Tomahawk Virtual is an educational option created through a partnership between Wisconsin Virtual School (WVS) and Tomahawk School District to provide our students with high-quality learning that will allow students to learn solely from home this fall. All students will remain registered with the Tomahawk School District and be supported between WVS and the Tomahawk Schools. Students will remain registered and associated in the Tomahawk School District; therefore will remain eligible to participate in all District clubs and activities, and will have internal District support. The District will pay for students’ participation in all e-courses and provide a device for e-learning. An orientation course will be assigned to every student, in addition to their course load. The District will also work to provide essential supplies required for specific courses.
Students in grades 6-12 will be taught by WVS teachers who are experienced in teaching the selected e-courses. Prior to the start of the school year, students will work with their guidance counselor to best-align course selections that honor the courses students registered for in the spring of 2020. If students registered for performance-based courses or high-activity courses, please be aware that virtual options can not provide the same hands-on experiences offered at Tomahawk Schools. Each school’s guidance counselor(s) will work with individual cases to navigate the best option for each student. Students in grades 6-12 will be expected to complete the full semester course in which they register. Students who wish to continue into the second semester will need to demonstrate full engagement in the first semester and communicate their plans to their guidance counselor at least two weeks before the end of the 1st term.
Options for students in grades K-5 will be cautiously considered on an individual basis for virtual learning. The WVS curriculum is in its first year of implementation in Wisconsin and will be new to the Tomahawk teachers. Designated teachers may be re-assigned to oversee the local implementation once total numbers are determined. Elementary students participating in this program will likely not have their currently assigned grade-level teacher assigned teacher but will have a highly-qualified instructor employed by the District.
If the Tomahawk Virtual option is your known option or a strong consideration for a child in your family, please complete the Tomahawk Virtual form linked on our website under COVID-19 updates. It is important that you read the attached documents from WI Virtual School linked on our page as well. Either a school guidance counselor or student case-worker will contact you to plan for fall. If you already provided your students names and grades in a previous district survey, a guidance counselor already has your family’s information and will be calling you soon.
Please note: because of the increasing demand across the state, there may be a limited number of spaces. Priority may need to be given to those who demonstrated early interest through District surveys and especially for those students who are at increased risk for health problems due to COVID-19. The Tomahawk School District will work hard at all levels to maximize the well-designed online curriculum so that our students are prepared for local and state standards and grade-level expectations. Again, an orientation course will be assigned to every student, in addition to their course load. Students who do not complete this orientation or do not fully engage in their courses within the first two weeks of school will be removed from this learning option.
Things to Consider When Determining if this is an Appropriate Option
Students should be part of choosing a virtual learning environment. We strongly encourage the student guide to be read by the student before making the decision.
Students should have time management skills. Lessons can be accessed on a student’s schedule. Successful students spend an average of 45-50 minutes a day in online learning for each course with additional work being completed outside of this time each day as well.
6-12 students should be responsible, self-motivated, and organized.
K-5 students will need a support system throughout the school day to be successful.
For many students learning is very ‘social’ and online learning may be a struggle for many students. In-person learning enables students to build social-emotional skills, in online environments this will be lacking.
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