Mariner Update Family Edition

Navigating Our Voyage: Literacy -

Our Compass, Community - Our Tide

Belonging, Leading & Succeeding @ IHCS and in the PESD

I love our school, do you love your school?!

Believe, Celebrate, & Continue Working at It:

Student-Led Parent-Teacher Conference Week

Dear Mariner Family,

Student-Led Parent-Teacher Conference Week is just around the corner, November 16-20, and we are excited about this important opportunity for our students, parents, and teachers to come together to celebrate growth, reflect on progress, and establish meaningful goals for the future!

These conferences are about so much more than sharing grades or reviewing academic performance. They provide each Mariner student with an opportunity to take ownership of their learning by demonstrating how much progress they have made, sharing their accomplishments, identifying areas for continued growth, and explaining what it will take to achieve their academic goals. Every Mariner is expected grow in the learning process and become an active participant in their own success, and able to answer three important questions: What do I need to do to reach my goals? What support will I need from my teacher? What support will I need from my parent?

Perfect attendance is always the expectation! Being present, arriving on time, and participating in learning every day are essential ingredients for academic success. Every instructional day matters, and consistent attendance provides students with the foundation they need to make meaningful progress toward their goals. Students are expected to be in their classroom seat by 8:00 a.m. each day.

Communication between home and school makes a difference! Ongoing, positive communication between teachers, parents, and students is essential to achieving academic success. Just as Red Ribbon Week reminds us that one conversation a year is not enough to influence lifelong choices, communicating about student learning cannot happen just once in a while. It must be an ongoing commitment. We have invested time building strong relationships, and now we must continue to strengthen them through regular communication and shared responsibility. Together, our goal is to help every child read at grade level, become a confident learner, and develop the skills and belief in themselves to succeed in all they set out to accomplish. When we communicate, collaborate, and work together, our students grow!

The daily use of the student agenda is another important key to success! Our student agendas provide students with an opportunity and responsibility to record important information, assignments, reminders, and learning expectations that need to be completed at home. Parents, taking a few minutes each day to review your child's agenda is one of the simplest and most meaningful ways to stay connected to your child's learning. Please make checking the agenda a daily routine!

Ultimately, the routines we establish in our classrooms and at home, combined with consistent communication between teachers and parents, create the foundation for student growth. When students know what is expected, understand their goals, take responsibility for their learning, and have adults working together to support them, amazing things can happen!

As we approach Student-Led Parent-Teacher Conference Week, let's continue to reinforce the importance of WE, US, and TOGETHER! Our students are at the center of everything we do, and their success is a shared responsibility. Let's celebrate how far they have come, help them recognize how much further they can go, and remind them that they have the ability to achieve great things!

Ain't no stoppin' us now - We’re on the move, at IHCS!

With appreciation and belief in our team & our path,

Your IHCS Admin Team: Mrs. Barry, Mr. Castro & Mr. Candelaria

Inside OUR Ship

This week's pictures capture some truly special moments with our amazing parents, our amazing assistant principals, and our amazing Mrs. Humble during our Sail into Stories event on Thursday, immediately following our Thursday/Friday Flag celebration!

Mrs. Barry and Mr. Castro welcomed and led more than 140 parents in our gymnasium through an engaging presentation highlighting the many ways families can make reading part of their everyday routines, including simple phonics games that parents can play with their children at home. Reading is everywhere!

And just look at the expressions on the faces of the parents and students reading together in Mrs. Humble's classroom! A cozy fireplace scene, Snoopy, soft music, and a welcoming reading environment created a special atmosphere for families to slow down, connect, and enjoy the magic of reading together. What a wonderful experience for everyone!

Thank you to our parents and teachers for making this such an amazing event! Parents, continue reading with your child every day, at home and wherever life takes you. Take pictures of your children reading, share those pictures with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and family members, and celebrate every opportunity to read. Encourage them, praise their efforts, and help them see themselves as confident readers.

If there is one daily investment that can open doors to a lifetime of learning and opportunity, it is reading with your child! Let's continue building confident readers, successful learners, and dreamers who believe they can accomplish great things. It takes all of us, working together, one book and one day at a time!

Belonging, Leading, Succeeding!