The Pulse by USPA. Edition 2: March

The Pulse T h e N e ws l e t t e r o f U S PA

M a r c h , 2 0 2 2 Just what is the USPA Difference?

U S PA A l umn i S p o t l i g h t // pag e 8

We l c ome f r om t h e C h i e f o f A c a d em i c s Julie Glusker

We are the online school for High Performance Athletes

Hello USPA Students, Parents and Community,

Spring ushers in increased daylight, new beginnings, and renewed hope. Our team at USPA remains committed to the intellectual, personal, and social development of our student athletes as they pursue their individual academic and athletic paths. We seek opportunities to guide them in balancing performance and achievement in the classroom and beyond. As a team, we continually reflect on and define the academic lives and needs of our students and families, considering “What do we want USPA graduates to learn and how can they best learn?” The result of our teamwork helps shape curriculum and define creative resources for reflective, meaningful learning. We are perpetually inspired and excited to innovate our educational offerings and approaches to provide a relevant and flexible curriculum - one that can evolve as we prepare our students to find their place in the global community.

learners, thoughtful citizens, and caring people. With spring’s approach, we hope you have hit your stride with USPA courses, curriculum, and engagement. We encourage you to continue studying and learning with integrity, developing sound learning and study habits, and applying the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind of all disciplines to framing questions and solving problems in the pursuit of understanding. We also encourage all of our students to view even themost formidablechallengesasopportunities for growth. These vital, refreshed principles of learning, resilience, and perseverance will serve you well in sport and life beyond.

Wh at ’ s i n s i d e o3// Welcome Letter 04// THE USPA DIFFERENCE? 05// Proud Parent 06// USPA & IDA Partnership 08// USPA Alumni Spotlight 10// Welcome to USPA 101 12// Student Success

Finish the year with purpose and happy spring from the USPA team!

Julie Glusker, Chief of Academics JulieGlusker

We are honored to help prepare our students in a community devoted to creating lifelong

2 \\

// 3

Q u o t e F r om a Proud Parent Mother of Student/Athlete, Figure Skater, EvA Beninson

H uma n C o nn e c t i o n i n a n o n l i n e s c h o o l

JUST WHAT IS THE USPA DIFFERENCE?

By English Teacher, JESSICA VERCAUTEREN

01 Asynchronous learning provides real-world opportunities and critical thinking daily.

02 Students are challenged to find creative solutions around their learning, technology, sport, and schedule. 05 Students have the unique opportunity for a verbal demonstration after every unit in a one-on- one discussion-based assessment with their teacher. This enables deeper reflection of the content and review.

03 Students are constantly traveling and adjusting their schedule, and adapting. 06 Students are able to revise work based on teacher comments and suggestions and resubmit, ensuring that they master content.

USPA has been a game changer for our family! Our daughter was in a fantastic private school prior to joining USPA in 6th grade, but she is a competitive figure skater and it was becoming harder and harder for the school to accommodate her training schedule. We decided to make the jump to online school and the transition has been very smooth. Our daughter has learned to be more independent in her school work and she has very frequent Zoom contact with her teachers and learning coach in a one-on-one setting. The academics are appropriately challenging and flexible. A great feature is that the students can see their grades every day and can take the time to connect with their teachers often if they are struggling. Since joining USPA, our daughter’s athletic skills have improved tremendously by having a more flexible school schedule, and she is very academically confident as well. We are so glad we found USPA!

04 We have differentiated instruction and demonstrations of learning embedded in our curriculum. Students have the traditional read, and written work, optional video content, interactive online tools such as edpuzzle, virtual field trips, and flipgrid and then are taught independent notetaking in a style that matches their learning style.

“We are grooming Critical Thinkers, giving Real-World Experience and teaching 21st- century skills”

— USPA English Teacher, Jess Vercauteren

4 \\

// 5

“USPA is the perfect academic partner for IDA. Flexible schedule, excellent curriculum and customer service – USPA understands the needs of a student- athlete and creates an academic experience that fits their needs at best.”

— Jordi Gomez, IDA Valencia Academy Director

U S PA & I DA Pa r t n e r s h i p A match made on the pitch

Located on the Mediterranean coast of Spain, the IDA Residential Academy in Valencia, Spain offers international student- athletes aged 15-22

• Full immersion into Spanish culture, including language classes, in and out of soccer • Training and competition against local semi- professional and professional clubs • US Performance Academy Academics • Tryout & trial opportunities with local clubs

No Big Deal! USPA/IDA Student-Athlete, Jeremy De Leon scores two goals to secure Puerto Rico’s qualifying spot for the U20 World Cup. This is their first time in history qualifying!

6 \\

// 7

U S PA A l u m n i Spotlight

Ian MacDiarmid ‘ 18 Top Ranked US Olympic Sailing Class Crew in the World

education at the same time. It worked!” The most demanding Olympic class, the 49er is an overpowered boat capable of powerboat speeds and known for spectacular crashes. With most sailors in the 49er class a generation older than Ian, the ability to train and compete globally at such a young age made the difference in his jump to the Olympic level. “The phasing and adaptability of the USPA platform allowed me to compete in Asia, Europe, and South America while still achieving in my high school academics. There is just nothing like USPA, it will become a secret weapon for the smartest US sailors.”

Ian MacDiarmid (USPA Class of 2018) and his driver AndrewMollerus are now the top World Sailing ranked US Sailing Team boat in any Olympic Class for the second month in a row. 4 th in the World Sailing Ranking System! “For the first time in almost 20 years, the United States has an Olympic 49er team in the top 5 with two boats in the top 10, and we are excited USPA played a part in that,” said USPA Founder Pete Smith. “We worked with Ian during his first two years on the professional Olympic circuit to make sure he could get a leg up on his peer group competing with the best in the world at just 17 years old - while making sure he earned an elite

8 \\

// 9

3. Meet Your Learning Coach! Once you have gone over everything with your coordinator and enrolled in classes, you will be introduced to your USPA Learning Coach! This member of USPA will be there to guide you every step of the way. From time management to navigating academic decisions and growth, your Learning Coach will serve as an advisor and mentor while you’re at USPA.

W e l c o m e t o U S PA 1 0 1 ! What Families Can Expect By Kelly Dalke, Head of Faculty

4. Meet Your Teachers! Yes! At USPA, you get to have actual face time with your teachers! Gone are the days of online courses where you email a teacher and hear back a week later. At USPA, you will have access to live chat with your teachers, go over concepts via Zoom, and get direct feedback on your work in a timely manner.

1 . Personalized Enrollment Coordinator New families at USPA will work 1:1 with a staff member while they are in between admissions, acceptance, and enrollment! This is the time you will log in to the platform, discuss courses, and get your feet on the ground while you wait to begin.

5. Meet Your Crew! Once you are enrolled and working in your courses, you will be able to connect with other USPA students in your crew! Virtual group meetings are scheduled throughout the year with your Learning Coach and their cohort to give you the opportunity to meet other student-athletes from across the globe!

2. Introduction to the Platform While you are waiting to begin your courses, you will be enrolled in an orientation course where you can learn the ins and outs of USPA, how to navigate your courses, and connect with staff and teachers all over the world!

1 0 \\

// 1 1

Student Success

P a d r a i g K i r w a n , 8 t h G r a d e Padraig and his U14 Hockey

1 2 \\

// 1 3