Showing posts with label Charter School. Show all posts

Summer Break!!!!!


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! 

Anonymous

[Teacher Tuesdays]: Megan Hollenkamp


Megan Hollenkamp


So excited to share Megan Hollenkamp with you today! 

Megan is an ESSENTIAL part of the BlueSky family. She does all sorts of administrative work...but she also heads up the Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ accounts, AND she organizes student activities throughout the school year (like PROM!). 

But...this is really only a small portion of what Megan does to make BlueSky the amazing school that it is! She is the best! 

Here is a little more about Megan....


What classes do you teach/what is your role at BlueSky?
Little bit of everything - administrative work, accounts payable, marketing, social media, attendance

What is your Education background?

History/Studio Art from Concordia, Moorhead; Education degree from University of Great Falls


What is your favorite food?  

loooove sushi and like trying new/weird foods - oysters, frog legs, escargot...


Do you have any pets? 
I have a dog, Doug, who looks like a fox

What do you do in your spare time? 
reading, spending time with friends and family, traveling, I just started volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters

Anonymous

[Money Mondays]: Savings and Emergency Funds

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What percentage of Americans have less than $400 in an emergency fund?


April24MoneyMonday.jpeg
Answer:  47%
Almost half of Americans say they would have to borrow money or sell something to cover an emergency cost of $400 or more.
  • Are you surprised?
  • What are some reasons why 47% of Americans cannot afford this cost?
  • Can you think of 3 emergency costs that are $400 or more?
From the Wall Street Journal:  “But for many Americans, household finances remain fragile: 47% said they wouldn’t be able to cover a $400 emergency expense or would have to borrow money or sell something, and 31% said they went without some form of medical care in the last year because they couldn’t afford it.”
That may go a long way towards explaining why banks collect so much in overdraft fees as credit card companies earned over $158 billion in 2015 and payday lending is such a growth industry.
Resources:
Wall Street Journal - Economics Blog “Household Finances - Fed Survey”
Wall Street Journal - Credit Card Issuers are Charging Higher
The Guardian - US Payday Loans Crisis


Anonymous

[Money Mondays]: How do people decide what credit card to get?

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How do people decide what credit card to get?




Credit Card Selection Reasons by Income according to Credio
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Answer: Benefits and Rewards wins at every income level with Low Interest Rates #2 and Build Credit #3.
Your income level may say something about why you applied for a specific credit card.
Data from Credio, an online credit card information website, show that Americans choose credit cards primarily because of the rewards they offer.
But when it comes to secondary reasons, Americans differ based on income level.
For example, those with higher incomes are more likely to select credit cards because of their benefits and rewards, whereas those with lower incomes are more likely to choose cards that will help build credit.
Meanwhile, middle-income earners are more likely to choose credit cards with low interest rates.
Two questions to consider:
  1. Why do you think Benefits and Rewards are the main criteria people use when selecting a credit card?
  2. As income level increases, fewer people select credit cards so that they can build credit. Why do you think that is?



Resources:
Credio
Discover:  Credit Card Resources
Money Under 30

Anonymous

[Money Mondays]: How do people pay for things (by age)?


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How do people pay for things (by age)?



2015 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice *figure-15-2015dcpc-payment-instrument-use-by-age-102716.png
* Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

Consumers 65 and older made the most cash transactions, averaging 36 percent of their total monthly transactions. Every age group made more cash transactions than credit card transactions, and cash transactions continued to comprise at least 24 percent of each age group’s total reported transactions.

Are you surprised?

  • Looking at these six payment types, what do you think your individual
bar chart would look like?
  • What payment type do you use the most?  How about the least?
  • What are some of the factors you personally think about before deciding
how to pay for something?

Resources:

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

Frekonomics

Minnesota Public Radio

Anonymous

[MoneyMondays]: April is Financial Literacy Month!

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The month of April is recognized in the United States as Financial Literacy Month.  On Mondays throughout  April, we will highlight different financial literacy topics and share some tips with you!
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How much more do college grads make than high school grads?
College graduates, on average, earn more money than people who do not go to college.  But just exactly, how much more do college graduates earn 5 years after graduating?
Answer:  $19,045.13           CollegeEarningPremiums.jpg


Are you surprised?  That means, over the course of working 40 years, someone with a high school diploma will make $1,116,600 while someone with a bachelor’s degree will make $2,048,204. That’s nearly a million dollars more!
The job market is only getting more competitive.  People who don’t have a degree are going to find it increasingly harder to get a job.  College presents you with challenges that you don’t find in high school, and gives you independence and opportunities that you wouldn’t get any other way.

Resources and Additional Articles of Interest:
  • May 2016 NY Times: “It’s A Tough Job Market For The Young Without College Degrees”
  • 2016 Annual Report San Francisco Federal Reserve: “Does College Pay”

Anonymous

Spring Break! Or...How I used the week off to get AHEAD in my classes



Next week is....SPRING BREAK!!

Some might be enjoying a little traveling...or just binge watching your favorite shows on Netflix. 

But for others, Spring Break is an excellent opportunity to get caught up or even AHEAD in your classes! 


  • Are you "Behind" pace in your classes? 
  • Does the number of assignments you need to complete each week keep getting higher? 
  • Are you worried that you aren't halfway through your courses and it's Midterm? 
  • Does your Academic Snapshot look like this? 


Want to change that? 

During Spring Break at BlueSky your classes will be OPEN and ready for you! 

Some advantages of completing school work over the break: 

  • Every assignment you complete over Spring Break reduces the amount you are "Behind" in your classes. 
  • Each assignment will lower the amount of assignments you need to complete each week to stay on pace for the remainder of the school year. 
  • You will have a sense of PRIDE for accomplishing school work when it is not "required". 


BlueSky Online Blog will be taking a week off for Spring Break, here are a few older posts that may inspire you while we're away! 

Anonymous

[Teacher Tuesday]: Julie Johnson


Julie Johnson


What classes do you teach/what is your role at BlueSky?
I teach Earth Science and Integrated Science. I am on the HR committee and I'm on the school board.

What is your Education background?

MAEd:Natural Science and Environmental Education, Hamline University
B.S. Earth Science Secondary Education, St. Cloud State University
B.S. General Science, St. Cloud State University



What is your favorite part of working from home?  
I like having a window in my office. I also like that there aren't the normal office/school distractions.

What is your favorite food?  
I like trying new recipes. Some work, some don't. When they don't we eat pizza!

 Do you have any pets? 
We have one dog: Scooter.
Two all black cats: Minnie and Simba
We also have an aquarium of fish.

What are your hobbies and how do you spend your spare time? 
I enjoy flower and vegetable gardening. Our family enjoys camping and visiting state parks.

Our family enjoys traveling, especially road trips. We have driven to Omaha, St. Louis, Phoenix, Seattle, Wisconsin Dells and Rapid City, SD. We have also visited Florida, Mexico, Las Vegas and Alaska. In high school, I was able to participate in a school trip to Spain.

Anonymous

Parent-Teacher Conferences!!

Parent-Teacher Conferences!! 

When: Wednesday, February 22nd, 2017 from 3-7PM
Where: BlueSky School Offices - 33 Wentworth Ave E, Suite 100, West St. Paul, MN 55118

Come meet your teachers, advisor, counselor, and administrators! 
Conferences are a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow classmates, build relationships with your teachers, and get involved at school! 

Planning on attending? CLICK THIS LINK to Pre-Register! 

During Parent-Teacher Conferences, you can also attend a CPR training! 

When: Wednesday, February 22nd, 2017 from 5:30PM-6:15PM
Where: BlueSky School Offices - 33 Wentworth Ave E, Suite 100, West St. Paul, MN 55118

Any BlueSky student, family member, or friend attending conferences can participate. 

Planning on attending? CLICK THIS LINK to Pre-Register! 

Anonymous

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