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Hello Waunakee Summer Scientists and Families! We are excited to officially welcome you to our 2020 VIRTUAL Summer Science program! As you know, Summer 2020 is a season like no other - out of necessity, we've pivoted to create an online Summer Science experience in just a few weeks' time. Our staff have quickly adapted to create a program that encourages students to get off of their screens and work on outdoor or activity-based projects each day, as much as possible. Certainly, we are learning as we go and ask for your patience as we best discover how to execute Summer Science virtually. There is a lot of information to cover as we kick off our first week, and we ask that you please read carefully and COMPLETE ALL ACTION ITEMS listed at the end of this post. How will Summer Science work?Students will start every day of Summer Science on the VIRTUAL SUMMER SCIENCE webpage (see the link in the menu at the top of this page) - from here, they will jump into Google docs that contain information from their instructors about each daily activity. We've created a video that shows exactly how to navigate the daily Summer Science experience on the website. Please take a few minutes to watch the video below, then over to the Virtual Summer Science page to familiarize yourself with the layout and where to find information. Communication & information - where to find what you needTo stay up to date with any news regarding Summer Science, we've established several channels where we'll provide information. This blog is one of them! The Summer Science Journal will have our most up-to-date for families. Whenever there is a new post, we will send an email with a link to the post. You can also bookmark this page for your records. In addition to the website /journal, we maintain a private Facebook group (search "Waunakee Summer Science" and request to join), as well as an Instagram account (look for the handle @waunakee.summer.science) for posting fun updates from students, staff, and our teaching assistant crew. Still having trouble finding the info you need on the above channels? Check out our CONTACT page and send us an email. A Typical Daily ScheduleAs you saw in our video, Summer Scientists will rotate through the five core subject areas each week. Each daily activity will be posted on the Virtual Summer Science page by 8:30 a.m., and teachers will host a Google Meet with students each day at 9 a.m. - instructions for the meetings are provided in the daily activity docs for each course. Students then have several hours to work on their activity, post to an online, interactive platform called FlipGrid, and follow up with their teachers and teaching assistants around lunchtime. Again, details are provided in each teacher's daily activity documents. Of course, because the program is virtual, this offers unique flexibility. We see this as a positive aspect of this alternative model. If your student is unable to complete the activity in the morning which it is posted, they can certainly still participate at a later time! Or, if you need to skip a day or two for any reason, this is fine, too. Each week's activities will be archived and accessible to students for the remainder of the summer. Honestly, we're rolling with things and staying flexible and adaptable, and hope that our Summer Science families can do the same. Spirit of Summer ScienceIn addition to our daily activities, we're encouraging students to participate in a weekly Spirit of Summer Science challenge. These activities help students connect and engage with each other and with their awesome high school teaching assistants, all while learning about the qualities and characteristics of what makes an excellent scientist. Supplies & MaterialsFamilies should have picked up Summer Science Supply Kits at the Middle School on Thursday, June 18. If you did not receive your kit, please contact the Middle School Office to arrange an alternative pickup time. Please note that some Summer Science activities may require additional supplies that you may have at home already, or supplies that are logistically impossible to include in a kit (i.e. milk for making ice cream!) Please reference THIS document to see what you will want to have on hand/procure in addition to our supply kits. Apparel Each year, Summer Science students have the option to buy shirts and apparel. This year, we've set up an online store so you can order items (including tees, tanks, sweatshirts, mugs, tote bags, and even facemasks), and pay for them directly. Each order is shipped to your household in a manner that involves minimal handling. Check out the options and make a purchase! Items are shipped in batches to keep costs down, so the sooner you order the sooner you will receive your apparel. Action ItemsWhew, you made it to the end of our introductory post! Thank you so much for reading. Before you go, there are a couple of action items that we are asking that you complete:
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