As the school year winds down, we want to help parents gear up children of all ages for a summer of fun with books and reading resources. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, our district’s reading experts talk about the free books and activities coming home with students as part of the Columbus City Schools free at-home learning libraries. We also hear from our partners at Future Ready and the Columbus Metropolitan Library, where the CML Summer Reading Challenge gets underway June 1.

As we wrap up the school year, students likely have several big classwork projects to complete - and maybe a few missing homework assignments that still need to be done. Not everyone has a sibling or friend who can help with biology or pre-calculus assignments or proofread an essay. That’s why Columbus City Schools is giving everyone in middle school and high school free unlimited access to trained tutors so students can ask questions and work through problems. And it’s the perfect tool for parents to use to help their children with these end-of-year assignments. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, we show you how to access our FREE Paper virtual tutors.

To encourage students to come to school on-time and each day - and enlist parents to help support improved attendance - Columbus City School is launching a special attendance awareness initiative this Spring. Students who improve their attendance could win weekly prizes and incentives. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, we share more on our efforts to further boost and celebrate daily school attendance and provide tips for families to turn students into Roll Call Role Models.

Across our state and country, the experiences of transgender youth have been very much in the news. When young people raise questions about their gender or come out as transgender, parents may find themselves at a loss for what to do next. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, our partners at Kaleidoscope Youth Center share simple ways to support children as they begin to better understand their gender identity.

Columbus City Schools students in all grades will be receiving a FREE curated collection of books, novels, and literacy-themed activities. Research shows that students who read at home daily for at least 20 minutes can increase language development, improve comprehension and critical thinking, develop global empathy, and strengthen family relationships. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, our Literacy and Extended Learning experts talk about the Free At Home Libraries and share strategies to help families engage in fun reading-themed activities at home.

Families across Columbus City Schools may soon get a phone call, text, or email from Engage Ohio as part of a new partnership to boost school engagement, attendance, and academic success. We’re working together with the Ohio Department of Education and Graduation Alliance to connect families with more FREE academic resources and supports at home, especially for students who may have missed an average of one or more days a week throughout the school year. Our Virtual Family Engagement Session shares more about how the Engage Ohio Academic Success Coaches will be reaching out to CCS families and the types of free educational resources you can connect with.

Columbus City Schools offers one-of-kind programs and services to meet the needs of students with hearing or vision loss from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade. Our academic experts work to create learning environments that are student-centered, positive, and stable. Our Virtual Family Engagement Session explores these two disability categories and the services provided. Parents will learn where and how services are provided to students and how to make a referral if you have questions about your child.

Middle school and high school students in Columbus City Schools have a unique opportunity this summer to learn valuable work skills, have fun, and maybe even earn some extra money while they're at it. Every Thursday evening in March, our Family Engagement team is spotlighting different community partners and organizations across our city who offer special summer-time opportunities for CCS students. This Virtual Family Engagement Session focuses on summer camps, internships, and work opportunities for our high school students, including Jewish Community Center, OSU Explorations in Neuroscience Summer Camp, Buckeye Aha! Math Moments, and the Past Foundation.

Report Cards. Missed Assignments. Address Changes. Summer Enrollment. Find it all and more on the CCS Parent Portal! We want to make sure EVERY family has an active account and knows how Infinite Campus works. Our Virtual Family Engagement Session shows step-by-step how you can securely access valuable records, take part in School Choice, and update your own contact information.

Older students in Columbus City Schools have a unique opportunity this summer to learn valuable work skills, have fun, and maybe even earn some extra money while they're at it. Every Thursday evening in March, our Family Engagement team is spotlighting different community partners and organizations across our city who offer special summer-time opportunities for CCS students. This Thursday’s Virtual Family Engagement Session will focus on summer camps, internships, and work opportunities for our high school students.

The experience of attending one of our nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) is simply like no other - lasting friendships, caring campus communities, and a commitment to legacy, leadership, academic excellence, and community service. Columbus City Schools has a rich legacy of encouraging students to learn about, visit, and enroll in HBCUs. Our Virtual Family Engagement Session unveils the new CCS HBCU GOALS initiative to boost HBCU exposure and enrollment. Plus, our partners from the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) talk about the widespread community support and free money to help pay for an HBCU education.

We’ve got more opportunities for your child to have a fun and engaging summer. No matter what part of town you live in or what types of interests your child has, there are summer opportunities for every student to stay active and safe. Every Thursday in March, our Family Engagement team spotlights different community partners across our city who offer special summer-time opportunities for CCS students. This Virtual Family Engagement Session focuses on summer opportunities for our students with exceptionalities, including Special Education and Gifted & Talented.

It’s time to sign up your student for the CCS Summer Experience - six weeks of ultimate summer fun and learning! It’s FREE to all Columbus City Schools students (PreK-12), and this year’s Summer Experience has expanded to include new and familiar project-based learning opportunities. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, we preview the hands-on enrichment opportunities that will challenge students to continue growing as learners. Get answers to your questions and see step-by-step how to sign up online.

No matter what part of town you live in or what types of interests your child has, there are summer opportunities for every student to stay engaged, active, and safe. Every Thursday evening in March, our Family Engagement team will spotlight different community partners and organizations across our city who offer special summer-time opportunities for CCS students, including day camps, field trips, academic learning, and fun activities that are free. This Virtual Family Engagement Session focuses on summer opportunities for elementary and middle school students (grades K-8).

For even the most tech-savvy of parents, keeping up with all of the latest apps your kid wants to download can be a real struggle. It can be difficult to tell which apps are really a threat to your child’s well-being. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, our tech-safety partners from Bark share the 12 most dangerous apps for kids today.

No matter what part of town you live in or what types of interests your child has, there are summer opportunities for every student to stay engaged, active, and safe. Every Thursday in March, our Family Engagement team spotlights different community partners and organizations across our city who offer special summer-time opportunities for CCS students, including day camps, field trips, academic learning, and fun activities that are free. This Virtual Family Engagement Session focuses on summer opportunities for elementary students (grades K-5).

Anxiety can be a challenge for every young person, but by their teenage years, girls are much more at risk for depression and severe anxiety disorders than boys. How can parents support their teenage girls when stress rises? During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, our partners at The Buckeye Ranch share insight on helping young women with mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotional regulation, and distress tolerance.

Columbus City Schools is partnering with Columbus Recreation and Parks to give our students’ families a special opportunity to be among the first to sign up for Summer Camps. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, hear more about the opportunities for fun, engaging enrichment experiences this summer at Columbus Recreation and Parks Department day camps. Designed for children ages 6-14, there are a variety of camps to meet many interests, including arts, fitness, sports, science/STEM, outdoor exploration, and adaptive recreation.

We need your application for the Columbus Promise. By now, our high school families should have heard about the FREE tuition for graduating CCS seniors to attend Columbus State Community College. We want every senior in the Columbus City Schools Classes of 2022 and 2023 to apply, even if they don’t think college is in your future. Our Virtual Family Engagement Session offers answers to application questions from our partners at Columbus State Community College and I Know I Can.

Get ready for the second exciting stop on the Columbus City Schools Pathway Express. We’ve got free tickets for your family to visit the Columbus Museum of Art - where the galleries are rich with artwork from around the world… and all CCS families can immerse themselves in the culture and creativity the museum has to offer for FREE. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, we preview the February Pathway Express at the Columbus Museum of Art and share the ways students and families will be able to showcase their own creativity with free hands-on activities and free take-home art kits.

Did you know you can turn your interests at home into a life-long, well-paying career? Whether you like Construction, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, Health, Information Technology, Media Arts, Performing Arts, Public Safety, or Visual Arts, Columbus City Schools offers dozens of Career-Technical Programs to match what excites you. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, you hear about the in-demand classes CCS students can join in our Career-Technical Programs. You’ll be impressed with all that CCS has to offer.

Choose your own elementary! Columbus City Schools families have the opportunity to enter the Elementary School Choice Lottery to send their younger children to schools outside of their local neighborhood or to buildings with specialized programs. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, our district’s enrollment experts talk about the school choice lottery, the application process, and the opportunity to learn more about all of our schools before making a decision.

We’re enlisting the help of parents and families to add more kindness to classrooms. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, we share information about our upcoming Columbus City Schools Relationship Week, when students across our district take part in activities that reaffirm our compassion, respect, trust, and love for one another and our community by building social and emotional supports. Plus, we offer tips and strategies parents can use at home to encourage more kindness.

For all of our kinship and adoptive families here in Columbus City Schools, we have a new community partner who can help you navigate and connect with all available resources, locally and statewide. And it’s 100% free. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, we hear more about the OhioKAN effort and the free services available to grandparents and kinship caregivers, temporary foster homes and permanent adoption.

Columbus City Schools has a new tool for all high school students - and for our high school parents - to help plan for graduation and what comes next. And it’s easy to use! Our Virtual Family Engagement Session features the new SchooLinks college and career readiness platform. Students can build out digital SchooLinks profiles that will assist them and our teachers and counselors in mapping out graduation plans, creating resumes, or applying for college. SchooLinks also helps students align their interests and strengths to potential college and career opportunities.

This Virtual Family Engagement Session is the first in a Safer Together series aimed at helping parents with tips or strategies on how to talk about safety with their children. Superintendent Dr. Dixon is joined by our partners at the Africentric Personal Development Shop, Inc. (APDS) as they share advice and answer questions like: What should a parent do if they suspect their child is involved with the wrong crowd? How do you talk to them about fight videos on social media? When should a parent report suspicious activity to our schools or to the police?

If your address recently changed or you’re planning to participate in the School Choice Lottery, you definitely need to make sure your CCS Parent Portal account is activated.. but there's even more information you can get from this online tool and app. Our Virtual Family Engagement Session includes step-by-step instructions on how you can securely access valuable information on your student’s education and learning.

Columbus City Schools’ new Pathway Express will give your family free access to some of our city's most popular attractions starting in January. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, our Academic team shares more about this unique learning opportunity at various family-friendly destinations throughout Columbus - with free admission to fun spaces at COSI, the Columbus Museum of Art, and the North Market. Not only will you get free admission each month, you will also have a chance to win prizes and take home free learning kits and activities.

Our District’s Facilities Master Plan process is in its sixth and final phase in discussing the future of our school buildings and classrooms. In the final “Transform” phase, we are asking families and the community to review options that have been outlined and build a consensus around a specific plan that we would refine and ultimately bring to the Board of Education. Our Virtual Family Engagement Session includes an update by our FMP team and a review of the months of work so far.

Beginning in January, Columbus City Schools families have the opportunity to enter the School Choice Lottery to enroll their children in schools outside of their local neighborhood or in schools with specialized programs. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, our district’s enrollment experts talk about the lottery process and the opportunity for families to learn more about all of our schools and find the right fit for their children.

Several of our district’s partners are stepping up to provide help to families who might need extra assistance during the holidays, including gifts and food. Our Virtual Family Engagement Session features our partners at Lutheran Social Services who staff the 2-1-1 community help line with easy-to-access information about all of the charitable and social service resource available to CCS families. We also hear from the Salvation Army in Central Ohio on what families can do now to get help in time for the holidays.

Columbus City Schools is partnering with Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Columbus Public Health to provide free COVID-19 vaccine clinics at every CCS elementary school for our students ages 5-11. We've made it as easy as possible for our younger students to get this life-saving vaccine. Parents must provide consent before the vaccines can be given, so we want to answer any questions you might have. Our Virtual Family Engagement Session features our pediatric health partners and school health teams to talk about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine for younger students and show you step-by-step how to complete the online consent form.

Learning how to drive is a major milestone in a teenager’s life. But the road can be an unpredictable place for drivers of any experience level, and vehicle crashes continue to rank as one of the leading causes of death for driving-age teens. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, our partners at Columbus Public Health will share some simple tips and strategies to help parents survive teaching their teens to drive. Beyond parallel parking and safe stopping, parents can impart important driving skills to help teen drivers avoid accidents and save lives.

Is your Parent Portal account activated yet? Do you know all the information you can get from it? We want to help you stay engaged in your child’s education by setting up and signing into the Columbus City Schools Parent Portal. Our special Virtual Family Engagement Session will show step-by-step how to securely access valuable information on your student’s teacher contact, grades and schedules, attendance, and missed assignments.

Your Columbus Library Card opens more than just books. Families can get free online access to movies, music, eBooks, audiobooks, and more from our partners at the Columbus Metropolitan Library. You can even check out free passes to the Columbus Zoo and Columbus Museum of Art. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, the Columbus Library team will show the free resources available for our students and families, including in-person and online Homework Help.

Did you hear the news about the Columbus Promise? We bet you have questions about the promise of free tuition for CCS seniors to attend Columbus State Community College. You heard right: free college for CCS graduates! Join our Thursday Virtual Family Engagement Session as we get answers to your questions about this historic partnership from our high school counselors and our partners at Columbus State Community College and I Know I Can.

Let’s get cooking with our partners at Ohio State. During our Tuesday Virtual Family Engagement Session, the OSU Extension SNAP-Ed team shared great ideas for the grocery store and the kitchen for families who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). You’ll pick up a recipe or two, as they offer options to eat well, spend less, and still satisfy the ever-changing tastes of children.

Columbus City Schools recently updated its COVID-19 health protocols. To answer some of the questions parents might still have about these new protocols - as well as share information about the upcoming opportunity for younger students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine - our Health Services team and our partners from Nationwide Children’s Hospital joined Superintendent Dr. Talisa Dixon for our Thursday Virtual Family Engagement Super Session. We also talked about the new Wellness Week initiative ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday and shared the additional ways the district is working to keep our classrooms healthy and safe for students and staff.

Are you getting your check for up to $300 per child each month? The American Rescue Plan, signed into law by President Biden, increased the Child Tax Credit to provide up to $300 per month per child under age 6, and up to $250 per month per child ages 6 to 17. You can still claim your Child Tax Credit and missing stimulus payments even if you make little or no money and typically don’t have tax documents. During our Tuesday session, our community partners will take you through the process to receive your payments that put cash in your family’s pocket every month for the things you need.

The Columbus City Schools Facilities Master Plan (FMP) process needs your input now more than ever. During our Tuesday Virtual Family Engagement Session, we will review Phase 5 - the “Consider” phase - of the FMP process, which introduces the various limitations and opportunities we face as we look to provide students, staff, and the community with learning environments and facilities that support 21st-century learning.

For more than a century, Charity Newsies has provided new clothes to Columbus City Schools students. Now is the time for families to register to receive free school clothes for winter. During our Thursday Virtual Family Engagement Session, we’ll hear from our partners at Charity Newsies and about the mission to make sure no child skips school because of a lack of adequate clothing.

Better than Uber. Our partners at COTA are offering a new point-to-point service on the city’s South Side that’s free for Columbus City Schools students. During our Tuesday Virtual Family Engagement Session, we hear more about COTA//Plus. Whether you’re headed to soccer practice or an after school job, this new service offers safe and reliable transportation at no cost for students. COTA will also demonstrate the new app that makes riding the bus even easier.

Fears of inappropriate content on Roblox, dangerous TikTok challenges, body-shaming on Instagram, or Snapchat cyber-bullying. During our Thursday Virtual Family Engagement Session, our digital safety partners at Bark offer insight on the new digital dangers that could be lurking on your child’s phone or computer... even on games that are made for kids under the age of 12.

Estimates show that one-third of families who rent their homes are having trouble paying their rent. It’s important for families who might face eviction to know their rights and know about the wide-range of supports here in Columbus so no one loses their home because of COVID-19. Our Virtual Family Engagement Session features our community partners at the Central Ohio Housing Action Network, the Legal Aid Society of Columbus, and the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio. Learn about a new online tool call Rentful614 that offers information on how to pay your rent.

We’re well into the first quarter of the new school year, so it’s time to check-in and hear how things are going in the classrooms, at our schools, and for our families. Superintendent Dr. Talisa Dixon joins our Virtual Family Engagement Super Session as we check in with our academic, health, and engagement teams and talk with several of our principals and staff.

Columbus City Schools serves students with a wide range of special needs, from autism, intellectual disabilities, and emotional disturbance to hearing, speech, or visual impairments and more. Parents often have questions about what to do if they suspect their child may have a disability or need special learning accommodations. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, we’ll share insights on the district’s process of identifying, locating, and evaluating children suspected of having a disability and who may be in need of special education and related services. We’ll also explain what an Individualized Education Program (IEP) really is.

If children in Columbus City Schools could wear their feelings on their sleeves, what would we see? During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, our partners from Nationwide Children’s Hospital update parents on the On Our Sleeves initiative. Hear how they want to provide all Columbus families with access to free, evidenced-based activities to help you more confidently discuss mental health with your children and build-up mental well-being for your entire family.

Is your Parent Portal account activated yet? Do you know all the information you can get from it? We want to help you stay engaged in your child’s education by setting up and signing into the Columbus City Schools Parent Portal. Our special Virtual Family Engagement Session offers step-by-step instructions on how you can securely access valuable information on your student’s teacher contact, grades and schedules, attendance, and missed assignments.

Walk. Bike. Or Roll. During the school year, many students in Columbus City Schools have opted to walk or bike to school. We need your help to make their routes to school as safe as possible. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, our partners at Columbus Public Health share more about the Safe Routes to School initiative to encourage safe walking and bicycling in many of our elementary and middle schools. Plus you’ll hear tips on how to encourage your child to “roll safely” when biking, skateboarding, rollerblading, or using a scooter.

Our Virtual Family Engagement Session hosts the Open House for parents of high school students in the district’s new BlendED program - a mix of online learning and in-person supports.

Does your child have FOMO? School is back and your child's anxiety might be too. Many kids feel stress and anxiety about fitting in or bullying, not doing well enough in school, resolving troubles with a friend, or even contracting COVID-19. Adding to this stress is the rise in FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) caused by social media. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, a national expert shares easy-to-use strategies to help parents and students regain control and handle general anxiety challenges.

It’s Senior Year for the CCS Class of 2022. Does your 12th grader understand all they need to do over the next nine months to make sure they earn a spot on the graduation stage? Our School Counseling experts talk about senior year planning, the supports in place at our schools, and how parents play an important role to keep senior on track to graduation.

We hear that “money talks” but do middle school students understand what it's saying? We’re partnering with The Ohio State University to help families talk with ‘tween-aged children about money and finances. You’ll learn about a free series of short online modules designed to support your own money talks at home.

Don’t stress about this test. Columbus City Schools will soon use the I-Ready interactive online assessment tool designed to gauge students’ reading and math skills. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, we show parents how the I-Ready system works and how it allows teachers to track the progress and growth of their students. We'll also share some tips on how you can help your child avoid stressing out about this assessment.

Columbus City Schools will welcome its Pre-Kindergarten students on September 7 and 8. During our Virtual Family Engagement Session, our Early Childhood Education team shares what those first few days will look like for students. Plus you’ll get to see inside some of our Pre-K classrooms, learn how parents can support their child's early learning at home, and hear about our impressive collaborative space with several our of community's great pre-kindergarten partners.

So how did the first day go? Columbus City Schools welcomed students back into the classroom - and back into remote learning - to start the 2021-2022 school year. During our All In First Day of School Check In, we talk with several of our principals, teachers, and staff to hear about the return to the classroom, what we did to keep everyone healthy and safe, and what families can expect in the coming school year.

Our back-to-school Virtual Family Engagement Session shares tips, tools, and strategies you can use to get connected and be ALL IN for the 2021-2022 school year. We answer more of your back-to-school questions and showcase some of the technology tools provided by our district to help students and families, starting with Parent Portal, Bus Bulletin, and Clever. Then we demonstrate a brand new tool called Paper that provides our middle and high school students with 24/7 homework help and a dedicated online tutor.

In just a matter of days, Columbus City Schools starts the new 2021-2022 school year with students ALL IN the classroom. Health and safety protocols are ALL IN place to keep students and staff healthy and mitigate the spread of new strains of COVID-19. We’re dedicated to giving students every opportunity for a successful start. That’s why our teachers, principals, administrators, and staff are ALL IN to help students adjust to their new classrooms, accelerate their learning, stay safe at school, feed their bodies and minds, and support their growth at home. The All In for Back to School Virtual Family Engagement Super Session includes our Superintendent Dr. Dixon, joined by our academic team, bus and building readiness leaders, several of our school principals, and our health partners from Nationwide Children’s Hospital with important information for the first day of school.