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Elementary Student/Parent Handbook

What is World Academy – Elementary?

World Academy – Elementary serves students and families in kindergarten through fifth grade in Eagle County and surrounding communities. We recognize and respect families who want an online alternative to traditional schooling, and World Academy offers a unique approach to homeschooling at the elementary level.
 
Our elementary program provides a more “hybrid” approach to support the social-emotional development of students. In-person experiences include field trips, group work, social activities, and a regular schedule of 1:1 teacher time. At the elementary level, parent or family involvement is vital in supporting the learner. It can be challenging for young students to engage with online coursework independently, and they often want to demonstrate and celebrate their learning with an adult. Learn more about World Academy – Elementary on the Program Overview webpage. 
 

Mission & Beliefs

We empower students and families looking for a unique learning path to succeed through a challenging, self-paced curriculum. Our rigorous program offers the public school experience with the flexibility of homeschooling. For students and families who want something different from the traditional classroom, World Academy supports students through engaging content and individualized learning paths.

World Academy – Elementary offers instructional support from Dr. Erika Donahue, Eagle County School District's World Academy Elementary Coordinator to ensure students build an educational foundation customized to their interests and goals.

World Academy students will:
  • Grow one year (or more) in a year’s time.
  • Learn core skills in each critical content area such as Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.

  • Learn the importance of relationships and continual learning.

  • Experience learning as something useful, as a meaningful task that is relevant. Students gain individual gratification of being in charge of, and completing their education. Students will experience their own growth as a result of what happens when they commit to the work.

  • Have ownership in their education, their materials, the programs, and their work.

  • Be functional, productive members of society. In the future, they will be employable with the tools and skills needed in the workplace. They will gain life skills and knowledge in order to find success in their interests and pursuits.

Expectations

Family Participation | Getting online, staying online, and engaging with schoolwork online are challenges that some students face. We are counting on you, and your family, to help your student experience success. Please ensure that your student spends adequate time on content areas regularly and that they complete written resources, show what they know with hands-on projects and presentations, and stay on track within their individual learning path. We will count on you to work with the teacher to determine a schedule for weekly virtual contact to discuss instructional needs, coursework, pacing/progress, and personal interests. Family and student interaction with the teachers is crucial for building relationships and providing the support students often need in an online program. Students are encouraged to ask for help and build relationships with their teachers, but YOU are the first responder.
 
Connecting with WA Coordinator | World Academy offers a variety of ways for students to connect online and face-to-face with their teacher. Each week, 1:1 virtual time will be scheduled for the student and teacher to discuss learning, any struggles that are occurring, and overall feelings the student is having about their experience. Office hours are flexible and will be scheduled throughout the week for families, or the adult working with the student, to reach out to the teacher with any questions or concerns. We are available to schedule meetings with you and your child any time they are needed. Learning labs, an opportunity for face-to-face interaction and instructional support, will be offered on all Mondays that school is in session. Your student's success is paramount. Although this online program functions similarly to homeschool, our certified Eagle County School District teachers want to be involved and to  help all of our students achieve success in World Academy.
 

Feedback & Grades

The World Academy Elementary Coordinator will provide regular and consistent feedback to students as they complete assignments. This feedback will feed forward and include strengths in student work, as well as areas for continued focus. The coordinator will initiate additional contact with the students if they demonstrate reluctance to begin a new task or appear to be having difficulty with their lessons. At this point, they will evaluate if the student is struggling with the content, or the level of the content, and whether a change is required. Families are invited to initiate contact with the teacher or the coordinator if they have a concern about their student’s engagement or success with lessons.
 

World Academy Elementary assigns grades for all courses on a 4-point scale. Grades will be entered into the PowerSchool system at the end of each semester. Reports will be emailed each semester to give students and parents an indication of progress in each course. Official grades are entered onto the Eagle County School District transcript at the end of each semester. Please contact your child’s teacher for more information on individual student progress. 

 0   Work has not been completed
 1   Beginning to demonstrate Grade Level Standards with support
 2   Developing skills for Grade Level Standards with support
 3   Meeting Grade Level Standards independently
 4   Exceeding Grade Level standards
 
 
World Academy Elementary Coordinator

Curriculum Overview

The World Academy Elementary curriculum provides grade level, standards-based content across all subjects. The content areas are supplemented with hands-on projects and writing assignments that receive individualized academic feedback designed to move kids forward in their academic journey at their own pace. Learn more about World Academy – Elementary's curriculum on the Curriculum Overview webpage.
First page of the PDF file: WA_PELog_1

It is a state requirement for full time elementary students to participate in 600 minutes of physical education (PE) activities per month. A wide variety of sports and leisure activities ‘qualify’ for PE minutes. Sports like soccer, skiing, snowboarding, and swimming all count! So do activities like hiking, biking, and walking the dog! Please record your students daily/monthly PE activities.

Turn the log in to your child’s World Academy teacher at the end of each semester. A grade for PE class will be added to your child’s report card at the end of each semester and will reflect meeting the required 600 minutes, or ten hours of physical activity per month

Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism is the stealing of someone else’s ideas and/or writing. A goal as educators is to ensure students have a clear understanding of properly quoting others, paraphrasing, and citing sources. Do not be tempted to simply copy and paste from the Internet. Plagiarism will not be tolerated in World Academy. Remember, we are looking for your thinking and understanding of the content!