Welcome Back, Venture Team!

Sharpen those pencils, dust off the Chromebooks, and grab your coffee mugs — it’s time to launch another school year at Venture Academy! After a summer of rest (and maybe a few adventures), we’re back together to do what we do best: create a place where students feel seen, supported, and challenged.

 New Roles + Fresh Faces

This year brings a mix of familiar faces in new roles and brand-new teammates ready to jump in:

• Skyler Mantz – now serving as our Assistant Principal

• Marita Durk – stepping into the role of College and Career Assistant

• Madelyn Knight – joining us as our new Math Teacher

• Shelly Blank – joining us as our new Title I Teacher

• Mary Hamilton – joining us as our Freshman & Sophomore English Teacher

• Ashley Kenner – joining us as our new TSC Teacher

 Buckle Up for Skyward

Heads-up: things might feel a little different this year. With the rollout of Skyward, a lot of the scheduling tools Rachelle used in the past are no longer available on her end. She can’t see rosters or make quick changes to classes, teachers of record, or room numbers anymore. Instead, all of those requests now have to filter through the District Office — which is currently buried under a mountain of similar requests.

Rachelle is doing everything she can with the access she has, but it may take longer than we’re used to. We’re all on this roller coaster together, and your patience, humor, and grace mean the world. Thanks for supporting one another and keeping the ride as smooth as possible for our students.

First Week Schedule

Here’s how we’ll kick things off:

Monday (7:00–3:00)

• 7:00–8:00 – Work time

• 8:00–12:00 – All staff in library:  PPT

• 12:00–12:30 – Lunch on your own

• 12:30–3:00 – Work time

Tuesday (7:00–3:00)

• 7:00–8:00 – Work time

• 8:00–10:00 – All staff in library for Qmlative training (bring a Chromebook)

• 10:00–10:15 – Break

• 10:15–12:00 – In-person teaching staff only in library- PPT

• noon–12:30 – Lunch on your own

• 12:30–3:00 – Work time

Wednesday (7:30–3:30)

• 7:30–8:00 – Work time

• 8:00–11:00 – In-person staff only in library

• 11:00–11:30 – Lunch on your own

• 11:30–3:30 – Work time

• 1:00 - 3:30 - Open house

Thursday (7:00–3:00)

• 7:00–8:00 – Breakfast at Lake City High School (Classified staff welcome to join in the library)

• 8:00–8:30 – District Welcome

• 8:30–noon – Breakout sessions on timely and relevant topics

• Noon–3:00 – In classrooms completing Vector training, etc.

Friday (7:00–3:00)

• Workday from the location of your choosing 

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We’ve got an amazing year ahead, filled with growth, collaboration, and plenty of moments to laugh along the way. Let’s roll into Monday ready to support each other and our students.

Let’s do this, Venture!