Creative and Communication Arts is a community where learners express their creativity in many ways. Many of our learners are skilled in music, video creation, performing, graphic design and other artistic areas.
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Johnna NollExecutive Director
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Alicia PadillaExecutive Assistant
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Paula KaiserDevelopment Director
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Judy SturmIT Coordinator
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Ben BreitenfeldtGlobal Resource Specialist
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Kris KoneazyCitizenship Specialist
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Wilbur AllenWellness Specialist
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Julie Pruefer-WeberOrientation Specialist
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Scott HendersonEmployability Specialist
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Jennifer NussLearning Specialist
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Robert KuprenasLearning Specialist
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Christine HenneberryLearning Specialist
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Kyle StouffLearning Coach
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Emily CastleLearning Coach
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Kristina PersakLearning Coach
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Ashley FinleyLiteracy Coach
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Jane LomanNumeracy Coach
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Dawn BurroughsOrientation Coach
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Jade HrdiLearning Coach
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Assessment Specialists

Johnna Noll
Hometown: Big Bend
Education: Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Education, UW-Parkside;
Master of Science in Administrative Leadership and Supervision, UW-Milwaukee

Alicia Padilla

Paula Kaiser
Hometown: New Berlin
Education: Bachelor of Arts in education, Purdue University;
Master of Science in Education and Leadership, Cardinal Stritch University

Judy Sturm
Hometown: West Allis
Education: AAS Data Processing, Jefferson Community College;
AAS Microcomputer Programing – Moraine Park Technical College;
Certifications: Comptia A+, Comptia N+, MCSA, MCSE, MSDBA

Ben Breitenfeldt
Hometown: Mosinee
Education: BA Education, Concordia University;
ME Instructional Technology, Cardinal Stritch University

Kris Koneazy
Hometown: Milwaukee
Education: BA in Psychology/Business, MTEC;
Master’s, Cardinal Stritch University

Wilbur Allen

Julie Pruefer-Weber
Hometown: Waukesha
Education: Master of Educational Leadership, Cardinal Stritch University

Scott Henderson
Hometown: Milwaukee
Education: BA – University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Jennifer Nuss
Hometown: DePere
Education: UW-Eau Claire, elementary education

Robert Kuprenas
Hometown: Milwaukee
Education: Bachelor’s in mathematics, secondary education, Purdue University;
Master’s in educational administration, Purdue University

Christine Henneberry
Hometown: New Berlin
Education: BSE in elementary education

Kyle Stouff
Hometown: Milwaukee
Education: Concordia University Wisconsin

Emily Castle
Hometown: Darlington
Education: BA in Psychology, UW-Platteville

Kristina Persak
Hometown: Waterford
Education: Bachelor of Arts in psychology, UW-Whitewater

Ashley Finley
Hometown: Milwaukee
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Child, Youth and Family Studies, UW-Stevens Point

Jane Loman
Hometown: Momence, Illinois
Education: Marketing of Textiles and Apparel, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Dawn Burroughs
dburroughs@norriacademywi.org

Jade Hrdi
About Jade
Education: Bachelor of Science in journalism and religious studies, UW Oshkosh
email: jhrdi@norrisacademywi.org
Phone: (262) 910-3858

Assessment Specialists
Assessment Specialists support learners initial transition to Norris Academy throughout the first month as they complete a comprehensive diagnostic assessment and develop a learner profile. The profile communicates who they are within the 4 dimensions of academic, employability, citizenship and wellness. Learners create a Who am I? profile presentation which synthesizes all of what they discover through surveys, lessons and mini explorations throughout the 4 learning communities to discover their learning interests, strengths, needs and skills and dispositions. From this process, learners make a connection and join a community.
Option 1: Norris School District Public Schools
The Norris School District offers a free and appropriate elementary and secondary public education program for students ages 4 through 20 who have not graduated high school and reside within the residential boundaries of the District. The Norris School District operates a Norris Hi and Norris Academy, a charter school option.
Norris School District | 2016-2017 School Accountability Status |
Norris Hi (4K-12) | Satisfactory Progress (*DPI’s Alternate Accountability System Rating) |
Norris Academy (5K-12) Virtual charter school that offers onsite, virtual and community based learning opportunities. The innovative learning environment that offers anytime, anywhere learning experiences personalized to the needs of each learner. | Opening 2017-2018 |
Option 2: Private Choice Schools
The Wisconsin Parental Choice Program allows students who reside in a Wisconsin school district, other than the Milwaukee or Racine Unified School District, to attend any participating private school if certain eligibility criteria are met. The private school, on behalf of the pupil’s parent or guardian, receives a state aid payment for each eligible student. Contact the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) for the list of schools participating in the program at http://sms.dpi.wi.gov/wpcp-statewide
There are no private school options within the boundaries of the Norris School District.
Option 3: Early College Credit Program (ECCP)
Public high school students grades 9-12 who is not already attending a technical college in lieu of high school may enroll in an Institution of higher Learning (IHE) for the purpose of taking one or more courses under the Early College Credit Program. Eligible students may take the courses under this program at any time, including the fall, spring, or summer sessions. For more information please visit https://dpi.wi.gov/dual-enrollment (effective July 1, 2018)
Option 4: Part Time Open Enrollment
Students in all grades enrolled in a Wisconsin public school district may apply to take up to two courses at a time at another in a nonresident puplic school district at no cost to the student. For more information please visit https://dpi.wi.gov/open-enrollment
Option 5: Virtual Charter School
Enrollment in a public school authorized by a Board of Education, with public school teachers who deliver curriculum fully online. Norris Academy is classified as a Virtual Charter School. The Virtual Charter School agreement for Norris Academy provides the opportunity for learners to engage in anytime anywhere learning. Instruction is not fully on-line as with most charter schools, rather options for on-site, virtual and community based learning occur. For a complete listing of Wisconsin Virtual Charter Schools please visit https://apps4.dpi.wi.gov/Opal2012/Faqs.aspx#virtual
Option 6: Home-Based Educational Program
Under Wisconsin Statute 118.15(4), a parent or guardian has the right to select a home-based private educational program, commonly referred to as homeschooling, for his or her child or children, in order to comply with the compulsory school attendance law. If this option is chosen, the parent or guardian is required to complete the online PI-1206 Homeschool Enrollment Report. Students enrolled in home-based private educational programs are able to take up to two courses in any grade in a resident or non-resident school district. For more information please visit https://sms.dpi.wi.gov/sms_homeb
Orientation Specialist
The orientation specialist supports learners initial transition to Norris Academy through the first month, during the four orientation modules.
Learning Specialist
The learning specialists take information about learners from their orientation phase and initial conferring sessions to understand who they are as learners. Then, we work together with the learners to co-create a plan and pathway to support them in pursuing their passions and interests. As they progress along their path, we guide them toward competency and course completion as well as life-long goals for their futures beyond Norris Academy.
Employability Specialist
The employability specialist empowers learners to explore careers that match their interests and provides an idea of what a career might look like. The employability specialist connections learners to an internship to practice skills.
Citizenship Specialist
The citizenship specialist assesses citizenship competency awareness and creates ways to engender citizenship values to promote meaningful community involvement and identify areas of interest to develop into a club or connect learners to existing clubs and collaborate with advisors and specialists to identify opportunities to meet academic competencies that can be met through participation in a club. Finally, the citizenship specialist teams with learners, coaches, specialists and families to create aligned IEPs that utilize the strengths of learners to optimize outcomes by working within the Academy framework.
Wellness Specialist
The wellness specialist assists learners with self regulation strategies during learning in their community as well as in other parts of their life, assists the learners in recognizing when they are ready to engage in learning with minimal distractions.
Global Resource Specialist
The global resource specialist provides digital resources, instructional technology tools, promotion of digital citizenship skills and opportunities for including technology/digital tools into learning paths, demonstrated the use of digital tools and technologies for learning based career interests and works with learners and learning specialists to solve any digital/technology resource questions.
Orientation Coach
The orientation coach works with new learners by assisting in their learning and regulating process, establishes a sense of community by creating a routine and assists learners to overcome barriers as they are going through the orientation courses and the diagnostic assessments.
Learning Coarch
The learning community coaches support learners by engaging them in their plans and pathways with a variety of resources. This can be in a 1-on-1 setting or a small group. The coaches guide learners in identifying personal needs and model self-regulation.
Skill Acceleration Coach
The learning community coaches provide a low risk environment for learners to work one on one, supporting learning by capitalizing on interests and building enjoyment while connecting those interests to content. By providing open lab hours, skill acceleration coaches support learners’ abilities to build evidence within their pathways.
Advance Care Practitioner
The advance care practitioners help learners regulate themselves in various environments, help support coaches in the learning communities and build relationships with learners.
Extended Learning Practitioners
The extended learning practitioners share their professional expertise and support learner pursuits in authentic professional environments. These are the business and community partners who extend externships and jobs to Academy learners.
- Norris Academy Learners...
- Learners can...
- Learners Develop skills to...
- Make personal connections to content and real world experience through learning networks
- Experience and contribute to collaborative learning experiences that are anytime, anywhere
- Establish essential routines that lead to greater personal productivity and life-long curiosity and learning practices
- Focus on self discovery through diagnostics assessments and a comprehensive learner profile that identifies personal learning strengths, barriers and competency attainment
- Experience excitement about learning and their future through extended learning opportunities
- Understand personal cause and effect opportunities that lead to their current and future success
- Clearly and accurately describe how their profile informed the creation of their personal learning plan and pathway
- Describe the success criteria of their evidence of learning and where they are on the path to reaching their goal
- Develop a network of relationships that support all 4 dimensions of learning
- Reflect on their personal progress and seek feedforward input from others to refine, revise and iterate to meet the identified evidence of success criteria
- Curate learning and community based resources to enhance and extend their personal learning path
- Identify personal drivers and co-design learning plans and paths that lead to their future aspirations
- Inquire, learn and problem-solve independently seeking support as necessary through their learning network
- Collaborate, delegate, and communicate effectively to peers and adults
- Apply higher-level thinking and application of learning to novel situations
- Share their proof of learning to teach and present information to others