarking on an exciting journey through the world of graphing! We’ve been solving equations, plotting lines, and navigating number lines. Our younger learners are busy identifying points on graphs and interpreting various types, while the middle and upper grades are mastering the art of plotting lines using equations.
The adventure continues for at least another week, leading up to an exciting finale where learners will choose from one of four creative projects to showcase their newfound skills. Let’s dive in and make graphing fun!
Science:
What an exhilarating first month it’s been in Science Labs! We kicked off the year with two weeks of hands-on exploratory labs and demonstrations to spark curiosity and inspire potential projects for the rest of the school year. Over the past two weeks, learners have jumped into their new "integrated science labs," where they are diving into Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, no matter their grade level.
A standout moment from this month is our exciting "snake pursuit." Learners are hard at work developing a plan to welcome a new class pet—a corn snake! They’re conducting extensive research to create the perfect habitat for it. Stay tuned for more updates on our scientific adventures!
Social Studies:
Social Studies learners kicked off the year with a psychology unit on Multiple Intelligence Theory. They explored the various ways individuals can be intelligent, identified their own Multiple Intelligence profiles, and, using the combined powers of AI and their imaginations, matched their profiles with historical geniuses.
The ballots are in! Last week, learners participated in the inaugural "Meme That Masterpiece" competition, crafting phenomenally clever and outrageously goofy captions for Edvard Munch's The Scream. Congratulations to Ben Pennington for winning with the funniest meme, as chosen by peer vote!
As we gear up for the spooky season, some learners will be wrapping up a global survey of burial practices before diving into a unit on American Government in preparation for the presidential election in November. We’ll explore the unique ingenuity of American elections, the importance of civic engagement, and the basic rights and responsibilities of American citizenship.
Orientation:
We are constantly evolving toward our next best place, and this year is no exception! We kicked off the year by incorporating Orientation into the general rotation of labs, rather than treating it as a separate 10-day experience. This approach allowed our learners to explore all that we offer while making immediate connections to their interests. As a result, all the learners who started Orientation at the beginning of the fall trimester are still actively working on their profiles. It’s been exciting to see them cycle through and share the amazing things happening in other parts of the building! We look forward to returning to our natural 10-day cycle with the next group of new learners.
Library:
The library has been buzzing with activity this month! We’ve launched Destiny Discover—a user-friendly app and website that allows learners to log in with their Norris Google account and access our library catalog from any digital device. We’re also encouraging learners to explore Learning Ally for ebooks and audiobooks.
Pursuit Lab
In the Pursuit Lab, the first few weeks have been an exciting exploration for our learners as they discovered a variety of project possibilities! They dove into the fascinating world of circuits, blended art with science, and tackled engaging STEM mini-projects like tower building and catapult launching. The creativity and curiosity have been truly inspiring!
IBL
The IBL Team has been working with learners to create some great learning opportunities. Learners have been crafting quality songs in the recording studio and beautiful works of art in the Creative Arts area. Adventurous learners have braved our ropes course, and learners have been working on coding using the Scratch platform. Coming soon we'll have our Grilled Cheese Cook-Off, and now that fall has arrived, we have a series of fun IBL activities that are being planned.
🟧 The Navigator's Corner
The Week of Service has been an incredible success! Learners have come together to collect a substantial amount of trash from local roadsides and our campus. The Studio, once a place of mixed emotions, is now buzzing with excitement as this year’s learners embrace the mission of creative collaboration. Under Travis’s guidance, they are encouraged to work together and stay true to themselves while diving into music production on various Digital Audio Workstations. Next, we’ll be shifting gears to learn about musical instruments, focusing on repair and performance. And in October, we’ll channel our creativity into crafting unique items for our Etsy store, the Neil Norris Social Club—easily searchable on Google!
Norris Academy Virtual School (NAVS)
Hello NAVS Community,
We are excited to share some wonderful updates from our program!
Learner Progress
We currently have 10 learners making fantastic progress through our new online curriculum with Edmentum. Among them, one learner is actively pursuing a Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway in business marketing. With over 70 courses available across 15 career clusters. Our curriculum is designed to meet diverse interests and career goals.
Enhanced Parent Engagement
Parents now have greater visibility into their learner's progress through the Sensei portal. This tool allows you to stay informed and engaged with your child's educational journey.
Flexible Scheduling
Our flexible scheduling options are benefiting many learners, allowing them to maintain jobs that could lead to future opportunities while still prioritizing their education. We believe that balancing work and study is essential for personal and professional growth.
Community Engagement
We are proud to have learners actively earning credits while working alongside community mentors. This hands-on experience not only enriches their education but also strengthens community ties.
Join Us!
We still have room for more motivated independent learners! If you know someone looking for a change of pace and eager to take charge of their education, please reach out to Robb at rjackson@norrisacademy for more information.
Thank you for your continued support!
Bakari Learner Highlight: Nolan
Through a Learner's Len
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs through October 15th, we’re supporting a learner who is passionately researching the history of this month and the culinary traditions of Hispanic countries. He’s planning a gallery walk display of his findings in early October, and we can’t wait to see his exploration come to life!
I am researching about Hispanic Heritage Month. I think it’s interesting by all the research I’ve been doing there is a lot more behind Hispanics than I thought. For example, I didn’t know that tamales, enchiladas, and quesadillas all came from El Salvador. I also didn’t know how many Hispanic countries there are - it’s a lot more than just Mexico, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. All the Hispanic countries were colonies of Spain. I think it is very interesting about how much history there is behind Hispanic Heritage Month. It started as just a week in 1968, but got expanded to a whole month. The month encompasses a bunch of their independence days, which is why it’s partly in September and partly in October.
-Jose
9 Grade
Mindful Minute
Color Your Emotion
Think of an emotion that you can identify as an emotion you experience when you feel safe and then assign it a color. You might choose yellow for happiness, green for joyful, or blue for compassion.
Begin the color breathing exercise by taking three deep breaths by inhaling and exhaling through your nose. On the next inhale, imagine filling your body with your chosen color, spreading the desired emotion or quality throughout yourself. Repeat until you experience feeling that emotion. You can also do this in reverse, breathing out a color representing an emotion you want to release and get rid of.
Artventure
We’re thrilled to share that Artventure has had a fantastic start to the year, welcoming both returning and new learners who have been busy creating incredible artwork! From ceramics and painting to shrinky dinks and personal item makeovers, creativity is in full swing. September kicked off with an exciting exploration of the Artventure space, allowing everyone to experiment with a variety of mediums.
As we move into October, get ready for some spooky and fun projects that will spark your imagination! Mid-October will bring our Week of Service, where learners can create pieces that will be featured in our Etsy shop. We can’t wait to see the amazing art they produce this month!
What's Learn MKE?
We invite you to take a look at our new learning hub, Learn MKE. Learn MKE, operated by Norris Academy Virtual School (NAVS), a public charter dedicated to offering learners in the Mitchell Street neighborhood a distinctive place-based experiential learning path. Located on 1109 West Historic Mitchell Street, Milwaukee, Learn MKE collaborates with Achieve MKE to provide community-based educational opportunities ranging from high school diplomas to vocational training and career planning. Learning is personalized through face-to-face interactions, online services, and community-based experiences. Join us in shaping futures and fostering community growth together!
Norris Cares
Norris Academy is introducing a new program called, Norris Cares. Norris Cares will accept monetary and physical donations in support of those of our learners who may be experiencing food, housing, or other basic need insecurities. We have noticed a great need within our community that we would like to help support but we cannot do it alone. All donations to Norris Cares will be used only for this purpose and delivered equitably on a needs determined basis.
Please contact Amber Ehrmann, the Community Liaison at aehrmann@norrisacademywi.org for questions or donations.
Thank you.
Reminders
As the new school year begins, we want to remind families about items that should not be brought to school. Including items such as pillows, blankets, open beverage containers, money, and backpacks. These items can be distracting and potentially harmful, so they will not be allowed in school. For more details on our policies, please visit our website at https://norrisacademywi.org/.
Online Absence Form
Click Here: https://tinyurl.com/onlineabsenceform
Norris School District
Email: hello@norrisacademywi.org
Website: https://norrisacademywi.org/
Location: W247 S10395 Center Drive Mukwonago, WI 53149
Phone: (262) 662-5911
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/norrisacademywi/
Twitter: @NorrisAcademyWi