Regional Alternative School

🥳🎓🎯✅👏8️⃣4️⃣👏✅🎯🎓🥳 🗡️They slayed... 🥘They cooked... 💪They crushed... 🔥They were fire... 🔐They locked in... 💰They secured the bag... 🍽️They ate and left no crumbs... ⭐️RAS⭐️ was able to help 🎓8️⃣4️⃣🎓 students earn their high school diploma through their home schools during the 2025-26 school year❗️ That, folks, is a RECORD. We may have had to ⛽️gas them up⛽️ but 👏THEY👏did👏it👏 Many congratulations to our graduates and their families!

💜💛🍭🍫🍬Step into our Week of Pure Appreciation!🍬🍫🍭💛💜 We take this week to celebrate ALL of our amazing staff members at RAS. We all serve the role as educators to each student who walks in our building, whether it's through content, social and emotional support, food, or just plain life lessons. Thank you, Action Wellness and Dr. Katie, for spoiling staff with chair massages! As Willy Wonka said, "A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men." Enjoy our nonsense! 💛🍫Day 1: The Golden Ticket Launch 🍫💛

Today is School Principal Day and we are celebrating the woman who does it all. From the 1,000 tasks on her to do list 📋 to the support she gives our staff & students, Mrs. Quick is the the true 💛 of RAS. She is selfless and student centered but also likes to crack a joke or join in on the fun. Thank you for leading us with grace, grit, 💟 and 😂.

Digital Field Trip Part 2 was a wild success! From African ecosystems to the Open Aviary, DLL Students dove into conservation topics like population control & habit fragmentation at Milwaukee County Zoo-- perfect timing on Earth Day! 🌍🦒🦜 Thank you, Mrs. LaCroix-DLL Instructor, for providing this opportunity for students and staff!

See you all on Tuesday!

💰💡⚡️🦺Congratulations, Mrs. Jenkins, for being a recipient of the Corn Belt Energy Education Grant! RAS will use these funds to cover the cost of OSHA certifications for our students who are close to graduating. This certification is a HUGE résumé boost and allows our students to have an advantage when applying for jobs after graduation. Thank you, Corn Belt Energy, for your continued support and generosity! 🦺⚡️💡💰

Feeling the stress? 😰 You're not alone. Our amazing nursing students from Illinois Wesleyan University recently surveyed our middle and high school students and the results showed that a majority of them are feeling anxious and stressed. 😥

But they didn't just sit back! 🙅‍♀️ The nursing students jumped into action and created a fantastic relaxation circuit to help our students de-stress. 😌

First up, deep breathing! 🌬️ Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, and exhale for 4 seconds. Repeat!

Next, an "ice bath" for hands! 🧊 A refreshing splash to wake up the senses.

Then, "shake it off"! 🕺 Wiggle those worries away or do wall push-ups.

And finally, calming music to relax the mind. 🎶

So proud of our students for taking charge of their mental health and of our future nurses for their incredible support! ❤️

RAS staff members from our Bloomington and Livingston County campuses are participating and presenting at this year's ICEARY Conference in Normal. Never stop learning!

🚨RAS students will work remotely March 5th & 6th!🚨

🫶🏿🫶🏾🫶🏽🫶🏼🫶🏻March is National Social Work Month. RAS would be LOST without this amazing team! The theme this year is Uplift.Defend.Transform. and these five individuals do that every.single.day. Collectively, our Social Work Team sees each student, each day in a variety of ways that help meet individual needs. From counseling to providing basic needs to helping our students and families access outside community agencies, they do it all! 👏🏻👏🏼👏🏽👏🏾👏🏿

Huge thank you to the IWU Student Nurses Association! 🏥💙 We are so incredibly grateful for the generous donation we received today from the future nurses at Illinois Wesleyan University. These resources will go directly toward supporting our students' well-being and helping them thrive. Community partnerships like this make all the difference!

Learning can happen anywhere, and today, it happened at Milwaukee County Zoo with Mrs. LaCroix and our DLL students! We explored great apes and monkeys, amphibians, fish, reptiles, sea lions, and elephants. We met zookeepers and learned about conservation, habitat loss, animal identification, breeding programs, geography, sign language, poetry from a Navajo member, and how even reading food labels can help protect wildlife. Students also got a behind-the-scenes look at so many cool careers like zookeeper, veterinarian, architect, chef, animal care, landscaping services, and more, while seeing how zoos are designed so animals often have more space than humans. We talked vet care, zoo trading, fun animal facts, and what it really takes to care for animals every day. Final fun fact: elephants are like us and have a preferred side, and the tusk they use most is always shorter, so next time you see one, check their tusks to see if they’re a lefty or a righty! 🐘

It has been a great two days connecting and reconnecting with students and their families. Student-led conferences allow our students to self-reflect, lead the discussion about their learning, and take ownership of their choices and overall academic engagement. We appreciate the time and support our families gave to us to continue to foster the partnership between home and school! 🏠🔁🏫 A future educator from ISU, Mr. Tamayo, volunteered his time and interpreter skills to help us communicate more effectively with families. We were happy to welcome him back into the building! 🙌🗣️ As always, our friends and First Christian Church made sure the staff was well-fed to help us get through the longer days! ❤️

🗣️🗣️🗣️We will be hosting Student Led Conferences tonight from 3:30-7 and tomorrow morning from 7:30-noon. Please call the school if you still need to schedule yours! ☎️309-828-5807☎️

Who says that 🩺 talk needs to be done in a 🏥? Our awesome Illinois Wesleyan University nursing students 👩‍⚕️👩🏻‍⚕️👩🏽‍⚕️👩🏾‍⚕️ are engaging with RAS students with "Ask the Nurse".

Give Kids a 😁. On February 7, 2026 from 9 am to 1 pm Chestnut Health Systems is offering a FREE 🦷🪥services for anyone under 18. No appointment necessary but registration is strongly recommended. Visit chestnut.org for more details.

Due to inclement weather, RAS-Bloomington Campus will have a remote learning day on Monday, January 26th. Students should check their RAS email for further information from their teachers. Please email kquick@rasblm.org if you have any questions or concerns or call 309-828-5807.

Due to inclement weather, RAS-Bloomington Campus will have a remote learning day on Friday, January 23rd. Students should check their RAS email for further information from their teachers. Please email kquick@rasblm.org if you have any questions or concerns or call 309-828-5807.

Trade opportunities ⚡️🛠️🔋🚙. RAS seniors had the chance to learn about Electric Vehicle & Manufacturing Training Programs that are available through a partnership between Heartland Community College & the YWCA.