Natasa
Middle School Student
Natasa is a sixth grader at our school. According to her dad, she is “a very serious ballet dancer. She takes classes four times a week at the Minnesota Dance Theater, dances each year in the Nutcracker, and has begun training en pointe. [This school] makes it easy to complete schoolwork around a very demanding ballet schedule.” Natasa's brother, Leos, also attends Minnesota Connections Academy.
Why Natasa’s Family Chose Our School
According to her father, “Natasa had a great experience with online school during the first year of the pandemic. In the summer before fourth grade, we decided to look for a more permanent and expansive online school. Connections Academy was highly recommended by everyone we talked with.
“Natasa loves language arts and science. She has also enjoyed making friends with other Minnesota Connections Academy students who live nearby — it’s so nice for her to have that community. … We have had great relationships with all Minnesota Connections Academy teachers. They have been approachable and available and always willing to answer questions.”
The Online School Experience at Minnesota Connections Academy
“We love that Natasa can work at her own pace,” says her father. “There was a lot of time spent waiting around at her previous brick-and-mortar school, which was having an effect on her enthusiasm for learning. At Minnesota Connections Academy, she has learned how to plan her schedule, budget her time, and work when it's most convenient.
“There came a point in Natasa’s first year at Minnesota Connections Academy where we collectively realized ‘Hey, we can do this. And we all seem pretty happy doing it.’ As a parent, it has been so gratifying to find a situation that really allows Natasa to excel academically.”
I love Minnesota Connections Academy for the flexibility it gives students and the encouragement to work on harder and harder things.
— Grant, Natasa's Dad and Learning Coach
