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January 8, 2020

Jan 8, 2021Newsletter

It’s been a great week first week back! We are thrilled to see your kiddos, again!

NEW INFORMATION

REMINDER – SEMESTER 1 ENDS ON JANUARY 15TH AT MIDNIGHT

All first semester coursework and assessments must be turned in by midnight on Friday, January 15th. There will be no school on Monday, January 18th as it is a teacher records day. Second semester courses begin on Tuesday, January 19th.

BREAKFAST/LUNCH SIGN UP/PICK UP – JANUARY 15TH – IMPORTANT CHANGES

With the return of Innocademy to face to face learning, there are some changes for our food pick up.

  • THIS SIGN UP is open for next week’s breakfast/lunches
  • Sign ups are for virtual learning families and iCademy only
  • Deadline for sign-up are TUESDAYS AT NOON. Late responses cannot be accepted.
  • Pick up will be at iCademy on FRIDAY AFTERNOONS from 2:00 – 2:15pm
  • Please contact Ms. Stacy at hot.lunch@innocademy.com with questions.
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iCADEMY ENROLLMENT COMMITMENT FOR 21-22 SCHOOL YEAR

Please help us plan accordingly by indicating your intentions for next year on the survey here,  Family Commitment Form no later than next FRIDAY, JANUARY 15TH.

As always, if you have questions regarding enrollment, specific programming options or placement you would like to discuss, please let me know.

CAREERLINE TECH CENTER INFORMATION – 10th and 11th Graders

It’s only the start of 2021, but when it comes to the Careerline Tech Center, it is time to start thinking about the 2021-22 school year now! CTC is a great place to not only earn high school credit, but get real hands-on experience in a potential career.

If you know that you are interested in applying to CTC for *next school year* online applications for CTC open *this Monday* January 11th, and are due Friday, February 19th. You are welcome to return the application to Laura Verkaik at laura.verkaik@icademyglobal.org or directly to CTC with some additional information. Please be in touch if you have more questions or help in this process!

Whether or not you have ever thought about attending the Careerline Tech Center, we have a GREAT opportunity to learn more about their programs, virtually.

Monday January 25th 2020 at NOON (Homeroom time) CTC with be live via Zoom for presentations and observations. This session will last about 30 minutes. Sign up with Ms. Laura if you are interested, and I will give you a Zoom link!

FIRST SEMESTER REPORT CARDS

All report cards for first semester will be issued no later than January 22nd by 5pm. Please watch your email for a message from your child’s mentor or teacher.

COVID-19 VACCINATION INFORMATION

For those hoping to receive the Covid-19 Vaccination, you may learn more about when you are able to receive the vaccination as well as how to schedule an appointment when the time comes. Please visit THIS LINK .

OLD INFORMATION (In Case You Missed It =)

MY COVID-19 RISK

As we think about engaging safely the next several months, this chart may helpful in assessing the Covid-19 risks associated with different activities.

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COVID POSITIVE DIAGNOSIS?

In the event your child receives a positive COVID diagnosis, please make sure to contact us, immediately. We must continue to update the COVID transparency page on our website and be able to work with the health department in their contact tracing efforts.


CAMPUS VISIT BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

If you need to visit campus in order to exchange a device or charging cord, please make an appointment with your mentor as there may not be someone on campus readily available to help you without an appointment.

Bittersweet Ski Passes – Still Available!

We are again offering Bittersweet Ski Passes for students (7 + years) and their families (extended families, too!) through Innocademy and iCademy Global.2020-2021-ADULT-SKI-CLUB-FORM-1Download2020-2021-ADULT-STUDENT-INFO-SHEETDownload2020-2021-Disclaimer-Student-Ski-ClubDownloadBittersweet-Covid-19-Disclosures-Download

Ski passes are a great opportunity for folks to purchase a pass ($22) that acts as a coupon throughout the season, reducing the prices on lift tickets, helmets, and rentals. The pass can be used, repeatedly, at any time throughout the ski season (please read the restrictions on timeframe and days), by the pass holder! ANYONE can be part of the ski club…student, parent, family friend. 
​If you are interested, please… 

  1. Read through the attached information – INCLUDING COVID 19 policies
  2. Fill out the attached form for student and/or adult
  3. Secure in an envelope with payment (checks payable to BITTERSWEET SKI RESORT
  4. Label envelope: BITTERSWEET SKI PASSES – LEISA LOBBEZOO 
  5. Return to campus. If you would like to mail the forms and payment via US mail, that is great, too! Please use the information, below:

Leisa Lobbezoo iCademy Global, 8485 Homestead Drive, Zeeland, MI 49464
Once we receive the application and payment, there is usually about a 14 school day turn around for your information to be processed at Bittersweet and passes to be issued so please plan ahead. =)

Just in case you were wondering, “Hmmm…what does Bittersweet usually charge for lift tickets and rentals?”

WITHOUT SKI CLUB PASSES

Adult/Student

$32-$57 lift ticket

$30-$35 rentals

$10 helmet rental

WITH SKI CLUB PASSES ($22 each pass – every skier must have one to receive the discounts.)

Adult (anyone not still in high school)

$26 lift ticket

$26 Rentals

$10 helmet

Student (7 years old and older)

$22 lift ticket

$22 rentals

$10 helmet rental 

+ 2 FREE Lessons or NASTAR run 


  • IMPORTANT LUNCH INFORMATION: Being a virtual school it seems a silly request, but if you have not yet filled out a free/reduced lunch application at lunchapp.com, please do so prior to Thanksgiving break. You will select HOLLAND CHRISTIAN as the district as they are our food service provider. 

    Even if you think you may not qualify, our school receives credit for each form submitted. What is “credit”? Having our families complete these forms allows us to participate in grant opportunities and funding that directly impacts student learning and academic support. Not only that, but should there be another time where schools are not in session, if your family DOES qualify for benefits of any sort, you will be sent an EBT card in the mail to be able to assist with purchasing food for your family. If you end up qualifying and do not wish to take advantage of any benefits associated with the program, you do not have to participate.
    
  • iCademy Clubs: We are so excited to be able to offer 11 clubs to our high school and middle school students. Below you will find information on what clubs are being offered as well as a little description. Kids can join as many clubs as they wish! None are mandatory, but all are fun!!!
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Reminders:

  • 2-1-1: This service provides access to food, health, mental health, and various other needs. For assistance, call 2-1-1 on your mobile phone or dial 877-211-5253. Texting is available by texting your zip code to 898211. To access online, go to www.call-211.org.  
    
  • Feeding America: Mark your calendar and share these dates with friends and neighbors! Feeding America Mobile Food Distribution takes place at Zeeland Public Roosevelt School’s west parking lot (175 W. Roosevelt Ave., Zeeland, MI 49464). This is a drive-thru, no contact distribution. All are welcome. No income guidelines or proof of residency required.  Event runs 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm on January 12, February 16, March 9, and April 13.
    
  • NOT LOCAL? LOOKING FOR FREE MEALS FOR YOUR FAMILY?
    • Contact your local ISD: If you are out of range, but would like to take advantage of the week’s worth of free meals for your children, please connect with your local Intermediate School District for information on receiving free meals. As long as your local ISD has a virtual school program, you can qualify for free meals.
    • Meet UP and Eat UP: This is another incredible program (sponsored by the United Way) providing meals for families throughout Michigan. Please view the interactive map HERE for more information on food distribution near you.  
      
  • COVID-19 DASHBOARD FOR iCADEMY: iCademy Global will share updated COVID-19 data each Monday afternoon.  Due to HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) laws, no personal information will be shared. When iCademy receives communication of a positive case, we will notify the county health department who traces and directly connects with those in close contact of the positive case.  iCademy will notify the school family of the case and the actions taking place as necessary. https://icademyglobal.org/covid-19-dashboard/
    
  • Engagement & Attendance: In a traditional brick and mortar school when students show up for the day or for a class, the teacher takes attendance and that is submitted to the State of Michigan. At a virtual school like iCademy Global, three factors play a role in engagement and attendance.  Two-way communication, participation in Live Lessons/check-in with Mentors and adequate time and progress lets us know that you are engaged in your school work and are counted as being present at iCademy Global.  When a student is not meeting the expectations, they are flagged as being absent.  
    
  • Truancy: In order to meet the state expectation of 1098 hours engaged in coursework each year, it is required that iCademy Global students spend an average of 420 minutes per day doing school work – Monday through Friday. In many cases, absences from school are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances. However, chronic absenteeism can have a drastic impact on your child’s education. Children chronically absent in kindergarten and first grade are much less likely to learn to read by the end of third grade. By sixth grade, chronic absence is a proven early warning sign of drop-out. By ninth grade, good attendance can predict graduation even better than eighth grade test scores.

    When we see that a student is not completing his/her coursework within the coursework and/or participating in required Live Lessons, not attending mentor meetings or lacking in two-way communication, parent/guardian will be contacted via an attendance letter indicating multiple absences and requesting a virtual meeting to create a personalized Learning Plan. Parents are a huge player in the success of the students as well.  Parents will be required to walk alongside the student for accountability purposes to ensure success.  If a student does not adhere to the personalized Learning Plan, the Learning Team will begin the Truancy process which may result as a formal file to Truancy through the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District.  
    
  • Got Questions? We’ve got answers! Whenever you have questions, big or small, we are here to answer them! Your first point of contact for all questions is your child’s MENTOR. Can’t remember who that is? When your child is logged-in to their Student Portal (https://portal.icademyglobal.org) with their Microsoft 365 credentials, their Student Dashboard has their mentor’s contact information. The quickest way to reach your child’s mentor is for the student to connect with them in Zoom. From there, they can direct you to the right place if they personally can’t answer your questions.  
    
  • Master Staff Contact List: To contact any staff member, please reference this updated master staff contact list. Thank you!  
    
  • Email List: Do you have another family member you would like added to our email list for school-wide communication? If so, please contact Ms. Leisa Lobbezoo at leisa.lobbezoo@icademyglobal.org to be added.
    
  • Follow Us on Facebook & Instagram! We love to keep you connected to the iCademy community on our Facebook & Instagram pages. If you haven’t already done so, follow us today! @icademyvirtual (FB), @icademyelementary (FB), @icademyvirtual (IG), @icademyelementary (IG). You can even request to join the iCademy Global Parents Facebook page!

Upcoming Events:

  • January 15th – End of First Semester
  • February 10th – State of Michigan Count Day
  • June 7th – High School Graduation

Important iCademy Resources:

Have a great weekend!

– iCademy Global Staff