Insight PA Cyber Charter School

Can you believe that we are less than one week away from the start of a new school year? We are so excited to welcome all of our students back from summer break on our first day of school Monday, August 26th. Please read through this entire newsletter for all of the information you need to get this year off to a great start!

If you have not already done so, visit the link below to view our calendar for the 2024 - 2025 school year. Please note the following important dates happening during Quarter 1:

• Thursday, August 22nd - Learning Coach Central
• Monday, August 26th - First Day of School
• Friday, August 30th - Half Day for Students & Staff
• Monday, September 2nd - No School (Labor Day)
• Friday, September 20th - Back to School Picnics
• Friday, September 27th - Half Day for Students/PM Teacher In-Service
• Thursday, October 3rd - Asynchronous Day (No Live Instruction)
• Friday, October 11th - Monday, October 14th - No School (Fall Break)
• Thursday, October 31st - End of Quarter 1

Our Operations Department has put together a digital welcome packet for all of our students and their families.

This packet is full of helpful school information, updates about our new technology platforms, and several back to school "to do" items that need to be completed at the start of the year. Please take special note of the items highlighted below that need to be completed ASAP. (All the links and forms that you need are included in the welcome packet!)

• FAMILY INCOME FORM - Completing this form helps us secure federal funding and take advantage of programs that benefit ALL our students!
  
  
• FAMILY INFORMATION SURVEY - The information you provide through this form also helps us receive federal funding and and allows for greater learning experiences for ALL our students!
  
  
• SCHOOL YEAR 24-25 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS SURVEY - Be sure to complete this so we can check you off our list for future reminders!
  

Starting with the 24-25 school year, the information in our Student & Family Handbook will be accessible directly through our website.

Please visit the link below to review the information for this year at your earliest convenience.

We invite you to join us for a very important Learning Coach Central on Thursday, August 22nd. This session will begin at 6:30pm. Please join using Ms. Rudy's Zoom link -

https://us06web.zoom.us/my/angelarudyispa

During this session, members of our Strong Start (Orientation), Communications, and Technology teams will cover a variety of topics to help you better prepare for the 24-25 school year. These topics will include:

• The role of the LEAP Specialist and how they can help your family
• Getting set up and using ParentSquare and StudentSquare
• Communications and community engagement/event updates
• An overview of Schoology and other online platforms
• And more!
  
  

We look forward to seeing you there! If you have any questions, please contact the Strong Start Advisor for your grade band:

• Elementary - Heather Clark (heclark@insightpaschool.org)
• Middle School - Valeria Marraccini (vamarraccini@insightpaschool.org)
• High School - Jasmyn Day (jaday@insightpaschool.org)
  
  

During the first week of school, students will follow a special Orientation schedule and attend live sessions covering a variety of important school topics led by our Strong Start Advisors, principals, teachers, counselors, and Student Services Teams. Families will receive communications from our Strong Start Team with more information and schedules for Orientation this week, so please keep an eye on your email inbox!

*Please note that Orientation sessions are required, both for attendance and in order for our students to have a successful start to the school year. Learning coaches are strongly encouraged to join these sessions with their children.

In order to ensure that we are FERPA* compliant and keeping our student records and information as secure as possible, all communications sent out by our school must be sent to a parent or legal guardian.

What does this mean for you?

1. If your family had previously listed someone other than a parent or legal guardian as your child's Learning Coach, they have now been made an emergency contact in our systems.
   
   
2. Emergency contacts will not receive communications from our school - only parents/guardians!
   
   
3. Only parents/guardians will be able to set up accounts in ParentSquare, our new communications platform.
   
   
4. Insight PA employees will only discuss student information with parents or legal guardians.
   
   
5. Only parents/guardians will have access to Stride/K12 Learning Coach accounts.
   
   
6. Legally, Insight PA must only communicate with parents and legal guardians. But adults who are not a parent or legal guardian can still help support your child! If your child has another adult assisting them during the day, they may continue to do so. Parents and legal guardians can choose to share school communications with these other adults.

*Learn more about the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) here.

We want to see your first day of school photos and share them with our Insight PA Community!

Complete this Google Form and upload your photos by 4:00pm on Thursday, August 29th to be included in our drawing for an item of your choice (up to $35) from our Insight PA School Store!

Speaking of our school store - it is fully stocked for the new school year with tons of options featuring our Insight PA logos. Visit the link below to purchase your Insight PA gear!

*Shop between Wednesday, August 28th - Monday, September 2nd to get 20% off of everything. No code needed!

There are many ways you can connect with Insight PA online and get involved with our school! First, be sure to follow us on social media by visiting the links below:

• Insight PA Facebook Page
• Insight PA on Instagram
• Insight PA YouTube Channel

Please also take some time to look over the following pages on our school website:

• Community Engagement Page
• Event Info Page
• Calendar of Events
  
  

Learning Coach Communities

Stride/K12 offers online communities for all Learning Coaches. They are currently in the process of moving these communities to a new platform - we will share more information with you as soon as we have it!

Community Advisory Council

This year, we will be restructuring our Community Advisory Council to make it more accessible and open to more of our Insight PA parents/guardians/LCs. Please keep an eye on your email for more information coming in September!

Visit the School Nurses page on our website for information about Pennsylvania school immunization and health exam requirements. Completed health forms can be returned by mail, fax, or email. If emailing, please scan or take photos of the forms and send them as attachments.

Email - Healthrecords@insightpa.org

Fax - 717.260.5258

The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides quality, comprehensive health insurance for routine doctor's visits, prescriptions, dental and vision care, eyeglasses, mental health, and much more. CHIP covers uninsured children who are not eligible for medical assistance. For many families, CHIP is free - for others, it is available at a low cost.

Please view the flyers linked below or visit the CHIP website for more information.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania requires all Pennsylvania public schools to administer the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. Individual student scores can be used to assist teachers in identifying students who may be in need of additional educational opportunities, and school scores provide information to schools and districts for curriculum and instruction improvement discussions and planning. It’s important for every student in our school to participate so that we can provide them with the best educational experience possible.

PSSA TESTING WINDOW = April 22 - May 9, 2025

(Students will be assigned one week during this window.)

• Grades 3-8 - Math and English Language Arts
  
• Grades 5 & 8 - Science

Act 158 outlines pathways to graduation, starting with the Class of 2023. If a student attains proficiency on the three end-of-course Keystone Exams, they will have achieved the statewide graduation requirement. More information regarding Act 158 and graduation requirements will be shared with our HS students and families.

SPRING KEYSTONES = May 12 - 22, 2025

• HS students who are currently enrolled in Algebra, Biology, English 10, or who need to retake any of these exams

What is Title I?

Title I, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), is a federal program that provides financial assistance to schools. This funding is used to provide additional academic support and learning opportunities for students at schools with high percentages of economically disadvantaged children. The program is intended to help ensure that all students meet or exceed challenging state academic standards.

The goals of Title I are to:

• Increase academic achievement
• Provide direct instructional support to students
• Provide professional development for teachers
• Promote parent and family education and engagement

Insight PA Cyber Charter School is dedicated to providing academic support and enrichment to all students. Insight PA operates a school-wide Title program, which allows all students to take part in any Title I initiative, regardless of the family’s economic status.

Parent and Family Engagement

Insight PA believes that Parent and Family Engagement is of paramount importance to student success. Every Title I school, in collaboration with parents, must prepare a school level Parent and Family Engagement policy. The Parent and Family Engagement Policy describes how the school will involve families in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of the Title I program at their school.

Right to Know

This letter lets you know about your right to request information about the qualifications of classroom staff working with your child and information about student assessments given during the school year.

*Click the links below to view our updated Title I documents for the 2024 - 2025 school year. These combined PDF files include these documents in English, Spanish, Russian, and Arabic.

• Insight PA Parent & Family Engagement Policy (District Level)
• Insight PA Parent & Family Engagement Policy (School Level)
• Insight PA School-Parent & Family Compact
• Insight PA Right to Know Information

Please use the links below to access some exciting opportunities from Stride/K12:

• Stride/K12 August National Newsletter
  
  
• Minecraft Challenge - Where do you learn or where do you dream of being able to log into online school? Show off your Minecraft skills by building your favorite study station, learning location, or knowledge nook - or imagine something brand new to share! Your build could win you a $25 Amazon e-gift card! Students must submit a photo of their Minecraft build by 5:00PM on Monday, September 16th to be eligible for prizes.
  
  

Student computers, printers, and course materials are distributed by K12. If you have questions about your supplies or need technological support, please contact K12 directly by calling them at 866-512-2273 or using the contact form on their website (linked below).

Stride/K12 is presenting a series of Mental Health Webcasts in partnership with the Cook Center for Human Connection and ParentGuidance.org. Visit the link below to learn more and register.