World Compass Academy engages and inspires learners in a safe, challenging, and individualized learning environment, which cultivates and fosters character, a lifelong love of learning, and the skills to engage in the global community.
Cougar Calendar Reminders
Blue: In-Person Students Green: Remote Students Black: All Students
March 5


March 10


March 12


March 14

March 15-19


March 17

March 24


March 31-April 2


April 4

April 6



April 6-8

April 13

April 13-15
Read Across America (K-4): Wear Stripes
Kindness Challenge (grades 5-8): WCA Spirit Wear

Formal Uniform Day
Class/Spring Picture Day

Final day to Order Original Works for Art
Intent to Return Forms Due

Day Light Savings Time Begins

Spring Break
Explorers Club is Open (Carnival Themed Week)

St. Patrick's Day

Spirit Night Applebee's 11:00am-9:00pm
Spirit Wear Dress Day

Remote Learners CMAS Testing 3rd-8th (on campus)
CMAS Testing 3rd & 4th

Easter

Formal Uniform Day
Board Meeting 6:30pm
PTO Papa John's Night

CMAS Testing 3rd -8th

Remote Learners CMAS 5th & 8th all day (on campus)

CMAS Testing 5th & 8th
Administrator Note

Dear World Compass Academy Community,

Starting this week, teacher assistant supervised lunch recesses will include structured activities. For the last several years in middle school, we have given students structured activities to choose from, and it was very effective. Middle school recess was a problem when the middle school first opened. Kids were getting hurt, fighting, and parents were mad because their students were hurt and in trouble. Structured recess, intramurals as we called it, fixed that problem, because there was an adult to act as referee and coach.    
 
This year we are seeing a substantial increase in referrals and safety concerns across the school in unstructured time supervised by TAs. It can be extraordinarily difficult to monitor five or six different activities. It is much easier to engage with and monitor 2 or 3. We want to empower our TAs with the means to create a safe, manageable play space. Providing the TAs with scaffolding and support helps to ensure our recesses are safer, better supervised, and ultimately a better experience for kids. Since there is research backing structured recesses in being beneficial across the school, we determined that a way to support both TAs and students was to provide recreational options facilitated by adults during the lunch recess while still allowing the (K-5) additional recess to remain unstructured.
 
The quote that sums up the role of the TA in this new structure follows:
The coaches map the area where students spend recess, setting boundaries for different activities, such as kickball. They help children pick teams using random measures, such as students’ birth months, to circumvent emotionally scarring episodes of being chosen based on skill or popularity. If conflicts arise, coaches teach simple ways to settle disputes and preempt some quibbles by teaching games including rock-paper-scissors.
 
If done correctly, this structured time has the opportunity to teach kids valuable skills and even to encourage students to try new things in a physically and emotionally safe environment. 
 
Currently, there are 2-3 choices in each section.  
(Not every grade has every spot. Most grades only have: field, playground, blacktop. However, grades 5/6, who have a combined lunch, and K utilize more spaces)
Field North- Football, Reading/Talking with Friends
Field Mid- Walking Laps (some of the older kids like walking), Rotating Organized Game (500, Tractor Tag, Infection), reading/talking with friends
Field South- Soccer, Reading/Talking with Friends
Blacktop- Dancing with music boombox, chalk, hopscotch, jump ropes, reading/talking with friends
Commons- Corn-hole, reading/talking with friends
Big Playground- Unstructured free play
Preschool Playground- Unstructured free play
 
This is brand new, so we are still refining activities and will likely rotate choices (we always did in MS Intramurals). Ideally, students would be able to choose between all the activities. However, with cohorts options are more limited. 
 
We are hoping this structured play will help them release their energy while staying safe.

Warm Regards,
Bethany, Krista, and Amanda
Intent to Return Form
The Intent to Return form is available. This form needs to be completed by all WCA families (whether you are returning or not) for the 2021-2022 school year. These are due by March 12th. If you are returning, payments will be invoiced at a later date. Intent to Return Form
CMAS Testing
State testing is still scheduled to take place this spring. Third through eighth graders, including remote learning students, will participate in CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success) testing after spring break, specific dates are listed below. Please visit the State Mandated Testing tab on the school website for more information. Please try to have your student present at school on these dates, and plan any appointments around the schedule below. To best help us prepare for the health and safety of our students during testing, please let us know your intentions regarding spring 2021 CMAS testing by Wednesday, March 24th. Please contact Clare Kiesel, school assessment coordinator, with your intentions or questions.
8th Graders Castle View High School Football
Are you interested in playing tackle football at Castle View HS? If so, there will be an informational meeting for all players, including incoming freshmen on Wednesday, March 10th at 7pm. It will be a Zoom meeting. For more information, please contact Head Football Coach Eric Handke at ehandke@dcsdk12.org
Lawndiggity Fundraiser
Are you dreaming of green grass and sunshine? If you want to have the greenest, healthiest lawn in your neighborhood this spring and summer AND earn money for World Compass Academy, you're in luck!

Lawndiggity is locally owned right here in Castle Rock. Seasonally appropriate fertilizer is delivered right to your porch right before it's time to apply it. Easy, peasy and you control when, where and how it is applied. The seasonal subscription so you can take lawn care off your to-do list. You don't have to plan a trip to the hardware store, load bags in your car, or worry if it's the right stuff for my lawn. Feel free to share with friends and family too!

If you buy through the below link, WCA earns 10% of your purchase price. https://lawndiggity.com/collections/wca. Get a head start on your perfect spring lawn and support our school.
Original Works of Art
Hello Parents!

Thank you for your support in partnering with Original Works again! I am so excited to announce we are having a second round of ordering. It is the same artwork from the fall. Go here to see the entire school's Gallery!
Use the password "Wcacad" 
Order Here (must use individual student code on flyer to order)
Your student received the flyer this week with his/her artwork featured. You have a special code to enter if you choose to order products. This is a fundraiser for the WCA Art Department, but mostly I'm interested in you having a great gifting opportunity! The quality of the products is astounding!

Deadline to order is March 12th. Thanks again for your unending support this year! I love teaching your student!

-Tifaney Wollert, Art Teacher
Explorers Club
Join us in Explorers Club for Spring Break Carnival Week!

MONDAY-
BEAN BAG TOSS
TARGET GOLF
POPCORN SNACK BOOTH

TUESDAY-
SAND ART
CLOWN NOSE RELAY
DONUT CONTEST

WEDNESDAY-
GOLD COIN TOSS
LUCKY CHARMS GAME
SHAMROCK BINGO

THURSDAY-
PING PONG BALL
TOSS HOT WHEELS RACE
CUPCAKE WALK

FRIDAY-
PAINT THROWING
PIZZA LUNCH MOVIE
Middle School Sports
Spring is upon us, and our sports programs are still on "pause". Our school and athletic conferences main concern is keeping our students in school. We are trying to not mix cohorts and athletics would mix cohorts. We will continue to track the safety of sports through CHSAA and DCSD. Thank you for your understanding.

If you have any questions please contact the Athletic Director, Lisa Carpenter
Support PTO Spirit Night


Need a break from cooking?

We have a solution...


Please support our wonderful PTO at Applebee's on March 24th. This is an ALL DAY event.
WCA Outstanding Alumni
PTO Information
Did you know you can earn money for your school simply by going to the Grocery store? Getting a King Soopers card is SUPER easy. Please register your King Soopers card for Community Rewards. Please contact melissa.florido@worldcompassacademy.com

Our Lost & Found is growing. Please remind your student to check for their lost items.
Nurse Notes
For information on COVID-19 and updates on Covid please see Nurse Stefanie Bender's website.

Stefanie Bender, BSN, RN, SSP-SN 
School Nurse Consultant, World Compass Academy 
Office 303-814-5262 
Mental Health Assistance
The wellness of our students is central to their capacity to learn. DCSD's Prevention & School Culture and Mental Health Intervention departments are dedicated to supporting our students while providing for their physical, social, and emotional needs.Social/emotional support and intervention is a collaboration between administrators, teachers, parents, counselors, school social workers and school psychologists. By building student skills in communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity, we prepare students for learning and for life. Our work covers prevention, as well as targeted and intensive intervention for those who need additional support.  

WCA Social Worker: Caroline Mantel
PTO Papa John's Nights
The PTO has a monthly fundraiser at Papa John's Pizza.

It will be the first Tuesday of every month to coincide with Formal Uniform Day and the Board Meeting.

The PTO is looking forward to your support in their new monthly fundraiser.

This is NOT a spirit wear day.

Why do people love eating pizza?
Important Remote Learning Information
Attention remote learning families: We have created a facebook page just for you. Join here!

If you have additional questions, please reach out to your remote learning teacher. The Remote Learning Facebook group is not monitored for questions; please email remote learning teachers directly with questions. The purpose of the group is for social connection only. 

Elementary: Dawn Morris (K-1), Keyan Boykins (2-3), Kristie Carney (4-5)
Middle School (6-8): Charity Bray (6th & Algebra 1), Katie Kohn (Geometry), Beth Moreau (5th & 7th), Joseph Scotten (Science), Lisa Geier (7 & 8 ELA), Andrea Peters (6th History) or Nicolas Hauser (6th ELA, 7 & 8 History)
Spanish K-3: Joyce Campino Hall
French K-3: Annie Maurice
Mandarin K-3: Yue Ling Yu
Spanish 4-6: Maura Gonzalez
Spanish 7-8: Douglas Mulford
French 4-8: Kara Nikanorov
Mandarin 4-8: Rui Rui Zhang or Mike Stern
Winter Campaign #wcaachievement
Snap photos of your students in school uniforms doing remote learning or studying. Share them with us at 

We would love to feature your students with our hashtag #wcaachievement

Please tag @wcacougars on Instagram or @worldcompassacademy on Facebook. 

Use the hashtag #wcaachievement and thank you for sharing your WCA academic achievements. 
Online Additional Learning Resources
Here are some additional resources to help you keep your child's thirst for knowledge and desire to do activities thriving when doing remote schooling. 

Stories in different languages
Scholastic Read At Home:  FREE program
Exciting places to Visit: 30 Virtual Tours
PBS Kids: PBS KIDS
National Geographic Kids: National Geographic
National Park Services Junior Ranger Program: National Parks
Disney "Imagineering" in a Box: Theme Park Design: Disney's Imagineering
Announcements
2020-2021 School Calendar is posted to our website here. 

Follow WCA on Social Media
PTO. Meet other WCA parents by joining the PTO Facebook Page and please email the PTO with PTO related questions. Visit the PTO Website and read the PTO Newsletter.
WCA Honors
NONDISCRIMINATION NOTICE: The Douglas County School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, age, marital status, genetic information, or physical characteristics, disability or need for special education services in admissions, access to, treatment of, or employment in educational programs or activities. The School District's Compliance Officer is Ted Knight, Assistant Superintendent, 620 Wilcox Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, complianceofficer@dcsdk12.org, 303-387-0067. Complaint procedures have been established for students, parents, employees, and members of the public.  
2490 S. Perry Street
Castle Rock, CO 80104

Main Phone: 303-814-5200
Attendance: 303-814-5280