I want to open my weekly newsletter with the words of Swami Sivananda, Hindu Spiritual Teacher, who said, “Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.” It is a human condition to strive for success, and following these wise words will ensure a path of conscientious learning. Small acts, especially those that involve being kind to ourselves, are proven to be fruitful to us and to others who surround us.
Teachers are doing an excellent job of providing opportunities for learning to continue at home. I much appreciate their dedication to our students and the ISL community. We continue working on our goal to help prepare students for next school year. I strongly encourage students to complete the assignments and participate in virtual classroom meetings as much as possible. Students who consistently work with their teachers and complete tasks at home are likely to experience greater success in the next school year.
DO YOU NEED EXTRA SUPPORT?
During this time, we understand that our families are facing unique challenges like balancing work and educating children at home. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher, administration, and or staff for support if your child requires additional support. Ms. Charlita Patterson, our school social worker, will be more than happy to provide your child with any counseling or emotional support. You may contact her at cpatterson@isl-edu.org.
If an ISL student still needs a Chromebook to be able to work from home, please contact Andrew Rowland at Arowland@isl-edu.org with the request.
IMPORTANT REMINDER (TECHNOLOGY)
I would also like to remind families that even though students are working at home, they still must follow the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). If a student chooses to engage in actions like inappropriate emails or google chats messages, then it violates the AUP and Code of Conduct. Students will receive an infraction and can be banned from using technology. Misconduct on the computer could also open students up to being labeled as a cyberbully. Please review the AUP and talk about cyberbullying with students at home. We want to make sure that all students know the consequences and continue to behave appropriately. Parents should also not address students or other parents through student email accounts.
While learning will continue at home for the remainder of the school year, the governor has announced that school buildings will remain closed. This presents many challenges. We want to support you during this time and also allow families and students the opportunity to return to campus to retrieve personal items from the school building. I will work with my staff to pack up student belongings. Once all materials are packed, we will communicate with you on the procedure for retrieving those items in the next few weeks. It's important to note that the materials will be available for pick up at different times and on different days, varying from campus to campus. If you have students at different ISL campuses, please be sure to look at the dates and times available at each of their campuses.
You will also be receiving a letter from our Head of School sent to families via email. It will include additional details regarding the end of the school year. I will continue to communicate with you and provide you details as we move through the final weeks of school, so be on the lookout for more information as the weeks go on. We hope our ISL families stay safe and healthy and look forward to working with you as we close the year.
Cordialmente,
Rosa A. Alvarado
Principal