Some of our students have been in the NEWS!!
Bluesky Online is SO proud of our Honor Roll students! And we are excited to see their accomplishments show up in the newspaper!
CLICK HERE to see the complete list of Honor Roll students in the Fall 2014 semester at BlueSky Online.
The Eden Prairie News featured BlueSky 10th grader Eric Schreier. He earned a 3.9 grade point average in his first semester at BlueSky!
The Prior Lake American feature not only one, but TWO BlueSky students in a recent edition! Twelfth grader Sophia Baker made BlueSky's A Honor Roll will a grade point average earned of 3.7. Prior Lake 11th grader Natalie Ray earned the B Honor Roll with a 3.3 grade point average.
The Hutchinson Leader featured BlueSky 7th grader Aliya Emme. Aliya has made the B Honor Roll with a grade point average of 3.5. Aliya is a very active student and enjoys the flexibility that BlueSky offers.
The Bemidji Pioneer featured Hannah Olson as a Honor Roll student for her 3.1 grade point average!
Mille Lacs County Times featured A Honor Roll student Alexandra Paxton. Alexandra joined BlueSky after suffering some health setbacks. She adds:
“The (BlueSky) teachers were very helpful. They were contacting me and making me feel supported. They go out of their way to make sure I know what I’m doing and that I understand the assignments. They are very helpful,”
Congrats to all of our BlueSky Online Honor Roll students!!!
Last week, we bid a fond farewell to Paul Moore as he heads off to retirement.
So, this week we are going to welcome his successor, John Mizeur!
You may recognize John. He has been in the BlueSky family since 2008, in a few different roles.
John first joined BlueSky as a counselor. He then moved on to be the Testing Coordinator. And now, he is taking over as the school Registrar!
John is originally from Bismarck, North Dakota and earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.
When John was asked why he chose BlueSky, he said:
"I chose to work for BlueSky Online School because of the wonderful staff and the commitment given to students to help them succeed. I have never been part of such a devoted staff that works with students, teachers, other staff members and the community."
John also shared that his favorite food:
"I could eat pizza everyday!"
One of the reasons that John enjoys BlueSky the most is:
"Working with students and seeing them have success when they may have been struggling before."
In his spare time, John enjoys biking, hunting and fishing. He is also a huge Minnesota VIKINGS fan and loves watching football any chance he can get. John also enjoys playing cards, especially poker!
John has two cats...but that was his wife's idea :)
John was asked what he thinks makes BlueSky so special and he shared:
"I think what makes BlueSky special is the accommodating staff to student needs. No student at BlueSky is the same. Our staff works with each student to meet his/her individual needs. The flexibility given to students is also quite special. Because of the online environment, students can access their classes 24 hours a day! So, class schedules fit into their own personal schedule.
BlueSky works well for students who are young parents, work odd hours, or just need a flexible class schedule."
BlueSky is excited to welcome John Mizeur to his new role as school Registrar!
This week, your Student Services Advisors are asking you an important question...
Why Read?
Take a minute (just one!) and view the “Why Read?” video above.
Then.... it's time to connect about reading!
Here is the questions we are asking:
What are you currently reading?
What book(s) have you read that you would recommend to others?
Hop on to one of these sites, or leave comments below, and get in on the conversation!
Today marks a very special return of Teacher Tuesdays!
Here at BlueSky Online School, we are all a big family. Some of us have only been here a short time, while others have been with the school from the very beginning. Students, parents, educators, administrators, board members, and staff of BlueSky are a tight knit group!
Whether you are new to the school or have been around the block...you have likely been touched by our most amazing Registrar, Paul Moore.
This is Paul's last week at BlueSky. And although we are very happy to see him off to a wonderful retirement...we are all sad, VERY sad to see him go :(
As the Registrar BlueSky, Paul reviews transcripts and works with Counselors to verify graduation. Paul also fields phone calls from potential students and their parents. So for many of you, he may have been your first contact with BlueSky Online!
Paul hasn't always been a Registrar. His career path led him here after being a chef, working in a psych ward, and then going back to school to become a School Counselor.
Here is Paul during his school Counseling years with late Senator Paul Wellstone:
Paul said one of the best parts of working here is:
"The staff at BlueSky, office and teaching, are really great to work with and I will miss them!"
One of his favorite BlueSky memories?:
"I would have to say it was the staff meeting up in Walker,
out on the boat and catching Ben before he fell into the lake!"
Paul's favorite office pet?:
"Beanie Baby Rocket Bird by my window:)"
Paul has quite a bit planned for his retirement. He plans to travel a few places:
- Up North at his family cabin
- To Wisconsin to his daughter's farm and to visit other family
- To New Mexico to visit his brother
And he plans to VOLUNTEER....what a great way to give back after all his years of working.
Paul is a trained teacher with NAMI (The National Alliance on Mental Illness) . He plans to continue his work with some of their support groups for people with a family member with mental illness.
Paul still loves to cook and really likes to work with the food he grows in his garden.
He also just bought an iPad! So, he will stay pretty busy :)
The message Paul would like to send to students and future BlueSky enrollees:
"Stick to it! Education is going to be a real important part of your life. Don’t ever hesitate to ask for help when you feel you need it!"
Paul Moore will definitely be missed by the BlueSky family! But like he said:
"I know I am going to miss my connections with the staff but just because I am retiring
doesn't mean I can’t stay in touch!"
New Semester! Fresh classes and a FRESH START.
And you know what is nice about a fresh start?...You're not behind yet!! Yeah!
That Academic Snapshot is a super helpful pacing tool that BlueSky released during first semester. It's useful to help students see how much work they should be completing each week to stay on track for the semester.
Remember at the end of the first semester when you had to do like 80 assignments to catch up? AVOID that by using the Academic Snapshot to stay on pace now!
Features of the Academic Snapshot:
- List of all of your classes.
- Current grade in each course. (Remember, they start from 0 and build up!)
- How many assignments you have completed vs. how many assignments are in the course.
- Reminder of whether you are on pace or behind in each class.
- Date and time that your last assignment was submitted for each course.
- Behind, Due, and Done columns to help you stay on pace and create a schedule for the week!
Below is an awesome tutorial to help you understand the information in the Academic Snapshot. Make this tool work for you!
Still have questions? Contact your Student Services Advisor for help!
Looking for some tips on starting off the new semester?
Well...you have come to the right place!
Below are FIVE ways to start the semester off right!
1. Speak with your Student Services Advisor
- Advisors will be busy contacting their students to help answer questions and field concerns.
- RETURN THEIR CALLS! Advisors have a wealth of knowledge and experience to help you get started in the right direction.
- Haven't heard from your Advisor yet? Call, email, or text them!
2. Get to know your teachers
- Many of your courses start with a "Getting to Know You" type of assignment. Make sure to spend some time on these! It's a great way for teachers to get to know their students.
- Reach out to your teachers and tell them something about yourself. Teachers want to know if you are excited about their course...or nervous!!
3. Understand class expectations
- Take some time to review the class expectations and course syllabus/outline.
- ASK your teacher questions if you aren't sure about something in their course.
- Are you in a Group Pace course? Make sure you know when the LIVE sessions are held!
4. Utilize the Academic Snapshot
- What is the Academic Snapshot? Why...it's an awesome tool that you see right when you login to my.blueskyschool.org.
- The snapshot shows how much work you should complete in each class each week to stay ON PACE. (Anyone who got behind pace first semester knows how important staying on pace can be!)
- HERE IS A TUTORIAL. Take some time to watch it!
5. Stay Connected!!
- One of the best things you can do as an online student is to STAY CONNECTED.
- Read your email each day.
- Respond to phone calls and text messages.
- Read the blog, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook.
- Be part of the school community!
- The more connected you are to school, the easier it will be to complete your work!
5 Resolutions that every Online Student should make:
1. Create a productive workspace: So many online students try to work everywhere (couch, bed, floor) except a desk! Creating a set workspace can massively improve your productivity. If you are looking for some ideas, check out my
blog post about home work spaces.
2. Create a good schedule for your schoolwork: One of the best ways to stay focused and increase productivity in online schooling is to create a good schedule. There isn't a bell telling us when to move from one class the next, but we can create this environment for ourselves! Check out
my blog post for some schedule ideas!
3. Manage your stress level: Online school can be stressful! There isn't a teacher standing next to your desk to help manage the stress...but there are teachers, counselors, and advisors just a click away! Manage your stress level to increase greater learning. Check out my
blog post for some stress reduction ideas!
4. Pace yourself: It has been widely researched that the brain learns best when new information is brought in at a steady pace. Rather than trying to cram it all in too quickly, create a nice pace for yourself. Student Services Advisors will be contacting their students at the start of second semester to help create a nice pace in which to complete work. This pace is chosen to help your brain learn! Interested in learning more about pacing and the brain? Check out
my blog post for some pacing info.
5. Finish Strong: Right now at BlueSky Online we are nearing the end of the first semester. Now is the best time to step it up and work at your best. If you are wondering where you should focus, contact your Student Services Advisor and your Teachers. Keep up the amazing work that you have been completing and FINISH STRONG!
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