General Safety Guidelines

• Always use crosswalks and sidewalks when walking on campus
• Do not cross traffic or carlines at any time
• Model safe behavior - never cross in the middle of the street
• Students must exit vehicles on the passenger side only
• Follow all ISDenver staff instructions

Parking Options

Please be a good neighbor and do not park in any lots or spaces other than our own, which include:

• At the Welcome Center (enter off 1st Pl)

  • Please avoid parking spots in this lot reserved for neighboring offices, CFU,  as well as a few labeled for our own families who bid and won year-long parking on campus at our annual Gala! 

• the Mary Louise Evans building (enter off Red Cross Way) 
• High School Campus parking
• Our designated overflow area (near 1st and E. Spruce St. in the hangar; see map)

Please respect our neighbors (NCSL, Lowry Lofts, etc) and their private property - and do not park in these spots no matter how short a time.

Pickup Schedule and Making Changes

Each K1-G5 ISDenver student has a preferred pick up schedule for classroom pick-up unless you have registered for carline. 

• If your child participates in an Extended Day School activity club, the EDS schedule overrides your preferred classroom pickup method for the applicable days.

How to change your pickup method for a single day:

Similar to arranging for an early pickup, you will change your pickup method for that day by submitting a transportation change request via the Parent Portal before 2:00 pm. Here’s how:

1. Log into the Parent Portal
2. Scroll down to your child(ren)
3. Click on “Report Attendance or Afternoon Transportation Change”
4. Choose the applicable child
5. Click “transportation from school”
6. Choose the new transportation method for today.
   1. If you select “car” you must have and use your RFID tag in the line.
   2. Bike and Walk are not currently an option for K1-G3 students, however G4-G5 students may walk or bike home with parents’ approval.
7. Repeat steps 4-6 for each child.
8. You will receive an automated email after the Welcome Team approves or denies your request.
9. If your request is approved, your child(ren)’s teacher(s) will receive that information automatically.

Want to change your default preferred pickup method for the rest of the year?

• Please email info@isdenver.org and we will set up your child(ren)’s schedule.
• Please note that you must have an RFID tag to participate in the afternoon carline. If you do not have an RFID tag, please stop by the Welcome Center to pick up your tag.

Is another family picking up your child(ren) in a carpool or in the classroom today?

• Submit a transportation logistics request by 2:00 pm (see above)
• Choose the pick up method the other family is using to pick up your child(ren)
• Write “going home with [family name] today” or any other information for the school in the logistics request comments
• Please note that each family must complete a logistics request for their own child(ren) as we must have direct pick up instructions from the child(ren)’s parents including the full name of the person picking up your child(ren).

Afternoon Carline Registration and Use

• Parents must have pre-registered for carline for the school year, either for daily or occasional use.  If you did not register for carline and would like to use this option, please reach out to the Welcome Team (info@isdenver.org).
• You must have an RFID tag to use the afternoon carline.
• For one-off carline requests, you must indicate your preferred carline pickup by sending a logistics request via the Parent Portal by 2 PM. 
• You will receive a confirmation when your request has been approved. 

Reporting an absence

• In the Parent Portal select the button "Report Attendance or Afternoon Transportation Change" under the My Children header on the main page.
• Create an attendance request for absences, tardies, early dismissals, and multi day absences.
• Choose a reason and add any additional notes.
• Your information will be submitted to our Welcome Team (and the Nurse's office if applicable)

E-mail info@isdenver.org if you have any additional questions. Please do not email info to report an absence.

Late dropoff procedure:

• Log in to the Parent Portal to submit notification that your child will arrive late. 
• Drop your child off at the Welcome Center or High School front office, and a team member will get them signed in and let them know what class they're currently in. 
  • If your child is in ECE, a staff member will walk them to class.
  • If your child is in G1-G2, they will be directed to access the building via doorbell.
  • If your child is in G3-G9, make sure they have their fobs with them so they may gain independent entry into the locked buildings.

Early pickup procedure:

• Log in to the Parent Portal to submit notifications of early dismissals.
• Your request must be received at least one hour prior to desired pickup time. If we do not receive your early pick-up notification an hour prior, we may not be able to have your child ready for you when you arrive.
• Our latest early pick-up is 3:00 PM. 
• If you don’t have immediate access to the parent portal, email info@isdenver.org with the date and time you want to pick up your child. 
• At your scheduled pick-up time, please check your child out in the Welcome Center. The Welcome Team will then page your child(ren)’s classroom(s) (G1-G8) and your child will be sent to the Welcome Center. If your child is in ECE, you will need to sign in and will then be directed to the ECE building to pick up your child in their classroom. 
• At your scheduled pick-up time:
  • Main Campus
    • G1-G8 please check your child out in the Welcome Center. The Welcome Team will then page your child(ren)’s classroom(s) and your child will be sent to the Welcome Center.
    • K1-K3 please sign in at the Welcome Center. You will receive a visitor badge and be directed to the ECE building to pick up your child in their classroom. 
  • High School Campus
  • • Your child will check out in the main office at the scheduled time and meet you as appropriate. 

Pickup Method Change

Similar to arranging for an early pickup, you will change your pickup method for that day by submitting a transportation change request via the Parent Portal before 2:00 pm. Here’s how:

1. Log into the Parent Portal
2. Scroll down to your child(ren)
3. Click on “Report Attendance or Afternoon Transportation Change”
4. Choose the applicable child
5. Click “transportation from school”
6. Choose the new transportation method for today.
   1. If you select “car” you must have and use your RFID tag in the line.
   2. Bike and Walk are not currently an option for K1-G3 students, however G4-G5 students may walk or bike home with parents’ approval.
7. Repeat steps 4-6 for each child.
8. You will receive an automated email after the Welcome Team approves or denies your request.
9. If your request is approved, your child(ren)’s teacher(s) will receive that information automatically.

Is another family picking up your child(ren) in a carpool or in the classroom today?

• Submit a transportation logistics request by 2:00 pm (see above)
• Choose the pick up method the other family is using to pick up your child(ren)
• Write “going home with [family name] today” or any other information for the school in the logistics request comments
• Please note that each family must complete a logistics request for their own child(ren) as we must have direct pick up instructions from the child(ren)’s parents including the full name of the person picking up your child(ren).

For ECE Families (K1 - K3): Your back-to-school checklist is here! Please be sure to label each of these items with your child’s first and last name.

• Backpack, large enough to fit the items below. (One bag only, please!)
• Water bottle (no glass). 
• Sunscreen. (Spray sunscreen is preferred.)
• One healthy morning snack. (Lunch and afternoon snack are provided.)
  • No plastic bags or glass containers with snacks, please!
• One change of clothes (including shoes!) & a non-plastic storage bag. Here is an example!
• K1: A crib-sized sheet or nap mat (like this one linked, with no separate pillow), and small blanket or lovie. No separate pillows please.
• K2: A crib-sized sheet, small blanket, and lovie (storage is more limited in K2 for nap mats).

For Grades 1-9: 

Lunch and supplies are covered by tuition! We do recommend packing a few things for the day:

• Snacks. (At least one and maybe more if your child participates in before or after care, clubs, or athletics.) 
• Hat and sunscreen for recess time
• Water bottle

Driving and School Access

• Please help us keep our kids safe! Drive slowly through the Lowry neighborhood and follow the designated parking routes in all parking lots. 
• Please always follow verbal and hand signals from our staff who our on duty -- they are charged with keeping everyone safe.
• Perimeter gates and front doors to each building are open from 8:15-8:30 AM and 3:30-3:45 PM and locked at all other times, including during school hours. Specific doors are unlocked for after-care and club pick-up at 4:45 PM.
• For access during school hours, parents and authorized visitors MUST sign-in and out at the ISDenver Welcome Center or High School frot office, and wear a visitor badge during every visit to the school.
• You can help us maintain campus safety by following our protocols, including
  1) shutting gates and doors behind you and
  2) using the Welcome Center to check in when entering campus during school hours.

Campus Safety & Drills

• ISDenver follows the Standard Response Protocol developed by the I Love You Guys Foundation. All faculty and staff are trained on these procedures at the beginning of the school year with additional training throughout the year. 
• In addition to the Standard Response Protocol, we are also in the process of implementing RedBag, a cloud-connected classroom safety system.
• Our campus and buildings remain locked at all times, but for daily drop-off and pick-up times.
  • As with all schools, we follow state and local licensing guidance as to how often we have fire, tornado, and lock-down drills. We also conduct secure perimeter and classroom hold drills as necessary throughout the school year.
  • In particular with lock-down drills, we make them as unobtrusive as possible and use these drills as teaching opportunities. Specifically with lock-down drills, we typically announce the dates in advance and have staff positioned around campus to direct children to safe spaces. We also debrief after these drills. 
• We conduct routine safety audits with a 3rd party campus safety and security firm, to assess threats across our campus and buildings, policies, and procedures. 
  • We continually received high marks on our external assessment, thanks in part to our completely enclosed campus, full-time locked buildings, and advanced access control system. All recommendations are shared with the Board.
  • At the advice of the safety and security firm, we do not share specific details about safety protocols.
  • Safety protocols are evaluated regularly.

Supporting Teachers and Students

• While drills and training are an important part of school safety measures, so is simply being present.
• Our division directors work closely with teachers as individuals and teams to promote safety and wellness.
• Our counseling team is integrated across the divisions (ECE, Primary, Middle School, High School) and work with classrooms and individuals as needed.

Digital Safety

• Digital safety is also a serious concern and all students with Chromebooks are expected to adhere to the school’s acceptable use policy.
• Our technology team has compiled excellent resources on the Parent Portal for parents to use in supporting what we do in school to encourage responsible technology use as children learn to live in a technology heavy world.
• We also ask that our entire community be mindful of capturing and / or posting images of children. In short, make sure your pictures and videos only feature your own kids, and we ask that you do not film on campus.

Schoolpass is required for ECE families and for Extended Day School pickup (children enrolled in after-care, clubs, and athletics). All families should have received an email from Schoolpass with instructions on setting up the app and your account. If you already have the app from prior years, you may continue to use your current account.

• All ECE families must show SchoolPass credentials to your child’s teacher directly so the teacher can check your child out at pick-up.
• The app is also required for Extended Day School pickup.

All instructions on downloading and using SchoolPass can be accessed in the Parent Portal here (under the Community Tab, click “Technology Assistance”).

General
We use three primary platforms for teachers to simultaneously share student work with parents, manage student learning with their children (as developmentally appropriate - student agency at work!), and manage their horizontally- and vertically-aligned curricula in the back-end. 

• Teachers will share more detailed information with parents at the beginning of the school year, including log in information for new families. 
• All platforms are secure and private, meeting the strict standards of COPPA and FERPA.
• Each platform includes year-over-year archiving, so that you can look back on your child’s growth over time. 
• Please direct questions on Toddle to Helene Hernandez-Caudron, on ManageBac to Hope Forgey, and on Google Photos to Jaqueline Souza. 

Platforms

• Your child may use additional online learning tools accessed through Clever; further details and login information will be provided by the teachers.
   
• Toddle is our  K1 - G5 learning management system that allows teachers to detail student learning from daily activities to semester progress reports (what we grew up with as report cards). 
  • This includes snapshots of students at work and play on any given day, units of inquiry (what they’re currently studying), assignments, and end of unit reflections. 
  • Watch this video to learn more about using Toddle.
     
• ManageBac is our Middle and High School’s platform for all things academic. Watch these videos to learn more about how we use it! 
  • All of our Middle and High School students use ManageBac to manage their daily activities, including submitting electronic assignments, receiving feedback from teachers, and reviewing progress reports. 
  • Parents can access ManageBac at their discretion. 
     
• Google Photos is the platform for photography from school-wide events, and may also be used on a class-by-class basis.
  • The link for the school year gallery will be available through the Parent Portal on August 20th.

Teacher emails

• This is your primary source of communication about your child. You can find your teacher’s email address in their bio as well in our directory in the Parent Portal. 

  • For security purposes, we ask that you do not communicate with teachers outside of their @isdenver.org email address (e.g. via text, whatsapp, etc.)

  • See “Toddle” section for more information about student-specific communications.

World E-News (Tuesday weekly newsletter)

• Our weekly World E-News covers everything you need to be in the know about ISDenver on a weekly basis. It  is your main whole-school communication, including Head of School updates, important reminders and/or policy changes, volunteer opportunities, and happenings across ECE, Primary School and Middle School  - plus, community events and engagement opportunities . 
• Make sure to keep your contact information up to date in the Parent Portal to receive this on a weekly basis! 

Parent Portal

• Our Parent Portal is your one-stop shop for all things ISDenver: calendars, schedules, attendance, registrations, invoices, announcements, and more – we have what you need!
• It’s alive and well now, and we’re also updating the layout and organization through this fall for easier access to information. 
• Pro tip: Bookmark this log-in page, or just leave it open as a browser tab on your phone or desktop for easy access whenever you need.
• Make sure we have your most up to date phone number and email address by updating it in the Parent Portal:
  • Select "Update Family Profile" button under Important Links (right side of screen, or scroll to bottom to the yellow buttons if on a phone)
  • Fill in your up to date information and save
  • If necessary, change your directory preferences (scroll down to Directory Preferences) - you can adjust if you’d like to share certain contact information with our community.

Social Media

• Follow us on Instagram and Facebook!
• Have a great photo or an exciting piece of content to share about your child(ren) or ISDenver? Share it with Marketing and Communications.

School Calendar

The best way to stay on top of the happenings for your kids (and yourself) is to subscribe to your Household Calendar in the Parent Portal.

• Click “subscribe to calendars” in the top navigation of the Parent Portal (or in the three button menu in top left of the portal homepage on your phone).
  • Check the Google calendar box if you use Google calendar. (If not, the subscription will open in your default calendar app, like on an iPhone.)
  • Under “My Household,” you will see “My household calendar.” Click subscribe on the right. Your calendar application will open!
• This calendar will give you all school events (breaks, conferences, holidays), PLUS all events specific to you/your children (field trips! ECE playdates!), on your calendar feed (aka, your Google/Outlook calendar and/or on your phone.)
• We are still populating this calendar with events for the next school year; your subscription ensures that you’ll have them in your personal calendar within ~1 hour of us loading them into the portal calendar.
• Note that school calendar dates may still be subject to change and all changes will be communicated in E-News and updated in our subscription calendar. 

Class lists, schedules, and teacher information

To See all Children in a Class:

• Access Parent Portal --> scroll down to your child(ren) on home screen
• Select "Classes & Reports" (per child)
• Find "[Grade] [Language]" class or "[Grade] [Special]" class and select "Directory" underneath class listing
• Select "Directory" in upper right corner
• See all children in that class
• Additional directories:
  • Full Grade levels Directories available under Students - browse categories - students by grade level
  • The Directories function can also provide a list of other ISDenver families who live near you, via the Households button and Nearby Student Households report

To find your child’s teachers and schedules:

• On the homepage of the Parent Portal → Scroll down to your child(ren)
• Child-Specific: Select Classes & Reports → Select Current Class Schedule → Option to Download the PDF
   

Faculty Bios are accessible via the Parent Portal directory in the menu bar (select Faculty & Staff button).

• New hires for the 2025-26 school year have bios only; photos will be uploaded as soon as we are finished with our headshots!

ISDenver’s Extended Day School (EDS) begins at 7:15 AM and ends at 5:30 PM, Monday through Friday. Available options include: 

• Before Care
• After Care/Study Hall
• Co-Curricular Programs (after school clubs, third language, performing arts, etc)
• Middle School Athletics
• High School Athletics

EDS offerings change each trimester and registration is for the full trimester. See the trimester 1 club options and guidelines here.

Break Camps

Camps for K1-G8 students are available during most week long school breaks and during the summer. Register in our Parent Portal; watch the E-News for registration information.

Our Dragon-Parent Association (DPA) focuses on community building among families, from within a class, to across divisions, to our entire school. Through functional committees of volunteers, parents join together to support our school’s mission, vision, and strategic initiatives through events, communications, and service opportunities. 

Dragon Buddies

The Dragon Buddies program pairs new families with a returning family who will serve as their first-year mentor by answering questions, helping them get plugged in, and sharing your experience as an ISDenver Dragon. It's an easy lift that can make a big difference to a new family and really strengthens our ISDenver community. 

•  [Sign up here if you’re new]
   [Sign up here if you’re returning and want to help!]
• Email Kaitlyn Ward with any questions.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Room Parents Wanted!

• We are in recruitment mode for Room Parents (K1 through G8). Please share your interest and join us for a VIRTUAL Room Parent Info Session on 8/26 from 10-10:30 AM. Your participation in the info session does not fully commit you to the role, so bring your questions and we'll give you a brief overview. Positions filled on a first-come, first-served basis with thoughtful consideration for rotating opportunities among families.
• We'll be in touch after school begins with room assignments.

Get Involved

• Interested in learning more about our Dragon Parent Association’s community events efforts? We are looking for parents to serve on event sub-committees and other opportunities for the upcoming school year, so let us know!  
• And as always, please reach out to Janet Yenter, Director of Community Engagement, if you have any feedback or questions about community events and volunteer opportunities.

Lunch is provided daily to all learners by SAGE Dining. More details by grade level are below:

K1: Delivered to, plated, and enjoyed in each classroom (eat in classrooms)

• ISDenver staff plates items from the K1-G1 menu. 
• Plates include salad, entree, a side vegetable, and fruit from the menu. Sunbutter and jelly sandwiches are also available daily.
• Sage also provides a snack around 2pm.
• Parents should also provide a daily morning snack.

K2 - K3: Kimak Serving Line

• K2 and K3 students access their cuisine via a serving line in the Kimak hallway, offering a variety of meal options for the young learners (a 'lunchline lite,' if you will, featuring various options from our daily menu in the Dragon’s Den).
  • K2 will begin the year with lunches being delivered to the classroom, and then slowly transition to the serving line option, to best support our learners.
• To ensure smooth organization, each class is assigned a schedule to take turns going through the line, where they can exercise their independence by choosing from the different available options. Read more about this initiative here!

G1-G9 learners:

• G1-G8 students are scheduled by grade for lunch time at the Cafeteria. They should bring their already-full water bottles to the cafeteria daily.
• High School students eat in the High School cafe.

 
Food and beverage notes:

• Find the daily/weekly/monthly menu here (also through the Touch of SAGE app or the Parent Portal)
  • Click View Your Menu
• Items are clearly marked for each child in the class who has an allergen, is gluten free, dairy free, or vegan/vegetarian.
  • Since peanut allergies are the most common and severe, SAGE doesn’t serve peanut or tree nut products.
• Any child can request more food; teachers will help them try a bit of everything first.
• All G1-G9 learners should bring their already-full water bottles to the cafeteria daily.
  • Water is always available for students using their own reusable bottles, and milk is available to all students daily.

At the International School of Denver, we embrace students of all cultures and backgrounds, talents and differences to help them achieve their full potential and meet their goals to become excellent learners and global citizens.

The vast majority of student needs can be met within the primary classroom through scaffolding and differentiation by class and subject teachers. Some students with learning differences and social emotional needs can receive additional support from members of the Student Support Team (SST).

The SST is overseen by our Director of Student Support and Director of Counseling. It includes a Teacher Behavior Support Specialist in ECE, three counselors covering ECE-G2, G3-G5, and G6-G9.

• Literacy skills
• Mathematics skills
• Organizational and other executive functioning skills
• Social and emotional well-being support

Please reach out to the Director of Student Support, Debra McQueen, or our Director of Counseling, Annie Barocas, for more information.

ILLNESS POLICY

If a student sustains an injury requiring medical attention or becomes ill while at school, the Health & Wellness Center will contact the student's parents immediately. 

1. If a parent cannot be reached, we will contact the persons listed on the child's Emergency Contacts listed in the Parent Portal.
   1. Once contacted, families have one (1) hour to pick the child up from school.
2. If a child sustains a serious injury, ISDenver will contact emergency medical personnel immediately, and proceed according to parent specifications contained on the "Consent to Treatment" portion of the emergency forms. 
3. Accident reports are prepared by ISDenver personnel on duty and/or the Health & Wellness Center and a copy is forwarded to parents of all students involved.

According to State licensing requirements, and for the protection of all children, ISDenver cannot accept or keep children presenting with any of the following:

• Fever equal to or greater than 100.4°F (38.°C) with behavior changes or other signs of illness
• Vomiting two or more times within a 24 hour period or one time with fever)
• Severe diarrhea (diarrhea with fever/behavior change/vomiting or that is not contained in the toilet) - students will be sent home after two or more episodes of diarrhea at school. 
• Undiagnosed rash
• Diagnosed contagious disease (i.e. influenza, chickenpox, strep throat)
• Sore or discharging ears or eyes or profuse nasal leakage
• Flu-like symptoms (fever over 100.4°F - 38. °C with a cough or sore throat. Other flu symptoms can include tiredness, body aches, vomiting and diarrhea).

Lice and nits: Students found with lice or nits may not need to be sent home the same day it is discovered. However, treatment must be completed before the student returns to school; we do not routinely recheck every student upon return. 

Parents must notify ISDenver if their child is diagnosed with a communicable disease, such as COVID, whooping cough, chicken pox, influenza or measles. Other families will then be notified of possible exposure. The Health Department may also be notified.

The child can return to class once they have been 24 hours fever free (without the use of an antipyretic drug such as tylenol, ibuprofen, etc.) and their symptoms are improving. Please see the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment guidelines for more information. 

ISDenver strongly encourages vaccinations for all eligible students, employees, and community members. 

• ISDenver offers an annual flu shot clinic to all employees, with access to other vaccinations including shingles, pneumococcal, and the TDAP booster.
• We strongly encourage all students to be appropriately vaccinated, including the annual flu vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters, as available, in accordance with the recommendations of their medical provider.
• We track and report student vaccination status in our health system through the Parent Portal. To upload your child's vaccination card: