Message from the Director

Dear iLEAD Families,

What an amazing first week we had. It was so great to see all the learners’ faces. We appreciate our faculty, families, learners, and volunteers for helping the 2018-2019 school year get off to a great start! We had a wonderful turnout for Meet the Facilitator Night. Thank you for continuing to support us by using our valet system, reading your Monday Messages and Parent Square updates, and encouraging your learners to attend school daily with healthy snacks and lunch.

This year, the leadership team focus will be on communication, attendance, and accountability. We are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of iLEAD Schools, and we want to be sure we are meeting and exceeding the goals set forth in our charter.  

One of the biggest areas of concern for our school this year is low attendance. It impacts both learning and funding. When learners are absent, they miss valuable instruction with their facilitators and project collaboration time with their peers. Please remember that we are a project-based learning school, and much of your child’s work is part of a collaborative project with their teammates. If one person is not present, if affects the entire group. We have also observed that those learners who are present regularly form stronger bonds and relationships with not only their peers but with their facilitators, as well.  

Our leadership team is committed to supporting our staff, learners, and families to be the best we possibly can. We appreciate the feedback and welcome the input. To that end, please join our iSUPPORT community. If you are interested in becoming part of this group, please contact Kristan VanHouten directly at kristan.vanhouten@ileadschools.org.

To ensure academic success, it is essential that learners meet their ILP goals, attend school regularly, and be proactive about reaching their goals. Our school does not assign “busy work” for homework. However, it may be necessary for your learner to finish incomplete tasks at home, do research for projects, or practice foundational skills during family time.  

Finally, we are beyond excited to be a Leader in Me School. If you are not familiar with the program, please click here. Our goal is to become a Lighthouse School. This means we will be working hard to instill the 7 Habits in all our learners, staff, and families. Please look out for Parent ED talks and our parent volunteer group meetings.

We have a lot ahead of us and we are off to a great start! If you have any questions, please be sure to reach out to us.

Thank you!

Nykole Kent
School Director