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On a health related note, I hope that all families received my email Thursday morning about the ways in which we are collecting COVID-19 vaccination documentation. To summarize, families may complete this survey which allows you to upload an electronic copy of your student’s COVID-19 vaccination card. Alternatively, families can turn in paper copies of their vaccination card in a sealed envelope labeled to the health office. Families have also inquired about when the pooled testing and rapid test programs will begin at IACS. The agency responsible for administering these programs, CIC Health, has just started piloting their program with a few districts in MA and expects to bring it to full scale in the weeks ahead.

In partnership,

Greg Orpen

Head of School

Crocodile River Music:

This week Crocodile River Music performed at IACS! The Crocodile River was founded in 2011 to support African artists to present African art, music, and dance that educates, and connects audiences of all ages, backgrounds and capabilities. Crocodile River also offers educational residency programs, digital residency programs, virtual meetings and gatherings, free concerts for the public, community connections and outreach programs and a cultural ambassador training program for interested new members. Through that work, Crocodile River provides people with ways to better understand themselves and one another. Crocodile River Music travels nationally and has performed at a variety of venues throughout the country. IACS was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to have them come to our school. Students were invited to join the performance by singing along, joining in dance, and learning about some unique instruments. To view more information about Crocodile River please visit their website https://crocodilerivermusic.com/

Crocodile River Music has events open to the public and FREE! Tomorrow, September 18th at 12:00P they are offering workshops at Eastern MA Rhythm Festival, RiverBend Farm, Uxbridge, MA.

IACS All School Calendar

Religious and cultural observations:

Yom Kippur “Day of Atonement,” A Jewish holiday (begins sundown September 15 through 16th) the holiest day of the year. It is observed through fasting, prayer, and refraining from work. To learn more about Yom Kippur, please visit https://www.britannica.com/topic/Yom-Kippur or https://excellentpresence.com/5555/diversity-calendar-2021-multicultural-holidays/

Mexican Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 16, and recognizes the revolution in 1810 that ended Spanish dictatorship.

September 20 – 27th Sukkot begins. “Sukkot is the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles. Beginning at sunset on the first day, this 7-day festival celebrates the harvest and commemorates the Jews’ passage through the wilderness. The Festival of Sukkot begins on Tishri 15, the fifth day after Yom Kippur.” To learn more about Sukkot please visit https://excellentpresence.com/5555/diversity-calendar-2021-multicultural-holidays/

Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month began on 09/15-10/15. Below are some ways to embrace and celebrate the achievements, successes, and resiliency of the Latinx and Hispanic communities. A few ways to celebrate their communities would be to:

(provided by weallgrowlatina)

Concord, NH will be celebrating a Multicultural Festival this Sunday (September 19th) from 11am to 4pm. This event includes dance performances, music, foods, and activities from various cultures. Here is a link to the schedule

Per diem Substitute Teachers Needed

Substitutes are valued members of our community that we rely heavily on to ensure your student receives uninterrupted learning. We are looking for a few more people to join our substitute teacher pool. If you or a friend are interested in learning more about becoming a substitute at IACS please fill out the availability form. Half day and full day subbing opportunities are available. IACS pays $25 per hour up to $100 per day maximum.

Transportation:

LRTA

We want to remind families whose students would like to take the LRTA bus (Route 17) that this year IACS will cover the ticket costs for students. At the beginning of the year students riding the bus will be given individual tickets, but we will transition to granting monthly passes. For questions regarding the LRTA bus program to/from IACS, please contact Transportation Manager, Marybeth Bush (mbush@innovationcharter.org).

Carpool

Families who complete the form will get a link to an interactive map of carpooling families to enable you to quickly find contact information for IACS families near you. We’ll also share the data with you in spreadsheet form. Both digital formats will update in real time as other families complete the form, so check back often if you do not see anyone that lives around you. Feel free to contact anyone on the list that looks like they will be a helpful match for you!

Share your information using our google form and you will be added to the list of parents that would like to carpool.. (Please note that once you submit your information, it will be shared with everyone else who joins the list.)

Absences/Tardies/Dismissals

Families should report all absences, tardies and dismissals to the main office by 8am. The main office can be contacted at 978-649-0432 or mainoffice@innovationcharter.org.

School Breakfast & Lunch Program

IACS is providing FREE breakfast and FREE lunch meals to ALL students under the USDA’s Child Nutrition Program. All students enrolled at IACS are eligible for these free meals regardless of eligibility through June 30, 2022. Email kdrake@innovationcharter.org or go to the School Nutrition page for more information.

Upcoming Dates

9/22 and 10/6 ILP Conferences

9/30 Virtual Middle School Back to School Night – more information to come soon!

MS Afterschool Art Club will be starting up in the next few weeks!

You can choose either Tuesdays or Thursdays from 3:00 – 4:30 during the first 8 week session. Stay tuned for more details…..

After School Program

This year we are offering an After School Program for our 5th through 8th graders. The program provides safe and flexible supervised care. During the after school program, each day there are snacks followed by quiet time for homework. After homework time, students participate in a variety of activities based on student interest and weather – from playing outdoors to indoor activities like board games and art projects. For more details please visit our website.

Calling all Middle School Students – After-School Chorus & Band starts soon!

Rehearsals will start the week of September 27th.

Beginning Band meets Mondays & Thursdays 3:00-4:00 pm.

Advanced Band meets Tuesdays & Fridays 3:00-4:00 pm.

Chorus meets on Wednesdays from 12:25 -1:30. All 5-8 students are welcome!

Students participating in Band and Chorus must have transportation home.

if you have not done so already – parents are asked to submit this quick google form if their student is interested in participating.

Thanks, Mrs. Porter (Band) & Mrs. Lane (Chorus)

mporter@innovationcharter.org

elane@innovationcharter.org

MS Picture Day

Friday, October 15th (rain date of 10/22). This picture will be published in the Middle School Yearbook. Please visit Coffee Pond Photography and Yearbook’s website for photo package information and online ordering (select City & State and School). Paper Order forms will be sent home a week before picture day.

As a preview to the book Freak the Mighty students listened to a song from the movie and made hypotheses about possible themes presented in the book. After identifying thematic topics such as brotherhood and honor they got to pretend to be medieval knights and try out the foam swords used by 8th graders when performing Romeo and Juliet.

Upcoming Events:

9/22 & 10/6 ILP conferences – ILP stands for Individual Learning Plan. These are student run meetings with parents/guardians and advisor. ILPs allow us as a whole team to check in about how the year is going, concerns, set goals, and reflect on those goals. A typical ILP is 20-30 minutes. Advisors will be reaching out to schedule your students’ meetings. Conferences can be in-person or via zoom.

9/23 Virtual Back to School Night – more information to come soon!

10/13 PSAT Testing for 10th & 11th Grade students – Students and Families should have received an email from Ms. Deknatel today. Read the letter here.

Happy Friday!