Message from the Director, Monday Message

A Message from the Director

April 03, 2020

Hello, CSA Community!

We now know that the online learning platform will be our mode of operation through the end of the school year. Our facilitators, Care Team members, office staff, special education staff, and learners have done an amazing job in making this transition! We also greatly appreciate your input and feedback as we have transitioned during these past two weeks, helping us create the best experience for our learners, staff, and families. Thank you!

This is a longer director’s message than usual because there are many important updates for our CSA community. Specifically, there is a change in our schedule through April 30 to allow planning time for the next project (and to give learners one day of uninterrupted time to complete any missing assignments). CSA’s approach to attendance and grading will also be outlined.

April Schedule Changes

We are planning our next project for all of our learners, which will provide them with a creative outlet more so than what we have done previously. Creativity is essential in an online environment and generates feelings of positivity and happiness — all things our learners need throughout this month. Good projects take a lot of planning, and we will be adjusting our April learning schedule as follows:

  • Friday, April 3: No-Contact Workday: Learners will have time to devote to completing assignments, etc., and will not have any Zoom class sessions (nor any exit tickets) for that day. It is just a time to catch up and have some free time as well. Facilitators will be using the day for project planning.
  • Thursday, April 9, and Friday, April 10: No-Contact Workdays: Facilitators need two concurrent days to create and refine activities related to the upcoming project. Learners will have this time to complete any outstanding assignments or just have fun and relax!
  • Friday, April 17: No-Contact Workday
  • Monday, April 20: New Project Launch! You will see the results of all the facilitators’ planning! (Once the planning is done, we can let you know the duration of this project.)
  • Friday, April 27: No-Contact Workday 

CSA Approach to Attendance While Online

Learners make contact with each of their facilitators via Zoom class sessions, completing an exit ticket/closing question for attendance, turning in assignments on Google Classroom, or showing up during Office Hours. All of these activities demonstrate a learner’s engagement in the online learning platform. A learner’s engagement in each class will be reported to our Office Manager/Registrar every Friday. She will mark attendance for each learner for the week in that specific class. If a learner has not demonstrated any engagement in a class, the parent/guardian will receive a phone call from CSA staff to ascertain that the learner is safe and well.

Please note that PowerSchool attendance will be updated only once per week while we are in an online learning environment.

CSA Approach to Grades While Online

Transitioning to an online learning environment has gone well, but it is still very different for learners and facilitators. Thus, grading needs to be approached differently for CSA learners. For 4th Quarter (March 13 – May 29), grades given at the end of 3rd quarter will either remain the same or improve as your learner progresses through the online project learning. Feedback will be offered to learners as appropriate. At no time will grades be negatively impacted. The goal is for CSA learners to grow in their learning, develop as individuals, and expand their capabilities as brought on through an online learning environment.

CSA wants our learners to actively participate in their learning and to flourish despite the challenges our global situation presents.  

Lastly, I would like to conclude with a link to a Psychology Today article that may prove helpful to all of you as we continue to negotiate this interesting time during the COVID-19 outbreak: “Creativity at Home in the Time of Pandemic.”

Warm regards,

Suzanne Acheson
School Director

Colorado SKIES Academy

Colorado SKIES Academy

Colorado SKIES Academy is a free public charter school authorized by the Cherry Creek School District, open to students throughout the Arapahoe County and Douglas County areas. This STEAM middle school serving grades 6-8 is located at Centennial Airport next to Wings Over the Rockies Exploration of Flight.
Colorado SKIES Academy

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