Dear Parents and Families,
Welcome to the 2016-17 school year! In our 14th year as a Milwaukee public charter school, and with over 300 students enrolled, Milwaukee Collegiate Academy continues to specialize in preparing students from all over the city for college acceptance and success. We begin this school year with an overall college acceptance rate of 98% (since 2004) –and 100% for the last four years, 80% freshmen on-track rates, and a college graduation rate by alumni that exceeds the national average of first-generation, low-income college students.
Nurturing students capable of transforming their world by sending them to and through college is our mission—and because we take our mission to heart—please note that we have made five key changes this year to build on our tradition of academic excellence:
- Our freshman class, the Class of 2020, will launch MCA’s transformation toward personalized learning in tandem with a cohort of 120 schools from across the country. This personalized learning model will match students with a personal adult mentor within the school to support them this year and teachers will provide innovative academic instruction that will develop students’ ability to think critically and apply skills at a high levels;
- We now offer 4 Advanced Placement (AP) classes—Language, Statistics, Earth Science and Human Geography. Now, more of our students will have access to academic challenges that pay off with early college;
- We have increased one-to-one student access to technology at all grade levels. This increase in technology will support students’ deep learning in all content areas and develop their ability to use technology the way that it is used in college;
- We will dismiss every Wednesday at 1 p.m. in order to return to weekly teacher development time in order to ensure that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment results in college readiness; and
- We are holding Parent Council Meetings and General Parent Meetings every third Thursday of every month. By meeting regularly, we are hoping to engage as many parents as possible in open conversations that will ensure that MCA is meeting parents’ high expectations. I invite each of you to join us as many of these monthly meetings as you can.
Of course, all of the programs and services that you have come to rely on are still in place. Among those are the annual College Tour for juniors, college tour day trips for all grade levels, and robust after-school and athletic programs/ College Tour in the spring, And, our unwavering pursuit of academic excellence and character development continues with our grading policies and student code of conduct.
There is so much to look forward to this year. I am especially looking forward to celebrating the College Decision Day in May, and, Graduation in June for the Class of 2017, MCA’s largest graduating class ever! I hope that the entire MCA family will turn out for both of these free, open events next spring.
Until then, please join us for the following events this fall:
- September 15 and October 20: Parent Council Meeting
- September 21: Beginning-of-Year EPAs Testing (all grades)
- September 27: Hispanic College Fair @ UWM
- September 27 and 29: Freshmen Academy and Whole School Open House
- September 29: Freshmen Academy Open House
- October 5: MCA loves Milwaukee: MCA’s Day of Service, 8 am to 1 p.m.
- October 11: Senior Parent Night (Mandatory for all Seniors and a parent or guardian)
- October 12 and 13: Parent Teacher Conferences and Senior Fish Fry and Junior Bake Sale Fundraisers
- October 14: No School
- October 22: ACT-retake for Seniors
- October 24-28: Freshmen Academy Expeditions
- October 26: MCA College Fair
- October 28: Fall Fling Dance (evening)
- October 28: End of Quarter 1
- October 31: Beginning of Quarter 2
- October 29: Project Pioneer Academy 1 Kicks-Off
You can like us on Facebook and visit MCA’s website (www.milwaukeecollegiateacademy.org) to keep abreast of important announcements and celebrations.
All PARENTS please note: Students must complete all beginning of year testing and have turned in all mandatory 2016-17 school registration forms in order to attend any off-campus events, including field trips.
I am so grateful to lead MCA as the principal for a second year and I am humbled by our collective task to love and support your child on their journey toward college. If there is ever a concern that you have, my door is always open should you need to see me before a scheduled parent meeting. Please call me or stop in for a visit whenever you can.
Educationally yours,
Judith Parker, Principal