Favorite Holiday Memories!


BlueSky Students and Staff Share Favorite Holiday Memories! 

This month, the Student Services Advisors at BlueSky Online asked students and staff to share their favorite holiday memories. A few of the responses and photos are below! 

"My sisters and I and my little brother had a super fun time in the snow that year. We drove the four wheelers around my Grandma's, racing each other. When we went inside it was time to warm up with some card games. My Mom then decide to snap a silly picture of us girls. Christmas at my Grandmas is always the best! Merry Christmas to all!" 
- 12th grader at BlueSky Online


"Every Christmas Eve, all us kids get to open one present from another one of the siblings." -11th grader at BlueSky Online

"My dad's side of the family has a saying "It's not Christmas until you get socks!" So every Christmas we all get an insurmountable number of socks." - 10th grader at BlueSky Online


Megan Hollenkamp, BlueSky's Administrative Assistant and Social Media Coordinator, shared her favorite memory of receiving a BARBIE SPORTS CAR as a gift! 


Thank you to everyone who shared their Favorite Holiday Memories with the BlueSky Online Blog!! 



Anonymous

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Creating a Home Work Space!

Get ready to spend hours scouring Pinterest....


Creating a Home Work Space


One of the most important needs for an online learner, is a PLACE to work. Sure, students have the computing device that they use for their school work...but where they use that device is also important. 

Online teachers, advisors, and counselors also have to create their own work space in their homes. Here is a picture of my "office". It's a desk in the corner of our family room. It's kind of messy...sorry about that!!


A few elements of a productive workspace (which mine hits the mark on!) are: 
  • Find the perfect space: It's important that your work station is relatively free from distraction. Choose to work in a quiet room, instead of in the middle of the kitchen at dinnertime. 
  • Organize!: Although my desk is a little messy....there's a method to that mess! Make sure that you have an organization to your work. Order increases productivity. 
  • Make it pretty: Well...maybe not "pretty"...but make your work space somewhere that you want to work. Decorate with things that are inspirational or motivational for you. 
  • Create a schedule: Did you see my blog post A 'Bag of Tricks' for Scheduling your School Work? The post offers a number of ideas to help you organize your school day. Create a schedule for yourself and POST IT in your workspace. It will help you stay focused! 
Having trouble coming up with some ideas? Seriously...look at Pinterest!!! It's ridiculous what inspiration you can find. 

A happy workspace creates a happy (and successful!) learner! 

Go forth and decorate! 

Anonymous

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5 Reasons to be THANKFUL for Online Education!


Happy Thanksgiving!!

What a great week to reflect on some of the reasons to be THANKFUL for online education: 

5. Flexibility
 Online education is SO flexible. At BlueSky Online, you can choose between My Pace courses and Group Pace courses. You can follow a weekly class schedule or you can budget your time the way that you'd like. 

4. Scheduling Freedom
 Online education gives students the ability to schedule their day in any way they would like. Like to sleep in until 11AM and then do school work until 10PM? You can! Students can also choose which classes to work on each day, how many classes to work each day, and which days to take off! 

3. Personalized Lessons
Each class can be learned at a student's own pace. The lessons are mostly asynchronous. So, if a student needs to pause, rewind, or rewatch an entire lesson, they can! And teachers can easily share more resources with students to truly personalize the learning experience. 

2. One-on-One Help
 The teachers are online schools are here to help their students. Many hours of the day are set aside for one-on-one tutoring help with students. Teachers use email, chat, phone calls, text, online whiteboards, etc. to help students. 

1.  Schoolwork in PAJAMAS!!
 YES!!!! Pajamas!!! ALL....DAY....LONG! Now that's a reason to be THANKFUL! 

Anonymous

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Science and Health Club: SCSU Planetarium Trip!



We had a great turn out for the SCSU planetarium field trip!  

 26 BlueSky Online students and guests attended!  
Plus BlueSky teachers, counselors, staff, and their families.  

 The skies cleared enough that everyone was able to look through the scope!!



Here are a couple more upcoming events...

~An exciting opportunity is coming to the Bluesky Office on Friday, December 4th from 11 am - 1 pm, a Marine Touch Tank!  You can touch and hold a variety of marine invertebrates, meet U of M marine biology students and hear stories about their study abroad and research experiences, and complete experiments with fiddler crabs.  We do need to know how many students to expect in order to have enough crabs on hand.  The deadline to sign up is Wednesday, November 25th.  Click on the following link to sign up: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1SIHeFXDF9W9snEviJ3MlGEtFFpq9LPLDOKXJ_sqthz4/viewform?usp=send_form Questions? Please contact Carla Ahrenstorff at: cahrenstorff@blueskyschool.org or (612)248-6963.


~The next Science and Health Club meeting is Thursday, November 19th at 2:00.  The club meets online monthly to discuss science and health topics.  You do not need to be a member of the club to participate in the special events or field trips such as the Marine Touch Tank, but if you like science, we encourage you to check out the club! To attend the meeting, just click on https://join.me/bluesky-jjohnsonon Thursday, November 19th at 2:00pm.  There is no commitment, just come check it out!  Questions? Contact Julie Johnson at jjohnson@blueskyschool.org or 320-493-2286


Finally, here are some pictures from the planetarium...





Anonymous

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BlueSky Halloween Costume Contest!



Halloween Costume Contest!


BlueSky is having its 2nd Annual Costume Contest!  

The contest will take place on our Facebook page and is open to all students (and staff).  

You can either send your photos directly to mrice@blueskyschool.org or post them to our FB page. Costumes must be school appropriate to be eligible.  

The costume with the most likes by the end of the day on Monday Nov. 2 WINS!  

The winner will be featured in our November newsletter and receive a small prize.  

Make sure to share your pic to get more likes :)



Anonymous

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BlueSky Online Science & Health Club! And a Field Trip!

Science & Health Club

BlueSky Online Science & Health Club!


Did you know that BlueSky Online School has a Science & Health Club??

Science & Health Club gives students the chance to do "science-y things" together. 

The club meets on the third Thursday of the month at 2:00PM via join.me.

Science and Health Club Field Trip To The St. Cloud State University Planetarium!
When:  Tuesday, November 10th, 2015
Show at 5, Scopes from 6-8pm
Who:  All BlueSky students, families, friends (BlueSky students do not need to be a member of the Science and Health club, but if you like science and/or health, we strongly encourage you to join!)
Cost:  Free
Must be signed up by Friday, October 23rd in order to attend.
You must provide your own transportation to and from the event.
The Planetarium is located in the Robert H. Wick Science Building Located on the intersection of 8th Street South and 1st Avenue South. To find the Planetarium head down to any of the four stairways located within the main building down to the basement/lower level to Room 24 (located in the center of the building).
To sign up or for questions…  Contact: Julie Johnson|jjohnson@blueskyschool.org|320.493.2286

Anonymous

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NACAC: National College Fair in Minneapolis!


National College Fair in Minneapolis!!


When: October 21st - 9AM-12PM, 4:30PM-8PM & October 22nd - 9AM-12PM

Where: Minneapolis Convention Center

Who: Juniors and Seniors that are interested in gathering information about colleges and universities. 

Register here: CLICK HERE

Questions: Contact Dawn Mensing, College and Career Readiness Counselor, dmensing@blueskyschool.org or 651-230-8147


Anonymous

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Field Trip Opportunity!!


Field Trip!!!!


When: Thursday, October 29th at 8:45AM

Where: Anoka County Jail and Central Communications 911 Center

Who: Any student in 9th - 12th grade at BlueSky Online

Contact: Suzy Bordeau 320-309-0503 or sbordeau@blueskyschool.org


CLICK HERE to RSVP!! 


Anonymous

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BlueSky's Three Person Team!

BlueSky's Three Person Team! 



Did you know every student at BlueSky Online is assigned a Three-Person Team? 

The members of your team are: 

School Counselor
School Social Worker
Student Services Advisor

Your team works hard to make sure that you have the classes you need and that you are getting your questions answered. 

School Counselor: Schedules your classes and reviews your transcripts. 

School Social Worker: Is available if you need social work services. 

Student Services Advisor: This is your GO TO person. Your Advisor can answer questions about scheduling your day, how to get in touch with your teachers, attendance, etc, etc. 

Take advantage of your Three-Person Team!! Teamwork gets things done! 

Anonymous

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Parent Teacher Conferences!!


Fall Parent Teacher Conferences are coming soon! 

Fall conferences are drawing near! 

We invite all students and their parents or guardians to attend our open house conference on: 

Wednesday, October 7th from 3:00 - 7:00PM

You can meet your teachers, advisors, counselors, and administrator

We are very excited to announce the we will be doing a prize drawing as well. When you sign in with our staff, you will receive a chance to win one of our fabulous prizes!! 

Prizes include: 
  • BlueSky Apparel
  • Gift Cards
  • and MORE! 
*You must be in attendance to win and the drawing will take places at 6:30PM. 

To DOUBLE your chances of winning, let us know you'll be coming and pre-register by clicking HERE! 

Anonymous

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Fall NWEA Testing!



The NWEA Assessment is coming...


Between September 28th and October 7th, students in grades 7 - 11 at BlueSky Online School will take the NWEA MAP Math and Reading tests. This is required of all 7th through 11th grade students.

These tests are designed to see where students are in both reading and math. 

Each test takes about 45 - 60 minutes to complete. The tests are progressive, so the test gets more difficult with each correct answer, and easier with each incorrect answer. Students are only expected to get about 50% of the questions correct. 

Simply complete the tests and give it your best effort!


Have you signed up for the NWEA Assessment yet?

If you haven't signed up yet, please do so right away! 

Please write down the time and date you select as a reminder to you. You will get an email on the day of the test with the link to the testing site, testing session ID, and password.



Where do I take these tests? 

The tests can all be taken from your computer at home! 
You are encouraged to download Chrome 23 or Safari 6 or above as a browser for testing since these browsers have proven to run the testing without problems.  It only takes a minute to install the browser. 
The tests must be done on your computer, you cannot use your smartphone .

BlueSky Staff will be available during MAP testing to help with any technical difficulties

The NWEA Test is important, but so are your classes!

You will receive some attendance credit for testing; however, completing less assignments for the week will put you behind in your classes, and not count towards any class work. Please continue to work in your classes on a testing day, or put in extra work another day of the week.

Have questions?
Please contact Testing Coordinator Dawn Mensing. She can be reached at 651-202-2005 or dmensing@blueskyschool.org


Anonymous

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Enjoy the Last Days of Summer: School Starts September 8th!


Are you ready??

BlueSky Online School will begin classes on Tuesday, September 8th. 

This week, teachers will begin all of the preparations to welcome you back to school! Meetings, inservices, and professional development will help teachers ready themselves for the first day of classes. 

Before school begins...make sure to enjoy one more sunset on the lake: 

One more ice cream cone: 

And maybe a trip to the Minnesota State Fair!: 


Enjoy your last few days of summer break! "See" you on September 8th!!!


Anonymous

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BlueSky Honor Roll and Graduates in the NEWS!!


BlueSky Online Honor Roll and Graduates in the NEWS!! 

We are so lucky to have a number of our students highlighted in their local newspapers! 

BlueSky Online has an outstanding student body and we are always happy to see their achievements shared in the community. Check out the links below to see our students in action!! 

HONOR ROLL: 
StudentsPaper and Link
Lindsay Lundquist, Madeline MesmerSun ThisWeek
Eric Schreier, Weliya MohamedEden Prairie News
Julia PhillipsAlbert Lea Tribune
Joshua Kippenhan, Ashton Wardas-JuopperiThe Hibbing Daily Tribune
Aliya EmmeHutchinson Leader
Margaret Gibson and Karli GibsonDetroit Lakes Tribune

GRADUATION:
StudentsPaper and Link
Shelby Rhodes, Marissa SteidlAustin Daily Herald
Anja Flansburg, Tyler Anderson, Conner BeckerThe Brainerd Dispatch
Nicole VoeltzMazeppa-Zumbro Falls Messenger
Colleen Christian, Arielle Groschen, Britni HansonPine City Pioneer
Monique RutherSun Sailor


Congrats students!!! 

Anonymous

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BlueSky Voted 'Top Workplace' by Star Tribune!

As an employee of BlueSky Online, I know it's a great place to work...And now all of Minnesota will know that, too!

The Star Tribune voted BlueSky Online as a "Top Work Place of 2015"!!!

What an HONOR!!! 



And it turns out, the teachers like working for BlueSky for the same reasons that students like attending school here:

What employees say

“Flexibility. Being a part of something meaningful and working with other passionate educators.”
“I have a lot of flexibility in my work and my opinions are valued.”



Congratulations to all that make BlueSky Online such a wonderful place to work!!!


Anonymous

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Have a Great SUMMER!


YOU MADE IT!!! 
Another school year is under your belt and now it's time to enjoy the summer break. 


Enjoy an ice cream cone as your go for a stroll. 

Cool off by running through the sprinklers. 
Or...just stretch out and take a nap in the sun. 

Whether you are spending the summer working hard, catching up in summer school, or just relaxing....make sure to enjoy the warm sun! 

Make sure to check in with the blog throughout the summer! 



Anonymous

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[End of Semester Tips]: Tip #5 - FINISH STRONG


If you've been following the blog for the last  few weeks, you'll know that this is the fifth installment in the [End of Semester Tips] series. The last tip is a simple yet important one:

Tip #5: FINISH STRONG

As we head in to the final hours of the semester, take a deep breath, buckle down, and FINISH STRONG. 

You are so close to accomplishing your goals, you have planned to do each assignment once, you have triaged the work that needs to be completed, and you have guarded your health.

The only thing left to do is FINISH STRONG! 

We're all cheering you on!!!


Anonymous

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[End of Semester Tips]: Tip #4 - Guard your health


What could this adorable sleeping kitten have to do with our Tip #4 installment of the [End of Semester Tips] series??

Tip #4: Guard your health

Often when we are faced with a deadline, the solution seems to be to stay up ALL NIGHT to work. 

Research indicates that this is NOT the best plan!!! 

Sleep (and getting enough of it) is crucial to physical health and to proper brain function. Check out the National Sleep Foundation for more information about the importance of sleep. 

When you settle in to study remember some important things: 

*EAT and don't just eat anything. Eat good, nutritious food. Your body and your mind with thank you. 

*DRINK plenty of water. Dehydration can seriously impact your ability to study. 

*SLEEP when you are tired. And try to get at least 7-9 hours a night. You will be more productive if you have gotten enough sleep. 

Now...let's check out some more adorable animals sleeping :) 


Remember to Guard your health during this stressful time. 

Anonymous

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[End of Semester Tips]: Tip #3 - Triage your Courses


Tip #3 in our [End of Semester Tips} series....TRIAGE your courses!

What does Triage mean?

Triage: to assign degrees of urgency to

Every student has different goals, so the idea of "triaging" your courses may mean different things. 

*Some students may be passing all of their classes, but are hoping to finish each and every assignment in a course. 

*Some students may be on the edge of passing classes and need to decide which classes to focus on. 

*Some students may be failing all of their classes and have decided it's time to focus on passing just one. 

Whatever your situation may be, step back and assess where you stand. Then  make an order of attack for the remaining days (and hours!) of the semester. 

If you need help getting your triage in place, contact your Student Services Advisor and your individual class teachers for help! 

Anonymous

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[End of Semester Tips]: Tip #2 - Plan to do each assignment ONCE



For the second installment of our [End of the Semester Tip] series, a short but sweet tip! 

Plan to do each assignment ONCE

What does that mean? 

Take the time to LEARN the material, so you are completing an assignment with the intention of passing it. 

Often when we rush through things, we end up having to redo them. And in the end that take more time. 

So, take your time. LEARN. Plan on doing each assignment ONCE. 


Anonymous

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[End of Semester Tips]: Tip #1 - Set some GOALS


Eek! It's the end of the semester! 

I will be posting a series of five [End of Semester Tips] to help you FINISH STRONG. 

Tip #1: Set some GOALS

I chose the above image to help illustrate the important features of proper goal setting. It's one thing to say "I want to pass", it's quite another to set reasonable, attainable, and specific goals. 

As you set out to wrap up your classes, use the "SMART" acronym to guide your goal setting. 

S - Specific: Make a list of the specific classes you are planning to pass. Or, if you're already passing everything, make a specific list of which classes you want to revisit and maybe redo some work to increase your grade. Whatever your goal is, make it specific. If it is specific, then you can know when it has been achieved.  

M - Measurable: Most of the end of semester goals will come with their own measure...your report card! But, if your goal isn't grade related, you may need to measure it in a different way. Some examples: "Complete all 5 discussions that I skipped throughout the semester" or "Redo my math assignment until I raise the score to 70% or higher". It's important that a goal has measurement so you know you have met it! 

A - Attainable: Be careful to choose a goal that is realistic. Now is not the time to take a grade of 11% up to an A. Focus on the places where you can make a real change in the short amount of time we have left. So, make the goal specific, measurable, and possible to attain. 

R - Relevant: Make sure that your goal is relevant to finishing the semester at school. Examples of relevant goals (that also meet the above criteria!): "Raise  my Science grade from a 52% to a passing grade of 60% or higher by completing the remaining 7 assignments in the course." or "Redo the 'Required to Pass' assignment in History to achieve a passing score, so I can pass the course". These goals are relevant to the end of the semester. They are also specific and can be measured. And they are attainable! An example of a non-relevant goal? "Beating my sister at Trivia Crack" :)

T - Time Bound: Luckily this one is kind of taken care of for you...the end of the semester is our time limit. It is an important practice in goal setting to have a time limit set. We all know how procrastination works...so setting a time goal can help you achieve! 

Check back over the next weeks for my series of [End of Semester Tips]! And as always, contact your BlueSky Student Services Advisor and your individual teachers for help! 

Anonymous

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[Re-Post]: Creating a Home Work Space!

Get ready to spend hours scouring Pinterest....


Creating a Home Work Space


One of the most important needs for an online learner, is a PLACE to work. Sure, students have the computing device that they use for their school work...but where they use that device is also important. 

Online teachers, advisors, and counselors also have to create their own work space in their homes. Here is a picture of my "office". It's a desk in the corner of our family room. It's kind of messy...sorry about that!!


A few elements of a productive workspace (which mine hits the mark on!) are: 
  • Find the perfect space: It's important that your work station is relatively free from distraction. Choose to work in a quiet room, instead of in the middle of the kitchen at dinnertime. 
  • Organize!: Although my desk is a little messy....there's a method to that mess! Make sure that you have an organization to your work. Order increases productivity. 
  • Make it pretty: Well...maybe not "pretty"...but make your work space somewhere that you want to work. Decorate with things that are inspirational or motivational for you. 
  • Create a schedule: Did you see my blog post A 'Bag of Tricks' for Scheduling your School Work? The post offers a number of ideas to help you organize your school day. Create a schedule for yourself and POST IT in your workspace. It will help you stay focused! 
Having trouble coming up with some ideas? Seriously...look at Pinterest!!! It's ridiculous what inspiration you can find. 

A happy workspace creates a happy (and successful!) learner! 

Go forth and decorate! 

Anonymous

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[Re-Post]: Students and STRESS: Tips on how to deal!

A 2010 study by the American Psychological Association found that one-fifth of children worry a great deal.
That's 20% of kids!! 

Stress is the reaction to the demands placed on us, and kids these days have a lot of demands.

School, sports, extracurricular activities, community and church programs, homework, illness, and many more stressors are part of our students' everyday lives.


Just the sheer overscheduling that many teens deal with is enough to cause stress. Going from school, to practice, to homework, and then straight to bed, doesn't leave much time to relax, unwind, and allow for stress relief!

So, how can parents help their children deal with stress? Here are few strategies:


  • Stop the over scheduling! It's ok to not be on every sports team. It's ok to not have an after school activity every day of the week! Leave some free time for kids to relax and let off some steam. 
  • Get some rest! The National Sleep Foundation has found that most teens need 9.25 hours of sleep per night to be able to perform at their best. Make sleep a priority! 
  • Eat your veggies! Nutrition is a huge factor in the stress level of teens. The rollercoaster that a diet high in sugar and processed foods can cause, increases stress levels immensely. Avoiding sugar and caffeine also means avoiding the crash that can come from such foods. Remember what Michael Pollan says "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."
  • Talk about it! Kids learn by watching their parents. So parents should model how they deal with stress effectively in front of their kids. And parents and kids should talk about stressful situations.  

The students at BlueSky Online are very lucky. Not only do they have their parents to help them with stress, each student also has a three-person team looking out for them! The Students Services Advisor, Social Worker, and Counselor that make up the three-person teams are all ready and able to help students with their stress level. 

As a Student Services Advisor, helping students deal with stress is part of my every day. 

Students: Are you feeling stressed? Reach out to your parents and your Student Services Advisor! 

And make sure to eat your veggies and go to bed on time :) 

Anonymous

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[MCA Testing]: Test Taking Strategies!


Feeling nervous about taking the MCA Tests?


Here are a few tips and information that can help you do your best while completing the assessment.
  • This assessment is not timed
  • Take your time
  • Read each question carefully
  • Pay attention to detail
  • Always read the whole question-don’t assume what the question might be
  • Read all possible answers
  • Follow directions carefully
  • When choosing a multiple choice answer, eliminate answers you know are incorrect first
  • Focus on the question in front of you
  • Keep a positive attitude
  • Try to stay relaxed
  • If you feel yourself getting nervous or anxious, take a few deep breaths
  • Finally, Do your best!
Follow these assessment taking strategies and you will do great!

Anonymous

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