Dear Warrior Families,

Thank you for your contributions to a great beginning to our school year.  The morning arrivals and vehicle drop-off from the garage perspective are as smooth as I have seen at the beginning of the year.  Thank you also to parents, grandparents, and helpers for bringing your physical student pick-up cards at dismissal and following the school’s procedures for a smooth handover.   The new uniforms look great here at school, and for those still waiting for light blue shirts, we have been in touch with College Pro to get them in by photo day (please read the announcement below).  

As we begin the New Year, I always like to talk about routines.  Your teachers will be sharing some of these with you at Back-to-School Night on Thursday, August 20 (see flyer below).  At school, we have been reviewing our common area routines daily with our students.  I also want to commend and encourage your efforts to set up regular school routines at home.  

The following are some recommendations:

Evening Routines and Homework

Classroom teachers create daily rhythms, and you can do the same at home. After a busy day at school, your child may need some downtime to relax and decompress. This can include a light snack before dinner. Having dinner together is a great way to carve out family time, so if your work schedules allow, we highly recommend it. 

Be sure to set aside a specific time for your child to read, focus on homework, or practice an instrument. For homework expectations, please refer to the Parent/Student Handbook and communications from your child’s teachers.

Building a Reading Habit

Reading for Enjoyment is a habit that has long-term cognitive and academic benefits.  We encourage students to spend time reading for pleasure every night. The duration can vary based on your child's age and stamina. Younger children, as well as older ones, may enjoy reading together with you. Engage in discussions about the story, ask questions, and share thoughts on topics that interest you both.

Morning Routines and Arrival Times

It’s crucial for students to arrive at school by 7:40 AM to be ready for class. Establishing regular bedtimes and wake-up times supports your child’s health and well-being while also instilling a lifelong discipline that benefits their education and future careers. Experts recommend that children aged 5 and under get at least 10 hours of sleep per night, while those aged 6 to 13 should have at least 9 hours.

Parent Communication

ICS Elementary School is committed to clear and timely communication. Each Friday, you will receive the Weekly Warrior. Teachers will also send weekly updates to your school's Gmail account, along with relevant daily announcements. 

The school will still be using SeeSaw to some degree this year, though we will be sending announcements and updates through email.  However, parents can still download the SeeSaw app on their devices and set notifications for any relevant updates or posts from the teacher. 

Please click the links below for instructions on downloading the SeeSaw app and setting up notifications.

Downloading SeeSaw App for Your Phone or Device

Logging into SeeSaw

Parents can log into SeeSaw using their parent school Gmail account and password.

Setting up to receive parent email notifications from SeeSaw (Recommended)

Click above to learn how to set your SeeSaw notifications.  The school recommends that parents set their notifications on SeeSaw to “Once Per Day” for emails and push notifications.  This will ensure family members will receive an email summary with the number of new posts or new messages received. 

ACCEPTABLE USE OF TECHNOLOGY 

The school is making an active effort to reduce technology use in the classroom.  However, to ensure that all individuals at ICS are responsibly using and caring for digital equipment, parents and students are asked to review and sign an acceptable use agreement.  Homeroom Teachers will send this home each year.   The agreement is a condensed version of student responsibilities (Do's and Don'ts).  If you would like to read the complete version of the technology Acceptable Use Policy, you may click below.  The agreements for Lower Elementary (P1-G2) and Upper Elementary (G3-5) classes are on pages 7-10 of the Technology Acceptable Use Policy document.