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Academics
Advanced Placement (AP) High School Courses Health
Reading
Language Arts/Writing
The WCLL staff ties Language Arts/Writing instruction to Reading lessons. A three-hour block of Reading/Language Arts instruction is provided to elementary level students each day. Especially in the middle and upper grades, this provokes thoughtful reflection and discussion about current events, including community and school issues.
At WCLL with the MY Access! Internet online computer program, students in grades four through eight are motivated to write more and attain higher scores on statewide writing assessments. By using MY Access! in the classroom, teachers provide students with the practice they need to improve their writing skills. The program's powerful scoring engine grades students' essays instantly and provides individual student feedback.
In addition to writing, students are taught presentation skills. By developing presentations using different technologies, students learn to organize their ideas and gain familiarity with computers and other media resources. By showcasing projects to their peers, students learn basic public speaking skills and how to convey their ideas through a spoken message. Students also complete multimedia projects to inform, persuade or entertain specific audiences. By developing their own advertising campaigns and learning about messages the media conveys, students are able to make informed decisions about products and media messages.
Advanced Placement (AP) High School Courses
WCLL’s Advanced Placement courses give high school students a head start on college while they are still in the supportive environment of the high school classroom. Taking the AP course and the AP Exam sends a powerful message to colleges and universities showing that the student is able to handle this level of academic rigor. This enables students to gain admission, college credit, and placement into advanced courses.
Mathematics
Science
High school-aged students focus on science connections, the nature of science, inquiry, application and new perspectives in a variety of areas. These areas include Earth and Space Science, Life and Environmental Science and Physical Science.
Social Studies
Physical Education
The overall goal of physical education classes is to develop an awareness of the importance of physical activity in all students. Healthy exercise habits are promoted and new physical skills are taught. As students progress, they play games together and learn the rules of different sporting activities while challenging themselves. Good sportsmanship is always encouraged. It is the staff’s hope that by incorporating physical education into the WCLL curriculum, students will develop a lifelong interest in physical activity and fitness. The overall goal of physical education classes is to develop an awareness of the importance of physical activity in all students. Healthy exercise habits are promoted and new physical skills are taught. As students progress, they play games together and learn the rules of different sporting activities while challenging themselves. Good sportsmanship is always encouraged. It is the staff’s hope that by incorporating physical education into the WCLL curriculum, students will develop a lifelong interest in physical activity and fitness.
Art
Music
 WCLL employs a full-time music teacher to enhance students’ learning through the Arts. A variety of musical activities are available for students from kindergarten throughout high school.
Young learners sing simple songs and participate in musical games and dances. Students use these songs to learn the basic elements of music such as pitch, rhythm, temp and dynamics. As they develop, elementary students begin to learn basic music notation and play simple percussion instruments. Sixth grade students sing and play drums and other percussion in an African Drumming Ensemble.
Middle school students have an opportunity to begin playing in a band. WCLL has available a full range of band instruments which students may rent for the semester. When in high school, students may continue in advanced band. Beginning band orchestra and choir are also offered at the high school level. Middle and high school students may also sign up fro drum line as an after school activity. All of these performing ensembles participate in school performances in the winter and spring.
In addition to the full-time music teacher there are two traveling music teachers who provide the opportunity for elementary students to take small group piano and violin lessons once a week.
Health
From an early age, the importance of healthy, safe habits are instilled in children at WCLL. They connect their own actions and health habits with others in the community. As children develop into older, more mature students, they are taught about different systems within the human body. They also learn how to handle emergency situations while remaining calm and making good decisions.
Special Education
The services provided to a student with special needs are determined by the IEP team. The team bases their decision on the student’s individual strengths, specific areas of need and unique learning style. The regular education staff works closely with the special education staff in order to include special education students in all academic endeavors. This includes math meetings, in-services and grade level meetings.
Library Media Center
The Wisconsin Conservatory of Lifelong Learning’s Instructional Resource Center (IRC) is the hub of the school. The goal of the IRC is to be a resource center, which promotes and supports creative, imaginative and confident 21st Century learners. There are forty five new Dell computers, a SmartBoard, a large screen entertainment center and interactive video in the room. Whole school broadcasts originate in the IRC. Students from every grade level volunteer to broadcast live news announcements and share projects they have completed. Each classroom has a TV for viewing broadcasts. Students work with digital cameras and create audio broadcasts. The room next to the IRC is a computer lab with forty more new Dell computers. In the IRC, there is a theater area where books are read to students. High school library monitors help organize library materials and check out a wide variety of books to students across all grade levels.
Every year there are numerous interactive video programs broadcast in the IRC. Gaye-Lynn Clyde from the Milwaukee Public Museum writes collaborative grants that support the programs. Students directly communicate with Museum experts. Students have followed and spoken with scuba divers in Lake Michigan as they explored the Lady Elgin. The Lady Elgin sank in Lake Michigan in 1860 and 400 passengers were lost. As a part of The Big Read Program, students visited with dog sled drivers in Alaska. We have held conferences with fellow students sailing on the Dennis Sullivan Schooner in the Florida Keys. A recent field trip took place on Monday, May 17th. Mrs. Harteau’s 4th Hour Web Design students and Ms. Bergman’s 8th grade students went to the Milwaukee Public Museum. The field trip was in conjunction with the Mammoth Expedition Project. The Mammoth Expedition Project was a month long project that included an interactive video conferences with scientists at the Milwaukee Public Museum and the Denver Public Museum as well as numerous schools in Wisconsin and Colorado. Students learned about what information is important to archaeologists when exploring mammoth and mastodon sites. An archaeologist, at the Milwaukee Public Museum gave us a special tour of the Milwaukee Hebior Mammoth exhibit. School Board Director Falk, has written extensively about Mammoth digs. He shared his expertise with students.
The IRC computers have the Adobe Suite, PhotoStory3, Google Earth, Kidspiration, Inspiration, Microsoft Publisher, PowerPoint, Word and Excel installed. The programs are taught to our staff and students. Students access the Destiny Virtual Library and MPS Virtual Library. Resources like eLibrary, NewsBank, Ebsco Badger Link, NetTreckker, Culture Grams, Grolier and World Book online encyclopedias are available. Parents learn how to use these programs at Open House and during Parent-Teacher Conferences. In the IRC, WCLL teachers offer courses via the Student Learning Center (slc). Slc allows teachers to deliver their course material online. Online discussions are available and students submit their assignments. Slc enables differentiated instruction and meets individual student needs. WCLL teachers and students use Discovery Education. It offers curricular resources that integrate 80,000 concept-level video clips, virtual labs, interactives, audio files and lesson plans. Teachers create Probes to measure achievement on an ongoing basis and effectively prepare students to succeed. A component of Discovery Education is professional development which trains educators.
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Get directions to WCLL here.
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Para obtener información en español, llame al (414) 304-6800. Xaav kuas paab ua lug Hmoob, hu (414) 304-6800. |
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Please click on the MPS logo below to go to the MPS Portal.
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A year-round school, the goal of WCLL’s schedule is to maximize student learning with a consistent academic schedule and regular, short breaks that rejuvenate and refresh students. WCLL uses a family/team approach to academics, placing each student with a core teacher. Many of the teachers at WCLL connect with their students for two years. This reduces the getting to know you period at the beginning of the school year and allows more time for student learning. The longer connection time for teachers and students allows time for good relationships to develop.
At WCLL, reading skills are valued and the importance of literacy shines through in every academic area. Each day, the entire school (staff and students) is involved in silent reading from 3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. A three-hour block of Reading/Language Arts instruction is provided to elementary level students each day. Grades 7-12 recently added a reading block to their daily schedule as well. Teachers and students use the reading block time for reflection and discussion about current events, including community and school issues.
Students are engaged in a variety of writing experiences. These include business letters, essay contests, thank you notes, newsletters, editorials and many more. Students compose well-organized writing assignments, complete with details, effective word choice and correct sentence structure and grammar. Creative writing allows students to use their imagination. Research papers teach students to summarize facts, provide evidence and list resources.
WCLL’s Math Teacher Leader attends math workshops designed to bring about better math instruction. These methods are implemented in the WCLL curriculum. Students in Kindergarten through grade 5 use the Houghton Mifflin Math Series. This series offers a curriculum with a literature connection that supports WCLL’s emphasis on literacy. From learning the basic processes of addition and subtraction and using measurement tools to analyzing patterns and explaining algebraic relationships, a wide range of mathematical skills are taught.
All students are expected to participate in the schoolwide science fair, which involves investigating and researching a problem using both qualitative and quantitative data. The WCLL staff promotes scientific discovery and investigation at an early age. Students are encouraged to ask questions using scientific methods and vocabulary. 
Social studies includes five basic areas of study: Geography, History, Civics, Economics and Behavioral Science. At a young age, students discuss the community around them and learn to read simple maps. They begin to understand the basics of citizenship and the similarities and differences among cultures. Students study the United States and its regions and states, particularly the state of Wisconsin.
Art education is as essential to the basic education of all children as reading, writing and mathematics. As an area of study, art education covers understanding of how things are presented visually, knowing what makes art and creative problem solving. In their early years at WCLL, students begin to create as well as observe art in the world. Students in grades K4-6 are invited to do an art project with the principal as an incentive for good citizenship and high grades as identified by teachers. As children grow, they learn about different styles of art, famous artists throughout history and artistic design while developing projects of their own. Eventually, students deepen their understanding of the role art plays in society. They discuss historical trends in art, examine artwork critically and 