Dear Innovate Families,
As we step into September, I want to take a moment to recognize both the exciting learning ahead and the importance of balance for our families. This week, our students will begin their beginning-of-year DIBELS assessments (September 2–5), which provide valuable insight into their reading fluency and growth. In addition, we look forward to welcoming you to our Back to School Night on Wednesday, September 3rd, from 5:30–7:00 PM. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with teachers, learn more about our programs, and strengthen the partnership between school and home. Families who attend will even have a chance to win one of two special prizes!
As we honor Labor Day, I encourage everyone in our Spark community to take time for rest, reflection, and meaningful moments with loved ones. Just as we ask our students to persevere in their learning, we also value the importance of balance, renewal, and family time.
September brings with it our Core Value of Perseverance—a reminder to keep going, even when challenges arise. Together, let’s model this value for our students while celebrating the progress, resilience, and bright ideas that continue to shine within our community.
Sparks Shine, All the Time!
With gratitude and excitement,
Kelly Casagrande
Director, KIPP DC Innovate Virtual Academy and Virtual Learning
Upcoming Events
Here's a look at what's happening at our school in the coming weeks:
BOY DIBELS Assessment: This week, September 2-5, students will complete their DIBELS fluency assessment, one on one, with a teacher during their small group time. This will provide valuable information regarding your child’s ability to decode words and read fluently.
Back to School Night: Please mark your calendars for September 3, 2025 (5:30-7:00) our Back to School Night! All families who attend will be entered to win one of two amazing prizes! More information can be found below or on our website (www.kippdcinnovate.com ; password: Innovate2025!)
Sparks Shine, All the Time!
Spark Points Leaderboard
Attendance Superstars: All in, all week!
Congrats to all of the students who had 90%+ attendance for the month of August. Check out here if your student made the list! These students were invited to an exclusive movie afternoon on Thursday, where they got to watch a newly released movie of their choice!
Sparks Shout Outs!
We are proud to shout out the following Sparks:
Shout Out to Egypt D (7th Grade) for working towards, Keep Growing, Keep Going. We are so proud of the ownership we saw and the level of commitment you demonstrated after our conversation. Keep it up!
Shout Out to La’Myr Y (7th Grade) for consistently helping out her classmates by dropping key points, important instructions, and class links in the Zoom chat.
Shout out to Heaven B (6th Grade) and Kassidi M (6th Grade) for demonstrating Self-Advocacy for their breakout room group during Math class. It was so wonderful to hear how you named the behavior you hoped to see and how you could support your groups to get there. Well done!
Shout out to Courtez C. (6th Grade) for doing a great job with effectively being a leader in a math breakout group by sharing his screen, annotating the problem, and guiding his classmates through the solution process.
Congratulations, Sparks! Keep up the amazing work!
Student of the Month: Self-Advocates
This Friday, September 5, 2025, on our Virtual Vibes we will announce the students selected for Student of the Month for August. The selected students were chosen by their teachers for demonstrating self-advocacy and our 4 Core School Rules:
Be Here, Be Ready
Jump In, Stay In
Speak Up, Lift Up
Keep Going, Keep Growing
September Core Value: Perseverance
For the month of September, we are highlighting our Core Value, Perseverance. Perseverance means continuing to give your best effort, even when things feel difficult or when challenges come your way. It’s about not giving up, problem-solving, and showing determination to reach your goals.
In our virtual school community, perseverance looks like:
Logging into class every day and staying engaged, even when technology doesn’t cooperate.
Asking questions or reaching out for help instead of giving up when something feels confusing.
Completing assignments on time, even when they take extra focus and effort.
Showing resilience by trying again after mistakes and celebrating growth along the way.
For our virtual students, perseverance means sticking with the learning process, finding creative ways to overcome challenges, and staying motivated by remembering that every effort brings them closer to success.
At Innovate, we celebrate perseverance because it helps our Sparks shine—both in school and in life.
Clubs and Activities
CLUBS:
We are entering our second week of Clubs. As a reminder our students have received an invitation from their club leader(s) inviting them to the club(s) through google classroom. We are so excited for our students to participate and have access to various activities and programs. If you have any questions regarding the club that your Spark is participating in, please do not hesitate to ask.
Homework Help:
We offer homework help, daily, from 3:15-3:45. If your Spark is in need of any additional support or help with assignments or homework, please don’t hesitate to reach out
Parent Corner
BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT!
We are excited to welcome you to our Back to School Night on Wednesday, September 3rd from 5:30–7:00 PM. You can join us in two ways:
Through our school website at www.kippdcinnovate.com under Calendar and Events. To enter, you will need our website’s protected password: Innovate2025!
Through your child’s clever page
We look forward to connecting with you and sharing more about our school community!
Student Grades
As we shared in our Sparks University, parents can now access their child’s grades through PowerSchool. Please utilize the instructions linked below to set up your account.
KIPP DC Parent Portal Login Instructions
After you set up your account and have logged in, you will currently only see your child’s classes and attendance rate. Currently the IT Department is working to have all of our students grades properly synced, regularly, between Google Classroom and Power School shortly. Please be patient with us as we work with them to get this accomplished.
Additional Supports:
Scheduling for IEP and 504 meetings is currently underway. If you have an upcoming meeting, please watch for an email invitation. If you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to reach out to the following individuals for further support:
SPED (SWIEPS): Manager of Student Success, Candice Davis, (540) 202-1035
504’s: Mental Health Practitioner, Mary Lohoury, (301) 750-3767
SST (attendance): Director of Systems, Caitlin Maxwell, (708)-408-0399
SST (academic): Manager of Student Success, Candice Davis, (540) 202-1035
School Policies Reminders:
Attendance:
If your Spark is going to be absent, please complete the absence form located on our website (www.kippdcinnovate.com).
Website:
We are so excited to have our website to support you with all current information.
Remember some pages are password protected to protect internal information. It enter these pages please type the password:
Innovate2025!
Communication:
For any questions or concerns, please reach out to your child's teacher first.
Important Documents:
Thank you for your continued support and partnership in your child's education.
