iLEAD Schools 2018 Staff Retreat
As part of preparing for the new school year, our team joined the rest of iLEAD California for an inspiring all-staff retreat on Aug. 13 and 14. This retreat was an important opportunity for professional development and discussion, as well as a chance to connect with our fellow iLEAD team members!
Upcoming Events
August
Monday, Aug. 20: Meet the Facilitators Event: 4-6 p.m.
Aug. 21-24: Intro to the Habits Week
Tuesday, Aug. 21: First Day of School, Facebook Photo contest (Like and Share)
Aug 27-31: Habit #1 week
September
Sept. 3: Labor Day (studio closed)
Sept. 3-7: Habit #2 Week
Thursday, Sept. 6: iSupport – 6-7 p.m. at Cali Cafe, Lancaster
Sept. 10-14: Habit #3 Week
Sept. 17-21: Habit #4 Week
Friday, Sept. 21: Back to School Movie Night 6:30-8:30 p.m. on field (bring blankets, low-profile chairs); kids enjoy a movie (with staff supervision) while parents attend a Back to School Night presentation with their child’s facilitator.
Sept. 24-28: Habit #5 Week
Message from the Director
Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year! We hope you enjoyed the summer. Though the learners return on Tuesday, August 21, we’ve been working since August 1 to plan for the upcoming school year. We are prepared for an exciting year with our learners, families, and the community. We’ve welcomed new facilitators that you will meet at our Meet the Facilitators & Care Team Members event on Monday, August 20, from 4-6 p.m.
At iLEAD Antelope Valley, we are a hybrid Independent Study & Learning Studios program, designed to meet the needs of families who choose an independent learning model for their children and also value free and open, ongoing access to credentialed facilitators and an educational support system that believes in building innovative programs, developing 21st century skills, and engaging families and community.
We have found that learners excel academically and deepen their social emotional learning when they attend the Learning Studios, which begin at 9 a.m. In our Learning Studios, learners have the opportunity to lead, serve, problem solve, create, innovate, collaborate, and think critically.
Monique Rodgers
iLEAD Antelope Valley Studio Director
Our Goals
Our planning and preparation is consistent with our three Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) goals. I am looking forward to sharing how we are meeting each goal throughout the school year, and I have listed the goals below:
Goal 1: Provide optimal conditions of learning through providing basic services, implementation of California State Standards, and access to an academic and educational program.
Goal 2: Provide all learners with a rigorous, creative, and broad curriculum to maximize academic achievement and college and career readiness.
Goal 3: Generate active engagement between parents/families and the school, and connections with the community, to promote learner achievement and communication among all stakeholders.
Meet the Facilitators
Please click here to RSVP for our Meet the Facilitators event on Monday, August 20, from 4-6 p.m.
First Day of School
The first day of school is August 21.
- Drop-off is from 8:40-9 a.m. The learning center opens at 9 a.m. each day.
- Pick-up is 3:40-4 p.m. Learners who have not been retrieved by 4 p.m. will go to aftercare and accounts will be billed.
Valet Procedures
As promised at the end of last school year, we have created a solution for our parking dilemma. The owner of the shopping center asked all parents and staff to stop parking there and posted signs warning us that cars would be towed, so that is no longer an option.
I am happy to report we will begin using our lot on 22nd Street West for Valet before and after school. The lot is very large. As a result, we will no longer have Valet in front of the school.
To access the lot, please turn right on K-4 from 20th Street West. You will pass Miller Elementary School, drive right around the bend, and make a right into our lot. At the start of the day, your learner will be greeted and escorted onto campus. At the end of the day, your learner will be summoned and escorted to your car. Please be sure to post your Valet card on the dashboard daily. Once your learner is safely in your car, you will exit the lot and make a right, which will take you to Avenue K. We will have cones, signs, and iLEAD team members to support you and the learners.
In the mornings, the Valet lot will open at 8:40 a.m., and it will open at 3:10 p.m. for dismissal. If you are walking your Kindergarten learner to class in the morning, we will have a parking area in the lot just for you.
Sleep and Learning
During the summer, I read a TIME Magazine article, “Let Your Kids Sleep More for Better Grades”. The article notes that to do well at school, our learners may need more sleep.
The National Sleep Foundation recommends that children ages 5-12 get 10-11 hours of sleep each night. The article by Melissa Locker also highlights a new study that shows that a good night’s sleep can result in improved academic performance in math and language skills. Click here to read the full article.
A Few Reminders…
Parent Square: Click the Apple or Android links to download the app to your smartphone for free and get instant alerts.
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/parentsquare/id908126679?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.parentsquare.psapp&hl=en
iSupport: Get involved and help make change! Join iLEAD’s version of PTA. We need you! Learn More
Mark Your Calendar: Download this calendar of important dates.
Message from the Front Office
- First day packets will go home on Tuesday, 8/21, and they are due back immediately, please.
- Get your iLEAD T-shirts for only $10.
- 2017-2018 school yearbooks are still available for a short time in the office for $20.
- Please do not use valet unless you have a valet card.
Lunch Program at iLEAD AV
Please submit your Free/Reduced lunch application to the front office as soon as possible. Lunch balances must remain under $20 this school year. Please make payments in the front office. NO LUNCH on Fridays.
Meal Prices:
Breakfast: $ 1.60
Lunch: $2.75
Reduced prices:
Breakfast: 30 cents
Lunch: 40 cents
Traffic is a BEAST! This is how we slay…
Hello, parents! We encourage the use of VALET for all drop-off and pick-up for safety reasons. Avenue K and 20th West is a busy commerce intersection, and we value the safety of our learners! Remember, if you are not using Valet, all children should be walked to the front door by their parent/guardian. Learners without a chaperone will warrant a call home.
- No learners will be released without a Valet card and proper ID.
- To access the lot, please enter 22nd Street West from 20th Street West. You will pass Miller Elementary School, drive right around the bend, and make a right into our lot. At the start of the day, your learner will be greeted and escorted onto campus. At the end of the day, your learner will be summoned and escorted to your car. Please be sure to post your Valet card on the dashboard daily. Once your learner is safely in your car, you will exit the lot and make a right, which will take you to Avenue K.
- Blocking traffic is illegal. Please DO NOT park in VET, Albertsons, Starbucks, or along the back wall in their parking lots — your vehicle WILL be towed.
- Be very mindful when choosing where to park when visiting our campus for any reason. If you need to drop off your learner and valet is over, please park and walk your learner in. Learners without a parent cannot be properly checked in late.
- Please do not ever double-park or pull up and let your learner out in front of the school. It is very dangerous.
- Please remember that our neighbors are very supportive of our site — despite the impact we have on their daily operations — and that all of our neighbors love iLEAD. Let’s show them the same support by parking in iLEAD parking lots ONLY as well as not blocking driveways and always yielding to our neighbors when using valet.
If you need clarification as to where to park, please ask ANY iLEAD employee. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT TURNING LEFT INTO THE VALET ENTRANCE AND OUT OF THE EXIT IS A HAZARD TO BOTH YOUR VEHICLE AND OUR LEARNERS. IT IS ALSO A TRAFFIC PATTERN DISRUPTION and may warrant a citation from law enforcement who frequent our valet area.
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our learners and your vehicles safe!
Healthy Food Policy
Learners will be more active and exerting much more energy outside. With that said, they will need refreshing fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and as much water as possible. We’d like to share with you our health and wellness policy to support you and your learners in making good food choices for nourishing the body and mind.
Please keep healthy choices in mind when packing snacks and lunches for school. Thank you for helping us support your learner!
What About Those Heelys?
We’ve seen an influx of Heelys on campus. Learners are zipping along the halls and on the playspaces. While we LOVE fun and seeing our learners enjoying themselves, we have to ask that they don’t use the wheels while at school. Please understand this is a safety concern for learners and staff. We want to prevent accidents and keep everyone safe. Heelys brand shoes can be worn; just please remove the wheels for school.
General safety guidelines also include no skateboards or bicycles being ridden on campus; they must be carried and walked. Thank you for your understanding and support!