2021 Fall Enrollment at BlueSky

Enrollment for the fall of 2021 is already upon us! The last year although difficult and strange, seems to have flown by. We are more than ready to welcome new and returning students back to BlueSky this fall. While we’ve been operating online school for over 20 years now, some things change and some things stay the same. Below you’ll find some information and resources to help you determine if online school is right for you if you’re on the fence, how the BlueSky enrollment process works and some insight into our courses and administration. We hope whatever this next school year brings, it will be a positive and exciting year!

Is Online School Right for You?

This is a question we hear often. After a year of virtual learning, families are especially curious about online school options. The truth is that online school can be an excellent option for some, and not work for others. Online school caters to those students who seek a personalized, supportive learning environment that offers the flexibility of a remote classroom.

Online Learning at BlueSky

The following will outline generally what you can expect from online learning at BlueSky. Our teachers, counselors, and advisors are really the heart of our school. They keep us passionate and are committed to giving every student a great educational experience.

Supportive & Flexible

We pride ourselves on giving our students the support they need while remaining flexible. BlueSky students value independence and flexibility whether they’re involved in extracurriculars or have other priorities like work. Academic support is given through our one-on-one advisories as well as with the attention given to students from teachers and counselors. Beyond just supporting kids through their coursework, we use what is called Social Emotional Learning or SEL.

SEL was identified through our comprehensive needs assessment while working with the Regional Centers of Excellence. We also had staff that had attended and learned about the program through conferences and workshops they attended. We felt a connection to this form of teaching and we knew it would benefit our students. Social-Emotional Learning is an extension and addition of the Compassionate Schools work that BlueSky has done to be a Trauma-Informed School. We implemented SEL to ultimately better support our students.

BlueSky Administration

Our team is essential to the success of BlueSky and to the success of our students. We believe in supportive, personalized education for every student that walks through the virtual BlueSky doors. We equip every student with a team of three that is comprised of a counselor, teacher, and advisor. This gives the student both the support and the freedom they need to be successful here. Their team is meant to help them if they get off track and to hear them out about how they are even beyond schoolwork. Our team works to offer our students the latest and greatest when it comes to online education, whether that means getting Wise Financial Literacy Certified or getting creative with our course offerings.

Supplemental Options

Giving students options when it comes to their learning environment and schedule is a big part of our mission. We offer middle and high school students the option to enroll in our supplemental program to meet their educational needs. Students who attend a public middle or high school in the state of Minnesota can select the option of taking one to three of their classes online here at BlueSky. This allows students to maintain enrollment at their school while supplementing their schedule with online courses to meet course needs or scheduling needs.

There are small differences between the structure of our middle and high school supplemental programs but both offer the same benefits to students and families. In each supplemental course, families and students are given access to an Academic Snapshot that highlights student progress in each course. We provide this transparency to let students and families know expectations and give them full insight into their coursework.

Personalized Learning for MN Students

The students that come to BlueSky look to online school options for a multitude of reasons. Students range from high-performing students to those that just struggling a bit with traditional school.  We also see many students who are heavily involved in extracurriculars. Regardless of the reason, we aim to give every BlueSky student a personalized and positive education.

Our administration is here to guide and support students from their first day of class to their very last. Members of staff are dedicated to each student when a student enrolls at BlueSky. A counselor is assigned to help students adjust to a new way of learning and to simply be a support for them. A teacher is assigned to keep students accountable with assignments. And an advisor is tasked with helping students be decisive and determine their trajectory in school and beyond. Every student needs support in different ways, and we want to be a part of that. We work to provide support to each student that meets their needs. We want to be more than just an online school for students.

To learn more about BlueSky or if you would like to speak with someone to answer any questions, contact us today.