Oct. 24, 2017 e-Newsletter
STARS SHINING BRIGHT
To start the 2017-18 school year, Mrs. Rispoli's art students from Early Childhood II through eighth grade were challenged to design a star in celebration of Independence's 40th Anniversary. The stars represent each student's individuality, while the display as a whole symbolizes the celebration of collaboration and unity. Be sure to check it out in the Fasick Gallery!
ON OUR WEBSITE
REMINDERS
First Trimester Midpoint
Today, Tuesday, Oct. 24, marks the midpoint of the first trimester. Please make sure to log in to My BackPack to ensure that you are up to date on your child's academic progress.
Halloween Parade
The annual Halloween Parade will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 31 at 2 p.m. For complete details, please click here or on the link in the Upcoming Events section below.
UPDATED PICTURE RETAKE INFORMATION
If you have any issues or questions at all regarding your picture order, please contact Apple Branch directly at hello@applebranchphoto.com. Apple Branch is aware of all of the issues that we have been experiencing and is working to correct them.
Picture retakes will be tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 25. If you want your child to get a retake, please fill out this Quick Retake Reservation Form. RETURN ALL prints and products that you received during the initial sale by bringing them to the Development Office or to the retake day. Your same order will be fulfilled with the new photos and delivered to the school in approximately three weeks.
The Center for Wellness, Innovation & Learning (CWIL™) at Independence presents
An Evening with
DR. ROBERTA GOLINKOFF
Thursday, Nov. 16
7 p.m. | Gore Auditorium
FREE and open to the public
The University of Delaware professor and New York Times Best-Selling Author of Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children will join us for a special presentation, followed by a book signing.
For full details and to register, please visit our Official Event Page.
For more info on Dr. Golinkoff:
www.Roberta-Golinkoff.com.
Also, if you haven't joined the CWIL-sponsored "Becoming Brilliant Book Club," you can still RSVP by emailing Vita Biddle. The remaining meetings will take place Thursdays from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in the Founders' Library on the following dates: Oct. 26 and Nov. 2 and 9. For more information about the book, please visit www.becoming-brilliant.com. For more details on CWIL, please visit the Independence website.
UPCOMING EVENTS
10/24 - Fifth-grade field trip to NorthBay in North East, Md. - postponed to Tuesday, 11/7
10/24 - Second-grade field trip to Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation - postponed to Monday, 11/20
10/24 - Parent Ambassador Meeting at 6:30 p.m. (Founders' Library)
10/25 - Picture Retake Day
10/26 - Roller Skating Night from 6:30-8:30 p.m. (Christiana Skating Center)
10/27 - In-service day/Parent Conferences (school closed, Extended Day open)
10/31 - Halloween Parade at 2 p.m. (click for details)
Click here for the 2017-18 calendar at a glance.
Click here for the full 2017-18 school calendar.
returns for the 2017-18 school year! Registration for our next session on Monday, Dec. 11 is now available. If you're interested in this FREE program, please click the logo above for details.
Click the logo above to visit the fall sports "Teams & Results" page, where you can stay up-to-date on all the latest news and recaps about Patriot athletics!
THE INDEPENDENCE SCHOOL BLOG
Click the "Indy Insights" logo above for a collection of useful ideas, guidance and resources by members of our faculty, administration and staff.
Did you know that Extended Day offers a variety of special programs throughout the school year? Click here for all the details.
YOUTUBE? IN THE CLASSROOM?
By Ms. Sarah Gilmore, Fourth-Grade Teacher
Yes, you're reading that headline correctly. YouTube may be one of the most popular social media sites today, but it surprisingly serves a purpose in today's classrooms. YouTube has come a long way since its early days as a platform for sharing home videos of comical toddler meltdowns and animals doing tricks. This completely free resource has become a staple in many 21st-century, technology-influenced classrooms. With many millions of education-centric videos and a generation of students who already have a buy-in with the video-sharing venue, why not use YouTube to support learning?
MIDDLE SCHOOL CONFERENCE SIGN-UPS
Conference Day will take place this Friday, Oct. 27. To sign up for Middle School conferences, please visit the Group Space of the teacher(s) with whom you'd like to meet. The link to a teacher's Sign Up Genius can be found in the Bulletin section of his or her Group Space or on the Calendar.
As many of our Middle School faculty members teach close to 100 students, it is not possible to meet with every parent on the actual conference date. If a teacher's conference schedule has no more available spaces, please email that teacher to arrange for an alternate meeting time or a phone conference.
Roller Skating Night
presented by the Athletic Department
Where: Christiana Skating Center
When: This Thursday, Oct. 26
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Cost: Entry Fee - $5; Skate Rental - $3
All ECI through fourth-grade students are required
to have a parent stay at the event.
THINKING ABOUT THINKING
Bernadette Gilmore, Director of Academics and Curriculum, and Vita Biddle, LeApps(TM) Specialist and middle school teacher, presented together on Oct. 18 in Boston at the 90th Annual National ERB (Educational Records Bureau) Conference, which carried the theme of Inspire and Energize: the Power of Optimism.
Mrs. Gilmore and Ms. Biddle's presentation, entitled "Teaching Content While Keeping Metacognition in Mind," delved into the increasing need for students to become versatile, self-directed and self-reliant learners. Through instruction in all content areas, students can discover explicitly how to learn efficiently and effectively for today and their many tomorrows.
We thank them both for representing Independence and the research that informs our program!
SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS NEEDED
Independence is looking for passionate and caring people who would be interested in substitute teaching. Substitute teachers must have earned a bachelor's degree or higher. If you or anyone you know would be interested in being a substitute teacher for Independence, please complete the application.
CPR TRAINING FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 6-8
Tri-State Training and Safety Consulting, LLC will hold CPR/AED Training for Independence sixth- through eighth-grade students on Monday, Nov. 6 from 3:15-5 p.m. in the Fasick Gallery. Cost is $28 per student. Please complete the registration form and return to Mrs. Axe-Bree, school nurse, along with your check (made payable to "IPA"), by Thursday, Nov. 2. Thank you!
In addition to Open House, the Admission Office is hosting a series of Information Sessions for parents interested in learning about our program. The next one, focusing on Lower School (Early Childhood I-grade 4), will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 8:30 a.m. Please help us spread the word. All dates can be found here.
Have you checked out our official Alumni page? You can keep up with all the latest news on our talented graduates. If you have your own alumni submission, please email Tanya Godsey, Alumni Relations Coordinator.
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