Family Information

Given the most recent CDC, Indiana Department of Education, and Marion County Health Department Guidance, this is the current COVID-19 guidance for Enlace Academy: 

Positive Case

• Students who test positive for COVID-19 should still contact the school to report the positive case for attendance purposes. 
• Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate at home for five days.  The school will provide a return to school date.
• Day 0 is the first day of symptoms or a positive test if no symptoms are present.  Day 1 is the first full day after your symptoms developed or after your test was collected if you were without symptoms.
• Individuals who test positive may return on Day 6 if they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication so long as symptoms are improving. Masks should be worn days 6-10 upon return to school. 

Quarantine Guidance

• The school will no longer quarantine students who have been exposed to a positive COVID-19 case during the school day or outside of school.
• The school will no longer identify close contacts of a positive COVID-19 case; however, the Main Office will notify impacted classrooms and the staff of positive cases. 
• For students experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, a COVID-19 test is recommended; however, a negative test is not required to return. 
• As with all illnesses, students can return to school when they are fever-free for at least 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and their symptoms are resolving.
• Masks are not required while indoors for staff, students and visitors unless while visiting the health clinic 

As with all of our COVID-19 precautions and guidance, this is subject to change. Safety remains the school’s top priority, and if the case numbers increase again, we will update our guidance as necessary following the guidance of the Indiana Department of Health, Marion County Public Health Department, and Center for Disease Control. 

NCN COVID-19 Return to School & ESSER Plan

IDOE COVID-19 Reimbursement Dashboard

Enlace Academy believes that is excited to have so many engagement opportunities at our school.  While family service hours are required during the school year, we know that many of our families have and will continue to meet much more than this requirement.

50 points are required from each family by the end of the 2022-2023 school year. The following opportunities earn 10 points  each: 

• Meetings/Classes/Family Therapy/Volunteering (IEP, Parent-Teacher Conferences, Behavioral Meetings, Chaperoning Trips, etc.)
• Donations (Watch for flyers in folders and updates on social media (Facebook: Enlace Academy) to learn about collections)
• Family Events (See the school calendar for all upcoming family events)

Service hours performed will be reported by sign-in, either at the school main office or at the designated sign-in table during school events.  Parents are responsible for signing in to record any service hours performed in order for their time to count.  
 

A link to Enlace Academy's state accountability and achievement report can be found on Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed (GPS). 

Link to GPS School performance report

It is the role of Enlace Academy to provide a safe and secure learning environment for all its students without distinction based on race, religion, ethnicity, disability, gender, or sexual orientation. Discrimination, sexual and bias-motivated harassment, and violations of civil rights disrupt the educational process and will not be tolerated; any act of this nature will result in disciplinary action.

Due to a variety of factors, the school experience can be significantly more difficult for some students including those with marginalized identities. For this reason, Enlace Academy will provide the availability of gender inclusive restrooms. 

The Neighborhood Charter Network has a designated a Title IX Coordinator who has the responsibility for compliance with Title IX, including directing the investigation of complaints of sex discrimination and harassment and assuring that prompt and effective corrective action is taken when appropriate.

Denise Hernandez, Title IX Coordinator
3725 N Kiel Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46224
(317) 383-0607
hr@ncnschools.org 

Enlace Academy’s complete Gender Diversity Policy & Title IX Policy can be found below: 

NCN Gender Diversity Policy Title IX Policy & Guidelines

 

Homelessness Assistance

Enlace Academy provides services to students and families experiencing homelessness in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Act. The McKinney-Vento Act ensures immediate enrollment and educational stability for homeless students.

The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless as an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, adequate nighttime residence. Any displaced child or youth who is residing temporarily with family or friends due to economic hardship or loss of housing; or is living in a shelter, motel, or campgrounds; or is couch surfing.

• Children and youth in transition who fit the McKinney-Vento definition have certain rights, including:
• Homeless students may attend their school of origin or the school where they are temporarily residing;
• Homeless students must be provided a written statement of their rights when they enroll and at least two times per year;
• Homeless students may enroll without school, medical, or similar records;
• Homeless students have a right to transportation to school;
• Students must be provided a statement explaining why they are denied any service or enrollment;
• Students must receive services, such as transportation, while disputes are being settled;
• Students are automatically eligible for Title I services;
• School districts must reserve a portion of Title IA funds to serve homeless students;
• School districts must review and revise policies that provide barriers to homeless students;
• Schools must post information in the community regarding the rights of homeless students, in schools and other places that homeless families may frequent; and
• School districts must identify a McKinney-Vento Liaison to assist students.

McKinney-Vento Act Contacts & Links 

IDOE State Coordinator Contact Information - Charie Gibson, IDOE Homeless Education Specialist - 317-232-0957; Flora Jones, IDOE Director Student Pathways & Opportunities, McKinneyVentoPOC@doe.in.gov

IDOE Website Link - https://www.in.gov/doe/home/mckinney-vento-homeless-children-and-youth-program/

• INEHCY — Indiana Education for Homeless Children and Youth
• NCHE — National Center for Homeless Education
• NAEHCY — National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth

Abbi Morillo
Enlace Academy McKinney-Vento Liaison
amorillo@enlaceademy.org
(317) 383-0607

For questions regarding the McKinney-Vento Act or access to resources please contact McKinney-Vento Liaison, Abbi Morillo at 317-383-0607 or amorillo@enlaceacademy.org.

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is: 

1. neurological in origin and characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition, poor spelling and decoding

2. Typically results from a deficit in the phonological components of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction;

3. May include problems in reading comprehension and  reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge; and

4. May require the provision of special education services after an eligibility determination is made in accordance with Article 7.  Indiana House Enrolled Act 1108

At the Neighborhood Charter Network, we believe All Children Can and Will Learn.  To that end, we will implement the Senate Enrolled Act 217, ‘Dyslexia Law’  in the manner outlined herein.

Screening Procedures

All students in Kindergarten through Grade 2 will participate in the Universal Screening Process.  Teachers will assess students’ skills in the following areas:

• Phonological and phonemic awareness 
•  Sound symbol recognition 
• Alphabet knowledge 
•  Decoding skills 
•  Rapid naming, and 
•  Encoding skills 

Grade 2 students will be screened in August-September 

Grade 1 students will be screened in December-January

Kindergarten students will be screened in April-May

Students in Grade 3 or higher may be referred by the classroom teacher, or parent, if there is evidence of difficulty in the following:

• Phonological and phonemic awareness
• Sound symbol recognition 
• Alphabet knowledge 
• Decoding skills 
• Rapid naming, and 
• Encoding skills

Intervention 

If a universal screener, Level I screener or Level II screener indicates that a student has characteristics of dyslexia, the Response to Intervention process will be used to develop a plan to meet the needs of the student.  Intervention will include:

1. Explicit, direct instruction that is systematic, sequential, and cumulative, follows a logical plan of presenting alphabetic principles and targeting the specific needs of the student
2. Individualized instruction to meet the specific needs of the student 
3. Meaning based instruction directed at purposeful reading and writing with an emphasis on comprehension and composition
4. Instruction that simultaneously incorporates two or more sensory pathways during teacher’s presentation and student practice 
5. Other instructional approaches as determined appropriate
6. Instructional approaches shall be research based and teach the 5 components of Literacy.
7. Interventions will be implemented without presuming prior skills or knowledge of the student.
8. Appropriate interventions and accommodations for students with dyslexia  will be administered by the Reading Specialist, intervention teacher, or classroom teacher, under the supervision of the Reading Specialist.

In the 2022-2023 school year: 

1. Enlace Academy intervened for students with dyslexia or with a risk for dyslexia through Orton Gillingham phonics intervention, decodables, and Heggerty.

2. Over 60 students received dyslexia intervention.

3. We identified 1 student who had dyslexia. 

Parents with questions about their child’s reading skills are invited to discuss these concerns with the classroom teachers.  Questions about dyslexia are welcomed by the Reading Specialist, Lauren Perkins.

Resources: Dyslexia Institute of Indiana

BREAKFAST - Because Enlace Academy feels that breakfast is a great way to start your child's day, every morning students are offered breakfast in the cafeteria from 7:30am-8:00am. Students must choose 3 food items and one must be a fruit or vegetable. First student breakfast is FREE. Second student breakfast is $2.57. Adult breakfast is $2.95. Please click here (Spanish), here (English) for a PDF that has more details about how breakfast works at our school

LUNCH - All lunches served at Enlace Academy consist of a meat or meat alternative, grain, fruit, vegetable and milk. Students can choose all or some of the options provided, but they must choose at least 3 of food groups and of of those must be a fruit or vegetable. Please here (Spanish), here (English) for a PDF that has more details about how lunch works at our school.

MyMealTime.com - Enlace Academy has partnered with MyMealTime to provide convenient and secure online services for monitoring your student’s lunch account and making credit or debit card deposits. You can go to MyMealTime.com to access your account. You can also download the instructions here to set up your account and get started. If further assistance is needed, you can contact MyMealTime at 1-800-755-0904 Pacific Time.

LUNCH DEPOSITS - Cash and Check deposits are to be dropped off at the Front Office. Money will be applied to lunch accounts for the day’s meal service if turned in prior to 9:00am.

FOOD THAT’S IN WHEN SCHOOL IS OUT!
The Summer Food Service Program for Children (SFSP) was created to serve nutritious meals to children when National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program meals are not available. Click on Summer Food Service Program for more information. For Healthier Summer Food Ideas and Activities for your family click HERE for more information. 

FOOD ALLERGIES - If your student eats on campus and has a food allergy or you need to update your student’s food allergy information, please contact Amneris Crespo to obtain meal modification information.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider. 

COVID-19 - Since COVID19, our vendors occasionally experience issues with product shortages. Due to this, the food items chosen to serve your children may be limited or unavailable at times and need to be supplemented. Staff shortages are another issue we are facing due to the Pandemic. Please know that we strive to provide your children with the best product and service available. We thank you for your patience and support as we continue to work through these challenges.

FOR THE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH MENU, Please click here! 

TO VIEW THE ENLACE ACADEMY WELLNESS AND NUTRITION POLICY, Please click here. 

FOR THE ENLACE ACADEMY CHARGE POLICY, Please click here. 

Milk Substitution FormSpecial Dietary Needs Request Form

FULL nonDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

FULL NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT (SPANISH)

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? NEED HELP? - Contact: foodservices@enlaceacademy.org

Enlace Academy administers multiple student surveys throughout the year. Families are able to review and inspect all survey materials as outlined in House Bill 1447: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2023/bills/house/1447/details

Indiana Youth Survey

The Indiana Youth Survey is a biennial survey of students in grades 6-12. The INYS assesses students’ substance use, mental health, gambling, and risk and protective factors that can impact student success. All public and private schools are invited to participate free of charge, through funding provided by the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction. The INYS is conducted in the spring of even-numbered years. Participating schools receive a corporation-level report of their students’ responses.

Survey Content:

You have the right to review and inspect all materials related to this survey. You’ll find the questions that students will be asked in the links below: 

Indiana Youth Survey website: https://inys.indiana.edu

• 6th grade: https://inys.indiana.edu/docs/survey/INYS2024_6th_Questionnaire.pdf
• 7 - 12th grade: https://inys.indiana.edu/docs/survey/INYS2024_7_12th_Questionnaire.pdf
• Sex/gender identity (optional): https://inys.indiana.edu/docs/survey/INYS2024_Gender_Identification_Module.pdf
• Mental health (optional): https://inys.indiana.edu/docs/survey/INYS2024_Mental_Health_Module.pdf

Panorama Social-Emotional Learning Competencies and Supports + Environment Survey

The Panorama Social-Emotional Learning Competencies and Supports + Environment surveys are administered biannually to Enlace Academy students in grades 3-8. These surveys ask students to self-reflect on things like their ability to keep working toward a goal, how much they are able to change their own skills, and the social and learning climate of their school. The surveys contain questions on the topics of emotion regulation, social awareness, self-efficacy, school belonging, school engagement, school climate, teacher-student relationships, school rigorous expectations, cultural awareness & action, and diversity & inclusion. The purpose of these surveys is to support schools in the processes of informing the socio-emotional education of students and creating the best learning environments for students.

Survey Content:

You have the right to review and inspect all materials related to this survey. You’ll find the questions that students will be asked in the Panorama Student Survey in the link below. This survey is available in a variety of languages to better serve our diverse community.

Panorama Survey Link

Questions/Concerns: 

As part of the survey process, you have the right to review and inspect all materials related to this survey as well as reach out to the district with questions or concerns. If you would like access to the survey materials, please email Mark Mosias, Assistant Director of Academics, mmosias@ncncschools.org. 
 

Enlace Academy expects all students and employees to treat each other with civility and respect and provides programs to promote these values. Disruptive or violent behavior interferes with a student’s ability to learn and a school’s ability to educate its students in a safe environment. Enlace Academy prohibits acts of harassment, intimidation or bullying against any student. Enlace Academy recognizes its duty to ensure a safe school climate and has adopted policies and programs governing acceptable student conduct. Furthermore, Enlace Academy complies with all mandated prevention, intervention and
response laws as created by the state of Indiana.

Bullying is prohibited at Enlace Academy as referenced in Indiana Code 20-33-8-0.2 Bullying is defined as overt, unwanted, repeated acts or gestures, including verbal or written communications or images transmitted in any manner (including digitally or electronically), physical acts committed, aggression, or any other behaviors that are committed by a student or group of students against another student with the intent to harass, ridicule, humiliate, intimidate, or harm the targeted student and create for the targeted student an objectively hostile school environment. 

Enlace Academy expects all students and employees to treat each other with civility and respect and provides programs to promote these values. Disruptive or violent behavior interferes with a student’s ability to learn and a school’s ability to educate its students in a safe environment. Enlace Academy prohibits acts of harassment, intimidation or bullying against any student. Enlace Academy recognizes its duty to ensure a safe school climate and has adopted policies and programs governing acceptable student conduct. Furthermore, Enlace Academy complies with all mandated prevention, intervention and response laws as created by the state of Indiana.

Students may not engage in bullying on school grounds, or while traveling to or from school or a school activity, function, or event. Further, bullying is prohibited off school grounds while using property or equipment provided by school.

The School Leader or designee will inform students, parents, and staff members concerning any reported incidents of bullying. Parents or students who suspect that bullying is taking place should report the matter to the School Leader. Upon receiving the report, the School Leader will investigate the matter at the building level and consequences will be assessed, as appropriate, consistent with the school’s discipline policy.

To report alleged bullying, please call the Main Office at (317) 383-0607 or complete the Enlace Academy Bullying Incident Report here.

Enlace Academy bullying Prevention Policy

Bullying Education & Resources

Title I & Written Complaint Procedures

Enlace Academy is a Title I school, meaning the school receives federal funds for Title I students. Families are invited to attend an annual Title I meeting held in the fall each school year. 

At Enlace Academy, we believe that all children can and will learn. All of our students are entitled a quality education. It is important to us to ensure that all members of our community feel supported by our programs. If for any reason, a member of our community is not satisfied and  believes that a federal or state law, rule, or regulation has been violated by Enlace Academy, a complaint may be submitted.

VIEW Title I Complaint Policy

 

Seclusion & Restraint Policy

The Neighborhood Charter Network is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment in which children will learn, develop, and participate in instructional programs that promote high levels of academic achievement and character development.

The purpose of this policy is to insure that all students and staff are safe in school, and that students who may have behavior crises are free from inappropriate use of restraint or seclusion. Enlace Academy strives to ensure the rights of all children to be treated with dignity and respect.

VIEW SECLUSION & RESTRAINT POLICY

 

Non-Discrimination Statement

Enlace Academy does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, age, national origin, sexual orientation, including gender identity or expression, religion, disability, or veteran status.  In line with its commitment to equal opportunity, Enlace Academy will recruit, hire, promote, educate, and provide services to persons based upon their individual qualifications meeting established criteria.

Referendum Disclosure 

Enlace Academy has elected to exercise the rights granted under Indiana Code 20-46-1-8 to opt into the proposed Pike Township referendum.

Enlace Academy firmly believes in fostering an environment where educational opportunities are maximized for all students. In light of the proposed referendum, we recognize the potential impact it holds for both traditional public schools and charter schools alike and are prepared to comply with all of the requirements set forth in Indiana Code 20-46-1. 

REFERENDUM DISCLOSURE