Dear Innovate Families,
We are so excited to kick off Spirit Week and bring some extra fun and energy to our school community! Here’s what’s coming up this week:
Monday: Dress Cozy Day — PJs are allowed!
Tuesday: Sparkle and Blizzard- wear white and something shiny ✨
Wednesday: Snowflake Day — Holiday patterns are encouraged ❄️
Thursday: Holiday Colors — Wear your favorite holiday colors 🎄
Friday: Winter Character Day — Dress like your favorite winter character ⛄
In addition to the festivities, our students will be completing their MAZE testing on Tuesday, which will officially wrap up their DIBELS assessments. We are incredibly excited to see how much our Sparks have grown and improved! Each Spark will receive information on their overall growth across all assessments, as well as progress toward achieving their individual goals.
As a reminder, Quarter 2 ends on January 7th. Please be sure your Spark is up to date on all assignments, Amira minutes, and i-Ready minutes. Your support helps ensure a strong finish to the quarter.
Thank you for your continued partnership. We are so proud of our Sparks and look forward to ending the quarter strong together!
Sparks Shine, All the Time! ✨
Ms. Casagrande
Director, KIPP DC Innovate Virtual Academy
Upcoming Events & Important Announcements
Here's a look at what's happening at our school in the coming weeks:
Dec 15, 2025- Lets go to the Movies Community Trip form due
Dec 15, 2025- Dec 19, 2025 SPIRIT WEEK! (details below)
Dec 15, 2025- Dec 18, 2025- DIBELS Benchmark Testing
Dec 16, 2025- Literacy Night
Dec 17, 2025- Vision to Learn @8:45
Dec 20, 2025- Jan 4, 2026 - Winter Break
Jan 7, 2026- Quarter 2 Ends
Jan 8, 2026- Community Field Trip to the Movies
Jan 15, 2026 - Jan 16, 2026- SLC Conferences
Sparks Shine, All the Time!
Spark Points Leaderboard
DECEMBER VALUE OF THE MONTH: KNOWLEDGE
At Innovate, we believe knowledge means actively seeking to learn, understand, and grow. It is the commitment to curiosity, inquiry, and continuous improvement. Knowledge empowers us to make informed decisions, solve problems, and contribute meaningfully to our learning community.
What Knowledge Looks Like:
Asking thoughtful questions to deepen your understanding.
Engaging fully in lessons, discussions, and assignments.
Using feedback to improve your work and skills.
Exploring new ideas, strategies, or perspectives—even when they're challenging.
What Knowledge Sounds Like:
“Can you explain that in another way?”
“I want to try a different strategy to solve this.”
“I did some research to better understand this topic.”
“I learned something new, and here’s how I used it.”
When we embrace knowledge, we grow as learners and as leaders. We build the confidence to take on new challenges, the curiosity to explore, and the understanding needed to make a positive impact. By pursuing knowledge every day, we strengthen our minds and uplift our entire Innovate community.
Community Events and Activities
LETS GO TO THE MOVIES! ALAMO COMMUNITY FIELD TRIP
On January 8, 2026, our Sparks are headed to the movies! Sparks along with one parent/guardian are invited to join us for a movie at the Alamo. Families must complete the following form by December 15th to lock in your seat and ticket. The selected movie will be released on January 5th!
The Alamo Community Movie Trip Form
SPIRIT WEEK!
We are jumping into our Winter Break with style and fun! We will be hosting a Spirit week for our Sparks to gear up for break. Please see our schedule below:
LITERACY NIGHT!
Join us for Literacy Night, Dec 16, 2025 from 4:00-5:00 on Ms. Cooper’s link. Ms. Cooper’s Link will be located on your clever page the night of the event! We look forward to engaging in fun activities and raffling away a prize!
Parent Corner
QUARTER 2 ENDS ON JANUARY 7TH!
We are entering the final stretch of Quarter 2 with just about a week and a half remaining. When we return from Winter Break, students will only have two days before gradebooks close. We want to ensure every one of our Sparks finishes the quarter strong. If you have any questions about your Spark’s grades or assignments, please reach out directly to their teacher for support.
As we did in Quarter 1, students will present their Student-Led Conference and Artifact Project on January 15th or 16th. All students are required to complete and present their projects. They will have plenty of time to work on their artifacts during club time and on Fridays.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We appreciate your partnership and look forward to ending Quarter 2 with success!
WINTER/HOLIDAY SUPPORT:
If your family is in need of additional resources and support, please check out the following resources.
NONPROFIT GIVING FOR THE HOLIDAY AND BEYOND
MOY TESTING!
Our Sparks have worked so hard and all of our assessments are almost done. We are so proud of so many for taking it seriously and working hard to meet their goals. We are excited to report after break if we have met our goals and moved our data points for all students.
Kids Ride Free Cards
Kids Ride Free Cards can now be requested for our new school year. Please use this form to complete your request.
KIDS RIDE FREE CARD REQUEST FORM
Once you have completed the form, please wait to receive confirmation regarding pickup. All cards will be available for pick up at the Shaw Campus.
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.
