INTERGENS CONNECT
The 2019-2020 school year was a year unlike any before, unlike anything we expected.
But through the determination of our students and families, the ingenuity of our teachers and staff, and the support of our volunteers and donors, we found ways to persevere, adapt and most of all, STAY CONNECTED.
Welcome to the Intergenerational Schools 2019-2020 Annual Report
Dear Friends,
The 2019 – 2020 school year was one for the history books. When we entered the buildings in the fall, we never would have imagined ending the school year learning remotely. The pivot from in-person learning to remote learning was challenging, but our community of Lifelong Learners rallied together to rise to the occasion!
At the core of the Intergenerational Schools’ remote learning plan were centering relationships and recommitting to Lifelong Learning. We took this as an opportunity to dig into our roots as an innovative community-centered learning institution. We were determined to continue delivering high-quality education despite the unprecedented circumstances. The response from our teachers, administrators, and staff was swift and strong. A few of our accomplishments include:
- Connecting with 98% of our students by the end of the first week of remote learning
- Providing 53 hot spot devices with wireless internet service to any student who expressed a need
- Providing 395 Chromebooks to any student who expressed a need
- Engaging 250 students in summer school and leveraging our social media channels to provide weekly Storytime, Art Lessons, and Yoga classes to everyone.
This year’s Annual Report lifts the stories of our families, teachers, students, and volunteer Learning Partners. Innovative Intergenerational Learning took student writing out of the classroom and into an audiobook recording project, complete with music composed and performed by a student. Specials Teachers kept students' bodies moving and creativity flowing, all while keeping families connected to the school community throughout quarantine. And missing the quality education, engagement, and support provided by the Intergenerational schools, the Floyd family returned to Lakeshore this Fall.
school is where students learn
All of these experiences contributed to the development of our 2020 – 2021 Boundless Learning Reopening Plan. We are saddened to not begin the school year in the buildings with our students, but we also know school is where students learn. Our job as educators is to be the conduit by which students receive instruction, no matter where or how they are connecting. These are new waters for all us, but the opportunity to meet the needs of our families by delivering a high-quality education in a remote environment is invigorating. We look forward to the innovation and new partnerships formed during this year of Boundless Learning!
Sincerely,
Brooke King, Executive Director, Intergenerational Schools
Stories from Our Schools
When school shut down statewide in March, schools across Ohio were forced to adapt. For Dennia Floyd and her daughter Honor, Lakeshore's response highlighted what makes the Intergens such a welcoming and special place for our students.
Ms. Tribuzzo's Applying Stage English and Language Arts class spent two months writing, rewriting and perfecting a work of fiction. But this was only the beginning of their creative endeavors, and a volunteer is helping bring their stories to a wider audience.
Art is one way for our families to stay connected virtually, but Mrs. Lowery didn't stop with just online classes. She and her fellow "specials" teachers made it their mission to keep in touch with every Intergens family every week during the spring shutdown.
Pandemic Pivot
In what felt like an instant, the nature of school completely changed.
Our families rely on the Intergens not just for personalized, adaptive education, but also for a safe place for children to spend the day, a connection to resources like free and reduced lunches, and the sense of community so central to our mission.
We knew that maintaining instruction was just the tip of the iceberg for staying connected to our families.
#Intergens
Connect
#Intergens
Connect
Live Check-Ins
Daily Live Check-Ins
Each day, classes met on Zoom for live check-ins. Friends got to greet each other, teachers were able to see how students were doing, and everyone was able to stay connected.
Digital Access
Ensuring Digital Access
395 Chromebooks and 53 Hotspots with WiFi service we distributed to any student who expressed a need.
Special Connections
Art, Yoga and Phys. Ed.
Our specials teachers continued to provide art instruction, yoga practice, music class and physical education and took on the added responsibility of calling our families each day.
Staying Social
Staying Social
Intergens teachers and friends organized Spirit Week, storytime, a scavenger hunt and many other ways to stay engaged throughout the spring and summer.
2019-2020 By the Numbers
Subjects taught by licensed teachers
Third graders who met 3rd Grade Reading Guarantee requirements for promotion to 4th grade
Our students come from:
| Community | % of Students |
|---|---|
| Cleveland | 66% |
| Euclid | 12% |
| Cleveland Heights | 5% |
| Garfield Heights | 3% |
| Richmond Heights | 2% |
| East Cleveland | 2% |
| South Euclid | 1% |
| Parma | 1% |
| University Heights | 1% |
| Maple Heights | 1% |
| North Olmsted | 1% |
| Lyndhurst | 1% |
| Lyndhurst | 1% |
Enrollment for the 2019-2020 school year
| Community | % of Students |
|---|---|
| Lakeshore | 233 |
| Near West | 254 |
| TIS-East | 247 |
| Total | 734 |
Supporting Our Schools
We're doing more with (even) less.
The Intergenerational Schools receive 28% less per-student funding than the average Ohio public school district. By running a lean operation, the Intergens are able to keep the average per-student spend at $10,500. This is 10% less than the average Ohio public school district. However, we are still left with a $500,000 funding gap—that’s about $700 per student.
The Governor announced FY20 State Budget cuts in June, including $300 million in K-12 education funding. Ohio charter schools received an $89/FTE reduction for Fiscal Year 2020. In total, the cut reduced the schools' FY20 state funding by $65,771 (TIS-$21,924, NWIS-$23,077, LIS-$20,770).
Per-student tax revenue and spending
Avg. Ohio public district
The Intergens
Your support fills the gap.
Friends of the Intergenerational Schools is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization positioned to raise funds on behalf of the Intergens to close this funding gap. Over the course of the 2019-2020 school year, Friends of the Intergenerational Schools disbursed $418,000 to our schools to support instruction, innovation and connection.
Help us transform public school education by making your gift to the Annual Fund at igschools.org/donate.
Download the Report
