by: Keira Collin, Étude Studios Writing Intern
IDEAS students attend writing festival
Before dawn broke on Wednesday, November 16, a group of IDEAS Academy writers boarded the bus heading to the UW-Whitewater Creative Writing Festival. The festival, an annual tradition for 32 years, is an opportunity for writers at the high school level to acquire constructive feedback on their work. It also allows them an audience to build upon their skill of presenting and public speaking.
This year, five students from IDEAS Academy won awards for their writing.
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Sara Bartol- Second Place in Prose Poetry/Flash Fiction
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Hannah Staats- Third Place in Prose Poetry/Flash Fiction
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Paxton Alison- Third Place in Scriptwriting and Screenplay
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Fiona Collin- Honorable Mention in Multimedia
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Bianca Ranieri- Honorable Mention in Prose Poetry/Flash Fiction
Upon their arrival at the festival, excitement was almost palpable in the air: hundreds of creators bustling about, all ready to explore new and strange ideas. After checking in and collecting schedules for the day, students, teachers, and facilitators alike sat down to a speech by the keynote speaker, author and poet Kevin Coval of Young Chicago Authors.
Writer Sara Bartol appreciated his speech.
“I really enjoyed the message of ‘finding your people,’ which was especially resonant at a place where we had the opportunity to do just that. A lot of people think of writing as a lonely, quiet endeavor, and I thought Kevin Coval's speech highlighted the importance of sharing experiences, connecting with others, and truly listening to one another,” Bartol said.
Coval encouraged the audience, through the festival and future experiences, to find those with similar mindsets and connect with each other in order to gain new perspectives and inspirations.
Workshops were held for writers in 10 different categories including Poetry, Prose Poetry/Flash Fiction, Multimedia, Screenplay, and Songwriting. In these workshops, creators were given the chance to read their work aloud and collect feedback from professors and peers alike. This process of presenting work and gaining feedback isn’t new to students at IDEAS Academy. Through in-class workshops and Exhibitions of Learning, IDEAS students collaborate with each other and provide constructive feedback to better each other’s knowledge and creations quite often.
Writer Paxton Alison described the experience of the festival and what he learned overall.
“It taught me that if you put your work in and you work hard, you will obtain something you can be proud of,” Alison said.
The festival closed with an awards ceremony and much celebration amongst peers. IDEAS writers celebrated as if they had won the world, whooping and screaming as recipients were given their awards. The Creative Writing Festival was just one amazing experience of so many offered to students at IDEAS Academy and will continue to be a great place for writers to get feedback and collaborate with peers.
Pictured from left to right, award winners Paxton Alison, Hannah Staats, Sara Bartol, Bianca Ranieri
by: Tad Phippen Wente, College Readiness Coordinator
Lakeland University guest discusses options
Lakeland University Admissions Advisor Christine Kastner Eck talked with IDEAS students about options during her visit Wednesday, October 12, in the Treehouse.
by: Erica Brown
Information Night
IDEAS Academy is hosting an event to discuss the unique opportunities and programs that are offered to students. If you are interested in learning more about the program and may be exploring other options for your child, please consider joining our staff and students on Thursday, October 20th from 6:00 pm.-7:30 pm for Information Night, Students will guide tours while staff members share detailed information about the various programs that make up IDEAS Academy. Camp Étude cooking club members will be serving some delicious treats. Please join us!
IDEAS Student Project Reminds "Your vote does matter"
Last spring, Paige Levisen focused her semester-long IDEAS Project Block project on re-engaging youth in the political process. She researched rates of participation, causes for declining participation, and methods for re-engagement. In her process, she discovered the art and activism of Shepard Fairey. She was inspired to create a pair of canvases, inspired by her research and his aesthetic. As the presidential election approaches, we wanted to help Paige get her work and her message out to the community.
IDEAS Reads Super, Natural, Great Books
It might not surprise you that our English Language Arts teachers love books. They love reading them, recommending them, discussing them, and, most importantly, deploying them as centerpieces for critical and relevant learning. If you've met our staff, you'd know that the love for book extends beyond our English department. And we have students who take care of our classroom libraries and little school library[ideas/ideas-blog/visit-the-little-library-for-project-research/], and some some students who write books of their own. That's some serious book love right there.
by: Sarah Williams, Writing Intern, Étude Studios
Visit The Little Library for Project Research
As we enter the research phase for IDEAS Project Block, it’s important to use many different types of sources in order to get well rounded research. While many students rely on the Internet as their most important source, we have a library in our school that could assist with many different projects.
by: Zoe Farrell, Writing Intern, Étude Studios
IDEAS Juniors visit Education Fair at Lakeland
Juniors at IDEAS Academy excitedly hopped onto the bus to visit Lakeland University for the Wisconsin Education Fair on Wednesday, September 28. The students were given a list of the nearly 100 colleges at the Fair and set loose to talk to representatives from and learn about colleges and other post-high school education opportunities in the Midwest area. The Fair helped students move farther along their path to college readiness and career plans. Students with no clue of what the future holds were granted inspiration that drove them to consider things they never had.
by: Keira Collin, Étude Studios Writing Intern
IDEAS Academy Blood Drive Oct.7th
IDEAS Academy will host its next American Red Cross Blood Drive on Friday, October 7! Donations will be scheduled from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. and take place in the IDEAS cafeteria. We are looking for around 48 donors. Those looking to donate may either contact Karen Robison at krobison@etudegroup.org[mailto:krobison@sasd.net] or can find information on the Red Cross website.[http://www.redcrossblood.org/rcbmobile/drive/chooseDonationTime.jsp]
by: Beth Carreno
IDEAS Academy Engineering and the Portable Shelter Project
What began as a student project last winter with the design of a “tiny home” has grown into a completed portable shelter project that will impact the life of a homeless veteran.
IDEAS Portable Shelter Dedication
IDEAS Academy's portable shelter will soon have a new home.
by: Mike Q Hanlon, Dean of Culture
IDEAS Reflections from Camp Anokijig
Greetings from Camp Anokijig! The weather is beautiful, and the students are active. Our intention with starting school off campus was to give the students authentic bonding experiences to carry throughout the year. From the staff point of view, it seems to have been a success. In the morning, students met their peers in advisory and then constructed reflection journals together. These journals will hold their thoughts so that we can look back on our time here, and build upon the lessons we’ve learned.
by: Ted Hamm
Welcome Back IDEAS Academy!
Each year begins with a focus on intentionally building our community atIDEAS Academy. We do this by devoting time to getting to know one another as people with stories, as learners with goals, and as supporters we need to take on the challenges of an academic program that values creativity and innovation. As we did at the beginning of the 2014 - 2015 school year, we will be spending the first two days of school at Camp Anokijig. We will use this space to get know advisory groups, reflecting on individual growth and needs, and experiencing the creative process. The schedule is as follows:
by: Beth Carreno
MAKER Break at Sheboygan Summer Music Series
MAKER Break, the creative makerspace program developed by The Étude Group’s IDEAS Academy and The ARTery of the John Michael Kohler Art Center, was a featured program at the August 11th Levitt Amp Sheboygan Summer Music Series.
by: Beth Carreno
Announcing MAKER BREAK: A Summer Makerspace Program
We are excited to announce a free summer makerspace program developed by IDEAS Academy[ideas/] and The ARTery of The John Michael Kohler Arts Center. MAKER BREAK is a series of summer workshops and sessions that explore a wide range of making practices and activities. Participants can explore everything from circuitry and mic building at IDEAS Academy to knotsmanship and screenprinting in The ARTery.
by: Beth Carreno
The Mystical World of Roald Dahl at IDEAS Academy
Everyone who has walked through the halls of IDEAS and Mosaic in recent weeks has noticed a giant peach, the huge copy of Matilda, and a small chocolate factory. These set pieces have had many people wondering how they would be used. That question was answered on Tuesday night when Diane Jones presented her Exhibition of Learning in the John Michael Kohler Art Center Matrix on Tuesday, May 24th.
by: Sarah Williams, Étude Studios Writing Intern
IDEAS Spring Exhibitions of Learning Begin
The lights dim, pencils are poised at the ready over feedback sheets, and a hush falls over the crowd. It’s EoL season, and IDEAS Academy students are ready to present their work from the last semester and provide feedback to their peers. Because of the number of EOLS this semester, the event now spans from Monday through Thursday, with Monday being added into the schedule to showcase student films.
by: Kayla Guelig
Junior at IDEAS Academy Will Attend the TEACH Pre-College Program
Kayla Guelig, a junior at IDEAS Academy recently wrote a blog about her experiences tutoring kindergarten students through the SASD Youth-Tutoring-Youth Program (YTY). YTY supports students’ exploration of their future goals and helps them with post-secondary planning. In this follow-up blog, Kayla discusses the pre-college TEACH program that she will be attending in summer 2016.
by: Tad Phippen Wente, College Readiness Coordinator
IDEAS Spring College Readiness sprouted a range of opportunity
Recent weeks have been so busy I haven’t even had time to write about all that’s been happening in College Readiness at IDEAS Academy. Even as seniors wrap up their college admissions and scholarship materials, our school continues to work with them, and all of our students, to help them prepare and be ready for their futures. Here are some of the highlights.
by: Beth Carreno
IDEAS Academy Welcomes UWM Dancers
Dani Kuepper, Senior Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts, and her students recently visited IDEAS Academy to work with our dancers during their project block. Using the idea of “secrets” as inspiration for developing a dance, students worked on solo development with a variety of body movements. Ms. Kuepper then had IDEAS students work with UWM partners to integrate their movements into duet dances and create more challenging choreography.
by: Tad Phippen Wente, Creative Writing Teacher
Swamplandia! community read reaches students
Joining the recent Lakeland College Community Book Read featuring Karen Russell’s Swamplandia! gave me a chance to dabble with text and blackout poetry, which I brought back for students to try. Gina Covelli, Community Relations Manager, and Jodie Liedke, Assistant Professor of Composition, shared copies of pages from the novel. We read through, then circled words that stood out. Blacking out all the rest with heavy strokes of Sharpie produced a poem that maybe reinterpreted the pages or maybe spoke to the reader about some other observation. It reminded me of finding the carving within a great block of old wood: you carve away until the subject is revealed. One of my students, Jackson, remarked that using pages of fiction was a much more rewarding experience for blackout poetry, the word choices so much more beautiful than those of nonfiction articles.
by: Beth Carreno
The Étude Group's Maker Movement
There is a lot of talk in education these days about “makerspaces.” It seems to be a new buzz word. The reality is that while it may be a new concept for some in the education community, it’s one of the foundations for The Étude Group. While the concepts of making and creating are not new for us, our role in sharing this concept at a greater level with the community is.
by: Erica Brown
Information Night
Help us share the great things that happen at I.D.E.A.S. Academy by inviting your friends and families to attend our Information Night on Thursday, April 21st from 6:00-7:30 p.m. in room 3402. This will be the final Information Night, so please join us!
by: Sarah Williams, Étude Studios Writing Intern
IDEAS Forensics Team speaks success
Sara Bartol Foresnics Qualifier 3
by: Tad Phippen Wente
Students add some new spin to their camera lenses at Étude Studios
Mike Wiesman, owner and creative of MWMedia, met with Étude Studios Photography Interns and future photographers Tuesday, March 15, for an hour-long professional workshop about working with digital cameras and lenses.
by: Sarah Williams, Étude Studios Writing Intern
IDEAS students listen to the laureate
“We accept all words” was how U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera opened his craft talk at University of Wisconsin Milwaukee on March 4. Twelve IDEAS Academy students attended the craft talk to learn about writing process.
by: Erica Brown
I.D.E.A.S. Academy Final Shadow Day
I.D.E.A.S. Academy is offering a final Shadow Day on Tuesday, March 15th.
by: Erica Brown
IDEAS Shadow Day
I.D.E.A.S. Academy is hosting a student Shadow Day on Thursday, February 18th, from 7:55 am to 3:06 pm. Students interested in experiencing a day at I.D.E.A.S. Academy are welcome to attend. For further information, contact Erica Brown at ebrown@etudegroup.org, or visit the website at www.etudegroup.org.
by: Erica Brown
Information Night
I.D.E.A.S. Academy is hosting an information night on Tuesday, February 9th from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm in room 3402. I.D.E.A.S. Academy staff will provide a brief overview of the curriculum, student guided tours will be available and the evening will close with a question and answer session. All community members are welcome.
by: Kimberly Johnson
IDEAS Academy, where it's classy to rock
When I asked Rock Band student, Bayden Dassler, about the poster with dumpsters on it, he explained that making a band "all about collaboration" and in...
by: Sarah Williams, Étude Studios Intern
IDEAS Exhibitions of Learning | Winter 2015 - 2016
IDEAS Academy doesn’t have finals. Finals, usually, are big examinations detailing everything learned at the end of a semester. When IDEAS students tell people that they don’t take these tests, there is generally some sort of disbelief of learning, like if we aren’t tested, we aren’t going to be prepared for the ‘real world’.
by: Kayla Guelig, IDEAS Junior and Youth Tutoring Youth Participant
IDEAS Academy Junior Gains Experience in Classroom Tutoring Area Youth
Junior Kayla Guelig leaves Journalism Seminar a few minutes early each day to spend time pursuing her dream: becoming an educator. As part of the SASD Youth-Tutoring-Youth Program (YTY), Guelig works with a teacher to assist young learners in the classroom. YTY supports students’ exploration of their future goals, helping them with post-secondary planning. Here, Kayla shares briefly about her experience so far and why she loves working with youth:
by: Erica Brown
Student Shadow Day
I.D.E.A.S. Academy is hosting a student Shadow Day on January 28th from 7:55 am to 3:06 pm. Students interested in experiencing a day at I.D.E.A.S. Academy are welcome to attend. For further information, contact Erica Brown at ebrown@etudegroup.org, or visit our website at www.etudegroup.org.
by: Erica Brown
Information Night
I.D.E.A.S. Academy is hosting an information night on January 26th from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm in room 3402. I.D.E.A.S. Academy staff will provide a brief overview of the curriculum, student guided tours will be available and the evening will close with a question and answer session. All community members are welcome.
