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IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL
March 31, 2020
Dear ISL Community,
We want to begin by saying how much we miss our 1,390 students. We are concerned about our students’ health and well-being, as well as their families. Although we have not experienced a pandemic such as this before, the International School of Louisiana (ISL) family of students, parents, guardians, teachers, and staff, as well as community partners and leaders, have risen to the occasion! We want to thank everyone for their kindness and support during this time. Please continue to be patient with us as we navigate this new territory.
I write to you today to announce an extension to our school closure.
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EXTENDED SCHOOL CLOSURE
International School of Louisiana
campuses and offices will remain
closed until April 30, 2020.
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The extension follows updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an announcement from the White House extending physical distancing guidelines until April 30, and an announcement by Louisiana Governor who stated that later this week he will be issuing a new proclamation extending the 'Stay at Home' order to April 30, 2020.
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All ISL Families will receive more information and academic details directly from your Campus Principal via the Campus Newsletter (TidBits) on Thursday, April 2nd.
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Campus TidBits will also be posted, as a link on your Campus Community page. Please visit the web site for the most up to date information.
While this is not something we expected when we started the school year, we are finding ways to support our students and providing virtual and at-home learning opportunities to encourage their growth and learning. These efforts are crucial, and we will continue providing instruction during closures. During this time, we are also glad to be able to provide support to our teachers and staff. In addition to technology, resources, and other assistance, ISL staff members will not see any disruption in pay. |
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CONTACT YOUR CHILD'S TEACHER
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The recent extension of social distancing and related school closure means that it is more important than ever to reach out to, and respond to your child's teacher/s. We are asking all of our ISL families for assistance so we can better serve our students and support you.
- Please call the campus front office or email your child's teacher directly if you have not already responded to their request for communication.
- Dixon Front Office: (504) 934-4875
- Uptown Front Office: (504) 654-1088
- Westbank Front Office: (504) 274-4571
- ISL teachers have made multiple attempts using the contact information that we have on file in Powerschool to connect with students and their families to support continuous student learning outside of the brick and mortar schoolhouse walls. If you believe this information is outdated and have not heard from ISL staff, please call the front office or contact your Family Liaison to update your information.
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If you know of someone who has not received information, please assist us by contacting the school and leave a message with relevant information, and someone will reach out. Please be sure to include up-to-date contact information.
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On another note, there are many questions about how extended school closures will affect school life like grades, promotion to the next grade level, 8th-grade promotion to high school, and so much more.
What we know so far is that the Louisiana Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Education have waived the requirement that all public schools complete standardized testing in the 2019-20 school year. They have also granted waivers that release schools from the requirement to make up the days students have missed during closures.
We will keep in communication and will update our ISL families as we receive more information.
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OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
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CYBERSAFETY/PRIVACY:
Sadly, in these times, some people will take advantage of us in our new "digital" classrooms and increased “free” digital time. We must be diligent in ensuring they are not allowed to invade the world of our children. Please discuss cyber safety with your children and monitor them as much as you possibly can. The following is just one of the many online resources available for information on how to protect your children.
ADMISSIONS/ENROLLMENT:
We are living and working in interesting times. We are discussing extended school closures while the admissions and enrollment staff are busy preparing for the release of EnrollNOLA lottery results for the upcoming school year. We are excited to announce that all of our seats were filled in the first round. The school leadership team has a foot in both navigating the many challenges of providing continuous education via a variety of distance learning modalities and simultaneously planning and preparing for a traditional start to the 20-21 school year. As Head of School, I am incredibly fortunate to work with a team of dedicated, smart, and creative people who will do their very best to make it all happen.
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FREE INTERNET OFFERS
FOR ALL FAMILIES:
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We received reports that some families were having challenges accessing free internet offers due to past bill delinquency. Families can sign up for 60 days free in-home wireless through either AT&T or Cox. Please see the flyers for both programs below.
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ATT has not and will not turn families away from the 60-day free internet offers based upon past bill delinquency.
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Based upon actions taken today, Cox will temporarily remove barriers related to past debt with the organization. Therefore, any family should be able to access the Connect2Compete offer, regardless of debt history.
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ALSO –If you have older laptops at home, Neverware is offering a free CloudReady Home Edition to turn those devices into fast, secure Chrome devices in just minutes.
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WE ARE HERE TO HELP AND SUPPORT YOU!
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Our teachers and other ISL staff members are working long hours from home while dealing with their new and temporary, normal. We know the next few weeks will not be easy. I expect we will make mistakes and will work through problems and concerns along the way. We also expect that there will be more successes, hope, laughter, as well. We understand many of you are still working; some of you have several children to help, financial concerns, health issues, etc. We are here to support our students and you throughout this challenging time patiently.
Please do not stress over school work. Frustrations are high due to our circumstances, and we don't want to increase the stress on our ISL families. We are going to do our best to provide schoolwork to keep our students' minds moving forward, but they are with you, and we trust that you will control and adjust as needed for your child/children. Again, contact your teacher via email or call the front office and leave a message if you need help. We are here to support you.
Be on the lookout for a letter from your Campus Principal in this Thursday's Tid Bits Campus Newsletter for more information, details, and support.
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Stay connected. It is important to understand the way in which information will be shared so that our ISL families can stay connected and informed. Here is a list of communication portals where you will find up to date information:
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Website- isl-edu.org
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During this time, our ISL Family Page will be dedicated as a centralized location to resources and latest information during this school closure.
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General Information, Campus-Specific Information, Head of School Corner, Latest News, Resources, and Announcements.
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Email Newsletters
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In closing, we wish you and your family the very best. Please follow the CDC guidelines using social distancing and hygiene protocol. We are confident that everyone is doing the very best they can in these uncertain times and that working together we will find creative solutions to whatever problems come our way.
Looking forward to seeing you soon,
Melanie Tennyson
CEO/Head of School
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