Insight PA Cyber Charter School

Please visit the links below if you missed any of our recent newsletters:

• September School Wide Newsletter
• October Cultural Celebrations
• October Grade Band Newsletters - Elementary | Middle School | High School

*You can view all of our newsletters on the Newsletters page on our website!

Please note the following upcoming important dates:

• Tuesday, 10/22 - Community Town Hall (More info below!)
• Thursday, 10/31 - End of Quarter 1
  
• Friday, 11/01 - Asynchronous Day (No live instruction!)
  
• Tuesday, 11/05 - Election Day (School Closed)
• Tuesday, 11/19 - Community Town Hall (More info below!)
• Wednesday, 11/27 - Asynchronous Half Day for Students & Staff
• Thursday, 11/28 - Monday, 12/02 - Thanksgiving Break (School Closed)

Our Community Engagement Coordinators have been busy planning a variety of exciting events for our students and their families! Check out what they have planned for the next several weeks.

Click on the links below to learn more about each event and sign up to attend!

Friday, October 18th

• Huntingdon County - JB Tree Farm
• Northampton County - Mazezilla Corn Maze (Evening event!)

Friday, October 25th

• Bucks County - Shady Brook Farm
• Lebanon County - Seyfert's Corn Maze

Friday, November 1st

• Adams County - Fields of Adventure
• Allegheny County - Carnegie Science Center

• Lehigh County – Da Vinci Science Center at PPL Pavilion

Friday, November 8th

• Erie County - Play Port

• Montgomery County – Elmwood Park Zoo

Friday, November 15th

• Lackawanna County – Everhart Museum

Friday, November 22nd

• Berks County – Reading Science Center

• Blair County- Tilt Studio Arcade

• Philadelphia County – The Franklin Institute

We are excited to officially launch our new partnership with Uwill, a student mental health and wellness solution. Uwill offers students free immediate access to teletherapy, a direct crisis connection, and wellness programming through its easy to use online platform. Uwill is private, secure, and confidential. For more information, refer to this guide - Navigating Uwill Services.

In the event that a provider reasonably believes a student is in danger, physically or emotionally, of injuring themself or another person, the provider may contact any person in a position to prevent harm, including law enforcement, provided emergency contact persons, as well as school and medical personnel. In emergency and non-emergency situations Uwill may, to the extent legally permissible, share a student's healthcare information with health care providers for the purpose of continuing and coordinating their care.

1. Click the Uwill link in Schoology - students should Uwill listed in the menus on the left side of their Schoology course pages.
2. Scan the QR code on the flier above.
3. Visit https://app.uwill.com/

• Create a profile with Uwill.

• Choose a therapist based on their preferences.

• Choose a time that fits their schedule with day, night and weekend availability.

• Help is available 24/7/365 by calling 833-646-1526
  
• For a medical emergency, call 911.
  
• Use this guide if calling on behalf of a student.

Students also have free access to on-demand wellness programming through Uwill’s easy to use online platform. Students can select wellness from the left navigation and enjoy a wide range of wellness options such as yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and more! Uwill helps students discover greater focus and balance as they navigate the semester, and works as a complement to therapy.

We are excited to announce that our FREE After-School Tutoring Program will begin next week! This program is available to any of our students who need help with homework, study skills, organization, or just want to connect with a teacher or strengthen their understanding of a subject.

Important Program Information:

• The program will start on Monday, October 21st.
• Sessions will be held Monday - Thursday, from 4:00 PM - 6:00PM.
  
• Support is available for all K-12 students.
• Tutoring sessions will be held in Zoom.
• Advance registration is not necessary - students can drop in anytime and stay as long as needed!

How to Join:

1. Students will see optional "After-School Support" sessions on their Schoology schedule.
2. Once they click a session, there will see a Zoom link to join.
3. Students will need to submit their first and last names to enter the sessions.
4. Camera checks will be done upon entering.

Questions? Please contact one of our Assistant Principals:

• Elementary School - Mrs. Yonkers (weyonkers@insightpaschool.org)
• Middle School - Mrs. Dracha (aldracha@insightpaschool.org)
• High School - Dr. Burks (kaburks@insightpaschool.org)

In our continued efforts to reach more of our families and provide you with a voice in our school community, we are hosting a series of monthly Community Town Halls this year.

Our first Community Town Hall of the school year will take place on Tuesday, October 22nd! Insight PA parents and guardians are invited to join us for an informative session, during which you will have the opportunity to ask questions and/or share your feedback about the topics on our October agenda. Please see below for more information, including the Zoom link to join us.

October Community Town Hall

Date - Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Time - 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Zoom Link - https://insightpaschool.zoom.us/j/89841504854

Agenda:

• Welcome & Overview of Town Hall Structure (Sara Stell, Director of Communications)
• Board & Leadership Introductions, Updated Mission & Vision (Eileen Cannistraci, CEO)
• Comprehensive School Improvement (CSI) Plan Updates (Julie Jaszcar, CAO)
• School Systems Reminders, Support Tickets (Family Tech Support Team)
• Title Programs, Parent & Family Engagement Policy (Julisa Epps, Compliance Manager)
• Q&A Time, Share Your Feedback
• Highlight of Upcoming Events, Closing (Sara Stell, Director of Communications)

Please click the button link below to complete our September Family Survey. In this survey, you will be able to share feedback on school communications, Orientation sessions, our school calendar, and more!

We will be sending out a similar survey toward the end of the school year so that we can track progress toward some of our school-wide goals and identify areas for continued growth in future school years.

Please note the following:

• All responses to this survey are anonymous.
• The survey will remain open until 4:00pm on Friday, October 25, 2024.
• When answering these questions, consider your experiences with Insight PA during the timeframes noted in each section.

Students in grades 3 - 8 are required by the PA Department of Education to participate in PSSA testing each year. This year, PSSA testing will take place between Tuesday, April 22, 2025 - Friday, May 9, 2025.

Students will be scheduled at an in-person testing site for 3 - 4 days during this testing window. Testing assignments will be sent out after winter break. Your student's testing dates will be determined based on their assigned testing site.

For more information about PSSA testing, please use the links below:

If you have any questions about PSSA testing, please contact Insight PA Assessment and PBIS Coordinator Nichole Laskey at nilaskey@insightpaschool.org.

High school students taking Algebra, Biology, or English 10 are required by the PA Department of Education to take the Keystone Exams. This year, Keystone testing will take place between Monday, May 12 - Friday, May 22, 2025.

Students will be scheduled at an in-person testing site for one day for each subject. Testing assignments will be sent out after winter break.Your student's testing dates will be determined based on their assigned testing site.

For more information about Keystone testing, please use the links below:

If you have any questions about Keystone exams, please contact Insight PA Assessment and PBIS Coordinator Nichole Laskey at nilaskey@insightpaschool.org.

All Insight PA Board or Trustees and Committee meetings are open to the public and held virtually over Zoom using this link - https://zoom.us/j/2072011459

Academic Committee Meeting

Tuesday, October 22nd at 4:30 PM

Finance/Ops Committee Meeting

Wednesday, October 23rd at 3:30 PM

Board of Trustees Meeting

Tuesday, October 29th at 7:00 PM

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

These resources and opportunities are being shared for informational purposes only. Insight PA is not directly affiliated with any of the organizations that Stride/K12 has partnered with for them.

• October National Newsletter
• Virtual Field Trips
• Game On Competition
• The Confident Teen Podcast
  
  

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.

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).