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October 30, 2020

Oct 30, 2020Newsletter


Middle School Costume Zoom Call!

Session 3 is off to a fabulous start! We have welcomed even more new students, started a newly-adjusted schedule at the middle school, kicked-off eleven brand-new middle and high school clubs, and kept the awesome learning going! We have so much to be thankful for.

The ‘iCademy Global Blog’ is a weekly communication of important reminders, announcements, and upcoming events that will be posted at the close of each week.

Need-to-Know Information:

  • BREAKFAST/LUNCH PICK-UP!
    • If you are in need of breakfast/lunches for your child(ren), you may sign up each week for FREE! 
    • Children you register for this service do not need to be students at iCademy, but can also be siblings, ages 0-18, who also live at the home.
    • Sign up no later than 1:30pm on SUNDAY each week. Please CLICK to register for pickup on MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2 between 2:15-2:30pm.
    • Questions? Please contact Stacy at hotlunch@innocademy.com 
    • PLEASE NOTE:  Breakfast/Lunch pick up will continue on break weeks as well.

1. Arrive at the iCademy door in the east lot (see map below) between 2:15pm-2:30pm on MONDAY.
2. Stay in your car and your lunches will be delivered to you.
3. Repeat each week you wish.
4. Questions? Please contact Stacy at hotlunch@innocademy.com

  • 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 breakYou 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.

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 November 17, December 8 and January 12, 2021.

  • 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!

     

  • iCademy FERPA: Please click this link to view.

     

  • iCademy Annual Asbestos Notification: Please click this link to view this annual notification.

     

  • iCademy Pest Management: Please click this link to view.

     

     

  • 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.

Upcoming Events: 

  • Thursday, November 5: K-5 Synergy Session
  • Week of November 9: K-5 Conference Calls
  • Thursday, November 19: K-5 Stewardship Opportunity
  • Thursday, December 3: Outdoor Discovery Center Synergy Session – Fire/Fort-Building Challenge
  • November 21-29: Thanksgiving Break Week 

Important iCademy Resources:

Have a spook-tacular weekend!

Do We Waste A Lot Of Pumpkins We Could Be Eating? : The Salt : NPR

– iCademy Global Staff