Jan. 24, 2017 e-Newsletter | |
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| Introducing the Center for Wellness, Innovation & Learning | |
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| Dear FIRSTNAME,
I am very pleased to announce that The Independence School has established the Center for Wellness, Innovation and Learning (CWIL™). CWIL (pronounced "Quill") grew out of the work we have been doing through our team approach to wellness, learning support and related areas in response to the needs of supporting the whole child. CWIL's work in addressing not only academic progress, but also motor, language, cognitive, emotional, and physical development and health, allows Independence to provide a program that holds the full interests of the students at heart, both in and out of the classroom. Parent education, such as the upcoming Jan. 31 presentation by fifth-grade teacher Vita Biddle on "Helping Your Child Prepare for Assessments," as well as those presented earlier this year by consulting psychologist Dahra Williams, Ph.D., are examples of the Center's work. We look forward to continuing to share important information with you as CWIL evolves and grows. Please plan to visit the forthcoming Center for Wellness, Innovation and Learning page on our website, where we will be posting resources, dates for upcoming events, blog posts by members of the CWIL team and more. CWIL's mission is directly tied to that of our school -- to ensure that Independence students truly develop into independent, intellectually curious individuals. We are excited about this new initiative and the varied ways it will enrich the Independence experience. With spirit, | |
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| VICTORIA C. YATZUS
Head of School | |
BERNADETTE GILMORE
Director of Academics & Curriculum | |
DAHRA JACKSON WILLIAMS, PH.D.
Consulting Psychologist | |
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| ILLENE COURTRIGHT
Language Specialist | |
DENISE AXE, RN
School Nurse | |
VITA BIDDLE
Fifth-grade teacher &
Learning Applications (LeApps™) Specialist | |
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| REMINDER
School will be closed this Friday, Jan. 27, for Parent-Teacher Conferences. Extended Day will remain open. Since it is the midpoint of the trimester, please make sure to check grades for your child(ren) in grades 2-8 on MyBackPack. Thank you! | |
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| RE-ENROLLMENT GOES DIGITAL ON FEB. 1!
We are pleased to announce that Independence will be saving paper and postage by publishing re-enrollment contracts online for the first time! Contracts to secure enrollment for your child(ren) for the 2017-18 school year will be published to your "My BackPack" account on Wednesday, Feb. 1, by 3 p.m. Additional details and instructions will be forthcoming soon via email. As always, your re-enrollment deposit may be payable by check or cash. | |
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| ALL ABOARD!
Mark your calendar, invite your friends and secure your sitter!
On Saturday, March 18, from 7-11 p.m., The Independence School will be transformed into a luxury cruise ship. Get your tickets when they're available and board The Patriot for an unforgettable evening to benefit the students of Independence.
- Gourmet Fare
- DJ and Dancing
- Live Entertainment
- Live & Silent Auction
- "Do Not Miss" Raffle Items
- Black tie optional
A night out without the kids
that benefits the kids!
Just a few of the amazing auction items follow below: - A stay in a 6-bedroom home with private beach overlooking Assateague Island
- A chance for your kids to be a Physical Education Teacher for a day
- One week for your child at the very popular and always sold out INDY Adventure Camp this summer
- Tickets to Billy Joel – In Concert at New York City's legendary Madison Square Garden
- Tickets to the "24K Magic World Tour," starring Bruno Mars, at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia
- A stay in an all-inclusive Alaskan fishing resort
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| UPCOMING EVENTS
1/27 - Parent conferences (school closed, Extended Day open)
1/31 - Parent Coffee: "Helping Your Child Prepare for Assessments," presented by fifth-grade teacher Vita Biddle and the Center for Wellness, Innovation & Learning, at 8:15 a.m. (Founders' Library)
2/2 - Third-grade field trip to Alpine and Rafetto Orthodontics
2/6 - IPA Meeting at 6:30 p.m. (volunteer room)
2/10 - Last day of winter sports
2/10 - "Family Bingo Night" from 6-8:30 p.m. (gym); click here to register!
2/16 - Eighth-grade field trip to University of Delaware STAR Campus
2/17 - Presidents' Day Weekend (school closed, Extended Day open)
2/20 - Presidents' Day (school closed, Extended Day open)
For the 2016-17 calendar at a glance, click here.
For the full 2016-17 school calendar, click here. | Preschool Playtime is as popular as ever, and our next session on Feb. 28 is now full! However, in the event of a cancellation, we will notify those on our waitlist, so please register by clicking here if you're interested in this FREE program. | Did you know that Extended Day offers a variety of special programs throughout the school year? Click here for all the details. | Click the logo above to visit the winter "Teams & Results" page, where you can stay up-to-date on all the latest news and recaps about Patriot athletics! | When you shop at amazonsmile by clicking the logo above, Amazon will donate 0.5% of qualified purchases to our school.
Upon clicking the link and logging in with your regular Amazon account, "Independence School Inc." will automatically be selected as your charity, and you will receive a confirmation email.
It's that simple!
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THREE QUIZ BOWLERS PLACE IN TOP 10
Congratulations to Yash Pahwa (fourth place), Dylan Bemis (eighth) and Mikul Duggal (10th), who all finished in the Top 10 individually out of 66 total Quiz Bowl students at the Manheim Township Middle School Academic Challenge on Jan. 14, in Lancaster, Pa. Independence's three teams earned third, fourth and sixth, respectively, out of 13 at the tournament. | Members of our indoor track team had the honor of meeting former U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden during Saturday's meet at Tower Hill. Welcome back to Delaware, Mr. Biden, and thanks for your kindness toward our students! | The incredibly popular "Family Bingo Night," sponsored by the Independence Parents' Association (IPA), returns for another night of fun, prizes and excitement on Friday, Feb. 10, beginning at 6 p.m., in the gym.
Click here to register today! Cost is $5 per person, age 3 and up.
Registration is now open to ALL families! | A ROCKIN' GOOD TIME!
On Jan. 12, we hosted a Winter Wonderland Concert and Sing-along with Bill Currier from We Kids Rock! The audience consisted of our Early Childhood I through Kindergarten classes and 47 outside visitors between the ages of 2-5, along with their parent/grandparent/special friend. Many of our current students also had a family member or friend join in on the fun. Everyone had a rockin' good time! | New IPA lunch orders begin on the following dates:
- Pasta – Monday, Jan. 30
- Pizza – Wednesday, Feb. 1
- Macaroni & cheese, grilled chicken tenders and breaded chicken tenders – Tuesday, Feb. 7
| Another great summer of fun is just around the corner! Our brand-new Summer at Independence microsite and detailed 2017 summer brochure will both be launching very soon (look for more details in an upcoming Patriot Page). As you begin to make your plans for summer, please be sure to stop by and visit the Summer at Independence table during the Community Camp Fair at Tower Hill's Field House on Thursday, Feb. 2, from 3:30-7 p.m.! The Field House is located off Route 52 on Rising Sun Lane in Wilmington. Follow signs for the FREE shuttle! | |
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