Parent Info Center

Excitement is in the air with Spring Break right around the corner!

As we approach the midterm at Williamsburg Academy of Colorado, it is an excellent opportunity for your student to review their progress this semester, recognize their wins, submit any missed assignments, and prepare for upcoming midterm exams or projects.

If your student is taking live classes, the last day to submit pre-midterm assignments is March 7 at 9:00 PM MT. If they are taking self-paced courses, it is March 10 at 5:00 PM MT.

Our Mentors and Teaching Assistants work hard to give constructive and specific feedback to assignments during the semester to assist your student with their growth and development. Please invite your student to read this feedback and complete any resubmission requests to help improve their grades.

We are so grateful for the chance to work with your outstanding students.

Warmly,

Cynthia Cox

Executive Director, Leadership Academy of Colorado

Action Items

Midterms are next week: Please remind your students to take their midterms next week! Note that all midterms are due by Friday, March 10 at 5:00 PM MT.

School swag is now available!We have Williamsburg Academy of Colorado swag available for purchase in Homeroom. Be sure to order a WAC sweatshirt or t-shirt for your student!

Announcements

Concurrent Enrollment Parent Info Session: Join us for our Concurrent Enrollment Parent Info Session on Thursday, March 23, at 1:00 PM MT! During this session, we will discuss your student’s exciting concurrent enrollment opportunities with Pikes Peak Community College beginning this fall semester. We hope to see you there!

Upcoming Events

March 6: WAC Student Council – 2:00-2:30 PM MT

March 9-10: Midterms – All midterms are due by March 10 at 5:00 PM MT

March 13-17: Spring Break – No classes, offices closed

March 23: Concurrent Enrollment Parent Info Session – 1:00-1:30 PM MT

March 31: Next in-person event – Stay tuned for details

April 10: Spring Recess – No classes, offices Closed

May 19: Commencement/Graduation – 6:00-7:00 PM MT

Did you know Williamsburg Academy of Colorado (formerly LACO) emphasizes developing our students’ career plans? Our multi-year process guides students to explore individual career, academic and post-secondary opportunities. 

Our Academic Counselor, Heather Evans, wants to share information about Williamsburg Academy of Colorado’s ICAP (Individual Career and Academic Plan).  

Individual Development:

Williamsburg Academy of Colorado promotes a culture of inclusion, equity, and belonging. We help students overcome barriers and create equitable access for all students. 

Our Mind & Body Leadership course teaches students about mental health, wellness, teen suicide prevention, and mental health risk factors.  

Career Development:

Students complete our required Professional Leadership course for college test prep, aptitude tests, trade school evaluation, scholarship and financial aid, and career planning.  

Academic Development:

Our rigorous courses through Williamsburg Learning teach students how to think, not what to think. We also offer concurrent enrollment, where students can earn college credits during high school.

Powerful Demonstrations of Learning:

Students reflect upon their Transformational Learning Experiences (TLEs) throughout their journey with Williamsburg and complete a TLE project in Professional Leadership.

Please see this document for more information. Feel free to reach out to Heather to learn more about our ICAP plan and scholarship opportunities available to our students. We hope you will join us on March 23 as we share early college opportunities for our students in the fall semester.

Warmly,

Cynthia Cox

Executive Director, Leadership Academy of Colorado

Action Items

Parent Survey: Here’s the link to our Parent Survey! We’d love to receive any feedback you could provide. We aim to continuously improve and serve our families well. 

Announcements

Date clarification for upcoming Parent Info Session: The Concurrent Enrollment Parent Info Session will be held on Thursday, March 23, at 1:00 PM MT. We hope you’ll join us to learn more about this exciting opportunity for your student! 

Upcoming Events

March 3: Next in-person event  – stay tuned for details

March 9-10: Midterms – All midterms are due by March 10 at 5:00 PM MT 

March 13-17: LACO Spring Break 

March 23: Concurrent Enrollment Parent Info Session – 1:00-1:30 PM MT 

May 19: Commencement/Graduation – 6:00-7:00 PM MT 

At Leadership Academy of Colorado (soon to be Williamsburg Academy of Colorado!), we take a unique approach to teaching STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) compared to most online schools. Here’s a quick overview:

Mentors in our STEM courses guide students to awaken to the science surrounding them daily. Hands-on projects give students real-life experience with the science behind food, weather, roller coasters, the human body, and Earth itself. Students also study the stories of some of history's great scientists, including several of America's founders. 

Our STEM students choose assignments from a monthly project buffet every week and work closely with mentors to refine their methods, results, and conclusions. Each course also revolves around one major project that requires the scientific knowledge and skills of the whole class to complete.

By participating in our STEM courses, our students hone their innate skills as scientists and become aware of how the scientific method can help them better understand the world. They are more curious than ever about the mysteries of science and technology and excited to make a positive difference with their skills.

Now, speaking of STEM, we hope your student can make it to our upcoming in-person event filled with fun STEM activities! For this event, we will meet on Friday, March 3, at 7575 E 29th Place, Denver, CO, from 1:00 PM-4:00 PM. You can find additional information about this exciting day, including registration links, under the "Announcements" section below! 

Warmly,

Cynthia Cox

Executive Director, Leadership Academy of Colorado

Action Items

How was your onboarding experience this semester? Please let us know in this brief survey: Is this your child’s first semester with us? Have you and your child had a smooth start so far? Please let us know in this survey so we can continue to improve your experience! 

Help plan our End of Year Celebration! Please complete this survey to let us know your feedback about the location for our in-person celebration in April. This will be an all-school event where we will celebrate the year and our graduates! 

All returning families must complete an application for each school year: If you haven’t applied for next year, please do that today! All returning families must complete the application each year. Please see this page of our website to apply.

Announcements

Important pre-midterm information: Pre-midterm assignments in live classes are due by March 7 at 9:00 PM MT, and pre-midterm assignments in self-paced classes are due by March 10 at 5:00 PM MT. All midterms are also due by March 10 at 5:00 PM MT. 

Upcoming in-person STEM event: Join us for a fun day filled with STEM activities as we explore, learn, solve problems, and have some fun! We will meet at 7575 E 29th Place, Denver, CO, 80238, on Friday, March 3, from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM. Parents do not need to stay for this event. If you would like to bring food to share, please be sure it is store-bought and nut free. Please RSVP here. You can complete the waiver for this event here. 

Exciting opportunity with Pikes Peak State College! We are thrilled to announce that LACO students will be able to take college classes and be concurrently enrolled with Pikes Peak State College beginning the upcoming fall semester. Join us for a presentation on Thursday, March 23 at 1:00 PM MT to learn more about this exciting opportunity for your student. 

Summer registration starts on March 27: We’ve adjusted our summer registration dates to align with registration for the 2023-24 school year, so you’ll be able to select your student’s summer, fall, and winter classes all at once. We’ll send you reminders before registration opens! Please note that summer courses are only available for current students – we do not accept new students during the summer semester.

Upcoming Events

February 17: LACO In-Person Student Valentine’s Day Party (7575 Town Center Building, Denver, CO) – 1:00 PM-4:00 PM MT 

February 20: President’s Day – No classes, offices closed

March 3: In-Person STEM Day (7575 Town Center Building, Denver, CO) – 1:00-3:00 PM MT 

March 9-10: Midterms – All midterms are due by March 10 at 5:00 PM MT 

March 13-17: LACO Spring Break 

March 21: Concurrent Enrollment Parent Info Session – 1:00-1:30 PM MT 

As Valentine's Day is next week, I want to share my heartfelt gratitude for each of our LACO families. I enjoy working with your students and seeing their eagerness and enthusiasm for learning. 

At LACO, our students are encouraged to share with us their Transformational Learning Experiences (TLEs). These are impactful experiences from LACO courses that made students feel inspired in some way. Reading the following TLE from one of our new students made me smile:

"We were talking about Native American Folklore around the first week of the new semester. This is my first time ever taking classes through you guys, and I already really like it! Ms. Williams is probably my favorite teacher so far. I can't wait to learn from her!"

Happiness for me includes hearing of our students' joy as they love and embrace learning. Thank you for entrusting your student's education to LACO! We are glad that you are a part of our community.

I hope you and your family have a fantastic Valentine's Day! 

Warmly,

Cynthia Cox

Executive Director, Leadership Academy of Colorado

Action Items

Open Enrollment is still on: You can now submit an application for your student to join us for the 2023-24 school year! The sooner you apply, the faster you’ll be able to register for classes when fall registration opens at the end of March. Visit our How to Enroll page to get started! 

LACO Parent Survey: Here’s the link to our Parent Survey! We’d love any feedback you have to provide. We aim to continuously improve and serve our families well.

Announcements

Exciting new opportunity for LACO students! We are thrilled to announce that LACO students will be able to take college classes and be concurrently enrolled with Pikes Peak Community College beginning in the fall 2023 semester. Save the date to join us for a presentation on Thursday, March 21, at 1:00 PM MT to learn more about this exciting opportunity for your student!

In-person Valentine’s Day Celebration: Join us for games, food, and lots of fun at our Valentine's Day Celebration on February 17! We will be meeting at 7575 E 29th Place, Denver CO, 80238 from 1:00 PM-4:00 PM. Parents do not need to stay for this event. 

Upcoming Events

February 13: LACO Parent Booster Club Meeting: We invite all parents to join us as we support the school and our students – 10:00 AM MT 

February 17: LACO In-Person Student Valentine’s Day Party (7575 Town Center Building, Denver, CO) – 1:00 PM-4:00 PM MT 

March 21: Concurrent Enrollment Parent Info Session – 1:00-1:30 PM MT

As you know, Leadership Academy of Colorado's educational program is unique because of our Six Mentor Practices. The practice that resonates most deeply with me is Connection. Without connection, we cannot form the bonds that make real learning possible. This is why, as we train our mentors, we focus on connecting with students in meaningful ways. 

The following beliefs about human nature influence how we connect with our students and are directly related to our mission and vision:

The Potential of the Individual:

Every individual inherently desires to live a meaningful life, which comes from contributing to a cause bigger than oneself. Each of our students is uniquely talented and can change the world significantly.

The Power of Principled Leadership:

All positive change begins with principled leaders. Unprincipled leaders do the worst damage. Tomorrow's leaders need an education rooted in the liberal arts and technology that gives them the tools and support they need to become principled leaders.

The Necessity of a New Kind of Education:

Students who are self-motivated, academically proficient, and yearn for leadership opportunities need programs designed specifically for them. In addition, parents, students, and mentors should work together to challenge, uplift, support, and hold students accountable. 

We love connecting with our students and their families here at Leadership Academy of Colorado. Thank you for being a part of our community!

Warmly,

Cynthia Cox

Executive Director, Leadership Academy of Colorado

Action Items

Check out the Academic Calendar for 2023-24: Want to get an early start on planning your family’s summer and fall vacations this year? You can view the finalized calendar for the upcoming school year here.

Announcements

Exciting new opportunity for LACO students! We are thrilled to announce that LACO students will be able to take college classes and be concurrently enrolled with Pikes Peak Community College beginning in the fall 2023 semester. Save the date to join us for a presentation on Thursday, March 21, at 1:00 PM MT to learn more about this exciting opportunity for your student!

In-person Valentine’s Day Celebration: Join us for games, food, and lots of fun at our Valentine's Day Celebration on February 17! We will be meeting at 7575 E 29th Place, Denver CO, 80238 from 1:00 PM-4:00 PM. Parents do not need to stay for this event. 

Upcoming Events

February 3: In-Person Event at Boondocks (18706 Cottonwood Dr, Parker, CO, 80138) – 1:00 PM-4:00 PM MT

February 7: LACO Open Meeting: Available for the public to learn about LACO and ask questions of our School Accountability Committee – 2:30 PM MT

February 13: LACO Parent Booster Club Meeting: We invite all parents to join us as we support the school and our students – 10:00 AM MT 

February 17: LACO In-Person Student Valentine’s Day Party (7575 Town Center Building, Denver, CO) – 1:00 PM-4:00 PM MT 

March 21: Concurrent Enrollment Parent Info Session – 1:00-1:30 PM MT

I wanted to share the recording from our Parent Info Session this week. The video shares tips for working alongside your student, helping them plan their week, and managing assignments. Adam Hailstone, one of our Williamsburg Learning executives, relays a tool that works in his family. Additionally, our Academic Counselor, Heather Evans, shares information about each student’s individualized Graduation Plan. Here’s the link! 

You can also find resources for supporting your student in our Parent and Student Handbook.

Our Leadership Academy of Colorado team is here and ready to provide support. Please let us know how we can assist you and your student!

Warmly,

Cynthia Cox
Executive Director, Leadership Academy of Colorado

Action Items

Sign up for Parent-Mentor Conferences! We sent you an email on Wednesday (January 25) with instructions on how to request a Parent-Mentor Conference or Parent-Mentor Update. We’ll send you another reminder email with instructions this Monday, January 30. We hope you’ll take advantage of this chance to get personalized insights about your student’s progress!

Open Enrollment is on now: You can now submit an application for your student to join us for the 2023-24 school year! Visit our How to Enroll page to get started!

The drop deadline is January 30: The last day for students to drop a class is this Monday, January 30. Any classes dropped after this deadline will result in an “F” that can only be replaced by retaking the class.

Announcements

In-Person Event at Boondocks: Join us on Friday, February 3, for an in-person event at Boondocks in Parker (18706 Cottonwood Dr, Parker, CO, 80138) from 1:00 PM-4:00 PM MT. LACO will pay for its students to participate in the activities. Please sign up here. Please note that we require parents to attend and be responsible for their own students. We plan to update our policy as soon as possible to allow for student drop-off, and we hope you’ll be patient with us as we ensure we have the required training and the pieces in place to do this.

Upcoming Events

January 30: 28-Day Drop Deadline: Last day for students to drop classes without receiving an "F"

January 30-February 3: Parent-Mentor Conferences

February 3: In-Person Event at Boondocks

February 7: LACO Open Meeting: Available for the public to learn about LACO and ask questions of our School Accountability Committee – 2:30 PM MT

February 13: LACO Parent Booster Club Meeting: We invite all parents to join us as we support the school and our students – 10:00 AM MT

February 17: LACO In-Person Student Valentine's Day Party (7575 Town Center Building, Denver, CO) – 1:00 PM-4:00 PM MT

We have been able to celebrate the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this past week. With the recent holiday, I ponder one of his famous quotes: 

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” 

One of our goals at Leadership Academy of Colorado is to build community among our families and students. I hope your student is forming friendships and connecting with other students and mentors in their classes. I challenge each of us to reach out to others with kind words and a smile. Together, we can brighten the world by fostering an attitude of acceptance and offering a hand of friendship.

I hope everyone feels accepted and a part of Williamsburg Learning and LACO. Please know that we are available to answer questions or support your student in any way we can.


Warmly,

Cynthia Cox
Executive Director, Leadership Academy of Colorado

Action Items

Open Enrollment for the 2023-24 school year starts this Monday, January 23! Applying for the next school year is required whether your student is new or returning to LACO. Please see this page to review the details on our application process.

Parent Mentor Updates and Conferences: Parent Mentor Updates and Parent Mentor Conferences will take place from Monday, January 30, through Friday, February 3. Stay tuned for an email next Wednesday with instructions on how to sign up.

Required NWEA MAP Make-Up Assessments: Required NWEA MAP make-up assessments will take place today, and additional make-up sessions will be held next Friday, January 27 from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM MT. Please see your email and your student’s Homeroom course in Canvas for details and the links!

Announcements

RSVP for our last January Parent Training Session! Our final session is happening next Thursday (January 26), and we’ll be discussing our best tips for supporting your student with at-home learning. Please fill out this form to RSVP, and we’ll send you a reminder email with the Zoom link before we start. You can view the recording of our last session on Getting the Most Out of Canvas here.

Remind your student to log in daily: Attendance is measured through daily logins. If your student must miss a day, here is the link to our Absence Request Form.

Please complete this survey and see this information and dates for our CMAS and PSAT assessments in April. These in-person assessments are required for our students, and we look forward to seeing you there! More details to follow, but we’d like to know if you plan to join us in Colorado Springs, Loveland, or Durango.

LACO Parent Survey: Here’s the link to our Parent Survey! We’d love any feedback you could provide. We aim to continuously improve and serve our families well.

Upcoming Events

January 26: Thursday Night Live – 3:00 PM MT (Find details in Homeroom)

January 26: Parent Training Session: The Graduation Plan and Supporting Your Student at Home – 4:00 PM MT

January 30: Parent Booster Club Meeting – 10:00 AM MT

January 30-February 3: Parent Mentor Conferences

February 7: LACO Open Meeting – 2:30 PM MT

February 13: LACO Parent Booster Club Meeting – 10:00 AM MT

Next week all students will need to participate in our middle-of-year NWEA MAP assessments. You should have received an email providing the dates, times, and Zoom Rooms. We strive for a 95% student participation rate, so please mark your calendars, and block time out for the assessments!

The NWEA MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) is an adaptive achievement test. It provides a personalized assessment by adapting to each student’s level of learning. If a student correctly answers a question, the computer assessment asks a more challenging question next. If they miss a question, an easier question is posed. The assessment provides essential information about what your student has already learned and what your student is ready to learn. 

The tool is one way to measure your student’s academic progress. 

You may note the increase in your student’s scores as your student progresses throughout the year and through each grade level. If you are interested in seeing the averages of scores for students, please see this chart for math and this chart for language arts. Your student’s assessment scores will be emailed to you within the next few weeks.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Warmly,

Cynthia Cox

Executive Director, Leadership Academy of Colorado

Action Items

RSVP for our upcoming Parent Training Sessions! For more hands-on support this semester, don’t forget to RSVP for our remaining January Parent Training Sessions! Please fill out this form to RSVP, and we’ll send you reminder emails with the Zoom link before each session. We have two more sessions you can attend this month, on the following topics:

• Getting the Most Out of Canvas (January 19)
• Supporting Your Student at Home (January 26)

Ensure your student participates in NWEA MAP Middle of the Year Assessments (they are required for all students): Check your email, and be sure your student participates in the math and language arts assessment next week. We require each student to take the assessments at the beginning, middle, and end of each year. 

Join us for Fun Fridays! Fun Fridays are a LACO family event hosted by Adam Hailstone that combine a time for parents to learn strategies for working with students, homework support, games, and making connections with other LACO families. Parents must attend the event. We welcome friends, and this waiver must be signed by any non LACO student. Feel free to bring your favorite board games. Note that any food items shared by families must be store purchased and nut free. Please join us at 7575 Town Center Building in Denver from 1-4 pm every Friday.  RSVP by calling Adam at this number: 435-590-3524.

Upcoming Events

January 16: Martin Luther King Jr. Day – No Class, Offices Closed

January 17-January 20: NWEA MAP Assessments

January 19: Parent Training Session: Getting the Most Out of Canvas – 4:00 PM MT

January 26: Parent Training Session: Supporting Your Student at Home – 4:00 PM MT

January 30: Parent Booster Club Meeting – 10:00 AM MT

January 30-February 3: Parent Mentor Conferences

February 7: LACO Open Meeting – 2:30 PM MT

February 13: LACO Parent Booster Club Meeting – 10:00 AM MT

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a relaxing, fun-filled, and rejuvenating break! I enjoyed spending time with my family skiing and celebrating Christmas!
 
It’s exciting to start the Winter Semester at Leadership Academy of Colorado, and we welcome our new students! Thank you, families, for sharing your experiences with friends and neighbors! Our student enrollment is growing!
 
I want to remind you about our Fun Fridays! The activities begin today and will be held each Friday as an exciting opportunity for our students to get together in person each week! See the information in the “Announcements” section below. 
 
Please take note of our Parent Information Sessions that will take place each Thursday in January. We invite new and returning families to join us. Please bring your questions! If we can support you or your student, let me know! Our goal as a LACO Team is to make the best educational experience for our students and families possible! 
 
Enjoy learning and your classes this semester!

Warmly,

Cynthia Cox

Executive Director, Leadership Academy of Colorado

Action Items:

Join us for Fun Fridays starting today! Fun Fridays hosted by Adam Hailstone begin this week! This program combines homework support for students with playing games and hanging out together. There will be billiards, giant Connect Four, and Jenga, and feel free to bring your favorite board games. Please join us at 7575 Town Center Building in Denver from 1-4 pm every Friday. Please RSVP by calling Adam at this number: 435-590-3524.

RSVP for our upcoming Parent Training Sessions! For more hands-on support to succeed this semester, don’t forget to RSVP for our Parent Training Sessions each Thursday in January! You can fill out this form to RSVP, and we’ll send you reminder emails with the Zoom link before each session! The topics we’ll be covering are:

• Getting the Most Out of SIS (January 12)
• Getting the Most Out of Canvas (January 19)
• Supporting Your Student at Home (January 26)
  

Watch the recording of New Parent & Student Orientation: Last night we held this session to welcome new families to LACO for the winter 2023 semester. We're so glad you're here! In case you missed it, you can view the recording here.

Please remind your student to log in daily: Attendance is measured through daily log-ins. If your student must miss a day, here is the link to our Absence Request Form.

NWEA MAP Middle of the Year Assessments are coming up; please mark your calendar: One way we monitor the progress of our LACO students is by using the NWEA MAP assessment in math and language arts. We require each student to take these tests at the beginning, middle, and end of each year. We are scheduling the mid-year assessments for the week of January 16-20. Please mark your calendars, and stay tuned for more information.

Parents of Seniors: Help your student prepare for their graduation ceremony: Your student has been enrolled in the Graduation course for this May. Please make sure they complete this survey so we have the proper information for our ceremony and diplomas.

Upcoming Events:

January 9: Student Council – Mondays at 2:00 PM for all Colorado Students

January 12: Parent Training Session: Getting the Most out of SIS – 4:00 PM MT

January 16: Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No Class, Offices Closed

January 19: Parent Training Session: Getting the Most Out of Canvas – 4:00 PM MT

January 26: Parent Training Session: Supporting Your Student at Home – 4:00 PM MT

January 30: Parent Booster Club Meeting – 10:00 AM MT