IACS Hawk Distance Edition
Week ending July 17, 2020
បកប្រែទំព័រនេះជាភាសាខ្មែរ៖ ចុចលើប៊ូតុងបកប្រែព្រឹត្តិប័ត្រនៅខាងស្តាំ
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Dear IACS Community,
As discussions about school reopening and public health continue to dominate the local and national headlines, I wanted to bring you up to speed on information that is specific to IACS. And yes, there's another short survey link at the bottom of this letter.
While there continues to be a great deal of uncertainty and debate about what the start of school will look like this year, we know that at some point we will need to return to campus, and we know things will not be “business as usual”. Linked below is a list of a number of steps that we are taking to prepare our campus and buildings. We will continue to update this document in future editions of the Hawk.
Facilities & Campus Overview and Updates
In my letter two weeks ago, I referenced a few key pieces of information related to expectations about what protocols and procedures that would apply to any on-campus activity. If you didn't get a chance to read it (it was, after all a holiday weekend), please review. Since that letter, I wanted to provide a few more updates:
Last Friday, DESE released a guidance that stated any family could select to participate in a fully remote model.
Many of our families noted in our last survey that, in the event of a hybrid model, it would be critical that siblings and fellow carpool groups would need to be on the same cycle. We will develop systems to support that need, should we at anytime next year enter a hybrid model.
When we asked families, there was a slight preference (30% vs. 20%) for a hybrid model that alternated weeks as opposed to days. However, that preference was offset by people saying that they could make their second place option work if necessary.
In this week's survey, we will ask you about yet another hybrid model, where all students would come to campus at least 2 days (Mon/Tues OR Thurs/Friday) every week and learn remotely 3 days. Wednesday would be a day designed for additional, in-person academic support for specifically designated students.
When given the option of an in-person model vs. hybrid model, the results were similar (46% to 42%) and the balance (12%) preferred a fully remote model. Given a lot can change in two weeks, we will ask this question again this week.
PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S SURVEY
Good luck staying cool this weekend.
In partnership,
Greg Orpen
Head of School
All School News
Mask Practice
Families- please ensure your child has a mask that fits properly and they feel comfortable in. Please talk with them about the importance about wearing a mask, how to safely take it on and off, and practice wearing it for stretches. While there will be mask breaks at school, it’s important that students are accustomed to wearing them. Thank you for your support!
If you are a new family to the IACS Community
Please be sure to send us a copy of your student’s current report card so we can place them in the correct math classes for the fall.
Send to IACS, 72 Tyng Road, Tyngsboro, MA 01879 Attn: Admissions if you are mailing it.
OR email to kfeeney@innovationcharter.org or mbush@innovationcharter.org
Also, please inform your child’s former school that they will not be returning in the fall.
We will request student records over the summer.
If you are a returning student please be sure to return your medical (Emergency info) form as soon as possible,
Immunization Updates From the Health Office
Hello from the health office staff! During these unsettled times we encourage families to continue to reach out to coordinate well-child care and immunizations with their pediatricians; maintaining overall general health must be a priority.
As we prepare to welcome students back to school for next year, we would like to remind families of the following statewide immunization regulations for school attendance:
Students entering Grade 7 must show proof of having a Tdap vaccine prior to school entry
Starting with the 2020-21 school year, all students entering Grades 7 and 11 will also need to show proof of having received the meningococcal conjugate vaccine, MenACWY (brand names Menveo or Menactra) for school entry.
Please send updated immunization records to the Health Office as soon as possible. You can mail updated records to the IACS Health Office or you can email the records to healthoffice@innovationcharter.org.
Thank you in advance for helping us maintain a healthy school environment for all community members.
IACS Health Office Staff
New Summer Hours at IACS: Our main office will be open Monday through Friday, 8 am until 3pm. If families have any school items to return (books, Chromebooks, uniforms, paperwork, etc.), you may come during those windows of time. While sending an email in advance (mainoffice@innovationcharter.org) is helpful, no appointments are required.
Please return Chromebooks
In an effort to prepare for the coming year, we ask that you please return any Chromebook and charger that you may have borrowed to the school during the Summer hours.(M-F 8am -3 pm). If you need to use the computer to complete summer work please contact Mrs Landis (hlandis@innovationcharter.org) and she will make a note so that you do not receive a bill. Thank you for your help with this. If you have already communicated with her, you do not need to do so again. Happy Summer!
Middle School News
The Middle School yearbooks have finally arrived! Pickup will be outside the main entrance (due to the reduced chances of COVID transmission outside) on Friday, July 24th from 10am to 1pm.
To minimize interaction, please leave right after picking up your yearbook. Please wear a mask and if there is a line, please practice social distancing.
Only people who have bought yearbooks in advance can pick them up; there will be no in-person sales.
It is not too late to set up digital signing if you have not done so already. To find out how to do so, see this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKUWyuczG4c&feature=youtu.be.
If you are unable to pickup your copy at this time future pick up instructions will be announced later. Any questions contact Ms. Pakala at rpakala@innovationcharter.org
High School News
HS Yearbooks
If you haven't picked up your high school yearbook yet, you can get it at the main office Monday through Friday from 8 am to 3 pm. Please contact Mr Macdonald if you have any questions: tmacdonald@innovationcharter.org
Work Permits
Students needing a work permit need to fill out this work application. Your employer might give you a copy at your interview. Once completed, email a copy to Crystal McKiel, cmckiel@innovationcharter.org or Steph Kelly, skelly@innovationcharter.org. MS students should email Mr. Pereyra, fpereyra@innovationcharter.org. We will issue a work permit to you. While we do work over the Summer there are reduced hours so please allow us 3 business days to process your permit. Employers fill out and sign the first page, and parents and students must also sign the second page (pediatricians must sign the second page for students who are 14 or 15 years old).
Graduation
Graduation is planned for Saturday, August 1st at 10am. More specific details will be sent in July. Only immediate family of graduates (max of 4 guests per graduate) can be on campus to attend the ceremony and must register before the ceremony to be allowed in. The deadline to register is Monday, July 27th, 2020. The registration link is here.
Special Note to our newest Alumni
Dear Class of 2020: Congratulations on the completion of your years at IACS! We are going to miss you! One of the long-term focus areas for IACS is to build our alumni structures. To assist with this, we are asking our graduates to voluntarily share their personal emails and cell phone numbers so we can stay connected and share exciting updates occurring at IACS. Thank you to those who have already done so!
To share your contact information, please complete this quick and easy form. Feel reach to reach out to Ms. Morocco (smorocco@innovationcharter.org) with any questions or concerns.
Athletics News
Captains' Practices
Hello IACS Community! As the captains of the Girls Varsity soccer team for 2020, Taylor and Hope wanted to take the time to share some important information about captains' practices for this summer.
We hope this message finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy. We are proud to be writing this message as we prepare for our first official season in the CAC League! Due to social distancing guidelines, we are currently going to keep all conditioning virtual. Although this is sad and difficult, we want to make sure we are making decisions that give us the best chance of having a season come the fall. We have our fingers crossed that we may be able to get together in small groups later on in the summer, and we will keep the team updated!
Students and families, please view this document that Taylor and Hope created which will hopefully help give everyone an idea of what our goals are for each age group this summer.
If you are a new high schooler at IACS or are a current high schooler who is interested in learning more about the soccer team, please reach out to either captain at their IACS emails hope.coleman-plourde@innovationcharter.org or taylor.scanlon@innovationcharter.org. If you are the parent of a rising freshman who is interested in playing soccer and they haven’t been receiving texts/emails from us, please let us know that as well! We are so excited to get to meet prospective players!
Thank you to the student-athletes and parents for your support during these times where we are all being challenged to learn and adapt. We are grateful to have this community to support our team, the athletic program, and our school through it all.
Best,
Taylor and Hope (Class of 2021)
Summer Training Plans
Please see below for summer training plans for high school girls soccer and high school cross country. Any athletes with questions about either plan are encouraged to contact the appropriate head coach (girls soccer, Bruce Cottle, bcottle@innovationcharter.org and cross country, Kyle Thornton, kthornton@innovationcharter.org).
Cross Country Beginner Training Plan
IACA News
Innovation Academy Charter School
Email: mainoffice@innovationcharter.org
Website: www.innovationhcharter.org
Location: 72 Tyng Road, Tyngsborough, MA, United States
Phone: 978-649-0432
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IACStyngsborough/
Twitter: @iacharterschool