Parents are an integral part of the educational process for their children. We are committed to responding to parent inquiries on a timely basis. Most questions may be directed to your child’s classroom teachers; however, we recognize that there may be times when contact with a member of the administration or specialist teams may be necessary. The following table provides the points of contact available to parents. To respect our staff’s home and family lives, teachers may not be contacted at home, on their personal cell phone, or expected to reply to an email after 6:00 p.m. All emails can also be accessed through the FACTS system and ParentSquare.
Front Office Sarah Schultz frontoffice@mackintoshacademy.com
Absences, messages for teachers, event updates, field trip driver check-in, visitor check-in, medications, immunization records
After School Programming and Enrichment Greg Ashworth Greg@mackintoshacademy.com
After care, enrichment programs
Head of School Beth Steklac beth@mackintoshacademy.com
School Philosophy, school direction, concerns not resolved through regular channels
Director of Enrollment Management Annie Slothower annie.slothower@mackintoshacademy.com
Admissions, enrollment, FACTS, Tuition Assistance, community outreach
Director of Curriculum Sharon Muench sharon@mackintoshacademy.com
Curriculum questions (after contacting teacher), International Baccalaureate Education
Lower School Curriculum Support Lara Pausback lara@mackintoshacademy.com
Business Manager Arleen Brogan Smith arleen@mackintoshacademy.com
Payment plans and billing (FACTS is first point of contact,) reimbursements, invoices
FACTS Tuition payment plan: 866.441.4637 https://factsmgt.com/support
Marketing and Communications Kristi Espineira kristi@mackintoshacademy.com
Social Media, Communications, Marketing, Website
Director of Development Tami Vinson tami@mackintoshacademy.com
Fundraising, Grants, Development
Community volunteering, events, celebrations
Organizing caring, appreciating and supporting our staff
Director of Operations Tari St.Marie tari@mackintoshacademy.com
Facilities
Human resources
Parent Council parentcouncil@mackintoshacademy.com
Volunteering, community events
Learning Specialists:
(PreK-4th) Stacey Anderson stacey@mackintoshacademy.com
(5th-8th) Anne Wolf Anne@mackintoshacademy.com
Classroom Accommodation Plans, Learning Differences
School Counselor/ SEL Coach Denise Sironen denise@mackintoshacademy.com
Counseling, SEL support
Faculty
Pre-Kindergarten Ocean Sehlmeyer ocean@mackintoshacademy.com
Kindergarten Michael McComber Michael@mackintoshacademy.com
1st Grade Delaney Monroe Delaney@mackintoshacademy.com
2nd Grade
Lara Pausback Lara@mackintoshacademy.com
Brynn Jaouen-Starr Brynn@mackintoshacademy.com
3rd and 4th Grades
Lula Guilbert Lula@mackintoshacademy.com
Mia Dixon mia@mackintoshacademy.com
Lisa Lewis lisa.lewis@mackintoshacademy.com
5th-6th Grades
Nancy Muhich Nancy@mackintoshacademy.com
Roger Chow Roger@mackintoshacademy.com
Samantha Walker Samantha@mackintoshacademy.com
7th-8th Grades
Joe Pausback joe@mackintoshacademy.com
Darrah O'Flaherty Darrah@mackintoshacademy.com
Physical and Health Education Josh Onderdonk josh@mackintoshacademy.com
Visual Arts Christy Allen Christy.allen@mackintoshacademy.com
Performing Arts Kelly Kates Kelly@mackintoshacademy.com
Spanish Maria Cardona Maria@mackintoshacademy.com
Support Staff
Val Steklac val@mackintoshacademy.com
Mackintosh Academy utilizes a variety of web-based platforms for communicating with parents and storing information. Mackintosh Academy abides by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA.) For more information, please see the Technology Usage Policy.
FACTS
Student demographics, enrollment contracts, permissions, medical information, emergency contacts, authorized pick-ups, administrative communications, admissions, enrollment and re-enrollment, report cards, progress reports, attendance, tuition payments, before and aftercare billing, incidental billing, tuition assistance applications
ParentSquare
Teacher/parent communication, classroom events, classroom updates, parent/parent communication, parent council communication
Vidigami
Secure photo sharing platform, yearbook
Homeroom teachers will send a weekly update to parents through ParentSquare. Updates will include upcoming events, Unit of Inquiry information and other important communications.
Friday Connections is a Head of School communication containing important all school information via FACTS email and placed on the website.
The Littleton Bite is published twice monthly and contains all-school information and updates as well as calendar reminders.
Key student work will be part of the Unit Binder either digitally or in physical form. Students will maintain a Unit Binder during each unit of study. The Binder keeps the student’s work together as a foundation for ongoing student and teacher reflection. At the end of each Unit, students present their Unit Binder to their parents. Parents are invited to fill out a brief questionnaire and write a short note back to the student and teachers about their child’s progress. Typically, Unit Binders will be presented to parents within a week following the completed unit and should be promptly returned back to the school, so they may be used for the next unit.
The Academy expects all parents to be engaged partners in the learning process of their children and conferences are a vital part of this partnership. Students are typically included in the conferences held during the school year. Both faculty and students spend considerable time preparing for conferences. Please do not schedule family holidays during these times as conferences will only be rescheduled for family emergencies.
Parents are invited to request meetings to address specific needs or questions at any time during the school year by emailing your child's teachers. These meetings are in addition to and separate from required conferences.
The initial conference provides the opportunity to get acquainted and reacquainted with families and to discuss expectations prior to the start of classes.
Conferences for the Lower School (Pre-kindergarten through 4th grader) will be in person and students will not be a part of this initial Parent/Teacher Conference.
Conferences for the Middle School (5th through 8th grades) will be held in person or virtually, if requested, with their parents.
During the fall conference, we will celebrate student learning, discuss student progress, further explain assessment tools such as MAP testing results, learning continuums in reading, writing, and student skills, and the report cards, and students will reflect on their personal learning goals and progress. All students will be part of these conferences. For the Lower School (PK - 4th), students will have the opportunity for supervised play on the PK-K playground for a part of the conference so parents and teachers can speak one-on-one.
These conferences are student-led. Students present their portfolios and discuss their view of their strengths and areas of growth. Student reflections and portfolios are a key component of the IB Programme.
Conferences for the Lower School (Pre-kindergarten through 4th grades) will be in person.
Conferences for the Middle School (5th through 8th grades) will be held virtually.
All students also will be able to show their parents what their Special classes are like with open-house experiences with their Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Physical Education, and Spanish teachers.
In addition to regularly scheduled conferences, there will be monthly classroom virtual “Fireside Chat” meetings. These are informal check-ins where parents can ask questions and teachers will deliver important information about upcoming functions and classroom activities. Parent attendance is optional, but highly recommended. These “Fireside Chats” will be recorded for parents who are unable to attend.
Fireside Chats are scheduled as follows:
September 21st - 5:00 - 5:30
Classroom Manual Review including homework systems, classroom celebrations, snack/lunch
Tips and Tricks for your Mackintosh Experience
3rd-4th Performance Updates
October 12th - 5:00 - 5:30
What the Unit Binder student parent tours look like
November 2nd - 5:00 - 5:30
Grand Event
5th-6th Performance Updates
8th Grade Community Project Updates
Spelling Bee 3rd-8th
January 18th - 5:00 - 5:30
Annual Meeting Overview
Upcoming conferences
1st-2nd Musical Showcase Update
Mackintosh Academy encourages parents to attend informational events organized during the school year. Event dates and times will be published in newsletters and on the master calendar found on the website. Events may be virtual. Events to look for include the following:
New Parent Orientation
The Head of School, Admissions Director and Curriculum Coordinator will conduct a mandatory New Parent Orientation during the first week of school. Items covered in the New Parent Orientation will include:
Introduction of administrative staff
Brief history of Mackintosh
Communications Policies and Protocols
IB Introduction
Carline
MAPS/CAPS and Testing
Volunteering
Environmental Stewardship
Organizational Advice (who to contact and when)
Back-to-School Night (virtual 2022-23)
A mandatory Parent Back-To-School Night will be held on the school campus at the beginning of each school year. Back to school night is for parents only.
IB Information Sessions
Early in the school year, the Director of Curriculum will schedule two IB (PYP and MYP) information sessions to orient and update current families on the PYP and MYP IB Programmes.
IB MYP Information Session for Rising 7th Grade Families
The Curriculum Coordinator and Admissions Director will organize a Middle School Information event mid-year to provide parents and students in grades five and six important information about the IB Middle Years Program. Middle Years staff and current Middle Years students will be available to answer questions.
High School Information Session
The Admissions and Development Offices will jointly coordinate a High School information Night each fall. Area public, independent, secular and alternative high schools will be invited to participate in the event. Mackintosh Alum will be invited to speak about their experiences transitioning from Mackintosh to high school.
Taste of the Apple
Mackintosh Academy will host an annual Taste of the Apple event. The purpose of Taste of the Apple is to provide both current and prospective parents the opportunity to experience a Mackintosh education first-hand.
Annual Meeting
Parents are encouraged to join the Board of Trustees and Head of School for the Annual Meeting typically scheduled in January. Parents will have the opportunity to meet members of the board and receive important school updates. There will be a formal presentation of key aspects of the Annual Report for the prior school year.
Parent Education Events
Parent Council and Mackintosh staff may also schedule Parent education events throughout the school year to include parent education on a wide range of topics of interest to parents of gifted elementary and middle school aged children.
The mission of Mackintosh Academy is to enhance the cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and creative development of our children in a nurturing and supportive environment. At Mackintosh Academy, we value and honor the insights and perspectives parents provide regarding the strengths and needs of their children. In order to meet this goal, we believe it is critical that we have open, direct, respectful, and constructive communication and problem solving with the parents in our community. In the interest of making this communication as effective as possible, we offer the following steps for parents to follow. (Please Note: The appropriate steps for a particular situation may vary.)
In the event of a disagreement or other issue, parents are to address their concerns in an open, direct, and respectful manner with their child's teacher, at an appropriate time during non-student contact hours. To this end, parents may contact the front office and leave a message for the teacher asking for a phone conversation using the school’s phone system (not teacher’s personal cell phone) to discuss the situation or schedule a meeting. Parents may also directly contact the teacher via email so that the teacher can respond during non-student contact hours. Teachers may not be contacted at home or expected to reply to an email after 6:00 pm.
If the situation is an administrative concern and does not involve a member of the teaching staff, parents are to address the matter openly and respectfully with the Head of School.
If parents are not pleased with the results of the initial meeting with the teacher, they should request a second meeting. This request will be in writing (a short note or email) addressed to the teacher and the Head of School. The note will identify the continuing problem. (Parents should keep in mind that if a problem continues after the first meeting, it may be that the nature of the problem requires more care or time for resolution than first anticipated.) The second meeting will take place with the parents and teacher after the teacher and Head of School have had a chance to discuss the matter and options for movement forward.
If the problem cannot be resolved at this level, the parties will prepare a written request for resolution by the Head of School. The request will state the parties' perspectives and understanding of the problem, steps taken for resolution, outstanding issues, and proposed solutions.
Please note the Student Enrollment and Tuition Payment Agreement Document signed by parents upon admission of the student to Mackintosh Academy and upon re-enrollment, states the following in section 2b: Conditions of Enrollment: “Mackintosh Academy sets high standards for open, direct and respectful, parent communication. We acknowledge and agree to comply with the communication policies outlined in the Student/Parent Handbook as a condition of placement.”
Mackintosh Academy has a presence on several social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The Mackintosh Academy website is located at www.mackintoshacademy.com.
As part of your child’s educational program, he/she will have the opportunity to publish documents, projects, or highlights of learning on the Mackintosh Academy website and/or social media such as Facebook. Examples of published projects may include: stories, poetry, research projects, multimedia presentations, artwork, and photographs.
Mackintosh Academy may also choose to publish student work and photographs of students in informational and marketing materials on the school website, newsletter, online and in print publications or social media. Documents will not include a student’s last name. Only first names will be used to identify student work. Photographs of students will not be identified by either first or last names, except in special circumstances such as an award or graduation and only with direct permission from a parent. Documents published by the school may be edited and must be approved by a referring teacher or the Head of School before publication. Parents are requested to sign a Permission to Publish release as part of the enrollment process. Parents have the right to refuse permission. In such cases, the Academy will complete due diligence in preventing publication of photographs or student work related to such students.
As a member of the Mackintosh Academy Community, parents and students may not publish to personal social media platforms photos or student work of any child other than their own or themselves, without express permission from that child’s parent. For more information on social media and other technology guidelines, please see the Technology Policy located at the end of the Student/Parent Handbook. Please know that all virtual events may be recorded.